Chapter 67: The End She Saw (Part 2)
The courtyard was exactly as Tear had remembered it, now dangerously dim as the last of the sun's rays vanished from the horizon. Clouds began to move in, covering the navy heaven beyond the miasma filled sky, hiding the stars that would be invisible regardless, their faint light no longer able to pierce the toxic fog that had settled over the planet. Tear remained uneasy but thankfully she didn't have much time to worry. At least half of the Malkuth and Kimlascan forces that were stationed along the corridors had already been killed, a confirmation as good as any that Mohs and the God-Generals had beat them here. Asch was still on a vendetta to get rid of the miasma which involved taking himself and about 5000 replicas with it and her brother was still bent on destroying the world as they knew it. Yes, Tear was glad she didn't have the time to think about any of these problems in depth. They were in the midst of a battle they couldn't afford to lose, from this point on it was a matter of reaction and of protecting those dearest to her. For now, nothing else mattered.
Jade sent a burst of fifth fonons around the area, igniting the fonstones that had been set around the last time they were here and giving the entire yard an eerie feel. In the center the Seventh fonstone reflected the dim light, shimmering in a rainbow of colours, the single prize. No one spent any time dwelling on the atmosphere; the light gave way to the chaos of the struggle that had been taking place under the veil of darkness. The entire scene lay out before them, like a bloody painting telling a sombre tale.
Kimlasca's general stood backed against a wall, blood running down her cheek from an injury somewhere in her blonde tangles. Her sword was drawn but not sullied; the only crimson to be seen was in her uniform. Her mouth hung open mid-scream.
General Frings took the blow for his Kimlascan counterpart, crippling under Sync's strike, his silver hair was stained and his arm now hung at an angle that shouldn't be possible. His sword lay useless on the ground several feet away gleaming in the light of the new-lit fonstones; clean, neither General had put so much as a scratch on their opponent.
The frozen tableau exploded with the crunch of shattered bones as Frings met the stone wall. Cecille's scream echoed off the walls, the world suddenly came back to life and the spilt second that lasted a minute came to a shattering halt.
"Well well, look who finally decided to show up," Sync taunted noticing the group's presence. Tear wasted no time placing herself between the God-General and his opponents, a motion in which everyone followed suit. Carefully daring to steal a moment's attention, she glanced over her shoulder to assess Frings' condition. His left arm and leg both looked broken and there was a good chance he had a concussion, but he'd live if they could get him out of this alive.
"Take him and get to a safe location," Jade commanded the young Kimlascan General. She eyed them all cautiously.
"My orders were to guard this fonstone with my life if need be," Cecille protested. Her argument seemed half-hearted, her attention was still with her fallen comrade.
"Wh-What's the meaning of this?" Frings demanded, trying to pull himself up, only earning him a wave of pain that he restrained behind a bit lip. Cecille ran to his side.
"I could ask the same," Sync shrugged, seemingly pleased at the mess he'd made of Frings. "We just came as per our agreement and we were attacked."
"It was agreed by both countries that this Score would never be read for the sake of either of them!" Frings went into a fit of coughing.
"General Frings," Jade stated with an authority far beyond his station and one Tear had heard him use with them on occasion. It was a tone he wasn't particularly fond of taking, but one to which no person with any sense would dare disobey. "Take General Cecille, gather what men remain and retreat."
"Colonel Curtiss-"
"I ask for your trust in this matter."
A pause of silence as Frings stared Sync down. "Alright," the General conceded, and with help from Cecille he left the courtyard. Tear only regretted not being able to fix him up a little, but broken bones required time and concentration to heal, of which she could afford neither right now. She would just have to leave him in Cecille's capable and seemingly willing hands.
"Tell your friends that they can join us now," Jade said harshly to Sync.
"Just waiting on the guest of honour," Sync answered mockingly.
Largo stepped out from the shadows across the courtyard dwarfing the man who walked next to him. Still dressed in the traditional garb from his former position of Grand Maestro, he took little notice of the God-General who loomed over him. Jade's curiosity was piqued by his clothes, the attitude and overinflated ego he wore being of little interest to the Colonel. He wondered why Mohs would choose his old uniform when there was little doubt all such things would have been taken from him when he lost his position in the Order. It was a message he wished to declare, a subtle detail that despite the man's preposterousness he had given some thought to. He was declaring his superiority, that the former Order's rulings held no power over him.
Mohs' eyes met his only once and the small beady things darted away, though they scanned everyone, making misjudged assessments. Jade could care less, the more he underestimated them, the greater their window of opportunity would be. The self-proclaimed Fon Master bore a drawn out grin, victory already in his grasp; he was a man who saw an end.
"The Seventh Fonstone," Mohs hovered over his prize, Jade watched him cautiously. There was no room for error, no time for mistakes. Though he may be a fool, his two guards were not and though the God-Generals' and Mohs interests didn't coincide in the least, there was no knowing how long they could find use in their figurehead. Until they were through with whatever purpose he served them, they would defend him and that was what posed the threat. Them and the handful of Oracle Knights Mohs thought he still had hidden in the shadows. Jade waited; the opportunity would come as soon as Mohs had Sync read him the Score.
