<ooc - bloody hell, I count FOUR times that Xipetotec came back from the dead over the course of this battle!>

“Is he really gone this time?” Eevee asked warily as she and Tsunami stood up from the ruins they had taken shelter behind.

“He’s gone.” Keiji said simply. He looked up at them and Eevee started slightly - his face was powerful, commanding, and even a little frightening. But then he broke into a smile and they could see the old Keiji still shining through, only with his boyish good looks now replaced by a more rugged handsomeness. He had said he was a year older than when they last saw him and he looked it, though Eevee was at a loss to explain how - surely he had only been gone a few hours? She made a mental note to ask him what the frak he had been on about, but for now just smiled as Keiji and Tsunami embraced in a lingering kiss. She looked around at the devastated city, once again burning after Keiji and Xipetotec’s fierce battle, as her two friends walked up hand in hand to stand beside her.

“Poor Rosie…” she said suddenly, and her vision began to swim. Even the young girl’s body was gone - obliterated in the explosion of Keiji and Xipetotec’s cataclysmic twin Shockwaves. But then she thought she saw a single Pyrafly spiralling upwards through the weak pre-dawn light, and the sight made her feel a little better.

“She’s in a better place now,” Tsunami said, putting her hand on Eevee’s shoulder, “And she’ll be reunited with her parents in the Farplane.”

That thought comforted Eevee. She nodded.

“In a way she was lucky,” Keiji murmured, “You see the devastation here? This is only the beginning. Guadosalam, Djose, Bevelle…they’ll all be left in ruins just like Luca if Penance isn’t stopped.”

He let the ominous thought hang for a moment, then thrust his fist forward into the centre of the three of them, palm downwards.

“But I promise you, he will be.”

Eevee nodded again, her face hardening, and put forward her fist to touch Keiji’s.

“For Rosie,” Tsunami said as she put her fist in alongside the other two, “And for the memory of Luca.”

They stood silent for a solemn moment.

“We have to find the others,” Eevee said as they let their hands drop, “We were wandering around for ages looking for my mum and dad before we ran into Rosie and Xipetotec…and Keiji, what happened to your dad? I haven’t seen him since the two of you disappeared into the demon world…”

“Aw, did you not care what happened to me and Tanis?” said a voice behind them. They spun to face the sound, hands flying half-way to their weapons before they saw who it was.

(occ - Just a quick post, i'm not sure what we're actually doing next, i think Eevee is gonna ask Tanis to train her or something.  But are we heading to Djose with the column to attempt to find Eevee's parents until she finds out whats happened and goes calavanting after them or something? :P  I dunno, tell me.  I just thought i'd put in my usual, bad comedy, spam post)

“Aw, did you not care what happened to me and Tanis?” said a voice behind them. They spun to face the sound, hands flying half-way to their weapons before they saw who it was.  “It’s upsetting to think that none of you care about what happened to me in that fight.”

“Fariel!”  Eevee smiled relived to see she was alive, then the urgency hit that her parents were not by her side, “Where are mum and dad?!”  She quickly followed and Fariel sighed.

“To be honest, I haven’t got a clue.  Leviathan hasn’t answered me for a while now; maybe he’s trying to contact them.” Her answer didn’t ease Eevee’s mood, “Well ya never know, they could be doing something really stupid like gone off to fight Penance without us.”  She chuckled, “But they aren’t that stupid, so don’t worry about them Eevee, they are probably chasing after the General to help heal the wounded.”

“That sounds like something they would do.”  Keiji reassured Eevee.

“Oh and Keiji, nice fight.”  Keiji smiled at Fariel’s comment before she addressed all of them, “It’s a bad idea to split up further, we should stick together and get out of this ruin.”

Zell dropped to his knees holding his head in his hands.

"Wha, what the hell is wrong with me!" Zell yelled fighting a severe headache. "What is it I'm feeling," Zell suddenly felt a strong prescence loom over him, gribbing his rifel he rose to his feet swing round finger flexed on the trigger, behind him on stood a great figure of a man carring two swords.

"Who are you!?" Zell demanded

"Have you forgotten me Zell? or are you afraid in what remembering me might do?"

"I said who you are!"

The man stepped forward and Zell jumped back. "Don't come any closer, I will kill you,"

"You won't kill me, you can't,"

"Wanna bet? I was in battle last night I killed many,"

"No you haven't,"

Zell burst into rage and fired off three shots, all of which flew past the man not even touching him.

"If you wanted to kill me why did you miss,"

"Y-you just got lucky,"

"I know you Zell, you'r aim isn't that bad,"

"Don't mock me!"

"If you truley wanted to kill me then why didn't you use the guns I gave you,"

Zell froze, looking down at the twin pistols, "I-I have always had these," Zell dropped to his knees weeping, "but I killed the other angels, and many soilders,"

"Sonya, Kobie, Fariel, Tsunami, Eevee, all survived the fight, you shot at no civillian, and all guard troops you fired at you did you're best so they would survive, you sat at the back of the battle, trying to avoid to much fighting,"

"No,"

"Yes," The man walked up to Zell and grabbed him by his shoulders, "You are still in there Zell, fight Penance's influence,"

"Ne-Neji,"

"You do remember,"

"Ye-" Zell was suddenly stopped by a sudden pulse in his head, he pushed Neji back with his increased strength, and soon lost everything once again. Shaking his head he looked up to Neji.

"Who are you?" aiming his gun

"Zell listen to me, fight,"

"Who the hell is Zell," Zell's attention was drawn to Neji's swords, "Oh and enemy of Penance, you die," Zell fired accrate shots at Neji.

"Damn!" Neji shouted bring up a dark wall to defend him.

"A shield? Well I can deal with that," Zell drew his pistols and Neji's eyes widened seeing the murderous intent in his eyes, he launched himself in the air narrowly missing the bullets and hovering, Zell quickly aimed up to Neji and again Neji narrowly missed the roaring bullets.

"I can't fight you Zell,"

"I told my names not Zell, I am the nameless warrior master of the great Penance himself," Neji sighed "Dark Element explosion," he said unleashing a large vortex of dark energy, Zell raised his hand and absorbed the energy, but when finished Neji was gone, along with his prisoners.

(occ - Here you go, quickly and poorly written.  Let's get on with Kobies and Sonyas death-ness!!!! :D :D WOO! XD LOL)

“Come on then, climb aboard. They’ve got a big head-start on us…”  Fariel sighed leaning down to let Eevee on as she finished throwing on her clothes and grabbing her weapons.

Hulling herself up onto Fariel’s back she held on as she flapped her large draconian wings and started up into the air.

 

“Fariel?!”  Larek and Tanis yelled together as he noticed what was happening.

”We’ll be back, I promise!”  Fariel yelled before she was out of earshot range.

 

oo0oo

 

Eevee looked back at the small campsite, it was almost completely out of view, conversation with Fariel was minimal as she directed their way through the skies by Leviathan’s instructions, Eevee was surprised when Fariel addressed her, “Looks like they are heading towards the calm lands, Eevee…they aren’t slowing down, no matter how many times we tell them, they are ignoring us…”

”Keep trying, you have to stop them, if only so we can catch up!”  Eevee cried loudly so Fariel could hear her over the winds.

 

“I am trying!”  Fariel snapped, “I’m just as worried as you are Eevee.  Now hold on, we’re going to go a bit faster.”  She round at Eevee with her red eyes and managed to smile, Eevee smiled back but nearly fell backwards as they shot forwards, propelled by Fariel’s magic.

 

oo0oo

 

The calm lands were on the horizon now, the sun blocked out by menacing black clouds, the peaceful meadow looked dead now, and at its centre a disturbing piece of  half-finished architecture.  What looked like a near finished castle, Penances castle, rocks floated out of flaming black holes in the ground and swirled around on their own with purple contrails, spinning around the castle before settling into place to build another part of it.

 

Eevee lent forwards as she saw a glittering silhouette in the distance, swooping down from the clouds to the dead lands and its castle, contrails of red, yellow and blue flowing behind it, “That’s Tritoch!”  Eevee yelled in relief, they had finally caught up.

 

“Let’s go!”  Fariel sped up again, flapping her wings before swooping down from the clouds in persuit.

Penance sat with closed eyes on an obsidian throne carved with images of skulls and screaming, demonic faces. With his demonic second sight he watched the great bird appear on the horizon and begin its descent. Immediately there were swirls of purple fire around him as a score of martial demons appeared at his side in response to the incoming threat. Penance waved them aside.

“No. I will deal with the two Angels myself.”

“My lord?” a purple-skinned demon with spikes jutting from its back and shoulders asked in confusion, “Is that wise? To fight two of them yourself?”

Penance response was to hurl a bolt of black energy at the demon so that it disintegrated in screaming flames.

