Chapter 6: Ivalice's final rest
Disclaimer: I only own my OCs. That's it. The rest is owned by their respective owners.
(Outside Rabanastre)
"You won't break them that way Zemus. We both know they will fight till their last breath to survive and stand against your darkness," a dark figure said standing next to Zemus.
"You honestly think that you would be able to break them. Ha. If I remember correctly pawn, you thought that the idea of using The Void itself was a recipe for disaster. Now look at us. Over half of this universe has fallen to our power and within a few more months we will rule everything," Zemus said.
"You honestly are a fool Zemus. Just cause I am here talking to you doesn't make me your pawn or anybody else's tool. I am warning you one last time. Stop this and send the message to the rest of your group. If even one more world falls then I will have no choice but to kill you and everyone else in your group," the figure said.
"You can't threaten me worm. We both know you are weaker then us and have no allies to help you," Zemus said before calling in a few guards.
"You know that I am right in my questioning of your plan Zemus. And guards? You honestly think guards can defeat me?" the figure said.
"No I am sure you will kill them if they were here to kill you. However they are just here to escort you out. If our group wants you dead then you will die but until then leave us and annoy a creature you can actually have power over," Zemus said walking towards one of his guards.
"Zemus you know for a fact that in the end your group will just kill each other over power. Why bother with working together when you will all stab each other in the back the second you can?" the figure said as he put on a black hoodie.
"I don't have to explain myself to you traitor of the darkness. You just leave and never speak to me and my group ever again," Zemus said as his hand started glowing with energy.
"Farewell Zemus. The next time we meet it will likely be in mortal combat," the figure said before disappearing into the darkness.
"Fool. Thinks that his warnings and threats mean anything to me. Inako you have to learn that your time is over and a new era is rising," Zemus said as if Inako was still there listening to him.
"Sir, I have an urgent message for you from command," a messenger said while running up to Zemus.
"What is it? I have a kingdom to destroy and a world to swallow into The Void," Zemus said ready to kill the messenger if the news was unimportant.
"Seems like Cecil and his group have been spotted heading towards this world," the messenger said.
Zemus stood still for a moment before starting to laugh.
"This is getting more enjoyable by the day. First I get the ability to wipe out billions of people across thousands of worlds. Second I got to tell that sorry old fool Inako how truely pathetic he is. Now my old enemies have come to be slaughtered like lambs. Could this get any better?" Zemus said.
"We could have less psychopaths as leaders," the messenger whispered under his breath.
Zemus heard what the messenger had said and quickly ran up to him.
"Have you ever wondered what awaits you after death mortal?" Zemus said.
"Yes, Zemus my lord," the messenger scared out of his mind.
"I will give you the answers to your questions right now," Zemus said before grabbing the messenger by his neck and lighting his head on fire.
Zemus let go of the screaming man and looked at it with some bored interest. After a few minutes the messenger stopped screaming and died. Zemus snapped his fingers as his guards grabbed the corpse and took it outside.
"Soon all will fall to us," Zemus said.
(Inside the royal palace)
"Vaan, where is Inako?" Queen Ashe said.
"I don't know he just wanted to see you," Vaan said as he took out his katana and prepared for war.
"Basch get your greatsword. We are going to find this Inako and figure out if he will help us in this war," Queen Ashe said as she got out her sword and shield from underneath the table.
As Basch pulled his greatsword out he put on his helm. His black armor had a regal design to it and was very good at keeping his organs from being stabbed. Ashe put on a golden set of armor and instead of a helm she put on a small red ribbon.
"You weren't starting the party without me right?" a man said from the hallway.
"Come out and show yourself!" Ashe said.
A young man in a dirty red coat walked out from the hallway and flipped off Ashe.
"I am trying to help you. Why don't you fuck off and not insult me oh merciful queen?" the man rudely said.
"Who are you? Are you Inako?" Ashe said as she turned red from rage.
"Oh you wanted Inako? Well I'm sorry you got the much better one. I am Dante the demon slayer. Has a nice..." the man said before another man in a brighter red coat with white hair ran from behind him and punched him in the back of the head.
"I told you if you ever tried to ruin our name with that line again I would punch you didn't I? Now sit quite pupil and let the actual adults conduct business," the man said before kicking the younger one in the chest.
"My name is Dante Sparda. My specilties involve eating pizza, demon slaying, and generally being a man of insanely stable sanity for being able to put up with my... student," Dante said with a hint of embarrasment in his voice.
"I am not your student. I am the better one here. You just wish..." was all the younger Dante could say before a giant shadow hand grabbed him and dragged him into the hallway.
"Sorry for the idiot. He is in his early twenties yet has the mind of a child," a voice that seemed to drip cold and dark emotion from it.
"I am not an idiot Inako," the younger Dante said before he started screaming.
No one spoke for a moment before Inako walked inside with his hand covered in pieces of clothing and a drop of blood.
"He will live. He just might never be able to feel at least one of his fingers," Inako said.
"So you are Inako. What did you want to see me for?" Queen Ashe said.
"I will give you help in your last stand in exchange for your services in a plan I have brewing to save the universe," Inako said.
"What is going on that you need us to help you?" Vaan, Ashe, Penelo, and Basch asked.
