Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ A New Threat To Spira ❯ Blood, Sweat and Tears ( Chapter 15 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Neon Ronin 
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.19.2004 | Pages: 3 | Words: 8.0K | Visits: 272 | Status: Completed
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.19.2004 | Pages: 3 | Words: 8.0K | Visits: 272 | Status: Completed
[A/N: Now the real fun begins. I don't own FFX-2 though I would it were otherwise. Welcome back to the war.]
15: Blood, Sweat and Tears
Lulu's head jerked up. She glanced out the door of the hut but couldn't see anything except a few lone birds. She blinked and shook her head slightly. A vexed look crossed her eyes and briefly all she could do was stare at the floor. Vidina gurgled in her arms, but she didn't seem to notice for a moment. Wakka looked over from the side of the hut where he was preparing lunch.
"What's wrong, Lu? You okay?" Lulu didn't answer for a moment, then blinked twice and seemed to awaken from her reverie. "I... I think so," she replied in a low voice.
"Come on, Lu. I know when somethin's buggin' you. You're not the kind that just spaces out like that, ya? What's wrong?"
Lulu said nothing for a moment, a distant look still in her eyes as she shifted her position to nurse her son. She took a deep breath and looked at Wakka.
"I just had a bad feeling," she said quietly. "I think Yuna might be in serious danger..."
*****************************************
The carnage on the Thunder Plains had escalated to a new level as Council troops and Malar's fiends dug into each other with unbridled ferocity. Artillery crews worked frantically to reload as volley after volley of rockets was launched into the hordes of Wrathfangs. The bombardment was becoming riskier as more fiends engaged the troops, but it was a clear necessity. The effectiveness of the initial attack had worn off, and the battle was now producing losses for both sides. A stray bolt of lightning had caused one of the Celsius' hover turbines to stall out, forcing Brother to abandon the battlefield and try for something akin to a soft landing. A squad of Wrathfangs charged one of the armored Hovers, grasping its starboard runner and pushing forward with unprecedented force; the Hover veered to the side, tipped over and crashed into the remnants of a lightning tower. The Hover's riders scrambled to their feet and charged their attackers, but the fiends' numbers were greater and tore into the troops, killing half of them off instantly. The remaining forces scrambled for cover but could find none except their own wrecked transport. Fiends began encircling them from all sides when a war cry erupted not far from them, followed by Lucil charging her mount into the fray accompanied by two other Knights. Their Chocobos were tiring with smears of blood streaking their feathers, but there was still enough fight left in them to turn the tide for a few brief moments.
Nooj cursed under his breath as he reloaded and fired into the mass of fiends. Time had done nothing to diminish his skill with a firearm; each bullet caught a fiend right between the eyes and sent it reeling. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of five more charging his position. He whirled to face them and suddenly stared as all five were caught in a massive blast of wind, crushing them backwards into their own forces. A quick glance and he saw LeBlanc brandish her fan and blow him a kiss. Maybe I was underestimating her , he thought to himself with a smile. Jamming a higher-power arcane shell into his gun, he spun around and fired into the midst of a nearby fiend squad; the shell exploded, inciting a whirlwind of energy that tore into the monstrous soldiers, leeching the life force from their bodies.
"For the glory of Lord Malar!!!" bellowed a Morlach, seconds before one of Gippal's shots tore through its ribcage and caused it to collapse into itself in a pile of sludge. Gippal glared at the remains of the fiend, ejecting the spent clip from his Fiendgrinder and slamming a new one in. He was just pulling the cocking mechanism back when a lone Wrathfang clawed its way out of the melee, leaping high in the air just behind him. Gippal glanced over his shoulder, his good eye widening as the fiend descended on him. He darted over to the side just as its claw came blazing through the air, catching him across the shoulder blades and driving him face-first into the mud. The fiend began to laugh and poised itself to tear him to pieces, when a series of gunshots rang out and nine slugs ripped through the Wrathfang's back and out its chest. The fiend gave a feeble shriek before dropping to its knees and dissolving. Gippal groaned and struggled to his knees, looking behind him. Logos shot him a quick smile before slamming a pair of speedloaders into his recently emptied revolvers.
Much further to the South, the Gullwings continued their advance on the barrier with renewed vigor. Tidus slashed his way through the fiends before them like cord wood, the blade of his sword glowing green as he poured the energy of the Earth Crystal into it. Yuna twirled her guns and spun around, positioning herself defensively so that she and Tidus were back to back. "How much further is it to that barrier?" she hollered over the cacophony, blasting another wave of lead into the closest squad of Wrathfangs.
"Just over the hill!" Tidus replied. "Looks like somebody forgot to leave the Welcome mat out!"
"He certainly didn't scrimp on a welcoming committee!" Yuna said as she activated her Grid, assuming her bronze Warrior armor and drawing her sword. Tidus glanced at her and they nodded in unison. Crossing her sword over his in an X-formation, the two of them charged side by side at the squads that were gathering in front of them. At the last second their swords flashed forward simultaneously, scoring trails of light through the air and generating a cruciform scythe of energy that ripped wicked gashes through their attackers. Six Wrathfangs collapsed and burst into pyreflies; the ones who remained attempted to regroup and assaulted the two of them with a vengeance. Both Tidus and Yuna fell into defensive stances but could not fully avoid the claws that tore into their arms and legs. Blood began to speck across the ground as the fiends dug in further, only interrupted as a sudden burst of lightning from Paine's hand engulfed their draconic bodies and scorched their wings to cinders.
Rikku dashed up and procured a Mega-Potion, spraying the powerful healing salve over the four of them. "Haven't we made it there yet?" she whined. "This is beginning to get old really fast!"
"You can say that again," Paine growled as she slammed her sword into a hapless fiend's abdomen, twisting the blade and driving upwards through its ribcage. "I've heard of death by attrition but this is ridiculous."
Just beyond them, the iridescent glow of the barrier loomed high in the sky, whorls of color mixing flowing in a bizarre dance. Here the concentration of fiends was at its worst, a grotesque mixture of Malar's Wrathfangs and Morlachs in conjunction with a bevy of some of Spira's more common fiends. Yet even the more recognizable fiends had been warped, in some cases twice the size as they were normally or mutated into something deadlier. Yuna gaped in awe as she beheld Armets ten feet tall, Quadricorns with blackened and serrated horns. This is not the time to stare and wonder why , she told herself. We're this close to the barrier, we can't stop now!
Use our powers as one- the power of ultimate protection.
Yuna's eyes went wide as two voices spoke in her head. She glanced over to Tidus; just as she thought, his eyes had gone wide as well. "You heard them too?" she asked.
"Loud and clear," he replied. "Want to give it a shot?"
"Let's do it!" The two of them shouldered their swords for a moment and raised their right hands. The Earth and Water Crystals began to glow in unison, two bright lights that caused several of the horde before them to wince in irritation. A serpentine mist began to flow from each crystal rapidly, turning in midair and mixing with one another. A strange aquamarine light began to emerge from the whirlpool of sapphire and emerald, growing brighter still and eliciting stares from Paine and Rikku. Several fiends grunted in astonishment and began to take a step or two backwards. Seconds later the whirlpool became a sphere of pure energy that seemed ready to burst at any second. Yuna and Tidus opened their eyes at the exact same second, glaring at their opponents. "SUPREME GUARD!!!" they shouted in unison. The sphere burst open, scattering a cloud of aqualine energy that coursed over YTRP and prompted another round of fiendish stares. Rikku blinked as adrenaline surged through her veins and a sense of security enveloped her like a blanket. She turned to Paine, who bore a look of iron determination in her eyes. "What time?" she asked, locking and loading her alchemical rifle.
"Hurt time!!" Paine replied. The words seemed to trigger a reaction both in the fiends and in the four of them. With a great roar, the platoon before them advanced with fangs and claws bared. Suddenly a smallish circular object was lofted into the sky above the fiends, something barely the size of an apple. It seemed to scintillate with a deep ruby aura for a few brief seconds, drawing the attention of a few of the forward line. Their interest soon became horror as the Fire Crystal-enhanced grenade exploded in a maelstrom of flame and shrapnel, scorching hides and tearing fiend flesh to shreds. The next minute became nothing short of chaos defined as the four warriors charged forward, weapons flashing in the dim light of the Plains. Claws were smashed, wings perforated and torsos gouged, frozen or scorched. Yuna and Tidus both activated their Gunner spheres, spinning furiously and firing crystal-enhanced rounds at anything that moved, and every bullet found a mark. Rikku heaved one grenade after another so fast, the explosions occurred almost in unison. Paine's sword had become a wave of steel, cleaving a path almost faster than the fiends could approach her. It didn't take very long for some of the rear echelons to break ranks, scattering to the sides in an attempt to break through and reach the main troops beyond. Of those, only half remained standing as Paine assumed Dark Knight form and unleashed a destructive wave of Darkness at the stragglers, grimacing in irritation as she felt her own life force ebb for a moment.
Yuna ejected her spent clips, popping fresh ones in as she gazed upward. The barrier rose before them like a monolith, pulsing and scintillating with chromatic swirls. She took a deep breath, wincing as several gashes along her stomach screamed at her. "So this is it," she said at length. "But how do we get through?"
Rikku sorted through her reserve Alchemist satchel, locating several Elixirs she had stashed for emergencies. "We haven't got too many of these left, but with what's ahead we might as well use them now!" she said, passing them out to the others. She turned and gazed North where the conflagration was still raging, then tapped her headset radio. "Brother, Buddy, are you guys doing okay? How's the ship?"