“I have defeated the Angels before and I will do so again!” he growled for the benefit of the other demons, his four wings flickering menacingly behind his shoulders, “Ghede failed to deliver the girl with the nascent Aeon power but that doesn’t matter now as Ramuh and Tritoch have come to me anyway. Soon their power will be mine also!”

“Why do they come alone?” mused a demon, another one of Penance’s inner circle by the hooded cloak he wore, “They are fools to challenge you without the other Angels.”

Penance laughed.

“Their loss, not mine. Be gone.”

At his command the circle of demons, along with their comrades on the castle ramparts and throughout the keep, dismissed themselves in shimmering flames. Alone now, Penance rested his hand on the hilt of his glowing sword, Oblivion, and awaited the Angels’ arrival.

* * *

 

“Holy Farplane…” Feyd whispered in quiet awe as they headed down towards the dark castle scarring the face of the Calm Lands. A sinister piece of gothic architecture, it was made entirely of black stone; every arch was carved with grinning horned skulls and demonic gargoyles leered from every tower. Blocks of stone rose out of the ground in ripples of purple fire, spinning slowly round the castle and interlocking to form ramparts and bastions.

“That’s strange, I can’t sense any other demons down there…” Sonya mused, “There’s not even a shield spell around it to stop us getting in.”

“He wants us to find him,” Feyd guessed, “He wants to fight us himself.”

“His arrogance is our advantage, then.” Ramuh commented from inside his head.

This is as far as I can take you, Angels, Tritoch added in a telepathic whisper, I must gather my strength to unlock the rift into the Void. Good luck.

The two Angels nodded and jumped nimbly off the Balance Bird’s back as he faded away to Pyraflies. Even as they landed the bricks of the wall looming in front of them began to glow and rotate, shifting and realigning to open up an arch that led into the castle courtyard. Thick, heavy mist rolled out to meet them, bringing with it a smell of strange incense mixed with sulphur. Warily, Feyd and Sonya advanced down the arched tunnel as the stones parted and reformed ahead of them. They stepped out into a vast courtyard lit by a flickering magenta light. They looked up and saw an impossible sight - whatever the castle looked like from the outside, its dimensions within were warped and twisted to mind-bending proportions. The ceiling seemed to rise up forever and purple storm clouds swirled beneath it, discharging iridescent lightning that flickered off the black stone walls. The walls themselves creaked and groaned as if alive, and every now and then a comet of purple mist with a grinning demonic face would emerge from the walls or the roiling clouds and let out a menacing hiss before ghosting out through another wall.

But that was not the worst of it.

Piled in great pyramids at regular intervals were mounds of skulls, blood oozing in thick rivulets from empty eye sockets to trickle down the pyramids and pool in black stone basins beneath the piles. Where the blood was coming from was not readily apparent, and the impression they got was of gory fountains. Feyd and Sonya recoiled. This was more than just evil - this was obscene.

“I see you are admiring my trophy collection,” a dark voice echoed round the cavernous room, “The skulls of every single Spiran slain by me and my servants - I hope you’re impressed.  Though it'll be much bigger by the end of this war.”

Sickened, Feyd and Sonya just turned towards the voice with grim faces, Feyd’s Atellian claws crackling in the gloom while a magical aura rose up to surround Sonya in a white glow.

A shaft of purple light appeared ahead of them, and reflected in the light of his glowing sword Penance stepped forth, Oblivion combining with the strobing lightning overhead to throw lurid highlights and shadows across his face. His face was framed by the feathered rim of his red cape, which whipped fiercely about his black armour even though there was no wind. Slowly he raised Oblivion to the level of his eyes, pointed threateningly towards the Angels.

“Tritoch and Ramuh…it has been a long time…” he mused, while the two Angels returned his gaze impassively, “Surely you know how this will end?”

“Your reign of terror ends here, Penance.” Sonya growled as she dropped into a half-crouch, her hands up and already glowing with elvish magic.

“Don’t be boring, that’s what all the other Angels said.”

“Yeah, and the last Angels banished you!” Feyd yelled as he leapt forward. With a roar Penance swung Oblivion round his head and powered into the air to meet him.

“You’re lying!” Sonya shrieked at Penance, who merely threw back his head and laughed derisively. The Angels snarled. He was bluffing - he had to be.

Sonya punched her arms forward, wrists together, to send a spiralling lance of Bisingr fire roaring towards Penance. He countered with a Dark Encampment Wall, and the flames washed round him without effect. Penance slammed Oblivion’s pommel backwards even before the flames had dissipated and Feyd, who had Timeshifted behind Penance under cover of the fireball in the hope of taking him by surprise, reeled back with blood streaming down his face.

“So predictable,” he snorted, turning and thrusting his glowing blade towards Sonya. A long stuttering stream of demon balls blasted from Oblivion’s tip and hurtled towards her.

“Dyann Ra,” Sonya countered, holding up her right hand with fingers spread. The demonic missiles shattered in purple starbursts against the golden shield that enveloped her in a glittering hemisphere, but Penance’s power was great and the volley kept coming, more and more demon balls driving Sonya backwards and threatening to overwhelm even her magical defences. With a purple flash Sonya was hurled back off her feet and at that very moment Penance leapt forward, corkscrewing through the air with Oblivion held out in front of him.

Sonya flipped back onto her feet and immediately dived forward to roll under the attack, and even before Penance could slam down into the ground where she had been a silver blur met him in midair and sent him flying aside. Feyd leapt out of his Timeshift and kicked up off Penance’s chest as the demon shattered the stone floor with the force of his impact.

Penance backward-rolled away from Feyd and regained his feet with a double-backflip. Feyd was already flying towards him, somersaulting through the air and thrusting his arms forward as his gauntlets’ long side-blades rippled from their sheaths. Penance beat his four wings and glided back out the way, Feyd landing in a diving roll and coming up again to meet him. The side-blades melted away to be replaced by the forked dragon-claw blades and Oblivion rose to meet them as Feyd came forward in a series of spinning slashes. Penance backed up steadily as he parryied each attack in turn, spinning his defence with remarkable dexterity for such a large sword. Multicoloured sparks flew as a double bolt of lightning leapt from Feyd’s gauntlets to be deflected by Oblivion and Penance stepped back again, but as Feyd advanced he suddenly counterattacked with a lightning-fast lunge. Feyd twisted aside just as fast, Oblivion lancing through the hazy after-image of his Timeshift, and side-flipped over the follow-up slash so that he landed behind Penance. Penance whirled to meet him and drove Feyd back up against the wall with a relentless wave of attacks. Feyd turned and ran up the wall, corkscrewing over Penance’s head as he drove Oblivion’s point into the wall, shattering the stones. Feyd landed behind Penance but the demon was too skilled, and Oblivion swept over his head in a purple arc to parry behind him. His sword landed between the forked blades of Feyd’s claws, so that his gauntleted fist slammed into the blade and his punch-attack was brought to a jarring halt with the tips of his claws a few centimetres from Penance’s back.

Penance twirled round underneath his sword and levered it down, throwing Feyd back. Oblivion slashed forward again but the Angel had Timeshifted away, and coming at him instead was a vortex of Firannon lightning. Sonya’s counterattack lifted Penance off his feet and slammed him back against the wall, lightning coruscating over his black armour. With a roar Penance kicked off the wall and beat his four wings to fly up towards the centre of the cavernous room, his demonic constitution shrugging off the worst of Sonya’s spell. He ducked and weaved through the columns of skulls as Sonya threw Firannon after Firannon at him, responding with bursts of fire from Oblivion that Sonya deflected expertly with her own Dispels.

Penance growled as he somersaulted in midair over a lightning bolt cast by Feyd.

“Bringer of Darkness!” he hissed.

Both Feyd and Sonya were strong-willed enough to shake off the spell, but for a second they were blinded by the illusion and in that second Penance had turned in midair, furled his wings and dived towards them.

“DARK ELEMENT EXPLOSION!” he roared.

A crackling lance of black energy burst from Oblivion’s tip and hurtled towards the two Angels within a spinning halo of purple lightning. Penance pulled up sharply and the bolt slammed down, engulfing Feyd and Sonya. Everything was temporarily hidden by a black shockwave that rippled cracks through the stone floor and brought one of the skull columns crashing down in a fountain of gore.

