Sage Frontier Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale of two Fakes! ❯ The Heart of the World ( Chapter 49 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own SaGa Frontier. SquareSoft does, and they said my little `heart' sounds a lot like the `Oblivion Gates' in Elder Scrolls IV. I actually didn't realize that until I bought the game, after making the last chapter. Strange coincidence? Or do I own a deed I don't remember having!? Wait… no, it's coincidence. Oops.

 

The center of the oval continued to pulse. At first, the pulse was slow, but as each pulse beat, the center began to grow, and the horrible heartbeat grew in decibel with it. Within less than a minute, the tiny dot was the size of a small heart, and kept growing. Soon, it no longer looked like a dot at all, but rather like a heart itself. And as it grew, red veins began to appear as well, until it looked all too much like a swollen, purple-red heart. All the while, Blue could only stare at it, half in shock, half in disgust. He had never seen such an abomination before! And it just kept mutating.

 

But that horrifying realization just seconds before came back to Blue. The heart was beating, yes, but every second it grew was a second where Oblivion itself would collapse. For that heart was not merely just a heart - every second it beat was a second the clock was winding down. And when that clock ran out, that heart would explode and take every world within with it. Blue had to tear his gaze away. This wasn't the time to stop his tracks. He had the heart in his sights. Now he had to get to it.

 

Even though the paths were clear and led right to that island, there still remained the problem of that unbearable, vile heat. And with no way to change the plane to suit him any longer, Blue had to be very creative, very quickly. But, damn it all, he barely had any magic without Rouge! He wished he had questioned Sith more thoroughly on what the Endless Abyss would be like. He was unprepared for a horror such as this.

 

“Anyone come equipped with an Ice Crystal?” Zozma asked, both sincere and amused at the same time. Blue didn't find it funny.

 

“Wouldn't said crystal just melt?” Ildon retorted, as Fuse's lips thinned and he said, “Ain't there a spell to cool this place off?”

 

“No spell would be able to stop the heart of Oblivion,” Blue stated grimly, and all three stopped their bickering and looked at him, “It is a heart that's been beating since the beginning of time.” Zozma and Ildon shivered. There was something about Blue's tone that spelled finality. But how he could know, neither could say. This was the first time any of them had seen such a thing.

 

Fuse, unfortunately, wasn't as terrified. He looked from Blue, to the heart, and said, “It's still a heart. Hearts can break.”

 

“It's the heart of Oblivion,” Ildon pointed out, eyes gleaming for a second, his wings stiff as he spoke, “Don't you think it's a bit more stable than a regular, mortal heart?” Fuse nodded. He may have had his moments, but he wasn't an idiot - not in his mind, anyway. That heart would be a tough one to crack. But the boys back at IRPO didn't call him `Lady-Friendless Fuse' for nothing; he had broken many hearts back in his day. Though, and he had never said this to anyone before, that was mainly Silence's fault. Still, he knew how to break a heart. And this heart just happened to be a little bit bigger than he was used to.

 

“Heart's still a heart,” Fuse reasoned, and turned to that heart, “Okay, boys, it's time you got a lesson from dad and learned how to break a heart. This'll come in handy when the girls come breaking down your doors.” Zozma and Ildon just stared at Fuse, eyes wide in disbelief. They were at least ten times Fuse's age. Then, they looked at Blue, and finally, at each other. Only one thing seemed to churn up from the depths of their minds.

 

“Oh, dear lord…” they both said in unison. Then, they turned to see just what Fuse's `lesson' consisted of.

 

In short, it was nothing good. Fuse tucked his shirt in his pants and straightened the leather coat he wore. Then, he walked - very casually, mind you - toward the pulsating, throbbing heart. He walked as far as he could before he was at the risk of spontaneous combustion. Which, ironically, just wasn't very far at all. As tough as Fuse was, his body wasn't going to tolerate anything over one-hundred-twenty degrees. And, while Blue had no idea how accurate his guess was, he had a feeling it was much hotter than that over by where the heart was. So, when Fuse began to feel his skin blister just slightly, he stepped back and stopped. Then he stared at the heart, eyes hard with emotion, as though he was about to say something that would break both that heart, and his. Then, he sighed.

 

“Heart, it's over,” Fuse said sternly, crossing his arms, “I'm dumping you for a Mystic, and I'm not taking you back.” Then, he turned away, glancing back just once to add, “I'm sorry it has to end this way.” The wind rustled at precisely that moment, ruffling his hair in a dramatic effect. If the sun had been setting, it would've been picturesque. But despite the attractive nature of whatever Fuse's lesson was, it didn't do anything. The heart was still throbbing.

 

“What was that supposed to do?” Zozma whispered to Blue, who just shook his head and said nothing. Fuse didn't exactly hear Zozma, but he too noticed how much nothing happened; he had expected that oversized heart to just explode. And though Fuse didn't see the complications with that, it was for the best. The others all knew that, if Fuse's plan actually succeeded, they'd die in the explosion.

