This chapter marks the second part of the first book. Enjoy.
Book I, Part II: Mortal Conflict - The Zodiac Brave Story
Chapter I: Between Heaven And Earth
[March 18, 2152 | Trabia, Bika Snowfield | 4:16 PM]
The Glacial Eye in front of me gives a screech of some sort, before crumpling to the ground, multiple bullet wounds in the creature's body. Lowering the rifle from my shoulder, I sling it onto my back once again, spherechanging from my Gunner dressphere back to my Blade Knight dressphere. For about the past half hour, I've been testing out the rifle I just bought from Darius. I've come to the conclusion that it was well worth the money. Darius was right in one respect, though; without the Gunner dressphere, I can't aim straight at all. I may know some things about guns, but I certainly can't use them all that well.
I've also been able to practice summoning Shiva in battle, taking on Mesmerizes to practice. Ice-based attacks don't work very well on things like Glacial Eyes, after all. As I prepare to take on another Gayla a short distance away, I suddenly remember something. I was supposed to meet the others back at the Celsius when I was done exploring. Berating myself mentally, I turn to leave, before spotting another figure stepping towards me on the snowy fields. As the figure gets closer, I recognize it as Revolver, the blacksmith I saw earlier.
"Hey there," I call over, causing Revolver to look over at me. "What are you doing out here?"
"If you must know," he replies gruffly, "I'm about to go gather some materials for my shop." Revolver's eyes dart around, looking at the small patches of burned ground and melted snow, among other things. "I assume you were training out here?"
"Yeah," I reply. Revolver just gives a short scoff at that.
"You can't honestly consider what you're doing training," he says, shaking his head. "The enemies here aren't worthy enough."
"And I suppose you've got a better idea, other than flying halfway around the world to find tougher enemies?" I counter.
"As a matter of fact, I do," Revolver replies, his face impassive. "A one-on-one duel between the two of us. That is, of course, unless you're afraid."
"Afraid? You've gotta be kidding me," I retort, unsheathing one of the swords from my back. "I'll be glad to take you on."
"At least you aren't a coward. Whether you can fight or not remains to be seen," Revolver comments, slowly unsheathing a powerful-looking great sword, the silver blade forged into the shape of a rhombus. "The first move is yours. Choose carefully."
Silently, I nod, taking a measured step forward and moving into a balanced stance with my blade in front of me.
[Ethereal Realm, Kisara's Domain]
(Play: Wind Crest -The Three Trails- (Kisara's Theme) - Final Fantasy X-2 International/Last Mission)
Kisara sat in front of a magical portal she had conjured with her power, watching carefully as more events and pictures flashed by in the white light of the gate. The goddess had been worrying ever since her meeting with Freya, fears about the Holy Stones and their use...or misuse. It was known to Kisara that the Stones were created by several of the major gods in the Ethereal Realm and passed down to the mortal realm, given to whom each of the gods considered their 'champion.' Each Stone held immense power within it, as well as great amounts of knowledge. The Holy Stones were designed to not only contain power, but to absorb, so to speak, bits and pieces of knowledge from those that held them. Since the Stones had been around for centuries upon centuries, the knowledge and power contained in each one was vast.
There was a downside to such power, however. The true power of the Holy Stones could not be tapped immediately. Only with an ancient chant could the full power of the Stones be released and harnessed, and few on the mortal realm knew this verse. However, as the years went by, not only did the Stones absorb the knowledge that was worthy and good to human minds, they absorbed parts of the darker thoughts and feelings of humanity as well. As time went on, the feelings grew and melded together, bonding with the latent spiritual energy of the world. It was this bonding that gave rise to the Lucavi Demons, as humans called them. Powerful creatures that lurked within the Stones, only by making a pact with these demons could the true power of the Holy Stones be used.
Kisara realized this. It was a simple enough matter to figure out that the Stones were a great deal more powerful than they were when they were first created. The real problem lay with another matter; namely, what to do with them. The Lucavi Demons were unpredictable, and in the wrong hands, could corrupt the mind and body as simply as snuffing out a candle.
'Mistress Freya said that we shouldn't worry about the Stones...but I can't help but feel that we have to act quickly. If one of the Stones has been unlocked, then all twelve could be unlocked. If one person manages to unlock all twelve Stones...I shudder to think what could become of the mortal realm, maybe even the Ethereal Realm.'
This was the issue that Kisara had been struggling with. If Freya would not act, then she saw no other way to prevent the misuse of the Stones than for her to act on her own. But, if she did that, she was taking a major risk. Risking not only the loss of her power, but her very position as a goddess, was not something that Kisara took lightly. Still, the goddess wondered: if she didn't act, who would? Would anyone act before it was too late?