Gradually the smoke cleared and Penance saw at the centre of the splintered crater the two Angels, crouched behind the protective halo of Sonya’s Dyann Ra. Penance saw the shield flicker followed by Sonya herself falling to her knees and laughed, summoning a Dark Dragon Bullet and following the sinuous missile down. The roaring black phantom collided with the elvish shield and blew it apart in a shattering of golden starpoints. Penance swept down but his blade was met by Feyd’s, who crossed his Atellian claws above him in a parry that locked Oblivion between them, then backflipped to kick Penance in the stomach as he flew over him. The blow did more damage to Feyd’s foot than to Penance’s armoured torso, but nevertheless Penance was sent tumbling through the air as Oblivion spun out of his grip and clattered on the stones. Penance recovered and rose up higher, but as he did the Angels seized their chance; buoyed up by the magic of their respective Aeons they leapt into the air and rocketed up towards Penance from either side. Penance roared and his anger formed a dark shockwave that blasted the Angels back in opposite directions. Sonya used Anistara to create a slipstream of ice and surf to the ground, while Feyd broke his fall by twisting his body and kicking off one of the skull columns as he fell against it, launching himself towards another column which he backflipped off before landing safely, rolling to break his fall and coming back up into a kneeling crouch. Penance meanwhile swept back down towards the ground, reaching his hand out towards Oblivion and extending his demonic will so that the glowing blade flew back into his hand. He beat his wings forwards to bring himself to a halt and hovered below the crackling storm clouds that roiled about the ceiling, to see that the two Angels had found each other again and were standing side by side below him. Feyd flicked his arms down and his gauntlets’ side-blades morphed out again, while Sonya focused her magic in a golden halo, her hands up ready to cast. Her eyes shone gold, Feyd’s a glowing white.

Penance snorted derisively.

“Like all the other Angels you amuse me, but nothing more.”

He raised Oblivion above his head and the clouds darkened as lightning began to flicker down and strike the blade, making it glow brighter. Magenta light was pulsing into the blade from Penance’s hand, and pouring from the dark clouds swirling around it as it drew energy from the magic-saturated air.

“He’s going to cast a Dark Messenger,” Feyd murmured, his muscles tensing imperceptibly.

“How much longer, Tritoch?” Sonya whispered, as if to herself.

We have focused almost enough energy…be ready to draw him closer...

Kiba was the first to charge eager to test his crystal sands power, Neji met the charge with one of his own they thrusted there hands forward the tips of the magically enhanced hands colliding, the energies were equal the power coming down to sheer physical strenghth but even in that they were equal the much less dominting figure of Neji effectivly meeting the strength of his bigger build opponent, in a burst the energies repelled eachother causing both Neji and Kiba's hands to be whipped back they both kept there balance and immediatly gathered there energy in there hands again and thrust one more time but with the same result. Neji was the only one of the pair to go for another but his thrust met air Kiba disappeared, Neji looked up to see him come down on him his sword ready for a swinpe using his free hand Neji reached for a sword he blocked the blow sweeping Kiba's sword to away to with a clear opening Neji upper cutted with his lightning edge, Kiba's eyes widened looking at the deadly energy aimed at his face, he opened his mouth and unleashed a strong gust of sand powerful enough to halt Neji's upper cut, he continued the spray the pressure causing him to raise to the sky, Neji was soon enguffed in a blinding gail of sand, he covered his eyes and tensed swiping his sword the sand around him burst leaving Neji unharmed, Neji looked up to see Kiba hold both his hands high a massive ball of sand forming above him.

"Desert Messenger!" he shouted throwing the ball, the huge ball cast a large circular shadow over Neji as it plummeted closer and close.

"Dark Element Exploision!" Neji unleashed the massive spiralling blast, the burst into the sand haulting it in the air, but that was not enough once the blast faded the ball continued to plumet. "Diablos lend me a hand here!" Diablos emerged from Neji's body holding one of his swords. They charged up lightning edges, they pressed there hands together combining the energies, into a massive ball of red and purple, they took flight spining in the air further mixing there powers the lightning edge blazed into energy which surronded there bodies and formed into a massive spiral, they collided with the ball burning straight through and causing it to burst with a flash of light yet they they still continued there ascente and on a direct course to Kiba. Kiba paniced bringing up a tower of sand to throw him higher, Neji and Diablos passed under Kiba, and being unable to hold the energy much longer had to cancel. Neji bolted towards Kiba helpless in the air, he brought his sword down, Kiba was able to move back the sword breaking his armor and scratching him down the middle. Diablos then coming from behind used the blunt end of his sword and smacked Kiba to the ground, he landed hard on his back, his landing slightly cushioned by the sand, Kiba using the sand sprang back to his feet sword ready infront of him Neji stood his sword pointed forward, it was then he felt the tip of another sword gently push into his back.

"So you didn't come alone then, that good neither did I," Neji sunddely felt the tip of a sword push against his back.

"I will get my revenge for you killing me in luca,"

"Kiba you're brother had no chance against me,"

"And with Diablos out you're body you have no chance against me," Neji round in the blink of an eye, he grabbed Kiba's brother by the wrist and pushed his elbow with his palm, snapping the bone and causing him to drop his sword, Neji then raised his sword up to Kiba's brother neck.

"And you wouldn't want to kill you're brother,"

"Wouldn't I?" Kiba let loose a quick sand shockwave enough to cause Diablos to be thrown back unprepared. Then he pushed his palm forward bringing up a stream and sharp sand particles. Neji sensing that Kiba cared little for his brother jumped out the way, the sand ran into Kiba's brothers body enguffing him and tearing him apart. The sand faded leaving behind Kiba's brothers tore lifeless body. Slowly the remains began to sink into the sand.

"You monster Kiba! that was you're brother! What happened to all the revenge you seeked?"

"That was before I relised how weak and usless he was,"

"Diablos return to me," Diablos burst into mist and faded back into Neji's body. Leaving only Neji and Kiba in the open desert once again. They shared no words instead allowing there skills to talk for them, they fought all over the desert coming at eachother in whirlwinds of blades mixing in powerful magical attacks, the clashing swords were all that could be heard in all directions.  Kiba jumped back throwing his palm forward raising up two dragon shaped sand streams Neji ran along them sand stepping the dragon heads, he crossed his blades and slashed Kiba brought his sword forward catching the twin blades, Neji launched himself in the air and began to spin in a constant buzzsaw motion the twin blades aiding in the endless slashes, Kiba stepped back to avoid the high speed blows eventually forced to raise his sword and block the blows one after the other, but fail to block them all eventually one sword got through and tore a gouch in his shoulder, Kiba roared as blood sprayed on the sand below. Neji landed slightly dizzy, he shook it off when Kiba slashed forward, backflipping he avoid no problem but Kiba was swifter and followed up with another slash, Neji blocked skillfully, but left himself open for an upward slash, Neji rose his sword and caught the blow just short of his shoulder, Kiba smiled and pulled his sword back with great force, one of the tips on his doubled headed axe head on his sword dug into Neji's shoulder, with one final tug the sword burst through Neji's shoulder causing him to drop his sword and spray blood.

"Now you die!" Kiba held his sword in both hands and swung forward with incredible force, Neji drifted back but quick enough to avoid the tip of the sword, the sword cut through Neji's stomach inches away from a kill blow.

Neji doubled over blood dripping from his multible wound from through the battle, he looked up at a panting Kiba also bleeding from his wounds, Kiba charged.

"Diablos you done?"

"Yes bleeding should of stopped,"

"Thanks,"

Neji leapt back to his feet moving to avoid the attack he thrusted forward at Kiba's face who moved his head slightly, yet could not avoid the tip of the sword which cut him cut below the eye. Kiba swung another blind swing Neji ducked and brought his sword along Kiba's chest, yet the mighty man seemed to shake the blow off, becoming more and more insane and sisister after every cut. Neji relised what was happening and jumped back.

"Kiba! you are letting Penance take control of you," Kiba roared in response his will completely gone. Kiba failing to have the healing abilitys as Neji let Penance take complete control, but as a result Penance had taken full control making him making him stronger and more ruthless.

Kiba charged he swung which Neji ducked but got caught by his mighty boot, Neji flew through the air.

"Sand Piller!" Kiba yelled in a strange voice and a piller of sand caught Neji in the air pushing him higher and cutting into his back, Neji twirled off the rising piller calling out his wings to stay a float, he looked towards Kiba to see a shocking image, the sand around Kiba began swirl around him. Then are booming voiced roared from him which could be heard all around the farplain.

"DESERT CRASH!" The sand in all around Kiba burst from the ground and rose to the sky towards Neji in an unescapeable attack, Neji looked around desperatly for an escape but to know avail. Kiba poured everything into this attack, more sand from the unlimited supply rose from the ground to add to the density and size of the attack, it appeared as if the entire sand around them had risen and targeted to tear Neji into nothing.

"I won't give up Kiba!" Neji yelled, Neji withdrew his sword and held his hand high in the air, using his connection to the demon world he burst open a tiny rift, but it wasn't to absorb the attack instead black energy began to pour and surrond his hand, mixing which Neji's energy it burst into a black, blue and red lightning edge which covered Neji's entire hand, the energy so thick, so powerful that Neji's arm could not be seen. Neji charged toward the sand clenching his fist the collided with the sand, breaking through the sharp outter layer and entering the dense center, Neji roared as he split the sand around him using his attack to create a path, it took sometime but eventually Neji found the light as he burst out the other end face to face with Kiba, Kiba widened in sheer horror, as Neji pulled back his arm and thrusted forward with a mighty punch sheathed by the mightiest lightning edge.