 

“I don't get it,” Fuse said, scratching his forehead, “Normally, that works. I've only had to mention Silence once.” He didn't even hear Zozma snickering behind him. Blue just blinked. He wanted to say something, but he had no idea how to even respond. The fact that Fuse actually thought this would teach them anything just blew his mind.

 

“Well… the heart has no idea who Silence is,” Blue finally said quietly, deciding that if they were going to get anywhere at all, it'd be through his thinking, not Fuse's.

 

Turning from Fuse, back toward the heart, Blue noticed that it had stopped growing. It was now the size of a small boulder; the veins were as thick as branches. But it still beat strong, and every beat brought a wave of heat that made them take a step back further. Blue's brows creased. This wasn't the way he wanted to go. They had to get close to the heart, not away from it. But when he took just one step forward, he was hit full force with a blast that sent him staggering backwards. And if Ildon hadn't caught him, he'd have tripped and fallen right into a pool of molten lava.

 

“Damn it!” he cursed angrily, as Ildon helped him to his feet, “We have to get to that heart! If we don't stop it…”

 

“It will take out the entire universe,” the Time Lord finished for him, and they all turned and stared at him. He no longer looked as amused, or as youthful as he normally did. And there was a look in his eyes, something that gave Blue a piece of insight that he had never thought of before. Something that said clearly, the Time Lord had been through this.

 

“What!?” Ildon gasped, as Zozma said, “Are you serious!?”

 

“Not one mortal alive has ever seen the heart of Oblivion,” Orlouge stated grimly, and he too seemed to have that same look the Time Lord had, “But it is a real thing, and it has the power to keep Oblivion alive… or to kill it off for good.” Just like a real heart could, of course. Blue could only stare, eyes wide, as he digested this. The Time Lord had seen it before. Orlouge knew of it. But did Sith? She was the one who sent them here. Did she actually know what she was sending them to?

 

“How could she know?” Blue whispered aloud, half in awe, half in horror. If she did know, just what did that mean? She was an Esper, but she was still mortal… wasn't she?

 

“Who?” Zozma asked him, and then snorted, “That Esper lady?”

 

“Did Sith know about this!?” Blue asked the two elder Mystics, and his tone shocked them. It wasn't accusatory - it was concern! “Did she know what we'd find here!?” The Time Lord shared a glance with Orlouge, neither knowing what to say. The lies fabricated to protect this plane had been painful. But the truth might just get Sith killed.

 

In the end, though, it was best for the universe to tell the truth. The Time Lord nodded and said, “Yes. She has never physically seen it, but she knows about the heart of Oblivion.” How much truth he'd tell, however, he had a limit on. Besides, most of it had nothing to do with their own world. But somehow, Blue found himself increasingly curious. He tilted his head.

 

“How does she know?” he asked. The Time Lord physically winced. It was clear that he didn't want to tell them.

 

“Let's just say that things in the Esper's life have caused her to learn things no mortal should know,” the lord said, with such finality that Blue didn't dare question - even if his desire to know burned as badly as the heat outside. Blue just looked at the heart. Sith had known all along. Was that why she hadn't wanted to help Aeon? Was that why her world was so broken?

 

“But what can we do?” Blue wondered sadly, and Zozma looked at him curiously, “How long has it been like this? How can we stop the heart before it explodes?”

 

“Let's take it one step at a time and just get to it, first,” Ildon suggested, and his calm voice brought Blue's spirit up, “You won't save your brother by rushing in. And that Esper wouldn't have sent us here if she didn't think we could do this. Just… think.” Blue did think. He thought about what he'd learned about the Endless Abyss. It supposedly did shift with the changing of one's thoughts. But it no longer did that. And its heart. Was it a living entity or not?

 

“The abyss is alive,” Blue said, and Ildon nodded in agreement, “Sith said it lives through the lost souls who come here.”

 

“Think there's a way to talk to those souls?” Zozma asked, sharing Blue's train of thought. Blue and Ildon exchanged interested glances. If there was, they could find out what was causing the heart to speed up. They might even be able to speak with Rouge. Blue looked over at the Time Lord and Orlouge, wondering what their thoughts on the matter were. But their expressions were almost unreadable; what Blue did read, however, he didn't like. It was an uncertainty in something.

 

“You don't think it could work?” Blue managed to ask. The Time Lord looked at him for a moment, and smiled weakly. That normally meant he didn't, even if he worded it in a way that made him seem like he did.

 

“I think it will, just not in the way you'd want,” the older Mystic replied gently. Zozma stared at him, his eyes narrowing. He wasn't in the mood to play games.

 

“Don't talk in riddles, Time Lord,” he said defiantly, almost commandingly. Ildon's mouth dropped. Even if Zozma was next in line after Asellus, that gave him no right to be an ass. Surprisingly, though, the Time Lord actually answered him. And he wasn't upset.