Turning back to her portal, Kisara watched in horror as the scene she had been dreading to see began to play before her eyes. The goddess watched in silence as a figure made their way inside a cave, one very familiar to the Ethereal Mage.
"The Taurus Holy Stone..." she murmured, frozen as she continued to observe. In that moment, Kisara's decision was made - she would have time to contemplate the consequences of her actions later, but the moment demanded immediate action.
"Mistress, forgive me, but I must do this, both for the sake of the mortal realm and our own," she whispered, before vanishing in a small flash of light as she descended to the mortal plane.
(End: Wind Crest -The Three Trails- (Kisara's Theme) - Final Fantasy X-2 International/Last Mission)
[March 18, 2152 | Trabia, Sorbald Snowfield | 4:23 PM]
The wind blew fiercely against the mountains overlooking the Sorbald Snowfield, uncaring as a lone figure searched the side of the rocky cliffs. They had been searching nearly a half hour now, the rocks and crevices all looking the same in the snowy, windy conditions.
"I should almost be on top of the entrance to the cave," the woman said to herself, her white outfit blending in well with the snowy plains and cliffs. A smirk of triumph crossed her face suddenly as she came to an indent in the cliff face, which revealed itself to instead be a tunnel that led deeper into the mountain. The woman quickly walked inside, both to continue her mission and to escape the biting winds that howled across the snow-covered plains.
"If these directions are correct, the Stone should be near the back of the cave," she muttered, putting a small piece of paper back into one of the pockets of her jacket and continuing to walk. The cave appeared to be abandoned, she noticed, nothing residing in the rocky cavern but several small animals that also had decided to escape the cold, which quickly scattered as the woman continued to delve deeper into the cave. Arriving at a fork in the cave, one path leading straight ahead, the other to the right, the woman calmly headed down the right passage, smiling as the somewhat small tunnel began to widen outward as she traveled.
Minutes later, the woman's eyes lit up in success as the tunnel opened into a large chamber, fallen rocks and stalagmites dotting the sides of the room. Near the back of the room, a glint caught both her eye and her attention, and she stepped over quickly towards the source, kneeling down and brushing snow from a small - yet familiar - object.
"Ah...beautiful," she whispered, picking the object up carefully in order to see it more clearly. "The Taurus Holy Stone...such an innocuous artifact, with such raw and unbridled power. Zeo will be happy to see this."
"Return the Stone."
Turning sharply at the sound of another voice within the cavern, the woman rose from her kneeling position only to come face to face with the calm face of Kisara.
"And just who might you be?" the woman asked cautiously, cradling the Stone with one hand and placing the other on her hip.
"That is none of your concern. Replace the Holy Stone, now. I will not repeat myself," Kisara said, her voice as cold as the ice surrounding them.
"I assume you plan to make me, then?" the woman retorted.
"If I must."
"You can try, of course," the woman sneered, gesturing towards Kisara with her free hand. A wall of water seemed to spring up from the very ground itself at the motion, towering over Kisara and threatening to crush her. Unfazed, Kisara simply raised a hand up to the wave, instantly freezing the water in place before letting it sink to the ground, splashing harmlessly over both females' feet.
"You were forewarned," Kisara said, before holding her right hand up. Slowly, light seemed to move towards and into her hand, coalescing into a solid ball of light that glowed intensely and lit up the entire cavern. With a thrust of her hand, Kisara sent the ball at the woman, who had almost no time to react to the lightning-fast attack. The ball impacted her chest fiercely, exploding in a burst of light and sending the woman back into the wall of the cave with a cry, rocks and dust crumbling around her impact point. The Stone, too, was ripped from her hands as she flew, landing on the ground between the two. Kisara made no move to continue her attack, however, instead watching as the woman slowly moved back to her feet, stumbling slightly from the aftermath of the bone-jarring impact.
"You...what are you...?" the woman managed to gasp out, holding one hand over her chest and slightly burned clothing.
"An emissary for a higher power," Kisara replied calmly. "Leave, now. You do not understand the forces that you are dealing with here."
The woman seemed to ponder this statement for a moment, before watery energy began to surround her, swirling around her and shielding her form from view before the bubble of water burst, the woman nowhere to be found following the release of the spell. Sighing, Kisara walked over to the fallen Holy Stone, picking it up and examining it carefully before letting out a sigh of relief.
