Fan Fiction ❯ Trancending Death ❯ A Lord Once More ( Chapter 68 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Soulless Wanderer 
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Fantasy / Angst | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.15.2006 | Pages: 1 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 129 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Fantasy / Angst | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.15.2006 | Pages: 1 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 129 | Status: Completed
“No, because for everything you have done, I have done so much more. The deaths that I have caused, have far surpassed yours. As has the torment and sorrow that has come from those killed by my hands. You were being controlled and manipulated to do what you did. Silva changed your pattern of thought. You didn’t deserve this,” Alex replied.
“You were being controlled too! We were killed by your hands, but you had a reason to kill us. Even those innocent people that you killed while we were still your generals, their deaths should be on our hearts and not yours. We concocted lies and spread rumors so that you would kill those who we wanted dead. So we were using you. We made you kill those people, just as this other person made you kill those other people! You were being controlled my Lord, don’t you see? You don’t deserve this anguish. You don’t deserve this pain.”
“Yes, I do.” Alex could hear murmurs through the crowd. Some of their hatred for him ceased, if but only for a second.
“It’s that kind of mind set that’s going to keep you from ever getting out of this place,” a voice stated.
Alex looked up to see Baou and Rire walking toward him. Both of them held morbid grins, but they weren’t directed to him as much as they were directed toward the situation that he was in. “What do you mean by that, Baou?”
“He means that unless you remember what you’re fighting for, you’ll never get out of this,” Celine explained.
“Shut the Hell up!” Zanatos yelled. He quickly launched himself at Celine, and backhanded her. He then began to mercilessly beat her while everyone stood watching.
Without Zanatos to hold him still, Alex tried to lunge at him. “Leave her alone!” Despite Alex’s struggling, he soon realized that he was bound by chains and unable to move at all.
“What the Hell, when did these get here?” Alex asked, struggling against the chains, but able to make no leeway.
“Those chains first appeared there when you let the souls of the dead haunt your soul. You’ve been weighed down by so much grief over our actions, that you’ve lost touch with what’s really important. Sure, these deaths are tragic and yes much sorrow has been created because of them, but that’s not the big picture here. The big picture, is the fact that we all died by your hands, but those that you killed under your own free will, without being manipulated by someone...those people deserved to die in one way or another. The big picture, is that those who controlled you into killing innocent people, you killed. Now, you need to kill the one who controlled you and made you kill us, but to do that, you need your resolve again. You need the resolve to fight and to kill once again, because right now you don’t have it in you to take another life, no matter how much you may want it, you won’t be able to do it,” Rire stated.
Alex wasn’t fully able to comprehend all that Rire was telling him. His words were unclear, due to the pounding sensation in Alex’s head, and the fact that he was trying hard not to pass out from the pain. Still he managed to look at Celine who was still getting beat up. “Why...why isn’t anyone helping her?” Alex asked hazily.
“Because, only you can help her. Only you can help any of us. But you won’t be of help to anyone unless you find your resolve and your backbone, and remember what made you so strong even when you didn’t have any of your powers,” Rire told him.
Alex tried to recall where he had heard something like that before, but despite his best efforts he couldn’t focus on anything else besides the pain. “What...what do you mean? How can I end this pain? I don’t understand. You hate me, why would you help me?”
“Don’t tell me you forgot everything we did for you! How could you say we hate you after all that? We died for you, Alex. We died for you and we died for that woman that you’ve killed for and that you’re willing to die for just to see. Don’t you remember when we first came to you in the cave? We were there then trying to help you,” Baou stated. He was somewhat shocked that Alex hadn’t realized this by now.
“Trying to help me? But...you were doing the same thing you are now. You were trying to torment me, because I am the one that killed you.”
“Man, you are thickheaded! We weren’t trying to torture you, at least...not in the way you think we were. We were trying to prepare you for this! We were trying to warn you and tell you what you would need to beat this. You have no idea what is out there waiting for you, but we do. It is because of that, that we want to help you in anyway possible. Look at us, Alex. Take a good hard look at us. Do you see any sign of hatred in our faces? Any signs of the hatred that you believe we hold against you?”
Alex stopped for a moment and considered what Baou said. He looked from face to face of everyone there, with the exception of his former generals and Scion, he couldn’t see a single trace of hatred among their faces. He saw sadness, he saw pain, and he saw tragedy. What he did not see, however, was hatred or anger. “How can this be?”
