Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ A New Threat To Spira ❯ Checkmate ( Chapter 16 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Neon Ronin 
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.24.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 6.8K | Visits: 310 | Status: Completed
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.24.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 6.8K | Visits: 310 | Status: Completed
[A/N: I own no part of Square Enix or their creations, or any other source of inspiration. But then you've all heard this before. On with the show.]
16: Checkmate
The two-sided attack was becoming steadily worse for the Council forces. Wrathfangs were closing in from all directions, tearing their way through any obstacles, living or not. Last-second repositioning of the troops had just barely saved them from being overrun, but having dug themselves into a defensive trench of sorts, they could not change their position without risking dozens of lives. Several artillery emplacements had to be abandoned in an effort to save as many lives as possible. The cries of the wounded and the dying were overpowered only by the shrieks of glee from the fiends surrounding them. Automatic fire raked across the chests of the Wrathfangs, but for every one that fell, another took its place.
"Activate the Juggernaut! It's our only chance!" Gippal shouted over the discord and mayhem, swinging his Fiendgrinder onto his shoulder again and blasting another round into the hordes. A nearby tech nodded and punched the keys on a remote control pad frantically. Nooj turned towards Gippal as he fired more rounds into the fray. "Gippal, do you think that's a smart idea? That thing went berserk the first time you tried it at Djose!!"
"You don't think I remember that?" Gippal hollered back, chambering another round. "That's why we called it an experiment back then! We've been working the bugs out, but even if it isn't perfect, what choice do we have??"
A giant tarp-covered machina at the fringes of the Council position let out a massive groan, followed by several jets of blistering steam that burst the tarp's tie-downs and sent the canvas flying. The now uncovered machina reared its vaguely humanoid fore-section upwards, flexing its grapplers eagerly. The six armament pods mounted along the chassis swiveled into position, access ports popping open and rockets locking into place. With a shuddering rumble, the Experiment-renamed-Juggernaut began to crawl forward into the mass of fiends on a combination of tank treads and serrated barrel-sized wheels. The Wrathfangs stared at it for a second before charging towards it, attempting to claw the device to pieces. The machina spun with remarkable speed, swinging its arms downward across the chests of several fiends and ripping them to pieces. The rear pods shifted and rotated, sending a fusillade of rockets pouring out into the attackers before it. Council forces stared at the Juggernaut for a second before letting loose a euphoric cheer, followed by massive quantities of supporting fire and offensive magic. More squads of Wrathfangs and at least one Morlach began repositioning to surround the new threat, prompting the machina to activate its second set of weapon pods and fire another volley directly into a dozen fiendish faces.
"Now that's what I'm talking about!!" Gippal whooped. "Always save your best card for last!"
"We'd better see what ground we can gain before that thing runs out of ammunition," Baralai interjected, slapping an ammo clip into a nearby rifle and firing into the fray as fast as he could. The machina rotated again, this time charging directly into a squad of fiends and trampling a good number of them beneath its wheels. Its clawlike arms slashed outwards repeatedly, gouging more fiends to shreds, then folding inward as its third set of weapon pods sprang outward, rocket ports blazing. The streaks of pyreflies rising from the battlefield was growing thick as each rocket blasted another Wrathfang or set of Wrathfangs into oblivion. More fiends were clawing their way forward, ripping into the Juggernaut's armor plating as best as their claws would permit. The forward arms whipped outwards again, producing scything beams of energy that tore more of the attackers to shreds. Then something unexpected happened; two lone Wrathfangs on the fringe of the battle took to the air, arcing over the machina and then diving directly in between the weapon pods along its rear chassis. Sparks flew as the two fiends lunged into the relatively unarmored section therein, twisting an access panel open and thrusting their claws inwards. Gippal stared as smoke began to billow out of the rear of the machina and its arms flailed madly. Its tank treads spun in the mud, churning up waves of brown muck and embedding the Juggernaut firmly in position. The fiends shrieked with joy as they descended upon the now immobile machina, wrenching its arms off and jerking the weapon pods backwards into positions they were never meant to be in.
"Wha... What the hell is going on?" Gippal stammered. "This can't be right... They told me the armor was uniform over the entire assembly!" He grabbed the Fiendgrinder in a knuckle-whitening grip and switched the circular saw on, gritting his teeth. "DREC CILGC!!!" he bellowed as the fiends pulled the forward section off of the machina and resumed their advance on the troops' positions. The cheers had died quickly as men began scrambling back into their entrenched line; several Chocobo riders nearly got bucked off as their mounts became skittish and panicky. Wrathfangs began advancing once again, leering at the slowly diminishing Council forces.
[Translation: This sucks!!!]
"This doesn't look good," muttered Nooj. "If we can't hold out until Yuna and the others get back..."
LeBlanc staggered over to his side, limping slightly. "Noojie, don't say that! Of course we're going to be alright! I've hardly begun to show my full power!" She flourished her war fan boldly, but Nooj could see there was a vexed expression in her eyes.
Baralai fired the last few rounds in his gun, then tossed it aside and swung his staff into a battle stance. "Might as well give it our all from here on," he muttered. "Pray for the best, but expect the worst, guys."
"Kinda morbid, aren't ya Praetor?" asked Ormi as he wiped fiendish goo off his hands and set himself in a boxer's stance.
"Just realistic," Baralai replied in a low voice. I'm sorry, Paine... I wish I could have told you before we parted...
A low rumble echoed overhead to the North. Several soldiers looked around to try and find its source, but for the most part they were too focused on holding the line against the fiends. Swords clashed and screams both human and fiendish continued to wrack the landscape. The rumble became a low roar A rushing roar like the wind during a hurricane. Gippal glanced up. That sounds awfully familiar, he thought to himself. Nooj glanced up as well, as did several of the fiends who were charging towards their position. The roar grew louder and the clouds began to waver as a mammoth shadow loomed in the distance.
Without warning, a series of reports akin to cannon fire rumbled from within the clouds. Seconds later, dozens of rockets hurtled out of the shadows above, slamming into the massed armada of fiends with the force of a thousand hailstorms. Terrific explosions rocked the landscape as scores of Wrathfangs were engulfed and consumed by the air-to-ground assault. This time almost all the troops shot their eyes skyward, as did many of the fiends whose burning eyes had now become creased with worry. At that moment, a voice bellowed out of the clouds.
"YEEHAW!!!! Sorry I'm late, boys! Had to make some last minute pickups!!"
The troops broke out in another chorus of euphoric shouts as the unmistakable form of the Highwind broke through the clouds, its gun ports open and trained on the fiend-infested plains below. The great airship slowed its descent, leveling out until it hovered directly above the Northern sector of battle. From that angle it wasn't perfectly clear, but it appeared something was moving along the upper deck- or several dozen somethings. Along the underside of the ship, an access hatch slid open, allowing an inner hydraulic platform to descend- exposing two massive eight-barreled miniguns set in armored rotary mounts. The barrels began to spin rapidly as their gunners pulled the triggers, unleashing a stream of lead that ripped across the fiends below like two great steak knives. Fiends had already begun to scatter like flies when the two massive anchor cables fired, impaling the ground just North of the Council forces- and impaling three fiends as well. "Hope you don't mind, but I brought some friends with me!" Cid's voice boomed out of the ship speakers. The several dozen somethings atop the ship began to move in unison, diving from the deck onto the anchor cables and descending to the ground. Nooj, Baralai and Gippal could now see the somethings as being humanoid... And then they all stared. Those weren't quite humanoid, but they weren't all alike either. Some were human-sized, but with gangly and elongated arms and hands, while others were quite larger and covered with distinct blue fur. Yet they shared one thing in common- the second they hit the ground, they rushed forward in unison, tearing into the fiends before them with ferocity and coordination that made it look like they were reading each others' minds. It was a sight to behold as Guado and Ronso barreled their way through the fiends, tearing open a path to the Council troops.
"Where in the Farplane did you guys spring from?" Gippal shouted as several Ronso, including Kimahri and Garik, dashed up to them. "I thought you couldn't risk the safety of your people!"