"With this, I'll overtake the shattered remains of that fool's Order!" Mohs continued his monologue, oblivious as to whether or not anyone was even paying attention. "I'll create a new, proper Order that will devoutly follow the Score. All that remains to report this to the authorities. Kimlasca's soldiers heartlessly slaughtered Malkuth's in an attempt to secure the Score for themselves. It shouldn't be long before war begins anew."
"And what do you hope to achieve by that?" Natalia demanded.
"The world has strayed from Yulia's Score and look at the disaster's that have befallen us. We were foolish, arrogant in believing that we knew better than she." Asch scoffed making no attempt to hide his contempt; funny to hear Mohs calling another arrogant. "It is my responsibility as Fon Master to take this Score and deliver it to the world. That is the purpose of the New Order of Lorelei!"
"Sorry to break it to you but no one wants the world you're offering," Asch challenged him, drawing his sword. Jade drew his spear, knowing that the aggression was bound to come, but just because Asch had a death wish didn't mean he had to be quite so reckless. The rest of them still had his mess to clean up. "They don't need you and they don't need your Score; we won't let you ruin what they've worked so hard to create."
Asch hadn't taken half a step before the Oracle Knights swarmed out and the young monarch stopped in his steps. Jade watched him with a smidge of satisfaction that he'd missed the extra forces in his hurry to end the situation. Even Luke had spotted them lurking, though he'd likely underestimated their numbers, he'd still been aware of their presence. Mohs' satisfaction went up a few notches.
"Want to go back on your word?" Sync asked, his cocky pose having melted away to one ready for battle. "If you do we won't be keeping our end of the deal."
"It won't matter much if we shut you up for good," Asch shot back.
"I will create a new world!" Mohs declared. "A world that Yulia would have been proud of, one that she will smile down upon and not curse with her poison; no one can stop me!"
"And what is our place in this world?"
The familiar monotonous voice caught them all off guard. Jade turned his head, his ruby eyes rapidly assessing Mary and the half dozen replicas that she'd pulled with her from the shadows. This was an unexpected factor and one Jade honestly hadn't expected to see come into play. The technicalities of their presence here, how they'd arrived was swept to the back of his mind for the time being. A puzzle he could mull over later if he cared to, for now he was more concerned about their objectives. The Oracle Knights didn't pose much threat; the God-Generals would be the challenge. If the replicas were fighting against them, this would be almost impossible.
"Perfect!" Mohs grin erupted at the sight of the replicas. "Hurry up and kill these fools who dare try to stand in the way of our new world."
"No," Mary stated.
"What did you say?"
"We will not do as you say. You broke your promise to us; you said you would not hurt any of our kind."
"I kept my word!" Mohs argued, outraged as he let himself be swept up in the storm of his own emotions. "I haven't touched a single one of you filth!"
"You lie. You said you would not hurt any of our kind and again you order us to kill him." Mary said a single finger pointing straight at Luke.
"Damn you fool!" Mohs barked at Luke. "You're a replica as well?"
"That's right; you got a problem with that?" Luke challenged, a grin set wide on his face. Apparently that fact had slipped the former Grand Maestro's mind.
"It's irrelevant, you'll obey what I say or you'll be replaced!" Mohs commanded the replicas.
"And if we refuse, you intend to replace us?"
"Of course, I've no use for disobedient tools! There is no place for you on Eldrant!"
Mary turned to face Luke, her gaze deep and piercing, weighing the sides. Below her eternally calm disposition, it was plain to see as she faced her convictions. Never had her ways been tested, her beliefs put into question, and she desperately sought an answer in Luke's eyes. Her answer came with the drawing of her sword; pointed straight at Mohs. "For now," Mary stated resolutely, though her unwavering gaze was back on Mohs, it was clear her words were for them. "We will lend you our strength."
Jade launched the first arte half a second after Mary's last word and the blade of thunder pierced an Oracle Knight and plunged the courtyard into chaos. It was time to act, now before anyone had time to re-factor in the replica's forces. The seven of them were easily matching the Oracle Knights that remained, something for which Jade was grateful for neither Largo nor Sync lacked any fighting ability.
Natalia was surprised to see Jade launch the first attack, forget how suddenly it was, but if she'd learnt anything from travelling with him, it was that it was always best to follow such leads. He always had some sort of unbelievably well thought out reason behind everything he did. Natalia leaped back, dodging a flurry of Sync's hits. One punch caught her shoulder and she felt the fire fly through her arm. Guy and Luke both jumped in and distracted him. Natalia's arms shook, unable to hold her bow steady. She backed up a few paces and let a bunch of Seventh Fonons suffuse in the injury dulling the pain then eliminating it completely.
Largo's large scythe caught one of the replica's mid-section, the ensuing scream echoing in Natalia's ears as blood splattered across the Seventh Fonstone. She stopped the flow of Seventh Fonons and launched two arrows at the Black Lion who easily struck them out of the air. It amazed her how swiftly and easily he moved in such restricted space. The area his weapon could cover in a single swing made him a dangerous foe and he was rapidly decimating their forces. The replica's numbers were already almost half of what they'd been when just a few minutes ago.
