Chapter 16: The End Draws Near

"So, Locke, thou seemst to be most pleased with thy self," hissed Cyan

through clenched teeth. "Power hath corrupted thee, and I intend to sever this corruption at the source." Cyan began to circle Locke, blade drawn, ready to strike at any moment.

"Oh please, Garamonde, a SWORD? How quaint. Let me show you what true power is! Fire, Ice, give me your power!" Sheets of energy flew from Locke's hands slamming Cyan into a wall and buffeting him with their unrelenting force.

"This is what I was made for, Cyan, Edgar! You cannot hope to compare to me! I will destroy Zeromus!" Locke screamed his triumph into the empty halls of Figaro. The echoes were all that answered for a long time.

"Locke. We are here to kill Zeromus too," Edgar whispered, barely containing his rapidly growing anger. "Look at my city, Locke, and tell me that I have not suffered as much as you! Alone, Zeromus will crush

you. This I know. Together, perhaps we may send the fiend into the Abyss."

Locke lowered his hands, and Cyan slumped to the wall, panting and

bleeding. "Speak quickly, Lord of Figaro, before I lose patience."

Locke smiled. "You would not want to get in my way."

"He need not speak, Slayer," boomed a voice from the darkness.

"Zeromus!" shouted Locke, calling upon the power of the crystals.

"No, merely a tired man." From the shadows stepped a tall man, hunched, bearing a red cape over his body. "My name is Rubicant. Fiend of Fire."

Images flashed through Edgar's mind. Forced to serve Zeromus, yet not

giving up honor as had the other Fiends. Caught under the anger of a

young prince, Edge, slain with the others in the Giant of Bab-Il.

"You are alive?" asked Edgar.

"The Dark Lord gave me life again. To take from me a the fruits of a

mistake I shall pay for for all eternity. I wish to kill Zeromus, as do

you three, and as does the fifth, who shall arrive presently." Rubicant

raised his tired body, standing almost ten feet. He did not look so

tired now.

With a sweeping bow, he dropped to one knee and whispered, "My Queen Relm," as a great fiery portal opened. And cloaked in the blue robes of her father, Relm stepped out into Figaro Castle.

"Gau, I do not like this." The guardsman stared at the frothing sea.

"Can you not see those shapes in the water?"

Gau shook his head. "You're just nervous, Kal. Relax." Gau stared out,

trying to see what Kal was talking about. "Describe what you think you see."

"It looks almost like...like...hmmm, lumps? They're moving beneath the

surface of the waves, heading for the shoreline. I swear to you, Gau, I

see them." Kal shuddered. It was very cold and wet out, but Kal was

used to it. The frost he felt came from inside. Foreboding. Warning him.

"Very well. Guardsman Lance, sound the alarm! Ready the guard!" The clarion call of the trumpet split the night, followed by the sounds of armor being girded and weapons drawn.

"Kal, come with me, to the front ga...by the Goddesses!" Upon the beach, great rotting carcasses of serpents washed to the shore. As they split, great pus oozed out, followed by hordes of monstrosities, mockery of human shapes.

"Weapons ready, men. We're gonna have a hell of a night."

Shadow stared at Jeharan, smiling. She was like him, he realized. She

lived for the rush of danger. She smiled back, looking very feline with

her grin.

"Sir Shadow, come here." Shadow quickened his pace, moving to catch up with her in the long procession. For six days they had been within the sea tunnel, four had died already, from what, he could not say.

"Why is Gabianni so upset, Shadow?" asked Jeharan, knowing the answer without asking. She smiled, as Shadow answered "I do not know." He, too, knew the answer.

"Well, forget Gabianni and shed this dark mood, Shadow. Why do you look so sad?"

Shadow looked at her. 'Forget the past,' his inner voice urged. 'Forget

what you have lost, and take what you have found.' "No reason," laughed Shadow. He felt himself regain some of the emotions he had killed.

"Tell me, Jeharan Selan, how you came to be queen of this band."

"It is a long story..."

Setzer stared at Shadow and Darryl flirting ahead in the tunnel. "Fine,

let her," Setzer muttered to himself. Setzer stared at the ground, his

vision red and anger filled.

That Shadow should stab him in the back like this rose an ire in Setzer

he had never before experienced. "I trusted him!" Setzer whispered. "I

believed he was a friend." Now he had lost it all. His airship. His

love. Everything.

All because of Shadow. Or so he told himself. Perhaps I should forget

the past forever.

"My Lord Zeromus, I feel something evil is happening." Terra wept,

kneeling at he master's feet.

"Calm yourself, Terra. What you feel is the wheels of destiny finally

connecting. The prophesy draws near. Do you have it on this world? 'One to be born of a Dragon...' How foolish of Cecil to think it meant

him. A Lunarian? A Dragon? Ha." Terra felt better, now that she knew

Zeromus was unworried.

"This prophesy foretells the coming of a hero, born of a dragon who will do many great things. Heal the moon of its sins. That means killing me,

Terra. He thinks he can kill me!" Zeromus raised his hands above his head. "The audacity! I am the Chosen of the Crystals! It is I who united them, and bonded them within me! That this dragon-born would slay me, 'hoisting the Light and the Dark'! I shall show them darkness, Terra!"

Terra shuddered at his feet. "May I help you, my Lord?"

"Oh yes Terra, you will help me more than you could ever believe."