Kimahri nodded. "Ronso alone against Malar's fiends are weak. Guado as well. But together, Kimahri sees that Ronso and Guado are strong. Stronger still with Council allies."
Garik grunted in agreement. "Quarrels with Guado pale before safety of Spira. Spira is home to Ronso as well- so today, Elder says Ronso and Guado will fight together!!"
Nooj beamed. "You sure know how to arrive at the right time."
"Kimahri knows now that Ronso cannot hide when all Spira is in danger. Ronso must fight, but not alone!!" He raised his Spirit Lance high in the air and roared as more Ronso and Guado soldiers descended from the Highwind. "FOR SPIRA!!!" he bellowed, answered in kind by the battle cries of his people, the Guado, and most of the Council troops. More gunfire erupted from the Highwind; fiends everywhere began repositioning as the revitalized soldiers were joined by the reinforcements. Ground artillery began firing again, and dropped swords were reclaimed and brandished boldly...
**************************************
Sparks flew through the air as swords clashed and bullets ricocheted off steel and stone. Tidus swung Caladbolg in a wide arc, crashing down on Malar's sword with deafening force several times, but Malar seemed to ignore the force of the blows and retaliated with a two-handed swing that sent terrific vibrations along the blade and into Tidus' arms, knocking him backwards with a stunned look on his face. Yuna's guns blazed furiously, slamming into Malar's left shoulder and arm; he glared at her and shot his left hand upwards. A cone of violet energy burst forth from his open palm, deflecting the bullets into the ground and towards the others. The cone continued to barrel forward, but at the last second Yuna flung her right hand forward, producing a convex shield of ice that caught the full force of the energy burst. Malar dropped his hand as bullets popped out of his rapidly-healing flesh, then caught sight of Paine charging in from the side. Their swords collided, then sprung apart again as Paine readied another attack. Time and again she swung, each time met by an identical strike from Malar, until the two of them stepped in to one another and locked swords, their ruby eyes glaring at one another. "This really is such a disappointment," Malar growled. "To think my own bloodline would forget and forsake their elder. Such a waste." He pushed forwards, jamming the crossguard of his sword against hers and shoving upwards. Paine tried to press back, keeping the tension on when suddenly the pressure on his side was released. He pulled away rapidly; Paine, unable to adjust in time, continued to lunge forward and started to lose her balance- then her eyes went wide as Malar drove his knee into her stomach. "You need to be taught a severe lesson, children!!"
"Sorry, jerkwad, but you just don't get it, do you!" came a shout to his right. He twisted around just in time to see Tidus step in from the right, barely a few feet from him and raising his sword high. Malar began to raise his sword to block, but instead of swinging overhead, Tidus spun around in mid-stride and delivered a massive backhand slice across Malar's back and right side. He growled in pain, then caught sight of Rikku sprinting towards him from the left, her Gun Mage sidearm glowing brilliant scarlet. She pulled the trigger and a ferocious jet of crystal-induced flame engulfed his left arm and part of his face. Paine scrambled to her feet, whipping her sword around and charging up the Air Crystal; tendrils of electricity had begun to wrap around the blade when all at once Malar let loose a terrible scream as clouds of viscous violet energy began to boil around him. His eyes shot open and he glared at the four warriors around him. His hands shot open in a bizarre gesture, and the cloud burst outwards like an explosion, tearing across the landscape and burning the skin and eyes of YTRP. Tidus and Rikku dug their heels in and managed to stay standing, but Yuna was knocked to her knees and Paine was hurled against a nearby boulder from the force of the blast. A violet glow ebbed from his eyes as the burns faded and the cuts on his body sealed shut.
"I can see that things are going to have to get a bit more serious," he growled. Grasping his sword in both hands, he uttered a quick eldritch phrase before pulling violently in both directions. A scar of white light shot along the sword from point to pommel, and with a shudder and a crack, the blade broke into two separate pieces, one in each hand. Violet light swirled and each half suddenly became whole, leaving Malar standing with two swords in his hands. Yuna glared at him, jumped to her feet and began to unleash another fusillade of bullets; this time Malar did not produce a cone of energy, but swung both blades back and forth with blinding speed, deflecting the bullets in all directions. "You'd better be careful, High Summoner!" he called in a mocking voice, still swinging. "Wouldn't want your dear friends to get hurt!" Two cries of pain echoed across the plains just then; Yuna's eyes went wide and she stopped firing. She gasped as she realized Rikku and Tidus had both caught some of those errant bullets, in the leg and shoulder respectively. Instinctively she began channeling her White Lore, casting a powerful Curaga spell over everybody. A second later, Malar was springing at her faster than the eye could follow, swinging his right-hand sword in a backhanded arc. The blade was inches away from her throat when she spun and lunged low; the blade continued through the air, screeching along her back and tearing through the upper third of her kite-tail braid. Yuna hit the ground and rolled to her right as his swords drove into the ground right next to her; she spun onto her back and thrust her right hand forward again, channeling her crystal and firing a cone of razor-sharp ice shards directly into his face.
Malar staggered back two steps, wincing and wiping the blood out of his eyes. "You ignorant girl," he growled as Yuna sprang to her feet. "You fail to see the true nature of Chaos, just as everyone else has failed!!" He jerked both swords out of the ground, channeling a dark purple-black aura around the blade in his right hand. Yuna stared for a fleeting second. The aura's coming from a point within his right forearm, she thought aloud. He DOES have the Jewel of Entropy in his bracer!! He took a step forward again, brandishing his blades forward and to the side, when a furious shriek echoed across the mist-covered plains. Malar glanced to his left, and the next second found himself desperately parrying and dodging as Rikku charged him, clad once again in her Thief garb and spinning her twin daggers. "You're not the only one who can use two blades, meanie!!" she taunted, crimson light shooting from her eyes as flames leaped from the points of her daggers. The two of them jumped and spun, sword clashing on dagger with blinding speed. Malar began to pick up the pace, swinging both swords in wide circles, but Rikku bobbed and weaved as they passed just inches over her head. With a quick spin, she began pressing the attack further, and now he was the one who had to give ground. Sparks were shooting out of their weapons so fast it looked like a fireworks festival, and soon the sparks were joined by flecks of blood as Rikku jabbed both daggers into Malar's arms. The initial shock of the stab wounds caused him to slow his swords for a brief second, and in that second Rikku ducked in and lunged upwards, driving her right-hand dagger into his stomach and sending a gout of flame shooting along the blade and into the wound.
Malar gasped in agony, throwing his arms up in the air and giving Paine the opportunity she needed. Drawing her sword back and calling on her reserves of positive energy, she charged forward and slammed her blade down across his shoulder blades, executing a perfect Excalibur strike that left a horrific gash along his spine. Rikku yanked her dagger out of his gut, then spun in a circle and roundhouse-kicked his left-hand sword out of his grasp and across the ground. Suddenly a violet glow emerged from within his chest and another torrent of negative energy ripped across the ground, knocking everybody about once again. His wounds began to seal over once more; clearly their attacks were not inflicting any lasting damage. Dammit, Yuna screamed to herself, we've got to get at that jewel of his!!
Hold on, Yuna, Tidus' voice suddenly echoed in her mind. Give me a moment to catch him off guard, and I'll get that jewel.
Yuna blinked. You can hear me?
Of course, through the crystals. You said the jewel is in his right forearm bracer, right? Yuna glanced across to where he was struggling to his feet, and nodded. He nodded and smiled in return. Malar sneered and shifted his remaining sword to his left hand, opening his right hand as a violet orb emerged from his palm. The orb throbbed with pulses of energy as a beam of total blackness burst forth, tearing across the landscape as those about ducked and jumped to evade its destructive force. The beam caught Paine across the midsection and left her sprawled on the ground; Rikku backflipped over the beam but still got grazed along the shoulder; Yuna was caught in the leg as she dove to the left, firing both guns at Malar's right arm and chest. Malar grinned as he swung around in Tidus' direction, then stared as Tidus charged directly at him, the crystal on his hand glowing a brilliant emerald. Green light enveloped him, lessening the intensity of the black beam as it tore directly into his chest. Tidus gritted his teeth and ducked alongside the beam, then dove forward, executing a quick series of handsprings and backflips which culminated in a high leap directly in front of Malar. Malar barely had a second to blink and cease his attack before Caladbolg came smashing down across his forearm, cutting through muscle and bone and severing the limb at the elbow.