Brother's voice crackled in the earpiece. "Fa myhtat cyvamo, pid dra creb ec eh hu luhtedeuh du vmo ihdem fa lyh avvald nabyenc! Cocdasc yna kuehk ryofena; fa'na dnoehk du gaab y muf bnuvema ihdem..." A wave of static burst out of the radio, causing Rikku to wince in pain for a few seconds. She shook her head, then tapped the radio again. "Brother? Brother, come in! I didn't get that last part!" No response came. She switched the earpiece off and on again, tapped it once more and tried another hailing. No response was forthcoming. A worried look crossed her face as she turned back to the others. "It's gotta be just an equipment malfunction, you guys. They've gotta be alright." Her voice was positive but a nervous air lingered in her eyes.
[Translation: We landed safely, but the ship is in no condition to fly until we can effect repairs! Systems are going haywire; we're trying to keep a low profile until...]
Tidus stepped closer to the barrier, gazing at it in awe as colored lights swam back and forth, mixing into muddied conglomerations and just as quickly dispersing. "Talk about no sense of order..." he muttered. A faint glow caught his eye, a small point of chartreuse that seemed to rest motionless on the barrier surface, just to his right and about chest-high. He took a step towards it. The hue changed, turning a deeper shade of grass-green. Tidus blinked. "That's odd."
"What is?" Yuna asked.
"There's part of the barrier that's not like the rest," he replied. "It's not constantly changing; it just sits there and it only changed color when I got closer to it." He glanced down at the Earth Crystal on his right hand. It was scintillating with the exact same hue as the spot in front of him. A thought crossed his mind and he raised his hand slowly, bringing it close to the barrier. The spot began to grow larger. Light tendrils of electricity began to play across his fingers, startling him but not actually inflicting much pain. Rikku looked over his shoulder. "Why is it acting like that?" she asked. "What's going on?"
"Looks like he left us a welcome mat after all," Tidus replied. "If this means what I think it does, he wants us to come in. Only us." His hand finally came to rest upon the energy field. The spot of green grew larger still. Taking a deep breath, he pressed forward lightly.
His hand entered the field with hardly any resistance. Tidus blinked, drawing his hand back out again. There was no sign of damage or any other abnormalities.
"Let me try it," Yuna said, stepping up to the barrier. Raising her right hand, she could clearly see an aqua point emerge on the barrier. It, too, grew in size as her hand approached.
"So the field responds to the presence of the crystals," said Paine. "Not much of a surprise."
Yuna took a deep breath. "I guess this is where we split off from the Council forces."
"Guess so," Tidus answered. "I hope they'll be okay," he added, glancing back at the battle that was apparently starting to shift in the Council's favor.
Yuna tapped her own radio. "Gullwings to Three Wise Men. We've made it to the far side and we're going in. Make sure you stay alive until we finish the job."
Nooj's voice came back to her. "We read you, Yuna. Don't worry about us, just go." Yuna nodded to the others, and one by one they approached the energy field, raising their crystals to the surface. The field shimmered, edging away from their hands as they stepped forward. A great depression formed in the barrier, deepening further until it widened out and opened at the far end. Dark mist ebbed along the ground, obscuring their view of anything inside the field. With a quick nod and a deep breath, the four of them stepped past the barrier line and into the fog within. No sooner had they been swallowed up by the mist than the energy field folded itself closed once again.
Far to the North, Nooj relayed Yuna's message to Baralai and Gippal. "So they made it, huh?" the Al Bhed said, taking a hefty swig of healing potion. "Let's hope they get that bastard taken care of so that we can go home."
"Artillerists! Another barrage!" Nooj shouted. Gunfire and rocket blasts responded in kind, sailing to the outer edges of the swath of fiends and sending shrieks echoing across the valley. "Make sure ammunition supplies are decently stocked, we don't want to run out before this battle's over!"
All of a sudden, a cacophony of fiendish howls erupted astonishingly close by. Baralai glanced in all directions. "Where is that coming from? Are they taking to the skies again?"
The howls came again, followed by the cries of Council soldiers. Gippal swung around, wincing as the wounds on his back ripped open again. A look of horror shot across his face. "No... oh geez, no!" he exclaimed. Nooj and Baralai spun in the direction he was gazing; identical expressions of shock crossed both of their faces as well. Squads of Wrathfangs were charging at them from the North out of Macalania Woods, exploding from beneath the surface of the remaining rivers and lakes. The great river that ran across the Northern edge of the Plains from the mountains was surging with fiends as well. In teams of four or more, they burst from the water and almost instantly became airborne, barreling directly into the almost totally unprepared rear echelons. Baralai gasped. "He planned this right from the start," he exclaimed. "We were so busy concentrating on land and air assaults, we never reckoned attacks from underwater!"
Nooj nodded solemnly. "We thought we could corner him on the Plains, but he was setting us up all along." The three of them grasped their weapons and began issuing new orders as the fiends launched an all-out attack on both sides...
*******************************
The space within the barrier was warped beyond recognition. Thick gray mists wafted across the landscape, obscuring the ground for the most part and sending chills across any exposed flesh it came in contact with. Several shapes could be made out in the distance- lightning towers that still stood, the ruined walls of the Travel Agency- but their forms seemed to flow like liquid. It became impossible to discern distances as the four warriors peered into the depths beyond. For the most part, the gray mists obscured everything to the South with the exception of a tower or two. The sky above pulsed and throbbed a menacing shade of purple. Yuna shivered as the cold mist caressed her legs, reminding her of the bizarre nature of the Sea of Sorrow, the otherworldly maze within the body of Sin that they had traversed well over two years before.
"This is really creeping me out," Rikku said in a low voice, aiming her rifle into the fog and pushing her goggles up on her forehead. "It's way too quiet in here; I can't even hear what's going on outside."
"The radio's not working either," said Yuna, tapping her earpiece. "Nothing but static. Looks like we're on our own."
Tidus switched Dresspheres, resuming his regular garb and brandishing his sword with an angry look in his eyes. "Come on out, Malar!! You might as well show yourself and stop with the delay tactics!!" Beside him, Yuna raised both her automatics, scanning the horizon for any sign of life. Paine shouldered her serrated Dark Knight sword and took a deep breath. Rikku took a moment to check her ingredients pouch and nodded to the others. Slowly but surely, YTRP began to advance further into the icy fog. Their steps were measured, taking care not to charge and trip over an obscured rock. Tidus reached forward, using Caladbolg as a test prod to make sure their path was clear. For several long moments, the four of them progressed in silence, past the Agency wreckage and down the steep hill that led to the lower foothills of the Thunder Plains.
"I don't like this one bit," Paine muttered, squinting into the opaque wall of mist. "He's playing head games with us again. With all this fog, he may not even be here after all."
Yuna nodded. "I wondered about that myself," she replied. "But something tells me he's here. He's just waiting to make a move."
"You children really do enjoy making this difficult, don't you."
The four of them froze, their eyes darting forward. A section of the mist a dozen yards away had parted, revealing the head and upper torso of Malar. His arms were crossed over his chest as he appeared to float in midair, glaring at each person in turn. A faint violet aura danced about him, giving his body a strange luminescence in the darkness of the Plains. "I tried to warn you once before," he purred dangerously. "All you had to do was submit quietly and no more would have been hurt than necessary. But you had to be rebellious. You had to gather the Four. And now I may very well have to kill you."
"You think anyone would want to submit to a maniac?" Tidus growled. "You're going to pay for what you've done, you son of a bitch."
"My, my. Such strong words from one such as you, boy. You have no concept of tact, I fear."
"And you have no concept of reality!" Yuna shouted, pointing both guns directly at Malar's forehead. "Let's settle this right here and now!!"
Malar grinned. "I think not. You see, I promised my newborn masterpiece some playtime, and you shall. Provide it. In. ABUNDANCE!!!!" He raised his bracer-clad arms and the mist began to whip away rapidly, causing all of YTRP to raise their arms and shield their eyes for a brief second. The second they lowered their hands again, their eyes went wide. As the mist peeled back, the rest of Malar's form was revealed to be perched atop a massive black-scaled draconic head. Orange eyes snapped open and the beast growled, a low rumble that echoed across the landscape. The mist dispersed further still, exposing the long serpentine neck covered in ebony scales... which was suddenly joined by three similar yet smaller ones, differing in color but not in ferocity as their own respective heads were revealed. The black head was flanked by one white and one red head below, with one dark blue head directly next to it. The creature's gargantuan draconic body came into view, rippling with muscle, sinew and shimmering ebony scales. Its four clawed legs gripped the earth with vengeful force. Demonic wings that defied imagination and seemed to want to blot out the sky spread out from the creature's shoulders, and far in the distance a whiplike tail with serrated barbs lashed across the ground. Yuna stared in shock; the fiend before them was not quite so colossal as Sin or Vegnagun, but it was one of the most massive fiends she had ever seen anywhere in Spira.
"Forged from the bodies of fifty fiends. My greatest accomplishment. You shall be the first to feel Tiamat's fury!!!" Malar's voice boomed as he disappeared from atop the fiend's ebony head. Four gaping fanged maws bellowed into the amethyst-tinted skies as the monstrosity raised its left foreleg. A clawed foot came crashing to the ground, sending a massive shockwave coursing through the earth that knocked all four warriors off their feet. Two of Tiamat's heads leaned closer to the ground, demonic light flashing in its orange eyes.
Rikku stared at the fiend in pure, abject terror. "I think this is gonna be tougher than we thought..." she squeaked.