"DEMONIC BURST EDGE!” Neji scored a perfect hit into Kiba's chest, his fist pushed straight through his chest, the energy then burst into a bright stream of energy pushing Kiba completely engullfing him, within the burst Kiba's body was dissolved into nothing. Dissapearing forever. The light faded with only Neji standing in an empty desert. Neji's vision went blurry having exceded his limit.

"Damn guess I took it too far," he said with a slight smile, collapsing face first into the sand.

Fariel and Eevee pounded along the ghostly tunnels of Penance’s fortress, the corridors constantly forking, looping or reforming ahead of them, doing their best to block the path of the two.

“There they are!” Fariel shouted as suddenly an end to the corridor came into sight. Beyond were flashes of magic and the sound of clashing swords and, for a second, Fariel saw a dark four-winged silhouette sweep across the field of vision offered by the arch. They ran towards it, but even as they did the walls began to grind and shift again, reforming to close off the arch.

“NO!” Fariel screamed in pure rage, “This is worse than the Atellian temple! I’ve had enough of this!”

She punched her hands forward and a spiralling pillar of water roared into life, forming the shape of a giant serpent. It smashed into the closing wall and blew the bricks apart, causing the stones to screech like a living thing wounded. Purple light and chips of stone flew everywhere as the tidal wave blasted through and disintegrated in a huge splash against the floor. The backlash from the spell floored Fariel, striking her head against the stone. For a second her vision burst into multicoloured stars. Fighting to stay conscious she staggered to her feet and steadied herself with one hand against the wall. She saw Eevee tearing off down the corridor.

“Eevee!” she yelled after her but got no response. Pushing herself upright Fariel sprinted after her.

* * *

Finally a trio of lightning bolts hammered down to swirl and coruscate over Penance’s sword, and as they did he swept it down, discharging the Dark Messenger as a corona of black energy towards the Angels. Feyd grabbed Sonya’s hand and leapt into a Timeshift. The demonic missile was fast even in slow time and arced after them, homing in relentlessly. As the black fireball drew closer, Feyd saw they were running out of room - the steep sides of one of Penance’s skull pyramids loomed ahead. Sweeping Sonya into his arms and leaping upward, Feyd ran up the side of the skull fountain and backflipped away just as the Dark Messenger caught up with him. It impacted against the pyramid in a heavy explosion, sending blood and shards of bone scything in all directions. Even at Timeshift speed Feyd barely outran the shockwave, having to jump and flip over it as the Timeshift ended, boosted by an Aero spell from Sonya. They landed just beyond the radius of the dissipating blast, and as time returned to normal the droplets of blood from the fountain that had been hanging in midair fell back to earth in a gory rain, covering the two Angels and Penance.

Penance had tracked their move even at that impossible speed and he dived to attack, an endless stream of Demon Balls rapid-firing from Oblivion’s tip. Feyd and Sonya dodged, leaping from pyramid to pyramid as the Demon Balls rippled a chain of explosions behind them. One pyramid teetered and fell as they jumped clear, four Demon Balls impacting against it and shattering its base. As skulls began to rain down, Penance raised Oblivion again and roared a word of power. Purple halos surrounded the skulls as they fell, and then they burst into flames, sweeping round in the air and homing in on the Angels with jaws open in a high-pitched shriek.

“What the…!?” Feyd yelled but Sonya reacted first, sweeping an arm across her body. The white contrail left by her glowing Atellian ring swept outwards as she screamed the elven Banishing spell and the flaming skulls exploded in a chain of white starbursts as it hit. A single skull corkscrewed through and came shrieking towards Sonya, but casting a localised Shield around her hand she deflected it back up towards Penance who was swooping down in the wake of the explosion. It burst in a purple fireball against Penance’s chest, sending him reeling back through the air.

Then the wall behind them exploded.

Feyd and Sonya whirled round as the spent Ishara spell washed around them, and they saw someone leaping down the corridor towards the breached wall.

“Mum! Dad!” Eevee was shouting.

“Eevee, no! What are you doing here!?” Sonya screamed and threw up her hands. A Dyann Ra flared up in front of her, blocking the breach.

* * *

Eevee skidded to a halt in front of the shimmering shield spell.

“Mum, what are you doing!?” she yelled but her parents had already leapt away as Penance returned to the attack, a Dark Dragon Bullet shattering the stone floor where they had been a second before.

Eevee hammered her fists futilely against the unyielding golden bubble and even yelled a Dispel, but her magic was nowhere near as strong as her mother’s.

Fariel came running up behind her and almost ran into the shield, flailing her wings for balance.

“What the frak is this?”

“They locked me out!” Eevee replied, almost in tears.

On the other side of the shield Penance threw out another volley of Demon Balls, somersaulted through the air to dodge the Angels’ return spells, and drove them back towards the far corner of the room. There Feyd and Sonya stood their ground, eyes glowing, and Penance laughed, drawing back Oblivion for a killing thrust as he dived towards them. He flew closer, the air around him igniting in a purple blaze as he dived, a dark corona crackling around Oblivion. Just before he drove the attack home there was a white flash. Pyrafly halos appeared above the two angels in the shape of Tritoch and Ramuh.

“Aha! Finally you show yourselves!” Penance roared in triumph, thinking that Feyd and Sonya were finally summoning their Aeons against him, “Your power shall be mine!”

But even as he laughed, there was a thunderous concussion behind him. Penance found himself slowing down in the air, and then being dragged backwards away from his targets.

“What!? No!” he roared as the halos above Feyd and Sonya hazed away, and looked back to see a swirling black vortex rending the air behind him, sucking him inexorably backwards.

“No!” he yelled again as he realised what was happening, and rammed Oblivion into the ground between his feet to halt his backward slide. He felt his power beginning to ebb as the magic null of the Void drained his energy.

Feyd locked eyes with Penance and blasted a jolt of lightning from one bracer to dislodge Penance and hurl him into the vortex. But with a final roar of anger Penance exploded in black light, unleashing reserves of power even the Angels did not know he possessed, and in a black flash he came screaming forward, dodging Feyd’s lightning bolt and riding the black shockwave towards the Angels.

Feyd and Sonya were caught completely by surprise as Penance came powering towards them. Feyd’s triple blades sprang out as he raised his arm in defence, but this time Oblivion swept down with unimaginable power - in a purple explosion it shattered the blades and continued down, spearing through Feyd’s shoulder. Feyd collapsed, his arm broken and the power of his smashed gauntlet dissipating in a white starburst. Penance swept Oblivion round and the lightning-wreathed edge overwhelmed the swirling Shield energies around Sonya’s hands, spraying blood as it gashed her palms to the bone and drove her to her knees. Penance spun the glowing sword and slammed it point down into the ground, picking up a defeated Angel by the throat in each hand.

“Ramuh! Tritoch! Your power is mine!” he laughed in a demonic voice that reverberated from the castle walls, thunder crashing in the purple storm clouds overhead. A red aura surrounded him and Feyd and Sonya started screaming as light began to drain from their eyes and mouths. They struggled, fighting uselessly against the demon’s grip, and Penance pushed harder as he struggled to leech their power. Suddenly the two Angels looked up at him.

“No,” they gasped, “You’ll never have the power of the First Aeons!”

With the last of their strength, Feyd and Sonya fought back against Penance’s mental hold, severing the streams of light flowing from their eyes into his. They threw their hands out towards the breach in the wall and for a second, two indistinct spectral forms appeared before collapsing into twin arrows of light, one wreathed in lightning, the other in rainbow light. The two energy streams shot out from the Angels’ hands and following their path Penance saw them pass through the Shield spell blocking the wall breach and ghost into the body of a teenage girl standing beyond, causing her to reel back a step. He snarled in anger.

* * *

Eevee and Fariel had tried everything to break through Sonya’s Dyann Ra, but in vain. Eventually they just had to accept the inevitable and stand as mere observers to the fight going on inside the huge room. They watched with horror as Penance escaped the trap Feyd and Sonya had set for him and pinned them both down. Eevee couldn’t hear what they were saying through the stardust sound of the Shield, but her eyes widened in shock as the two pulses of energy corkscrewed through it and swept into her, knocking her back. She steadied herself and ran back to the blocked hole in the wall. She almost didn’t hear Fariel ask urgently if she was okay.

Her heart was pounding in her ears as she watched her mum and dad fall limp in Penance’s grasp, the gold and white glows fading from their eyes. Penance let out an angry roar and turned, hurling the two towards the howling rift that had been intended for him.

It seemed to take a small eternity for Feyd and Sonya to fall through the vortex, twirling limply as they were buffeted by the slipstream, disappearing slowly into a black hole without an end. And then, abruptly, the rift imploded in a bright flash, and they were gone.