Natalia ducked below his retaliating swing, this time aiming at his face. His posture would make the block difficult. Her aim was not to kill him, alone she knew the task would be impossible, but she could still occupy his time. If she could keep his attention, the others could focus on the other opponents that were interspersed among what had become sheer anarchy. Sync would be challenge enough to occupy them, protecting Mohs as he was. Out of the corner of eye, she saw the former Grand Maestro safely tucked away near the Seventh Fonstone, but Sync was mysteriously absent. Where-?
It happened so quickly Natalia didn't even know what had hit her.
"Stop!" Sync's voice echoed as silence swept over the courtyard.
Foolish. She'd been foolish. Natalia silently cursed at the blade she felt pressed against her throat The looks of horror that were swept across her friends' faces beset a feeling of disappointment next to the fear that the pressure of the blade instilled. It was silly, her bow was snapped, discarded on the ground and with his free hand Sync twisted hers uncomfortably behind her and the only thought that came to mind, was that she didn't think that Sync carried a knife.
"No one moves or I'll slit her throat," Sync challenged, emphasizing his point by digging the knife in and letting a small trickle of red run down Natalia's neck.
Luke held his breath and no one had to see Asch's face to know how livid he was. It took every drop of willpower he'd ever mustered to stay glued to the spot but the anger rolled off him in waves. Only his fear for what would happen to Natalia held him frozen in place. He knew damn well Sync was faster. Poor Ginji was never going to get his chance at the God-General, Asch would get him first... and it wouldn't be pretty when he did.
The replicas stared blankly at the situation, but seeming to understand, or maybe simply following Luke's lead, they too froze. Jade surveyed the damage that had been done so far. The Oracle Knights had all but fallen; the few survivors were either unconscious or pretending to be, not in any condition for further battle. The replicas had suffered at Largos hand, only Mary, another blonde and a brunette were still standing. Regardless of the casualties among the replicas, Mohs' side had been losing the upper hand and it was no surprise Sync had seen the opportunity. Still, he'd brought them to a stale mate. Sync would have a hard time holding onto Natalia and reading the Score at the same time. Not impossible by any means, but as soon as he was distracted, he'd be vulnerable and they could move. Sync knew it. Thus they were stuck.
"Excellent job," Mohs applauded, coming out of hiding. Sync slowly backed up a step at a time, never opening or leaving himself vulnerable, even under Jade's astute gaze. Mohs removed a dagger hidden within his robes and placed it next to Sync's. "Give her to me," Mohs ordered and Sync complied, covering Mohs' sloppiness with his own defensive position; he was freeing the God-General so he could read the Score.
The Grand Maestro held Natalia surprisingly tightly and Jade could tell that even if fear hadn't paralyzed her, she'd little, if any, opportunity to free herself from her bind. With Mohs under the watch of the God-Generals they would have to bide their time. Mohs would be easy enough to take down, but only once his guard could be dealt with, something that would, unfortunately, take longer than it would take for Mohs to kill their damsel in distress.
Mohs erupted into laughter, the only sound to break the tense silence, and it sent a chill through them all. It was crazed, full of all the madness of which they knew him capable. "Now nothing can stop me! No one will stop me from reading and uncovering Yulia's promised prosperity!"
The former Grand Maestro hauled Natalia towards the Seventh Fonstone and Natalia let out a small shout. Sync advanced to block the path between them and the hostage while Largo motioned to the side. Strange positions to be taking; all the possible formations, outcomes, all of it raced through Jade's mind like water rushing through a narrow creek until it came to a single hauntingly still conclusion.
Mohs intended to read the Score himself.
The pain seared through his hand, still strumming, pulsing in time with his heartbeat as Jade Balfour pulled the dagger across his palm. He watched in mild satisfaction at the red line left behind, then at the small pooling of blood. He tipped his hand and let the red drops fall to the floor.
Drop.
Drop.
Drop.
The old knife was discarded, thrown across the room. The twelve year old looked back down at his hand and a grin spread across his face. This would work just fine. It was a simple cut, shallow and well above any tendons or other complex structures that would require more advanced skills. He simply needed some way to measure the effects of the Seventh Fonon, the strength of the arte he would invoke. There would be no way of knowing he was successful if the fonons had nothing on which to exert their effect. He'd carefully observed the Professor's artes several times, the flow of the fonons, the way they were strung together in an arte, he'd memorized it all down to the last detail. Now he would begin.
There was no potential source of error in his calculations, no fathomable reason that this would not work. If the first six fonons could be forced to subjugate to his will, then so could the Seventh. Of course he could command the Seventh Fonon. No one, not Saphir, not Nephry, not even Professor Nebilim would tell him otherwise.
Drop.
Drop.
Drop.