"This isn't anything we haven't had to deal with before," Paine said gruffly, jamming her sword into the ground and pulling herself up. "We've fought fiends this size before, right? We fought against Humbaba and Angra Mainyu, and we got through those, didn't we? Who's to say we can't do this again?"
"It sure doesn't look any worse than Sin," Tidus added, springing to his feet. "Four heads, forty heads... We've just gotta wear it down. We can do this!"
"Just like we did with Vegnagun," said Yuna as she stood up, crossing her guns in front of her. "We take it out one little piece at a time." Rikku nodded, taking a deep breath and standing up as well. The two heads nearest them, the white and red ones, growled as the beast took another step forward.
"You're right, guys," Rikku finally said. "Can't give up before we teach that moron a lesson." She swung her rifle up at the very second Tiamat unleashed a horrific bellow and lunged forward, fanged maws spreading wide. "Rock and roll!!!!"
Tidus dashed forward, ducking underneath the crimson head and slamming his sword to the ground. A crashing wave of emerald stalagmites erupted from beneath Tiamat's feet, impaling several of its toes and causing it to grunt in irritation. A quick wave of Tidus' hand and the spikes became a writhing mass of tentacles, coiling around the fiend's legs and binding it to the ground. The fiend grunted and pulled forward, ripping the tentacles to pieces; Tidus barely had time to assess what had just happened before a massive taloned leg whipped around, catching him across the chest and knocking him back towards the others. Yuna gasped and swung her guns upward, unleashing a maelstrom of lead that smashed into the ivory head, knocking it backwards slightly. Rikku slammed several ingredients together, mixing up a high-powered explosive which she promptly heaved into the oncoming maw of the crimson head. The bomb exploded directly in the fiend's mouth- but to her astonishment, the head seemed completely unaffected. The crimson head snapped at them viciously, carving brutal gouges into Yuna and Paine as the ivory head reared back, a bizarre arcane glow forming in its mouth. Tidus jumped to his feet and jammed his sword into the underside of the crimson neck, eliciting fiendish groans of pain as he tore a wicked gash across the lower scales. At that moment, the ivory head opened its mouth wide and electricity seemed to leap from its fangs. Great gouts of lightning rained down upon all four of them as they desperately tried to find cover. Rikku, Yuna and Tidus all cried out as the lightning scorched their skin- and then all three of them stared. Paine had sustained a direct hit from the electricity but had not cried out. In fact she was standing there perfectly still, a gold glow enveloping her body that seemed to originate from her right hand. Her injuries seemed to have disappeared completely.
Now you know something more of our nature , Strahl's voice echoed inside of Paine's mind. Draw strength from that which is like us. Paine turned to the others and shouted, "Watch its elemental attacks! If they don't match your crystal, you might be in trouble!" A trio of nods was her response, and the real battle began.
Tiamat seemed to become a whirlwind as its other two heads joined in the fight. Claws and fangs flashed faster, trying to tear its prey to ribbons and in some cases very nearly succeeding. Tidus leaped and rolled, swinging at Tiamat's legs and aiming for its key tendons in an attempt to weaken its physical attacks. He scored several good hits, but nothing seemed to weaken it as he soon discovered through sustaining another massive claw attack. Yuna was trying to put out the beast's many eyes one by one, which she rapidly discovered was a waste of time; the bobbing and weaving of the four heads made it impossible to get a lock. Gritting her teeth, she channeled the power of her Water Crystal into her guns, blasting a furious storm of ice-blue rounds at the exact same moment the crimson head opened its mouth and exhaled a stream of flame in her direction. She screamed and dropped to one knee as the heat threatened to suffocate her, barely noticing the severity of the howls coming from the crimson head. Rikku sprayed the party down with another Mega-Potion before drawing a bead on the cyan head, which lurched forward and began snapping at her legs. Its fangs drew blood several times before she took a step forward, jamming her rifle into the blue maw and channeling the Fire Crystal before pulling the trigger. A stream of fire shot down its serpentine throat, causing it to recoil viciously and squeal in agony.
The ebony head glared downwards, opening its mouth and producing a beam of pure negative energy that tore across the landscape like a knife. The blast caught all four of them and sent them sprawling on the ground, gasping for breath. Rikku dug frantically into her satchel for more medicinals as Tidus and Yuna struggled to their feet, joining their hands together and summoning another Supreme Guard with the combined power of their crystals. Paine glared at Tiamat and shot her right hand up in the air; a golden glow enveloped her hand as a javelin of pure light coalesced within her fingers, shooting forward with unprecedented force. The javelin plunged into the monster's flank, inciting growls of pain and hateful glares from each of the four heads. Tiamat's cyan head reared back and roared, expelling a typhoon of ice shards and freezing gas that threatened to turn the black mist of the Plains into black ice. Rikku gasped and fell to one knee. Tidus winced heavily but stood as best he could, as did Paine. This time Yuna did not cry out or collapse; the crystal on her hand shone with a vengeance as it seemed to absorb the whirlwind of ice that was peppering her body. Seconds later she raised both hands, channeling the power of her White Lore and casting a powerful healing spell on the others. "We're going about this the wrong way!" she shouted over Tiamat's shrieks of anger. "We need to attack one head at a time, otherwise it's going to slaughter us!!" With that, she spun back towards the fiend, thrusting her right hand forward once more. The crystal glowed blue-white and the familiar angelic hum emerged as a stream of pure energy burst forth, colliding with the crimson head and slashing wicked lines across its brow.
Tiamat roared in agony, slamming both forelegs to the ground and producing another shockwave, knocking everybody off their feet once again for a few seconds. "Okay, at first I was a little scared of this thing," Rikku griped as she scrambled to her feet, plunging a hand into her satchel. "Now I'm getting really PISSED OFF!!!" Cramming two ingredients together, she began sprinting right for Tiamat's crimson head just as it was preparing to exhale another gout of flame. With a distinctly Al Bhed war cry, Rikku hurled the Winter Storm grenade down its throat at the same instant a cloud of flame washed over her. The crystal on her hand shone bright vermillion as it seemed to suck the fire in; seconds later a low thud erupted within the beast's throat and the crimson head's eyes bulged in shock. Paine dashed in from the side, trading her Dark Knight Dressphere for that of a Berserker. Claws flashed across the underside of the fiend, scattering red scales everywhere before she slammed her heels into the ground, spun around and punched upwards, tearing through muscle and veins and ripping a wicked chasm into the beast's trachea. With a strangled squeal, the crimson head and neck lost all motor control and tore away from the main body of Tiamat, exploding into pyreflies as it did so. The three remaining heads glared angrily, lurching forward and snapping at YTRP with a vengeance. The protection afforded by Supreme Guard finally gave way, enabling Tiamat to knock the four warriors about and fleck the earth and stones with blood.
Tidus kicked up from where he landed, digging into his belt pouch and tossing an X-Potion to Yuna, who promptly gulped it down and jumped to her feet. "Time for this Blitzer to fly!!" he cried, slamming his right hand to the ground as the Earth Crystal shone brightly. A scythe of energy tore the ground around him, carving a circular pattern with him at the direct center. With a tremendous crack and rumble, the section of earth rose sharply, breaking away and shooting upwards with phenomenal speed. Tiamat stared in confusion as the pillar of rock rose higher and higher, and just as it reached its apex, Tidus leaped forward directly at Tiamat's central ebony head. Yuna gasped and wrung her hands as the fiend lunged to try and catch him in its mouth, when suddenly he planted his foot directly in Tiamat's lower jaw and kicked upwards yet again, using its teeth as a springboard. Blue-green energy began to swirl around his blade as he raised it up high, and the second he reached the height of his jump, he swung the sword forward again. The Energy Rain caught Tiamat completely off guard as darts of destructive force pummeled all three of its remaining heads, sending it reeling for a moment. Tidus flipped backwards onto the rapidly descending pillar of rock, landing in a crouch as he returned to ground level again, breathing hard.
"Are you okay?" Yuna said as she dashed over. "That was unbelievable; I can't believe you had enough energy left to channel your crystal like that!"
"Yeah, well I think I may have burned myself nearly dry with that one," Tidus replied with a slight chuckle. "How about you and the others? Are you holding up?"
"Only just," she replied, pulling him to his feet and backward as Tiamat recovered and lunged forward again. Two sets of fangs gouged the ground where they had just been standing. "We'd better get what Ethers we have left in stock ready!"
"One step ahead of you, Yunie," came Rikku's response as she procured several Ether vials, tossing them to the others and downing one herself. That done, she punched her Grid, shedding her Alchemist clothes in favor of her Thief garb.
Tiamat lunged forward again, blasting the four of them with the combined fury of its ivory and cyan heads. Ice and lightning rained down upon them with a vengeance, and this time Yuna and Paine both took the brunt of the attack- whereas their crystals matched one breath weapon, they didn't match the other and consequently could not adjust in time. Tidus smashed his sword to the ground again, causing two enormous spears of rock to erupt directly beneath Tiamat, driving into two of its remaining necks and forcing more squeals of pain. The blue neck dropped low, racing along the ground with mouth wide open, snapping and tearing at first Tidus, then Paine; it attempted to strike at Yuna next when Rikku executed a daring backflip and landed right on the beast's neck, daggers out and ablaze with Vora's fury. Tiamat reared its cyan head up high, shaking left to right in an attempt to dislodge its attacker, but Rikku held on for dear life and jammed both flaming daggers into its neck. "All right!! Now this is a rodeo!!" she hollered, flipping into an impromptu handstand as her eyes glowed bright red. Fire engulfed her lithe form and blazed its way along the beast's neck and into its mouth. With a cry of agony, Tiamat swung its ivory head around and smashed directly into Rikku; the sudden shock finally dislodged her and she began to plummet to the ground. Yuna shrieked, throwing both hands up into the air and focusing on Naia's protective nature, rather than her harsher side. A pillar of rushing water surged upwards from her hands, catching Rikku in mid-fall and cushioning her descent. Slowly Yuna eased the pillar's height, allowing Rikku to drop to the ground more or less unscathed. The ivory head swung back towards them, its maw opening wide to unleash another electrical attack, when all at once Paine dashed forward and drove her right knee into its lower jaw, followed by a succession of quick claw strikes that sent the ivory head reeling for a moment.