"Good...I was in time to prevent this Stone from being unlocked," she said to herself, pleased that she had stopped another of the Holy Stones from revealing its true power. A noise behind her caught her attention before she could do anything else, however, and she turned to face whatever might be there. What she saw, however, was the figure of Katanas DeValle standing in the entrance to the chamber, his face holding a small smile as he noticed Kisara's presence.
"Katanas...it's been a while," Kisara greeted, stepping over to the Trabian Garden Commander. Katanas just nodded in reply, bowing to the Ethereal Magus.
"It certainly has," he replied. "I sensed a power in this region...a great power, coming from somewhere close to this location. Now I arrive, and find you here. Hardly a coincidence, wouldn't you agree?" Katanas continued, the smile on his face never leaving.
Kisara stayed silent for a moment, seeming to have a debate in her own mind, before a sigh escaped her lips.
"Katanas...if I tell you what is happening here, do you swear to keep it a secret from anyone who may ask?" Kisara said solemnly, looking Katanas in the eyes.
"Of course," he answered, the look on his face turning to one of mild concern.
"Thank you. I'll get straight to the point. You are well aware of the existence of the twelve Holy Stones of the Zodiac, correct?" Katanas simply nodded in affirmation of the statement, Kisara continuing a moment later. "Well...one of them has been unlocked to its full potential - the Aries Holy Stone."
"I assume, then, that the power I felt was another of the Stones?" Katanas inquired. Kisara simply held out her left hand to Katanas, revealing the glowing form of the Taurus Holy Stone.
"Yes. Someone was attempting to steal it when I arrived, but I managed to reclaim it. If someone is attempting to gather all twelve of the Stones..." Kisara trailed off at that, but Katanas nodded in understanding.
"Perhaps I can be of assistance, then?" Katanas offered.
"How?"
"I can help you find and track the Holy Stones and make sure that no harm comes to them," Katanas said. "However...I would like a favor from you in return."
"That would be...?"
"I want to know what is happening in the Ethereal Realm. I assume that things have been...less than peaceful as of late?" Katanas continued.
"...You would be correct," Kisara said after a short pause. "Some of the elder gods are fighting amongst themselves for power...even the three pillars of reality seem to be affected."
"I see...as I said before, I will help you protect the Holy Stones. However, I must return to Trabia now. Perhaps you could accompany me to my office? We could talk in private there," Katanas said, looking over at Kisara.
"I would like that," Kisara replied, nodding to Katanas. Silently, Kisara stepped over to the Garden Commander as Katanas began to channel his energies, the two of them disappearing in a flash of light moments later.
[March 18, 2152 | Trabia, Bika Snowfield | 4:27 PM]
(Play: The Incarnation of Devil (Revolver's Battle Theme) - Motoi Sakuraba, Star Ocean: Till The End Of Time)
Kneeling down to the ground, I try to catch my breath after the last attack by Revolver. So far, I've barely been able to lay a hit on the swordsman. He moves too quick for my eyes to follow, even without Haste, and I've been hit with at least a half dozen status spells since the fight began.
"Dark Weaver!"
Black tendrils suddenly lance out from Revolver's sword, wrapping around me and crushing me, before throwing me along the snow-covered ground. Fighting back a cry of pain, I struggle back to my feet, launching a quick barrage of Fire spells at Revolver in order to buy some time. Revolver just moves around the spells, watching as they burn small marks into the snow, before he smirks, holding a hand out towards me.
"Shadow Spell!"
A small portal of black energy seems to open up in front of him, before several pitch-black chains fly out, moving towards me of their own accord. Eyes widening, I flip backward to avoid one chain and duck under another, only to be thrown off balance by the first and caught. The second wraps around me as well, pinning both my arms and legs, before dark energy surges into me, causing me to scream out in pain as my skin burns.
The chains fall to the ground, dissipating into black smoke as I stumble slightly, noticing with a great deal of displeasure that some magical force is preventing me from accessing any of my Blade Knight abilities as well. Determined not to give in, I cast Haste on myself, running towards Revolver as my sword glows with orange energy.
"Power Break!"
Slashing down, my sword meets only the ground, as Revolver spins aside and kicks me away, throwing me off-balance as he prepares another attack. Quickly, Revolver casts what appears to be an Aura spell on himself, causing his body to glow with a yellow light. A blue aura then flares around him, as the snow around him begins to melt under the force of the power.
"Ether Strike!"