"Stop!" Jade shouted, his sudden panic turning even Asch's head. "Stop him," Jade ordered, slightly more composed but his tone no less urgent. No one dared to be the first to move. Jade betrayed a look of frustration with his group's hesitation, but even Asch wouldn't budge. Ion's death was still cast over them and the possibility of another froze them to the spot.
"You know you have no capacity to control the Seventh Fonon," the Colonel said directly to Mohs, when it was clear he would be getting no results from the others. "Don't be foolish, nothing will come of this!"
"Hah!" Mohs scoffed, pulling the dagger closer to Natalia's throat. "I am the true Fon Master! Of course I can read the Score! Every Fon Master since Yulia possesses the gift to see the future she witnessed."
"You are not a Fon Master!"
"I am!" Mohs bellowed, his voice reverberating off the stone walls. "I am the Fon Master! No one, not you or that fool Van will tell me any different! I will prove to the world that I am the one meant to lead them to the promised prosperity! Then no one will be able to doubt my authority!"
"No. Anyone who cannot control the Seventh Fonon should never attempt to use it!" Jade threw back with an edge to his voice, almost frantic in a way, if one could ever call Jade frantic. His heart began to race, breaking through the control he'd always kept it under and old nightmares were spinning out before him. This was the worst possible scenario he could have envisioned.
"Jade! Jade!" The familiar whining voice broke his concentration and he suddenly wished he still had that knife in his hand. Once he'd healed himself he could practice more by putting the runny-nosed whiner back together.
"What are you doing here Saphir?" Jade demanded. "I told you I wasn't going to help you tinker with any more of those fon machines of yours; I'm busy."
"You're trying to learn artes like the Professor's, aren't you? Even though she told you it's dangerous..."
"I've been watching her; it's no different than any other arte with any other fonon. There's no reason I shouldn't be just as capable as she is."
"But Jade, she said really bad things could happen!"
"Then go home!" Jade snapped. Saphir was silent and in those long minutes, Jade just waited for the sound of his sniffles. He'd cry, he always did, but it was the most effective way to be rid of him.
"No, if you're staying, then I'm going to stay here too," he answered with determination.
"Fine," Jade scowled. "Then go sit in a corner or something."
Saphir did as Jade asked, he always did. No sooner had the boy vanished from his line of sight did his so-called companion also vanish from his mind. He needed to be calm and had to focus. Mastering artes had come easier to him than to most, but he still knew to be cautious while experimenting. More reason he preferred to be alone. The less factors to interfere with the outcome the better. He felt the blood beginning to crust in his hand and Jade scowled again. Any more meaningless distractions and the cut will have healed itself already.
Jade reached out to the fonons, as distinct in the air around him as the snowflakes that fell beyond the window. The Seventh were simple to identify, the least familiar to him of all those that surrounded him and he beckoned them. They weren't responsive as the others that so readily flocked to him, but Jade wouldn't be detoured by so simple a fact as that. He forced them forward, manipulating the other fonons to force them into submission and they began to answer his call.
Simple. Utterly simple; he had been foolish to listen to the Professor's words of caution. Like all the others, the Seventh Fonon could be easily commanded. The thought warmed Jade and a sadistic grin widened across his face. Nothing could stop him, he'd show the Professor the results of his work, and he could already see the look of surprise on her face, but beneath it there was that pride that he was her student. It was all the gratification he required, her approval, and the satisfaction of knowing he was perfectly capable of doing it. That no power was beyond his reach.
But the satisfied warmth continued to grow. Hot. Uncomfortably hot. The warmth grew into a small fire within his chest and quickly that fire exploded into a blaze. It was hot, far too hot and the heat was no longer within him but around him, burning through the building, searing the air and suddenly Jade couldn't breathe.
That's when his entire world went out of control.
Small drops of water began to fall, darkening the already sombre stones and washing the fresher of the bloodstains away. The sound of the rain echoed through the silence. The water streamed down Jade's face, drops on his glasses beginning to obscure his vision. The Necromancer could feel his amber hair cling to the back of his neck, sending more water through his already soaking uniform. The matter didn't register, he'd no room in his mind to even consider such a triviality.
"No matter what else happens, we mustn't let Mohs read the Score," Jade hissed in a tone low enough that only the few standing near him could hear.
"I don't get it Colonel," Anise whispered cautiously. "What's gonna happen if someone like Mohs tries to read the Score? A hyperresonance? If we can get Natalia out of the way, a hyperresonance would just take out Mohs and the Fonstone. I mean, isn't that a good thing?"
"You've never seen a true hyperresonance," Jade's reply was strained. "Luke and Asch's hyperresonance are very finely controlled and their talent in that regard is grossly under recognized. A full scale hyperresonance would take out the castle, if not the entire peninsula."
"But what can we do? They'll kill her faster than we can act," Guy pointed out.
"It won't be a hyperresonance that occurs," Jade replied.
"Then what's the big deal? He'll just fail, right?" Anise was getting exasperated. What the hell was the Colonel so worked up about? It's not like it was Natalia being a hostage that had him shaken, he was always cool when someone's life was on the line. So why was the idea of Mohs reading the Score making his face even whiter than Tokunaga's stuffing?