"This is taking too long," Tidus griped as he and Yuna joined their crystals to conjure another Supreme Guard. "We've got to get those heads thinned out faster!"
Rikku's eyes lit up. "Hang on, I've got an idea!" she cried, turning to Paine who was just assuming her Warrior garb once more. "Paine, what do you think might happen if we combine our crystals' energy together?"
Paine shrugged. "Guess it wouldn't hurt to try," she replied, raising her right hand forward. Rikku did likewise, focusing inward as her crystal and Paine's began to glow brightly.
Join the whirlwind dance of the Air... Strahl's voice intoned.
With the blaze and glory that is Fire... Vora's voice replied. Tendrils of red and gold shot forth from their hands, merging into a burning miasma that seemed ready to explode at a moment's notice. Tiamat's heads squinted in bewilderment and reared back in preparation to strike once more.
Rikku and Paine opened their eyes at the exact same instant. "MEGIDDO FLARE!!!!"
The glowing mass shot towards the upper body of the fiend before them, pinpricks of light shooting out in all directions. Just as it was about to collide with Tiamat, it erupted in a colossal explosion of hellfire and brimstone that caused all four of them to wince and shield their eyes. Tiamat screeched and flailed in all directions, its tail slashing great furrows into the ground behind it. Scorching waves raced up and down its serpentine necks, causing countless chromatic scales to rain down on those below. The cyan head gurgled and gasped as it became immolated beyond recognition, finally breaking away and bursting into nothingness. Seconds later, the ivory head succumbed to the forces battering it and shattered into pyreflies as well.
The flames quickly vanished, leaving behind the single ebony head. Tiamat stared at its "playthings" and suddenly reared up on its hind legs with a great howl; its forelegs abruptly bulged and grew longer, forepaws rearranging themselves into an opposable hand configuration. Its hind legs grew as well to counterbalance and prevent the beast from falling. Its great wings spread out wide as it settled into this new bipedal form and glared at YTRP with burning eyes. With a great shout akin to a lion's roar, Tiamat swung its arms forward and began digging into the four of them with renewed zeal. Yuna ducked and rolled, emptying both guns into the colossus and reloading as fast as possible; Tiamat swung its right claw directly at her but Tidus darted in at the last second, channeling his crystal and calling forth a rock shield that absorbed the force of the blow. Rikku sprang forward, activating her Gun Mage sphere and blazing into Tiamat's hide with a 1000 Needles attack; the creature roared and swung its head low to the ground, raking its fangs across everybody within reach. Just as it was about to rise upwards, Paine stepped in close and drove her sword across the left side of its face, followed by a roundhouse kick that sent it recoiling a few feet. Rikku raised her gun and sprayed a White Wind capsule over all of them, just seconds before Tiamat expectorated a torrential wave of black acid that seared everybody's flesh to the point of nearly total collapse.
Yuna gasped for breath as she tried to push herself into a standing position. "We can't let it win," she sputtered. "We've just got to keep pushing..." Her legs burned as she staggered onto her feet, determination creasing her brow. "We've come this far, we can't quit now!!!" She gripped both guns tightly as blue energy coursed into them from her crystal. Next to her, Tidus and Rikku had struggled upward and were raising their weapons, also pulsing with energy from their respective crystals. Paine was the last to rise, her sword crackling with electricity. Tiamat stared as the four of them dashed forward; Rikku utilized her White Wind technique once again before twirling her gun and channeling Vora's fire through it in a deadly whirlwind of blistering heat. Paine slammed her sword into Tiamat's left leg, twisting the blade as Strahl's power caused her eyes to shine gold and lightning to shoot through the fiend's extremities. Yuna's guns unleashed a maelstrom of focused arcane energy that tore holes across the beast's massive chest seconds before Tidus swung his sword in a wide arc, throwing dozens of rock spikes into the air that slammed across Tiamat's abdomen. The fiend roared in incredible pain and dropped to all fours, its head glaring at each of its agressors- then suddenly blinked as Tidus leaped into the air higher than one would think humanly possible, his entire body glowing with an emerald light.
"SEE YA!!" he shouted as his sword crashed down, charged with the gravitational forces of the Earth Crystal.
There was a moment of silence.
A gash line shot diagonally across Tiamat's face. A hideous shriek shot forth from deep within its body as the massive creature collapsed and began to twitch violently on the surface of the plains. Its skin became translucent as great clouds of pyreflies boiled out of its carcass, which screeched and thrashed in a desperate yet futile attempt to hang on. Its tail slammed against the rocks one last time, its wings pounded the ground even as they grew thin and frail. With one final groan, the great beast collapsed into the cold black mists pervading the Thunder Plains, its form cracking apart and falling into itself. The fog of pyreflies grew thin as more and more dispersed and vanished into thin air.
The plains grew silent once more.
Yuna wiped a hand across her brow. "We did it," she gasped. "We faced it down, and..."
"YOU MEDDLING CRETINS!!!"
They spun around. Malar was striding forward out of the black mists, violet light shooting across his body and a look of unbridled fury in his eyes. With a great shout, he drew the sword at his side and smashed it into the ground, generating a devastating quake that knocked everyone backwards a few paces. Before anyone could get up, he thrust his right palm forward, unleashing a wave of violet light that tore into their flesh and left them all sprawled across the dirt, gasping for breath.
"I can see you are far too stubborn for your own good," he growled as he stood over their crumpled forms. "Time to teach you one last lesson." He raised his hands and began to chant. "Blood of my blood, flesh of my flesh, hear my voice and obey..."
Yuna coughed and forced her eyes open. She could barely make out Tidus sprawled on his stomach, groaning in agony. Rikku was lying on her back, breathing hard... and Paine was slowly but surely rising to her feet. "No..." she gasped. "Please, no... not again, Paine, please don't listen to him..."
Malar grinned. Paine staggered into an upright position, still bleeding heavily but breathing normally. She held her sword in a relaxed grip by her side and slowly began to walk towards Malar. Rikku's eyes opened slightly. "Paine... don't do this, you can't..."
Paine said nothing. Her eyes were expressionless, her gait slow and methodical as she came to rest in front of Malar. A gust of wind rustled his shoulder-length black hair and his ruby eyes seemed to glitter.
"Yuna..." Tidus groaned. "We've got to do something..." He jammed his elbow into the ground and began to push himself up.
"I... I don't think I can move..." Yuna whispered. "I... I don't know what we can do now..."
"Dammit, we can't let it end like this," Tidus replied, pulling himself closer to her. He rummaged frantically in his belt pouch, but could not find anything. What Remedy potions he had stocked had been shattered on the ground beside him. "Come on, Paine, get a hold of yourself..."
A tear ran down Yuna's cheek. "Tidus... I don't know if she can hear us anymore. And if that's so..." She stretched her hand out weakly, grasping his and holding on tight. A tear ran down his face as well; he struggled to get to his feet, but his legs would not let him. "I don't know how, but I'm not going to let it end like this," he whispered to her.
"You might as well just lie down and accept fate, you two," Malar sneered. "And as for you..." He turned to Paine who stood before him with vacant eyes. "Do as you see fit."
"I shall," Paine replied in an emotionless tone.
Rikku squeezed her eyes shut, tensing up. Yuna gripped Tidus' hand tighter, trying to pull herself up but faring little better than he was.
A sickening thump echoed across the Thunder Plains.
A second later, Yuna's eyes snapped open, as did Tidus' and Rikku's. Malar's face had gone from coldly sadistic to dumbstruck and breathless, the natural reaction to Paine's fist which had driven into his solar plexus. He staggered back, staring at her eyes which now burned with unbridled fury; the next second, her left foot shot forward and caught him across the face, knocking him backward onto the cold earth.
"You overconfident, arrogant bastard," Paine growled. "Did you really think I was going to let you do that to me all over again?" She grabbed the top of her left glove and yanked it down, revealing the Ribbon she had slipped on before leaving Gagazet. "It's far past time you learned the true meaning of what happens when you mess with the Gullwings." Driving a hand into her satchel, she grabbed one of the few precious Megalixirs they had stashed over time, popping the cap and literally drenching her comrades with its powerful healing energies. Yuna and Tidus sprang to their feet instantly, followed by Rikku who was sporting a big grin on her face.
"Talk about surprise from behind! You scared the living hell out of us, Dr. P!" the Al Bhed crowed, a slight hint of mock-anger in her voice.
"I just wanted to show him never to underestimate us," Paine replied cooly. "Let's finish this jerk off so we can go home."
Yuna and Tidus nodded, brandishing their weapons as Malar sprang to his feet. "Time to end this," the two of them said in unison. Malar drew his sword and lunged forward, his eyes glinting in the twilight.
To Be Continued...