For a second, Eevee stood frozen, unable to make a sound. Her throat seemed to have constricted, cutting off her voice. When she found it again, all she could do was scream.

Fariel dived forward and wrapped her arms round the screaming girl as Penance came smashing through the golden shield, roaring that he would yet have the power of the First Aeons. Oblivion slashed down in a purple arc, but in a roaring cyclone of water Fariel and Eevee were gone.

* * *

<ooc - and now, a little bit of extra background to give an idea of events elsewhere in Spira>

The possessed Atellian looked across the Thunder Plains with his one good eye, and saw the Guado massing again for battle. They were fanning out into skirmish order and taking cover among the rocks and lightning pylons, preparing their crossfire zones for the next attack. He felt the longing of Shuruk’jaar, the demon sharing his body, to fall upon the mortals and tear their weak bodies limb from limb. He clenched his scarred hands - withered and marked by the burns from Eevee’s Banishing spell - into fists and smiled, twisting the equally scarred half of his face into a grotesque rictus.

On his left was Soren, that impudent upstart of a warrior who proclaimed himself a god. Shuruk’jaar would have ripped him apart almost as gladly as he would the Guado, but Penance’s orders kept him in check for now. Soren stood at the centre of his bodyguard of albino warriors with their glowing white swords, his armour spattered with the blood of previous fights. Around him swarmed mobs of Unsent, hissing and snarling as they advanced once again into the Thunder Plains. Several times already they had attacked, and each time the Guado had beaten them off, deactivating the lightning-rods that dotted the arid landscape and allowing the chaotic lightning to slash down freely and wreak havoc among the attackers’ ranks. This time though they would not be beaten that way. Evenly spaced along the attacking line were wheeled wooden platforms pushed by Unsent, and chained to each was one of Ghede’s creations with their withered hands secured to sphere-topped pylons and their twisted heads hidden behind equally grotesque helmets. Wires and tubes ran in coils from the pylons into the helmets and into the torn flesh of the mutants themselves. Occasionally a spark would discharge from one of the conduits and the mutant would spasm horribly.

The horde advanced and as expected the Guado deactivated the pylons that safely channelled the constant lightning away from anyone on the ground. Almost immediately, bolts of incandescent power began to slash down into the ranks of the attackers. But this time the lightning fell only upon Ghede’s mutants on their bizarre transports, coruscating over their twisted bodies and making them rear back and howl in pain as they fulfilled their purpose as lightning rods protecting the rest of the army. The spheres that the mutants’ hands rested on glowed as electricity was conducted safely down the pylons, while smoke began to rise from the screaming mutants as they spasmed under the lightning bolts coursing through them over and over again.

Alarmed, the Guado opened fire. But this was something Soren and the Atellian knew how to deal with, and the bullets shattered in purple flares against the Dark Encampment Walls thrown up by the powerful demons spaced along the front-line.

The Atellian saw the fear in the eyes of the Guado, as the shambling Unsent drew closer and the realisation that the fire they were pouring into them was futile sank in. He laughed and bowed his head, closing his eyes and allowing the demon who was now straining to be let out to take control of his body. When he looked up his eyes glowed red, and the hideous transformation into the clawed, bat-winged demon began.

“UHR GT’CHAAAAA!” Shuruk'jaar roared, and a legion of his staff-wielding serpent demons appeared in purple flashes, adding their sibilant warcries to his own. The Guado were falling back from their entrenched positions as the army facing them instantly doubled in size, still firing ineffectually as they went. As they broke cover, the serpent demons braced their crystal-topped staffs against their hips and fired as they advanced, sending a stuttering stream of green energy bolts flickering across the Thunder Plains. Guado began to die. Demons and Unsent were falling too as the demons were finally forced to drop their Dark Encampment Walls so the attackers could engage the enemy, but now they were close enough to assault and the horde surged forward.

The attack slammed into the Guado with the force of a thunderbolt, the blood-encrusted talons of Unsent and the bladed staffs of Shuruk’jaar’s demons slashing down. Soren swept his sword upwards through the first Guado in his path, slashing him open from abdomen to jaw. He leapt upon the corpse as it fell and tore the Guado’s heart from his shattered ribcage, holding the bloody prize aloft and howling at the sky. Shuruk’jaar beat his wings and swept over his demonic minions, landing with ground-shaking force and batting aside a Guado’s rifle with a clawed hand, shooting his talon-edged wings forward over his shoulders to impale the terrified soldier. Shuruk’jaar hauled the skewered Guado closer and sank his teeth into his neck. The body thudded wetly to the floor and Shuruk’jaar stepped over it, blood dripping from his hands and mouth as he looked around for another target.

But something was wrong.

First one at a time, then in droves, the Unsent began to crumble to dust and fall. Soven and Shuruk’jaar looked around in fearful anger for the white mage who was Banishing their troops, but the reason was no more apparent as the Unsent continued to disintegrate, released Pyraflies spiralling upward in swarms. The Guado cheered and Shuruk’jaar’s demons began to panic as the advantage of numbers shifted to the Guado. Shuruk’jaar roared a curse and yelled:

“Hrek d’roich!” and then again, for the benefit of Soren’s men, “Fall back!”

The serpent demons began to teleport out or run for cover, and with a reluctant curse Soren and his bodyguard followed. They took even more casualties from Guado fire before they reached the safety of the Dark Encampment Walls of the demons left in reserve.

Shuruk’jaar flew over the battlefield and joined the remnants of the army regrouping at the edge of the Thunder Plains. He cursed again, at a loss to explain what had happened, though now without the Unsent they were too weak in numbers to blockade the Thunder Plains as they had been ordered. The Spirans retreating north from Zell and Xipetotec’s armies would be able to reach the safety of Bevelle unmolested. Shuruk’jaar turned to see some demons dragging the smoking lightning rods back to the camp. The mutants on the platforms were already dead, blackened and charred by repeated lightning strikes. This did not stop Shuruk’jaar from beheading one with a sweep of his clawed hand out of anger.

<ooc - the Unsent disappearing will be due to either Neji’s victory in the Farplane, or Soven and Cid’s attack on the portal (which hasn’t been posted yet but I assume happens round about this time>

-- Edited by [BOSS]Fenix at 18:39, 2007-02-26

Soven felt giddy.  He wanted to laugh, to dance and sing his joy.  He would fight an Aeon!  Soven had smashed the undead, a horde of fiends and whole armies, but he had never faced an Aeon before.  Nor had he seen one but like everyone else, he heard the stories.  He knew Aeons to be very powerful, far more powerful then any human being.  It was said that only a summoner could defeat an Aeon.  Soven knew next to nothing about Aeons except that those who fight one, often never return to tell the tale. After marching down the path Soven stops.  The path takes a sharp bend into thick trees and Soven couldn’t see through them.  But he could hear.  He heard breathing, deep steady breathing.  He silently pulls his blade out and licks his lips.  Soven grouches down and move slowly toward the sound.  Soven reaches the trees, and pulls a branch down.  Passed the trees the path hugs the top of a stead hill facing a cliff face.  At the bottom, where the hill and the cliff face met, a new path lead around the cliff face and beyond Soven sight.  Following the rock wall, Soven saw it.  The Aeon. 

It looked like a huge lion but its front legs were arms and its massive mane covered its entire back.  Soven heard tales about this Aeon.  It was called...... Ifrit.  Soven knew this Aeon to be powerful.  Some said it was the greatest Aeon in history.  If all that was true, then why was Soven so... disappointed.  This mighty Aeon looked great but at the same time ill.  It muscles were huge but sagged in places.  The large claws looked sharp but frail.  And Ifrit's breathing was jagged and quick like he was taking a break from a mile run.

Soven was far from an expert on Aeon's but he never heard that they tried or had any lasting damage from battles because "Ifrit" was not living up to his name as an Aeon.  Soven anger was bubbling.  He wished for a great challenge, a great fight, the only fight to really threaten Soven's live but no he had to fight an old sick Aeon. 

"You BASTARD!!  What in Yevon is wrong with you?  Why are you so-?"  Soven stopped himself.  He just realised that he had step out of hiding and had shouted at an Aeon.  "Ifrit" stared at Soven.  His black eyes narrowed, a growl could be heard.  "Ifrit" roared so loudly that the ground shock.  The Aeon jumped to its feet.  Soven saw that he stood at least 20 feet in the air, his arms hung down to its knees. 

"Ah-Ha!  I knew you wouldn't disappoint me!"  Said Soven, finding his enthusiasm once more, as he whipped his great blade out.  Soven charged first then "Ifrit" leaped off his rock.  "Ifrit" swiped its huge fist at Soven but Soven jumped onto Ifrit's arm and ran toward Ifrit's face.  But Ifrit whipped his arm up and Soven went flying past the Aeon, over its shoulder and would have landed with a thud but Soven plunged his sword into the ground.  Dirt was thrown up into Soven face but he held on.  He slowed and stopped.  As Soven tried to yank his sword out of the ground, he saw that he created a 6-foot gash in the ground.  Soven just got his sword out of the ground when Ifrit sent him flying again.  He didn't land as well but he leaped back onto his feet and charged again.

