Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Bahamut & the Guardian Forces ❯ Impact ( Chapter 11 )

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Impact

By nightdragon0 (nightdragon0@hotmail.com)

 

 

 

“What was that?” Phoenix gasped, staring up at the blinding flash in the sky.

“Some explosion...” Leviathan muttered. “It's close by! Over there!”

The foursome had been tracking Bahamut ever since their earlier battle. Unicorn had expended a lot of magical energy using a spell to track him, with only partially good results, but it had led them back to Ashley's hometown.

And apparently, this was what they'd been looking for.

Soaring and leaping across the rooftops, the group soon left the city streets behind and entered a forested area on the outskirts of town.

BOOM!

All four stopped as another explosion shook the area.

“Something is not right....” Unicorn whispered. “The currents of magic are in great upheaval.”

“In other words, you sense something?” Phoenix asked.

“Yes.”

“Is it Bahamut?”

“Hard to tell. It seems like him, but...”

“Bahamut!” Phoenix opened her wings and flew up, ignoring the shouts of her comrades. “Bahamut! Where are you? What's going on?”

From her high vantage point, the firebird spotted smoke rising from further ahead.

(They've got to be down there!) Ashley suggested. (Let's go!)

Phoenix folded her wings and begun her descent, but suddenly a figure appeared, leaping to the top of a large tree.

“Bahamut!” She flew down and perched on an adjacent tree. “I was...huh?”

The dragon glaring back at her was slightly different in appearance, having a primarily red body coloring, with his chest, neck and wings in a dark gray. However, his facial features, body structure and the design of the claws and toes were practically identical to Bahamut's.

(That isn't him, is it?)

“Who are you?” Phoenix demanded.

“You'd call me a clone at one time.” The stranger replied. “But now, I am the one and only!”

“Where's Bahamut, you freak?”

“That's Neo Bahamut to you.” The red dragon smirked. “However, I'm afraid to tell you that your dear friend isn't around anymore.”

“What?”

“He's dead....and I killed him.”

“No....” Phoenix staggered. “You're...you're bluffing!”

“Maybe you have no reason to believe me, but I've got no reason to lie to you either.” Neo Bahamut laughed, folding his arms. “I'll just tell you, my predecessor was rather tasty....especially since what was left of him was all deep friend and crunchy...”

Calmly, he reached up and picked a blue scale out of his teeth.

With a scream of fury that came from both beast and human, Phoenix charged, letting off a multitude of fireballs. Neo Bahamut simply blocked the attack with his wing, then lunged and drove a double handed punch into Phoenix, sending her flying backwards, knocking over several trees in the process.

Enraged, Phoenix attacked again. Neo Bahamut sidestepped her talon strike and whipped her back with his tail. Even as she lay sprawled out on the floor, he lifted her up, swung her several rounds and hurled her into another tree.

“Humph, with friends as weak as you, it's a wonder my rival survived as long as he did.” Neo Bahamut taunted. The sound of wings caused him to look up and spot the others approaching. “They will all see that my might cannot be matched!”

All Leviathan saw was the red blur dashing towards him. Instinctively, he let off with a jet of water, but Neo Bahamut pushed through and sent an uppercut straight into his chin. As sea serpent went spinning off, Valefor came up behind him.

The dragon twisted his body, evading her attack and grabbing Unicorn by the horn. He chucked the white horse into Valefor, sending both to the floor. Grinning, Neo Bahamut snatched the stunned Leviathan by the head and used his snake-like body as a whip against the other two.

“Stop it you b…tard!” Phoenix screeched, jumping in.

Neo Bahamut dropped his current prey and turned towards her. In the blink of an eye, the two met in a frenzy of claws and talons. Unfortunately, it didn't last very long.

“AAaaarrgghhhh!” Phoenix screamed in agony, finding a large dagger stuck in her side.

With an evil laugh, her opponent held her up by the neck. Neo Bahamut proudly showed off his claw, stained with Phoenix's own blood, before closing it around her face. Using both hands, he chucked her into the pile of defeated warriors.

“Was that all? I was expecting more of a challenge.” Neo Bahamut shrugged. “Ah well, I'll have all the time in the world to find a worthy opponent. Hahaha, later then!”

Arrogantly spreading his wings, he flew off into the night sky, leaving the party of four staring up at his departure.