Malar stared, wild-eyed, at the bloody stump of his right arm before collapsing backwards onto the cold ground. Tidus dropped to one knee, breathing hard as Yuna scrambled over to him. "Do you think that did it?" she asked as she popped the cap on a Mega-Potion, reviving them all to some extent.
"I'm not sure," Tidus replied as he got to his feet. "Though I gotta admit, that has to have been one of my stupider moves," he added with a slight chuckle and a wince.
"You still don't understand, do you??" Malar's voice suddenly boomed across the plains. Everyone stared as a deep violet glow emerged from his chest and a cloud of blood erupted from the stump of his arm. The blood coalesced, shaping itself into the form of a hand as skin wrapped itself upwards from the elbow. Within seconds his arm had been replaced as the original remained bleeding on the ground. "I CAN'T DIE!!!!" he bellowed, grabbing his sword and swinging it upwards as violet lights danced around him. The sword crashed down upon the ground, sending another shockwave rippling outwards and catching Yuna, Rikku and Paine full-force. Each collapsed on the ground, dazed and disoriented by the force of the quake. Turning back to Tidus, Malar growled, "You're going to pay for that, boy." He dashed forward, swinging his blade with ungodly speed, speed that Tidus was barely able to follow. Sword crashed against sword for a few frantic moments before Malar stepped in, driving the edge downwards across Tidus' chest. Tidus gasped as he felt the blade cutting just over his ribs; a second later, Malar spun and slashed horizontally, aiming right for his heart. At the last second, Tidus dug his sneakers into the earth and pushed backwards; the tip of the sword carved a shallow gash along his upper chest, severing the chain that held his silver Abes team pendant. He landed on his back hard, his grip on Caladbolg loosening. A quick step and Malar had kicked the blade out of Tidus' hand, lowered his own sword and positioned the tip directly over Tidus' throat.
"Great Bahamut..." Yuna gasped, struggling to get to her feet. "Stop it, you bastard! LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!" she screamed, tears starting to form in her eyes as she aimed one of her guns at his head.
"BE QUIET!!" Malar shouted, lifting his left hand and generating a cone of concussive force that knocked Yuna backwards off her feet before she could pull the trigger. "I have had quite enough of interruptions, girl. I will deal with you just as soon as your little 'boyfriend' here is dealt with."
Tidus glared upwards, coughing a bit and clenching his right hand. "There's something I think you need to know before you do anything else, Malar... something you seem to have forgotten..."
"Oh? And what, pray tell, would that be, worm?" Malar sneered. He didn't seem to notice the faint glow emerging from the back of Tidus' hand.
"Never..." he began, slamming his right hand to the ground. Tendrils of green light shot from his fingers and into the ground around him.
"Underestimate..." The ground began to shift and undulate as tentacles of earth erupted behind Malar. One tentacle located the sword Malar had dropped earlier and snatched it up.
"The GULLWINGS!!!!" The tentacles suddenly fused into one large mass, with the sword at the very tip. Like a massive serpent, the writhing mass shot forward as Malar's eyes grew wide. For a brief moment, events seemed to crawl at a snail's pace; Malar began to turn around towards the roiling earth. His mouth opened as if to cry out in surprise. Then with a sickening squelch, the sword plunged into his back and erupted from his stomach, continuing through as the snakelike column of earth surged forward, impaling him as if he were the main course at a barbecue. His arms and face twitched horrifically, then went limp, his remaining sword falling out of his grasp. Tidus staggered to his feet, activating his Grid and assuming Alchemist mode as he limped his way over to the others.
"We haven't got much time," he gasped, retrieving handfuls of medicinals from his trenchcoat pockets and passing them to the others as fast as he could. "He got hit pretty hard with that, but I'll bet it won't last very long." He glanced back; already Malar's arms were beginning to move again, and violet light was pulsing around the rock tentacle that had impaled him.
"This can't be possible..." Yuna stammered, gulping down healing potion and rising to her feet. "I saw the glow in his arm, that jewel should have been severed from him!"
"Maybe it was a decoy," Tidus replied as he crammed more ingredients into a mixing vial. "Or maybe... Maybe it isn't a part of his bracer at all. It could be a part of his own body."
"There is a way to find out," Paine interjected, punching a sphere on her Grid and assuming Gun Mage form. Raising her gun towards the re-awakening Malar, she punched a button and began scanning him. Seconds later, she nodded. "There's something definitely amiss with him. There's a free-floating energy source that looks like it's on the move inside his body. Scanner reads it as Type Unknown, but whatever it is packs a wallop."
"Meaning it could be anywhere inside him," Rikku whined. "We're not gonna have any idea where to hit!"
"That's not necessarily true, Rikku," said Yuna. "Now that I think of it..." Their conversation came to an abrupt end as Malar bellowed in pure unbridled rage, grabbing the rock that jutted from his flesh and sending a shockwave through it that tore it to powder. He dropped to the ground, striding forward as a glow emerged from his sternum and the hole in his gut began to seal over. Blue-white lightning crackled from his clenched fists, rapidly growing in size and intensity before exploding forth, surging directly towards the four of them. Paine scrambled forward, reverting to Warrior mode and raising her right forearm in front of her face; the crystal on her hand shone bright gold just as the bolt slammed home, connecting with the crystal and suddenly being drawn into it. Gold light began to shoot along Paine's body as the lightning faded, wreathing her in a scintillating aura. Malar stared as she raised her hand and pointed directly at him. A low hum began to emerge from her hand, which quickly became a screech as a beam of white light streamed forth from the crystal, smashing Malar across the face and driving him backwards across the ground.
"We've got to keep hitting him hard and fast! Don't give him a chance to regenerate!" Paine shouted, drawing her sword and leaping back into the fray.
"You're right," Yuna said as Tidus deactivated his Alchemist sphere, resuming his favored clothing. "I think if we keep at it, we might be able to keep that gem of his in one place as long as we keep hitting home!"
Tidus nodded, drawing his sword. "That glow that was coming from his chest? You think that might be it?"
"Yeah, that's happened several times already, so that could be it! Let's get him good!!" Rikku whooped, sprinting forward unimaginably fast. Malar sprang to his feet once more, his whole body glowing with erratic energy. A shriek tore through the air as the energy field around him burst into a whirling cloud of black shards, spinning in massive arcs and gouging furrows into the ground around him. Glaring at his opponents, he began to stalk forward with his sword held low; the cloud of shrapnel moved as he moved, tearing the ground even further.
Aqualine light exploded around YTRP as Yuna and Tidus linked powers for another Supreme Guard; the next moment, the four of them were sprinting forward directly into the path of the black blades that were flying faster every second. Tidus slammed his sword into the ground, creating an emerald wave of force that launched waves of earth upwards in a V-formation; the waves caught the black shards right in their path, forcing a hole in the cloud. Malar grimaced, swinging his own sword forward and firing bolts of violet energy through the hole just as Paine dashed forward and jammed her blade into their path, smashing them into nothingness. A second later, Paine ducked and rolled forward as Yuna and Rikku unleashed twin beams of fire and ice from their crystals; the beams caught Malar in the chest and shoulder, eliciting an angry gasp of pain and throwing him off balance for a brief second. "That does it," he sneered. "Prepare to meet the gods."
The next few moments were nothing short of chaos defined. Malar exploded in a flurry of motion, his sword carving through the air, his free arm and feet swinging in a ballet of defensive blocks and kicks. His left bracer caught Paine's sword, forcing it to the side as he drove his left foot into her stomach, knocking her backwards at the same second his sword met Tidus'. Sparks flew as Malar and Tidus traded blow upon blow, neither one willing to give up an inch. Malar caught sight of Rikku dashing at him from the side, spun around and deflected both her daggers while simultaneously delivering a high roundhouse kick to the side of Tidus' head. Yuna screamed in fury as she blazed into Malar with both barrels, the crystal on her hand shining a blinding shade of blue as her bullets transformed into ice daggers in mid-flight. The shards caught Malar right in the chest, knocking him backwards and stunning him long enough for Paine to blaze into him, her sword an electrically charged blur. He quickly bobbed and weaved, his own sword barely visible as he dug back into her, when all of a sudden Paine stepped in and delivered a devastating overhand swing. Lightning shot in all directions as her sword collided with his, followed by a loud metallic snap as the force of her strike shattered his blade like glass.
