Leo had never been to the Feymarch, so he wasn't sure what it normally looked like.
But he was certain what he laid eyes on now was wrong, somehow.
Tendrils of shadows were everywhere, spreading through walls of buildings like veins, arching overhead in bridges and crawling along the ground like disjointed fingers.
The air was humming with an overwhelming amount of magic. It made him dizzy, and he stumbled a few steps before blinking and acclimating.
He wasn't the only one taken aback by it, as he noticed everyone else either wince or trip as well.
Everyone except Kieran, who was likely the only one who couldn't feel magic.
Somewhere in the distance, there were sounds, but they were muted and nothing like normal battle sounds. There were no clashes of metal or shouts, but there was a deep, shaking rumble as if the whole world was groaning.
Titania's eyes were wide. "Oh, this is... very bad,"
"Are these the shadows you mentioned?" Cuore asked, her crouching down to peer at one nearby.
Leo was about to tell her not to touch it, but Kieran beat him too it. "Maybe don't get too close to the creepy dark fingers?"
She shot him an unamused look over her shoulder, flicking her armband on even as Titania answered the question.
"Yes, they look the same. They must have... made it this far,"
Her voice dropped on the last part, and she bit her lip. Leo could tell she was terrified.
He reached out to take her hand, giving a squeeze and offering what he hoped was a reassuring look.
She clasped his hand back and nodded, schooling her features into a more mundane expression. He could see her wings still trembling though, and didn't release her hand.
"Whatever they are, they are making the scanner go haywire," Cuore said, looking at her gauntlet. "I'll need to recalibrate it, but even than I'm not sure it will be able to tell us anything."
Kieran frowned and looked around. "You think it's alive?"
"Possibly. I wouldn't be surprised." she replied, standing once more.
Leo was about to comment his own agreement, until he realized that they were alone.
"Um, maybe a stupid question, but where are mom and dad?"
Kieran sighed in annoyance and Cuore muttered something under her breath about responsibility. They were no where to be found, but Leo was pretty sure he could guess where they'd gone. Wordlessly, the four of them headed towards where they could hear the most noise coming from.
They moved as quickly as they could, but all silently agreed to keep a wide berth from the shadows. Leo didn't feel anything from there, but that absence of heat, cold, magic or anything else, was more unsettling then if they had been obviously dangerous.
The largest path through the strange, almost picturesque and whimsical town of the Feymarch was impossible the further they went. The shadows grew wider, taller, and more numerous, and finally the way was blocked completely.
Leo looked upwards, wondering if they could perhaps climb over the buildings to get through. Titania let go of his hand and darted off to one side, disappearing for a moment before popping back around a wall.
She waved them over, "This way! It looks clear. This should take us to the center of town."
Slipping through a tight corridor between a rock wall and a building, they emerged on the other side to see what Leo suspected as the center of the town, completely engulfed in pulsing shade. There was a group of Eidolons standing very near it, some merely watching, others using spells to keep it at bay.
It was complete chaos, with no clear plan in place and not even a clear favorable side in the fight.
He did spot his parents in conversation with Asura, who did not look terribly pleased.
But it was hard to tell with the queen of the Feymarch. In the few times he had met her, her mood was always hard to gauge.
His father noticed them first and gave a little wave. Cuore shot him an irritated look and Leo held his hands up in a questioning gesture.
Edge had the good grace to look sheepish, but then gave a little, not so subtle point to their mother.
She didn't even bother acknowledging it and continue to speak with the queen.
Cuore sighed. "I can already tell they are going to grate on my last nerve."
Leo stifled a snicker and nudged her. "Aw, come on. We've known them our whole lives. What did you expect?"
She rolled her eyes.
Asura's gaze slid from her adoptative daughter to the rest of them and she visibly slumped.
Leo felt a pang of guilt. It was rude to visit somewhere uninvited.
"I see there are more of you." she intoned, wheeling her eyes back to Rydia. "This is a dire situation."
"Which is exactly why we are here," Rydia snapped. "Tell me how to help."
Leo frowned, but tempered his annoyance at the comment to keep an even tone. He wandered closer, feeling uncomfortable with how close they were standing to the darkness.
"Tell us how to help." He gestured to the battle. "Surely there must be something?"
Asura regarded him for a moment before she sighed and straightened back up, shifting the grips on her blades. "I am sorry this is the state you must see the Feymarch in for your first visit, Leo."
He grinned. "That's okay. It gives me a reason to break the rules and come back again sometime."
Asura gave the briefest flickering of a smile before her expression settled back to indifference. "We have been holding the line, somewhat unsuccessfully, for quite some time. These shadows are relentless, and very little seems to harm them."
One of her arms pointed back to the battle. "Certain Eidolons seem to cause the darkness to retreat, but it always comes back."
"Certain Eidolons?" Rydia asked. "Which ones?"
The queen sighed. "Those that produce light, for obvious reasons. Also those that seem to disrupt magic in any way."
She nodded to Shiva, who was nearby. The icy woman was using her powers to wall off a crack in the cavern with icy. "Others can provide some assistance by physically blocking the shadows as they move, but they always find a way around such... inconveniences."
Cuore was looking over those gathered, brow furrowing as she did so. "Where are the other Eidolons?"
Leo saw Asura flinch, and she hesitated to answer.
Rydia pinned her with a look. "Asura,"
"As I said, we have been holding this line for quite some time. That said, this... darkness has gained ground. Some Eidolons have been... lost in it."
Cuore winced and looked into the inky abyss. "They aren't dead though, are they? The Feymarch would feel different if they were."
"I don't know."
Leo glanced between his sister and mother, wishing he could think of something to say. They both had such a deep connection with certain Eidolons that he could only imagine how troubling all of this was.
For his part, he happened to see the few Eidolons he had bonded with nearby. Fenrir and Ixion didn't seem to be able to help, but they looked ready for a fight if need be.
Asura's eyes fell on Titania. "Your aunts have been beside themselves with worry. You should let them know you are safe."
