Chapter 29

Hero

With Selena being in the rear guard, as a gesture of contempt from Memnon for her being given complete control over Selphie, the Colonel was among the last to become enveloped in the battle. The silent Sorceress had been by her side the entire time. But as soon as the bulk of the forces met, she commanded Selphie to advance with two thousand of her own to join the main army, where she would be more effectively placed. Selphie had quickly been lost within the wave of soldiers, expected to confront either the Abadon, the Torama Fang or the Knight of Quistis.

Selena's forces were first met by approximately twenty thousand blue and red-clad Galbadians, who had over-advanced in attempt to flank the main column of the army. Crushed between two firm lines of Esthari, they were killed almost to the last, with Selena needing to draw on her GF little. Though the rear guard was met by another fifty thousand by the early afternoon, these with small units of heavy weapons, and the westerners were able to dig in.

Shortly after this second battle commenced, they had reports of the nearest enemy GF bearer, Raijin, wreaking havoc in the eastern flank. Between her and the Thunderstroke stood tens of thousands of determined Galbadian soldiers. The Colonel did not have enough riders to lead a charge on Boko's back, and could not leave her force. Edea's Bloodhound was also reported to be somewhere nearby. As soon as she heard from Tyris, Selena instructed the young Lieutenant to confront Raijin. She knew the truth, that Tyris and Raijin had been like family. But Hikaru and Domitian were dead; their GFs lost. The Empress and the rest of her GFs were at sea. There was no other option.

Selena finally encountered Almasy, unmistakable with his flaming aura, which he had presumably begun to draw on to give this second detachment of Galbadians enough advantage to defeat her rear guard. There was no sign of the Cyclone. Selena summoned Boko, appearing on his back with her twin-bladed dagger held aloft, and removed her headgear. This way, she knew that the Bloodhound – the very one who had killed her father Tiberius at Balamb – would recognise her.

Boko's glow illuminated the scene more than the flames as the Bloodhound made short work of three Esthari foot soldiers. He turned to her and grinned broadly, raising Hyperion horizontally toward her in his infamous Sorceress' Knight stance.

'Well, if it isn't Tyris' big bed warmer!' he called. 'Thanks for looking out for her, but your time's up, Shieldmaiden! Ready to meet your old man?'

Selena did not rise to the goading. She had always believed she was the only one in Esthar who knew Tyris' true origins. She had never spoken of it to protect Tyris. Though she wondered how Almasy could know about her intimate encounters with his daughter.

'Tiberius was nothing like your grandpa,' he pushed. 'He didn't know what hit him when we rode the Pandora over your capital! It was down to Edea and Dincht to try and stop us! And when we met at Garden, he wasn't much of a challenge!'

Aware of his history, Selena had been ten years old when Almasy had salvaged Lunatic Pandora and boldly led the Galbadian raid on Esthar City. The dreaded image of that floating monolith had often revisited Selena in her dreams, an obelisk foreshadowing the Lunar Cry that had followed the next day, altering the course of her country's destiny.

'Perhaps you are right,' Selena allowed. 'But it doesn't matter. I can cement the legacy of the Vlahos name now.' Her expression changed to one of conviction. 'You are responsible for millions of my compatriot's deaths, Bloodhound, and I hereby sentence you to death! You alone caused the Lunar Cry!'

'I did,' Almasy said openly. 'At the command of your Empress.'

What is he talking about? Selena wondered.

The air battle had raged over their heads the entire time. As expected, the Esthari had prevailed with their superior technology, the last Galbadian fighter jet exploding with a fiery plume as its shields failed. But the hard-won air superiority lasted only seconds. There was a deafening howl of hurricane winds that pervaded all sounds of battle, yet Selena felt nothing. Instead, the last of the Valkyrs and pods were impossibly swept from their flight path, carried far from the battle theatre before being dumped on an empty stretch of plain to the east. The Cyclone had struck again, as she had thirteen years before.

'Nice going, Fu!' Almasy said happily. 'By the way, Vlahos, who won the air war?'