"If someone without the capacity to control the Seventh Fonon attempts to use it," Jade said hurriedly. "Even if it's so simple an arte as to read the Score or heal a small wound, the fonons will run rampant, first attacking the fonist and then destroying its surroundings. We mustn't-"
Jade was halted by a soft pressure on his arm and he turned to see Asch looking up at him.
"It's okay, Jade," Asch said calmly as he was able. "We won't let it happen again."
Jade took a moment, forcing his racing emotions under control under the gaze of the worried teen. Asch was right; he was letting his past experiences cloud his better judgment. If Asch could keep his calm with Natalia as she was... Jade sighed. Keeping up with these young ones was beginning to grow difficult.
Composing himself he returned to analyzing the situation. Things were not the same as they had been that night. They had Luke and Asch and as much as he hated to, Jade was hoping that their connection to Lorelei might give them some ability to keep the Seventh Fonons under control. They would find a way to free Natalia and they would stop Mohs' foolishness. There had to be a hole; he would find it and the shadows of the past need not repeat themselves.
Mohs placed his hand on the fonstone and for the first few seconds, Jade dared to hope Mohs would be completely unable to educe a reaction from the Fonons in question and at the start it seemed to be the case. His forehead creased as he struggled to concentrate, but as hope usually did when the Colonel was foolish enough to believe in it, it collapsed before him with the smug grin of satisfaction that began to spread across the former Grand Maestro's face. Once the first few fonons began to move towards him, the others all did as well.
Now it began.
"ND2019, The forces of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear shall march northward, through the Rugnica Plains. After inflicting atrocities upon the villages in their wake, the army shall surround the fortress capital."
Jade didn't even have time to turn to the boys before both of them cried out. Luke fell to his knees first but Asch wasn't very far behind him. They were obviously in pain, it was written across their faces and it didn't take their hands cradling their heads for him to know what the source of their anguish was. Jade silently cursed, though his mind told him that he knew this would happen. He still remembered their reaction the last time they'd read the Score all those months ago in Daath for all they'd tried to hide it.
"Luke, are you okay?" Guy hurried towards his best friend, but was blocked by Jade. His concern, while appreciated by Luke, he was sure, would not do anything to change the situation and the Colonel needed every possible hand.
"What's going on?" Guy demanded.
"I'm not completely certain," Jade confessed. "But you'll recall that this has occurred before and they were fine once all was said and done."
"What? When?"
"Does this happen every time the Score is read in their vicinity?" Jade questioned.
"What are you talking about? They weren't like this last time!"
Jade raised an eyebrow. He knew that despite appearances, Guy was perceptive, especially when it came to Luke. He hadn't missed it.
"Now that you say that, they did look kinda funny when Ion read the Score about Akzeriuth," Anise commented.
"Does it happen every time?" Jade repeated the question.
Guy froze for a moment and then the wheels in his mind began to turn. "No," the blond finally replied. "But they aren't around the Score much. Asch hasn't had his birthday Score read since Luke was born, Duke Fabre wouldn't allow it. I guess he was worried about Akzeriuth and that the truth about Luke would come out. But I don't remember anything strange when anyone else's Score was read in the house. Why? What does the Score have to do with them?"
"But it isn't just any Score," Tear explained. "It's Yulia's. It's the Planet Score."
"That makes no sense!" Guy protested in frustration.
"Are you forgetting who gave Yulia the Score in the first place," Jade answered.
Guy let out a breath.
"Lorelei."
"Within a fortnight, the city shall fall. The Kimlascan army will stain the Malkuth throne with the blood of its last emperor. Their howls of victory shall resound throughout the land."
"Luke! You okay?" Anise asked as the pained look faded from the redhead's face. Jade registered the change but quickly dismissed it. The young noble was looking straight ahead but his eyes weren't focused on anything. He simply stared blankly forward almost as if possessed by some unseen force. His lips moved, softly at first but making out what he was saying was simple enough. He and Asch spoke in perfect unison.
"ND2020, A mountain of corpses shall bury the fortress capital. Death and disease shall envelope the city. The plague born thence shall become a new poison unto humanity, killing all within its reach. Its spread shall mark the true end of Malkuth."
"Colonel?" Tear asked, her eyes asking what was going on, shining behind her worry for her crippled companion and for her best friend still under the threat of a knife.
"Leave them be," Jade ordered. "As long as the God-Generals don't attack them, they'll be fine. We've more pressing concerns. I once witnessed the outcome of a Fonist who couldn't control the Seventh Fonon but attempted to use it anyway. It begins slowly at first but it will cumulate until everything in the vicinity, including all of us, are incinerated. We've only a few moments before things go out of control, that window is key."
"Kimlasca shall enjoy decades of prosperity as the plague of M-Malkuth grows. Ultimately, the plague sh-shall be b-b-brought into the Kimlascan k-kingdom by a s-s-s-single m-man."
"What the heck?" Anise exclaimed. Mohs appeared to have a small convulsion, one that drove his blade dangerously close to Natalia. He'd lost his grip on one of her arms and she struggled to free herself but was locked in his grasp. Her helpless flailing only spurred the desperation that coursed through everyone, clawing at them, tearing their hearts from their chests. They had to do something!
