To See Another Day Chapter 17
Alas, The Laughing Tear
By Kain Servant
Menoth could feel a premonition of something wrong. He searched the room suspiciously, trying to find where it came from, but he could not tell. There was the gigantic Kain, some sort of oafish villager that had crossed paths with Zidane. He was dense as anything, definetely not a threat of anything kind.
There was Zidane and Garnet, huddling on the floor like pathetic rodents avoiding the master’s hand. Sick, how even one as intelligent as Zidane would waste his time sweettalking in the middle of such a chaotic situation.
And then there was chaos himself. Necron. There was some aura about him that Menoth appreciated…a power that he could relate to. Fate was something that Menoth bought into…sometimes he could feel the strands of fate, sometimes he knew where to push, already knowing the result.
And whatever that force was, it was telling him that something would happen, just like Necron said.
“Done yet?” Menoth called to Zidane, “This grows extremely tiresome…I wish you’d just hurry it up and someone would die.”
Zidane glanced in his direction with a scowl, “Sorry to disappoint you but I’m leave now – show postponed until tomorrow.” Slowly he pressed down on his trance button again.
Both Zidane and Menoth were surprised when Necron’s voice suddenly rose in a high pitched shriek, “Enter the Joker!”
Menoth raised his claw just in time to deflect Emryal’s sword as the red-headed giant crashed in through the door behind him. Anger filled the Alc Tzai’s limbs…anger that was almost enough to push Menoth down. But not quite…no matter how hard he tried Emryal would never be as strong. But still seeing the eyes flickering with hate was disturbing.
“Hail Ruc Tzai Menoth. Hail my King!” Emryal roared, retracting his sword and slashing once again, “Backstabbing bastard!”
Menoth raised his claws easily to block the blow, a bit unsettled by Necron’s mad cackling behind him, asking in a sing song voice, “Oh…did anyone notice that Kuja is missing?”
Zidane was crackling once again, “You’re a lunatic, Necron. If you know so much, tell me. Where is Arteon?”
“Alas, Zidane. The Laughing Tear is back! Who is he? Your brother? Your friend? Do you know who he is, Zidane?” Necron cocked back his head and laughed uproariously.
--
It was as the spear dropped from Freya’s hands that she felt air sweep over her head. In a few moments Lindblum soldiers were around her, waving swords and muskets at the Burmecians.
There was Steiner. Good old Steiner, his arm around her, his eyebrows knotted in worry. And she could see Beatrix helping Fratley and Puck.
The Burmecians were folding back…scared now that there were opponents…fresh, and some of them well-known heros.
The battle was over…Freya was so relieved that she could cry…so tired that she could collapse into unconsciousness right then in there. The battle was over, she wasn’t going to die today.
Kal, on the other hand, was not finished. A belligerent mood in his steps, he stomped through the ranks of ratmen, shoving them aside angrily, “What are you? In awe that they came from the sky? I ordered you to kill these traitors, and by kill I mean I want to see their corpses lying on the ground!”
In an instant two swords were at his throat. Blank and Steiner’s. Blank poked at him with a grin, “Hey, hey now, we’ve got a little sentimental value for these “traitors” so…I don’t know, if you keep jabbering on like that, we might have to get rid of you.”
“Get away from me!” Kal’s eyes turned to slits, “I am the King of Burmecia, you cannot speak to me like that!”
“You’re not the King I served…” Freya spoke wearily. “Ever since you met that red headed man…Amarant? You changed. I don’t serve you as my King.”
“Wasn’t me.” Amarant grunted from behind her. “Probably one of the Ellians. They can use mind-controlling devices…or, I think they can anyway.” Freya sighed in relief when she heard the blunt voice from behind her. Amarant was…whatever, a friend. And it would have been hard for her mind to take if he was really an evil murderer.
But her mind could not be taken away from Kal. He flustered for a moment, stomping in rage. His soldiers stepped back, breaking the circle around the heroes and soldiers from Lindbrum and allowing them some room to move around. Blank shook his sword again, “Alright, mind controlling devices you say? So…Kal, what did this red headed bastard do to you? Stick anything up your ass? Don’t be shy.”
