Fan Fiction ❯ Destiny ❯ The Price That Must be Paid ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5

The Price That Must be Paid

Duncan

I stood with Glenn in the single room of the house. It was like in my dream. The four brick walls with the doorway. I knew that on the other side of the black doorway stood the Reaper. Of course, had I come here a few days earlier, I would only have felt the sense of evil. Now, the dread I was expecting was anticipation. Here laid the way to my redemption. All I had to do was walk trough. I looked at the door behind me by which we had entered. It was tempting. I might die if I cross the doorway, never to see Kid again. But there was also the chance that I might improve the future of our world, of Kid. I walked trough. I was blind for half a minute. When I opened my eyes I saw Glenn walked trough solid rock. We were in a cave. On the walls stood small lamps, giving the shadows life. I looked around and saw that only one thing decorated this cavernous room. An armchair made of a pearly material. On it sat a very old man. But a knew at one that he was Reaper. He was finely dressed, as if he was a king. His hair was the lightest shade of blue. I was certain they had been darker when he was younger. He looked like he had not eaten for a few days, his skin, although with very wrinkles, seemed to hang a little from bones. His eyes however belong to a much younger man. An intense blue filled with life and, mostly, hatred. I then noticed the silver band across his forehead and a necklace of the same material. He stood up. He radiated power like no one I had seen before. "Who are you, fools? Why have you come to your death?" he said. I was speechless and so was Glenn. " What? No noble motives? No greed? No . . ." His face distorted with pain. "Help me, destroy these silvery device that make me do FATE's bidding." he said in a tortured voice. Then he regained his composure. "The black wind howls" he said grimly. Then he attacked. A scythe flew to his hands and he slashed at Duncan. The Masamune blocked the blow. Glenn knew that Duncan WAS Destiny, but apparently he couldn't step aside while his friend was under attack. Duncan unsheathed his daggers, two on one, it could not be as hard as everyone had thought. But then he realized how a single person had push away an entire nation. He threw black flames at them. Not an element, but true flames. I dodged and so did Glenn. An instant later I cursed. Daggers would not do much more then get him killed. He grabbed the short sword at his side and attack with Glenn. I was not as good as Glenn with the sword, but I was good enough to attack Reaper. Glenn was better and soon it was a sword fight to remember. I had to step out to avoid being cut in pieces. Glenn attacked with both weapons, gold and silver melting in a deadly dance with the iron darkness of Reaper's scythe. Glenn blocked and counterattacked with all of his skills. I knew how to recognize talent when I saw it. Qualifying Glenn as the best swordsman I ever met would be an understatement. I feared to break his concentration. Reaper walked back a few steps and raised his hand toward Glenn and black bolt shot from his hand. It hit Glenn in the middle of his torso and he flew across the room. "You have more skills then I ever saw swordsman, but skill alone can not defeat me." Reaper said. He seemed to have forgotten me and I charge. I jumped to hit his back, distract him to save Glenn, but he turned far quicker then could be expected from someone his age and I felt the curved blade stab me trough. I felt the pain exploding in my mid-section.

Glenn

Just as the shock of being sent flying across a room start to fade a bigger one awaited me. Duncan charging Reaper, to distract him perhaps, or trying to do what he had come here to do. I would never know. The wound he suffered was lethal. He wasn't dead yet, but it was simply a matter of time. His face wore pain. But he pulled on the weapon and got closer to his murderer. Then he let his dagger fall and grabbed the necklace, as soon as it touched it, the silvery device disintegrate. Then Reaper's expression change. He grabbed Duncan's hand and put it on the silver crown he was wearing and it deteriorated into nothing. Then they both fall on the ground. I ran at Duncan's side and felt tears coming in my eyes. I did not try to restrain them. I fell on my knee beside him. "What . . . why have you throw your life away? Why?" I asked. "I . . . I had to do it . . . you have more right to live then I do, after all the life I have taken . . . it is only fair that I must pay the ultimate price." he said weakly with a voice strained by pain. " You had so much to live for, my purpose was to destroy the Reaper, yours is yet unknown to you." I could see that even though he had accepted his own death, he was terribly saddened by it. " FOR HEAVENS SAKE! YOU HAD SO MUCH TO LIVE FOR." I yelled. I realized that the grief I felt was not for the lost of a friend, but for the lost of a brother. "What about Kid? How can I tell her that you died and I lived? That you died so I live?" I asked. I saw that he was crying to. "Do not lie to her, tell her about my past, tell her I left this world with her name on my lips, with her love wrapping me." he told me. I curse, something I had never done before. "I will tell her that you died a hero's death . . ." he cut me. " I could not have done this without you, have you not been here, I would have die without . . . without killing the Reaper. Thank you . . . my brother. " The way he said it, was a farewell, I wanted to go back in time, to go back in time and die in his place. He closed his eyes and a smile raised on his face, for the first time since I had meet him he was at peace. His lips moved and I barely hear what he said next. "Forgive me my love for I could not come back to you, forgive me Kid . . ." then his last breath escaped his lungs, with the name of his love on his lips, he died. I had never felt a grief so powerful, I doubted I ever would. I rose and sheathed my swords. Why? Did defying death, defying FATE must end with death? Was it the price that must be paid? If this was so, then I to would die one day, for my purpose was clear to me now, I had to destroy FATE, avenge my brother of arm, and stop the injustice that we would create in a distant future. Only one thing had to be done first, bringing Duncan's body back so Kid could also say her farewell. I moved to clean the blood when I saw Reaper moved. Barely at first, then he started to rise. I withdrew the Masamune and almost killed him there. The blade stopped at one inch from his throat. He spoke. "Go ahead boy, kill me, avenge your friend, I am far too weak to stop you." he said. I felt the sword quiver in my hand. I sheathed it. I could not commit heartless murder, despite the fact that he deserved it. "What is your real name Reaper?" I asked. "My name never was Reaper, Reaper was a toy of FATE. It wasn't me. Reaper is dead thanks to your friend. My body simply wasn't mine to command, I am sorry that your friend died, such a waste." he answered. I repeated my question. "You may call me Janus, it is who I use to be, a long time ago." I looked at him. The power he had seemed to have while Reaper was not a gift from FATE, it was his I realized. "You are not at fault, FATE is. FATE killed Destiny, not you." I said. His eyes became wide with shock. "This boy is Destiny?" he said. "He is not beyond hope then." I looked at him, I thought he was cruel for saying this, trying to give me false hope. " Only Lavos can destroy Destiny." he finished. Then I realized that he was indeed telling the truth. "What must I do?" I asked.