Titania frowned. "I will soon. But first, I might be able to help the other Eidolons."
"I highly doubt that."
The comment, although harsh, was said with a kind enough tone.
Titania averted her gaze, "Well, not me, I guess. My magic isn't very helpful at all. But I've been practicing. I might be able to channel magic to someone else."
"Titania," Asura sighed.
"Please, my queen, let me try?" the redhead said, tightening her hands into fists. "I want to help. That's why I brought the High Summoner and the others."
"We all want to help," Leo added.
Asura's expression was dry. "Perhaps Rydia could be of some assistance, as a High Summoner. But, even with your innate connection to us, Leo, you are completely untrained and unfamiliar with the Feymarch." Her eyes flickered to each of them as she spoke.
"Cuore's bond with her Eidolons is completely difference and I'm not certain throwing unstable and unknown magic into an already volatile situation is a good idea. Titania, I admire your desire to help, but I cannot fathom how anything you do could help in the slightest."
She heaved a special sigh as she looked at Edge. "I cannot believe you are here again."
He grinned, "Not completely uninvited this time, though."
"Still very uninvited." Rydia complained, glaring at him.
Asura glanced at Kieran and frowned. "I'm surprised you are upright given your... mundane existence."
Kieran shrugged. "I've heard that a lot in my life, actually."
Leo stepped forward to draw Asura's attention before she continued to complain.
"Asura, with all due respect, you don't appear to have many options. You yourself said that these strange shadows are gaining ground. We came here to help the Feymarch. You may as well let us."
He grinned again. "Besides, trust me when I say that all six of us have dealt with things far weirder than some darkness."
There was a tense moment where he was sure she was about to order them home again, but finally her stance relaxed and she gave a single nod.
"Very well. I hesitate to put you in danger, but should you desire to help, then by all means..."
Leo restrained the urge to look and sound too excited she'd caved so easily.
They all glanced at Rydia, as if designating her their leader as High Summoner.
"Okay, so mom-in-law said it's okay." Her husband remarked. "What's the plan?"
Rydia didn't even look at him, obviously still very upset.
"You were uninvited. I don't know what your doing. I'm going to go see if I can help any of the Eidolons with light based powers."
She stalked off and Edge rolled his eyes dramatically behind her. He waited for her to get a few steps ahead before predictably following.
"I want to scan it again," Kieran said, eyeing the tendrils.
Cuore shook her head. "I doubt you'll get a clear scan. We'll need time to recalibrate."
"Yes, I know, but..."
Leo tuned them out, completely lost when they started trading words back and forth about frequencies and spectrums. Titania shot him a quick smile and leaned forward, as if she was sharing a great secret with him. He found himself leaning forward, too, on impulse.
"I have been practicing. I realized my magic can sort of... channel other magic. I'm like a little conduit."
"Wow, really?" Leo said, blinking. "That's amazing. I've never heard of something like that."
She nodded, "Its' more powerful here, in the Feymarch, of course. The whole place is magic, so..."
Leo gestured towards the Eidolons on the front lines. "You really think you can help them?"
"I hope so." she murmured, brushing a strand of hair off hair face and tucking it behind her ear.
It was the movement that drew Leo's gaze back to her, and it was then he realized how absolutely radiant she looked in the Feymarch.
He'd seen her true, more Eidolon form a dozen or more times. But here, in a realm made of entirely magic, he felt like he was seeing it for the first time.
Her skin seemed to glow almost a golden hue, her red hair was certainly more vibrant, coiled in loose curls completed with tiny braids and ribbons.
Her wings and her dress seemed almost made of the same material. Elegant, flowing, shimmering and ethereal.
And her eyes.
Sharp, stunningly bright and filled with far more power than her tiny frame suggested.
She was very, very pretty.
Titania blinked at him, then her face shifted to a frown. "Are you... okay?"
"Um... yes?" Leo answered, uncertain.
He already had a crush on her. Had had a crush on her since he first met her.
He did not need to fall more head over heels.
"Yes." He said, clearing his throat. "Yes, I'm fine. I'll come with you. I see Alexander, and I'd like to ask him if he has any ideas."
She beamed at him and reached out to grasp his hand.
As predicted, the gauntlet flashed error message after error message at him, no matter what he tried. Every type of scan that it could run came back with zero results.
Kieran frowned, staring at a nearby patch of darkness.
There was something incredibly unsettling about how quiet and almost orderly this battle was. The Eidolons didn't seem panicked or frazzled. They just milled about and did what they needed too.
Kieran frowned and refocused on the scanner.
He was so tried of fights, but he supposed that was just the way things went. Cuore had found Anima, whose voice had some effect on the darkness.
He paused, stopping in the middle of another recalibration. Anima's vocals caused magical energy, and other energy, to fissure apart at the subatomic level.
At least, that was how Cuore had explained it to him.
He looked over at Shiva, who was reinforcing a building's wall with ice.
"Hi," he said, wandering over.
She looked at him, blinked, and said nothing.
Kieran was starting to get the sense he might be stranger to the Eidolons then these odd shadows.
"Shiva, right? How cold can you make your ice?"
She blinked at him again. "I'm literally the embodiment of snow and ice."
"...Right," Kieran replied. "I was looking more for actual temperatures, but, okay..."
She crossed her arms and regarded him for a moment before speaking. "Why do you ask?"
"I was hoping your ice would be cold enough to trap a piece of this stuff so I could get a closer look at it."
Shiva frowned. "We face shadows that cling to surfaces and crawl along the ground. Pure darkness, and you ask me to... trap it?"
"Aren't you a solid, living spell? Isn't a spell just energy?" he countered. "Energy travels in waves, and if it's cold enough, magical energy slows down. If you could get to absolute zero, then whatever this stuff is, if it is like magic, would also freeze."
Her blue lips quirked to a grin. "I can see why Cuore likes you. Sharp and conceited, like her."
