I'm pretty sure most of you saw this coming...but here it is anyway. n.n
Chasing The Truth
By FlikFreak
Chapter Thirty-Three: Anima Strikes
Jaxuk laughed. "Lord Meyxours…those fools intend to fight Anima."
"So it would seem," Meyxours replied. "Well…this should prove to be interesting."
"And what if they defeat Anima?" Jaxuk asked, his smile not fading. "What will you do then?"
Meyxours didn't seem concerned. "Anima's strength is in how she slings pain onto others. Even if they do survive, only a miracle could help them." He turned around. "I will be putting the final touches on our preparations. If they make it through this fight, eliminate them. Don't disappoint me, Jaxuk."
Jaxuk nodded. "You have my trust sir," he replied. Then, once Meyxours left, he turned back to watch the bloodshed. "This will certainly be an entertaining performance…all we need is one more actor to complete the cast, and I believe I know just the one for the job…"
This can't be happening!
Ven? What's wrong!?
It's Meyxours…his pact with Anima's still intact. Look!
No way…how is he able to summon?
Search me. Rhyme sensed Anima all the way from Merlin's.
So she's finally…what do we do now?
Not much we can do. They're on their own this time.
How can you say that?!
I'm not going to interfere this time. That's my decision.
But that's so unlike you…
Neku will win.
How can you be so sure…?
He'll win. I know he will.
How?
Because he can hear it.
Something about the Aeon had Neku trembling fearfully. The air around it was heavy, and something seemed to stop him from thinking straight. Rhyme looked increasingly anxious as they neared the monster, and the dark clouds swirled menacingly.
"It's even freakier up close, yo," Beat commented.
Rhyme gave a quiet whimper and backed away a few steps. "Something's wrong with it…"
"You think?" Axel remarked. "It looks like a zombie made friends with it."
"No," Rhyme said, shaking her head. "It's…it doesn't…I can't really put words to it. I want to say it doesn't belong here, but…that's not the right way to put it."
"Damn right it doesn't belong here," Riku grumbled. "Come on, let's get rid of this thing!" With that, he ran forward and aimed a strike against one of the fins on the monster's side. With a metallic clang, Riku's weapon bounced off and he leapt backward. "Or not…"
Axel began his own attack, only to meet a similar resistance. "I might as well use a wooden sword on this thing," he grumbled.
Sora grit his teeth and shot a flurry of fireballs toward Anima, each of them slamming into the area between the fins. Anima jerked on each hit, and Sora cheered. "I think I got it, guys! Hit it here!"
"With pleasure," Joshua stated, aiming a blast.
"Wait!" Rhyme cried. "Something's wrong!"
"You said that earlier," Riku commented. "What now?"
Rhyme nodded. "I know, but this time it's something else. Don't you think something's out of place here?"
"She's right," Shiki interrupted. "It hasn't attacked us yet, and we're right here."
The seamstress spoke too soon. Anima bellowed in sadness, gathering immense power in the form of red light in its eye. The air grew significantly thin before its heaviness returned full force, the near-invisible energy rippling the air as it burst outward as a form of an assault.
It hit Shiki dead on.
Three screams at once: the first from Rhyme as the explosion of heaviness came, the second from Shiki as she fell to the ground, and the third from Anima as though it were mourning its deed, a tear of molasses-thick blood trickling slowly down its face.
Neku's eyes narrowed. "Shiki! You okay?!"
"It hurts!" The seamstress screamed, clutching a gash on her arm that seemingly came from nowhere. "I can't move!"
Scowling, the ex-proxy spared Anima only a brief glance before running to his friend's side. Damn monster…just what is it, anyway?!
"We can't even see its attacks!" Riku cried. "What're we going to do now?!"
"It's attacking by inflicting pain," Axel replied, holding his chakrams protectively in front of him even though it would probably not protect him in the least. "We barely even get a warning, and it mocks us afterward."
Riku swore. "Shiki's out of commission for now," he grumbled. "We need to return the favor quickly before the rest of us get hurt."