[A/N: This was a long chapter, I know, and some of you are probably screaming, "Why isn't Malar dead yet"? Well, this chapter took a long time to write and I wanted to save the showdown for its own little solo chappie. Rest assured, the final showdown with The Immortal is at hand. Please read and review; Tiamat may be dead, but what is happening outside the barrier? And how do you kill a man who can't die? Stay tuned!!! -Neon Ronin]
15: Blood, Sweat and Tears
Lulu's head jerked up. She glanced out the door of the hut but couldn't see anything except a few lone birds. She blinked and shook her head slightly. A vexed look crossed her eyes and briefly all she could do was stare at the floor. Vidina gurgled in her arms, but she didn't seem to notice for a moment. Wakka looked over from the side of the hut where he was preparing lunch.
"What's wrong, Lu? You okay?" Lulu didn't answer for a moment, then blinked twice and seemed to awaken from her reverie. "I... I think so," she replied in a low voice.
"Come on, Lu. I know when somethin's buggin' you. You're not the kind that just spaces out like that, ya? What's wrong?"
Lulu said nothing for a moment, a distant look still in her eyes as she shifted her position to nurse her son. She took a deep breath and looked at Wakka.
"I just had a bad feeling," she said quietly. "I think Yuna might be in serious danger..."
*****************************************
The carnage on the Thunder Plains had escalated to a new level as Council troops and Malar's fiends dug into each other with unbridled ferocity. Artillery crews worked frantically to reload as volley after volley of rockets was launched into the hordes of Wrathfangs. The bombardment was becoming riskier as more fiends engaged the troops, but it was a clear necessity. The effectiveness of the initial attack had worn off, and the battle was now producing losses for both sides. A stray bolt of lightning had caused one of the Celsius' hover turbines to stall out, forcing Brother to abandon the battlefield and try for something akin to a soft landing. A squad of Wrathfangs charged one of the armored Hovers, grasping its starboard runner and pushing forward with unprecedented force; the Hover veered to the side, tipped over and crashed into the remnants of a lightning tower. The Hover's riders scrambled to their feet and charged their attackers, but the fiends' numbers were greater and tore into the troops, killing half of them off instantly. The remaining forces scrambled for cover but could find none except their own wrecked transport. Fiends began encircling them from all sides when a war cry erupted not far from them, followed by Lucil charging her mount into the fray accompanied by two other Knights. Their Chocobos were tiring with smears of blood streaking their feathers, but there was still enough fight left in them to turn the tide for a few brief moments.
Nooj cursed under his breath as he reloaded and fired into the mass of fiends. Time had done nothing to diminish his skill with a firearm; each bullet caught a fiend right between the eyes and sent it reeling. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of five more charging his position. He whirled to face them and suddenly stared as all five were caught in a massive blast of wind, crushing them backwards into their own forces. A quick glance and he saw LeBlanc brandish her fan and blow him a kiss. Maybe I was underestimating her , he thought to himself with a smile. Jamming a higher-power arcane shell into his gun, he spun around and fired into the midst of a nearby fiend squad; the shell exploded, inciting a whirlwind of energy that tore into the monstrous soldiers, leeching the life force from their bodies.
"For the glory of Lord Malar!!!" bellowed a Morlach, seconds before one of Gippal's shots tore through its ribcage and caused it to collapse into itself in a pile of sludge. Gippal glared at the remains of the fiend, ejecting the spent clip from his Fiendgrinder and slamming a new one in. He was just pulling the cocking mechanism back when a lone Wrathfang clawed its way out of the melee, leaping high in the air just behind him. Gippal glanced over his shoulder, his good eye widening as the fiend descended on him. He darted over to the side just as its claw came blazing through the air, catching him across the shoulder blades and driving him face-first into the mud. The fiend began to laugh and poised itself to tear him to pieces, when a series of gunshots rang out and nine slugs ripped through the Wrathfang's back and out its chest. The fiend gave a feeble shriek before dropping to its knees and dissolving. Gippal groaned and struggled to his knees, looking behind him. Logos shot him a quick smile before slamming a pair of speedloaders into his recently emptied revolvers.
Much further to the South, the Gullwings continued their advance on the barrier with renewed vigor. Tidus slashed his way through the fiends before them like cord wood, the blade of his sword glowing green as he poured the energy of the Earth Crystal into it. Yuna twirled her guns and spun around, positioning herself defensively so that she and Tidus were back to back. "How much further is it to that barrier?" she hollered over the cacophony, blasting another wave of lead into the closest squad of Wrathfangs.
"Just over the hill!" Tidus replied. "Looks like somebody forgot to leave the Welcome mat out!"
"He certainly didn't scrimp on a welcoming committee!" Yuna said as she activated her Grid, assuming her bronze Warrior armor and drawing her sword. Tidus glanced at her and they nodded in unison. Crossing her sword over his in an X-formation, the two of them charged side by side at the squads that were gathering in front of them. At the last second their swords flashed forward simultaneously, scoring trails of light through the air and generating a cruciform scythe of energy that ripped wicked gashes through their attackers. Six Wrathfangs collapsed and burst into pyreflies; the ones who remained attempted to regroup and assaulted the two of them with a vengeance. Both Tidus and Yuna fell into defensive stances but could not fully avoid the claws that tore into their arms and legs. Blood began to speck across the ground as the fiends dug in further, only interrupted as a sudden burst of lightning from Paine's hand engulfed their draconic bodies and scorched their wings to cinders.
Rikku dashed up and procured a Mega-Potion, spraying the powerful healing salve over the four of them. "Haven't we made it there yet?" she whined. "This is beginning to get old really fast!"
"You can say that again," Paine growled as she slammed her sword into a hapless fiend's abdomen, twisting the blade and driving upwards through its ribcage. "I've heard of death by attrition but this is ridiculous."
Just beyond them, the iridescent glow of the barrier loomed high in the sky, whorls of color mixing flowing in a bizarre dance. Here the concentration of fiends was at its worst, a grotesque mixture of Malar's Wrathfangs and Morlachs in conjunction with a bevy of some of Spira's more common fiends. Yet even the more recognizable fiends had been warped, in some cases twice the size as they were normally or mutated into something deadlier. Yuna gaped in awe as she beheld Armets ten feet tall, Quadricorns with blackened and serrated horns. This is not the time to stare and wonder why , she told herself. We're this close to the barrier, we can't stop now!
Use our powers as one- the power of ultimate protection.
Yuna's eyes went wide as two voices spoke in her head. She glanced over to Tidus; just as she thought, his eyes had gone wide as well. "You heard them too?" she asked.
"Loud and clear," he replied. "Want to give it a shot?"
"Let's do it!" The two of them shouldered their swords for a moment and raised their right hands. The Earth and Water Crystals began to glow in unison, two bright lights that caused several of the horde before them to wince in irritation. A serpentine mist began to flow from each crystal rapidly, turning in midair and mixing with one another. A strange aquamarine light began to emerge from the whirlpool of sapphire and emerald, growing brighter still and eliciting stares from Paine and Rikku. Several fiends grunted in astonishment and began to take a step or two backwards. Seconds later the whirlpool became a sphere of pure energy that seemed ready to burst at any second. Yuna and Tidus opened their eyes at the exact same second, glaring at their opponents. "SUPREME GUARD!!!" they shouted in unison. The sphere burst open, scattering a cloud of aqualine energy that coursed over YTRP and prompted another round of fiendish stares. Rikku blinked as adrenaline surged through her veins and a sense of security enveloped her like a blanket. She turned to Paine, who bore a look of iron determination in her eyes. "What time?" she asked, locking and loading her alchemical rifle.
"Hurt time!!" Paine replied. The words seemed to trigger a reaction both in the fiends and in the four of them. With a great roar, the platoon before them advanced with fangs and claws bared. Suddenly a smallish circular object was lofted into the sky above the fiends, something barely the size of an apple. It seemed to scintillate with a deep ruby aura for a few brief seconds, drawing the attention of a few of the forward line. Their interest soon became horror as the Fire Crystal-enhanced grenade exploded in a maelstrom of flame and shrapnel, scorching hides and tearing fiend flesh to shreds. The next minute became nothing short of chaos defined as the four warriors charged forward, weapons flashing in the dim light of the Plains. Claws were smashed, wings perforated and torsos gouged, frozen or scorched. Yuna and Tidus both activated their Gunner spheres, spinning furiously and firing crystal-enhanced rounds at anything that moved, and every bullet found a mark. Rikku heaved one grenade after another so fast, the explosions occurred almost in unison. Paine's sword had become a wave of steel, cleaving a path almost faster than the fiends could approach her. It didn't take very long for some of the rear echelons to break ranks, scattering to the sides in an attempt to break through and reach the main troops beyond. Of those, only half remained standing as Paine assumed Dark Knight form and unleashed a destructive wave of Darkness at the stragglers, grimacing in irritation as she felt her own life force ebb for a moment.
Yuna ejected her spent clips, popping fresh ones in as she gazed upward. The barrier rose before them like a monolith, pulsing and scintillating with chromatic swirls. She took a deep breath, wincing as several gashes along her stomach screamed at her. "So this is it," she said at length. "But how do we get through?"
Rikku sorted through her reserve Alchemist satchel, locating several Elixirs she had stashed for emergencies. "We haven't got too many of these left, but with what's ahead we might as well use them now!" she said, passing them out to the others. She turned and gazed North where the conflagration was still raging, then tapped her headset radio. "Brother, Buddy, are you guys doing okay? How's the ship?"