Noise receded as the battling moved away from them. A few Esthari straggled, looking at them nervously, but Selena ordered them to join the others. Almasy did the same with any Galbadians remaining nearby.

'One minute!' he said. 'That's how long your Pop lasted! Think you can do better?'

He fired his gunblade at her. It was deflected, but he sent a ball of fire at her head. Selena met it with her weapon, willing Boko to leap toward him, but he deflected her reaching blow as she passed and cut deep into Boko's wing. Selena felt her GF's pain as it surged forward and she recalled it, landing on the ground.

Selena knew the Bloodhound's battle prowess was not exaggerated. He had survived multiple encounters with the Lionheart. It was said that when the Children of Fate confronted him at Lunatic Pandora, Fujin and Raijin had deserted him, leaving him outnumbered six to one. Still, the Bloodhound had held his own. With the combined power of Ifrit and Phoenix in his augmented Hyperion, he had even managed to cut Odin in two.

He launched another fireball at her. An instant later, he gripped Hyperion with both hands, pointing it at Selena as though he intended to fire again. Instead, he began to wheel in circles, the blaze intensifying into an encompassing pillar of fire. The auburn tornado approached. Selena hurriedly backed away, ensuring the path behind her was clear. With her free hand, she directed a powerful gust at him, as though Boko were flapping his golden wings with all his might. The fiery twister began to loose its composition, sheets of flame coming away, and its advance slowed. Then she summoned Boko once more, the Golden Chocobo penetrating the auburn mast foot-first at the expense of more damage, knocking Almasy back in mid-tempo with a powerful kick.

The flames disappeared, but the Bloodhound started laughing.

'Is that all you've got?'

He was pushed high into the air by a pillar of fire that appeared at his feet. He directed two swipes of his gunblade in her direction, cutting through thin air. These were followed by two wedges of fire that Selena leapt aside to avoid. She reattached her joined weapon to its magnetic sheath. Concentrating a golden disc of her GF's raw energy in front of her chest, she raised both arms toward him, firing the aura cannon at the top of towering flame. The Bloodhound leapt an unbelievable distance in evasion, descending in a downward curve toward her. Selena side rolled to avoid him again, coming up on her feet with her weapon before her in a fluid movement.

'You're good!' Almasy said. 'I'll give you that much!'

As the gunbladesman landed, Selena heard a whistling noise off to her right. A spiked, neon chakram crashed against her invisible shield. She turned to see the blue-clad Cyclone calmly approaching from her right, her long white hair tied back beneath a black beret.

Selena gave a nod of acknowledgement. 'Fujin.'

Almasy made no more moves to attack as his wife joined his side, expertly catching her returning pinwheel and holding it close to her face in a peculiar stance.

'Vlahos,' the Cyclone said in her sharp, audible manner. 'Thanks for rescuing Tyris. But it changes nothing! You're our enemy!'

'I understand,' Selena replied.

The Colonel accepted that her time was likely up. She could not stand against the pair of them; her demi-GF was no match for both Ifrit and Pandemonium, who would exponentially increase each other's power to ungodly levels. Nevertheless, Selena would die on her feet, as her father had done. Most of her family had perished during the Cry, and she would at long last be reunited with them.

Selena spoke again. 'There's something you both need to know. The Empress now seeks to murder your son, Ifrit.'

The two glanced at each other.

'Explain!' Fujin demanded.

'I do not know the reason, but it regards an individual called Leonidas Christophe, who appeared before the Empress some time ago. Christophe claimed to be a Centran sellsword, though the Empress saw something when she did a mind contact with him. It is rumoured that he is now her Knight.' Selena paused. 'I may be your enemy, but I tell you this out of admiration for Tyris. Also, out of mercy for your son, as I can see no justification for the murder of one who is too young to take up arms.'

The Colonel detached her twin-bladed short swords to wield them akimbo, crossing them both before her and glancing between her adversaries. Suddenly, their eyes both lost focus. The two looked at each other again, then to the east.