"Little news flash for you- you're FIRED!!" Rikku shouted with glee as she sprung onto Malar's back, jamming both daggers into his shoulders and channeling the Fire crystal once more. The scream of agony was bloodcurdling as flame shot through his upper torso, burning his shoulders and chest from the inside out. Yuna dashed forward, her right hand thrust out to her side as blue light began to shine from her crystal once again. Ice crystals coalesced rapidly around her hand, fusing and shaping into the form of a clawed bracer. "Here's a little taste of the pain you put me through in that prison of yours!" she shouted as she slammed her right hand into his gut, twisted and ripped the ice claws out his side.
"GGRRRAAAHH!!" Malar tensed up and flung his arms out to both sides, generating a searing blast of energy that shoved Rikku off his back and knocked Yuna backwards. He gasped as his body became enveloped in amethyst light, burned flesh dropping away as it was replaced with new skin. Yuna struggled upwards and caught a glimpse of a pulsating violet orb, no bigger than his palm, set within the center of his chest seconds before new skin covered it over. So that's where it is!! she thought, staggering to her feet and focusing power through her White Lore. Her healing spell took effect seconds before Malar barreled forward, his fingers mutating into obsidian claws as he attempted to tear Yuna to ribbons. There was a loud clang as Tidus threw himself in front of Malar's assault, using his armored glove and sword to catch both claws and shove Malar backwards onto the ground. Malar sprang to his feet almost instantly and dove forward again, but Tidus ducked under his swing and smashed Caladbolg across his upper chest, spun around in a circle and drove his left elbow into Malar's cheekbone with a sickening crunch. "Rikku, Paine, light this son of a bitch up!!!" he hollered, backflipping away as Malar staggered upward and swung outward, ripping a wicked gash across Tidus' left shin.
"You got it!" the two cried out almost in unison, brandishing their crystals forward as arcane light sparked from their surfaces. "MEGIDDO FLARE!!!!!"
A torrent of scorching energy burst forth from the ground, engulfing Malar and searing far up into the ever-shifting skies. Malar roared in incredible pain as, for the second time, skin and flesh were pummeled by the arcane power of the Elemental Crystals. He thrashed his arms across his chest as a cloud of acidic miasma boiled outward from his fingers, bursting out of the flare and ripping through YTRP with a vengeance. The barrage continued for what seemed like a minute as the four warriors collapsed to their knees; the miasma grasped them like a serpent and attempted to squeeze the very life out of them. Rikku frantically punched her Grid and assumed Alchemist form, digging into her ingredients pouch and quickly mixing a series of powerful medicinals which she proceeded to douse the others with. Yuna scrambled to her feet, glancing in Malar's direction. Once more the violet glow was emerging from his chest, once more his flesh was beginning to heal. "NOW!!" she hollered, training her guns on his sternum and firing a single round from each. The bullets screeched through the air and collided with the orb spot-on.
Malar screamed in inhuman agony as the bullets struck home. He staggered back, gripping his chest with his right hand just as Tidus dashed forward, slamming his sword into the ground once again. The Earth Crystal shone brilliant green as a roiling pillar of rock shot up directly behind Malar. Emerald tentacles burst out of the serpentine mass, snaring and constricting his arms and pulling him upwards to the point where he could not move. "This cannot be... This just isn't possible!!!" he growled. "You misguided fools shouldn't be able to do this!!!" The tendrils on his arms tightened and plunged into his skin, provoking more growls of pain and prostrating his body spread-eagled against the stone pillar.
"I think it's time we taught him one last lesson," Paine muttered in a menacing tone. She strode forward rapidly, her eyes glowing white-gold as she pulled her right hand back. "This is for turning me into a puppet and making me hurt my friends!!" she bellowed, slamming her fist into his left cheek.
"THIS is for tearing me away from my friends and the man I love!!" Yuna darted in, delivering a massive punch of her own to Malar's right cheek.
"THIS is for all of the people you killed on Bikanel Island!!" Rikku sprinted forward and shot her right foot forward, slamming into his abdomen and knocking the wind out of him.
"And this is for all of the above, and more!!" Tidus said in a low voice as he strode rapidly up to the pillar, pulling his right hand back. A violet aura was already beginning to envelop Malar's body as his wounds attempted to seal. He jerked his arms forward but they were bound fast against the rock, the tendrils unwilling to let go. Malar gritted his teeth and purple light began to shoot from his eyes, when all at once Tidus ducked in and jammed his right hand directly into Malar's sternum. The Earth Crystal pulsed and throbbed, its eldritch energies burning Malar's flesh on contact. A horrific shriek echoed across the plains as white light burst out of the rapidly expanding hole in his chest. With a quick wrench, Tidus yanked his arm back, tearing the orb out of Malar's body and kicking away from him. The stone pillar crumbled backwards, carrying Malar along with it to the ground.
The violet orb suddenly began to glow and pulse with a motley assortment of violet and indigo lights, burning Tidus' arm and forcing him to drop it on the ground. He staggered back, gritting his teeth against the burns on his hand as Yuna and the others dashed over to him. "What's going on? What the hell is that orb doing?" Paine scowled as Yuna applied some healing salve to Tidus' arm. The ground around the orb started to swirl and pulsate like a living thing, changing composition rapidly and producing low groans and high-pitched whines at the same time.
"That jewel must be going out of control," Yuna said in a low tone. The ground was starting to glow a deep red as rock began to melt and boil around the gem. Tendrils of magma started to whip across the earth, and wind currents began to pick up directly above it. "We've got to do something about it, and fast!!" Just then Naia's voice echoed through the air.
Use our powers as one . Channel our energy in unison. Bring order to that which is chaos. Our final unified power- Ultima.
The gem continued to throb with power, ejecting light and heat at a furious pace and causing large cracks to shoot across the surface of the ground. You must not delay, Strahl's voice boomed over the cacophony about them. Channel our energy and destroy that abomination now!!! All four suddenly blinked in wonderment as their crystals pulsed in unison, new information flowing into their minds.
Rikku was the first to spring into action. "That's our cue, guys; let's take that sucker out!" she shouted, holstering her alchemical rifle and thrusting both hands forward. The Fire Crystal shone a brilliant shade of crimson as swirls of energy began to form between her fingers. Tidus followed suit, jamming his sword into the ground and channeling the Earth Crystal in the same fashion. Yuna didn't bother to holster her guns, dropping them instead as she summoned the Water Crystal's power into her hands. Paine was the last to act, gritting her teeth as sparks flew from the Air Crystal and grew more and more massive between her palms. The whine of the gathering energy became almost deafening as the Jewel of Entropy continued to thrash and spiral out of control.
"This is it," Tidus shouted over the noise. "It's all or nothing; we can't hold back!!"
Yuna nodded. "Time to finish this once and for all!!"
"Ready?" Rikku hollered.
"More than ready!!" Paine answered. The skies seemed ready to crack open as their crystals scintillated in perfect harmony, energy growing faster by the second. The Jewel was at this point a maelstrom of chaotic whorls, black tendrils snapping at the air and the earth. At that moment, the four warriors opened their eyes and shouted in unison, "ULTIMA!!!!" The four chromatic orbs of energy burst into beams of light, converging on the Jewel and compressing around it with devastating force. White light began to build within the maelstrom, growing larger and larger, pulsing with eldritch power and blinding all within sight of it.
A cracking sound shot through the air, causing all four warriors to visibly wince. The white globe of energy suddenly stopped pulsing for a brief second...
The barrier over the Southern plains shattered as an explosion of white light engulfed the landscape.
To Be Concluded...