Brother's voice crackled in the earpiece. "Fa myhtat cyvamo, pid dra creb ec eh hu luhtedeuh du vmo ihdem fa lyh avvald nabyenc! Cocdasc yna kuehk ryofena; fa'na dnoehk du gaab y muf bnuvema ihdem..." A wave of static burst out of the radio, causing Rikku to wince in pain for a few seconds. She shook her head, then tapped the radio again. "Brother? Brother, come in! I didn't get that last part!" No response came. She switched the earpiece off and on again, tapped it once more and tried another hailing. No response was forthcoming. A worried look crossed her face as she turned back to the others. "It's gotta be just an equipment malfunction, you guys. They've gotta be alright." Her voice was positive but a nervous air lingered in her eyes.
[Translation: We landed safely, but the ship is in no condition to fly until we can effect repairs! Systems are going haywire; we're trying to keep a low profile until...]
Tidus stepped closer to the barrier, gazing at it in awe as colored lights swam back and forth, mixing into muddied conglomerations and just as quickly dispersing. "Talk about no sense of order..." he muttered. A faint glow caught his eye, a small point of chartreuse that seemed to rest motionless on the barrier surface, just to his right and about chest-high. He took a step towards it. The hue changed, turning a deeper shade of grass-green. Tidus blinked. "That's odd."
"What is?" Yuna asked.
"There's part of the barrier that's not like the rest," he replied. "It's not constantly changing; it just sits there and it only changed color when I got closer to it." He glanced down at the Earth Crystal on his right hand. It was scintillating with the exact same hue as the spot in front of him. A thought crossed his mind and he raised his hand slowly, bringing it close to the barrier. The spot began to grow larger. Light tendrils of electricity began to play across his fingers, startling him but not actually inflicting much pain. Rikku looked over his shoulder. "Why is it acting like that?" she asked. "What's going on?"
"Looks like he left us a welcome mat after all," Tidus replied. "If this means what I think it does, he wants us to come in. Only us." His hand finally came to rest upon the energy field. The spot of green grew larger still. Taking a deep breath, he pressed forward lightly.
His hand entered the field with hardly any resistance. Tidus blinked, drawing his hand back out again. There was no sign of damage or any other abnormalities.
"Let me try it," Yuna said, stepping up to the barrier. Raising her right hand, she could clearly see an aqua point emerge on the barrier. It, too, grew in size as her hand approached.
"So the field responds to the presence of the crystals," said Paine. "Not much of a surprise."
Yuna took a deep breath. "I guess this is where we split off from the Council forces."
"Guess so," Tidus answered. "I hope they'll be okay," he added, glancing back at the battle that was apparently starting to shift in the Council's favor.
Yuna tapped her own radio. "Gullwings to Three Wise Men. We've made it to the far side and we're going in. Make sure you stay alive until we finish the job."
Nooj's voice came back to her. "We read you, Yuna. Don't worry about us, just go." Yuna nodded to the others, and one by one they approached the energy field, raising their crystals to the surface. The field shimmered, edging away from their hands as they stepped forward. A great depression formed in the barrier, deepening further until it widened out and opened at the far end. Dark mist ebbed along the ground, obscuring their view of anything inside the field. With a quick nod and a deep breath, the four of them stepped past the barrier line and into the fog within. No sooner had they been swallowed up by the mist than the energy field folded itself closed once again.
Far to the North, Nooj relayed Yuna's message to Baralai and Gippal. "So they made it, huh?" the Al Bhed said, taking a hefty swig of healing potion. "Let's hope they get that bastard taken care of so that we can go home."
"Artillerists! Another barrage!" Nooj shouted. Gunfire and rocket blasts responded in kind, sailing to the outer edges of the swath of fiends and sending shrieks echoing across the valley. "Make sure ammunition supplies are decently stocked, we don't want to run out before this battle's over!"
All of a sudden, a cacophony of fiendish howls erupted astonishingly close by. Baralai glanced in all directions. "Where is that coming from? Are they taking to the skies again?"
The howls came again, followed by the cries of Council soldiers. Gippal swung around, wincing as the wounds on his back ripped open again. A look of horror shot across his face. "No... oh geez, no!" he exclaimed. Nooj and Baralai spun in the direction he was gazing; identical expressions of shock crossed both of their faces as well. Squads of Wrathfangs were charging at them from the North out of Macalania Woods, exploding from beneath the surface of the remaining rivers and lakes. The great river that ran across the Northern edge of the Plains from the mountains was surging with fiends as well. In teams of four or more, they burst from the water and almost instantly became airborne, barreling directly into the almost totally unprepared rear echelons. Baralai gasped. "He planned this right from the start," he exclaimed. "We were so busy concentrating on land and air assaults, we never reckoned attacks from underwater!"
Nooj nodded solemnly. "We thought we could corner him on the Plains, but he was setting us up all along." The three of them grasped their weapons and began issuing new orders as the fiends launched an all-out attack on both sides...
*******************************
The space within the barrier was warped beyond recognition. Thick gray mists wafted across the landscape, obscuring the ground for the most part and sending chills across any exposed flesh it came in contact with. Several shapes could be made out in the distance- lightning towers that still stood, the ruined walls of the Travel Agency- but their forms seemed to flow like liquid. It became impossible to discern distances as the four warriors peered into the depths beyond. For the most part, the gray mists obscured everything to the South with the exception of a tower or two. The sky above pulsed and throbbed a menacing shade of purple. Yuna shivered as the cold mist caressed her legs, reminding her of the bizarre nature of the Sea of Sorrow, the otherworldly maze within the body of Sin that they had traversed well over two years before.
"This is really creeping me out," Rikku said in a low voice, aiming her rifle into the fog and pushing her goggles up on her forehead. "It's way too quiet in here; I can't even hear what's going on outside."
"The radio's not working either," said Yuna, tapping her earpiece. "Nothing but static. Looks like we're on our own."
Tidus switched Dresspheres, resuming his regular garb and brandishing his sword with an angry look in his eyes. "Come on out, Malar!! You might as well show yourself and stop with the delay tactics!!" Beside him, Yuna raised both her automatics, scanning the horizon for any sign of life. Paine shouldered her serrated Dark Knight sword and took a deep breath. Rikku took a moment to check her ingredients pouch and nodded to the others. Slowly but surely, YTRP began to advance further into the icy fog. Their steps were measured, taking care not to charge and trip over an obscured rock. Tidus reached forward, using Caladbolg as a test prod to make sure their path was clear. For several long moments, the four of them progressed in silence, past the Agency wreckage and down the steep hill that led to the lower foothills of the Thunder Plains.
"I don't like this one bit," Paine muttered, squinting into the opaque wall of mist. "He's playing head games with us again. With all this fog, he may not even be here after all."
Yuna nodded. "I wondered about that myself," she replied. "But something tells me he's here. He's just waiting to make a move."
"You children really do enjoy making this difficult, don't you."
The four of them froze, their eyes darting forward. A section of the mist a dozen yards away had parted, revealing the head and upper torso of Malar. His arms were crossed over his chest as he appeared to float in midair, glaring at each person in turn. A faint violet aura danced about him, giving his body a strange luminescence in the darkness of the Plains. "I tried to warn you once before," he purred dangerously. "All you had to do was submit quietly and no more would have been hurt than necessary. But you had to be rebellious. You had to gather the Four. And now I may very well have to kill you."
"You think anyone would want to submit to a maniac?" Tidus growled. "You're going to pay for what you've done, you son of a bitch."
"My, my. Such strong words from one such as you, boy. You have no concept of tact, I fear."
"And you have no concept of reality!" Yuna shouted, pointing both guns directly at Malar's forehead. "Let's settle this right here and now!!"
Malar grinned. "I think not. You see, I promised my newborn masterpiece some playtime, and you shall. Provide it. In. ABUNDANCE!!!!" He raised his bracer-clad arms and the mist began to whip away rapidly, causing all of YTRP to raise their arms and shield their eyes for a brief second. The second they lowered their hands again, their eyes went wide. As the mist peeled back, the rest of Malar's form was revealed to be perched atop a massive black-scaled draconic head. Orange eyes snapped open and the beast growled, a low rumble that echoed across the landscape. The mist dispersed further still, exposing the long serpentine neck covered in ebony scales... which was suddenly joined by three similar yet smaller ones, differing in color but not in ferocity as their own respective heads were revealed. The black head was flanked by one white and one red head below, with one dark blue head directly next to it. The creature's gargantuan draconic body came into view, rippling with muscle, sinew and shimmering ebony scales. Its four clawed legs gripped the earth with vengeful force. Demonic wings that defied imagination and seemed to want to blot out the sky spread out from the creature's shoulders, and far in the distance a whiplike tail with serrated barbs lashed across the ground. Yuna stared in shock; the fiend before them was not quite so colossal as Sin or Vegnagun, but it was one of the most massive fiends she had ever seen anywhere in Spira.
"Forged from the bodies of fifty fiends. My greatest accomplishment. You shall be the first to feel Tiamat's fury!!!" Malar's voice boomed as he disappeared from atop the fiend's ebony head. Four gaping fanged maws bellowed into the amethyst-tinted skies as the monstrosity raised its left foreleg. A clawed foot came crashing to the ground, sending a massive shockwave coursing through the earth that knocked all four warriors off their feet. Two of Tiamat's heads leaned closer to the ground, demonic light flashing in its orange eyes.
Rikku stared at the fiend in pure, abject terror. "I think this is gonna be tougher than we thought..." she squeaked.
"This isn't anything we haven't had to deal with before," Paine said gruffly, jamming her sword into the ground and pulling herself up. "We've fought fiends this size before, right? We fought against Humbaba and Angra Mainyu, and we got through those, didn't we? Who's to say we can't do this again?"