What was meant to be a joke turned into an alarming moment. Kal’s eyes dilated wide and he grabbed for his sword, “Destroy Alexandria!” He screamed as he stepped forward toward the wall.
“Hmm.” Freya squinted as Steiner calmly swiped the Burmecian King’s head off. Then knelt to wipe his blade off, muttering, “Stupid rat.”
The glint of metal from Kal’s disconnected head attracted Freya, and she pointed to it. Blank knelt to examine the head, poking it as a little girl would an ugly insect. “Oh…someone wake me up.” It almost seemed as if Blank’s face got a little paler as he looked back to the company, standing up and moving away from the head, “It’s a brain…they put a fake brain in the poor bastard and sewed his head back together…I.” He blanched and fell silent.
The thought was enough to make Freya feel sick, and she looked away. Fratley grabbed her shoulders quickly, “Are you alright, Freya? Were you injured?”
“No…nothing serious, I’m fine. I just…I’m very tired of fighting – I want to go home and…just live – I never want to see a carnage like this again.”
It was sad to look upon. Hundreds of Burmecians that she had fought alongside many a time were lying dead all around. The scent of death already clung to the air.
A few Alexandrian soldiers were looking down at the scene suspiciously…but made no move to attack. Their forces were exhausted as well. Two nations destroyed so many lives because of one fake brain. How was it possible?
A grunt, and another figure dropped in front of Freya. Marcus. Sword in hand, he looked around at his friends with no small amount of relief. “I’m glad you’re finally here, guys. Zidane left me in charge here but it was…hard. We couldn’t hold out much longer.”
Beatrix sighed and tried to put on her bright face once again, “Just a misunderstanding, Marcus…very sorry about all of this… umm, look I’m going to go settle this with that fake queen we set up. Steiner, why don’t you take these three fine “traitors” back to Burmecia. I’m sure they’ve had enough action for one day. Tomorrow we can try to think about the real invasion.”
The real invasion?
“Speaking of which…” Blank noted blandly to his companions, “Is it just me or has that damn planet gotten a lot bigger?”
Freya looked up. It had.
--
This new red headed man was a surprise…and very powerful, Zidane could feel from across the room the power of his hate. He pushed Menoth back with his sword and stood heaving, his eyes fixed on Menoth as he shouted accusingly,
“You have been betraying your people this whole time, Menoth! Socializing here with the enemy when you should be destroying them…always against me – no matter what I do…I tried to do what you want me to do but it’s not enough! And then Aitella!”
“You have no right to speak of her!” Menoth yelled, pointing his claw at Emryal, “No right at all! You don’t even know who she was, what she meant to me. I don’t give a damn for all these regulations that have been set in the days of old. Our people are dying, Emryal. Dying! I just wanted to bring them some hope. To…bring myself some hope.” Slowly Menoth’s eyes turned back to Zidane, and he sighed apologetically,
“That’s all I was trying to do Zidane…you have something that I always tried to attain. Individuality – even though you are a genome. But no matter how hard I try, I can never change my mindset from that of my people…to destroy – to conquer mindlessly…to become Allicar. I don’t want to be like that. I want to change.”
“You pathetic drone, don’t you see? Zidane is different because he was created differently from all the genomes.” Necron sighed impatiently, “And you weren’t. Rid yourself of this hopeless obsession, it won’t get you anywhere.”
“But he has a soul.” Zidane broke in, his arms still clutching Garnet tightly. “He wouldn’t be able to think how he is if he didn’t have a soul. He can be different.”
“Don’t talk about me in third person.” Menoth muttered.
“Uhm…Zidane? Garnet? What does all this mean?” Kain spoke up quietly, “What is going to happen?”
“Menoth’s futile individuality will burn to nothing because I will kill him! I will be the only master of Gaia!” Emryal roared, his sword springing into a blade of crackling fire, “Ia Strike!”
Menoth smirked as he drew a shallow barrier over himself, and Emryal’s attack fell against the invisible wall. “Emryal…face it. Your physical strength is useless now that we have reached Gaia. It was my mind that held you in check before, but now have the aided power of this planet’s unique force. Trance.”