This was a bear of a chapter to write, but I hope it lives up to everyone's hopes. Yet questions still linger- what has happened? Is Malar now well and truly dead? What about YTRP? All will be answered in the upcoming penultimate chapter. Please read and review, I live for reviews. -Neon Ronin]
16: Checkmate
The two-sided attack was becoming steadily worse for the Council forces. Wrathfangs were closing in from all directions, tearing their way through any obstacles, living or not. Last-second repositioning of the troops had just barely saved them from being overrun, but having dug themselves into a defensive trench of sorts, they could not change their position without risking dozens of lives. Several artillery emplacements had to be abandoned in an effort to save as many lives as possible. The cries of the wounded and the dying were overpowered only by the shrieks of glee from the fiends surrounding them. Automatic fire raked across the chests of the Wrathfangs, but for every one that fell, another took its place.
"Activate the Juggernaut! It's our only chance!" Gippal shouted over the discord and mayhem, swinging his Fiendgrinder onto his shoulder again and blasting another round into the hordes. A nearby tech nodded and punched the keys on a remote control pad frantically. Nooj turned towards Gippal as he fired more rounds into the fray. "Gippal, do you think that's a smart idea? That thing went berserk the first time you tried it at Djose!!"
"You don't think I remember that?" Gippal hollered back, chambering another round. "That's why we called it an experiment back then! We've been working the bugs out, but even if it isn't perfect, what choice do we have??"
A giant tarp-covered machina at the fringes of the Council position let out a massive groan, followed by several jets of blistering steam that burst the tarp's tie-downs and sent the canvas flying. The now uncovered machina reared its vaguely humanoid fore-section upwards, flexing its grapplers eagerly. The six armament pods mounted along the chassis swiveled into position, access ports popping open and rockets locking into place. With a shuddering rumble, the Experiment-renamed-Juggernaut began to crawl forward into the mass of fiends on a combination of tank treads and serrated barrel-sized wheels. The Wrathfangs stared at it for a second before charging towards it, attempting to claw the device to pieces. The machina spun with remarkable speed, swinging its arms downward across the chests of several fiends and ripping them to pieces. The rear pods shifted and rotated, sending a fusillade of rockets pouring out into the attackers before it. Council forces stared at the Juggernaut for a second before letting loose a euphoric cheer, followed by massive quantities of supporting fire and offensive magic. More squads of Wrathfangs and at least one Morlach began repositioning to surround the new threat, prompting the machina to activate its second set of weapon pods and fire another volley directly into a dozen fiendish faces.
"Now that's what I'm talking about!!" Gippal whooped. "Always save your best card for last!"
"We'd better see what ground we can gain before that thing runs out of ammunition," Baralai interjected, slapping an ammo clip into a nearby rifle and firing into the fray as fast as he could. The machina rotated again, this time charging directly into a squad of fiends and trampling a good number of them beneath its wheels. Its clawlike arms slashed outwards repeatedly, gouging more fiends to shreds, then folding inward as its third set of weapon pods sprang outward, rocket ports blazing. The streaks of pyreflies rising from the battlefield was growing thick as each rocket blasted another Wrathfang or set of Wrathfangs into oblivion. More fiends were clawing their way forward, ripping into the Juggernaut's armor plating as best as their claws would permit. The forward arms whipped outwards again, producing scything beams of energy that tore more of the attackers to shreds. Then something unexpected happened; two lone Wrathfangs on the fringe of the battle took to the air, arcing over the machina and then diving directly in between the weapon pods along its rear chassis. Sparks flew as the two fiends lunged into the relatively unarmored section therein, twisting an access panel open and thrusting their claws inwards. Gippal stared as smoke began to billow out of the rear of the machina and its arms flailed madly. Its tank treads spun in the mud, churning up waves of brown muck and embedding the Juggernaut firmly in position. The fiends shrieked with joy as they descended upon the now immobile machina, wrenching its arms off and jerking the weapon pods backwards into positions they were never meant to be in.
"Wha... What the hell is going on?" Gippal stammered. "This can't be right... They told me the armor was uniform over the entire assembly!" He grabbed the Fiendgrinder in a knuckle-whitening grip and switched the circular saw on, gritting his teeth. "DREC CILGC!!!" he bellowed as the fiends pulled the forward section off of the machina and resumed their advance on the troops' positions. The cheers had died quickly as men began scrambling back into their entrenched line; several Chocobo riders nearly got bucked off as their mounts became skittish and panicky. Wrathfangs began advancing once again, leering at the slowly diminishing Council forces.
[Translation: This sucks!!!]
"This doesn't look good," muttered Nooj. "If we can't hold out until Yuna and the others get back..."
LeBlanc staggered over to his side, limping slightly. "Noojie, don't say that! Of course we're going to be alright! I've hardly begun to show my full power!" She flourished her war fan boldly, but Nooj could see there was a vexed expression in her eyes.
Baralai fired the last few rounds in his gun, then tossed it aside and swung his staff into a battle stance. "Might as well give it our all from here on," he muttered. "Pray for the best, but expect the worst, guys."
"Kinda morbid, aren't ya Praetor?" asked Ormi as he wiped fiendish goo off his hands and set himself in a boxer's stance.
"Just realistic," Baralai replied in a low voice. I'm sorry, Paine... I wish I could have told you before we parted...
A low rumble echoed overhead to the North. Several soldiers looked around to try and find its source, but for the most part they were too focused on holding the line against the fiends. Swords clashed and screams both human and fiendish continued to wrack the landscape. The rumble became a low roar A rushing roar like the wind during a hurricane. Gippal glanced up. That sounds awfully familiar, he thought to himself. Nooj glanced up as well, as did several of the fiends who were charging towards their position. The roar grew louder and the clouds began to waver as a mammoth shadow loomed in the distance.
Without warning, a series of reports akin to cannon fire rumbled from within the clouds. Seconds later, dozens of rockets hurtled out of the shadows above, slamming into the massed armada of fiends with the force of a thousand hailstorms. Terrific explosions rocked the landscape as scores of Wrathfangs were engulfed and consumed by the air-to-ground assault. This time almost all the troops shot their eyes skyward, as did many of the fiends whose burning eyes had now become creased with worry. At that moment, a voice bellowed out of the clouds.
"YEEHAW!!!! Sorry I'm late, boys! Had to make some last minute pickups!!"
The troops broke out in another chorus of euphoric shouts as the unmistakable form of the Highwind broke through the clouds, its gun ports open and trained on the fiend-infested plains below. The great airship slowed its descent, leveling out until it hovered directly above the Northern sector of battle. From that angle it wasn't perfectly clear, but it appeared something was moving along the upper deck- or several dozen somethings. Along the underside of the ship, an access hatch slid open, allowing an inner hydraulic platform to descend- exposing two massive eight-barreled miniguns set in armored rotary mounts. The barrels began to spin rapidly as their gunners pulled the triggers, unleashing a stream of lead that ripped across the fiends below like two great steak knives. Fiends had already begun to scatter like flies when the two massive anchor cables fired, impaling the ground just North of the Council forces- and impaling three fiends as well. "Hope you don't mind, but I brought some friends with me!" Cid's voice boomed out of the ship speakers. The several dozen somethings atop the ship began to move in unison, diving from the deck onto the anchor cables and descending to the ground. Nooj, Baralai and Gippal could now see the somethings as being humanoid... And then they all stared. Those weren't quite humanoid, but they weren't all alike either. Some were human-sized, but with gangly and elongated arms and hands, while others were quite larger and covered with distinct blue fur. Yet they shared one thing in common- the second they hit the ground, they rushed forward in unison, tearing into the fiends before them with ferocity and coordination that made it look like they were reading each others' minds. It was a sight to behold as Guado and Ronso barreled their way through the fiends, tearing open a path to the Council troops.
"Where in the Farplane did you guys spring from?" Gippal shouted as several Ronso, including Kimahri and Garik, dashed up to them. "I thought you couldn't risk the safety of your people!"
Kimahri nodded. "Ronso alone against Malar's fiends are weak. Guado as well. But together, Kimahri sees that Ronso and Guado are strong. Stronger still with Council allies."