"Neural contamination," Jade said, his voice unusually flat. "The Seventh Fonons have begun to attack his mind, it won't be long now."
"But what about-" Guy trailed off, still only a foot from Luke's side.
"They're Seventh Fonists, they'll be fine."
"Grand Maestro!" Tear called out. "You must stop this! You're destroying yourself!"
"S-S-Score...I will... p-prot-tect the Scorre.. I will l-l-lead the w-w-world to prosssperity!"
"Please!" Tear pleaded. "Return to your senses!"
"...Tttraitorrrr! Uohh... I wwon't llet the world bbe dddestroyyed..."
"He's beyond the point of return," Jade placed a hand on her shoulder. "I doubt reason is capable of reaching him anymore."
The last words came from Luke and Asch alone.
"Thus shall Auldrant be destroyed by the miasma and turned to dust. This is the end of Auldrant."
"The Score..." Anise mumbled. "It's..."
"I- Imp- Impossssibble!" Mohs cried. "You t- t- tricked m-me! This f-f-fonstone is fake issn't i-it? I-I'll k-k-kill herrr!"
"Now!" Jade yelled and the courtyard burst into chaos.
"Jade!" The door burst open and Professor Nebilim's white hair and coat was all he could make out through his blurred vision. Her voice was unmistakable, a splash of cold water through the heat that consumed his senses. But how had she-
"I'm sorry Jade," Saphir sobbed in the corner. "I- I told Nephry to get her. I knew you were-" Saphir hiccupped and the rest of his words were lost in the roar of a fire. Jade tried to open his mouth but couldn't, his actions were no longer his own. They belonged to the flames, his entire consciousness was theirs, unsure if it really wasn't all one and the same.
"Jade!" Nebilim rushed forward throwing the fonons away as she ran, a futile gesture as the rampant fonons returned with renewed eagerness. Only now did Jade recognize the fire beyond his caged existence. It had consumed the wooden building, flames licking at the walls, the furniture all of it was buried in the endless blaze. Neblim reached out for him, floating mindlessly as he was in the midst of chaos, sleep beckoning just on the outskirts of his fading consciousness. The fire within him still burned, it had moved though, from within his chest to his mind. His head seared spreading the pain down through every nerve in his body and he writhed, grasping for the sleep that was just beyond his reach. Her cool touch jolted him and a violent shock washed through his world, waking him from the haze into which he'd faded...
A split second later, the air was shattered by a piercing scream.
The drizzle turned into a downpour, making it almost impossible to see what was going on. Blades clashed, the metal sending light dancing all over the courtyard, shimmers of rainbow colour danced on the walls where bloody pools still sat below the weathered stone. What seemed to be Oracle Knights came from the shadows where they'd silently concealed themselves, their healers tending the wounded. Jade cast his spear and pierced one of the Seventh Fonists' armour, not giving him time to think before he took his last breath.
A familiar pattern of fonons swirled in the air about him, an arte with which he was familiar. Where was the fonist? Who was casting? Half a second passed like a minute, the Colonel's eyes bolting through the mass before him. Sync protecting Mohs, Largo killing another of the replicas, only two remained now. Tear and Anise carefully protecting the twins, Guy covering for Mary, half a dozen Oracle Knights remained scattered, their chaotic attacks skewering his judgement.
His time was up, the fifth fonons ignited, and fire spun through the rain around him.
Jade didn't know who had screamed, whether it had been him or Nebilim, or perhaps it had been both of them. The second she'd touched him, the fire that had burnt so readily within him left, piercing her and setting her ablaze.
"Professor Nebilim!" Jade shouted. His eyes darted everywhere, his calculating mind unable to consider all the factors at once. The building was ablaze and they had to escape. He couldn't summon enough fourth fonons to eliminate the flames. They'd all fled from the surge of Fifth Fonons. Here in this chaos his talents, his mastery of artes, it all amounted to nothing.
For the first time in his twelve years of life, Jade Balfour felt helpless.
Jade hastily doused the unnatural flames with an arte of his own. An Oracle Knight reeled in surprise; the Necromancer's spear flew through his heart before he'd time to experience another emotion. Jade charged towards the former Grand Maestro, with barely a mind to notice just how erratic the Seventh Fonons had become. Mohs fought through a second convulsion, his arm locking itself around the Princess. She couldn't escape of her own volition. There was no time left. They had seconds. Seconds before this entire castle vanished into oblivion.
He raised his weapon just in time to block Sync's strike.
The Professor collapsed, her body spilling across the floor like the dolls Nephry played with. The heat beat against him and small beads of sweat poured down his face. Ever since he'd been born, the youngest Balfour had been small, not as sturdily built as other boys his age, one amongst many reasons he never picked with the more popular crowds. He could never care less but it was a factor that now put him at a disadvantage. His skinny arms were completely incapable of lifting the limp body before him, much less dragging her. Only a few feet and he was completely drained.