 

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“What the hell?” Leviathan moaned. “It took that thing approximately 1 minute to beat the four of us into a pulp!”

“That's not the only thing.” Unicorn continued, pulling herself out of the pile. “He was just toying with us. I'm sure he could've easily finished us off, but he didn't...”

(That...wasn't Bahamut was it?) Aldrea asked uncertainly.

As if to answer her question, Valefor shook her head.

(She doesn't think so.) Cecil agreed. (But then, where's....)

“Urghh....Bahamut....”

“Whoa, Phoenix, take it easy! You've been stabbed.” Leviathan moved over to her.

“It looks deep.” Unicorn noted. “We'll have to get it out. Everyone, hold her still.”

While the others took their positions, Unicorn gripped the hilt in her mouth and drew back with a hard yank. Phoenix immediately let off an ear-splitting screech as the others struggled to hold her down.

Unicorn waved her horn around in the air and recited a soft incantation for a Cure spell. As the spell took effect, Phoenix calmed down and lay still. Exhausted, the remaining GFs reverted to their human counterparts.

“Ashley, you in there?” Brad rubbed a hand across Phoenix's beak.

(Been...better....) She gasped. (That creature....a clone....I understand now....)

“Wait! A what?” Cecil stared.

(A clone....that explains it....the DNA samples....the attacks....the similar magical fields...Glenn, Bahamut....they're...gone. He....he did....it....)

“No way...” Aldrea muttered.

“Let's split up and search.” Brad declared, through grimly. “We can't give up. Leviathan? Can you handle it?”

(I'll manage....)

“Valefor and I are coming too.” Cecil stood up.

“Bahamut....no....” Phoenix moaned softly.

“I'll stay with her.” Aldrea knelt down by her side.

 

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“Why? Why did you leave me Phoenix?”

“Bahamut...I...I....”

(Didn't you trust us Ashley?)

(I did, but...)

(Then why?)

Phoenix stood before Bahamut, but found herself at a loss for words. There was nothing she could do to block out his accusations, or even defend herself for that matter.

“Why have you forsaken me?”

“I didn't! I didn't know then!”

“I thought you trusted me!”

“I did!”

“Never! You just can't bring yourself to admit it!”

“No! NNNOOOOO!”

 

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“NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOO!” Phoenix jerked up.

“Hey! Careful!” Aldrea gently grabbed her shoulders.

(Don't try to get up yet.) Unicorn added in.

“Bahamut where is he?”

(And Glenn...?)

“The others are out looking for them.” Aldrea replied. “They should be back soon.”

Despite her injury, Phoenix was wide awake and crawling with anxiety by the time Valefor and Leviathan flew into view. And judging from the looks of their faces, she already knew the answer.

“Anything?”

The two reverted to Brad and Cecil, who stepped forward.

“There was....barely anything left at all.” Brad said, hanging his head. “I'm sorry...”

“It looks like Bahamut and Glenn managed to break the spell that sealed their powers. There are the signs of a battle, but....” Cecil suddenly broke off, kneeling down and breaking into tears.

“I...I can't believe this...has happened...” Aldrea staggered.

(Both of them knew the risks.) Unicorn muttered. (It could've happened to any of us.)

(No, this was all my fault.) Leviathan cut in. (It was my idea to seal his powers. I should've known that would drive him to do something stupid...)

“SHUT UP! Shut up all of you!” Phoenix screamed. “The one I love is dead and there's nothing I can do about it!”

Everyone immediately fell silent as they stared at her.

(Go away! Just leave us alone!) Ashley yelled.

“Hey! Wait!” Aldrea desperately waved her arms.

Phoenix shoved the group away as she took to the air, flying off into the night skies. Dark rain clouds had blown up, not only adding to the gloomy mood of the scenario, but also indicating that a large storm was brewing up.

“Shouldn't we stop her?” Brad asked.

(None of us have any strength left to do so.) Leviathan muttered. (Besides, look at the weather.....)

Soon afterwards, thunder roared and the rains began pouring down. The trio ran for cover and was fortunate enough to find an old abandoned storage hut. Using the dagger, Brad managed to break the rusted lock and forced the door open. There, the party huddled up, cold and miserable.

(We're really sorry about this.) Unicorn said sadly. (You're stuck out here because of us.)

“No, don't worry about it.” Aldrea replied. “It's our friends there I'm more worried about right now.”

Silently, the rest of the group nodded.