The sky was getting darker. Zidane glanced at Menoth, “What do you mean?”
“I mean that trance is not involving your emotions at all, like you silly humans believe. All that is involved is pulling on the force or energy of the planet, and you can fall into trance. That is why I manage to hold onto at all times, when you on the other hand must go into a state of blind anger.”
Zidane shook his head. He wasn’t sure if he believed the mysterious man anyway. He knew he didn’t trust him – the ellian was still out to destroy his planet. Taking a deep breath he enveloped himself and Garnet in his trance and slowly hovered into the air, “Well, take care down there. I’m going home!”
--
‘No, Kuja, No! Don’t do it!’ Arteon’s voice was a distant whisper in his mind as Kuja concentrated his energy on the planet, pouring everything he could into his move.
‘Shutup…you’re not even real. I am the master here, and I’ve decided what I am to do!’
‘And what is that? Destroy yourself? Destroy mankind? What will that accomplish…your mind is simply under the influence of your anger.”
‘It’s my fate pulling on me, Arteon. I must do this, if I can my existence will not be in vain.’
‘But what of all you learned from Zidane…it was you, not me in the cave that thanked him…that said you wanted to be a better man.’
‘I was dying, why not die making amends. Zidane is simply foolish enough to forgive everyone. He forgave me, he forgave that Kain for screwing his whore, he even forgave Menoth for trying to destroy the planet – and Menoth is still going on with his plans. He’s simply a weaker version of me – Garland was wrong, I am the stronger!’
The brilliance surrounding them was blinding, competing against the sun for brightness – and the sound, a low humming, grinding noise…a wailing of sorts. The planet was protesting.
‘See, Arteon. Could Zidane do this? Not now, not ever. And he won’t get the chance ever again. You were helpful, Arteon – for keeping me alive, but now your usefulness is over. Leave!’
‘Never!’
“Khazic! I summon you Khazic!” ‘Fine, stay then, you can witness the destruction of the entire planet by a single man…genome. Whatever they wish to call me.’
Before him the ground exploded, and out pushed a silver dragon…much larger, much more powerful than Kuja’s first ride. She was Khazic, Mother of all Dragons, mate of Bahamut himself…and she belonged to Kuja.
Angrily she bellowed for his command, and he lightly floated onto her back, laughing quietly to himself, still pulling on as much power as he could hold.
“Necron wants it! Menoth wants it! But I shall have Gaia to myself!”
--
Light. Suddenly the sky was filled with such a light, and at the same time such a darkness. It was an emotion itself. Hate, perhaps Terror. Pride swept over Alexandria, and over Lindbrum swooped Wrath. People closed their windows and tried to shut it out, but the sound still swept through. The grating. The wailing. A great magic was afoot. A great terror was about to be.
Blank saw the darkness greater than the light, and he immediately pulled the Hilda Garde lower, sweeping as close to the terrain as possible. He had to get to some shelter quickly.
So it was true. ‘Eiko…’ He couldn’t think of her, he didn’t have the time…he had to save the others. But his mind screamed out for her. “Oh please live! Dammit you have to live, we’ll find each other, as soon as I complete my mission I’ll come for you and never let you go again! We can have sex all day long if you want, I won’t complain once I promise!”
“I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Amarant was behind him. A vague smile, that damn smile that had become a trademark of the redheaded man of late…and Blank smiled back.
“Hope. Right?”
The world went black.
--
It was dark, darker than it had ever been before that Eiko could remember. And it was midday. She was curled up on her bed, staring out her window at the ebony sky. So horribly wonderful…so wicked.
She had heard Cid say to himself that the planet was coming early. So was that what it was like for planets to merge? Would they all be safe, or was it the end like she had thought before?
“That’s right…” She told herself hopefully, touching the bead necklace Blank had bought her in Treno, “It can’t be the end yet, because Blank has to come back for me. If I don’t see him again, I’ll…” Die? She might anyway. She tried not to think of that, shuddering, fighting back fear. He would come, her hero, sword in hand – taking out anything that got in his way.