Garik grunted in agreement. "Quarrels with Guado pale before safety of Spira. Spira is home to Ronso as well- so today, Elder says Ronso and Guado will fight together!!"
Nooj beamed. "You sure know how to arrive at the right time."
"Kimahri knows now that Ronso cannot hide when all Spira is in danger. Ronso must fight, but not alone!!" He raised his Spirit Lance high in the air and roared as more Ronso and Guado soldiers descended from the Highwind. "FOR SPIRA!!!" he bellowed, answered in kind by the battle cries of his people, the Guado, and most of the Council troops. More gunfire erupted from the Highwind; fiends everywhere began repositioning as the revitalized soldiers were joined by the reinforcements. Ground artillery began firing again, and dropped swords were reclaimed and brandished boldly...
**************************************
Sparks flew through the air as swords clashed and bullets ricocheted off steel and stone. Tidus swung Caladbolg in a wide arc, crashing down on Malar's sword with deafening force several times, but Malar seemed to ignore the force of the blows and retaliated with a two-handed swing that sent terrific vibrations along the blade and into Tidus' arms, knocking him backwards with a stunned look on his face. Yuna's guns blazed furiously, slamming into Malar's left shoulder and arm; he glared at her and shot his left hand upwards. A cone of violet energy burst forth from his open palm, deflecting the bullets into the ground and towards the others. The cone continued to barrel forward, but at the last second Yuna flung her right hand forward, producing a convex shield of ice that caught the full force of the energy burst. Malar dropped his hand as bullets popped out of his rapidly-healing flesh, then caught sight of Paine charging in from the side. Their swords collided, then sprung apart again as Paine readied another attack. Time and again she swung, each time met by an identical strike from Malar, until the two of them stepped in to one another and locked swords, their ruby eyes glaring at one another. "This really is such a disappointment," Malar growled. "To think my own bloodline would forget and forsake their elder. Such a waste." He pushed forwards, jamming the crossguard of his sword against hers and shoving upwards. Paine tried to press back, keeping the tension on when suddenly the pressure on his side was released. He pulled away rapidly; Paine, unable to adjust in time, continued to lunge forward and started to lose her balance- then her eyes went wide as Malar drove his knee into her stomach. "You need to be taught a severe lesson, children!!"
"Sorry, jerkwad, but you just don't get it, do you!" came a shout to his right. He twisted around just in time to see Tidus step in from the right, barely a few feet from him and raising his sword high. Malar began to raise his sword to block, but instead of swinging overhead, Tidus spun around in mid-stride and delivered a massive backhand slice across Malar's back and right side. He growled in pain, then caught sight of Rikku sprinting towards him from the left, her Gun Mage sidearm glowing brilliant scarlet. She pulled the trigger and a ferocious jet of crystal-induced flame engulfed his left arm and part of his face. Paine scrambled to her feet, whipping her sword around and charging up the Air Crystal; tendrils of electricity had begun to wrap around the blade when all at once Malar let loose a terrible scream as clouds of viscous violet energy began to boil around him. His eyes shot open and he glared at the four warriors around him. His hands shot open in a bizarre gesture, and the cloud burst outwards like an explosion, tearing across the landscape and burning the skin and eyes of YTRP. Tidus and Rikku dug their heels in and managed to stay standing, but Yuna was knocked to her knees and Paine was hurled against a nearby boulder from the force of the blast. A violet glow ebbed from his eyes as the burns faded and the cuts on his body sealed shut.
"I can see that things are going to have to get a bit more serious," he growled. Grasping his sword in both hands, he uttered a quick eldritch phrase before pulling violently in both directions. A scar of white light shot along the sword from point to pommel, and with a shudder and a crack, the blade broke into two separate pieces, one in each hand. Violet light swirled and each half suddenly became whole, leaving Malar standing with two swords in his hands. Yuna glared at him, jumped to her feet and began to unleash another fusillade of bullets; this time Malar did not produce a cone of energy, but swung both blades back and forth with blinding speed, deflecting the bullets in all directions. "You'd better be careful, High Summoner!" he called in a mocking voice, still swinging. "Wouldn't want your dear friends to get hurt!" Two cries of pain echoed across the plains just then; Yuna's eyes went wide and she stopped firing. She gasped as she realized Rikku and Tidus had both caught some of those errant bullets, in the leg and shoulder respectively. Instinctively she began channeling her White Lore, casting a powerful Curaga spell over everybody. A second later, Malar was springing at her faster than the eye could follow, swinging his right-hand sword in a backhanded arc. The blade was inches away from her throat when she spun and lunged low; the blade continued through the air, screeching along her back and tearing through the upper third of her kite-tail braid. Yuna hit the ground and rolled to her right as his swords drove into the ground right next to her; she spun onto her back and thrust her right hand forward again, channeling her crystal and firing a cone of razor-sharp ice shards directly into his face.
Malar staggered back two steps, wincing and wiping the blood out of his eyes. "You ignorant girl," he growled as Yuna sprang to her feet. "You fail to see the true nature of Chaos, just as everyone else has failed!!" He jerked both swords out of the ground, channeling a dark purple-black aura around the blade in his right hand. Yuna stared for a fleeting second. The aura's coming from a point within his right forearm, she thought aloud. He DOES have the Jewel of Entropy in his bracer!! He took a step forward again, brandishing his blades forward and to the side, when a furious shriek echoed across the mist-covered plains. Malar glanced to his left, and the next second found himself desperately parrying and dodging as Rikku charged him, clad once again in her Thief garb and spinning her twin daggers. "You're not the only one who can use two blades, meanie!!" she taunted, crimson light shooting from her eyes as flames leaped from the points of her daggers. The two of them jumped and spun, sword clashing on dagger with blinding speed. Malar began to pick up the pace, swinging both swords in wide circles, but Rikku bobbed and weaved as they passed just inches over her head. With a quick spin, she began pressing the attack further, and now he was the one who had to give ground. Sparks were shooting out of their weapons so fast it looked like a fireworks festival, and soon the sparks were joined by flecks of blood as Rikku jabbed both daggers into Malar's arms. The initial shock of the stab wounds caused him to slow his swords for a brief second, and in that second Rikku ducked in and lunged upwards, driving her right-hand dagger into his stomach and sending a gout of flame shooting along the blade and into the wound.
Malar gasped in agony, throwing his arms up in the air and giving Paine the opportunity she needed. Drawing her sword back and calling on her reserves of positive energy, she charged forward and slammed her blade down across his shoulder blades, executing a perfect Excalibur strike that left a horrific gash along his spine. Rikku yanked her dagger out of his gut, then spun in a circle and roundhouse-kicked his left-hand sword out of his grasp and across the ground. Suddenly a violet glow emerged from within his chest and another torrent of negative energy ripped across the ground, knocking everybody about once again. His wounds began to seal over once more; clearly their attacks were not inflicting any lasting damage. Dammit, Yuna screamed to herself, we've got to get at that jewel of his!!
Hold on, Yuna, Tidus' voice suddenly echoed in her mind. Give me a moment to catch him off guard, and I'll get that jewel.
Yuna blinked. You can hear me?
Of course, through the crystals. You said the jewel is in his right forearm bracer, right? Yuna glanced across to where he was struggling to his feet, and nodded. He nodded and smiled in return. Malar sneered and shifted his remaining sword to his left hand, opening his right hand as a violet orb emerged from his palm. The orb throbbed with pulses of energy as a beam of total blackness burst forth, tearing across the landscape as those about ducked and jumped to evade its destructive force. The beam caught Paine across the midsection and left her sprawled on the ground; Rikku backflipped over the beam but still got grazed along the shoulder; Yuna was caught in the leg as she dove to the left, firing both guns at Malar's right arm and chest. Malar grinned as he swung around in Tidus' direction, then stared as Tidus charged directly at him, the crystal on his hand glowing a brilliant emerald. Green light enveloped him, lessening the intensity of the black beam as it tore directly into his chest. Tidus gritted his teeth and ducked alongside the beam, then dove forward, executing a quick series of handsprings and backflips which culminated in a high leap directly in front of Malar. Malar barely had a second to blink and cease his attack before Caladbolg came smashing down across his forearm, cutting through muscle and bone and severing the limb at the elbow.