“Hey! Look!” Cecil suddenly cried.

“What? Hey!” Brad gasped as the younger girl snatched the dagger out of his hands.

“Look!”

“What? It's too dark to see anything.”

“Wait for a flash of lightning.”

Confused, Brad and Aldrea stared hard during the short flashes. It was hard to make out at first, but slowly they began to see the words.

Rather, the characters that had been engraved into the dagger's blade. Phoenix's blood had seeped into the carved out sections, filling them up with the red liquid. The rainwater had washed off the rest of the blood, resulting in them being able to read the secret message engraved in the dagger.

“The gateway lies at the journey's beginning, only to be opened at the number of the beast.” Aldrea nodded. “But did that creature give us this?

(And Why?) Unicorn wondered.

“He's no mindless beast, that's one thing.” Brad whispered. “But what does this mean?”

 

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Braving the ferocious thunderstorm, Phoenix circled the site of Bahamut's final battle. However, it was exactly as they had said. Burnt and blackened trees lay around, the charred soil steaming as the rain put out the fires.

The remaining traces of magical energy told of a great battle, but one that eventually ended in costing Bahamut the ultimate price.

Still, Phoenix descended towards the tainted ground. She'd spotted something...a blue scale, a larger one with traces of red and gold as well. It probably belonged to a part of Bahamut's wing where the three colors met, but all Phoenix was thinking about was its owner as she reached down to pick it up in her talons.

Her proud feathers were soaked and drenched from the pouring rain, but it didn't bother her at all. She stood there, staring at the remains of the battlefield. The one she could've been on....the one she should've been on. All of a sudden, all Phoenix wanted was to hear his voice.

However, the howling winds and raging thunder would bring not comfort, but only more regret.

(Hey, Phoenix...)

“Ashley....sorry, almost forgot about you.” She sighed. “Glenn too, he....”

(I have my own regrets.) Ashley spoke.

“Yeah, we were the ones who dragged you into this. If not for us...”

(It's not that. We made this decision because we wanted to help...both our worlds.) Ashley replied. (Glenn and Bahamut, I know that's what they wanted too.)

“We owe them now, for a lot of things.” Phoenix closed her eyes. “Both of our apologies, which we'll never get the chance to give. But now, more importantly....avenging their deaths! I swear upon you grave Bahamut! I will hunt down your murderer and make him suffer!”

She let off a long screech of fury, through partially blocked out by the rumbling thunder. Burning with a new intensity that even the rain couldn't dampen, they rose, leaving the lost battlefield behind.

 

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“Whatever the message is, it seems to be telling us about the `Gateway'.” Aldrea noted. “I'll bet it's the same gateway we're all thinking about right now, the one to the `Other World'.”

(We're definitely being led to it.) Unicorn agreed.

“But, the journey's beginning…that's still rather vague.” Brad muttered.

(Remember here that we need to take location into consideration when viewing the context.) Leviathan noted. (Perhaps, it's talking about our journey? Then, that would mean…)

“The cave?”

(Indeed, the one where we first met. I don't remember the magical currents there being very strong, but perhaps they might be just enough…)

“Then, what's the number of the beast?” Aldrea asked.

(I'm afraid I'm clueless.) Leviathan sighed.

(Ybulymobdel!) The normally silent Valefor suddenly piped up.

“Huh? I don't get you, Valefor.” Cecil replied.

The two broke into a private conversation, which somehow involved Cecil counting on her fingers. Brad and Aldrea blinked in amazement and she abruptly jumped up.

“Of course! I understand now! It's 666!” She said triumphantly. “It's a legend about an evil creature that bears the mystic number 666, hence the `number of the beast'!”

“But, what does opened at the `number of the beast' mean?” Brad wondered.

“Don't you get it? It's the time! The time the gate'll be opening!” Cecil snapped her fingers. “6 hours, 6 minutes, 6 seconds!”

“6am? Hold on, what time is it now?” He asked.

Aldrea brought up her watch and activated its light, revealing the numbers as 5.30am. And by a certain stroke of luck, the rains had stopped too...

 

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“Phoenix! Hey!”

Ignoring the voice behind her, Phoenix increased her speed.

“Hey!” Leviathan screamed. “Look! I know you're mad! Both of you! But what's flying off like that going to do to help the current situation?”