One of the beams in the ceiling collapsed exploding into flames and pieces of the roof became a brimstone rain around the young prodigy and his teacher. There was so little time left. Soon the entire building would collapse around them, the structure had been unstable before, now there was little to stand between the structure and the force of gravity. A second beam collapsed.
There was no time.
"Do you want to die here?" Jade demanded, his panic only pleasing the opponent facing him. No response came, no taunt, just an onslaught that even he fought to keep up with. A deadly dance across the slick rocks, through torrents of water that did not so much as slow the warriors.
Was this to be it? Was this to be the end of their ventures, their struggles? He knew the pattern; he knew the flow of the fonons. His mind still grasped at every single detail of that day. Nights he spent trying to forget, then hours in the day he fought to remember. Torn between his desire for knowledge and his guilt, his conscience, he had sacrificed the latter. This was the final result. He could count the seconds to the end.
Five.
Four.
Three..
Two...
One...
The air fled from his lungs, smoke consuming the little oxygen that remained in the collapsing building. Jade panted and again dropped Nebilim's arm. He didn't even have the strength to drag her out, and he was losing a battle against time. He couldn't do this alone.
"Saphir! I need your help, get over here," Jade called.
He hadn't noticed the sobbing until it had stopped. With trails of tears still leaking down his face, Saphir was instantly at his side. Not needing to be told, he grasped the Professor's other arm and together they pulled.
Her boots scratched against the wooden floors, her jacket snaring and ripping but not once did they stop. The world became inconsequential, an entity beyond the need for consideration. All that existed was this weight his shoulders trembled under and the navy sky beyond an opened door. A stray board fell and Jade felt his other shoulder dislocate. Inconsequential. Only a few more steps, another few seconds, it was all he needed, and then they'd be safe. Then all would be okay. He had never trusted in hope, not once, but now it was all he had. Two more steps, then all would be fine. He'd fix it all.
Nebilim's body spilled onto the fresh snow, dying it crimson beneath her. Jade knew enough about the body to know that having lost that much blood was not compatible with survival.
"Jade..." Saphir trembled, his tears spilling anew. "Jade what have we done?"
The question, his voice, Saphir had joined the inconsequentiality the rest of the world had fallen into. The crimson taint spread, growing wider with every second. There was no world without the professor. He couldn't let her die... if he did, Nephry would cry and... His last piece of reality shattered.
Betrayed by hope, Jade knew there was only one thing he had left he could rely on.
He would fix this error himself. Then everything would be alright. He would erase this reality and all that would remain of its passing was a patch of crimson snow.
The piercing scream brought the entire courtyard to a standstill. Blood spattered across the Seventh Fonstone, giving the world's tombstone an appropriately eerie look.
"Natalia!" Guy's scream still seemed to echo off the walls across the unearthly silence. Only the rain continued to beat down on them all. It couldn't be... it just couldn't be. Jade would have shaken his head as he read the blond's lips were it not for the dread that still clung to him, not yet washed away by the relief that was starting to surface. How imperceptive of him. But such a thing could be forgiven; chaos shook the most able of senses.
"I- I-" a meek voice came from next to the blond. Natalia sat shell-shocked in the mud, unable to get words at her lips, her eyes fixed to the gruesome scene that would haunt her dreams for many nights to come. Natalia felt her chest heave and her hands instinctively flew to her mouth in shock. True there hadn't once been any love lost for the overly devoted clergymen, and while she could honestly say she despised the man... that didn't... it didn't...
Largo pulled his scythe from the Grand Maestro's chest, his body collapsing like a rag doll into a pool of blood and other bodily fluids. The limp mass sat in a red puddle that slowly drained into the ground, lured away by the rain while those still standing in the downpour stood in shock, unable to process everything that had just happened at once.
What was left of the Oracle Knights had fallen, their bodies were still scattered around the yard. Several of the replicas lay amongst them but neither the God-Generals or any of Guy's friends had suffered any casualties. Luke and Asch seemed to have snapped out of whatever the hell had taken over them, but they were now both lying on the ground, unconscious from the looks of it. Damn it, there was too much going on he couldn't follow! Mohs was dead, thanks to what he'd thought was the man's bodyguard and somehow Natalia, who he'd seen locked in Mohs' grasp a split second before, was perfectly fine minus looking like she'd been tossed a couple feet. What the hell was going on?
"Enough is enough," Largo said simply.
"You'd betray your own comrade?" Guy demanded.
"I have pledged my sword to one master alone," Largo replied. "Never forget that."
"Mohs was a fool," Sync declared. "He clung to the Score and look what that did to him. He led himself to his own end."
"Death is the only end that exists for a world devoted to the Score," the Black Lion added.
"That's not true!" Natalia protested.
"You still intend to deny it? You've heard the Seventh fonstone Score for yourselves," Largo continued. "It is a Score of extinction!"
"Then we will build a world where the people survive, a path other than that the Score dictates," Natalia said.
"She's right," Luke agreed weakly, pulling himself up from the ground into a sitting position, one of his hands still cradling his head. "The Score isn't absolute. It's one possible choice among many futures."