Malar stared, wild-eyed, at the bloody stump of his right arm before collapsing backwards onto the cold ground. Tidus dropped to one knee, breathing hard as Yuna scrambled over to him. "Do you think that did it?" she asked as she popped the cap on a Mega-Potion, reviving them all to some extent.
"I'm not sure," Tidus replied as he got to his feet. "Though I gotta admit, that has to have been one of my stupider moves," he added with a slight chuckle and a wince.
"You still don't understand, do you??" Malar's voice suddenly boomed across the plains. Everyone stared as a deep violet glow emerged from his chest and a cloud of blood erupted from the stump of his arm. The blood coalesced, shaping itself into the form of a hand as skin wrapped itself upwards from the elbow. Within seconds his arm had been replaced as the original remained bleeding on the ground. "I CAN'T DIE!!!!" he bellowed, grabbing his sword and swinging it upwards as violet lights danced around him. The sword crashed down upon the ground, sending another shockwave rippling outwards and catching Yuna, Rikku and Paine full-force. Each collapsed on the ground, dazed and disoriented by the force of the quake. Turning back to Tidus, Malar growled, "You're going to pay for that, boy." He dashed forward, swinging his blade with ungodly speed, speed that Tidus was barely able to follow. Sword crashed against sword for a few frantic moments before Malar stepped in, driving the edge downwards across Tidus' chest. Tidus gasped as he felt the blade cutting just over his ribs; a second later, Malar spun and slashed horizontally, aiming right for his heart. At the last second, Tidus dug his sneakers into the earth and pushed backwards; the tip of the sword carved a shallow gash along his upper chest, severing the chain that held his silver Abes team pendant. He landed on his back hard, his grip on Caladbolg loosening. A quick step and Malar had kicked the blade out of Tidus' hand, lowered his own sword and positioned the tip directly over Tidus' throat.
"Great Bahamut..." Yuna gasped, struggling to get to her feet. "Stop it, you bastard! LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!" she screamed, tears starting to form in her eyes as she aimed one of her guns at his head.
"BE QUIET!!" Malar shouted, lifting his left hand and generating a cone of concussive force that knocked Yuna backwards off her feet before she could pull the trigger. "I have had quite enough of interruptions, girl. I will deal with you just as soon as your little 'boyfriend' here is dealt with."
Tidus glared upwards, coughing a bit and clenching his right hand. "There's something I think you need to know before you do anything else, Malar... something you seem to have forgotten..."
"Oh? And what, pray tell, would that be, worm?" Malar sneered. He didn't seem to notice the faint glow emerging from the back of Tidus' hand.
"Never..." he began, slamming his right hand to the ground. Tendrils of green light shot from his fingers and into the ground around him.
"Underestimate..." The ground began to shift and undulate as tentacles of earth erupted behind Malar. One tentacle located the sword Malar had dropped earlier and snatched it up.
"The GULLWINGS!!!!" The tentacles suddenly fused into one large mass, with the sword at the very tip. Like a massive serpent, the writhing mass shot forward as Malar's eyes grew wide. For a brief moment, events seemed to crawl at a snail's pace; Malar began to turn around towards the roiling earth. His mouth opened as if to cry out in surprise. Then with a sickening squelch, the sword plunged into his back and erupted from his stomach, continuing through as the snakelike column of earth surged forward, impaling him as if he were the main course at a barbecue. His arms and face twitched horrifically, then went limp, his remaining sword falling out of his grasp. Tidus staggered to his feet, activating his Grid and assuming Alchemist mode as he limped his way over to the others.
"We haven't got much time," he gasped, retrieving handfuls of medicinals from his trenchcoat pockets and passing them to the others as fast as he could. "He got hit pretty hard with that, but I'll bet it won't last very long." He glanced back; already Malar's arms were beginning to move again, and violet light was pulsing around the rock tentacle that had impaled him.
"This can't be possible..." Yuna stammered, gulping down healing potion and rising to her feet. "I saw the glow in his arm, that jewel should have been severed from him!"
"Maybe it was a decoy," Tidus replied as he crammed more ingredients into a mixing vial. "Or maybe... Maybe it isn't a part of his bracer at all. It could be a part of his own body."
"There is a way to find out," Paine interjected, punching a sphere on her Grid and assuming Gun Mage form. Raising her gun towards the re-awakening Malar, she punched a button and began scanning him. Seconds later, she nodded. "There's something definitely amiss with him. There's a free-floating energy source that looks like it's on the move inside his body. Scanner reads it as Type Unknown, but whatever it is packs a wallop."
"Meaning it could be anywhere inside him," Rikku whined. "We're not gonna have any idea where to hit!"
"That's not necessarily true, Rikku," said Yuna. "Now that I think of it..." Their conversation came to an abrupt end as Malar bellowed in pure unbridled rage, grabbing the rock that jutted from his flesh and sending a shockwave through it that tore it to powder. He dropped to the ground, striding forward as a glow emerged from his sternum and the hole in his gut began to seal over. Blue-white lightning crackled from his clenched fists, rapidly growing in size and intensity before exploding forth, surging directly towards the four of them. Paine scrambled forward, reverting to Warrior mode and raising her right forearm in front of her face; the crystal on her hand shone bright gold just as the bolt slammed home, connecting with the crystal and suddenly being drawn into it. Gold light began to shoot along Paine's body as the lightning faded, wreathing her in a scintillating aura. Malar stared as she raised her hand and pointed directly at him. A low hum began to emerge from her hand, which quickly became a screech as a beam of white light streamed forth from the crystal, smashing Malar across the face and driving him backwards across the ground.
"We've got to keep hitting him hard and fast! Don't give him a chance to regenerate!" Paine shouted, drawing her sword and leaping back into the fray.
"You're right," Yuna said as Tidus deactivated his Alchemist sphere, resuming his favored clothing. "I think if we keep at it, we might be able to keep that gem of his in one place as long as we keep hitting home!"
Tidus nodded, drawing his sword. "That glow that was coming from his chest? You think that might be it?"
"Yeah, that's happened several times already, so that could be it! Let's get him good!!" Rikku whooped, sprinting forward unimaginably fast. Malar sprang to his feet once more, his whole body glowing with erratic energy. A shriek tore through the air as the energy field around him burst into a whirling cloud of black shards, spinning in massive arcs and gouging furrows into the ground around him. Glaring at his opponents, he began to stalk forward with his sword held low; the cloud of shrapnel moved as he moved, tearing the ground even further.
Aqualine light exploded around YTRP as Yuna and Tidus linked powers for another Supreme Guard; the next moment, the four of them were sprinting forward directly into the path of the black blades that were flying faster every second. Tidus slammed his sword into the ground, creating an emerald wave of force that launched waves of earth upwards in a V-formation; the waves caught the black shards right in their path, forcing a hole in the cloud. Malar grimaced, swinging his own sword forward and firing bolts of violet energy through the hole just as Paine dashed forward and jammed her blade into their path, smashing them into nothingness. A second later, Paine ducked and rolled forward as Yuna and Rikku unleashed twin beams of fire and ice from their crystals; the beams caught Malar in the chest and shoulder, eliciting an angry gasp of pain and throwing him off balance for a brief second. "That does it," he sneered. "Prepare to meet the gods."
The next few moments were nothing short of chaos defined. Malar exploded in a flurry of motion, his sword carving through the air, his free arm and feet swinging in a ballet of defensive blocks and kicks. His left bracer caught Paine's sword, forcing it to the side as he drove his left foot into her stomach, knocking her backwards at the same second his sword met Tidus'. Sparks flew as Malar and Tidus traded blow upon blow, neither one willing to give up an inch. Malar caught sight of Rikku dashing at him from the side, spun around and deflected both her daggers while simultaneously delivering a high roundhouse kick to the side of Tidus' head. Yuna screamed in fury as she blazed into Malar with both barrels, the crystal on her hand shining a blinding shade of blue as her bullets transformed into ice daggers in mid-flight. The shards caught Malar right in the chest, knocking him backwards and stunning him long enough for Paine to blaze into him, her sword an electrically charged blur. He quickly bobbed and weaved, his own sword barely visible as he dug back into her, when all of a sudden Paine stepped in and delivered a devastating overhand swing. Lightning shot in all directions as her sword collided with his, followed by a loud metallic snap as the force of her strike shattered his blade like glass.