'Raijin!' was all Fujin said, turning to fly away on a current conjured by Pandemonium.

Tyris killed him! Selena realised.

The Bloodhound looked serious for the first time. 'Well, it looks like you flashy bastards have scored the first real blow! Allow me to equalise!' he yelled, and assailed Selena once more.

Nida was in the thick of the main battle, placed by General Biggs at the helm of a large contingent of Galbadian regular troops, which comprised over fifty thousand of the blue light-infantry and ten thousand of the heavier, red units.

Squall had ordered Nida's group to rendezvous with Colonel Wedge after leaving Locomota. Rinoa, Quistis and the free GFs would be more essential for winning the battle on land, and when they did, they could move north to confront Ultimecia at Galbadia City – should the Allies fail to stop her at sea. The Commander understood that this would leave himself dangerously exposed, but he had the power of Bahamut and there were others to succeed him if he fell. Squall wanted Reina's main army defeated, her best officers eliminated and all the imprisoned GFs bolstering it freed, which was no longer unrealistic.

General Biggs had agreed to hire Nida, Xu and Rhodry to lead large contingents of his main army. Quistis was technically a SeeD, and although not a part of the hastily drawn contract, was also commanding a force. None of Galbadians dared defy her. The Blue Mage had pushed far to the south to reach Selphie, who had already killed uncountable Galbadians unchecked. Rinoa, with limited military experience, would have bolstered Xu's unit. But when it was reported that the sea battle went badly for the Allies, as they were becoming known as, Rinoa had departed north on her white wings to reach her Knight. Even without her, they still greatly overpowered their opposition.

Seifer's old posse had agreed to go south, to confront Colonel Vlahos in the rear guard, and to await Tyris and Akechi of the Dollet force. The overall strategy was to defeat Vlahos and Akechi in the south and east, then defeat or free Selphie, which was much easier said than done. Thalassa and Raine would ensure the Garlands overcame Esthar's cybernetic vanguard. It was also hoped that Tyris would switch sides if the battle went badly for Esthar. Then, the Allies could surround General Zebalga in the main force and end him once and for all.

The battle had gone on well into the afternoon, and the light was dim with the now torrential downpour, slowing the pace of the fighting. Most of Nida's force had remained intact, and they had eliminated several Esthari legions. At first, the Galbadians seemed reluctant to follow Nida's lead. The humiliating defeats that they had endured from SeeD during the last war was a blemish on their military history. But the republicans knew that Nida was a GF bearer and a Sorceress' Knight, ultimately deciding to trust General Biggs' judgement for this decisive battle.

Nida had not shaved for the duration of his deployment, and had adorned his headband for the battle; at its centre were Balambi glyphs representing his mother's and father's clans. His katana, once belonging to his grandfather Aki, flashed continuously in the dull light as he moved from stance to stance to better suit the nature of his opponent. He met fellow sword wielders with a static, disciplined approach. Standing stoically with his katana pointed to the thick pall of cloud, he cut each one with honour, making eye contact with each opponent as he bested them, as was customary of his people. Spear users required cunning and agility to get within their sweeps and thrusts. Those with shields submitted to a flurry of backhand and underhand strokes.

The Knight needed to draw on Siren little. He occasionally bade her to shroud the heads of large onrushing Esthari units with black smoke, leaving them befuddled and blinded as they were cut down. At one time, he had Siren destroy the slave diadem of a wayward iron giant. But this had not helped much, with the Lunar monster then swinging its sword indiscriminately, and the Galbadians had briefly worked with nearby Esthar soldiers to disable it. After that short alliance, they had resumed the bloodshed, the iron giant quickly forgotten.

Xu's force was somewhere to the south, between Quistis and himself. Nida had received no contact from his Deputy Commander for over an hour but was instantly informed by Siren when she died.

And Cerberus? he thought to her.

The Gatekeeper struggles against the Zebalgan!

Go to his aid! Nida urged her. I can't leave command of these soldiers while they are riding success!