 

“Speaking to them will be easy if you can manage telepathy,” The Time Lord explained simply, “But it's what they will say that concerns me. These are not sane souls any longer. They have been warped and twisted into horrible things because of the abyss.” No wonder Sith was concerned when Blue told her about Rouge. Blue's eyes watered. If that were true, was Rouge already affected?

 

When he asked, Orlouge said, “It takes time for this to happen, but it depends on where Rouge is. As a soul, you should be able to feel traces of his residual energy. Can you?”

 

“No,” Blue admitted sadly. He sighed, and felt a firm hand on his shoulder. He looked up, and saw Ildon looking down at him. The Mystic was smiling as weakly as the Time Lord had.

 

“He isn't lost yet,” the green-haired Mystic said, and there was a level of strength to him that Blue felt in his touch. He needed that sort of strength. He nodded, trying to smile as well. But it felt so out of place.

 

“I know he's deeper in the abyss, but how can we get him?” Blue asked quietly, looking at the heart, “We can't change the path anymore, and no matter where we go, it's too hot to continue. What can we do?” Ildon and Zozma turned to the heart as well. It was true that their options looked bleak. But there had to be a way. Sith wouldn't have sent them there if there wasn't - Espers were never known to send mortals to their doom before. Yet, not one of them could think of a way to cross. Not even the Time Lord!

 

Zozma's eyes narrowed again as he continued to look at the heart. Why couldn't they figure this out? They were a team of four Mystics and the world's greatest magician. What was actually stopping them? Was it really Rouge's absence?

 

No. That was bullshit. Zozma had been there when Blue was without Rouge, and his magic was still strong enough to destroy their enemies. Blue had fought the Time Lord and had won. Blue was strong enough! But, damn it, he just didn't think he was. Well, that was what Zozma did best: kicked people in the ass when they needed it. And, by the gods of Mauq himself, he'd kick Blue so hard, he'd be hurting thousands of years from now. He grinned. It was time to do his job.

 

“We can use magic to do our work for us,” the red-headed Mystic said, giving his friends his wildest grin. Ildon blinked profusely; his job was to limit Zozma's stupidity at all costs.

 

“We don't have any magic, remember?” Ildon pointed out, crossing his arms, “It was used trying to get the damn shard to work.” But Zozma's grin didn't lessen. In fact, he looked more determined than ever. And just about as stupid as stupid could get.

 

“We didn't when we were on the plane of the living,” Zozma countered, and looked at all of them. The shadows thrown from the glow of the heart made him look dark, sinister. “But we're not on that plane anymore. We're in the Endless Abyss. We're in Oblivion itself.” And they all knew that Oblivion was the source of all magic. Blue's smile became more genuine. Now he was getting it.

 

“So unless what's happened hit here, we should be able to access our magic!” Blue finished. But Zozma just chuckled and shook his head.

 

“No, it's even better than that,” he corrected with amusement, “We should be able to tap into all sources of power from here. Even the ones Ciato destroyed.” Blue's eyes widened. That was quite a claim. But somehow… it almost made sense. Blue looked around again. Maybe there was truth to it.

 

Fire. Heat. Lava. That was the impression his mind drew up when he thought of Abyss. And when he thought Oblivion, he thought of a portal. Portals and fire were both sources of power. Different, yet they could be harnessed. Blue just needed to know how. He searched his mind, went over the spells he had learned and the ones Rouge told him about when they returned to Blue's home. The only one he could consider was Power Grab. And that needed a target to work. The Abyss wasn't a target. It simply was. Whatever spells Zozma thought would work, he didn't have in his arsenal. But as he thought this, Blue came to another realization. Zozma never said he had to know the spell. He might not have any, but he had a feeling he knew someone who would.

 

It wasn't because this was Zozma's idea that made him turn to the red-headed Mystic. It wasn't because Zozma had really done much to help them through the disastrous end of the world that made him do it, either. It wasn't friendship, or the fact that Zozma was the shining star in Blue's life that made him reach out. It was just one fact, one that Blue hadn't taken too much notice of until now: Zozma was the only one with `evil' magic. And while he had only heard rumors of such magic, Blue had this feeling, this inner instinct, that told him Zozma had figured out he could probably help them now. It also told him that he'd have to assist Zozma for it to work. And though he never wanted to dabble in evil again, Blue admitted he was curious as to why this feeling was strong.

 

Taking a breath, Blue indeed turned to Zozma and said, “You know something we don't. What's your plan?” The grin the Mystic wore told him his claim was right. It also told him he wouldn't like whatever it was the little demon was planning.

 

Blue found he was right with both assumptions when Zozma said, “I'm going to make that heart explode, and you're going to contain that explosion.”

 

“What!?” Orlouge screeched, as Fuse nearly dropped his blaster and said, “You damn right out of your mind, son!?” If he hadn't been so serious on his idea, Zozma might have actually laughed. But he didn't. He simply grinned.