"But if the end is the same regardless of the path to get there, what point is there to free will?" Largo inquired.
"The end... is the same?" Luke managed.
"The Score is the planet's memory," Largo continued. "It is every memory until the end of the world and everything will move according to that memory. The Score is nothing but a small portion of that memory, translated into human words. Even if you abandon the Score, halt all readings, the planet will keep its own memory and follow it to the inevitable end."
"Then you too will meet that end, if everything is as unchangeable as you say," Natalia argued. "You claim free will means nothing, then what is different about the choices you and Van are making?"
"Van's vision of destroying the Score is to destroy Lorelei, the planet's memory itself. He will earn the right for all living things to build their own future. I believe in that ideal, and have chosen to join him. Remember this: your methods are too weak."
"And the weak don't have any need of the fun toys," Sync said tauntingly, readying himself. His eyes focused in on Asch, who had also woken, though more silently than his sibling. The older redhead instinctively took a defensive stance, clutching the Sword of Lorelei. No one was going to get it from him that easily.
"Enough Sync," Largo placed a large hand on his comrade's shoulder. "Our mission here is complete." The God-General warily eyed them as well as the replicas that had placed themselves between the redheads and their opponents. "There will be ample opportunity for that later."
"Fine," Sync spat. "We've got better things to do anyway. But we will be back for it, so don't get too attached."
"Over my dead body," Asch hissed.
"Hmph, that can be arranged," Sync replied, but before Asch could formulate any kind of witty reply, both God-Generals vanished into Choral Castle's shadows.
A sigh of relief swept through Natalia's friends, exhaustion coming down on them like the rain that continued to fall. For the young Princess though, the appeasement wouldn't come. Her emotions remained in turmoil, like the stormy miasma filled skies. The cold of her wet garments soaked through into her heart. Yes, everyone could be relieved, but they didn't know what had really happened and the questions that came with that knowledge would be long to abate.
What the others didn't realize, was that it wasn't chance that had saved her life, nor had it been her own strength. Largo had pulled her from the path of his attack, thrown her aside as the blood curdling scream filled the air, leaving her in the mud, heart still racing faster than the Princess thought possible.
Why? What purpose did she serve to him? There was no doubt in her mind he had the strength to have pierced them both with that weapon of his and been guaranteed of both casualties. Would it not have been more convenient to have her dead? One less person to stand in their way, one less to oppose Van's new world... even if she were considered no threat, that didn't explain why there was need to exert extra effort to spare her life. So then why... why had he spared her?
A small sparkle in the mud caught her eye, a glimmer reflecting from the few remaining fonstones alight in the darkening yard. Natalia grasped the locket in her hand and held it curiously, unable to make out the markings or the picture through the dirt that covered it. A good cleaning would fix that. It was curious, the shape was wrong for it to belong to Luke or Asch. Whose could it be?
"Natalia!" The Princess hastily shoved the treasure into a pocket and accepted Luke's hand. "Are you alright?"
"I'm- well I guess-"
"A bit shaken no doubt, but without any injuries to speak of," Jade provided and Natalia smiled weakly in gratitude; right on the mark as usual. Tear smiled hopelessly and raised her hand, healing the marks Mohs' dagger had left on her neck.
"Th-Thank you, Tear," Natalia managed. She bit back her lip but all her will couldn't stop the swell of emotions. It was ridiculous, everything was over! Everything was fine...
Asch's hand wrapped around hers, steadying the clenched fist that rattled at her side. Before Natalia knew what she was doing, she'd her arms wrapped around him, sobbing into his shoulder. Asch smiled softly and held her back, gently stroking her golden hair.
"Shhhhh," he whispered softly. "You're okay now, you're okay..."
Guy sighed, forgetting for a moment that he was supposed to be pissed at his older charge, noticing just how shaken Asch himself was. He was glad everything had turned out for them. Stupid Asch. Didn't he understand just what he was throwing away? Couldn't he see what he was putting them through? If he were to actually die, Natalia crying like this would be nothing... forget what it would do to Luke.
"What about you?" Guy asked, stealing himself from his musings. "How are you after all that?"
"I'm okay," Luke answered, rubbing his head annoyingly.
"We are glad to see you are well."
"Thank you," Luke turned to face Mary and her last standing companion, a brown haired replica looking to be of a man in his thirties. "And thank you for your help. I'm... I'm sorry that so many of your companions died..."
"We came here in search of answers," Mary replied. "We came of our own accord and for our own reasons. Those that came knew of dangers and were prepared for that possible outcome. We are grateful for your concern though."
"Did you find the answers you were looking for?" Luke asked.
"We confirmed the truth of what was said to us the last time we met," she answered. "We truly have no place in this world."
"That's not-!" Luke's protest was cut off when Mary raised a hand.
"No, it is correct. We will return to the Tower of Rem and discuss your offer. Until you return, may your journeys be safe." And with that Mary and her remaining companion wandered off.
"Th-thanks," Luke managed, but for once he wasn't entirely sure if he meant it.