Chapter 12:
{Locke!} called the voice once more.
Locke looked up from his chair, his face pale and drawn.
{Answer me, Locke!} it whispered, yet shouted.
Locke's gaze spun as far as he could crane his neck, yet still he saw
no one. "Why must you torment me! Have I not be punished enough?" Locke stared down at his now useless legs, which he could neither feel nor move.
{I am not here to torment you, Locke.}
"Who ARE you?" Locke reached for the Full Moon which rested next to his chair.
{I am who we are. I am the Light and I am the Darkness.}
"Do not tell me riddles. I have lost my son! My best friend! My Goddess damned legs, and you seek to speak to ME IN RIDDLES! Why must you toy with me?" Locke sobbed.
{You can not understand the workings of the Universe, Locke Cole. Do not try to.}
"Damn you!"
{We are here to stop the Dark One.}
Locke sighed.
{And restore the Balance.}
"I am no longer a hero! I am a cripple, damn you! My wife...oh god, and my wife can move nothing! Her face alone! And you come here to tell me to restore the fucking balance of the Universe?"
{Nothing in life is easy, you should know that, Locke.}
"Oh, do I know that!"
{Then help us, so that we may aid you.}
"How?"
{Listen.}
"Who are those people, Shadow?" murmured Setzer, slipping into Clyde's old name.
"I do not know. But they are well armed."
"Can you tell if they are hostile?"
"Tell me this, Setzer: If a horde of armed men comes rushing you on
chocobos, do you think they're hostile?"
"Sorry I asked."
"I does not matter. The Reaper forgives all."
"What is you obsession with Death, Clyde?"
"Sometimes it is easier to die than live, Gambler. Now ready yourself.
The enemies arrive presently."
Shadow readied himself and leapt into the air, soaring onto the back on
one of the massive birds. His katana cleaved through its neck, and left
it headless, squirming, on the ground.
Setzer, on the other hand, merely reached into his large belt pouch. He
withdrew a handful of coins and tossed them into the coming horde. Each slammed into a target. Each fell as heads, upon the desert sands.
But as gallantly as Shadow and Setzer battled the unknown riders, their
energy began to wane. And it was as both Shadow and Setzer fell to the
ground, that the lead rider withdrew its mask.
"M'lord, I know not what to say? I take you to the port of South Figaro, as you ordered me to do."
"Liar!"
"I speak the truth," screamed the Captain, prostrating himself.
"You cannot! Why did you speak of MagiTek!"
"I told you before..."
"WARE, KING EDGAR!" screamed a sailor. From above the clouds, a massive flying reptile descended, slamming into the deck with jarring speed.
"I speak for the Goddesses, King Edgar Figaro. Drop this man, and lend
me your ear." The dragon spoke in a roaring voice, its red eyes drawn
into tight slits.
Edgar lowered his weapon. "You have my attention, friend dragon. And do get down from there Mog, you look like an utter buffoon."
"Ba'foo'oon!" shouted a voice from behind.
"Umaro too?" Edgar groaned. "My, my, we have a regular reunion."
"What have I done?" whispered Cyan, staring at the now immobile Blade.
"I do not know," replied the guard, equally shaken.
{I have cleared the way, Lord Cyan Garamonde. I am the Gray Blade. I am Death and I am Life. You have bonded with me.}
"What?" shouted Cyan.
"What is the problem, Lord Cyan?" asked the guard quickly.
"One moment, sir."
{Thou art the Blade,} replied Cyan, mentally.
{Yes.}
{And thou hast cleared yon cavern pass?}
{Yes. Would it please you if I spoke in Archaic phrases?}
{Hmmm?}
{Thee, thou, prithee, methinks, you know what I mean?}
{Art thou mocking me?}
{Never, m'lord.} Cyan could almost imagine the Blade grinning.
{To business, anon. Thou hast cleared the cave, then surely those that
live in death do come upon us?}
{Aye.}
{How may I strike them down.}
{With fire, beheading, and piercing of the heart.}
{That is all?}
{Or, by my power, I may will them all dead.}
{Thou art so powerful?}
{Aye.}
{Then kill them all.}
{You are sure, Lord Cyan? Should I return them to death, you will absorb their souls.}
{WHAT?}
"Lord Cyan?" asked the guard, who had been staring there, mutely, as he watched Cyan mouth words.
"One moment, friend guard."
{Anyone you kill with my power shall give their souls to you.}
{Any?}
{And all.}
Cyan sighed, pondering a question that meant Life or Death to hundreds.
"Oh, how your power shines, Dark Lord!" swooned Terra, watching Zeromus mutate the people of the Temple into hideous creatures.
"I am pleased you see it this way," replied the now humanoid monster. He stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps you may serve me in another matter."
"How, o great one?"
Zeromus mutated another man, then sat down upon his golden throne. "I
am deeply distressed as to the actions of the now recently deceased robot."
"How is that? He is dead now."
The Lord of Evil sighed. Why where humans so invariably stupid? "I am not worried about the robot itself, Terra. You see that robot was to
someone as you are to me."
"I do not understand," replied Terra, deeply wishing that in some way she could. She knelt before Zeromus begging forgiveness.
Zeromus sighed once more. "My child. The robot...Gogo you said it was called?" Terra nodded. "Gogo served someone I believed dead."
"Who, my master?"
"The Triumvirate. The Three Goddesses. I slew them in the place you
call 'space.'" Zeromus stared at Terra. "But he...it was following orders. Orders that could only have been given AFTER their distraction."
"I see, Lord. You worry that they still live?"
"Yes. You are very smart," Zeromus congratulated, patting her on the
head. Terra gasped in pleasure at his touch. "They were one of the few
forces that could defeat me."
"You may be defeated? Impossible!" Terra blanched at the concept of a world without Zeromus.
"Yes. But the other force lies far of in the cosmos, on a world where they must remain for eternity." Zeromus was never sure about this.
Were the crystals indeed still upon the Blue Planet? Or had they been
put upon the Lunar Station.
"So you are safe."
"Yes, Terra. And soon, this entire world will be within my grasp."