Chapter 8: A Time for War

"Strago?" Edgar looked down at the man. The host of Poltergeist. He was dead now. Hopefully, he had gone to a better place. Now Edgar couldn't know for sure. "Sleep well old man." Edgar closed Strago's eyes and placed him on his boat. The raft floated out to see and vanished beneath the rising waves.

"I have to get back!" Edgar rushed towards his boat, only to watch a wave shatter it against the rocks. "By the Three Goddesses! Damnation!"

Edgar scanned the Rock. He saw the entrance to Hidon's Cave, and rushed towards it.

"Edgar..." said a voice from behind. So soft. Edgar spun around.

"Mother?" Edgar began to cry. "Mother!" He rushed forward to the beach. "I've missed you..." Then he noticed the stench of rotting flesh. "Oh Goddesses..."

Edgar's mother grew massive, a hideous creature covered in tentacles and claws.

"It's time to die, King Edgar," laughed the beast.

"We shall see, monster."

"Damn it, Edgar's going to need us, Locke!" Sabin stared out at the ocean.

"What can we do about it? Not even an airship could fly in a storm like this. We'll just wait it out. There isn't any immediate threat is there?"

"I don't know, Locke." Sabin heard footsteps and spun around. "Hello, Celes. How are you feeling?"

"Fine, thank you. I'm sorry about the storm. Something just isn't natural about it."

"Magic?" asked Locke, his eyes wide.

"Maybe."

"Then...could you Runic it?" Sabin asked, hopefully.

"I can try, but it won't be easy."

"Celes, I can't let you put yourself in danger!" shouted Locke.

"I must, my love. Don't worry."

"CELES!"

"Runic!" shouted Celes, drawing her sword from the mantle above the

hearth. Locke watched as it began to glow. Sweat beaded down Celes's

forehead, and an aura of green light surrounded her. "It's...working..."

Sabin looked out the window. No immediate effects where visible.

"So much power...I have to get to the source..." Celes clinched her fists.

"Celes, stop, you're hurting yourself," warned Sabin.

"I feel the source...I must get closer..."

"CELES!" shouted Locke again. "Celes, no, I can't bear to lose you..."

"I have it! What...Terra?"

Gogo slipped on his robe and voice modifier. "I must save this world for

you, Mistress," he promised, stepping out into the rain. He stared at his wrist for the location of Edgar.

"Thamasa." Gogo whistled a strange noise and a shadow descended from above. A Drake landed and Gogo climbed on. He whistled again and the flew off towards Thamasa.

"The Dark Master comes, disciples! Feel him! Hear him! He is here!" screamed Terra. And it was true.

Art ran down the streets of South Figaro. How could he have gotten caught up in such a stupid cult? But something very wrong was happening. This rain had come from the Prophetess, he knew it. He had to find Councilor Gau.

"Gau!" he shouted. From an alley, the boy emerged.

"You called." Gau loved making entrances like that.

"The Prophetess is doing something, Councilor. Something very evil. And she is targeting South Figaro. That is what the rain is. It is a by-product of the spell. Something very evil."

"Who are you? How do you know this?" questioned Gau. He stared at the man, an animal gleam in his eyes.

"I...I helped her.."

Okay, so the war didn't REALLY start. But everyone is getting in position.

A Long Dark Day:

Zeromus calmly looked over the crowd of chanting worshippers. "Very good, my Prophetess."

"That you, o Lord of Dark and Evil." Terra dropped to her knees before

the dark one. She solemnly kissed his feet and stared at the ground.

"Very nice. But they are not useful to me in this form." Zeromus

surveyed the crowd. "Bakers, blacksmiths, HUMANS. No, these will not do. I need the help of an old friend."

"Who, my Master. Can I help you?" Terra begged.

"No. Stand back." Terra scurried to her feet and knelt behind the altar. "From the Dark, I call the ghost of Rubicant." The Lord of Fire

appeared and bowed.

"Lord Zeromus. I have awaited your return. How may I serve you?"

"Lugae. Your 'doctor.'" Rubicant shuddered at the mention of the monster's name. Rubicant was a man of honor, though he was of the Dark.

"I see you remember him. He made...creatures out of humans. I need

more. Do you have any records of his techniques."

"Master Zeromus, as much as I desire to aid you, I do not feel that it would be justi..."

"SILENCE, FIEND OF FLAME! You were created to serve. I could not correct your sense of honor, but I intend to ignore it. Give me Lugae!"

Rubicant trembled; his fear of the Dark One far outweighed his sense of

honor. "It is not magical, m'lord. He uses genetic merging. It is rather simple. Here are the designs for the machine."

A scroll appeared in Zeromus hand. "You may go now, Rubicant. Return to your eternal torment."

"But..."

"I don't need any of you anymore, Fiend. Good-bye."

"NO!" screamed Gogo into the sky. "I must hurry. The Dark One has

arrived and I must stop him." He whistled and the dragon landed. Gogo

raised his hand above the drake.

"Beast of Sky, upon you I give the intelligence of man!" The drake

looked confused, then growled:

"Who...am I?"

"That is unimportant. I am now transferring information as to my mission into your brain. You will not forget it."

A glow suffused the dragon's head, and he felt knowledge flood in.

Horrible knowledge of killing and destruction, but somewhere inside, the power excited the beast.

"Good-bye. Warp!" Gogo disappeared.