 

“All right, look. I'm not really aiming to blow the damn place up. But think about it,” he explained seriously, and pointed toward the still-throbbing abomination, “The more that thing beats, the more unbearable it's going to get. We need to slow it down, and I have the spells to do it.” That caused murmurs and whispers among the group. But only Blue seemed to actually get the bigger picture now.

 

“What spell?” he asked, and the whispering ceased. Everyone else stared at him, though it was hard to say whether it was to say he was crazy, or just plain stupid.

 

Zozma's eyes gleamed red for a minute, and he said, “In for a little Sharp Pain?”

 

“You're actually serious!?” Ildon cried, at roughly the same time. When Blue and Zozma both nodded, the green-haired Mystic asked, “Why not use Shadow Net and save yourself that pain, Zozma!?” Zozma's grin vanished. Ildon's concern almost touched him. Quietly, he looked away. He tried to pretend he was focusing on the heart.

 

“Shadow magic isn't strong enough, Ild,” Zozma admitted, and now he faced his friend again, “Not much will be. This is the heart of the universe. Only a few spells will actually do anything. Demonic ones, at that.” Blue saw Ildon shiver, and couldn't help wanting to call the plan off himself now. Demonic spells often required the sacrifice of one's life force to actually succeed. Not to mention that, until now, he had thought only Espers had restricted access to those spells. He had thought Zozma had learned those spells through theft and translation.

 

In the end, as much as no one liked it, the plan was agreed upon. Zozma would paralyze the heart and keep it from beating. And when the inevitable time bomb went off, Blue would contain it with a Psychic Prison. He'd also combine that spell with the Stasis Rune, keeping the heart alive, even though it was going to explode. And how, Ildon had asked, would he combine the two spells? The Time Lord was generous enough to offer to cast Time Twister on Blue. It all fit together so well. It was almost too terrifying for those who'd be mere spectators.

 

Blue and Zozma positioned themselves as to having full view of the pulsating heart. Blue took out his father's staff, the one Rouge normally held, and pointed toward the heart. Already, he could feel the old energy waiting to be released. Likewise, he felt the power from his own sword. Reacting to the staff. Like two brothers who'd been apart for too many years…

 

Blue shook the thought away. Now wasn't the time for that. He had to focus on the plan, on getting his brother back and stopping the heart. It was simple, Zozma had explained. He wouldn't be able to give Blue a signal without breaking the pain, but Blue would know what to look for. As soon as the heart stopped, it was time to use the prison. And when the heart began to actually erupt (or, in Zozma's words, maybe it'd actually speed up), it was time to use the rune. It was a good plan, and it was relatively simple.

 

But that simplicity was gone when Blue saw how much pain Zozma would go through. The spell was easy enough for the prince to cast. But when he did cast it, a link between the heart and his own heart formed, and then turned black. That black aura surrounded the Mystic, and sucked the life away. Slowly, agonizingly. Zozma screamed, and when he did, Blue rushed himself. He began chanting the spell for the prison immediately, and was relieved that Zozma's magic worked so quickly. Already, the heart was struggling to be free of the paralysis. Blue was ready. And so was the prison he created.

 

When the orange web solidified around the heart, Blue immediately bent and scrawled the sign of the Stasis Rune into the dirt in front of him. As he did, he chanted again, and felt the staff burn in his hands. Too much magic, too many powerful spells at once. Blue nearly let go. But he couldn't. Zozma was weakening every second. Rouge was lost with every passing moment. Sith had entrusted him with the task. He had to keep going.

 

At last, the rune burned brightly, first on the ground, and then the burning symbol flew up into the air. The symbol glowed, and immediately, the heart - which was turning a deep crimson and was trembling! - stopped. It just… ended. There was no more pulse, no more thundering heartbeat in their heads. Even the heat seemed to have vanished as quickly as it had come. For a long moment, no one could believe it. Had it truly been so simple?

 

“Did… did you actually do it?” Ildon whispered after minutes of silence. No one answered. At that moment, the heart literally exploded. And the prison nearly cracked apart from it.

 

The explosion was horrifying to see and hear. It was like some foul beast, some unholy creature from the pits of hell, had come and torn a rift through the heavens, and had been scorched by the unforgiving sun. All around them, the Abyss shivered and fizzled, and the red skies began to darken to black. Lava crashed against the mountains, threatening to spill onto the path and devour them. The ground rumbled, the rocks split apart. And all through it, all they could do was stare at what was left of the heart, crimson ooze slowly sliding off the sides of the still-standing prison.

 

The prison wouldn't hold for long. As the heart continued to bleed out and peel away, what was left in its wake was a rift into nothingness. That rift grew, a literal black hole with sparks of orange fire licking its edges, spiraling like some insane chainsaw. And as it grew, Blue saw it was sucking the power out of their spells, weakening them. The prison flickered, at first glowing bright orange. Then, that brightness faded, and the webs constituting the prison began to bend inward. The vortex was too strong.