That made her smile, the thought of Blank, swiping at his hair – always trying to be calm and dashing, yet so…soft inside. Lovable. She loved him! “Damn you!” She yelled at the darkness, ripping off her necklace and throwing it out the window, “It can’t end this way!”
Something came back through the window…it wasn’t clear what, but she did remember falling back on her bed with a heavy weight on her chest, the world dimming…everything fading…
--
“Where did Necron go?” Garnet’s quiet words brought the whole room out of their standstill as they stood looking at the sky. Zidane quickly looked back to the place the wizard had been. He was gone.
“No.” Zidane gripped Garnet tightly as he flew higher, out of the building.
The crash shook everything. It was as if the whole planet shook. A giant piece of the elder’s old house came crashing down and hit Zidane in the back. He cried out in agony and dropped Garnet to the floor below, just before another piece smashed into him, sandwiching him between them as he fell to the ground.
Emryal took the opportunity to charge into Menoth while the black haired man was off balance. Menoth held his hands out quickly, but his barrier was gone, and Emryal’s full force slammed into his body, sending him crashing on his back across the floor – and his hand fell against Garnet’s arm lying prostrate behind him.
Kain just stared.
Zidane pushed as hard as he could, trying to think of a trance to destroy the obstruction, but he couldn’t focus. “Garnet!” He called out to her. Was she alright?
Barely Zidane heard Menoth mutter a single word. “Fate.” And his eyes went to the Ellian…his eyes were on Garnet. “The Summoner.”
Garnet didn’t move. “Garnet?”
Emryal snarled, “She’s mine, you bastard! You’ve stolen everything before, you won’t take this from me!”
The crushing force of the two chunks of rock began pushing Zidane out of consciousness. He didn’t understand why they were looking at his wife. He had to get up! “Garnet!”
Menoth reached out reverently and put his palm in the center of Garnet’s chest. A red light began to shine.
“Stop!” Emryal yelled, “She’s mine!” Another crash threw the red headed ellian back, and he could only watch helplessly.
Garnet’s eyes suddenly flashed open, and a scream erupted from her lips, “Zidane!”
Suddenly the world came into focus, and with a wave of energy, Zidane lifted the rock from him and sent it flying across the room. He took a staggering step forward.
He saw blood. He saw Menoth’s hand suddenly press through Garnet’s chest as he hissed a word, “Allicar.”
The red light grew.
“NOOOOOOO!” The trance of anger erupted through Zidane’s pores, “NOOOOOO!” He charged forward, but everything was slow motion. It didn’t happen…it couldn’t have happened!
Garnet’s eyes were fixed on him…he could feel her last breath…feel the life ebb away from her…he felt the tears against her cheeks. Felt her die.
Something inside him snapped and he felt his energy go out of control. His eyes glazed over to the point of blindness…but he could still see the blackness of the sky…the red light that Menoth held…Garnet’s face in his mind. But she wasn’t there anymore. She was gone.
Was it fate?
Another crash threw Zidane against the wall, and his head smashed against the rock he had thrown from him just moments before.
Fate…if that was fate, then he supposed his life was over.
As he drifted away, he thought he heard laughter. He thought the laughter was Necron’s.
*** Hey, Kain here. Just wanted to say yeah that last part was pretty confusing,
I want to explain that. See about half way through what I’ve done so
far I had a completely different idea for how to finish this same story,
but I’d already posted a lot of unchangable stuff on IcyBrian…so
I had to patch a few parts, delete others. Anyway…I promise when it
finishes it will make sense.
I had this crazy idea a few months ago that Necron, Kuja, Menoth and Zidane were all intergalactic allies a long time ago and the whole purpose of all these wars was just for them to wake Zidane up. But of course that would make the first seventeen chapters a completely different story…dumb idea I know, I got that idea the night I watched Star Wars and Maverick and wanted to do a Sci-Fi Western.
Okay I’m done rambling, I hope you enjoy reading, please tell me what you think of it so far – criticism (I don’t care if its constructive, just burn me for all I care).
Welcome to Part Two!