"It sure doesn't look any worse than Sin," Tidus added, springing to his feet. "Four heads, forty heads... We've just gotta wear it down. We can do this!"
"Just like we did with Vegnagun," said Yuna as she stood up, crossing her guns in front of her. "We take it out one little piece at a time." Rikku nodded, taking a deep breath and standing up as well. The two heads nearest them, the white and red ones, growled as the beast took another step forward.
"You're right, guys," Rikku finally said. "Can't give up before we teach that moron a lesson." She swung her rifle up at the very second Tiamat unleashed a horrific bellow and lunged forward, fanged maws spreading wide. "Rock and roll!!!!"
Tidus dashed forward, ducking underneath the crimson head and slamming his sword to the ground. A crashing wave of emerald stalagmites erupted from beneath Tiamat's feet, impaling several of its toes and causing it to grunt in irritation. A quick wave of Tidus' hand and the spikes became a writhing mass of tentacles, coiling around the fiend's legs and binding it to the ground. The fiend grunted and pulled forward, ripping the tentacles to pieces; Tidus barely had time to assess what had just happened before a massive taloned leg whipped around, catching him across the chest and knocking him back towards the others. Yuna gasped and swung her guns upward, unleashing a maelstrom of lead that smashed into the ivory head, knocking it backwards slightly. Rikku slammed several ingredients together, mixing up a high-powered explosive which she promptly heaved into the oncoming maw of the crimson head. The bomb exploded directly in the fiend's mouth- but to her astonishment, the head seemed completely unaffected. The crimson head snapped at them viciously, carving brutal gouges into Yuna and Paine as the ivory head reared back, a bizarre arcane glow forming in its mouth. Tidus jumped to his feet and jammed his sword into the underside of the crimson neck, eliciting fiendish groans of pain as he tore a wicked gash across the lower scales. At that moment, the ivory head opened its mouth wide and electricity seemed to leap from its fangs. Great gouts of lightning rained down upon all four of them as they desperately tried to find cover. Rikku, Yuna and Tidus all cried out as the lightning scorched their skin- and then all three of them stared. Paine had sustained a direct hit from the electricity but had not cried out. In fact she was standing there perfectly still, a gold glow enveloping her body that seemed to originate from her right hand. Her injuries seemed to have disappeared completely.
Now you know something more of our nature , Strahl's voice echoed inside of Paine's mind. Draw strength from that which is like us. Paine turned to the others and shouted, "Watch its elemental attacks! If they don't match your crystal, you might be in trouble!" A trio of nods was her response, and the real battle began.
Tiamat seemed to become a whirlwind as its other two heads joined in the fight. Claws and fangs flashed faster, trying to tear its prey to ribbons and in some cases very nearly succeeding. Tidus leaped and rolled, swinging at Tiamat's legs and aiming for its key tendons in an attempt to weaken its physical attacks. He scored several good hits, but nothing seemed to weaken it as he soon discovered through sustaining another massive claw attack. Yuna was trying to put out the beast's many eyes one by one, which she rapidly discovered was a waste of time; the bobbing and weaving of the four heads made it impossible to get a lock. Gritting her teeth, she channeled the power of her Water Crystal into her guns, blasting a furious storm of ice-blue rounds at the exact same moment the crimson head opened its mouth and exhaled a stream of flame in her direction. She screamed and dropped to one knee as the heat threatened to suffocate her, barely noticing the severity of the howls coming from the crimson head. Rikku sprayed the party down with another Mega-Potion before drawing a bead on the cyan head, which lurched forward and began snapping at her legs. Its fangs drew blood several times before she took a step forward, jamming her rifle into the blue maw and channeling the Fire Crystal before pulling the trigger. A stream of fire shot down its serpentine throat, causing it to recoil viciously and squeal in agony.
The ebony head glared downwards, opening its mouth and producing a beam of pure negative energy that tore across the landscape like a knife. The blast caught all four of them and sent them sprawling on the ground, gasping for breath. Rikku dug frantically into her satchel for more medicinals as Tidus and Yuna struggled to their feet, joining their hands together and summoning another Supreme Guard with the combined power of their crystals. Paine glared at Tiamat and shot her right hand up in the air; a golden glow enveloped her hand as a javelin of pure light coalesced within her fingers, shooting forward with unprecedented force. The javelin plunged into the monster's flank, inciting growls of pain and hateful glares from each of the four heads. Tiamat's cyan head reared back and roared, expelling a typhoon of ice shards and freezing gas that threatened to turn the black mist of the Plains into black ice. Rikku gasped and fell to one knee. Tidus winced heavily but stood as best he could, as did Paine. This time Yuna did not cry out or collapse; the crystal on her hand shone with a vengeance as it seemed to absorb the whirlwind of ice that was peppering her body. Seconds later she raised both hands, channeling the power of her White Lore and casting a powerful healing spell on the others. "We're going about this the wrong way!" she shouted over Tiamat's shrieks of anger. "We need to attack one head at a time, otherwise it's going to slaughter us!!" With that, she spun back towards the fiend, thrusting her right hand forward once more. The crystal glowed blue-white and the familiar angelic hum emerged as a stream of pure energy burst forth, colliding with the crimson head and slashing wicked lines across its brow.
Tiamat roared in agony, slamming both forelegs to the ground and producing another shockwave, knocking everybody off their feet once again for a few seconds. "Okay, at first I was a little scared of this thing," Rikku griped as she scrambled to her feet, plunging a hand into her satchel. "Now I'm getting really PISSED OFF!!!" Cramming two ingredients together, she began sprinting right for Tiamat's crimson head just as it was preparing to exhale another gout of flame. With a distinctly Al Bhed war cry, Rikku hurled the Winter Storm grenade down its throat at the same instant a cloud of flame washed over her. The crystal on her hand shone bright vermillion as it seemed to suck the fire in; seconds later a low thud erupted within the beast's throat and the crimson head's eyes bulged in shock. Paine dashed in from the side, trading her Dark Knight Dressphere for that of a Berserker. Claws flashed across the underside of the fiend, scattering red scales everywhere before she slammed her heels into the ground, spun around and punched upwards, tearing through muscle and veins and ripping a wicked chasm into the beast's trachea. With a strangled squeal, the crimson head and neck lost all motor control and tore away from the main body of Tiamat, exploding into pyreflies as it did so. The three remaining heads glared angrily, lurching forward and snapping at YTRP with a vengeance. The protection afforded by Supreme Guard finally gave way, enabling Tiamat to knock the four warriors about and fleck the earth and stones with blood.
Tidus kicked up from where he landed, digging into his belt pouch and tossing an X-Potion to Yuna, who promptly gulped it down and jumped to her feet. "Time for this Blitzer to fly!!" he cried, slamming his right hand to the ground as the Earth Crystal shone brightly. A scythe of energy tore the ground around him, carving a circular pattern with him at the direct center. With a tremendous crack and rumble, the section of earth rose sharply, breaking away and shooting upwards with phenomenal speed. Tiamat stared in confusion as the pillar of rock rose higher and higher, and just as it reached its apex, Tidus leaped forward directly at Tiamat's central ebony head. Yuna gasped and wrung her hands as the fiend lunged to try and catch him in its mouth, when suddenly he planted his foot directly in Tiamat's lower jaw and kicked upwards yet again, using its teeth as a springboard. Blue-green energy began to swirl around his blade as he raised it up high, and the second he reached the height of his jump, he swung the sword forward again. The Energy Rain caught Tiamat completely off guard as darts of destructive force pummeled all three of its remaining heads, sending it reeling for a moment. Tidus flipped backwards onto the rapidly descending pillar of rock, landing in a crouch as he returned to ground level again, breathing hard.
"Are you okay?" Yuna said as she dashed over. "That was unbelievable; I can't believe you had enough energy left to channel your crystal like that!"
"Yeah, well I think I may have burned myself nearly dry with that one," Tidus replied with a slight chuckle. "How about you and the others? Are you holding up?"
"Only just," she replied, pulling him to his feet and backward as Tiamat recovered and lunged forward again. Two sets of fangs gouged the ground where they had just been standing. "We'd better get what Ethers we have left in stock ready!"
"One step ahead of you, Yunie," came Rikku's response as she procured several Ether vials, tossing them to the others and downing one herself. That done, she punched her Grid, shedding her Alchemist clothes in favor of her Thief garb.
Tiamat lunged forward again, blasting the four of them with the combined fury of its ivory and cyan heads. Ice and lightning rained down upon them with a vengeance, and this time Yuna and Paine both took the brunt of the attack- whereas their crystals matched one breath weapon, they didn't match the other and consequently could not adjust in time. Tidus smashed his sword to the ground again, causing two enormous spears of rock to erupt directly beneath Tiamat, driving into two of its remaining necks and forcing more squeals of pain. The blue neck dropped low, racing along the ground with mouth wide open, snapping and tearing at first Tidus, then Paine; it attempted to strike at Yuna next when Rikku executed a daring backflip and landed right on the beast's neck, daggers out and ablaze with Vora's fury. Tiamat reared its cyan head up high, shaking left to right in an attempt to dislodge its attacker, but Rikku held on for dear life and jammed both flaming daggers into its neck. "All right!! Now this is a rodeo!!" she hollered, flipping into an impromptu handstand as her eyes glowed bright red. Fire engulfed her lithe form and blazed its way along the beast's neck and into its mouth. With a cry of agony, Tiamat swung its ivory head around and smashed directly into Rikku; the sudden shock finally dislodged her and she began to plummet to the ground. Yuna shrieked, throwing both hands up into the air and focusing on Naia's protective nature, rather than her harsher side. A pillar of rushing water surged upwards from her hands, catching Rikku in mid-fall and cushioning her descent. Slowly Yuna eased the pillar's height, allowing Rikku to drop to the ground more or less unscathed. The ivory head swung back towards them, its maw opening wide to unleash another electrical attack, when all at once Paine dashed forward and drove her right knee into its lower jaw, followed by a succession of quick claw strikes that sent the ivory head reeling for a moment.