Siren appeared before him, dropping the jaws of many Galbadians with her radiance. With a graceful leap and a single beat of her head-wings, she was flying south. A towering, youthful Galbadian approached Nida, top-heavy in his red armour and wielding a spear. Corporal Zabac, grandson of the late Ward.

'What's going on, sir?'

'The Torama Fang is dead!' Nida informed them, as hundreds more Esthari approached, then he cried, 'Come on! Forward!'

Then they gained a new ally. The Tonberry King had appeared amid the sprinting invaders, soaring over them with its beige attire and floating crown, diverting their charge with broad, sweeping cuts of its great knife. Seemingly it had followed Nida's party here from Dollet. As it butchered dozens of Esthar troops, Nida and Zabac led the counterthrust and this new wave of Esthari were driven back. With the brief lull, the King met Nida's eyes and bowed its head, thanking him for its liberation. It must have recognised Siren's essence on the bullet that shattered its magicite. The King addressed them in the Common Tongue, albeit in the laboured patois of its people.

'I shall lend you my power until the Harp of the Dawn returns.'

On a different section of the plains, the battle did not go as well for Rhodry's unit. It was smaller in number than Nida's force and ill-disciplined, largely comprised of reserves in addition to ex-convicts promised a pardon in exchange for military service. They were a slack-jawed and unfit bunch, especially the ex-cons. Twice Rhodry was forced to call upon Shiva to stop them from being routed.

When his western flank collapsed for a third time, Rhodry summoned Shiva to cover the bloody, downtrodden plains with a hard sheet of ice, sending hundreds of Esthari chocobo riders flying dangerously from their mounts. The birds regrettably broke their wings, legs and necks as they tumbled. Their riders suffered worse injury. Then Shiva fired ice javelins at the converging Esthari light infantry until the Galbadians could close the breach, the ice spears penetrating their projectile shields as though they did not exist.

Throughout the battle, veterans of the Adaryn bloodbath had recognised Rhodry, turning on their heels in terror.

'It's him!' they cried. 'The Abadon!'

Rhodry confirmed it by skewering them with lethal shards of ice that left the tip of his magnificent sword. Sometime after the third breach, more than a thousand Galbadians were lifted from the plains to his south, rapturous wings appearing from their backs. Helplessly, they thrashed and kicked as they were pulled dangerously high into the air, weapons falling.

Selphie! Rhodry knew.

Then, the wings vanished, and the Galbadians fell screaming to their deaths. The thuds of their bodies were only partially dulled by the waterlogged ground. Among the shattered corpses stood a small, solitary figure, a golden crown glittering dully on her head.

The Esthari to the west were sandwiched between his and Quistis' force. Their numbers gradually dwindling, they would no longer be a threat. Though Rhodry did not know where the Blue Mage was, and could not reach her on coms.

'Keep the eastern flank firm,' he said to a nearby Sergeant in his ragtag force.

Rhodry ran toward the Guardian of Trabia and let Shiva's essence pour out of him to divert her attention. As he got close, Selphie launched magnolia fire at him, which Rhodry abated with a swing of Icefall, a sheet of ice parting the stream of fire to either side of him. When he looked at Selphie's face, Rhodry knew that she was not aware. He had never seen her not smiling, with such a deadpan expression. Her emerald eyes were vacant, giving no flicker of recognition.

'Snap out of it, Selphie!' he pleaded. 'Try to remember! It's me, Rhodry!'

Rhodry had been hoping that there was some shred of her consciousness that would win over, or slow her. But it was not to be. Selphie raised an arm, and Rhodry had to swing Icefall to divert a magnolia lightning bolt. If there was any way that he could spare her, he would. In the worst case, Quistis would succeed her. Thankfully, Selphie had no GF. Rhodry would try to hold her off until Quistis arrived, even if it meant his life. He owed her that much.

'You are the Guardian of Trabia, Selphie!' he said loudly. 'We stood against Reina on the Bika Snowfield!'