Ifrit aimed his fist and smashed it into the ground just as Soven dodged it.  Soven leaped back slicing at Ifrit's huge hand, landing a huge gash on Ifrit’s colossal hand.  Thick, black blood oozed and spat out of the gaping wound.  Soven stopped his attack and stared as the black stuff fell to the ground in huge clumps. Soven gasped, first at shock then at pain.  He forgot Ifrit had two hands and the other had just hurled Soven 10 feet away.  Soven lay there, staring at the sky, his head aching with the sudden understanding that made Soven unsure if his legs would support him.  Soven heard “Ifrit” grunting and roaring, still trying to free his fist.  Soven snarled in rage!  He rushed back to his feet and shouted, “You weak, pathetic creature!  You’re supposed to be strong, powerful.  The must unbeatable being in the world!  But look at you!  How dare you mock ME!! I’ll send you to Farplane and then I’ll send that insulting creature to you!  No one mocks me or my STRENGTH!!” Ifrit had at last freed it’s fist but only in time to see Soven charging again.  The Aeon roared and ran at Soven.  The Aeon threw it’s arms open as if to grab him but Soven stopped and yelled “FLYING BLADE!”  Soven grabbed his sword with both hands, lifted it past his head and threw his sword with all his strength at “Ifrit”.  The blade spun with incredible speed and before Ifrit knew it, it lost its arm.  Soven’s blade sliced right through “Ifrit’s” arm, right at the shoulder and as “Ifrit” roared, not in anger but pain, Soven’s blade had turned around and cut through its other arm.   “Ifrit”, with no arms, was thrashing on the ground, roaring bloody murder and squealing like a wounded pig.  Huge dust clouds rouse from the ground around “Ifrit”, large piles of the black, thick liquid that was “Ifrit’s” blood.  Soven stood watching the thing thrash and writher around, deciding what he should do.  It’s high pitched squealing was annoying Soven and pleasing him.   “Shut up.”  Soven said, in a bored voice.  When it continued to squeal and thrash, Soven whipped his blade from his hand, sending it spinning and landing with a loud thud as it pierced it’s skull.  Soven walked slowly over to the now still form of “Ifrit”, gazing at the huge head with the mouth wide open in mid scream.  Soven saw the long tongue, snaking out of the mouth and it suddenly made him imagined him strangling Penance with that very same tongue and Soven giggled like his was a child again as he pressed the thing in his ear and told the others to hurry up.

(More coming soon)

(occ - Kinda bored...)

Fariel looked over at the troubled girl as she lay in the tree and sighed, death of allies wasn’t new to her on any stretch of the imagination, but Feyd and Sonya of all people, just blinked out of existence, just like that.

Everyone but Larek and herself had lain down to sleep, Larek tensed as Fariel stood up, she smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder, “Get some sleep.” She whispered before moving to the tree, “Eevee…?” She asked quietly but got no reply.

Hooking herself up into the tree she sat a couple branches higher from where Eevee slept, changing into her winged feline form she lay down on the branch and watched over the girl protectively, “You’ve been very quiet Leviathan.” Fariel stated matter of factly.

There is little to speak about. Leviathan replied simply, Fariel having gotten used to his evasive way of speaking smiled.

“Are Feyd and Sonya really gone? Can you communicate with the other aeons?” Fariel sighed.

I have been trying since the incident, I cannot reach them. I fear that Feyd and Sonya won’t be returning to us.

“That’s what I thought…But what about those lights that flew into Eevee, you must know what that was all about?”

I am not going to speak anymore on the subject, Fariel. Just take care of the remaining Angels, they are the only hope we have for defeating Penance.

“Whatever you say…” Fariel muttered watching Eevee. “Damn you Kobie, Sonya…Why did you have to do something so stupid…”

-- Edited by [BOSS]Asreal at 20:34, 2007-02-28

(occ - let's get this lot to Bevell so we can get our characters training and stuff lol...yes i'm very bored...)


Entrusting Tanis with the angels Fariel with Larek and Whisper set off together into the main camp, The Guard tents weren’t hard to miss, their insignia imprinted on the sides of them.
The three of them approached the largest tent, two guards stood at attention at its makeshift door; they watched Fariel and her company warily as they neared.

Fariel stopped a few steps before the two men and they looked at her, “I’d like to speak to General Beni.” She inclined her head.

“My apologies, Ms Oreen, the general is in a meeting at the…” The man on the left paused as a guard came out of the tent and whispered something in the ear of the man Fariel had addressed. “Carry on.” He indicated to the door and Fariel entered, the two guards stepped away cautiously as Whisper walked by them.

Inside the tent a table sat at the centre surrounded by high ranking soldiers from the different Guard divisions, Beni amongst them. “It’s good to see you all survived.” Fariel smiled trying to be as friendly as possible.

“Ah, Fariel, just the person I wanted to see.” General Beni waved her forwards, “Good morning.” He smiled, his calm and friendly appearance considering the situation made her feel uneasy but she took a place beside Beni and looked at the table, there was a map of Spira spread across it and tokens indicating the cities.

“We are just planning out next steps.” A commander from Kilika explained simply.

Fariel turned to Beni as the other men and women started to discuss the situation again, Beni left the table side with Fariel and addressed her, “I may not know you that well, but I can tell that something is bothering you.” Beni said with a crooked smile.

“I went to Penances castle last night, in the calm lands.” She almost laughed, “The situation we are in is out of hand. He is far more powerful then you could ever comprehend, even being one of the Avenging Angels, I’m scared of his power. What I advise is that you take all your men and civilians to Bevell and barricade yourselves in, by the looks of that map of yours it’s the only safe place left.”

“You expect us to just hide?” Beni looked at her dumbfounded; Larek stepped up beside Fariel and nodded.

“The words of an Avenging Angel shouldn’t be taken lightly, General.” Larek smiled.

“Myself and the other Angels will fight Penance, after we defeat him, you and your men should be able to disable his army without a problem. Worst comes to worst, and we fail, then there won’t be a hope for the rest of you.” Fariel said in far too much of a dismissive manor for the General’s liking.

“I believe that your conversation should include the rest of us, Avenging Angel Fariel.” The Kilika Commander turned and said with sarcasm and disrespect, “If you are the key to our survival we’d like to know why.”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” Fariel smiled, “All you need to know is that you’re all frakked without the help of the Angels, so show us some respect. Now would you rather do as you’re told and get this convoy moving to Bevell, or sit here and wait for Penances army to catch up and kill everyone?”

The men and women knew she was right, even though they weren’t going to admit it, “Listen, we’re allies for the times being so don’t get all high and mighty. We have an advantage over Penance, or at least I hope we do. Kebel has a mass of tunnels honey-combing throughout Spira, until I can get a hold of my men back at Kebel I can’t assure you that they are not in Penance’s grasp so we’ll head towards Bevell above ground. If I can make contact with my people and the tunnel’s are safe we’ll make the last stretch into the city underground just to be safe because I doubt any of you know what Bevell’s situation at the moment is.” Fariel continued.

“I’ll fly ahead and keep the way clear, I want you and your men to line both sides of the convoy and protect them if attacked, the other Angels and my friends will stay up front, we’re probably the strongest resources you have so if you need us, don’t hesitate to ask for help. I don’t give a flying frak about what’s been going on between Kebel and The Guard for the last 17 years, it’s irrelevant for the time being.”

“When you said the other angels and your friends, who were you meaning?” A woman, a major asked.

“The stories and names of the Angels are not a requirement in this alliance. But my friends will be the men and women you took prisoner when you attacked Kebel. I’m helping you out so you’ll help me. Release my people.”

“Done.” Beni agreed, “It’s a plan, we’re with you Fariel.” He put a hand on her shoulder, some of the men in around the table scowled at his over friendliness towards their previous enemy but didn’t say anything, “Until Penance is defeated, you’ll be taking orders from both me and the Angels, which includes Fariel. Now let’s get these people to Bevell, take your stations, dismissed.”

The Guard soldiers quickly distriputed the plan and orders to the civilians and other soldiers, the tents were taken down and everyone was organised into a long column, the guard lining each side and Fariel’s men were released and put at the head of the people, being issued with their weapons.

Fariel stood ahead of them with General Beni, the Angels, Larek, Tanis and Whisper. Once everything was in order and the reports were communicated to Beni from around the convoy, Fariel spread her wings and took off ahead, the convoy of people begun to move forwards.