 

“It's going to blow!” Orlouge screamed, as Fuse took Ildon's arm and said, “Everyone, on the ground!!” He said it with so much authority, and so much concern, that the others dropped instantly. They dropped to the ground just in time, for as soon as they did, the prison gave way, and the vortex spiraled completely out of control. The fire within was shot everywhere, igniting rock, magma, and everything it could touch. The ground around the heart blew apart as well, rocks flung in random directions from the sheer force of the swirling mass. Blue shut his eyes as rocks collided with mountains, producing cracks so thunderous that it made his teeth rattle.

 

But just as the plane itself threatened to fall apart… the hell that had broken seemed to stop again. They could still hear the portal whirring, and could feel it tugging the last remaining strands of stability left. But they heard no other cracks of death and destruction, no eruptions of lava. Even the howling winds had died down, leaving the Endless Abyss as nothing more than the barren wasteland it had been before. It was almost peaceful.

 

“We… we're alive,” Zozma managed to croak, as he and Blue slowly stood up. He found his head was hurting and his vision was a bit blurry from what he'd done.

 

“Look!” he heard the Time Lord shout. And they all turned to where the heart had once been. The portal was now complete; it was spinning and swirling, leading into nothing but the darkest depths of the abyss. But the universe hadn't ended yet. Cautiously, Blue stepped forward. The heat that had stopped him before wasn't there any longer. In fact, it was colder now, with the heart destroyed. Cold enough for them to safely pass and see what they'd just accomplished. Or unleashed.

 

When they all made it to the small island that held the portal, Blue and Fuse both insisted they check it out first. They were still officers of the law, after all. And no one objected; granted, everyone was exhausted, but no one felt like arguing. And that was best to both of the cops as they walked over. There wasn't even much to see. The portal was quite active… but there wasn't much power leaking from it. In fact, if Blue hadn't personally been there, he wouldn't have noticed it at all.

 

“Where do you think it leads?” he whispered to his boss, sharing a glance with the older cop. Fuse's lips thinned, and he shrugged, backing away.

 

“I don't know, and I don't want to know,” Fuse replied grimly, and again, that unusual look of knowing was apparent as he said, “It ain't tugging on my psychic senses like the time-space continuum did, boy. Got any ideas?”

 

“It's a vacuum. It's sucking out all of the power that's being generated,” Blue told him just as gravely, and looked at his boss squarely, “Wherever it leads, if we don't finish the job and reseal it, it's going to absorb whatever's left of the universe. Right now, it's in a lull because of my rune. But it won't last long; my prison certainly didn't.” Fuse nodded with understanding. That meant they'd have to jump right in. For some reason, that didn't exactly bother the older cop.

 

Taking a deep breath, Fuse turned to the rest of the team and said, “All right, troops. Listen up. We got the heart to slow a little, but now we have a bigger issue here. See that portal?” He jerked his thumb behind him, to the swirling mess - to which the others nodded, “Good. Our mission? We're going right into it.”

 

“What!?” Ildon cried, truly shocked by the order, “Are you serious!? Do you know where that leads!?” Fuse's eyes narrowed as he looked at the Mystic. He was normally a decent judge of character. But he didn't think Ildon was a coward.

 

“Yes, I know where that leads, boy,” he replied flatly, and grinned sardonically, “You want out? Now's the time to sit down and stay here.” Ildon looked away. He didn't want to back out, but they were suggesting going to the ends of the universe, to a place even the Espers had never been. A place they might never return from.

 

“I'm going for Rastaban,” Ildon said to him with such determination, that Fuse's grin softened, “He deserves to know that Ciato's end will be quick.”

 

“If he hasn't died already,” Zozma added, and shivered as he looked at the portal, “I don't think Kylin's been there. But has Ciato?” Ildon couldn't say, but Blue could. He nodded firmly, and the Mystics turned to him. His eyes seemed distant as he returned their worried stares. How did he know?

 

“Ciato is the reason the universe is such a mess. Where else could he be?” Blue stated, and his voice became bitter as he said, “Rouge must be there, too.”

 

“How in hell do you figure that!?” Zozma demanded skeptically, shifting his weight to one side, brow perked to look as defiant as possible. Blue snorted softly.

 

“As much as I hate to admit it, there is a bond between my brother and your fellow prince,” Blue said to them, “Before Ciato lost his mind, it was there. And we saw it when Rouge reacted so badly to Ciato's insanity. Somehow, Rouge knew he might be able to find Ciato now that he's just a soul; no body to stop him from searching anymore.” But if he succeeded was another story Blue couldn't explain. Zozma and Ildon looked at each other, and then at Orlouge. Ciato had been one of them. If they found him, what should be done? Was he to be killed?