Kieran sighed. "Yeah, I've heard that one before. I'm well away she didn't marry me for my good looks or my winning personality,"
The icy Eidolons chuckled and flipped a strand of hair out of her eyes with a single finger. A snowflake swirled in the air from the movement. "I will attempt what you are asking."
He was halfway surprised she agreed, but he supposed there was no harm in her trying. Even if he was wrong, they'd lose nothing.
The temperature dropped significantly, and faster than he'd thought possible. The very air felt like it was freezing. He shivered and winced as he inhaled the now icy oxygen.
Shiva's movements were graceful in an otherworldly sort of way. Elegant, but jerky at the same time. Her arms spiraling through elaborate motions.
The temperature continued to grow colder, and the Eidolon's nails grew into jagged icicles.
With how close the entire Geraldine family were to the Eidolons, it was easy to forgot how utterly terrifying they could be.
Kieran caught himself taking a few steps back and hoped Shiva hadn't noticed, or if she had, that she wouldn't be offended.
The nearby tendrils of shadows slowly began to freeze with a crinkling sound, taking on a blue sheen. Only a minute had passed before an entire area had been turned to glittering ice with a light coating of snow.
Shiva's eyes snapped open, and she grinned, extending one arm outward towards her handywork.
A single snap of her fingers and the entire structure of ice cracked and broke apart in a rain of sparkling shards.
Shiva stepped forward, bent down and pluck a larger piece from the pile. She turned it over and over in her hands, examining it.
Kieran bit back a comment that he was surprised it had worked.
"Hmm," she said, leaning forward to peer at the frozen orb she held. "Intriguing."
"How so?" Kieran asked, rubbing his arms in a futile attempt to warm them.
The icy Eidolon didn't take her eyes off of the crystal. "This darkness. Now frozen, it's stopped moving."
"...It was moving before?" he asked, looking over her shoulder at the distance, still blanketed in shadows.
None of it seemed to be moving except the edges trying to extend outward.
"You mean... like when it's trying to advance?"
Shiva looked up at him, features twisted in confusion. "No, not that. The darkness. It pulsates. It shivers. It almost dances. Can't you see it?"
Kieran paused, not sure how to answer the question.
Honesty was probably best.
"Er... no?"
She blinked, and her expression changed. "Ah, I forget. You have no connection to this place. Rydia and Leo likely see it."
"But it's not moving now?" he repeated. "Then it is some sort of energy..."
Shiva strode forward, grasped his arms to pull his hands out and deposited the frozen object into them.
"That, I leave to you to discern. This has given me an idea on how to prevent the shadows from continuing to encroach. However, I must find others to assist."
Kieran nodded, but she had already spun to walk away.
"Thanks," he called back.
Shiva paused, and glanced over her shoulder. She looked like she wasn't sure how to answer. Finally, after a moment, she nodded. "You are welcome."
She was gone then and Kieran turned the frozen darkness over and over, curious what it was made of.
But, he would want Cuore's help to try and figure that out, and after a quick scan of the area didn't reveal her, he sighed.
He had a terrible feeling she was about to get herself into trouble.
It ran in the family, after all.
This was the strangest 'fight' Edge had ever seen.
Which was honestly saying something.
While some of the Eidolons were busy trying to repel the shadows, whole groups of others were just standing doing nothing.
He supposed there was nothing for them to do, but to see them so... calm was almost as unsettling as the darkness itself.
Since Rydia was stubbornly refusing to speak to him, he found himself wandering over towards Leviathan, who was standing away from the fringes of the shadows.
The king of the Feymarch smiled at him, like they weren't currently in the middle of a war.
"How are you?" Edge asked him, stopping to stand beside him.
Leviathan shrugged. "Oh, well, I've been better. This darkness is quite mysterious. And, I'm feeling rather useless at the moment, truth be told. It's not like I can send a tidal wave at it and drown it."
He blinked, "How are you?"
Mirroring the earlier action, Edge shrugged too. "Oh, you know. Feeling useless too. Maybe a little self-conscious about my age. Rydia isn't speaking to me. Again. You know how that goes. I think my daughter is still peeved at me, too. And my son made a comment earlier that makes me think our relationship isn't as stable as I thought it was."
He scratched at his ear. "Ironically, the only person I seem to be on good terms with is the guy I didn't want to marry my daughter once upon a time, so..."
"Times are strange." Leviathan said, nodded sagely.
Edge sighed, "You said it."
They stood in silence for a moment, just watching the odd 'battle' happen around them.
"So... need help with anything?" Edge asked, glancing back to Eidolons king.
Leviathan stroked his beard a few times. "Hmm... not particularly, however, if you'd like, you are welcome to come with me. I've been trying to keep track of all the Eidolons, to see if any more have gone missing into the darkness as it grows. It's been some time since I counted."
"Sure, I need to be moving or doing something," he replied, already feeling fidgety.
Leviathan grinned, "Excellent. Then we shall pretend to be less useless than we actually are."
True to her word, Titania had already begun to channel magic from some of the Eidolons who's powers did nothing to harm the shadows into those who produced light.
Leo grinned as he watched her dart up and down the line, linking hands with her comrades to keep the flow of magic going.
It was slow going.
The darkness barely receded with each and every spell, but it was something. They were gaining ground, bit by bit.
He had a terrible feeling that keeping the ground gained would be the hard part.
While they had limits, the shadows didn't appear too.
Concurring was one thing. Maintaining the concurred lands was a completely different battle.
Leo approached Alexander slowly, a little uncertain how to proceed.
Alexander had been the first Eidolon he had summoned, but it was by total accident, and he hardly remembered it.
He knew that form of summoning was frowned upon; pulling Eidolons from the Feymarch without a prior agreement wasn't the sort of bond he wanted, either.
Alexander was ancient, powerful, massive.
They had spoken a few times over the years, but Leo had never summoned him again, and honestly hoped he wouldn't need too.
The Eidolon was a guardian, an extremely powerful one at that.
Hopefully the world wouldn't need that sort of protection again in his lifetime.
Alexander took the guise of the mock city's library on most occasions.