Kid

I felt it the moment he died. I was walking with Rya when I felt as if someone had ripped my heart out. I stopped dead, he was dead, Duncan was dead. My love, the person I loved more then life itself, I knew. Lynx had told me that I could feel if someone I knew died from unnatural cause. It could only be him, no one else could have hurt me this much had they died. My friend turned toward me with a worried expression on her face. "You're okay Kid?" she asked. I burst into tears. "Duncan's dead, my Duncan's dead" I whimpered. Her eyes shone with pity. "You can't know tha . . ." she started. "I know, HE IS DEAD, I FELT IT, YE DON' UNDERSTAN'." I yelled. Her face changed, this time she believed me. I don't know why, but she did. "Oh Kid, I'm so sorry, I . . . it isn't fair that . . ." I didn't hear the rest, for I heard his last words. "Forgive me my love for I could not come back to you, forgive me Kid . . ." I burst into more tears, his last word . . . my name. I needed to be alone. I needed to grieve. I spoke to him one last time, knowing he'd hear what I'd say. "I forgive ye, sorry . . . I wasn' there for ye my love." And then I felt him leave, but he left something behind, something to help me go trough this ordeal. He left me his love.

Janus

I looked at the swordsman who would have defeated me if I hadn't use magic. He looked a lot like Frog, while he was human of course. I couldn't shake the suspicion I had met him in my younger days. "What are you willing to sacrifice to bring him back." I asked. He didn't hesitate even for an instant. " I would give my life for my brother, as he did for me." he said gravely. I knew at once of whom he remembered me. Cyrius, the man who had sacrifice himself for Frog. I had saved him after defeating Lavos, unknown to Frog. "What is your name boy?" I asked. "Glenn" he answered. Surely it was coincidence. I didn't say anything. "What is it that I have to do?" I thought about it for a few moments, trying to remember how I had brought back Cyrius. Then the unforeseen attack from the hell spawns using the gate I had made to summon his soul back to his body. We'd have to be ready for this. And I needed powerful artifacts to take the backslash of the power and I told Glenn so. " You may use my swords if they are powerful enough," he said. "You do realize that they will be destroyed in the process." I asked. "I do not care, he deserves to live more then any ten artifacts you can name deserve to exist." he replied. "Very well, but first, I must rest, my powers have been weakened by such a long time in captivity. I can open a portal that will bring us anywhere in the world that you can think of, where it will be safer to open the portal. Any ideas?" I asked. "Yes, Term . . . no, actually it may be better to move him to Arni Village, no not there either . . . where would it be safe . . . I know, my quarters in Viper's Manor, I am sure that the General and Lady Riddel will not mind." he answered. I started to create the portal but he seemed to remember something. "Wait!" I let it fold over on itself. "What?" I asked aggravated. "We had come here for the Chrono Cross, to take it away from you." he said. "Well in that case, you came to late, FATE has it in its stronghold, Chronopolis." I said. Then once again I opened up the portal. He seemed to frown over something but thought the best of it. He walked trough, holding Destiny in his arms like a sleeping child. I walked behind him and closed my creation. I estimated that in four or five days I would be strong enough to bring it back. After that, I had a score to settle with FATE.

Okay I know, It's a little short but I didn't want to over do it. It is suppose to be a very touching scene. I'll try to have next chapter up ASAP. Peace.

Kid_Lackey.