Alex then felt something besides pain. Something, or rather someone, was pulling on his right arm. When he looked, he saw tiny Cherish, trying her hardest to break the chains that held Alex. “Come on mister. We’re not mad at ya, we just want to help you so that you can help us. We can’t do this alone, mister. We need your help to avenge us. Come on mister, can’t you remember what made you so strong? If you did, then you’d be able to help us,” Cherish said in a voice that nearly shattered Alex’s heart all over again.
Alex looked at the girl with eyes that glistened with tears. “I don’t know. I can’t remember...all I feel is pain.”
“Shut that little girl up, along with the others,” Scion yelled. Silva switched places with Zanatos, and he then began to smash his fist into Celine. Gigas went after Rire, Zanatos after Baou, and Scion himself went up and yanked Cherish off of Alex’s chains. He threw her to the ground and began kicking her.
“Let her go!”
“Like you can really do anything about it. You’re too busy wallowing in your own self pity, to even begin to see those that really need your help,” Scion said as he continued his merciless beating of the poor child.
Alex’s eyes widened in horror as he watched people who tried only to help him, get beat up for standing up for him. Each one, through some act or some deed, had proven themselves to be his friends. Even Celine, whom at one point he wanted to kill, he could harbor no hate against her. Why can’t I help them? These chains that are binding me are caused by my own doubt and by my lack of will. What made me strong? What made me fight for so long...even when I didn’t have my full powers? What made me gain control over my Devil Armor and then lose control of it once more?
As Alex watched his friend get beaten to a pulp, several images flashed through his mind. He remembered several occasions where he threw himself into harms way, just to protect someone. He remembered his very first encounter with Kiba, one that set in motion everything that had conspired from that point. Such as the time he took on the wraiths to save the clerics. He then remembered the time when he used the spell to save his castle and his men, even at the cost of his own personal health. He remembered when he spared Baou’s life, and in return gained a lifelong friend. He remembered saving the elves from being Zanatos’s prisoners. He also remembered sparing Aurora, and then later saving her from certain death.
Among all these memories of his deeds, certain memories stood out even more. Alex remembered the first time he met Brittany. He remembered even as a human how he had stood up for her and took on the thugs that had tried to hurt her. He remembered fighting Zanatos at the council meeting, just to keep her safe. He remembered going to the Western Realm, despite being near death, and fighting Celine to rescue her. He remembered diving into a lake full of mere-people, and nearly getting turned into fish bait. He remembered loving her. He remembered all the joyful times they had spent together and all of their intimate moments. He then remembered when Zanatos took advantage of her, and in a blind rage Alex almost killed his own friends. He then remembered when Brittany was possessed by his powers, weakening him and almost killing her. He then remembered how he longed to be with her while he was searching for Scion after the great battle. Finally, he remembered the happiness and joy he felt when he realized he was going to be a father. Then it was followed by the heartbreak and sadness that followed him realizing that the most precious thing in his life had been robbed from him.
Alex opened his eyes after allowing these thoughts to nestle in his brain. He watched as his friends were being beaten, and in his mind he imagined Brittany being among them. He closed his eyes once more as he realized what it was that his friends had been trying to show him all along. My power, comes not from myself, but from my need to protect my friends. I didn’t care what the risk was, as long as I was protecting those I cared about, as long as they were safe I was willing to do anything. I may have been the reason for their death, but these souls are still suffering because the true person who is responsible for their deaths is still out their alive and breathing. Their souls cannot rest until he is killed. My power, my will, my resolve, it comes from my friends, but most of all...it comes from the one I love. It comes from my desire to be with you and my desire to keep you safe. Brittany, you are what makes me strong, you are what pushes me to do the impossible. I was willing to do anything to bring you back. Now it is time that I realize that I can’t do that, not if it means sacrificing the lives of others. I will see you again, but first there are some inner demons I need to take care of. Wait for me, my love.
Alex opened his eyes again, this time to see Zanatos dragging Baou’s body out in front of Alex. He sneered at Alex as he started stomping on Baou’s spine.
“Stop it Zanatos. Let him go! Let them all go!” Alex ordered in a voice much like the one he used back when he commanded the armies against Scion. Just to hear it again sent shivers down everyone’s spines.
“Shut the Hell up, my Lord,” Zanatos replied with a smirk. He dropped Baou’s body and walked up to where Alex was chained. He raised his fist, and went to punch Alex. Just as his fist was about to connect with Alex’s face, Alex’s hand ripped through the chains that bound him and grabbed Zanatos’s fist, stopping it in mid-blow.
“Now, now, that’s not the way you talk to your Lord, is it?” Alex replied with a smirk. He could feel Zanatos’s hand breaking beneath his grip.