Cuore had told him this was to protect not only the king and queen, but valuable knowledge as well. Apparently it really was a library complete with a wealth of books and scrolls.
But now, ready for battle, his form had changed somewhat. While he was still very much a creature that resembled a large building, he had a clearly defined helmet that was likely his face.
Huge feathered wings were pitched forward, wrapping around him and blocking what appeared to be the largest enterace into the city proper.
The inky darkness was sweeping through spaces between the feathers, but Leo could see it was struggling to do so.
Alexander's wings were sturdy.
The prince got within a few feet from him and hesitated, wondering what to say.
His mother and sister always talked to their Eidolons as if they were friends and family, and while Leo enjoyed time with Fenrir and Ixion, Alexander was a completely different story.
The option was taken from him as he pondered.
"Leo," Alexander said, voice even and olden. "Welcome to the Feymarch. I wish it was under different circumstances. Still, it is good to see you again. Did you wish to speak with me?"
"Hi," he said, nervous. "I didn't want to distract you."
The massive creature rumbled a laugh and Leo grinned at the sound, relaxing.
"I can promise you, that will not be a problem. I lack the power to push the shadows out of our realm completely, however keeping them from gaining more ground is a... mundane task."
Leo glanced between him and the creeping darkness.
"How can I help?" he asked, whipping back around to look at his Eidolon.
"I appreciate your wiliness to help." Alexander replied.
Leo could hear his voice shifting to a regretful tone.
"I mean no disrespect, but I am not certain you can help. These shadows are... an oddity. Some Eidolons, like Ultima, Zodiark and Anima have disrupted them for a short time, but they always return. Others, like Lakshmi and Unicorn have appeared to cause some manner of damage with their light."
Leo glanced over to where his sister was deep in conversation with Anima, probably discussing the very same thing.
"Phoenix believed she could be of better help from within, and willingly stepped into the shadows some time ago. We have not seen her since."
He winced, wondering if Cuore knew that already or not.
"Also," Alexander added after a pause. "I believe Atomos attempted to eat some of it."
Leo made a face. "Huh... I wonder how that went,"
"Poorly, I believe."
He chuckled, looking back up at his Eidolon. He suddenly felt very foolish that he had been nervous to talk to him at all.
"I have found that keeping the darkness away seems to be the better strategy. At least for now."
"But that isn't sustainable," Leo argued, fidgeting with the folded weapons at his side. "We can't just hold the line indefinitely."
"Perhaps. Do you have a better idea?"
Leo hesitated. Alexander didn't sound patronizing in his question, and it was a good question.
Did he have a better plan?
He knew he wanted to help, but it was a good point that he needed to come up a plan. What was step one?
"Well," he started, taking his time. "my friend Titania has been channeling magic from Eidolons to Eidolon,"
"Ah yes, the halfling. A curious creature."
Leo had to grin, "Yes, very much so. Maybe she could help you?" He gestured towards his wings. "I see you holding them back, but, if you had more power, could you push them further? Maybe... out of the city completely?"
"I would like nothing more then to do just that." The building shaped Eidolon lamented. "However, even with Titania's help, and a dozen Eidolons conducting their powers to me, it would not be enough. Holding even this small amount of shadows in place is draining. This darkness... that's what it does. It drains."
Leo frowned, "Wait, its draining you? Is it doing that to all the Eidolons?"
"I'm unsure. Phoenix seemed to think so. But, we did not have the opportunity to finish our discussion." Alexander said, deep voice regretful. "Dispute her age, wisdom and innate power, she is terribly reckless."
"Huh... sounds like Cuore. No wonder she wanted my sister to be her summoner," Leo mused. He looked back to the blindingly white wings keeping them safe.
"So, even if all the Eidolons in the Feymarch helped, it wouldn't be enough? Should we at least try it?" he asked, more to the open air then his summon.
"It is risky. It would leave us undefended. And I do not believe it would work. There is power that would, but not that. It's a different sort of power."
Leo turned back to face him. "Wait, there is a power that would work? Well, what is it? You have to tell me."
"I do not think that is wise."
"Why not?"
Alexander moved ever so slightly, and if he didn't know any better, he would have thought the building was giving him a wicked side eye.
"Because then you will want to try it, and it's dangerous."
Leo put his hands on his hips, ready to argue, when Alexander rumbled another laugh. "Remember, Eidolons look at the heart, young one. I came to your aid when you were a mere child because your desire to protect was so strong I felt it all the way here. But strengths abused become weaknesses."
"Okay, great, but if it's going to help us keep the Feymarch from becoming nothing but a shadowy abyss, isn't it worth the risk? Shouldn't you at least tell me what it is so I can make the choice myself?" he countered, frustrated.
His Eidolon sighed. "Your mother knows what it is."
"Yeah, well, if it's dangerous, then she won't tell me either." Leo complained, crossing his arms. "I wasn't even supposed to come on this little adventure."
"Your family wants to protect you."
He snorted. "Yeah, and like you just said, strengths abused turn to weaknesses..."
Alexander shook with another laugh, this one quiet. "I always knew I had chosen correctly. You are strong beyond your years, with a razor-sharp wit. Your desire to defend rivals my own."
Dispute his irritation, Leo couldn't help but smile slightly and peer up at the Eidolon. "You really mean that? I always worried that maybe you regretted that summoning. I was way to young to know what was going on, and you... well, you are incredible."
"I have no regrets, Leo. You are a worthy partner."
Leo smiled. "Thanks Alexander. That means a lot. I'm not sure about that worthy partner thing, but, thanks all the same."
He sighed and looked back to the darkness. "Are you sure you won't tell me this dangerous thing is that might work?"
Even with his large, building like form, he seemed to be shaking his head. "I do not think that will be wise."
Leo sighed, annoyed, and turned his attention back to where Titania was currently resting a hand on Unicorn's side while her other hand gripped Titan's, who was kneeling next to them. The shimmering effect of transferring magic was subtle, but brilliant. Her eyes were closed, and Leo could imagine such an ability took a great deal of concentration.
