Davin and Mika stared at Emhara's body as it slowly shrank, her twisted face almost seeming... peaceful in death. The alchemist rubbed her nose reflectively. "Y'know," she said, "I feel kinda sorry for her. She never wanted any of this to happen. It was all because of..." She stopped and looked around, realizing that she was alone. "Big Brother?" Then she turned, and smiled despite herself. "I shoulda known..." Davin was already halfway across the platform, sprinting headlong. "MARCINE!" With tears of joy and relief, she quickly ran toward him. "Davin!" Time seemed to slow as they drew nearer, reaching out for one another... A black crescent-shaped slash of energy leapt from the shadows, spinning toward Marcine with deadly accuracy. She stared at it, paralyzed with fear... Then Davin lunged to one side and turned his body, taking the full force of the attack. The blast cut through his armor and flesh, spraying blood across the platform. The impact sent him tumbling, twisting through the air, and Marcine stared in shock as he slid off the platform, disappearing into the rocky crevices below. Her body and mind numb with dread and loss, she slowly turned toward the source of the attack... and saw what she expected to see. "Hello, Legacy," Siegvin said. "It's been a long time." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- FINAL FANTASY LEGACY Knights of the Round Begun (and herein continued) by Brian Stricklin EndGame III: Soul and Sacrifice -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "I have to commend you," Siegvin continued, walking forward with slow, casual steps. "I knew you would defeat Darovan, but to kill Emhara as well...! You've saved me quite a bit of trouble." Kyle and Mika stood before the still-distraught Marcine, their weapons at the ready. Ignoring this, Siegvin approached the collapsed body of Emhara and nudged it with his foot. "Thanks to you," he said, "all of my enemies... are now dead." Then he lifted his head and smiled at them. "All but one, that is." He raised his hand toward them, palm downward, and they tensed for an attack, but instead a large wooden object separated from the corpse, shrinking visibly as it rose into his grasp. Siegvin passed his free hand over the Mask, and instantly the Heartstones of Wood, Thunder, and Moon had joined the Wind Stone on its surface. "No!" Kyle leapt forward, his broken lance poised to strike, but Siegvin merely presented his palm toward him, and the Dragoon was immediately thrown backwards to slam against the podium with tremendous force. "Now, now," Siegvin scolded. "There'll be time enough for heroics later." And then, after a moment's pause to savor his victory, Siegvin lifted the Mask to his face. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- It was a losing battle, and everyone involved knew it. No matter how many demons the four races killed, they quickly reformed, as powerful as they had ever been. Their opponents were not so lucky, and the ground was littered with corpses. Nevertheless, not a single fighter gave thought to retreat. They gave their lives gladly; the alternative was too horrible to contemplate. And then, with a shocking suddenness, the battle was over. Olaf twisted awkwardly as his swing encountered no resistance. He had been *sure* that strike was dead on! He whirled around, blood coursing down his leg from a previous wound. "Come on, ye coward," he roared. "Let's be..." But he saw that the rest of the dwarves were similarly confused, and gradually a silence fell across the battlefield. There wasn't a single demon to be seen; even the pit they had been emerging from seemed to be nothing more than a hole in the ground. Though adrenalin was still running high, the warriors slowly relaxed. Against all probability, it looked as though they had won. With unspoken agreement, the four leaders approached one another and conferred. "Isss... it over?" Dagon asked uncertainly. Titania closed her eyes, concentrating. "The taint of their dark hatred is gone," she declared finally. "The world is safe at last." "From them, at least," the moogle agreed as Chocogrande pecked hopefully at a weed that had miraculously survived the battle. "The worst is yet to come." "Aye, so it is." Drond looked to the north, where the Worldtree once stood. "It be up to th' humans now..." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Seconds passed and nothing seemed to happen... then a fierce gale blew in around them, whipping at the three companions. Emhara's corpse suddenly disintegrated, becoming a purple mist that was instantly drawn toward Siegvin's body. He rose into the air, an almost tangible power filling him... then almost as quickly he returned to the ground, the smile on his face almost beatific. "Wonderful," he murmured. "It's just as I imagined it." Then he glanced to the side, where Kyle was advancing on him again, and shook his head. "Don't bother. You'll only be throwing your life away." "I don't care. We're dead anyway, and as long as there's any chance to stop you..." Siegvin chuckled. "You still think this is something you can fight against, don't you? Darovan and Hades wanted to use the raw power that Emhara commanded, but she has always been so much more than that." He lifted his head, the Heartstones gleaming. "Something far more... interesting." Suddenly the ground shook, and Kyle cast about looking for the source of the vibration. Then he stared as the platform *changed*, twisting and melting of its own accord. Shouting a warning, he scooped up Mika and ran to his sister, preparing to leap to safety... but the edges of the platform abruptly jumped upwards, giving Kyle a brief sensation of falling as he stared up at the retreating light. Then the sun was gone, leaving the glow of the Stones as the only light source. Siegvin lifted his arms, and the interior of the new structure began to shift again, sprouting staircases and doorways along its length. The walls pulsed with a dim red light, and the steps had an alien, almost skeletal feel to them. The entire structure groaned once - a deep, almost animal noise - then was silent. Kyle glowered at Siegvin, the broken haft of his lance held nervously before him, and the fallen Sleeper nodded to him. "You have questions, I'm sure. Join me at the top, and all will be revealed." He turned to leave, then paused. "Oh, yes. Before I forget..." He held out his hand, and suddenly Marcine's bag burst open, seven miniature suns flying out toward him. Kyle cursed and lunged for the Heartstones, his finger catching around one of their chains, but the slender silver cord immediately snapped. The Stones orbited Siegvin gently, their light casting odd shadows in the darkened room; a moment later two more joined them, phasing through the tower's wall: one bright white and the other an ocean's blue. "I hope you accept my invitation," Siegvin said mildly. "I would hate to see you come this far, only to be left... in the dark." He vanished, taking the light of the Heartstones with him. The companions were blinded for a moment, but gradually their eyes adjusted to the wan light emitted from the walls. "Well," Mika said finally, "what now?" Kyle stared upwards, noting the numerous protrusions and bridges that crossed the interior of the tower; using a Boost Jump would most likely end in a cracked skull. "I don't think we've got much of a choice," he said. "We go up." He glanced at his sister, who had slowly gotten to her feet. "Marcine, are you...?" "Yes, I'm... I'm fine," she replied. "Davin's... all right. He's still alive. He has to be." "Yeah!" Mika nodded vehemently, though there was an uncertain quaver to her voice. "Big Brother wouldn't... wouldn't die because of a little thing like that. Not after all this." The Dragoon had his doubts about that - he'd seen the wound - but kept his thoughts to himself. "Let's get going." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "Dammit!" Ignoring the blood that ran from numerous wounds, Zarela kicked the base of the tower. "There's no door, no windows, and no way in!" With Emhara's death, the monsters that had been besieging the heroes had dispersed... but before they had been able to collect themselves to join their friends, the massive structure suddenly appeared, closing off the stairway and stranding them outside. Neither blades nor spells damaged its shifting, oily surface, though that didn't stop Zarela from trying. Shizuka appeared from the left of the tower, lightly jogging despite the deep cut on her shin. "This one reports that there is no other entrance; she went all around the tower, and saw nothing." The Beastmaster scowled. "Stine didst expect that," he said, "though it be unpleasant news." With a sigh, Jil sat down and leaned against a rock, her fatigue washing over her. "We're out o' choices," she decided. "There be nothin' to do now but wait." She tilted her head back, staring up at the top of the tower... With a curse, she leapt to her feet, her neck craned upward. "What the hell?!" Her companions followed her gaze, and saw... ...a sphere of shadow, hovering over the tip of the tower. It seemed to be made of pure darkness, all light disappearing into its cold, black core. The sphere was stationary for a moment, then suddenly flew upwards, rising high above the crater, above the Manakyr base, above the clouds themselves. The companions soon lost sight of it, and wondered what it had been; was it some kind of attack from the tower? Was it a demon, trying to flee? Then the sky went dark, and they knew. The sphere had spread, sending a cloak of shadow over the crater. Only the faintest light shone through this barrier, revealing little more than rough shapes around them. Unconsciously the companions drew closer together, peering warily into the darkness. They had no way of knowing that the shadow was not limited to the crater. It had spread across the mountains, across the continent, and soon it would cover the entire world... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The tower itself resisted them as they climbed, wooden claws extruding from the floor to grasp at them and tremendous eyes staring at them and casting electric spells from the walls. Creatures made of air tugged at them, trying to pull them into the central shaft for a deadly fall, and bizarre gibbering creatures, neither one thing nor another, chased them with mad persistence. Nevertheless, the three companions made their way forward steadily, forcing their way through their bizarre opponents. Kyle even managed to salvage a usable and oddly effective weapon from the body of one of the creatures, which had resembled a giant spider made from loose bones and fangs. Though grisly, the bone spider's long and jagged foreleg was well-suited to the Dragoon's fighting style. Finally they reached the top and opened the final door... and were stunned at what they saw. In stark contrast to the unsettling, almost organic architecture of the rest of the tower, the top floor could only be described as an ancient feasting hall. Its walls and floor were made up of rough-hewn stone, and a broad wooden table ran the entire length of the long room, its surface piled with food of every description. Nobody sat on the benches along the table's edge, but there was a sense of loud carousing and merriment just at the cusp of hearing. At the head of the table sat a large, white-bearded figure, casually reclining in a marble throne despite the thick armor he wore. Though they had never seen him before, the wooden mask on his face was unmistakable. Kyle brought his new weapon to the ready. "Siegvin." "Odin, if you please," the Ashgar King corrected mildly. "Now that I have regained my full strength - and more, so much more - I see no reason to keep that name." He nodded at the banquet set before him. "Care for a little something before we get to business? No? Suit yourself." A large tankard appeared in his hand, and he drank deeply. "Enough games!" Kyle barked. "What are you up to?" He sighed. "Ever the impatient one. Very well." He stood, letting the tankard fall carelessly to the ground, and approached the back wall of the room where a large wooden spear was mounted; Odin ran his hand along its surface, lost in thought, then turned back to the companions. "You know our history now. You know how I was created as a mere... replacement, a copy of Slydgirag that Il'handra made out of grief and loss. Because I was a lesser copy, and because I had been created to be more human than Guardian, my powers were weak and pathetic compared to those of my brethren." He smiled softly. "They never respected me, you know. When they looked at me, all they saw was the great and noble Slydgirag... and how I was not, could never be him. So I walked among the humans, but while their worship was gratifying, I realized that it wasn't enough. To gain the respect of the Guardians I had to prove myself to them, and for that I needed more power. And Il'handra was the key." "You used her," Marcine accused. "You tortured and used your own mother!" Odin laughed. "My dear girl, the poor mad thing positively *begged* me to torment her! She was desperate for my attention, and doted on my every word. I grew sick of it, and I started to hate the very sight of her. But no matter how I treated her, she still clung to me like a leech, greedy in her need for my approval." He paused, then shrugged. "As for using her, I won't deny that. But how could I not? She was wasting her power, frivolously splitting parts of it away to create her precious children. The potential for her abilities was endless... and there she sat, high above the world, wallowing in her own misery." "So now you've stolen her power," Kyle shot back. "I have reclaimed my birthright," Odin snarled, suddenly angry. "For centuries I was forced to live alongside your pathetic, miserable race, watching as you showered praises upon the 'Three Gods'." He spat the words like an insult. "Now, at last, I shall be avenged, and I'll be finished with the humans for good." "By ruling the world?" Mika guessed. "How do you plan to get away from us that way?" "Oh, no, child. Nothing quite so barbaric. I will admit that such was my plan at first... but as I came to better understand the ways of magic and the very nature of Il'handra herself, a more... ambitious plan came to mind. "Magic," he continued, "was born of the Three, and thus is ultimately powered by Il'handra's own essence. However, even before she started shedding fragments of herself, my dear mother could never create such intricate effects as the curing of wounds, or even a simple bolt of fire. Her power is a cudgel, so chaotic and uncontrolled that she feared coming close to this planet else she might destroy its inhabitants. In contrast, magic is a carefully-wielded scalpel, but is far weaker." He sneered. "Of course, such crude strength was enough for Darovan and Hades, who could see no further than their own personal glory. They were content with mere conquest, but when I realized the true potential of magic, I devised a plan that would carry me to heights of power of which they had never dreamed. I knew that they would oppose me if they learned of it, so we parted ways." "What are you talking about?" Marcine asked. "What is this 'true potential of magic'?" He pointed at her imperiously. "Think, girl! Il'handra's power is wild and destructive. The abilities of Guardians are intense, but limited. Magical spells are relatively weak, but can create specific effects. Yet they all share the same source! Now, you tell *me* what the difference is between them." She bit her lip nervously. "If... magic comes from Guardians, who get their own power from Il'handra... and it becomes weaker but more defined as it..." Marcine stopped, then looked up at Odin. "It's... it's a matter of focus." "Yes." "All magic is drawn from one of the thirteen elements," she continued, thinking out loud. "They're each attuned to a specific aspect of reality, a small part of the greater whole. When raw power is focused through one of them, only a small amount could be used for a spell; the rest is lost, too unstable to exist alongside the more distilled power. Emhara could only be caged when the elements were in balance because... because by interacting with the elements, her power became more focused and weaker. Though she was far stronger than the Three, she couldn't break their bonds; the more power she brought to bear, the more she limited herself. It would be like hitting a brick wall with a pillow - no matter how strong you are, you won't do much damage to the wall." Odin smiled. "Very good, Legacy. Ultimate power is suitable for little more than gross, unbridled effects; even a morsel of sophistication can redirect it. Now, answer this: if that power is directed through a conduit, which constantly attuned it to several elements at once, what would happen?" "The power would... if additional elements are involved," she said slowly, "then more of the raw energy would be available for use in the spell. That's why Neo-Tritoch was so powerful; it had a fraction of Tritoch's essence, but it could use it all to..." Her train of thought reached its conclusion, and she stared at Odin, aghast. "You would be able to use every ounce of Il'handra's power, with the same precision of effect that spells can create." "Well done! Clea couldn't have done better herself." Mika looked between them, confused. "I don't get it. What's he talking about?" "When Odin sends his raw power through the Mask," Marcine explained hollowly, "and with the Heartstones focusing that power into the thirteen elements, he'll be able to cast any kind of spell at will, and they'll be more powerful than anything we've ever seen." "Precisely." Odin took the spear down from the wall, the four gems gleaming in the Mask he wore. "When all of the stones are in place, I will be able to control reality itself. Everything, from the Three Gods themselves down to the smallest atom in the least grain of sand, will be under my command. Of course, to reclaim Il'handra's full power, I must take back the shards of her power - I will absorb the Guardians, as I have already absorbed the demons. Once that is done, the kingdoms of man shall be my playthings... until I grow tired of them, at which point they will be reduced to less than dust." The three companions watched him tensely, and he smiled. "I really must thank you. At first I was desperate to find the Heartstones, anxious to reach the Mask before Darovan's lackeys... but then I realized how much simpler it would be if the Mask was awakened and the Heartstones collected in one place. I allowed the demons to 'trick' me, I helped you fight your way through to Darovan, and I waited until the perfect opportunity arose to make my move. And now I stand with you here - the keys to ultimate mastery of reality are in my hands, and nothing can stand in my way." "Except us," Kyle said. "Yes. Except you." He glanced at the banquet table, which immediately vanished, leaving a wide open space. Seeing their expressions, he chuckled. "Just an illusion, courtesy of the Moon Stone. The life energy of Wood created this tower... and as for Thunder and Wind..." The point of his spear was suddenly surrounded with yellow and green light, and he gestured at the companions. "Hurricane Blitz!" Though they tried to defend themselves, the sheer force of the spell was too much; they were thrown back against the wall, howling wind and jagged lightning slamming into them. As she got back to her feet, Marcine was already chanting a healing spell, the light pouring from her fingers. Though the magic cured her wounds, she still wore a nervous expression. "What can we do?" Kyle's expression was grim. "Like the man said," he told her gruffly. "We fight." "*Triple* allowance," Mika added, checking the strap on her satchel. "Triple allowance and a new Gyn Samson action figure!" "Marcine, stay behind me," the Dragoon said. "Mika, you know what to do." She nodded. "Good luck, guys. Be careful." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The battle was joined, and Odin proved to be as fierce an opponent as they had ever faced. Kyle quickly moved in to face the Guardian in hand-to-hand combat, their weapons clashing as they each lunged and stabbed, trying to score a direct hit. Odin grinned madly as they danced, the tip of his spear already red with the Dragoon's blood. While Marcine stood from afar, casting healing and protective spells, Mika scampered along the outskirts of the room, pelting the huge warrior with bombs whenever she had a clean shot. But it was more than just a physical combat. Several times Odin channeled the power he carried through the Mask, directing it into destructive waves of magic against his opponents. Thunder and wind were most prevalent, but he also directed magic-sapping Moon energy at Marcine, and filled the air with virulent diseases, the province of Wood's natural magic. As the latest choking cloud faded, Kyle found his reactions slowed and his health rapidly diminishing. Mika scowled angrily. "That's just playing dirty!" She quickly opened her satchel, her hands blurring through the air as she selected components and mixed them together with expert skill. She took a quick sip of the completed tonic, made a face, then loaded it into her launcher and aimed at Kyle. "Heads up!" He looked at her in surprise as she fired, raising his arm instinctively to protect his face; the bottle shattered against his armor, and a fine mist surrounded him. Taking a breath of the foul potion, he coughed... but then felt immeasurably better as the sickness caused by Odin's spell left him. The Guardian frowned in annoyance, gathering both light and dark green energy around his gauntlet. "Miasma Breeze!" Another wave of putrid gasses washed over Kyle, but Mika's vaccine had done its job well, protecting him from the noxious fumes. Sensing Odin's hesitation, Kyle took the opportunity to leap into the air, engaging his Boost Armor. As the Guardian lifted his head to follow the Dragoon's erratic progress, Marcine closed her eyes, chanting rapidly. "Ice from beyond the stars, heed gravity's call and shake the earth! Comet!" Hearing this, Odin lunged to the side, but not quite far enough to escape Marcine's spell; the huge sphere of ice materialized above him and slammed into the ground, splintering the stones beneath him and battering the Guardian with a shockwave of force. Moments later, as Odin regained his footing, Kyle swooped downward upon him, his spear driving through his opponent's armor and stabbing deep into his shoulder. With a snarl, Odin kicked Kyle away and rolled to his feet, his spear held out before him. "Very clever," he growled, "but-" "Dark Matter!" He didn't even have time to dodge; Mika's potions collided at his feet, creating a tremendous explosion that hurled him through the air. He struck the ground heavily, smoke rising from his armor, then slowly pushed himself up. "Impressive," he said, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "The first round goes to you." And then he stood up, and four more gems appeared on the Mask's surface - one fiery red, one bright as the sun, one amber as rich earth, and one black as darkest shadow. He smiled cruelly. "One," he said, "is all you get." New power flowed into him, and he *changed*... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "Hey! *Hey*! Wake up, you!" ...so tired... "Yeah, cry me a river. Wake *up*!" ...must rest... "Oh, for crying out loud... The world's in danger, your girlfriend's risking her neck, and you wanna take a nap?" ...Marcine? The voice sounded sarcastic, mimicking his thoughts. "'Marcine?' *Yes*, Marcine. So wake *up* already - I sure as hell don't plan on letting you die down here. There's no telling *what* would happen to me." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Slowly Davin opened his eyes, and was immediately aware of the dull wet pain in his side. Siegvin's attack had come within inches of killing him outright; only his armor and the toughness born of long periods of heroism had saved him. That didn't make it pleasant, however, and indescribable pain shot through him if he moved too much. Trying to minimize his actions, he slowly reached to his belt, fumbling for one of Mika's high-quality potions. She didn't like making them, as they were expensive and smelled horrible, but they were among the most effective concoctions she could create. He carefully opened the bottle, drinking deeply; a few seconds later his wound began to close, the pain quickly fading. When he judged that it was safe to move, Davin sat up, taking in his surroundings. He seemed to be in some kind of darkened chamber, the walls strangely wet and organic. A weak red light was the only illumination, and dark shadows flickered in every corner. He stood, stumbling slightly as he did so; he was still somewhat disoriented. There was no sign of his companions, or anything moving for that matter. Still, hadn't there been someone calling him...? It must have been a dream. <...no, it wasn't.> Davin's head snapped up and he looked around. "Who's there?" There was no sound in the room, but he still heard the voice. He scowled. "I don't know who you are, but get *out* of my head!" An unpleasant suspicion started to creep over him; in response, the voice chuckled. "You're... Sylph?" "Why... *how* are you talking to me?" Davin considered this. "Enough to free yourself?" "...urgh." He looked around; there were corridors leading out in several directions, but none seemed particularly attractive. "But which way? Where am I supposed to go?" Sylph projected a moment of uncertainty into his thoughts, the mental equivalent of a shrug. Davin checked. "Right here." He waited, but when there seemed to be nothing else forthcoming Davin sighed and stepped forward into the nearest corridor. The architecture around him was unsettling to say the least, and there was a strange pulsating sound all around him... something like a heartbeat? He walked through the corridors carefully, the noise growing louder as he continued, and finally the passage opened up into a large domed chamber, at the center of which was... Davin stared, transfixed, at the figure before him. "I've been expecting you, Davin," Siegvin said. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Pure power had wrapped around Odin, concealing him behind a curtain of energy. When it lifted, it was as though someone completely different had taken his place; he stood twice as tall as a normal man, and the spear in his hand had grown proportionately. His armor was now black and red in hue, rather than iron gray, and boasted sinister decorations. These changes paled, however, in comparison to the wings that had sprouted from his back. No demon or angel's wings these, they were a lightly oily black, as though they had been stolen from a crow or raven. His eyes blazed brightly through the eyeslits of the Mask, intensifying his unearthly appearance. With a single beat of his new wings, Odin Ravensblood took to the air, hovering gently over the floor. "Now," he boomed, "let us see how you fare against a real opponent!" A trio of colored lights appeared in his hand, and he tossed them at his opponents. "Thunder Volcano!" With a shout of alarm, Kyle leapt at Marcine, pushing her out of the way as the spell sank into the ground. Immediately the stone floor rumbled, and a mound of earth rose up, glowing bright read from the heat it contained. A sudden bolt of lightning struck it from above, and the mound exploded, hurling electrically- charged lava across the chamber. Kyle screamed in pain as a large glob of the stuff struck his armor, heating it unbearably as well as shocking him. He barely had the presence of mind to cast a quick ice spell at himself, bringing his armor back down to a tolerable temperature. Having narrowly avoided the attack, Marcine recited a spell as rapidly as she dared; soon a shell of magic protection surrounded the three companions, enough to ward off the worst of Odin's attacks. But the Guardian was not to be so easily dealt with. Lights danced in his hand again, and he raised it over his head. "Dark Eclipse!" The companions tensed, but instead of damaging them directly, the spell created a miniature sun and moon over Odin's head. The two spun around each other for a moment, then despite the fact that the three warriors were standing in different places, they each saw the moon come to a stop between them and the sun... and then all became dark. Marcine stiffened, sudden fear gripping her tightly. Odin could be out there anywhere, and if he attacked now, she would have no way to defend herself... Accompanied by the beat of huge wings, Odin's laugh echoed across the room. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Drawing his sword, Davin slowly approached his enemy. While it hadn't been much of a surprise to see the fallen Sleeper, the fact that he was wearing the Mask of Slydgirag, eight shining stones adorning its surface, was enough to give him pause. Five more gems floated around him, apparently waiting to be added to the Mask. Sitting peacefully on a low stone bench, Siegvin looked much as he always had... no. There was a difference; he had an aura about him, something that made Davin very uneasy. Energy seemed to radiate invisibly from his body, a huge potential source of power that he could tap at a moment's notice... Apart from his greeting, Siegvin took no notice of Davin's presence, his gaze locked upon a pool of water in the center of the pool. The pool's surface was pitch black, making him wonder what Siegvin was looking at. "You've come at a bad time, I'm afraid," the fallen Sleeper said conversationally. "There isn't much to see at the moment." With a shrug he stood up, the Heartstones following as he took a step toward Davin. The elementalist quickly raised the point of his sword. "What's going on, Siegvin? What are you up to?" "So predictable. For your information, I'm not 'up to' anything. I don't have to be; I've already won." He stopped several paces away from Davin, his bearing almost too casual. "You don't believe me, of course. It's understandable. But believe this; I could have disposed of you at any time while you were unconscious, and I could just as easily have eliminated that slip of a girl you're so fond of." Davin glared at him, the Ashura Blade still raised defensively. "Why didn't you?" Before he could react, Siegvin was next to him, his scarlet sword against Davin's neck. "Why? I'll tell you why," he grated in a low voice. "You have been an aggravating thorn in my side for far too long, boy. Your mere existence has made my life infinitely more difficult, and it has taken far too much effort to correct the problems you have caused. Everything you have done set a stone in my path; if you had been less successful in protecting the girl, if you had not been so quick in avoiding the Church, even if you had simply gone along a different path that day in Tienne... the girl would have been killed, or petrified, or in some other way ceased to be a factor. Deprived of their precious Legacy, the Manakyr would have remained dormant; without the unsealing of the Three, the demons would have never been restored to power. I could have reached my goal quietly, collecting the Heartstones and ultimately the Mask, and no one would have been the wiser until it was too late." The blade cut into Davin's skin, drawing blood. "But you... you forced my hand. I have gone to a great deal of trouble because of your influence, and so the reason I have kept you alive... is because I plan to truly *enjoy* your death." They stood in tableau, a trickle of crimson running down Davin's neck... then Siegvin stepped away, his demeanor changing in an instant from menacing to unconcerned. "And now," he said, "we fight. That *is* the heroic tradition, isn't it? One final man-to-man combat to save the world?" Davin narrowed his eyes. "Those are the stakes, then?" "Nothing less." The fallen Sleeper drew his second sword and waited. "In that case, Siegvin... I'm happy to oblige." "I thought you would be." For a long moment there was not the slightest movement in the chamber... then, acting on an unseen signal, the two swordsmen leapt into action, the dim light reflecting off their dancing blades... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Marcine felt paralyzed in place, too afraid to move with the unseen threat of Odin out there in the darkness. She didn't even dare call out to her friends, in case... but no, that was foolish, Odin wouldn't have cast such a spell if he weren't immune to its effects. He could see; they could not. She heard a rush of air somewhere ahead of her, which was followed by a heavy thud and a grunt of expelled breath, and she realized that Odin must have just slammed into Kyle. And the Guardian was still out there, likely to attack at any moment... There was no time for that, she scolded herself. Her friends were depending on her; she had to think. Odin's spell had to have a weakness... In the middle of the chamber, Kyle rubbed his shoulder where Odin had collided heavily with him. It had just been a warning shot, the empowered Guardian toying with his prey. Kyle could hear him now, flying over the battlefield with beats of his great wings. All right, then. If he wanted to play it that way, Kyle knew a thing or two about aerial combat himself. Though it made no difference in what he was seeing, the Dragoon closed his eyes and concentrated, focusing all his attention on his sense of hearing. For a moment he could only discern the sound of wingbeats, somewhere above them. Then there was silence... and Mika shrieked in pain as Odin scored another hit. *There.* Her strained his senses, tracking Odin as he ascended once more... banking to the right, coming back around... rising... moving into a slow turn to the left... Picking his moment, Kyle engaged his Boost Armor, speeding toward the point where he would most likely intersect Odin's path. Of course, if he miscalculated he would meet the surrounding wall in a very unpleasant way... But he was rewarded with a furious howl as the tip of his spear stabbed into the unseen Guardian's body, grating against his armor before sinking deep into the flesh beneath. Odin backhanded the Dragoon, sending him to the ground, but years of training allowed him to roll with the impact, coming out of it with little more than a few bruises. At the far end of the chamber, Marcine thought quickly. It was all in the elements, she decided. Elements tended to have natural opposites, which made them less effective or completely useless. Odin's previous spell had used Thunder and Earth, which normally cancelled each other out... and it also used Fire, which Kyle was able to counter with an Ice spell. That was it; to remove the spell, she had to examine its elements. But which were involved here? Sun and Moon, obviously, and they were natural opposites... but given the darkness, the last had to be Shadow. And to counter Shadow... She raised a hand, pointing at the center of the room (more or less). "Holy!" The blinding pearlescent bolt leapt forward, cutting through the magical darkness like a knife. The two spells battled for a moment, then both abruptly dissipated, returning light to the room. Flying near the roof, Odin Ravensblood stared down at her scornfully. He opened his mouth to snarl at the young mage, but was suddenly rocked by an explosion; Mika, her face still twisted in pain from the Guardian's previous attack, had been waiting with her launcher ready for just such an opportunity. As he recovered, Kyle leapt toward him again, his spear set before him. With a flick of his wing, Odin rolled out of his way, then turned back toward Marcine... but he hadn't taken into account the fact that the Dragoon was accustomed to mid-air maneuvers. Shutting of his engines for a moment, Kyle twisted his body and reactivated them, the sudden burst of speed sending him toward Odin's unprotected back. He slammed into the Guardian, his arms wrapping around the black-feathered wings, and Odin tried angrily to dislodge him. "Now!" Kyle shouted. Marcine made a quick decision. She had to assume that Odin would be protected from the elements the Mask carried, so... "Tri-Ice!" Huge shards of ice leapt from her hand, finding their way unerringly into the Guardian's chest. Kyle pushed away as Odin fell stricken to the ground, where another shot from Mika's cannon added insult to injury. Kyle landed nearby, watching Odin for any sign of activity, but the Guardian lay motionless. For a long moment, it seemed that the battle was over... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The ring of metal upon metal and the stamp of feet were the only sound in the underground chamber, the two warriors fighting for all their worth. Neither resorted to special techniques; they both understood that this was a battle of skill, and skill alone. Nevertheless, Davin could sense that his foe wasn't fighting at his best for some reason, and he frowned. "What's wrong, Siegvin? You're distracted." The fallen Sleeper chuckled, parrying a thrust. "I'm sorry, but I *do* have other guests. You'll excuse me if I try to be a proper host, even if I must divide my attention between you." He swung at Davin, who narrowly managed to step back at time. "The others are here? Where?" "Far away, boy. Worry about yourself first." The swordsmen fought on, breath becoming difficult in the cold, dank air of the chamber, only the occasional grazing wound striking home. "I still don't know," Siegvin said between swings, "how one mere human has managed to cause me so much difficulty. What is it about you, boy? How did you manage to be in the right place at the right time so often? What ties you to the Legacy?" Sylph said from within his mind. Outwardly, Davin just shrugged. "Fate, I guess." Siegvin frowned. "Fate. A tool used by the likes of Darovan to sway the masses. I believe in more tangible-" He stopped short, and Davin paused a few steps away, watching him warily. "It seems," the Sleeper said, "your companions are more resourceful than I expected. They are actually managing to cause me some inconvenience." Davin smirked. "Good." "Still," Siegvin continued as though he hadn't heard, "there's a simple remedy for that. I'd hoped not to resort to this, but at least I can take comfort in knowing that for once, and for the last time, I've been faced with a decent challenge." Four of the remaining gems began to rise toward the Mask he wore, and with a horrible realization Davin leapt, trying to catch them before they reached their destination... but Siegvin repulsed him with an almost casual wave of force, and the gems melded into the surface of the Mask. The fallen Sleeper stood still as a bright aura flared across his body, glowing with light that flickered from white to gray, to two shades of blue. When the aura finally faded, he looked renewed, energy seeming to rise from every pore. He smiled to himself, staring into the surface of the pool. "Let's see how they fare against *that*..." With a scream of rage, Davin launched himself desperately at Siegvin, his sword raised high. The Sleeper made no move to turn as Davin sped toward him, only looking up at the last moment. There was a sudden ringing clash of metal, and the elementalist slowed to a halt a few steps beyond his foe. His demeanor relaxed, Siegvin's right arm was raised high, the black Ashura Blade in his hand... and then Davin fell to his knees, coughing up blood. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- A cold wind had picked up in the chamber, and the stone floor was instantly replaced by a snow-swept landscape, mountains and glaciers reaching as far as the eye could see. The three companions backed up nervously, staring unbelieving at the titanic entity before them. The armored figure himself was enormous, wearing jet-black armor and wielding a spear as big as a tree, and that was bad enough. What made him even more imposing was the horse he rode, which was appropriately large and wore crimson barding. Its six legs ended in fiery hooves, causing the snow underfoot to hiss and steam, and gouts of vaporous breath emerged from its nostrils. Stranger still was the warrior's companion; floating behind and above him, her expression one of desperate longing, a wraith-like silver woman wrapped her arms around the giant's neck. Marcine and Kyle had no trouble recognizing this as Il'handra, or at least a replica thereof... and it was definitely Il'handra, rather than the twisted visage of the Night Queen. Odin Winterlord glared down at them behind the gem-studded surface of the Mask, which seemed less like an adornment now and more like part of his body. He wasted no time on words, instead simply swinging his tremendous spear in a wide arc; fierce destructive magics, of several elements combined, swept out from the tip and cut a deep gash in the ground. The companions dove out of the way, barely avoiding the deadly assault. Quickly regaining his footing, Kyle took to the air once more, pausing for a second before diving down toward the massive warrior. Odin made no attempt to block or dodge; the spear struck true, and the horseman was actually rocked back in his saddle from the impact. Kyle returned to the ground before Odin could counterattack, then looked back up at their opponent... but was dismayed to see green and yellow light play over the wound he'd caused, closing it as though it had never been. He glanced at the others. "Options?" Marcine bit her lip. "He's using almost all of the Heartstones now. I can't hurt him with an element he commands..." "Do you know which one he's left out?" "I'm... not sure what..." She stopped. "Infinity," she said with absolute certainty. "That would *have* to be the last one. But... there aren't many spells that use it... clairmancy, mostly." Her brother frowned. "Well, try to think of something while we keep him occupied." With that, he nodded at Mika, and the two resumed their attack. Odin swung his spear as they approached, and the shockwave swatted Kyle out of the air. Crashing into the side of a glacier, he slid down to land in a snowdrift; a moment later he emerged, limping slightly and favoring his right side. Mika fired bombs at the giant warrior as often as she could, but they had little effect; he was just too big, and his armor too thick, for her explosions to do much damage. Even when she managed to inflict a serious wound, the same curative magic erased her handiwork; it was frustrating, to say the least. Watching her companions battle against the Guardian, Marcine felt more than a little useless as she hid behind an ice boulder. There had to be *something* she could do... or else the battle could come to an unfortunate and final end. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "Are you all right, Davin?" Siegvin asked, false concern dripping from every syllable. "Is something the matter? Let me help you..." He kicked the elementalist, sending him sprawling to the floor. Consumed with pain from the deep chest wound, Davin reached for a potion... only to have his agony increased as Siegvin stepped on his wrist, bearing down heavily. "I don't think so," he snarled. "No last-minute heroics, no coming back from the brink of death to defeat me. This. Ends. Now." With that, he lifted the red Ashura Blade, and plunged it down into Davin's left shoulder, pinning him face-down to the floor. The elementalist thrashed in pain, struggling to escape, but the sword held him firmly in place. A moment later Siegvin repeated the motion, stabbing through the hand he had already captured. Then Siegvin knelt down, ignoring his opponent's desperate struggles and cries of pain. "I've been waiting a long time for this," he said softly. "I told you I would enjoy this, and I'll enjoy what happens next even more. You'll be the first to die when I reach my full power... and Sylph will be the first Guardian whose energy I shall reclaim." He nodded as Davin twisted to look up at him. "Yes, brother. I know you're in there. To think that you've spent the last two thousand years in a human child, and all for nothing...! Such a tragedy." He stood and walked away, leaving Davin to writhe against the demon-cursed blades embedded in his body. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The battle was long and seemed utterly futile. No matter how much damage Kyle and Mika inflicted, it would almost instantly be repaired. Snow flew and ice shattered as Odin maneuvered his steed across the frozen wasteland, his spear stabbing at the two companions whenever they came within reach. Kneeling behind the boulder, Marcine sketched frantic designs in the snow, trying to devise something, anything that would work. Infinity was a difficult element to work with, having no complementary or opposing elements; it was a concept more than anything else, the idea of the eternal whole. Clairmancy took advantage of this, revealing information regardless of barriers in space or time, but creating an offensive effect was much harder... After watching her latest attack, Mika frowned as she noticed something. When the blast had his home, the spectre of Il'handra around Odin's neck had seemed active, her mouth moving silently... and a moment later, healing magic had wreathed Odin's wound. "That's it!" Mika turned toward the Dragoon, who had landed nearby. "Kyle! Hit Il'handra! She's the one who-" But she had taken her eyes off Odin for too long. His spear lunged forward, devastating magic surrounding its tip, and slammed into the ground at her feet. With a scream of panic, the alchemist disappeared under a cloud of ice and snow; when it settled, there was no movement from within. "Mika!" Angrily, Kyle turned toward Odin, who was turning Sleipnir around for another charge. Il'handra's shade drifted along behind him, never letting go of him. The Dragoon jumped, rising high into the cold air, his Boost engines creating a contrail of steam. Odin turned toward him impassively, waiting for his next attack... then Kyle dove, feeling the familiar energy run down the length of his arm and imbue his spear with force. "GROUND ZERO!" The giant warrior seemed to realize his target and moved to intercept, but he was a fraction of a second too late. Kyle's spear sliced into the spectre's body, stabbing into her core before its energy exploded in a concussive blast. The explosion caused some damage to Odin himself, but it utterly devastated Il'handra's shade. She was thrown from him, tumbling to the ground far below and landing heavily. Reaching for Odin one last time, she collapsed, her body evaporating like morning mist. Odin roared in anger, and before Kyle could recover from his attack the titan had snatched him up in one enormous hand, squeezing the Dragoon painfully. Kyle grit his teeth and tried to escape, but to no avail. Bringing his hand up to eye level, Odin stared at the struggling Dragoon for a long, tense moment... then brought his hand down in a quick motion, hurling him violently into the ground. In the brief moments before he passed out, Kyle distinctly felt bones cracking... Looking about himself, Odin nodded in satisfaction. Despite the loss of his protection, he had emerged victorious. All his opponents were dead... "Unimagined power, breath of a thousand stars..." All but one. "Born of light and shadow, balanced between sun and moon..." He turned slowly to see his ultimate target, the only possible stumbling block remaining before him, the girl he had been hunting for far too long... just standing there. "Thunder and wind surround me. Fire and earth consume me. Water and ice renew me." She spoke slowly, hesitantly, as if unsure of what she was saying. The giant warrior urged his mount forward, leveling his spear at the girl in preparation for a final, deadly charge. "By the power of life beyond death and time beyond time," she shouted, "transcend your chains and unleash your infinite fury!" Sleipnir quickly covered the ground toward their target, and Odin set his face in an expression of grim anticipation... Then Marcine lifted her hands toward him, using every last ounce of willpower she had to keep from diving out of the way. "ULTIMA!" -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- It was not a ray, or an explosion, or a crude blast of power. It was a spiraling, destructive vortex, pure energy drawn from the limitless depths of space. Odin felt himself being ripped apart by the interstellar void, battered by the impact of planets and asteroids, crushed under the weight of suns. His body became caught between two black holes, the conflicting gravity fields all but pulling him apart, and indescribable pain overwhelmed him as a nebula scoured what remained of his skin. Finally, after what seemed like a million years of punishment, the power of Ultima faded, and Odin and his steed fell to the snow in a motionless heap. A moment later Marcine fell as well, dropping to her knees as fatigue and relief washed over her. She... she had done it. Despite everything... everything that had happened... Unable to contain it any longer, Marcine dropped her head into her hands and began to weep, the fear and terror welling out in uncontrollable sobs. She was glad that they had finally won, of course... but right then and there, she needed release. Before long, however, another thought occurred to her - Kyle and Mika were still nowhere to be seen. There would be time for tears later; right now she had an obligation to her friends. Drying her tears as best she could, Marcine got to her feet to search for them... and as she turned around, her heart jumped in her chest. His armor stripped away, hideous wounds covering his entire body, Odin was slowly standing up. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Lying in a pool of his own blood, Davin no longer had the strength to try to pull free. The long, cold blades held him firmly to the floor, and he could feel his life ebbing away with every second. So. After coming all this way, he was going to die after all... Sylph's voice was insistent and desperate in his head. Despite his pain and weakness, Davin frowned. ...shut up. I know who you are, and I don't care. *I'm* the one in charge here. Maybe, maybe not. The important thing is whether or not you can get us out of this. Well, you *are* a Guardian. You've got some of Il'handra's power; use it. There was a long pause, then: ...do you think you could stop Siegvin after that? It doesn't matter what happens to me. Could you stop Siegvin from activating the final Heartstone? <...I wish I could say yes, but he's always outclassed me, even way back when. I'm not exactly a powerhouse.> So there's nothing you can do. Me? There aren't any spirits down here, though - I've looked. But? If I don't use it, we're both dead anyway. Tell me the ritual. Sylph's mental voice was admiring. And the Guardian began to whisper the ancient words, searing them into Davin's memory. The Siegvin that Davin had fought and the Odin far above were the same, if temporarily divided entity, so the scrying pool wasn't strictly speaking necessary. Still, he did enjoy a good view. Siegvin watched with a triumphant grin as his other self moved toward Marcine, who was far too fatigued to put up the least amount of resistance. Soon, soon it would be over, and nothing would... A persistent noise at the edge of hearing caught his attention, and he turned his head to frown at the figure pinned to the floor. As he realized that the whisper was a chant of some kind, he rose to his feet in alarm... and then relaxed. The boy was at death's door; nothing he could do would have enough power to harm Siegvin in the slightest. Still. As he strolled toward Davin, the occasional word and phrase rose up to meet him: "...spirits... come to my... mountain and... vast desert... ocean..." Siegvin knelt down to lift the boy's head curiously. "...in the name of Sylph," he muttered hoarsely, "join with me in a final dance." "And what are we doing now?" Siegvin asked, looked into Davin's eyes. The elementalist smiled, blood falling from his mouth. "...Grand... Cataclysm." Siegvin frowned, puzzled... then Davin's body shuddered, and he abruptly slumped in his constraints, his muscles falling utterly limp. The fallen Sleeper waited, but that seemed to be all; he shrugged, then turned back toward the scrying pool. "Waste of time," he muttered. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The people of the world, for the most part, had no idea what was going on. Tensions were high following the events of recent weeks, and most people had adopted a kind of siege mentality, waiting to see what would happen next. And then the lights went out. Tienne had been in late afternoon when the dark shell claimed the sky, and only the actions of Guardsmen and Dragoons, gathering the populace and reassuring them, prevented citywide panic. Still, it was a near thing, and many wondered if they would ever see the sun again... But then, rising from between the very stones of Tienne, the spirits came. They lifted into the air - thousands, tens of thousands of them - emerging from every building and street of the city. Others joined them, leaving their trees and rivers, their mountains and hills, appearing from the winds and clouds themselves. Elemental spirits from all over the world rose from their ancient homes; for the first time since their creation thousands of years ago, they were united in a single purpose. It was time to return to their master. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- There were no spirits in the Worldtree crater, so the first time the companions outside knew what was going on was when, after a long period of twilight, they realized that they could actually see each other. A cloud of intense light was gathering over the tower, churning and roiling. It was made up of millions of individual particles, each moving of its own volition. More arrived every second, streaming into the swirling mass from every direction, and the cloud slowly grew in size. Pearl scratched her head as she gazed upwards. "What the *hell* is that?" "Doth it be another of Siegvin's attacks?" Stine demanded angrily. Shizuka stared at it, watching the colors dance and spin. "This one does not think so. It appears..." She hesitated, searching for the right word. "...nice." She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see the beaming face of Tharlo. "That it be, lass," he said. "That it be." The spirits within the cloud came to a decision, and a hush seemed to fall over the world... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- She was too tired. Too tired to run, to cast a spell, anything. There was no hope for her now. Gripping his spear in both hands, Odin Winterlord prepared to deliver the final blow... They arrived in a swarm, punching through the roof of the tower like a fist through glass. Millions, billions of tiny lights, each one weaker than the smallest insect but together strong enough to move mountains... Odin had barely enough time to look up before the elemental spirits smashed into him, tearing his body to pieces. The combined effect of his previous battles and this sudden onslaught proved too much; the colossal warrior was annihilated, shredded by the force of the attack. Then the spirits lunged at Marcine, and she backed up nervously... but they swirled around her, gently pulling at her hair and dress without harming her in the slightest. She reached out to touch one, but they laughed and danced away, avoiding her grasp. Finally they gathered once again, and with a single motion they dived through the floor, breaking through to the tower below. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Siegvin shook his head in disbelief. "No... no!" He whirled to face Davin's unmoving body and advanced on it, murder in his heart. "I'll-!" Then the ceiling opened up, and the elemental swarm dived straight for the fallen Sleeper. He screamed as they tore at him, but he was not as damaged as his other self; he withstood the initial impact long enough to gather his wits about him. The gems on his Mask gleamed brightly, and he struck at the spirits with waves of pure destructive force. They died by the thousands, but there were always more, always more. Finally he lost all patience, and reached for the lone stone hovering at his side. The spirits tried to block his hand, to steal the Heartstone, but he brushed them aside and took hold of the magical gem. "I will not be denied," he snarled. "Not when I'm this close!" He slammed the Heartstone of Infinity into the center niche of the Mask, and everything was suddenly engulfed in a searing white light. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The tower exploded outwards in all directions, primal fire scorching the bottom of the crater. There was no time to run; it happened before anyone knew about it. The light from the blast would be seen all across the world, bringing a brief moment of daylight to the artificial night. When it finally faded, an eerie calm settled across the crater. There was no movement or sound, apart from the spirits that were still arriving from all over the world. Confused, the tiny beings explored the scorched landscape, searching for the one that had summoned them... And then a hand broke through the ground where the tower once stood. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "Lass? Come along, lass! Ye need to wake up." Marcine opened her eyes, then winced. Every single inch of her body was hurting, and she was more tired than she had ever been in her life. She desperately wanted to fall back to sleep, but someone was prodding her insistently. "Who...?" It took her a moment to focus, then her eyes widened. "Tharlo!" His worried expression softened to one of relief. "Aye, ye'll be all right. Ye gave me quite a scare, when I saw ye lyin' under th' rocks like that." "W-what happened?" "That be what I'd like ta know. That tower you were in blew up after th' spirits went crashin' in - you're the first person I've seen since." "The spirits... Davin! Where's Davin?!" "Easy, lass, easy. I know how ye feel, but there be more important things ta consider at th' moment." He glanced over her shoulder. "Very significant things indeed." She turned, and gasped at what she saw. Where the tower had been now stood a gigantic humanoid shape, far larger than even Odin Winterlord had been. Standing at least twenty stories tall, it seemed to be made of pure energy, coruscating light glowing from every inch of its body. It seemed more like a silhouette than a creature, in fact, all details smoothed down to leave only the basic shape visible. Its appearance was that of a well-muscled man, though the horns protruding from its head denied an exact comparison. Then it happened to turn in her direction, and she saw the thirteen bright lights emanating from its forehead. Odin Allfather. "He's... he's done it," she whispered. "He's got complete control of reality. We've... lost." But Tharlo shook his head. "I dinnae think so. If he were that powerful, he wouldn't be havin' so much trouble