“I'm just going to keep doing that until I find that b…tard!” She growled. “He'll show up somewhere, and I'll be there to rip his throat out when he does!”

“In your current condition? You're barely keeping in the air as you are!”

(Just worry about yourself for a change!) Ashley yelled.

“Look! We have some leads on the Gateway...”

“I don't care!” Phoenix continued.

“It'll be opening in barely 15 minutes! The others are already staking out the area, but we've barely had time to recover from the last beating! We'll need all the help we can get!”

“If you want the best, then go look somewhere else. Now buzz off!”

“Damn! So you're just going to ignore everything? What would Bahamut think if he knew you were walking away from the mission he gave his life for?” Leviathan pushed, attempting to get her attention.

“Shut up!”

“He never deserved someone like you! You're just too weak for him!”

“SHUT UP!”

That certainly got all the attention Leviathan needed from her. Phoenix ploughed straight into him, taking them both to the ground. He had to rapidly twist his body to avoid being raked by her talons or impaled by her sharp beak as Phoenix madly lashed out at him.

Finally, she ran out of breath and collapsed.

(Nice going on the reverse psychology there buddy.) Brad whispered.

“Remind me not to try it on her again.” His partner moaned.

Slowly, Leviathan pulled himself up and moved over to where she lay.

“We suspect that it was `him' who gave us the tip off.” Leviathan said in a serious tone. “He'll most likely be there too.”

“Promise me one thing....” Phoenix snarled as she struggled to stand. “Don't get in the way while I'm in the midst of sending that creature on an agonizing and permanent vacation to hell!”

 

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Darkness....everything around him was in darkness.

He still remembered the bright light before the darkness. Piece by piece, his memories returned. There was that battle, that lost battle, which had led him to this.

But wait...there were...voices!

“Is he the one?”

“It would seem so, through there is some difference.”

Glenn felt hands, or claws, reaching up, seemingly tearing away the darkness around him. All of a sudden, he was free, dropping to the ground below. It was sandy and rock hard, but certainly better that being suspended in....

He blinked, glancing around. Glenn was forced to squint as his eyes tried to adapt to the light. What he did manage to see, however, shocked him.

The place he'd been cut down from was a revolving section on the ceiling where many other bodies hung, wrapped in black, cocoon-like structures. Even the area he sat in seemed to carry a dark and depressing impression about it, being a large cavern lit only by orange fires.

“Hmmm...it's not Bahamut, but he looks similar.” One of the voices from earlier said.

“Not just in appearance, in his aura too.” A second voice agreed. “Perhaps we should get ourselves introduced.”

Glenn spun round to find two other GFs standing behind him. One was a large, serpent-like creature, similar to Leviathan except that his scales were brown and dusty.

The other was large bird with multi colored feathers. He too seemed battle worn, with his feathers ruffled and bruises in many places.

“Hey, who are you?” Glenn found his voice. “And where is this?”

“I am Terrato.” The brown serpent replied. “This fellow here is Palidor.”

“But to put it frankly...” Palidor continued. “You're in Hell, young dragon.”

“Young dragon?” Glenn stared down at himself. “What the? I'm a goddamed dragon!”

Glenn dug `his' claws into his own scales and felt the pain. And he wasn't waking up or snapping out of a dream....

“You seem distraught, my young friend.” Terrato commented.

“That's cause I'm NOT supposed to BE a dragon!” Glenn yelled. “Especially not after Bahamut got us blasted in the head by that Neo Bahamut clone! What the heck is going on? What am I doing in Hell?”

Frantically, he ran his claws over his body. Despite his draconic form, its built was quite like a human's, forelimbs shorter with five fingers, hind limbs longer, ending in three toed claws. He felt the wings growing out of his back, and whipped his long tail about. His reached up and pulled his muzzle, felt his fangs and the curved horns at the back of his head. His scales had taken on a purple and gray coloring too.

“Whoa! Whoa...calm down there kid.” Palidor raised his wings. “We have a major lack of communication here.”

“Palidor..... Palidor.....hey wait, I've heard about you!” Glenn realized. “You're Bahamut's friend, right? But I thought you were...”

“Dead?” The rainbow bird chuckled. “I am. However, you should speak for yourself. Still, you hardly seem like the kind that would've ended up here.”

“I'm....I'm....” Glenn stared from the two GFs, to the surroundings, down at his new body and back to Palidor and Terrato.

And promptly passed out.