He admired her courage and willingness to help. She was strong yet gentle.
Her ability to share magic between creatures was amazing to behold.
He blinked.
"Wait," Leo muttered. "Dangerous power? Are you... do you mean the way summoners and Eidolons can share life force?"
Alexander didn't answer right away and Leo put his hands on his hips again. "That's it, isn't it? That's why mom would know about it."
"...Yes,"
"That is dangerous," Leo remarked. "I... see why you didn't want to say anything..."
Sharing energies between a bonded summoner and Eidolon was a risky, if not powerful, tactic. While it increased the Eidolons powers, it sapped and drained the summoner's, sometimes to the point of death.
Few even knew about the possibility of such a thing, and fewer still actually tried it.
Leo wasn't entirely sure the history of the practice, but he knew it wasn't something that was common knowledge, even among summoners.
He glanced back at Titania.
"What if... what if Titania helped us?" he asked.
The Eidolon was still holding back much of the darkness, but as they had been standing there, Leo noticed a small tendril wriggling its' way through, slowly but surely.
"If Titania creates the bond, I do not think it would be enough, although it would keep you safe."
"No, no," Leo said, shaking his head. "I mean, you and I still share magic, but, Titania brings someone else into the mix. Then, you wouldn't need to take as much energy from me to get the same results."
"...Such a thing has never been attempted," Alexander said. His tone was touched with curiosity.
"There's a first time for everything," he said, grinning. "But, I know someone who would be able to really tell us if this would work. I'll be right back."
Leo darted away, hurrying up to Titania who had just stepped back from Unicorn and was rubbing her hands together.
"It's alright, you should take a break. I know you've been fighting for a long time." She was saying, smiling softly.
Titan had likewise stood, and she beamed up at him.
Leo waved, too, and then turned his attention to the redhead. "I might need your help with something,"
She nodded, "Alright, what is it?"
"Er, well, it's a bit much. I need Cuore, too,"
She pointed, "I can feel her magic that way. I think she's trying some spells out on the shadows."
As they made their way towards her, Leo gave his friend a once over.
"Are you alright?"
Titania nodded. "Being a living conduit is a bit tiring, but I have a little left in me,"
He chuckled and she grinned at him, golden eyes glittering.
She brushed her hair back and readjusted the necklace around her neck. Leo realized it was a necklace he had given her and looked away.
It was a harsh reminder that they would, when this was over, have to say goodbye again.
He frowned and pushed the melancholy thoughts away.
Now wasn't the time to dwell on them.
As they neared his sister, he could see that Ultima and Zodiark were nearby, doing battle with their powers against the darkness.
Cuore was also directing a blindingly bright light at their foe, but after a moment she stopped and dropped her hands.
The look on her face was frustrated.
"Cuore!" Leo called, waving.
She looked up at the sound of her name and offered an uneasy smile. "This isn't going as well as I had hoped."
"Your magic?" he asked, glancing between her and the wriggling shadows.
"Yes," Cuore confirmed. "Luminesces does force them to retreat, but more simply take their place. I could continue casting for hours, perhaps, but it won't gain us any ground."
"My thoughts exactly," he said, nodded. "Keeping them at bay won't win us this fight."
Cuore nodded, but her gaze was clouded and he could tell by her stance she was uncomfortable.
With a frown, he touched her arm, "Sissy?"
"Several Eidolons have been lost as the shadows advance." she murmured. "Not just Siren and the Element Guard. Phoenix, Ifrit, Kirin, Odin, Hecatonheir... perhaps even more."
She shook her head. "No one is sure if they are... alright."
Leo gave his sister's arm a squeeze. "Do you think they are alright?"
Cuore blinked, "Yes,"
"Then, they probably are." He smiled at her. "You would know if Phoenix was hurt. She's strong. They all are."
Titania nodded. "Leo is right, Cuore. We may not know for sure that they are safe, but we believe they are. Eidolons are strong, and all of us are tied to the very fabric of the Feymarch. We would know if something happened to them."
The teal haired woman didn't answer right away, but she finally nodded, pulling her gaze from the shadows to smile at both of them.
"We should find mother," she suggested, her tone more even and controlled. "She might have more insight into another course of action."
Leo bit her lip, "Actually, I want to talk to you about something."
His sister tipped her head to one side, and he pointed a thumb over his shoulder towards the hulking form of Alexander. "I was talking to Alexander, and...well, I have an idea. I want to run it by both of you."
Both of them looked interested, and Leo guided them back to Alexander's side. He wished the walk would have taken them longer, so he would have had more time to frame his idea.
But time was one thing that no one ever had enough of.
Leo hesitated, and found himself settling a hand on Alexander's side for invisible, moral support.
Even if the Eidolon wasn't super enthused about his plan, either.
"Alexander and I were talking," Leo began. "and we think that if he had more power, he could actually push these shadows out of the city completely. This would buy us time and gain us back ground already lost."
He paused, and then took a deep breath before continuing, trying not to hurry through his words. "This plan is dangerous, but just hear me out. There's a way for him to get more power."
Cuore instantly tensed and Leo rushed to continue. "But, obviously that's a really bad idea and risky,"
He turned to Titania, "Unless, of course, you help. Alexander and I still share magic, yes, but Titania, you bring in my power from someone else to balance it out. Someone like you, Cuore... your magic is similar to the spells that created the Eidolons in the first place, so you should be a perfect match."
"Leo," Cuore warned.
He shook his head before she could launch into a diatribe about his suggestion.
"I know, it's risky. I know you probably know a million and one reasons it won't work." Leo said. "But, Cuore," he pleaded. "Your magic is like an Eidolon. With your help, Alexander won't need to take that much energy from me, but it will still provide a powerful burst of magic. Maybe enough to do more than just hold the line."
His sister hesitated, and he saw the way her eyes darted as she stared at the ground.
She was weighing the options, the pros and cons, and probably going through every possible outcome.
Leo waited, trying to be patient.
Finally, Cuore sighed and looked back up at him. "It's...a sound idea. But, it's still dangerous, Leo."