 

“In any case, we need to go in there just to seal the portal up,” the Time Lord said calmly, diverting the group's attention, “The longer we debate Ciato and Rouge's fates, the more unstable Oblivion will become.” Fuse agreed, and he took out his blaster, looking at it. He wasn't sure what it would do for him, once he went inside, but at least he had it. He looked up at the others. They all seemed so uncertain.

 

“Then let's get going,” he said, for all of them. He turned to the portal, and took a step. Then he took another.

 

“Aren't you afraid you'd die?” Zozma finally asked him. His voice sounded so meek, that Fuse stopped. That question sounded like it came from a terrified child, as opposed to a full-grown Mystic. Slowly, Fuse closed his eyes.

 

“Everyone eventually dies, boy,” the cop began seriously, “Yeah, I'm afraid I'll die. I'm also afraid of what'll happen if I don't drag my ass in there. The only way to stop your fear is to face it, though. So, I'm going right up against Death, and he ain't stopping me. Not now, not ever. Not when there's people to protect.” Those were brave words. Blue could only smile as he looked at his boss. If Fuse weren't such an idiot, he'd be a Hero himself.

 

“But what if he does stop you?” Ildon asked grimly. Fuse sighed. If they went in, that might very well be the case. But that wouldn't keep him from trying. He had his reasons, and he'd thought they'd have theirs, too. He finally turned toward them again.

 

“Then I'll go kicking, screaming, shooting, and fighting,” Fuse replied, and said, “Look, I know you're all scared. But we all have reasons to go and fight. Blue has his brother, and I have Silence. And believe it or not, you all have reasons, too. So, are you going to fight for them? Or are you going to stay here and whine?” Without even waiting for an answer, he started for the portal again. It was less than forty feet away from him, and when he was just about to step through, he stopped again and said, “When you make a decision, get your ass in and help me.” Then, he jumped right in.

 

Smiling, and taking out a thin, crystal cane, the Time Lord strolled over to the portal, and just stared for a minute. Fuse had been right. He had a reason to fight, too. He really didn't want Virgil to remember him as the amnesiac, forgetful mess he'd been when his clock was broken. That, and both Virgil and Orlouge deserved a good dinner before they all eventually faded. Laughing, he said, “Well, gentlemen, let's see if fate can stop the Time Lord!” Then, he too jumped in. Orlouge actually laughed, shaking his head.

 

“That's just like him,” he said, and genuinely seemed happy, “Well, if my old friends are going to kill themselves, I'd hate to be left out.” Saying something so light-hearted didn't exactly surprise any of the remaining three, but when the Charm Lord actually acted on his words… well, they were more than a little shocked that he felt that way. To one of them, he was an immortal figure in the entire realm of Oblivion. And to the other two, he was a pompous, self-righteous, womanizing idiot who didn't normally give two kicks about another person.

 

Zozma's lips thinned just a little as he stood, watching, wondering if Orlouge would chicken out and just run away. When his master didn't return, he looked at Ildon and said, “You think we ought to do this, too?”

 

“Is that a serious question?” Blue retorted in disbelief, as Ildon shrugged and said, “We both are the last remaining Mystic princes left. I'm not getting a girlfriend, and you're in no way ready for marriage, so why not?” Zozma grinned, and gave his fellow prince a thumbs-up.

 

“See, it's your logic that always wins, Ildy,” the red-headed Mystic commented, and slyly added, “And because you're so damn brilliant, you can jump in first.” That part, Ildon fully expected. And he didn't mind it too much. Not if it meant saving Rastaban's soul from Ciato. He shrugged again, and walked toward the swirling portal.

 

Stopping just once to look at his friend, he smirked and said, “You're still a jackass, and always will be.”

 

“Yeah, see you in hell, too, bastard,” Zozma replied with just as much amusement in his voice. They gave each other a knowing smile, and then Ildon was gone. Zozma waited for several long seconds with Blue, and then the two looked at each other. He never actually thought he'd be sharing his possible last words with a human, much less a human magician. It was more than a little awkward for him.

 

“So, are you ready?” he asked, rubbing his hands together as though he were cold. Blue's smile faded, and uncertainty crossed his face.

 

“To save my brother, yes,” Blue said honestly, “To save Oblivion… no.” Zozma snorted softly. He shared the sentiments. And if Sith had been faced with the same circumstance - one which they all assumed she must have been - she might not have been ready, either. He just patted the mage's back encouragingly.

 

“Well, then let's focus on your brother and leave Oblivion to the few who know what they're doing,” Zozma told him. Blue understood who he meant: Sith, Aeon, the Time Lord, and Kylin, should the third survive and the fourth actually be found. And while he didn't like leaving the responsibility to an eccentric time-keeper and a grumpy Esper, he did understand that if they failed, there was someone to take their place. He just didn't want to fail.