Author's Note: Insert dramatic music....He's BAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!! Okay, this is sort of a revelation point for Alex. He's been completely consumed by the darkness, only to once again be brought back into the light. One more note...who else thinks that Alex is going to need a really good psychiatrist when this is all over.
“You were being controlled too! We were killed by your hands, but you had a reason to kill us. Even those innocent people that you killed while we were still your generals, their deaths should be on our hearts and not yours. We concocted lies and spread rumors so that you would kill those who we wanted dead. So we were using you. We made you kill those people, just as this other person made you kill those other people! You were being controlled my Lord, don’t you see? You don’t deserve this anguish. You don’t deserve this pain.”
“Yes, I do.” Alex could hear murmurs through the crowd. Some of their hatred for him ceased, if but only for a second.
“It’s that kind of mind set that’s going to keep you from ever getting out of this place,” a voice stated.
Alex looked up to see Baou and Rire walking toward him. Both of them held morbid grins, but they weren’t directed to him as much as they were directed toward the situation that he was in. “What do you mean by that, Baou?”
“He means that unless you remember what you’re fighting for, you’ll never get out of this,” Celine explained.
“Shut the Hell up!” Zanatos yelled. He quickly launched himself at Celine, and backhanded her. He then began to mercilessly beat her while everyone stood watching.
Without Zanatos to hold him still, Alex tried to lunge at him. “Leave her alone!” Despite Alex’s struggling, he soon realized that he was bound by chains and unable to move at all.
“What the Hell, when did these get here?” Alex asked, struggling against the chains, but able to make no leeway.
“Those chains first appeared there when you let the souls of the dead haunt your soul. You’ve been weighed down by so much grief over our actions, that you’ve lost touch with what’s really important. Sure, these deaths are tragic and yes much sorrow has been created because of them, but that’s not the big picture here. The big picture, is the fact that we all died by your hands, but those that you killed under your own free will, without being manipulated by someone...those people deserved to die in one way or another. The big picture, is that those who controlled you into killing innocent people, you killed. Now, you need to kill the one who controlled you and made you kill us, but to do that, you need your resolve again. You need the resolve to fight and to kill once again, because right now you don’t have it in you to take another life, no matter how much you may want it, you won’t be able to do it,” Rire stated.
Alex wasn’t fully able to comprehend all that Rire was telling him. His words were unclear, due to the pounding sensation in Alex’s head, and the fact that he was trying hard not to pass out from the pain. Still he managed to look at Celine who was still getting beat up. “Why...why isn’t anyone helping her?” Alex asked hazily.
“Because, only you can help her. Only you can help any of us. But you won’t be of help to anyone unless you find your resolve and your backbone, and remember what made you so strong even when you didn’t have any of your powers,” Rire told him.
Alex tried to recall where he had heard something like that before, but despite his best efforts he couldn’t focus on anything else besides the pain. “What...what do you mean? How can I end this pain? I don’t understand. You hate me, why would you help me?”
“Don’t tell me you forgot everything we did for you! How could you say we hate you after all that? We died for you, Alex. We died for you and we died for that woman that you’ve killed for and that you’re willing to die for just to see. Don’t you remember when we first came to you in the cave? We were there then trying to help you,” Baou stated. He was somewhat shocked that Alex hadn’t realized this by now.
“Trying to help me? But...you were doing the same thing you are now. You were trying to torment me, because I am the one that killed you.”
“Man, you are thickheaded! We weren’t trying to torture you, at least...not in the way you think we were. We were trying to prepare you for this! We were trying to warn you and tell you what you would need to beat this. You have no idea what is out there waiting for you, but we do. It is because of that, that we want to help you in anyway possible. Look at us, Alex. Take a good hard look at us. Do you see any sign of hatred in our faces? Any signs of the hatred that you believe we hold against you?”
Alex stopped for a moment and considered what Baou said. He looked from face to face of everyone there, with the exception of his former generals and Scion, he couldn’t see a single trace of hatred among their faces. He saw sadness, he saw pain, and he saw tragedy. What he did not see, however, was hatred or anger. “How can this be?”
Alex then felt something besides pain. Something, or rather someone, was pulling on his right arm. When he looked, he saw tiny Cherish, trying her hardest to break the chains that held Alex. “Come on mister. We’re not mad at ya, we just want to help you so that you can help us. We can’t do this alone, mister. We need your help to avenge us. Come on mister, can’t you remember what made you so strong? If you did, then you’d be able to help us,” Cherish said in a voice that nearly shattered Alex’s heart all over again.