"I know." Leo said. "It is. But we can't keep these shadows from consuming the whole Feymarch unless we do something. With the two of us together, we double our chances of success."
"Not quite," she corrected. "It's more of a forty-three percent uptick in a possible success rate, not fifty percent."
Leo rolled his eyes.
Titania smiled slightly. "Forty-three percent is still better than zero."
"Indeed," Cuore agreed. She glanced up at Alexander. "What do you think?"
Leo had a sinking feeling the Eidolon would shoot the idea down. He was a protector, and even in this short amount of time, he had made it clear he intended to keep Leo safe.
"It is still a treacherous plan." Alexander began. "However, it is also a safer alternative then only using the innate and forbidden bonds between Eidolons and summoners."
Cuore and Leo exchanged a glance.
"I'm willing to try," he said.
His sister nodded. "As am I,"
Titania was wringing her hands. "I'll do my best, and if it feels like it's pulling too much from the two of you, I'll break the connection. That could be our failsafe, if you want to call it that?"
All three of them looked back to Alexander.
He let out a deep sigh that seemed to rattle the nearby buildings.
"I have warned you all of the dangers and the risk, but I cannot deny that this plan may very work. If you are all willing, then we should try. I know that, were our roles reversed, I would do the very same."
Leo smiled up at his Eidolon, realizing that maybe they really were good partners.
Titania's and Cuore's cautious approach to it tempered his own excitement, but he also appreciated how his sister weighed options. She could often foresee things that no one else could.
And she was willing to try, which said a lot.
Leo chewed the inside of his cheek. "Mom and Dad are going to kill us. Kieran might kill you, too."
Cuore sighed, but then tossed her brother a grin. "Perhaps, but we are their children. They've been just as reckless. As for Kieran, the same applies."
He chuckled, nodding, before looking to Titania.
The resolved in her expression strengthened his own. She was visibly determined.
"Okay," Leo said, taking a deep breath. "I'm not quite sure what I'm doing, so..."
Alexander lowered an arm, although his 'hand' wasn't quite humanoid. "Here, hop on."
Leo couldn't completely hide his excited grin at the prospect of climbing the towering Eidolon. Alexander lifted him up and deposited him onto his shoulder.
He had known the Eidolon was tall, but being on his shoulder emphasized it tenfold. Leo rested a hand against him, catching his balance.
"Close your eyes. Clear your mind. The link between us is there, stronger, here, in the Feymarch." Alexander instructed. His voice was deep, and being in contact with him, Leo could feel it rumble through him.
"Focus on that link, on that bond. Grasp it. I will do the rest."
Leo did as he was told, taking a few deep breaths and he cleared his thoughts and ignore his worry about what they were about to do.
The bond was there, just like his connection to the Feymarch was always there, just out of reach but always present.
It felt like he had been focusing on it for ages before Alexander
The transfer was subtle, but obvious.
Leo briefly wondered if this was how Cuore felt with her telepathy. It was so vast yet confined. He felt like he was feeling and seeing everything the Eidolon was.
He could feel Alexander's wings straining against the shadows. The battle had been so collected and orderly that he hadn't even though about how much strength it was taking to merely hold the darkness at bay.
Alexander was powerful, even more so then Leo had ever realized.
Every inch of him was sparking with light, and Leo tightened his grip to stay standing.
"Are you ready?"
Leo nodded, "Yes,"
Summoning magic always had a rhyme and cadence to it. But this bonded version was a whole new experience.
It wasn't just merging magics as he had been expecting; it very much was a blending of wills as well. He wanted to push the shadows out just as much as Alexander.
They both wanted to protect everyone around them.
They both wanted to defend the Feymarch until they couldn't anymore.
They both wanted to prove themselves in a way.
Leo could feel the tug on his own magic as the bond demanded his attention, but it wasn't unpleasant or even unsettling. In fact, he had expected to feel fearful of it, but instead it felt calming and natural.
And underneath it all, he could feel the gentle touch of Titania and the familiar signature of Cuore balancing out the equation.
With a sharp inhale of breath, Leo braced himself as he felt Alexander tense.
They were in total agreement.
The darkness had to go.
The raw power was unlike anything Leo had experienced before.
He felt as if it were his wings shoving, unrelenting, against the darkness. Together, they pushed them further and further from the city. Back through the cracks within the realm, back into the caverns beyond.
Bright light, warm and unyielding. It burned even the smallest wisps of darkness away. Leo felt like he could do anything in that moment.
But what staggered him was how the shadows recoiled.
Frightened, pained.
It made him falter a little, but Alexander held fast.
They had nearly dissipated every last bit of darkness, and with one final pulse of magic, it was done.
Everything flashed brightly, and only silence remained.
Rydia was deep in conversation with Ramuh over the history of the Feymarch to see if anything like this had ever happened before when she froze, mid-sentence.
She wasn't the only one.
Every Eidolon present paused as well, feeling the air shift as the very fabric of their world altered.
A new thread was being woven into the song that made up the Feymarch, twinning with a dozen others to form a new, complete, tapestry.
There was only one person besides herself who could do such a thing, and that knowledge made her blood run cold.
A split second later, the entire realm burst into a blindingly light. It lasted only a heartbeat, but when it faded, it took all the shadows with it.
The city was devoid of any sign of the darkness, and was eerily silent.
Ramuh blinked and looked around. "Was that..."
Rydia had already spun towards where she could feel the last of the energy fading before he could finish his sentence.
She knew what he was going to ask. She didn't want to hear it out loud.
Every step she took, she desperately hoped she was somehow wrong about what that power had been.
But there was nothing else it could have been.
Besides, she'd felt it once before.
"Please be okay, please be okay..."
Rydia came upon the massive form of Alexander, and with a flood of relief saw Leo slide carefully down his arm to land gracefully on his feet.
Her steps faltered as her horror melted away to be replaced with equally as unpleasant emotions.
He looked completely fine, as if he hadn't just risked his life and the life of his Eidolon.