 

They both turned toward the portal. It beckoned them in, and Blue already felt his body growing cold just being near it. Wherever it led, he understood his physical body might not make it, even if his soul does. Slowly, he took a deep breath. And he wished Sith had told him everything she could about the Endless Abyss; not just the things she thought might help him. But she had her reasons, and if he lived, he'd eventually ask her about them. If only to keep anyone else from entering this realm.

 

Zozma was clearly ready before he was, though. The energetic Mystic was practically jogging in place, waiting for Blue to stop thinking and start doing something. Blue actually laughed when he realized he was holding the man up, and when he stepped forward, Zozma practically broke out in a full run for the portal. But before the idiot could run right through, Blue said, “Zozma… you knew about the portal, and you knew how to stop it. How did you know?” Zozma glanced back at him, and he understood he asked the wrong question. Quietly, he asked, “Who taught you evil magic?”

 

Grinning, Zozma said, “Sith did. Just once, about six hundred years ago, and only after I heckled her to do it for about seven weeks straight.” Then, he was gone, and he left Blue laughing. Was that another reason Sith hadn't wanted to help them? Because of an annoyance like Zozma? Blue shook his head. Why wasn't he surprised Zozma managed to piss off an Esper, on top of the Charm Lord himself?

 

Blue leapt into the portal with no expectations whatsoever, except to have his life end right there and his spirit to go on wandering forever. But when he crossed and felt himself floating, he knew that wouldn't happen. Surely, there was nothing but darkness for now, but he knew he wasn't dead, and he knew he wasn't comatose, either. In fact, he had never felt so alive before. And right then, as he seemed to stay in stasis rather than falling to his doom, alive meant freezing his ass off. Because, for all of the heat and scorching in the Endless Abyss, there was nothing but sheer waves of cold here. Maybe Zozma truly had killed the heart, after all.

 

With nothing else to do, Blue tried to swim to get his body moving. His felt his arms move freely. But he wasn't going anywhere at all. Even in the pitch blackness around him, he could tell he wasn't. There was no air propelled from his arms. There was… nothing at all. He stopped, and thought about this. Was he actually alive? Or had he passed peacefully during the transition into this… wherever this was?

 

Blue shook his head. That couldn't be right. He felt the cold, and he felt the emptiness around him. Hell, he was breathing, for Goddess' sake. He was alive, he just had no idea where he was or why he couldn't move to save his life. So, instead, he tried to focus on getting his eyes adjusted to the dark. Maybe that would provide some clues. Yet, even after ten minutes, all he still saw was the darkness beyond. There were no outlines to be had, nothing to indicate that he wasn't just floating around in nothing.

 

Confused and now worried, Blue tried the next thing he could think of: “Zozma!!”

 

“Blue? You made it?” was the curious response. Blue smiled broadly. They did survive! That was more reassuring than being able to move. If he could actually manage movement, he would've danced around, jumped for joy, and even hugged Zozma just for confirming their existence in this strange, new place. As it was, though, the only logical thing he could do was respond back.

 

“Yes. Where are we?” he asked, hoping everyone else had been listening, and were close by, as well, “Can anyone else move?”

 

“Nope,” this time, Fuse replied, and he sounded both annoyed and like he expected that, too, “We're just sitting here with our fingers up our noses, son.”

 

“Sitting?” Zozma repeated, and laughed, “I'm practically hanging upside-down. I wish I was sitting.” Blue imagined he must've had a nice headache developing right then. It probably served the little moron right, too.

 

“Zozma, shut up and be serious,” came Ildon's bored drawl, and then a sigh, “I'm to believe we may have been trapped here.”

 

“Gee, what makes you think that?” Zozma replied sarcastically, and Blue couldn't see him roll his eyes, “Oh, wait, is it because of all the not being able to SEE anything bullcrap?” Blue just sighed softly as Ildon said something completely incoherent, and possibly in another language. He wasn't in the mood to listen to the two bicker. So, he did the next logical thing on his mind.

 

“Time Lord, tell me we can fix this,” he said flatly, and that shut up the two princes above him. He also heard Fuse laughing, and thought he heard a chuckle from Orlouge. Obviously, his friends were beginning to lose their minds.

 

“Well…” the Time Lord began, and Blue knew right away this wouldn't be a good sign, “It may be that we're in a realm that might not exist.” Yeah, that kind of nonsense really wasn't good. Blue blinked, trying to figure out just what might not exist was supposed to mean. To him, either a realm was there, or it just wasn't.

 

“You mean like the World that Never Was?” Zozma asked hopefully, beaming, “Oh! I heard of that place! A bunch of bastards rule there, don't they? Think Ciato destroyed them yet!?”

 

“Zozma!” Ildon snapped furiously, his voice ripping across like thunder, “Shut up for five minutes and let us figure this out!” Blue could more feel than see the crease in Zozma's brows.

 

“Hey, wasn't I the one who got the damn heart blown up in the first place?” he pointed out indignantly. Then he seemed to realize that that particular fact was what led them to this place to begin with. And that he might not want to be so proud of that. But at least it was something Ildon hadn't done.