Alex looked at the girl with eyes that glistened with tears. “I don’t know. I can’t remember...all I feel is pain.”
“Shut that little girl up, along with the others,” Scion yelled. Silva switched places with Zanatos, and he then began to smash his fist into Celine. Gigas went after Rire, Zanatos after Baou, and Scion himself went up and yanked Cherish off of Alex’s chains. He threw her to the ground and began kicking her.
“Let her go!”
“Like you can really do anything about it. You’re too busy wallowing in your own self pity, to even begin to see those that really need your help,” Scion said as he continued his merciless beating of the poor child.
Alex’s eyes widened in horror as he watched people who tried only to help him, get beat up for standing up for him. Each one, through some act or some deed, had proven themselves to be his friends. Even Celine, whom at one point he wanted to kill, he could harbor no hate against her. Why can’t I help them? These chains that are binding me are caused by my own doubt and by my lack of will. What made me strong? What made me fight for so long...even when I didn’t have my full powers? What made me gain control over my Devil Armor and then lose control of it once more?
As Alex watched his friend get beaten to a pulp, several images flashed through his mind. He remembered several occasions where he threw himself into harms way, just to protect someone. He remembered his very first encounter with Kiba, one that set in motion everything that had conspired from that point. Such as the time he took on the wraiths to save the clerics. He then remembered the time when he used the spell to save his castle and his men, even at the cost of his own personal health. He remembered when he spared Baou’s life, and in return gained a lifelong friend. He remembered saving the elves from being Zanatos’s prisoners. He also remembered sparing Aurora, and then later saving her from certain death.
Among all these memories of his deeds, certain memories stood out even more. Alex remembered the first time he met Brittany. He remembered even as a human how he had stood up for her and took on the thugs that had tried to hurt her. He remembered fighting Zanatos at the council meeting, just to keep her safe. He remembered going to the Western Realm, despite being near death, and fighting Celine to rescue her. He remembered diving into a lake full of mere-people, and nearly getting turned into fish bait. He remembered loving her. He remembered all the joyful times they had spent together and all of their intimate moments. He then remembered when Zanatos took advantage of her, and in a blind rage Alex almost killed his own friends. He then remembered when Brittany was possessed by his powers, weakening him and almost killing her. He then remembered how he longed to be with her while he was searching for Scion after the great battle. Finally, he remembered the happiness and joy he felt when he realized he was going to be a father. Then it was followed by the heartbreak and sadness that followed him realizing that the most precious thing in his life had been robbed from him.
Alex opened his eyes after allowing these thoughts to nestle in his brain. He watched as his friends were being beaten, and in his mind he imagined Brittany being among them. He closed his eyes once more as he realized what it was that his friends had been trying to show him all along. My power, comes not from myself, but from my need to protect my friends. I didn’t care what the risk was, as long as I was protecting those I cared about, as long as they were safe I was willing to do anything. I may have been the reason for their death, but these souls are still suffering because the true person who is responsible for their deaths is still out their alive and breathing. Their souls cannot rest until he is killed. My power, my will, my resolve, it comes from my friends, but most of all...it comes from the one I love. It comes from my desire to be with you and my desire to keep you safe. Brittany, you are what makes me strong, you are what pushes me to do the impossible. I was willing to do anything to bring you back. Now it is time that I realize that I can’t do that, not if it means sacrificing the lives of others. I will see you again, but first there are some inner demons I need to take care of. Wait for me, my love.
Alex opened his eyes again, this time to see Zanatos dragging Baou’s body out in front of Alex. He sneered at Alex as he started stomping on Baou’s spine.
“Stop it Zanatos. Let him go! Let them all go!” Alex ordered in a voice much like the one he used back when he commanded the armies against Scion. Just to hear it again sent shivers down everyone’s spines.
“Shut the Hell up, my Lord,” Zanatos replied with a smirk. He dropped Baou’s body and walked up to where Alex was chained. He raised his fist, and went to punch Alex. Just as his fist was about to connect with Alex’s face, Alex’s hand ripped through the chains that bound him and grabbed Zanatos’s fist, stopping it in mid-blow.
“Now, now, that’s not the way you talk to your Lord, is it?” Alex replied with a smirk. He could feel Zanatos’s hand breaking beneath his grip.
Author's Note: Insert dramatic music....He's BAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!! Okay, this is sort of a revelation point for Alex. He's been completely consumed by the darkness, only to once again be brought back into the light. One more note...who else thinks that Alex is going to need a really good psychiatrist when this is all over.