"I have a group of people that need to be stopped before all of existence is consumed in The Void. Zemus is just one of them," Inako said.
"How many can there be?" Penelo asked.
"25 members total. I know of 5 currently active. The others I think are waiting for their time to shine," Inako said as he paced around the room.
"We need to know what we are up against. We have seen some of Zemus's power yet we need to know all that you know," Ashe said to Inako in a questioning tone.
"Zemus: powerful mage. He is the group's expert in invading using magic and summoned fiends. There is Exdeath: the tree mage," Inako said before Vaan burst out laughing.
"Tree mage? You expect us to buy that?" Vaan said between bursts of laughter.
Inako looked at him for a moment before running up to Vaan and holding him up by his neck.
"I am being serious here boy and unless you wish my wrath you will be silent," Inako said before he felt a sword touch his back.
"Put Vaan down now," Ashe said ready to stab Inako through the heart.
"You will learn respect boy at another time," Inako said before dropping Vaan onto the ground.
"Vaan are you ok?" Ashe and Penelo asked at the same time.
"Yeah. I will live," Vaan said rubbing his neck.
"Haha, you finally got your ass handed to you old psycho!" the stupid younger Dante said.
His next few minutes of life were filled with incredible pain. The best analogy to it would be for you to imagine trying to eat the moon while it gets smashed into your face repeatidly. After a few minutes of pain the older Dante couldn't watch the pain anymore before punching Inako in the back of the head. That caused him to stop hurting the poor fool for a moment to look the older Dante in the face before asking a simple question.
"What? He is annoying and needed to be given a lesson in pain," Inako said.
"He needs to learn and mature Inako, not die a horrible excruciating death," the older Dante said in a almost paternal voice.
"Just because he is what you could have been doesn't make you his mentor or father Dante so back off now," Inako said staring down the older Dante.
No one saw it because it moved so fast but Inako was on the ground and Dante was above him with his fist extended.
"Understand this Inako, never tell me what to do. I'm only helping you because the universe needs it and because you will pay me. That is the only reason why I didn't stab you right on the spot. Now behave or I will get angry," the older Dante said commanding respect from everyone in the room.
Inako spent a few moments on the floor before standing up and looking at Dante with a look of rage and fear on his face.
"What about this Dante? I leave and you help out these 4. I will go get the other 2 and you can go die for all I care at the moment," Inako said.
The older Dante's response was to flick the god like being on the nose. Inako started shaking from rage.
"Damn you son of Sparda," Inako said before evaporating into shadows.
"Thank you old man. I didn't need it but thanks," the younger Dante said still on the floor.
"Old man? I am not even 40 yet. I fought off more demons before my 21st birthday than you have in your entire life. I may be older but that means that you should be looking up to me Mr. Demon killer. Grow up and become a man not a child," the older Dante said to the younger one in response.
The younger one didn't respond until the older Dante knelt down in front of him.
"What makes you think I haven't matured old man? I have had so much shit happen to me yet I get no respect from anybody. Tell me what makes you a better person than me other than your power," the younger one said.
"I grew up younger me. I can crack jokes yet be serious. I barely take care of myself yet you look like a drug addict who stopped caring about life a long time ago. I work, I fight for others, I have lost so much in my life yet can still crack a smile and cheer up others. You however just depress others and act like a badass when you haven't proven yourself. When you prove yourself maybe I will give you the respect you desire but until then I am your master and you are my student. Now come on get off the floor and lets help these people out," the older Dante said before grabbing the younger Dante by his shoulders and standing him up straight.
"Thank you Dante," the younger one said in a whisper.
"No problem. Now come on student we have to get these guys out of here and into the battle," the older Dante said.
"Vaan, Penelo do you have your weapons from when we killed Vayne on you?" Ashe said.
"Yeah. Masamune and the Zodiac Spear. You got yours?" Vaan asked.
"Its in my room and Basch always has his nearby," Ashe said as Basch took out a large greatsword with a sun icon on the hilt.
"Now hold on everybody before we march to war I have to let you onto a little secret," the older Dante said.
"What?" everyone in the room even the younger Dante asked.
"Whatever you have on you in this war is likely all you will have with you for the next couple of months. Any mementos of home and cherished items should be brought along if they have a purpose. No junk however. When this is done Inako is going to kidnap you all along with Fran and Balthier and send you on his mission. I'm not supposed to tell you that but you have the right to know," the older Dante said.
"I am sure we have almost everything we need. We just need a few more weapons and items and then we should be good. Anybody disagree with me," Vaan said.
"Not really," Ashe, Penelo, and Basch said.
"Then lets get those weapons and items and march to war," the younger Dante said before running into the hallway like an excited child.
"Don't run off like that younger me. Come back here," the older Dante said running after him.
(Chapter end)
Author's note: Longest chapter so far and hopefully the best at the moment. Thanks to the Unkowing Herald for reviewing the past 5 chapters and giving me advice. Go read his stuff its much better than mine and you will likely enjoy it immensly. (I so screwed up spelling that.) I am going to finish the Ivalice sub arc in one more chapter then we get back to the main story. Thank you for reading so please review and I have a poll on my profile right now so if you check that out it please answer it if you wish to. Have a good day.