Her relief was short lived, however, when she saw Titania gently shaking an unconscious Cuore.
It took the High Summoner a moment to comprehend what she was seeing; Cuore couldn't share that type of bond with the Eidolons.
Why would she be injured?
In the time it took her to shake herself from her confusion and force her legs to move again through her fear, Kieran had made his way over and was checking Cuore's pulse.
Titania had stood and stepped back, murmuring something she couldn't make out.
Kieran shook his head, looking concerned and saying something back to her before returning his attention to Cuore.
"What happened?" Rydia asked.
She already knew part of the answer, and Titania and Leo both looked guilty. First at her, then away.
"I'm not sure," Kieran mentioned, frowning. He had Cuore propped up against him and was gently holding one her hands. "What was she trying to do, exactly?"
It was Alexander who answered. "We were attempting to merge magic in the hopes of removing the darkness from this place."
Rydia heard footsteps behind her and noticed that Asura and a few other Eidolons had arrived and were taking in the scene. Quite a few of them were looking around in thinly veiled awe.
She didn't share their wonder.
"Merge magic?" Kieran asked, looking up at the large Eidolon. "What does that mean?"
Rydia ignored the Eidolon and instead stared at her son. "Leo," she said sharply. "What were you thinking?"
He wouldn't meet her eyes. "I knew you were going to be upset,"
"Upset?!" Rydia said, feeling her fear and angry boil. "Upset is an understatement. Do you have any idea how dangerous what you just did was?!"
He said nothing.
"Wait, did Cuore use too much magic?" Kieran asked, looking confused. "That rarely happens. Just what spell was she trying to cast, anyway?"
"Not a spell, she was sharing magic with me and her brother." Alexander replied calmly.
Asura frowned. "That was a foolish thing to do in her condition."
Rydia blinked and then looked between her adopted mother and adopted daughter. "What do you mean, in her condition?"
Asura looked surprised. "Oh. You didn't know?"
Rydia saw Kieran wince out of the corner of her eye. She turned to him and crossed her arms. "Well?"
He sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before opening them. "I wasn't completely sure. But, I guess that confirms it."
"Confirms what?!" Rydia snapped, growing irritated and more than a little concerned.
Asura answered, tone bland. "Cuore is pregnant."
The words hung in the air for a moment before they settled as fact.
"Really?" she asked quietly.
Kieran seemed uncomfortable, but nodded, a slight smile on his face. "Like I said, I hadn't been sure, but... I suspected. I haven't talked to her about it yet."
Rydia giggled, unable to help herself. "So that was why she was so moody,"
"You noticed that too?" Kieran remarked with a halting sort of chuckle. "She's been like that for a couple of weeks. And eating a lot of sugar, which she usually avoids, she's been tired more often..."
He glanced down at her, murmuring, "I'm guessing that's why using so much magic took so much out of her..."
Rydia stepped forward and knelt down, stroking her daughter's cheek and grasping her hand. "Oh, my little girl. Going to be a mother!"
She flickered her gaze up to Kieran, and they both shared a smile that became a laugh.
Rydia removed her hand from her daughter's to instead grasp Kieran's. "I'm so happy for you both,"
"Thanks," he said, and she didn't miss the delighted tone in his voice.
The tender moment was broken by a few simple words that brought them back to the gloomy situation at hand.
"Is she okay?" Leo asked.
He sounded hesitant. His voice was quiet and halted.
Rydia turned and stood in one motion, remembering that she had originally stormed over to scold him.
Her son winced when he saw the look on her face and flickered his gaze back to Cuore. "Is she okay?" he repeated.
Rydia wasn't sure if he was using Cuore's condition to deflect attention from himself for the time being, but more than likely he was genuinely concerned with his sister's wellbeing.
Titania was standing a few steps away from the group, hands clutched to her chest. Her expression was startled. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't think..."
Asura glanced over to her. "What did you do?"
The redhead flinched and Leo frowned, walking over to stand beside her, even as Kieran spoke up. "I don't think it was you, Titania," he assured her.
"It wasn't her idea, anyway. It was mine." Leo added defensively.
Asura was still staring at the half-Eidolon girl and she visible swallowed before answering. "I-I said I'd been practicing. I can share magic. Channel it between Eidolons. We... we thought maybe it would work between summoner and Eidolon, too..."
Rydia blinked, "Wait, you..."
Titania ducked her head, "I... know how dangerous it is for Eidolons and summoners to share magic, so, we thought maybe if I also bridged Cuore with them, it would not only protect Leo and Alexander, but maybe provide enough power to fully push those shadows back. I was keeping an eye on all of them. I didn't think Cuore was so... well,"
Asura's attention was pinned to the parts of the city that had been overrun with the strange darkness mere minutes before. Now it was clear of them, but eerily silent.
"It appears to have worked." the queen stated.
Rydia ignored her and was staring at her son. He shuffled his feet, looking uncomfortable.
"Leo,"
He sighed and threw up his hands. "What do you want me to say, mom?" he snapped. "I'm sorry? Because I'm not."
Rydia stared at him, baffled.
"What the heck was that?" Edge asked, jogging up to them. "There was this bright flash and all the Eidolons sort of started and all the darkness is..." He waved an arm around haphazardly.
Leviathan was trailing after him at a slower pace.
"I know that wasn't you, dear Rydia," the kind said, eyeing her. "So, Leo, then?"
The boy sighed and cross his arms.
"Leo?"
"Yes, Leo." Rydia confirmed, putting her hands on her hips and staring hard at him. "Our son decided to go and do something incredibly foolish."
"Ugh, I know what I'm doing!" Leo snapped. "I know you all think I'm just some stupid kid who doesn't know anything but I know what I can do! I'm sorry I haven't saved the world yet because it's been un-apocalyptic lately, but that doesn't mean I'm useless."
Rydia glared at him, "You don't know what you are doing!" She grasped her son's shoulders. "Leo, you don't know what you doing..."
He wouldn't look at her, so she continued, anger marred with desperation.