 

It was just too bad Ildon wasn't impressed. Sighing, the younger Mystic said, “At least you can shut up.”

 

“Why don't you both shut up before I mace you,” Fuse suggested threateningly. That silenced any other rebellions the two could bring. And when he was sure neither would spout any more useless dribble, he turned to Blue and said, “Now, I know this won't make sense, but the Time Lord's right. Where we are now isn't just a different realm. It's a different dimension, one no one's ever been to before.” If he didn't sound so grim, Blue might not have taken the man so seriously. Blue looked up - and still couldn't see Fuse.

 

“There are more than one dimension?” he asked, curiosity getting the better of his reasoning. Fuse nodded, hoping he was descending towards Blue's level.

 

“There are tons of `em, and we only know of one,” Fuse began, not even caring if this was something Blue should've already known, “The third dimension, as it was. Now, no one knows how many dimensions there actually are - not even scientists can explain what number it stops at, and some think the number goes on and on.

 

“But sometimes, when things warp and twist around, they can actually split apart and create another dimensional rift, sort of like when we travel between worlds,” Fuse said, and he sounded more like a teacher than an overzealous cop, “We're not sure what causes it. Could be energy transference, or it could be something else. We'll be living proof if we live through it.

 

“Now, we know what the third dimension is - that's the one we can perceive the best,” Fuse continued patiently, “And space-time is considered the fourth dimension; even though space defines the third dimension, time is considered the fourth because it goes beyond the scope of spatial differences. My guess is, when we blew that heart open, we unleashed so much raw energy that the laws of physics could not possibly grasp what to do with it. So, it created a black hole with dimensions out of that scope just to hold all of the power we released.” And when they jumped in, they jumped right into the dimension that was created. But why couldn't they move? Why were they alive?

 

When Blue asked this, Fuse said, “It's a relatively new dimension. I don't have the answers, but we may be frozen because we weren't figured into the equations physics made.” That didn't make much sense to Blue, of course, but he decided to just go with it. Fuse almost seemed to know what he was talking about.

 

“Wait, since when did physics develop a sentient entity!?” Zozma asked, trying and failing to crease his brows again. Fuse snorted. Haven't they dealt with that since entering the Endless Abyss? Or perhaps even before then?

 

“Since physics dictated everything, including the shit that's coming out of your mouth right now,” Fuse replied simply, and pretended not to hear the obscenities coming out of Zozma's mouth.

 

Before Blue could fully wrap his head around what Fuse actually said, there was a loud blast of noise, similar to a blaring siren when there's something to be warned about in the streets. It was so shrill, Blue was forced to try covering his ears to shield himself - and when he did so, his arms slammed into nothing and would not budge! The pain was jarring, on top of the shock of hearing such a noise. And before he could recover, there was a sudden flash of light that blinded him, made him see stars. He heard people screaming, unsure of whether it was himself, his friends, or people from beyond this crazy dimension. Or if it was real at all.

 

When his eyes finally recovered, and his ears stopped ringing in protest, he saw that what was once black was now a swirling rainbow of colors before his eyes; very painful colors, at that. Vibrant reds and brilliant blues, sparkling purples and electric greens twisted around and around, turning the black sky into a portrait that was just short of insanity. It hurt almost as much as hearing the siren, except that Blue couldn't shut his eyes. Even when he did, the brightness of the color penetrated his eyelids. He felt his skull wincing at it all, and that had to be impossible!

 

“Holy hounds of hell!” Zozma yelled, his voice sounding small with the chaos that was erupting around them, “That hurts, you bastard!” Blue hadn't actually expected that to get any sort of response, but to his surprise, someone did answer. At first, it was just a rumble in the air, like soft thunder that was quite a ways away. Then, that rumbling grew louder, until it suddenly sounded like laughter. Maniacal, fanatical, insane laughter that could not be measured in the scope of a normal, functioning mind.

 

“My, I never thought I'd hear you again,” said the voice, and it laughed hysterically again, “Is that you… Zozma?” Blue turned his head - just barely, at that! - and managed to look at Zozma's face. The man was stark white now; the coloring to his skin abandoned him in the horror he faced in hearing that voice. And after a quick minute, Blue understood why. That insanity, that mocking tone… that was no madman laughing at them.

 

That voice belonged to none other than Ciato. Or what had once been Ciato.

 

-----------------------------(End Chapter)

 

After traversing the Endless Abyss, Blue and his friends finally found the heart of Oblivion. And what a horrifying sight, indeed! But when they need to stop the heart to keep it from destroying the world, what do they do? Why, they leave it to Zozma, of course. After he comes up with an elaborate plan to destroy the heart, Zozma and Blue combine their magic to keep it from taking out Oblivion itself. It works… but now our heroes find themselves in an entirely new and unexplored dimension. How did they wind up there, and what will they face? Has Ciato truly returned, and what does he have planned for them? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!