Shuruk’jaar beat his massive wings to keep himself airborne as he hovered above Mushroom Rock. Below him Zell’s army was charging into the teeth of the Al’bed fire. Glowing tracer bullets, demonic fireballs and energy pulses from Atellian force-lances criss-crossed the battlefield far below. The Al’bed kept up their fire in withering volleys and Zell’s numbers were too few to press home the attack - his men were being methodically scythed down before they could reach the Al’bed lines. In a few more minutes, the attackers would be wiped out.

“Fool…” he whispered. Shuruk’jaar’s aggression and bloodlust were tempered by cunning and a keen Atellian mind for tactics, and he knew a lost cause when he saw one. Shrinking back to his Atellian form, he turned in midair and swept over the Thunder Plains to rejoin his army. A serpent-demon stood as lookout atop a large rock as he approached, leaning on its bladed staff. It stood to attention as the possessed Atellian landed beside it.

“We retreat north and link up with Penance and Beelzebub,” he told the demon, “Zell’s army has been stopped and annihilated at Mushroom Rock, so they will not be reinforcing us. We do not have the numbers to break the refugee column’s escort and we can do no more good here.”

The demon hissed an acknowledgement and jumped down from the rock to carry the news to the rest of the army.

* * *

“For the love of the Aeons, Neji, put me down!” Zell shouted as they soared over the land following the Mushroom Rock road, looking to catch up with the huge convoy that had already broken camp from Djose Temple and set off north. Neji was anxious to see his son again.

“Neji, at least let me walk so I can meet the others with some dignity!” Zell cried again.

Neji pulled in his wings and went into a headlong dive, causing Zell to yelp in alarm, but he spread them again as they neared the ground and decelerated enough so that they landed softly. He slid Zell off his shoulder and let the Al’bed stand.

“How do you feel, Zell?” he asked him as his wings dematerialised and he stood once again in human form. Zell knew he wasn’t talking about the sudden drop.

“It was strange. I…didn’t know who I was - Penance took away all my emotions, all my memories…but seeing you began to bring them back, and there was always this nagging doubt that what I was doing was wrong…”

“Penance could not completely erase the good in you.” Neji said approvingly with a nod, “Your memory just needed…jogging.”

Zell smiled ruefully, rubbing his bruised jaw where Neji had punched him.

“I should have fought harder,” he said, hanging his head, “Penance threatened me, preyed upon my fears, and I just gave in to him. What am I going to say to the others…?”

Neji clapped a hand to Zell’s shoulder.

“I’ll help you.” he said reassuringly.

“I don’t deserve it. Why should you?”

“Because I wasn’t lying when I said you were like a son to me.”

Zell looked up and met Neji’s eyes, and smiled for the first time.

* * *

“They’re running away.” Fariel reported with some amusement as she landed next to the other Angels at the head of the column trudging slowly northwards. She had been flying ahead to reconnoitre the path, and had seen Penance’s army of the Thunder Plains withdrawing north.

“Looks like it’ll be plain sailing to Bevelle.” Larek said brightly.

“Yeah, but what then?” put in Keiji.

“Lighten up, Keiji.” Tsunami chided him gently, twining a comforting arm around his and holding his hand.

“I think we got ’em demoralised when all their Unsent suddenly vanished.” Fariel went on, “Neji must have done his stuff in the Farplane. Anyhow, Penance won’t be attacking Bevelle in a hurry without half his army. So yeah, cheer up, Keiji.”

And he’s not the only one who could do with livening up, she thought privately as she glanced across at Eevee. Eevee was walking on her own slightly apart from the rest of them, her eyes fixed on the ground in front of her. It was a sharp contrast to the Eevee she had known until recently, who would have been skipping along beside the others laughing and joking with them. Feyd and Sonya’s sudden death had really hit their daughter hard, which was to be expected - Aeons only knew how many friends and family had just been snuffed out since Penance’s return; Seifer, Melina…now Feyd and Sonya as well…even Fariel could still hardly believe it. She didn’t think it was a good thing for Eevee to have to deal with it alone. Tsunami seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

“Eevee?” she called out, trying to sound as friendly as possible, “You not going to walk with us?”

“I’m fine, Tsu,” Eevee murmured, looking up for a second but quickly dropping her gaze again.

“You sure?” Tsunami asked, “I was just offering.”

“I said I’m fine!” Eevee snapped, and lengthened her stride to put herself further ahead of the others. Tsunami shook her head resignedly.

“How are we supposed to help if she won’t let us talk to her?” she asked Keiji in a pained voice.

“Just leave her be,” Fariel suggested, “She’s got to come to terms with it on her own.”

She felt Larek’s hand brush against hers and she grabbed it for comfort, knowing that her lover’s life could be just as fragile as Feyd’s and Sonya’s had been.

“Listen guys,” she began, addressing them all, “I’m going to head back to Kebel to check up on things, I won’t be long. I’m sure Penance has got his eye on Kebel as well as Bevelle if Kerr told him half of what he saw…plus if Bevelle gets sieged our tunnel network might be the best way of getting supplies past the blockade into the city.”

“Since when did you care so much about the rest of Spira?” Larek teased her gently.

“Now Penance is on the loose we’re all in this together. If Bevelle falls then Kebel won’t be far behind. I won’t be long.”

And with that she spread her wings and leapt skyward, streaking off northwest towards the Gagazet mountain range.

A few surprised people in the convoy looked up as she took off. One of them followed her progress with cold, ice-blue eyes. A smile flickered across his bland, vacant face. Ghede laughed quietly to himself as he pulled the collar of his black overcoat up further and continued walking north alongside the other refugees.

* * *

In Kebel, Jacen was still hunched in a corner of his cell, hardly having moved, a small plate of bread lying neglected beside him. He looked up as he heard footsteps approaching, and got up and went to the cell’s barred entrance curiously. He rested his hands against the unyielding metal and saw it was Faber striding down the cell block.

“Faber!” Jacen called out, trying to get the man’s attention. Faber’s head snapped round, a look of pure venom in his eyes. He strode over to Jacen’s cell and punched him through the bars, snapping Jacen’s head back and sending blood flying from his nose and lip.

“Shut up!” he snarled, putting a foot through the bars and driving it hard into Jacen’s stomach as he fell to the floor, rolling him back across the cell and leaving him gasping in pain on the ground. Faber’s radio suddenly beeped.

“Faber here.” he answered it, not taking his eyes of Jacen.

“Better get up top, sir - Fari’s on her way back.”

“Thanks, Lei, I’m on my way.” Faber said and signed off. He spat once at Jacen who was still curled up on the floor with one hand over his injured stomach, then turned on his heel and headed for the exit.

* * *

Penance looked up from his obsidian throne as the doors of the antechamber opened and Soren and Shuruk’jaar stepped into the hall to join the other generals gathered there. He had been deep in thought, formulating a new plan now that he could no longer call upon Unsent support - a vast setback to his armies that had left them still battle-worthy but no longer strong enough for a direct assault on Bevelle.

“My lord,” Shuruk’jaar said, morphing back into his Atellian form as he strode across the hall, “I am afraid the army of the south has been all but wiped out at Mushroom Rock by the Machina Faction. I can only assume that Zell was killed along with them.”

Penance accepted the news impassively.

“Do not worry, my lieutenants,” he rumbled softly, stroking his beard with the hand that did not rest upon Oblivion’s hilt, “We aren’t out of this fight yet. Not by a long shot. Most of Spira is ours and the rest will fall in due course - we just need to be patient.”

“I still don’t see why we withdrew!” Soren suddenly broke in, stepping forward from his bodyguard of white-clad knights and pointing an accusing finger at Shuruk’jaar, “We just ran from the Guado instead of standing our ground! We could have mounted a defence on the ground of our choosing and destroyed Tromell once and for all!”

Shuruk’jaar growled softly, his eyes flashing red, but it was Penance who spoke next.

“The army of the west cannot stand up to the Guado in its current state. What purpose would false and futile heroics serve when we can disengage and plan anew, the better to crush them when the time is right?”

“I am a GOD!” Soren thundered, “The Guado cannot stand up to me! They would tremble before my holy wrath!”

There were muttered voices all around the hall at this, and several hands drifted towards sheathed weapons. Penance silenced them all with an upraised hand. It was then that a green nimbus of light pulsed into life in the air before Penance. All eyes turned towards the swirling portal as a demonic face appeared as a transparent image in its depths.

“Yes, what is it?” Penance asked tersely.

“My lord, there is trouble in Sheol.”

Penance leaned back in his seat, his expression unreadable.

“Explain.”

“Forgive me, my lord, but a small mercenary army has landed on the coast of our homeland and is advancing inland. They are supported by many airships and are closing in on the Fortress of Set. They have already defeated the gatekeeper and will reach the castle itself soon.”

“Soven,” Penance growled. He turned to the demon within the portal, “Muster your troops to defend the castle.”

“Yes, my lord,” the demon answered with a bow of its transparent head, and with that the portal imploded, the green light fading.