"That could have killed you. That could have driven you insane. Why do you think summoners don't do that kind of thing?!" she said.
Still, he was quiet, so Rydia released one shoulder and gently turned his head so he'd have to look at her. "Leo, what were you thinking?"
"I was thinking I could help," he replied defiantly.
"And Cuore?" she asked, jerking her head back to the unconscious woman.
Leo's eyes narrowed. "You know I wouldn't do anything to put her in danger. That's not fair."
"This whole situation is dangerous!"
"I know! Because you won't shut up about it!" Leo said angrily.
She resisted the urge to shake him until he understood why she was so distraught.
"Rydia," Kieran said, still kneeling on the ground next to Cuore. "I'm positive Leo and Titania didn't mean to scare anyone. And it's not like he knew about Cuore,"
She flicked an irritated look over her shoulder at him. She loved Kieran dearly but sometimes he had the worst timing.
He frowned at her look. "I know I don't quite understand all this summoner and Eidolon stuff, but it seems like Alexander agreed to whatever plan they all cooked up."
Rydia closed her eyes, "That doesn't make it any less dangerous. Mist Dragon once agreed to something very similar and I took me a long, long, long time to forgive her for that."
She opened her eyes to look at Leo again. He was obviously uncomfortable, but also had a spark of indignation in his eyes that she recognized all too well.
"Do you know how risky this was?" she whispered to him.
Leo nodded.
"Then you know why I'm so very angry with you," she said. "What if something happened to you?"
Leo pulled away from her, jerking his shoulder out of her grasp. "Your angry because your scared. But what happened to your mother isn't my problem."
The words shocked her so much that she merely stared at him. Leo was the one person who never spoke ill to anyone. But even though the words were harsh, his tone was calm.
"Leo," Edge reprimanded.
He glared at his father. "Yes, I know. I don't know anything and I'm not good at anything. You've all made that perfectly clear. I know this was dangerous. I know you don't like it. But it was still very much my choice."
"Enough," Kieran snapped interrupting the growing quarrel. "We can all argue as much as we want too, but right now there's more to do."
He was finally standing, cradling Cuore in his arms. "We've bought ourselves a bit of time and cleared the city of darkness. For now. We have no idea how long that will last. Leo and everyone else are still alive, so that's something."
Rydia frowned, not sure the result justified the means.
"Titania!"
The cry was a chorus of several voices all at once and the girl in question squeezed her eyes shut.
Rydia had what sounded like a muffled curse, a surprising thing for the diminutive young woman to mutter.
The call had been the two remaining Sylphs, who were flying over at their top speed. They had been no where to be found before, likely hiding somewhere out of sight as they often did.
They had never been fond of violence.
One of them was fretting over Titania, poking at her arms and tugging on her hair as if checking for wounds.
"Aunt Mab, I'm fine," Titania assured her.
The other Sylph was circling in a frenzy around her and Titania frowned, "Aunt Puck, please don't panic."
"Where have you been?!" she hissed.
The redhead hesitated, "I... went to get the summoners so they could help us,"
Both of her aunts gasped.
Rydia blinked at the overreaction. The Sylphs had always been dramatic, but this was a new level.
"We are going to have a talk right now, young lady!" Mab said, giving Titania a shove in her back. The girl frowned, "Wait, now? But I-"
"Yes! Now!" Puck squealed, tugging on her arm.
With a sigh, Titania let the much smaller fairies prod her off to one side, likely for a lengthy lecture. Leo cast his friend a sympathetic look.
The Sylphs had broken the tension of the group, if even for a moment.
"King Leviathan and Queen Asura," Kieran said, taking advantage of that break. "Is there somewhere my wife can rest? I'm worried about her."
Rydia's eyes narrowed at the almost possessive emphasis he put on the word 'wife', as if Cuore was only his and none of them were worried about her.
Leviathan nodded, "Yes, yes.
Asura was eyeing her adopted daughter, probably sensing her bad mood. Rydia saw the disapproving look on her face and looked away.
She was well aware her temper was simmering. She didn't need her mother to point it out.
"Cuore will be fine." Asura said after a moment. "I sense no lingering ill effects. My guess is that she merely exhausted herself since her energy is already diminished."
"Thank you, that makes me feel better." Kieran replied, sounding genuinely relived.
"Wait, why is Cuore's energy low?" Edge asked, looking around at everyone.
Rydia rolled her eyes, but was distracted by noticing that her temper wasn't the only one sparked. Leo was always calm, but she could tell by his body posture that he was angry.
The set of his jaw and the way he was fidgeting spoke volumes.
"I'll tell you later, when your whole family isn't ready to explode," Kieran said as he passed Edge.
Rydia tossed him glare.
Asura sighed, shaking her head.
She was a grown woman, and yet her mother's obvious disapproval still stung.
"Leo is slipping away, if you wanted to talk to him more." Edge pointed out, tipping his head to one side.
Rydia shook her head. "That might not be a good idea at the moment."
"Do you want to yell at me some more and get it out of your system?"
She slowly turned to look at him, eyes narrowed.
He grinned.
She sighed and rubbed her temples. "Don't tempt me..."
Author's Note: I was having a hard time with this chapter, but then I finally stopped fighting my characters and just let them write themselves.
I know that sounds really weird, but, when you've written characters for so long, it really does feel like they take on a mind of their own, and that's exactly what happened with this chapter.
That said, they are really super dramatic, sheesh...
It also means that this chapter became way longer then expected, and a couple of scenes moved to the next chapter because of it.
Still, I hope everyone enjoys this!
My favorite part was probably Leo and Alexander interacting. I'm fond of a lot of the Eidolons, and getting the chance to write Leo's relationship with his "powerhouse" one is fun. More Eidolons are on the way for this story, of course!
This story is set to be shorter then my other stories, so as of right now I'm expecting 2 - 3 more chapters and an Epilogue short.
Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter! I really do enjoy hearing people's thoughts on stories and knowing someone is reading them is always fun.
Until next time!