with them." Marcine looked closer, and saw that the elemental spirits were swirling around Odin, tormenting and harrying him. He seemed to be concentrating on something, but would occasionally swipe at the spirits, forcing them to back away for a moment. "That's right..." she breathed. "He still needs to absorb the other Guardians before he can... but what can we do now? Nothing we can do could possibly affect him. He's-" "Nae, lass. Nae. There be *one* thing." And he held out a familiar tome, and she took it hesitantly; Clea's journal. She stared at it for a long moment. "I... don't know if..." Tharlo raised a bushy eyebrow. "All th' pieces be in place, aye? Th' Mask be there, and Siegvin has graciously put th' Heartstones where they should be. And th' souls of th' Knights will be called where ever they may be, so that they will form th' walls o' th' seal." "But... I need Il'handra's power, and Siegvin controls it all..." The dwarf frowned thoughtfully, then pointed at the cloud around Odin. "*There* be yer power, lass," he said. "Each o' those spirits has a tiny fraction o' Sylph's power. With all o' them ready ta fight, ye can borrow that power ta create the seal." She looked down. "There's still the matter of the last component. A willing soul." There was a pause, then Tharlo laid a hand on her shoulder. "That be why I'm here, lass." She stared up at him in shock. "I never expected ta survive this little jaunt. This old dwarf's had a long, full life, and instead of ending my days goin' over minin' schedules and smeltin' ore, I wanted ta go down swingin', just like th' old days. If my soul can put an end to th' likes of Odin... well, then I can die happy." "Tharlo..." His expression became stern. "There be no time ta argue, lass. Get to readin'." Marcine hesitated a moment longer, then suddenly threw her arms around the dwarf, hugging him tightly. He patted her back awkwardly, then she pulled away and wiped her eyes. "All right." She stood up and faced Odin, Tharlo taking a bodyguard position before her. Opening the journal to the page she had marked in advance, she began to read... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Odin Allfather was not yet in complete control of his new power. It took time and concentration to attune himself to the raw energy of Il'handra... and these accursed insects would not leave him alone! He destroyed them as he could, but they kept pouring in from all corners of the world. Well, let them. Not even they could stop him from- He felt a sudden pull, a tightness around him, coming from somewhere very close indeed. He turned toward the source, and saw two tiny figures... one of whom immediately caught his attention. Burning with rage, he stepped toward her, ignoring the gnats that still swarmed about him. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Far away, in Tienne, someone else felt a tug as well... and they accepted it willingly. "It's time," Lumina said. Cid, speaking with a ranking Dragoon about the situation, looked up sharply. "You mean...?" She nodded, smiling. "At last, Clea's final spell is being cast." She began to visibly fade, her skin blending into the surrounding wall. The monk sighed. "It won't be the same without you." Though she was almost transparent, he could still make out her grin and wink. "You'll just have to find another little girl to lust after, you dirty old man." Cid chuckled despite himself, and then she was gone. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ivan stared at the lake of fire for a long moment, sorrow and regret in his eyes. He'd prevented this place from overwhelming the villages above for a long time... but he could no longer provide that protection. He sighed. There was no choice; he couldn't stay. For the greater good, he- "Why so glum, brother?" He looked up sharply; before him stood two armored figures, his armor the color of deepest ocean, and hers a lighter, paler blue. They were both slightly translucent, but at the same time manifestly there. Ivan began to smile. "Shale... Brunhilde..." With a gesture, Brunhilde covered the lava with ice, sending up huge gouts of steam; Shale followed this with a river of clear water, completing the cooling process. Shale nodded at him. "That should do, I think. The lava will find other outlets." The Knight of Fire hesitated. "But what if it doesn't? Or...?" "If that happens," Brunhilde replied softly, "then it happens. It's out of our hands now." Ivan nodded, and the three slowly faded from view. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- He entered the cave silently, unseen. The collected guardians never knew he was there. Flowing easily through the caverns, he approached his target, quietly meditating in the final chamber. Surrounding the old man in a pillar of darkness, he reached out a sword-like appendage. "geeeennnnjjiiii..." he moaned. "iiii cooome for yooooouuuuuu..." The wizened old man didn't even open his eyes. "Very funny, Gawain. I felt the call, just as you did." The shadow laughed. "you never diiid have a seeeense of huuumor, geeeenjiii." "Perhaps it's just a bit more sophisticated than yours." He stood, looking around at his home of the past two millennia one final time. "All right, let's go. It will be good to see our old friends again, won't it?" "yeeesssss..." Light and darkness faded from the cave, leaving only emptiness. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- This was not a place, but a memory. Broken and battered, tears rolled down her face and she gripped her sides in abject sorrow. Everything she had ever believed had been shattered, her trust laid to ruin. Even when she felt the pull, she didn't dare respond, her shame and grief locking her in misery... She felt their presence around them, but didn't, couldn't look up. "Go away," she sobbed. "I'm not worthy." "It's all right," one of them said. "No! It can't be all right! I... I betrayed Clea. I betrayed you all." "Yes." "I ruined everything." "Yes. But now you can make it better." "No... no, you can't possibly forgive what I've done. I did it because I... I..." And a gentle hand cupped her chin, and Madonna looked up into the gentle eyes of Gilgamesh. "Because you were in love. I know." She looked away, uncertain, then turned back toward him. "I... I want to make amends, but..." "Shh. They'll understand. Come, Madonna; we have a job to do." She nodded, and the spirits of the fallen Knights moved on, going to where they were needed. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Though it would do absolutely no good against the enormous figure that slowly approached, Tharlo gripped his axe tightly. "Lass," he said urgently, "ye might want ta read a bit faster." Marcine never lifted her gaze from the book, the words pouring from her mouth in a constant stream, but she was acutely aware of the pounding vibrations that shook the ledge she and the dwarf stood on. She didn't need Tharlo's urgent warning to know that Odin was approaching. But there was no way to speed up the process. The spell had taken hold of her, and she had to follow it through at its own pace. Finally Odin stood over the ledge, his eyes black as pitch below the shimmering gems... and with a deceptively slow swing, he brought his hand down across the ledge, cleaving away a large part of it with his fingertips. The blow narrowly missed Marcine, but Tharlo was caught in the middle of it; with a bellow of pain, the dwarf was sent tumbling down the bowl of the crater. It was unlikely that he would reach the bottom alive, let alone conscious. Odin Allfather glared down at the minuscule figure, watching it tremble as it continued to chant, then formed his hand into a fist and brought it down toward the girl, intending to pound her to jelly. It never got there. As his fist descended, a sphere of glowing runes appeared around Marcine. They sparked and shuddered, wavering under the force of his strike, but remained in place. Odin's eyes grew wide. If the girl hadn't cast the Runic Barrier, then... As though in response to his thoughts, three figures appeared, equidistant around the sphere. Shiva hovered on a spray of ice, her arms spread wide. Ramuh stood on a cloud, raising his staff above his head. And Ifrit floated on a platform of fire, his arms crossed before him. "Well met, 'little brother'," the God of Courage called. "We can't allow you to do this, Odin," Wisdom said firmly. "You have no right." "It's time to put an end to things." She nodded at her siblings. "Shall we?" Ramuh sighed. "I suppose we must..." There was a thunderous snap as Ifrit cracked his knuckles. "Just like old times." The Three Gods rose to do battle with infinite power, as they had so long ago. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Marcine continued to chant, but her mind was racing desperately. The spell could not be stopped, she knew that... and when it ended, it would also demand its price. There was no choice. She tried to calm herself. She had suspected this would happen... and it was for the best of causes after all. Besides, with Davin gone... The spell rolled forward, heading toward its inevitable conclusion. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- He floated in an endless ocean, his pain and fatigue replaced by a comforting numbness. He knew that not very long ago there were things that had been quite important to him, but he couldn't be bothered to worry about them now. All he wanted to do was rest... ...so tired... <...oh, we are SO not going through that again! Come on, you little bastards! Get your butts in gear! Sun Bath! Ice Rabbit! Hup hup hup!