Selphie's only response was to fly forward, her snow boots leaving the ground as she glided over the drenched earth. She swung with Strangevision. But that was one field where Rhodry had the advantage, easily parrying both emerald ends. He saw an opening to counter, but stayed his hand.

'You're a lioness, Selphie! One of the Children of Fate!'

Rhodry aimed the flat of his sword at the slave diadem. He did not know whether breaking it would save her, but she was too fast in any case. Her shinobou almost struck him in the chest, and when Rhodry moved back, the Sorceress gathered magnolia light in her palm.

'Irvine was your Knight!'

For a split second, Selphie seemed to go rigid, so briefly that Rhodry wondered if he had imagined it. But a magnolia beam came from her hand, broad enough to completely envelope him. It struck a wall of ice, but Rhodry knew that Shiva could not withstand her sorcery forever. Gripping Icefall two-handed, he plunged it into the earth. At Selphie's feet appeared a circle of pale blue light, and a spiked pillar of ice consumed her. Her energy beam and the ice shield both vanished, and Rhodry pulled the blade free, closing to her.

'Remember Trabia Garden!'

The column shattered, and Selphie screamed as dozens of shards pierced her pale skin, horribly lacerating her face and ripping through her body suit.

'Remember Irvine!'

Strangevision was on the ground. Rhodry and Selphie's eyes met. Her small hand reached for her weapon, but then shook, going rigid.

'Remember me, Selphie!'

'Rho… dry.'

He kicked her weapon aside and reached down to remove the crown. The trembling stopped, and Selphie's hand moved to knock his aside, but then it resumed. Rhodry dropped his sword and bent, seizing the crown with both hands and yanking it away before she could lose control again. She immediately went limp as he removed it, her face pressing into the dirt.

Enraged, Rhodry retrieved his weapon and launched the cursed diadem into the air, striking it with all the power he could channel into Icefall, and it shattered. Then he was back by Selphie's side, rolling her over, gently cradling her head. Her ageless face was horribly gashed, and her breathing was faint. He looked up to see Quistis at the head of approaching Galbadian soldiers, Save the Queen coiled in her hand.

'Rhodry!'

'I destroyed the diadem!' Rhodry said, then asked desperately. 'Can you save her?'

Quistis ordered the Galbadians to take a protective formation around them. The fierce sounds of battle still raged, and there were panicked cries among the eastern flank. Quistis knelt by Selphie's other side, putting a hand to her head and closing her eyes. The Blue Mage's hand moved back a fraction, and a white mist emanated from her fingertips.

'I've eased the swelling on her brain,' Quistis said. 'The rest will be up to her. Now, for the lacerations.'

Rhodry had seen Selphie perform similar miraculous feats after the battles in Trabia. He was not surprised when all the lacerations in Selphie's skin disappeared, her face resuming its doll-like innocence. She seemed only to be sleeping.

'Rest easy, Selph,' Quistis said lovingly.

'I will guard her with my life until she awakens,' Rhodry vowed. 'I will become her Knight if I have to!'

Quistis regarded him. 'She could ask for no better, now Irvine is no longer with us. Yet she can't stay here. We have Esthar on the backfoot! Zebalga has retreated! Akechi and Tyris are missing, and now they've lost Selphie! We're winning, Rhodry!'

'What of the sea battle?' he asked.

'Rinoa got there in the nick of time! Leviathan caused much devastation, but Rinoa managed to destroy his magicite, and he bought the surviving western ships time to reach land! Caraway has cut his losses; Garden and his fleet has retreated to the coast, and they will slow Ultimecia's advance to the capital. There will be one more battle, in the city.'

As if to confirm her words, they heard the first Esthari horns of retreat.

Rhodry nodded. 'Should I take Selphie to Wilburn?'

'Yes,' Quistis replied. 'Ellone is there. Take one of the vehicles west and you should bypass the Esthari, as the road to Wilburn is clear. Watch over her until she awakens, Rhodry. I would entrust that responsibility to no one else other than Squall. She will be in the best possible hands. You're a hero!'