"This is taking too long," Tidus griped as he and Yuna joined their crystals to conjure another Supreme Guard. "We've got to get those heads thinned out faster!"
Rikku's eyes lit up. "Hang on, I've got an idea!" she cried, turning to Paine who was just assuming her Warrior garb once more. "Paine, what do you think might happen if we combine our crystals' energy together?"
Paine shrugged. "Guess it wouldn't hurt to try," she replied, raising her right hand forward. Rikku did likewise, focusing inward as her crystal and Paine's began to glow brightly.
Join the whirlwind dance of the Air... Strahl's voice intoned.
With the blaze and glory that is Fire... Vora's voice replied. Tendrils of red and gold shot forth from their hands, merging into a burning miasma that seemed ready to explode at a moment's notice. Tiamat's heads squinted in bewilderment and reared back in preparation to strike once more.
Rikku and Paine opened their eyes at the exact same instant. "MEGIDDO FLARE!!!!"
The glowing mass shot towards the upper body of the fiend before them, pinpricks of light shooting out in all directions. Just as it was about to collide with Tiamat, it erupted in a colossal explosion of hellfire and brimstone that caused all four of them to wince and shield their eyes. Tiamat screeched and flailed in all directions, its tail slashing great furrows into the ground behind it. Scorching waves raced up and down its serpentine necks, causing countless chromatic scales to rain down on those below. The cyan head gurgled and gasped as it became immolated beyond recognition, finally breaking away and bursting into nothingness. Seconds later, the ivory head succumbed to the forces battering it and shattered into pyreflies as well.
The flames quickly vanished, leaving behind the single ebony head. Tiamat stared at its "playthings" and suddenly reared up on its hind legs with a great howl; its forelegs abruptly bulged and grew longer, forepaws rearranging themselves into an opposable hand configuration. Its hind legs grew as well to counterbalance and prevent the beast from falling. Its great wings spread out wide as it settled into this new bipedal form and glared at YTRP with burning eyes. With a great shout akin to a lion's roar, Tiamat swung its arms forward and began digging into the four of them with renewed zeal. Yuna ducked and rolled, emptying both guns into the colossus and reloading as fast as possible; Tiamat swung its right claw directly at her but Tidus darted in at the last second, channeling his crystal and calling forth a rock shield that absorbed the force of the blow. Rikku sprang forward, activating her Gun Mage sphere and blazing into Tiamat's hide with a 1000 Needles attack; the creature roared and swung its head low to the ground, raking its fangs across everybody within reach. Just as it was about to rise upwards, Paine stepped in close and drove her sword across the left side of its face, followed by a roundhouse kick that sent it recoiling a few feet. Rikku raised her gun and sprayed a White Wind capsule over all of them, just seconds before Tiamat expectorated a torrential wave of black acid that seared everybody's flesh to the point of nearly total collapse.
Yuna gasped for breath as she tried to push herself into a standing position. "We can't let it win," she sputtered. "We've just got to keep pushing..." Her legs burned as she staggered onto her feet, determination creasing her brow. "We've come this far, we can't quit now!!!" She gripped both guns tightly as blue energy coursed into them from her crystal. Next to her, Tidus and Rikku had struggled upward and were raising their weapons, also pulsing with energy from their respective crystals. Paine was the last to rise, her sword crackling with electricity. Tiamat stared as the four of them dashed forward; Rikku utilized her White Wind technique once again before twirling her gun and channeling Vora's fire through it in a deadly whirlwind of blistering heat. Paine slammed her sword into Tiamat's left leg, twisting the blade as Strahl's power caused her eyes to shine gold and lightning to shoot through the fiend's extremities. Yuna's guns unleashed a maelstrom of focused arcane energy that tore holes across the beast's massive chest seconds before Tidus swung his sword in a wide arc, throwing dozens of rock spikes into the air that slammed across Tiamat's abdomen. The fiend roared in incredible pain and dropped to all fours, its head glaring at each of its agressors- then suddenly blinked as Tidus leaped into the air higher than one would think humanly possible, his entire body glowing with an emerald light.
"SEE YA!!" he shouted as his sword crashed down, charged with the gravitational forces of the Earth Crystal.
There was a moment of silence.
A gash line shot diagonally across Tiamat's face. A hideous shriek shot forth from deep within its body as the massive creature collapsed and began to twitch violently on the surface of the plains. Its skin became translucent as great clouds of pyreflies boiled out of its carcass, which screeched and thrashed in a desperate yet futile attempt to hang on. Its tail slammed against the rocks one last time, its wings pounded the ground even as they grew thin and frail. With one final groan, the great beast collapsed into the cold black mists pervading the Thunder Plains, its form cracking apart and falling into itself. The fog of pyreflies grew thin as more and more dispersed and vanished into thin air.
The plains grew silent once more.
Yuna wiped a hand across her brow. "We did it," she gasped. "We faced it down, and..."
"YOU MEDDLING CRETINS!!!"
They spun around. Malar was striding forward out of the black mists, violet light shooting across his body and a look of unbridled fury in his eyes. With a great shout, he drew the sword at his side and smashed it into the ground, generating a devastating quake that knocked everyone backwards a few paces. Before anyone could get up, he thrust his right palm forward, unleashing a wave of violet light that tore into their flesh and left them all sprawled across the dirt, gasping for breath.
"I can see you are far too stubborn for your own good," he growled as he stood over their crumpled forms. "Time to teach you one last lesson." He raised his hands and began to chant. "Blood of my blood, flesh of my flesh, hear my voice and obey..."
Yuna coughed and forced her eyes open. She could barely make out Tidus sprawled on his stomach, groaning in agony. Rikku was lying on her back, breathing hard... and Paine was slowly but surely rising to her feet. "No..." she gasped. "Please, no... not again, Paine, please don't listen to him..."
Malar grinned. Paine staggered into an upright position, still bleeding heavily but breathing normally. She held her sword in a relaxed grip by her side and slowly began to walk towards Malar. Rikku's eyes opened slightly. "Paine... don't do this, you can't..."
Paine said nothing. Her eyes were expressionless, her gait slow and methodical as she came to rest in front of Malar. A gust of wind rustled his shoulder-length black hair and his ruby eyes seemed to glitter.
"Yuna..." Tidus groaned. "We've got to do something..." He jammed his elbow into the ground and began to push himself up.
"I... I don't think I can move..." Yuna whispered. "I... I don't know what we can do now..."
"Dammit, we can't let it end like this," Tidus replied, pulling himself closer to her. He rummaged frantically in his belt pouch, but could not find anything. What Remedy potions he had stocked had been shattered on the ground beside him. "Come on, Paine, get a hold of yourself..."
A tear ran down Yuna's cheek. "Tidus... I don't know if she can hear us anymore. And if that's so..." She stretched her hand out weakly, grasping his and holding on tight. A tear ran down his face as well; he struggled to get to his feet, but his legs would not let him. "I don't know how, but I'm not going to let it end like this," he whispered to her.
"You might as well just lie down and accept fate, you two," Malar sneered. "And as for you..." He turned to Paine who stood before him with vacant eyes. "Do as you see fit."
"I shall," Paine replied in an emotionless tone.
Rikku squeezed her eyes shut, tensing up. Yuna gripped Tidus' hand tighter, trying to pull herself up but faring little better than he was.
A sickening thump echoed across the Thunder Plains.
A second later, Yuna's eyes snapped open, as did Tidus' and Rikku's. Malar's face had gone from coldly sadistic to dumbstruck and breathless, the natural reaction to Paine's fist which had driven into his solar plexus. He staggered back, staring at her eyes which now burned with unbridled fury; the next second, her left foot shot forward and caught him across the face, knocking him backward onto the cold earth.
"You overconfident, arrogant bastard," Paine growled. "Did you really think I was going to let you do that to me all over again?" She grabbed the top of her left glove and yanked it down, revealing the Ribbon she had slipped on before leaving Gagazet. "It's far past time you learned the true meaning of what happens when you mess with the Gullwings." Driving a hand into her satchel, she grabbed one of the few precious Megalixirs they had stashed over time, popping the cap and literally drenching her comrades with its powerful healing energies. Yuna and Tidus sprang to their feet instantly, followed by Rikku who was sporting a big grin on her face.
"Talk about surprise from behind! You scared the living hell out of us, Dr. P!" the Al Bhed crowed, a slight hint of mock-anger in her voice.
"I just wanted to show him never to underestimate us," Paine replied cooly. "Let's finish this jerk off so we can go home."
Yuna and Tidus nodded, brandishing their weapons as Malar sprang to his feet. "Time to end this," the two of them said in unison. Malar drew his sword and lunged forward, his eyes glinting in the twilight.
To Be Continued...
[A/N: This was a long chapter, I know, and some of you are probably screaming, "Why isn't Malar dead yet"? Well, this chapter took a long time to write and I wanted to save the showdown for its own little solo chappie. Rest assured, the final showdown with The Immortal is at hand. Please read and review; Tiamat may be dead, but what is happening outside the barrier? And how do you kill a man who can't die? Stay tuned!!! -Neon Ronin]