"Little news flash for you- you're FIRED!!" Rikku shouted with glee as she sprung onto Malar's back, jamming both daggers into his shoulders and channeling the Fire crystal once more. The scream of agony was bloodcurdling as flame shot through his upper torso, burning his shoulders and chest from the inside out. Yuna dashed forward, her right hand thrust out to her side as blue light began to shine from her crystal once again. Ice crystals coalesced rapidly around her hand, fusing and shaping into the form of a clawed bracer. "Here's a little taste of the pain you put me through in that prison of yours!" she shouted as she slammed her right hand into his gut, twisted and ripped the ice claws out his side.
"GGRRRAAAHH!!" Malar tensed up and flung his arms out to both sides, generating a searing blast of energy that shoved Rikku off his back and knocked Yuna backwards. He gasped as his body became enveloped in amethyst light, burned flesh dropping away as it was replaced with new skin. Yuna struggled upwards and caught a glimpse of a pulsating violet orb, no bigger than his palm, set within the center of his chest seconds before new skin covered it over. So that's where it is!! she thought, staggering to her feet and focusing power through her White Lore. Her healing spell took effect seconds before Malar barreled forward, his fingers mutating into obsidian claws as he attempted to tear Yuna to ribbons. There was a loud clang as Tidus threw himself in front of Malar's assault, using his armored glove and sword to catch both claws and shove Malar backwards onto the ground. Malar sprang to his feet almost instantly and dove forward again, but Tidus ducked under his swing and smashed Caladbolg across his upper chest, spun around in a circle and drove his left elbow into Malar's cheekbone with a sickening crunch. "Rikku, Paine, light this son of a bitch up!!!" he hollered, backflipping away as Malar staggered upward and swung outward, ripping a wicked gash across Tidus' left shin.
"You got it!" the two cried out almost in unison, brandishing their crystals forward as arcane light sparked from their surfaces. "MEGIDDO FLARE!!!!!"
A torrent of scorching energy burst forth from the ground, engulfing Malar and searing far up into the ever-shifting skies. Malar roared in incredible pain as, for the second time, skin and flesh were pummeled by the arcane power of the Elemental Crystals. He thrashed his arms across his chest as a cloud of acidic miasma boiled outward from his fingers, bursting out of the flare and ripping through YTRP with a vengeance. The barrage continued for what seemed like a minute as the four warriors collapsed to their knees; the miasma grasped them like a serpent and attempted to squeeze the very life out of them. Rikku frantically punched her Grid and assumed Alchemist form, digging into her ingredients pouch and quickly mixing a series of powerful medicinals which she proceeded to douse the others with. Yuna scrambled to her feet, glancing in Malar's direction. Once more the violet glow was emerging from his chest, once more his flesh was beginning to heal. "NOW!!" she hollered, training her guns on his sternum and firing a single round from each. The bullets screeched through the air and collided with the orb spot-on.
Malar screamed in inhuman agony as the bullets struck home. He staggered back, gripping his chest with his right hand just as Tidus dashed forward, slamming his sword into the ground once again. The Earth Crystal shone brilliant green as a roiling pillar of rock shot up directly behind Malar. Emerald tentacles burst out of the serpentine mass, snaring and constricting his arms and pulling him upwards to the point where he could not move. "This cannot be... This just isn't possible!!!" he growled. "You misguided fools shouldn't be able to do this!!!" The tendrils on his arms tightened and plunged into his skin, provoking more growls of pain and prostrating his body spread-eagled against the stone pillar.
"I think it's time we taught him one last lesson," Paine muttered in a menacing tone. She strode forward rapidly, her eyes glowing white-gold as she pulled her right hand back. "This is for turning me into a puppet and making me hurt my friends!!" she bellowed, slamming her fist into his left cheek.
"THIS is for tearing me away from my friends and the man I love!!" Yuna darted in, delivering a massive punch of her own to Malar's right cheek.
"THIS is for all of the people you killed on Bikanel Island!!" Rikku sprinted forward and shot her right foot forward, slamming into his abdomen and knocking the wind out of him.
"And this is for all of the above, and more!!" Tidus said in a low voice as he strode rapidly up to the pillar, pulling his right hand back. A violet aura was already beginning to envelop Malar's body as his wounds attempted to seal. He jerked his arms forward but they were bound fast against the rock, the tendrils unwilling to let go. Malar gritted his teeth and purple light began to shoot from his eyes, when all at once Tidus ducked in and jammed his right hand directly into Malar's sternum. The Earth Crystal pulsed and throbbed, its eldritch energies burning Malar's flesh on contact. A horrific shriek echoed across the plains as white light burst out of the rapidly expanding hole in his chest. With a quick wrench, Tidus yanked his arm back, tearing the orb out of Malar's body and kicking away from him. The stone pillar crumbled backwards, carrying Malar along with it to the ground.
The violet orb suddenly began to glow and pulse with a motley assortment of violet and indigo lights, burning Tidus' arm and forcing him to drop it on the ground. He staggered back, gritting his teeth against the burns on his hand as Yuna and the others dashed over to him. "What's going on? What the hell is that orb doing?" Paine scowled as Yuna applied some healing salve to Tidus' arm. The ground around the orb started to swirl and pulsate like a living thing, changing composition rapidly and producing low groans and high-pitched whines at the same time.
"That jewel must be going out of control," Yuna said in a low tone. The ground was starting to glow a deep red as rock began to melt and boil around the gem. Tendrils of magma started to whip across the earth, and wind currents began to pick up directly above it. "We've got to do something about it, and fast!!" Just then Naia's voice echoed through the air.
Use our powers as one . Channel our energy in unison. Bring order to that which is chaos. Our final unified power- Ultima.
The gem continued to throb with power, ejecting light and heat at a furious pace and causing large cracks to shoot across the surface of the ground. You must not delay, Strahl's voice boomed over the cacophony about them. Channel our energy and destroy that abomination now!!! All four suddenly blinked in wonderment as their crystals pulsed in unison, new information flowing into their minds.
Rikku was the first to spring into action. "That's our cue, guys; let's take that sucker out!" she shouted, holstering her alchemical rifle and thrusting both hands forward. The Fire Crystal shone a brilliant shade of crimson as swirls of energy began to form between her fingers. Tidus followed suit, jamming his sword into the ground and channeling the Earth Crystal in the same fashion. Yuna didn't bother to holster her guns, dropping them instead as she summoned the Water Crystal's power into her hands. Paine was the last to act, gritting her teeth as sparks flew from the Air Crystal and grew more and more massive between her palms. The whine of the gathering energy became almost deafening as the Jewel of Entropy continued to thrash and spiral out of control.
"This is it," Tidus shouted over the noise. "It's all or nothing; we can't hold back!!"
Yuna nodded. "Time to finish this once and for all!!"
"Ready?" Rikku hollered.
"More than ready!!" Paine answered. The skies seemed ready to crack open as their crystals scintillated in perfect harmony, energy growing faster by the second. The Jewel was at this point a maelstrom of chaotic whorls, black tendrils snapping at the air and the earth. At that moment, the four warriors opened their eyes and shouted in unison, "ULTIMA!!!!" The four chromatic orbs of energy burst into beams of light, converging on the Jewel and compressing around it with devastating force. White light began to build within the maelstrom, growing larger and larger, pulsing with eldritch power and blinding all within sight of it.
A cracking sound shot through the air, causing all four warriors to visibly wince. The white globe of energy suddenly stopped pulsing for a brief second...
The barrier over the Southern plains shattered as an explosion of white light engulfed the landscape.
To Be Concluded...
This was a bear of a chapter to write, but I hope it lives up to everyone's hopes. Yet questions still linger- what has happened? Is Malar now well and truly dead? What about YTRP? All will be answered in the upcoming penultimate chapter. Please read and review, I live for reviews. -Neon Ronin]