The energy surrounding Revolver suddenly expands, forming into a large sphere of blue energy that surrounds his body. In the blink of an eye, the energy shoots towards the sky, falling down as a storm of blue energy orbs. Futilely placing my sword in front of me, I try to defend against the hail of energy balls, but end up crying out in agony as the orbs engulf me in a wave of blue energy. The attack stops after several seconds that feel like hours to me, and as I fall to the ground, completely exhausted and broken, the last thing that I see is Revolver re-sheathing his sword as everything fades to blackness.
(End: The Incarnation of Devil (Revolver's Battle Theme) - Motoi Sakuraba, Star Ocean: Till The End Of Time)
[March 18, 2152 | Trabia Garden, Third Floor, Katanas DeValle's Office | 4:31 PM]
"Please, sit," Katanas offered, taking a seat behind his desk as Kisara took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the desk. "Now...perhaps you could explain what is happening in the Ethereal Plane? I assume that things are not as they should be?"
"You would be correct," Kisara replied. "Some of the elder gods are fighting for more power in the realm. Even Odin has been affected. Right now, Odin has been charged by Freya to try and keep peace in the realm, but this conflict seems to be too far-reaching for even Odin to do alone."
"I see...what of Freya? Has this conflict reached her?"
"Not as of yet. As power-hungry as some of the gods appear to be, none of them have made a move on Freya's throne yet. I can only hope that it continues to stay that way."
"I would not be too worried. Freya has more power than any other being in the Ethereal Plane. If any of the gods did make a move to try and usurp Freya's position, she should be able to quell the uprising with relative ease."
"That is how I see the matter as well. But...other strange things have occurred lately. Will, the pillar of the future, has been making trips to and from the mortal realm. I can only speculate on what he is doing, however," Kisara explained, causing Katanas to quirk an eyebrow.
"The pillars of reality rarely leave the Ethereal Plane. Why, now, would Will decide to descend to the mortal realm?"
"As I said, I can only speculate. Fayt and Destine have not left that I am aware of, but you realize that my ability to track their movements is...limited, at best. I do not have the position in the realm to even think of questioning their decisions."
"I understand. You have told me more than I expected to hear as it stands. For that, I thank you."
"I will keep track of these matters as best I can...however, I can not return to the Ethereal Plane at this moment."
"Oh?" Katanas said, watching as the Ethereal Magus bowed her head. "And why would you not be able to return?"
"The fact is not that I am unable to return in the literal sense, but more in the sense of my actions. This matter with the Holy Stones has worried me as of late. I spoke with the Mistress, and she instructed me to forget about the situation for the moment. I...I could not. I came here of my own accord, disobeying the Mistress at my own risk. I can not go back at this time. I must ensure that the Holy Stones remain safe, no matter the price I must pay to do so," Kisara said sadly, lifting her head to make eye contact with Katanas once again.
"Though the decision to disobey Freya might not be the best, I admire your reason for doing so. It is commendable that you would risk your position to ensure the safety of the mortal realm."
"It isn't just for the mortal realm. If all twelve Stones are unlocked and controlled by one being, it could very well spell the end of not only the mortal realm, but possibly all of reality as well," Kisara said, a degree of fear in her voice.
"Then we must waste no time in securing the Stones," Katanas stated, nodding. "I will do what I can."
"I thank you for your help, Katanas," Kisara replied, standing from her chair. "I must take my leave now. Take care."
"Take care of yourself as well, Kisara," Katanas said, watching as the Ethereal Magus vanished in a flash of light. Turning his attention back to his desk, Katanas quickly opened a channel on the computer in his desk, watching as the face of his father appeared on the screen.
"Yes?" the Trabian headmaster asked, wondering what the seemingly-urgent call was about.
"I investigated the energy reading outside of Trabia as you requested, father," Katanas said.
"Your findings?"
"It appears to have been caused by an overload of a deposit of Energy Crystals. Apparently, a group of hikers were in one of the mountain caverns, and accidentally struck a small deposit of the Crystals with a spell while fighting off a monster inside the cave. The resulting energy release was large enough to register on Estharian scanners."
"I see...good work. I'll notify the Estharian Presidential Palace immediately with the findings," the Senior replied, the comlink turning itself off as soon as he finished speaking. Katanas just sighed, pulling up a document on his computer and began to resume his work - he hated lying to his father about matters, but he knew that it would be for the best in the long run.
Well. I had several things that compounded my writing problems this time. Attempting to place a college application so that I can begin work on a bachelor's degree in technology, a small amount of writer's block, and just generally not being around as much as I like lead to this delay. Hopefully, though, things will settle back down enough for me to get back into a consistent writing pattern. As always, please read and review.