Beat, meanwhile, was having his own problems. "Rhyme! Rhyme, talk to me! What's wrong?!"
"It's so thick," Rhyme replied, kneeling on the ground. "It's so thick, Beat…"
"What is?"
Rhyme didn't reply. Instead, her eyes widened and she snapped her gaze up. "Beat! Watch out!"
Beat spun around and whipped his skateboard out in front of him just in time to block another strike, but it wasn't enough to block the entire burst. Another scream came from Rhyme and a short cry of pain escaped the boy, and a trickle of blood left his mouth. He gasped for breath. "Geez…feels like a bus hit me…"
Neku blinked. Rhyme saw it coming…?
"Looks like it's using its eye to attack us," Axel observed. "Aim for that!"
"I would," Beat complained, "If it weren't five stories high!"
Another burst shot outward, this one striking Sora. The key bearer screamed and staggered backward into a wall, clutching his side. "What the…"
Riku cried out, diving in front of his friend and holding Way to Dawn in a defensive posture. "You okay, Sora?"
"I think so," Sora replied. "Just gimme a minute…"
Joshua's face contorted into anger. "Fine. I'll finish this myself!" With that, he leapt into the air and hovered, raising a hand and gathering pure white energy…
Another hit. Joshua fell from his place high in the air and crashed to the ground. He managed to stand, but he still staggered. "No…how can…?!"
Axel was next. Another three screams. One of his chakrams fell out of his hand, and he reached to pick it up, only barely grabbing it and beginning to stand again.
Neku's gaze dragged itself toward Anima's eye. The red light began to gather again. He was paralyzed just looking at it; and for a brief moment the tune that had filled his mind completely blanked out, the only sound reaching him being the gathering of agony in what he saw alone. He knew he wouldn't be able to anticipate what came next.
The red light exploded, the air rippling as though a sonic wave had torn through it. Neku screamed as the attack struck him, sending him flying through the air, landing him near the cliff. He stopped inches away, and his keyblade struck itself upright in the ground. Coughing, Neku righted himself, the metallic taste of blood in his mouth. He grabbed the hilt of Music of Shibuya, pushing himself to his feet and dragging the keyblade out of its stone sheath in the ground. Anima roared in sorrow, but the ex-proxy ignored it. He stumbled forward, ready to strike again, even as weak as he was.
Iyeyui…
Neku paused, the chaos of the battle suddenly only a background sound to what he heard. What…what is that?
Nobomenu…
Is someone singing? He wondered, turning to Anima. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. The blood-red light began to gather at the monstrosity's eye again. Sora was staggering to his feet, and Riku dove in front of him just in time for the red to burst and send the silver-haired boy crumbling to the ground, crying out in pain.
Renmiri…
Rhyme was still unharmed, but Beat stood ever vigilant in front of his sister, holding his skateboard up as a shield. Blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth, but it hardly fazed him. Rhyme herself was trembling, but whether it was in fear, from being overwhelmed from the aura of the Aeon, or both…it was hard to tell.
Yojuyogo…
Axel was slumped over, but still standing. His chakrams were held loosely in his hands as usual, but they were dangling dangerously at the ends of his fingers instead of being lightly twirled about. The air was going cold around him, and Neku could hear his breath become labored. It was clear that he wasn't going to last much longer.
Hasatekanae…
Joshua was managing to stay on his feet, guarding Shiki's motionless form. He had his arms spread wide, judging the best time to strike Anima again, but it wouldn't be easy. The Aeon might have been stationary, but it was powerful…he couldn't deny that. Behind him, Shiki's arm was still bleeding, although much slower now, and her eyes were closed. It couldn't be a good sign.
Kutamae…
Screaming in a rage, Neku brandished Music of Shibuya and leapt into the air. The weapon hummed with power, and his ascent brought him higher than Anima itself. As he began to descend again, Neku somehow threw himself forward and thrust his keyblade forward, driving it through Anima's eye.