“Holy Soren,” Penance began. The use of Soren’s preferred title was a small price to pay for his continued obedience, “It would seem your brother has reappeared and is making a nuisance of himself. Go to Sheol immediately and help my troops to deal with him.”

Soren growled angrily and snapped his fingers so that his white knights followed him as he swept out of the room, his white cape billowing behind him.

“Right, now that is out the way…” Penance said, turning back to his generals. It was difficult to tell whether he was talking about the trouble in Sheol or Soren, “Let us continue planning. We will need time to regain our strength, but we still have one agent left who is well placed to get into Bevelle, closer to the Angels than they could possibly realise, and may be of great use to us there…”

His face broke into a sinister smile. And the Angels had absolutely no idea…
<ooc - Okay, I think I’ve covered rather a lot there and set up a few new threads…>

-- Edited by [BOSS]Fenix at 02:33, 2007-03-04

Jacen felt slightly uneasy at the look General Beni was giving him. He knew the General recognised him as the informant who had made the Kebel invasion possible, and so him turning up alongside Fariel was another mystery for the General to grapple with. He busied himself helping Fariel unload the weapons before walking out to leave their distribution to the Guard staff officers, who seemed a little alarmed at the kind of firepower Fariel was capable of procuring.

Fariel said nothing as he shouldered his rifle and followed her towards the front of the convoy, weaving their way through the mass of refugees. He hesitated, not wanting to push his luck, but he had to know.

“Fari…” he began but a warning look let him know that they weren’t back on such friendly terms yet.

“Fariel,” he corrected himself, “I’m sorry but I have to ask - why?”

“I told you, you’re more use to me here than in that cell. You want a chance to start redeeming yourself? Here it is. Just don’t prove me wrong for giving you it.”

To that Jacen had no answer but silence. They continued walking until they reached a knot of people walking ahead of the rest. The first to turn round and notice them was a young, tough-looking man in loose black clothes not dissimilar to Jacen’s, though his looked more like they were made for easy movement during combat rather than camouflage. Standing close to him with her arms wrapped round his was a strikingly pretty young woman in a white dress who Jacen assumed was his girlfriend. Next to them was Larek who Jacen recognised - the one person besides Fariel who had believed the blame lay more with Kerr than Jacen - with a glossy-coated Whisper trotting at his heel. A little further away was another teenage girl in a black gothic trench coat whose expression was hard and unreadable as she turned to look at them.

“Guys, this is Jacen Locke,” she said for the benefit of those who did not know him. The surname did not have any significance to the young Angels, none of whom she had told about Kerr, “He’s a friend from Kebel and he’s one of the best marksmen around so I brought him back with me to help out. Locke, this is Keiji, Tsunami and Eevee - Larek you already know.”

Jacen was grateful that Fariel hadn’t elaborated any more on his background, and he exchanged nods with the teenagers.

“She’s giving you this chance,” Larek whispered to Jacen once they began walking again, “Because she knows that Penance had sent Kerr specifically to manipulate you and to start a needless war between the Guard and Kebel so that the Guard would be under-strength and out of position when his invasion hit. She doesn’t forgive you for falling for Kerr’s lies, but as his brother she understands why you did. I’m backing her up on this. So prove to us that you’re not your brother and help us to bring down the real enemy here - Penance.”

Jacen nodded grimly.

“Not far now!” Keiji called from up ahead. Sure enough, the great walls and skyscrapers of Bevelle were coming into view on the horizon.

* * *

The refugees were a sorry sight as they began to file through the main gates of the city. Among the people waiting to help them was Trevor Stead, and he started forwards as soon as he saw Tsunami and Keiji.

“So many,” he said sadly, motioning towards the column of battered, weary Spirans as they shuffled up the city’s main thoroughfare, “How we are going to house and feed them all I have no idea, but Bevelle is more or less the only safe haven left. The demon armies have a hold on more than half of the mainland. They no longer have the forces to attack the capital directly, but neither do we have the forces to sally out and drive them back.”

“We’re not going to give up,” Keiji said defiantly, “My father will know what to do. And General Beni and the other leaders will be able to think of something to drive Penance off our homeland once and for all.”

“It’s going to be a long war, father,” Tsunami said, leaning on her cross-staff and nodding in agreement with Keiji, “But we’re all ready to see it through.”

Trevor smiled proudly at his daughter’s determination.

“Tsunami my dear, I have raised you as a noblewoman, but what a leader you would make.”

His eye fell upon Eevee, who alone out of the three hadn’t spoken.

“Eevee my dear, you seem unusually quiet. I thought you were the lively one?”

“She…” Keiji began, shuffling awkwardly, but Eevee cut him off by saying it herself.

“I lost my parents. Both of them.”

“Oh no,” Trevor said, looking immensely apologetic, “In the battle at Luca?”

“No, afterwards. Penance killed them.”

“Oh my dear, I’m…”

“Please, don’t,” Eevee said stonily, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

She turned and walked back into the main street to rejoin the refugee column. Keiji and Tsunami watched her go, then turned back to Trevor and shrugged helplessly.

“I’ll get Jeeves to arrange room for all of you at the mansion,” Trevor said, still looking pensive, “That is, if your friend Eevee still wants to…”

“She will,” Tsunami said, and she gave her adopted father a hug, “Please don’t blame her, father, she just needs time that’s all…”

While they were talking, a gaunt, slender man in a black overcoat slipped aside from the main body of refugees and, unnoticed by the Guard or Trevor and the others, disappeared down a side street.

* * *

Night had fallen on Bevelle, and although the shadow of Penance’s troops had been lifted as his armies withdrew south, the mood in the city was sombre. Trevor Stead had made use of his vast mansion to provide rooms for Keiji and Tsunami, Fariel and Larek, separate rooms for Eevee and Jacen, and had even cleared the huge ballroom and dining hall to provide floor space for many others. Exhausted, no-one stirred in the house save two of Trevor’s Machina Faction bodyguards at the mansion’s front door and two more Al’bed at the back door, though the rest of his men had had to disperse across the city to help the refugees. As a result, no-one saw a solitary figure leave their bed and ghost silently up one of the great spiral staircases.

Trevor Stead was deeply asleep in his four-poster bed, exhausted after organising food and shelter for everyone. The richly embroidered curtains pulled to across the bedroom window were slightly open, so that a shaft of wan moonlight fell across the room. Trevor did not stir as the handle of the carved wooden door clicked. The great oak door swung open with little or no sound. The first thing through the door as it opened was a pale hand; a hand that held a narrow-bladed dagger that glinted in the moonlight.

<ooc - next to be posted is the Tsunami/Keiji thing, and Eevee having another dream-sequence with the Aeons, who will suddenly warn her to wake up>

Tsunami, how could you…? Eevee asked of the atmosphere as she helped Keiji to his feet, her shock and disbelief a pale echo of Keiji’s heartbreak. Earlier that day he had left Tsunami’s side to try and talk to Eevee, to try and offer her his support and get her to talk back. He had been a good friend, but to talk had been the last thing Eevee had felt she wanted. She had already shed her tears.
“Stop trying to fix me, Keiji,” she had snarled at him, more forcefully than she had meant to, “I’m not broken.”

Now, on this rain-lashed hill, the roles were reversed and it was her who was the bystander to a friend’s grief that she couldn’t begin to truly understand. She didn’t ask Keiji if he was alright, because it would have been pointless patronising - anyone could see that he wasn’t. All she could do was offer silent support, and struggle to keep her own emotions crushed as they threatened to overflow.

Fariel, Larek and the man called Jacen Locke came running up the hill, weapons drawn and ready.

“Frakking Farplane!” Locke shouted over the wind and rain, “Stead’s been murdered! Someone knifed him in his bed!”

“Are you guys okay?” Larek asked urgently, “Where’s Tsunami?”

“With Ghede,” Eevee said tonelessly while Keiji struggled to find his voice.

“Ghede, the motherfrakker!” he choked, “He must have snuck in along with the refugees who took shelter in the mansion - or snuck in in animal form, you all know how he can shape shift…he killed Trevor and now he’s mind-controlled Tsunami somehow…”

Eevee, who had not seen the run up to Tsunami’s betrayal, only the attempted killing blow, looked at him impassively.

“He’s controlling her!” Keiji insisted, falling to his knees again and punching the ground, “I saw the look in her eyes when she said goodbye! And when she kissed me! She loves me…she still loves me…”

He broke down in sobs again, and the others could think of nothing to say. Jacen Locke was the first to whirl round and train his rifle on two more figures who were approaching the hill, but Fariel pushed the barrel of his weapon downwards when she recognised them. Neji was striding up the hillside towards them, and with him was…Zell.

<ooc - Another shock…maybe the fact that Zell came back to the good side means there’s some hope for Keiji and Tsunami…I hope so :( >

-- Edited by [BOSS]Fenix at 14:13, 2007-03-05