> Davin frowned as he sensed activity around him... then suddenly a powerful wave of healing magic slammed into him, instantly curing his grievous wounds and washing away his fatigue so completely that he felt as though he'd just drunk a bottle of Mika's most potent bomb mixture. He jumped to his feet, blinking rapidly. Elemental spirits swarmed around him, pouring more magic into his body. "Whoa! Okay! I'm up, I'm up!" "What's wrong?" He rubbed his eyes. "Jeez, *warn* a guy next time before you-" Davin considered this. "Good." "WHAT?!" The ground shook, and Davin turned to look toward the source. He had little difficulty in guessing the identity of the gargantuan figure who seemed to be battling three all too familiar Guardians near the edge of the crater. Davin reached for his sword, but only grasped empty air; he remembered that it had fallen from his grip during the fight with Siegvin. "I need a weapon," he said firmly. There was a disturbance in the swarm of spirits, then one by one they dragged the six Ashura Blades from the rubble. "What does that mean, anyway? I've heard people talking about it, but-" Davin nodded. "Okay, then. Tell me what to do." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- He held out his hand, the spirits whirling around him as he concentrated. The first sword, his own silver blade, was brought into his grasp. Sylph whispered almost reverently. Another blade was carried to him, sapphire in hue, and he kept his thoughts calm as it was also placed in his outstretched hand, the two swords overlapping for a brief moment before melting together. Think of them as one sword, Sylph had said, because that's what they are. Don't let the fact that it's in six different places distract you. Siegvin's two blades were brought to him, black then red. The emerald sword that had been the Ashura Lance was next. The power in his hand was almost unbearable, and he grit his teeth in a desperate attempt to hold on. Finally the last blade, Madonna's golden sword, was placed in his grasp. The final sword melded with its brothers, and the sheer power that emanated from the combined blade forced Davin to either grip it with both hands or allow it to drop, a possibility that he instinctively felt would be disastrous. The sword suddenly flashed with a blinding light, and as Davin wrenched it to the vertical a column of pure white energy leapt from its tip, screaming up into the heavens themselves. There was a momentary sense of darkness around the blade, the last vestiges of the curse it had carried, but this was quickly burned away by the sheer power involved. Finally the light faded, and Davin lowered the sword to get a better look at it. The change had been dramatic - rather than the slim, precise weapon that it had been when separated, the sword was now a thick-bladed monster, at least four feet long and a foot thick. It was curved, but it was a more extreme arc than the blades had been, resembling a scimitar more than anything else. The inside curve of the blade bore a series of serrations, each tipped with a tiny ruby. He made a few practice swings; the sword glowed as it cut through the air, leaving a visible trail. Sylph said, his voice tinged with awe. Davin stared at the sword a moment longer, then looked up at Odin. The ascended Guardian couldn't possibly have missed that light show... but he was too preoccupied with battling the Three and trying to get to Marcine to do anything about it. his passenger shouted. He sprinted toward the gigantic figure, still followed by adoring spirits. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The Three Gods swooped around Odin Allfather, driving him away from the Legacy, but their strength was waning. When they had fought Emhara, their foe had been confused and uncertain, wanting their love more than she wanted to defeat them. This was clearly not the case here; Odin wanted them dead, or at least weak enough to no longer present a problem for him. Then they saw the multicolored cloud approach, and each one knew what would happen next. Shiva told her siblings telepathically. Ifrit replied, though he too seemed unsettled. Ramuh said nothing, which was often the course of wisdom. The Three Gods relaxed their efforts, waiting for what was to come... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Davin reached Odin as he turned back toward Marcine, Naegling clutched in his hand. The spirits still circling the giant sped down to meet him, obscuring his surroundings in a prismatic haze. "I need to get up to his level," Davin shouted. Before Davin knew what was happening, spirits had torn away his shirt then leapt onto him en masse. They linked their arms and bodies, forming a living harness around him. He shouted at them, telling them to stop... Then more spirits joined the group, and two large shapes began to form on Davin's back. He craned his neck, trying to get a good look at what they were doing... and when he finally did, he was stunned. They were wings. Moving of their own volition, the tremendous multicolored wings bore him aloft, bearing him upwards parallel to Odin's massive form. He panicked at first, but found that the spirits moved the way he wanted him to; he was in complete control. Reassured, he flew toward his goal, the wind streaming past him, and he wondered if this was how Kyle felt... As he neared the top, he saw that Odin was hammering the Runic Barrier even harder now, his fists rising and falling even more quickly. He was getting desperate. Which could only mean... Sylph caught his attention, and his mental voice was decidedly nervous. Davin didn't reply. ...are you absolutely positive Naegling will kill him in one shot? I thought so. There's no time to risk it. He nodded, then flew in between Odin's shoulderblades. The giant was bringing back his arms, ready for another overhand smash... Okay. This was it. Taking a deep breath, he readied Naegling before him. "Great spirits beyond, grant me the power to destroy those who stand in our way! HOLY BLADE!" He slashed, and a blinding arc of energy extended across Odin's back, far larger than the blade itself could have made. Even after the sword itself faded, the wound continued to glow with a searing white fire. Odin screamed in pain, reflexively trying to twist away, but Davin stayed with him, moving Naegling to the other side of his body. "Sway forth to the beat of murder! SLAY!" Another slash of energy, this one so black it hurt the eyes, crossed the first wound on Odin's back. Where they met, light and dark energy whirled and conflicted, building into a maelstrom of destruction. Davin hovered before this spot, pulling back his weapon for a final thrust... The skin above the wound shifted and morphed, taking the all-too-familiar appearance of a masked face. It stared at Davin, then twisted into a hideous expression of rage. "YOU FOOL!" it shouted. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" "It's called being a willing sacrifice, Siegvin!" he shouted. "You and I are going to be spending a long time together!" "NOOOOOO!" The words came to him easily, as if he'd always known him. "Light and darkness, holy and shadow, scorned and beloved, unite in my hand and bring final peace to the pariah!" Naegling screamed with power as he thrust it home. "ETERNAL SOLACE!" The energy built in Odin's wounds exploded, light and dark bands of energy leaping out to encircle his body and sear his flesh. His scream could be heard for hundred of miles, and he stood paralyzed as the intense power poured living fire into his limbs... Struggling to hold on, Davin closed his eyes. ...goodbye, Marcine... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The last word of the spell was said, and the book fell from her hands. She was getting used to the fatigue; now she only felt like she could sleep for a week, rather than a year. But... why was she still alive? She looked up at Odin, saw the translucent figures of the Knights as they floated closer to his struggling form, and tried to remember what had happened. Her body had been growing cold as she neared the end of the spell, a fact that she took to mean that it was getting ready to take her soul... but then the feeling had vanished, as though it had found... ...another, more willing sacrifice. <...goodbye, Marcine...> Marcine stared a moment longer, then hurried off the ledge and toward Odin, heedless of her own safety. "No... NOOO!" -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- A hush settled across the crater as the Knights of the Round moved into position. The seals were in place; now there was just one thing remaining. Gaia took the lead, of course, showing what it needed to be and how it needed to grow. Genji and Gawain told it about the difference between light and dark, while Kirin gave it the time it needed to develop. Johannes bestowed life- giving sun, and Lumina showed it the joys of moonlight through its leaves. Madonna rustled its branches tenderly, Percival enriched the earth around its roots, and Shale watered the soil. Ivan, Thor, and Brunhilde gave it their protection, so neither fire nor storm nor freezing snow could harm it. And always, always Gilgamesh brought the other twelve together, creating unity where otherwise there might only be chaos. It would grow quickly over the next few months, but though it would never be the size of its predecessor, the Soultree would always be, now and forever, greater than the sum of its parts. The Knights looked upon their work with the satisfaction of a job well done, and their reunion was a thing of sadness and joy. And then, with a certain amount of relief, they continued on to their final reward. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- She knew it was too late even as she reached her goal, but she couldn't help herself. Marcine stopped at the trunk of the Soultree, her mind blank as she watched its branches sprout and grow. Tears rolling down her cheeks, she shook her head as she stepped forward. "No... no, it can't be..." The bark was smooth to her touch, and oddly warm. "No..." She threw back her head, screaming to the heavens. "DAVIIIIN!"