There was no roar of pain, no bellow of agony. A flash of dark light enveloped the entire area, wrapping the warriors in its cold clutches. Neku felt himself shoved out of his temporary perch and onto the ground as the darkened void turned white, and Anima's body dissolved, reshaping itself into the form of a young woman in an elegant white dress, her stern yet soft gaze locked onto him. Everyone else involved in the battle – save for Shiki, whom was still unconscious – stood in wonder at the one that had replaced Anima.
Neku swallowed nervously, trying to back away but finding that his feet were rooted to the spot. A human…? Then what happened to the Aeon?
"Who're you?" Sora asked.
"I was once Seymour's mother," The woman replied. "I have been asleep for so long that I know not my name any longer."
"Seymour?" Riku questioned.
The woman bit her lip. "Ah, that's right…you may know him as Meyxours now."
Neku's eyes widened. "You're his mother?" He blurted. "But you look so-"
Axel jabbed Neku in the ribs. "Never ask a woman her age, Neku. Got it memorized?"
"I'm not asking her age!"
But the woman was not offended. "His father, unlike me, was a Guado, not a human. We lived on a world called Spira, a place that has been destroyed by heartless. I am not sure if it returned when the keybearer sealed the door."
Sora looked away.
"When he was still young," the woman continued, "He was treated harshly by other children. I thought to become a Fayth and grant him the power he needed to go on, and sacrificed myself for his betterment, but instead I corrupted my son."
Rhyme stepped forward. "You became Anima, didn't you?" Hearing this, the woman nodded.
Beat's jaw dropped. "No way, yo!" He exclaimed. "We didn't just fight a lady! But hang on…that means you was beatin' us up, too! So we-"
"Calm down," Rhyme said, soothing her brother. "I'm sure she didn't mean to."
"You're right," The woman replied. "An Aeon is bound to its summoner's will, no matter if it is for good or for evil. After my son became a heartless, his nobody still somehow kept his pact with me. I managed to forge a pact with another summoner…a summoner that defeated my son's heartless, but…it wasn't enough to save Spira at the time."
"I'm sorry," Sora muttered. "I wish I could have done something…"
The woman shook her head. "There is no need to be so harsh on yourself, key bearer. Our world must still exist for me to be summoned, even by a nobody."
Sora nodded. "All the worlds were restored after me and Riku closed the door. That doesn't mean I feel any less bad about what I never managed to do, though…"
"It was my fault that my son came to be so twisted," the woman insisted. "And thus my fault that he plunged himself into darkness to slake his lust for power. When he became Maester of Yevon, he did everything in his power to manipulate others."
Joshua crossed his arms. "In the wrong hands, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
"Please," the woman begged, "You must stop my son…"
"We will," Sora said. "We promise."
The woman nodded. "Thank you, key bearer." She then turned to Rhyme. "Young one…please step closer."
Rhyme did, swallowing nervously. The woman looked her over closely, and reached out, lifting Rhyme's chin so that she could look at her eyes. Then, she smiled. "That innocence…you remind me so much of her."
Puzzled by the woman's words. Rhyme blinked. "Of who, ma'am?" She asked.
Rather than to answer, the woman handed Rhyme a bright red feather. "Take this," she said. "If you ever need help at all, it will aid you."
Rhyme tilted her head and looked at the feather. "What is it?"
"You will know when the time comes. Now, go, warriors of light. And thank you…because of your efforts, I can finally, truly rest in peace."
And with that, the woman vanished in a rainbow of light, the glowing orbs circling into the air before vanishing entirely. The white void left as well, leaving the warriors in the canyon where they had stood.
And with another Zoner's identity fully explained, we can add him to the list.
Anywho. Hope that was good enough for you people. Now, the end approaches...or does it?
Zoners:
The Deceptive Evoker, Meyxours (Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy X)
The Elegant Reaper, Jaxuk (Chasing The Truth/???)
The Fallen Prince, Zarxilt (Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XI)
The Ruthless Emperor, Naxeyv (Chasing The Truth/Final Fantasy XII)
