Chapter 16 - An Old Friend Pays a Visit
The forest. A lush forest scene is overcast by calm, placid skies filled with playful, fluffy clouds. The forest itself is filled with the sounds of tranquility and peace. Nothing could possibly break this.
"...... yyyyyyyaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" THUD!
Reshiki landed headfirst in a tree, and as he tried to pull himself out, he ended up flipping the tree over and sending himself straight through it.
At this point, End had more then a splinter.
"Aw.. damnit.. I gotta practice my aiming when I Jump.. ow.."
Reshiki had peeled himself away from the wood and had begun to walk through the woods. As he clutched his amulet tightly, inspecting it, he began to think..
"Why do I get the feeling that I'm missing something really important by wandering around out here?.."
End continued to wander through the forest, unsure of where to go.. he wouldn't jump, cause he was afraid of smacking his head on a branch..
And as he did, he suddenly felt as if someone was standing behind him.. as he turned, he felt a swishing of the air, and a swinging staff smackeed into the back of his head, sending him down.
"Still weak, eh, Dragoon? Just like the rest of your elders.." came a sneering voice, and as End turned up towards his attacker.. he realized...
"Astrynax...."
****
Ash ran up to a Chocobo. "Time to ride on out of here!" said Ash as he climbed up onto the Chocobo's back.
"WARK!" squawked the Chocobo as it bucked him off and while Ash was in mid-air, it mule-kicked him.
"SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITT!" screamed Ash as he flew in the air... right into a shack. He bust through the walls of the shack. A voice could be heard from in there.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING PUNK!?" bellowed the voice.
Jak and the others ran into the shack. In there was Ash laying sprawled on the ground and some scientist-type guy standing over him looking quite pissed.
"HE ALMOST HIT MY CREATION!!!" yelled the scientist-type guy.
Christydia helped Ash up. "What are you making in here?" asked Daniel.
"Ah funny you should ask that. My name's Birkley. What's your name?" asked the Scientist-type guy.
"Well Birkley, my name's Daniel. That guy who just flew right into your shack is Ash Fanrico." replied Daniel.
"Ash Fanrico? Funny, I think I've heard that name before..." said Birkley as he pondered that and went to his bookshelf.
"WHAT? You know who I am?" asked a confused Ash Fanrico.
"HA, found it!" said Birkley in a triumphant voice. He pulled out a dusty old book from the shelf. He blew the dust off.
"Now let's see here... Ah there we go! You are Ash Fanrico right? The Legendary Hero of old?" asked Birkley.
Ash nodded, not knowing what to do, think or say...
"You died fighting Merr, that was about 3000 years ago! How did you come back to life?" asked the even-more-confused-than-Ash scientist.
Ash shrugged his shoulders.
"Well anyhoo, um... oh yeah my invention." said Birkley as he walked back over to where he was previously standing. He was next to a large metallic mechanism of some sort. "This is my greatest invention. I present to you... the MotorBike!" said Birkley.
"A motorbike?" asked Jak, who was still on the horse with Kotoki.
"Yes. Soon with this vehicle... we won't need Chocobos anymore. This baby is motor-powered. Plus it's very fast." announced Birkley.
Everyone was clearly interested.
"Wow! Let me ride it!" said Daniel as he ran to try to get on. Birkley stopped him.
"Sadly it's not finished yet." sighed Birkley.
"Piece of junk.... " mumbled Jak.
Kotoki pouted. "Awww... Hey, I'll make you a deal! You finish it right now and we'll test-drive it for you! Better yet, make a whole bunch!"
"Hmm...ok you guys can test-drive them when I'm done, but if you want to keep them, they'll cost you. Oh, but since Ash the hero is on your team, I'll make the cost low." said Birkley.
"Um if you don't mind me asking do they come in any colors?" asked Kira.
"I never really thought of that. I guess people would like to have color on their vehicle..you guys can choose from some colors of paint I have. There's Blue, pink, yellow, green, black, purple, white, red, light blue, grey, and metallic. Choose which ever you want and I'll paint it. In the mean time you all should take a rest, you can all sleep in my house for the night while I make your motorbikes." replied Birkley to the group and pointed to a house not far away.
"Okay, then in that case make mine peach." piped up Peach with a smile.
"Ok, yours is purple..." Birkley said while writing down on a little note book, "Who's next?" asked Birkley.
Jak had eyed the chocobos suspiciously. He never trusted anything this convenient. He also knew never to accept 'gifts' from demonic servants. He looked back at this 'moat-oar buy-keh' with equal suspicions. Strange things, metal beasts of science, and he didn't trust science one bit. It defied the natural law of things and just seemed...wrong.
But still, the 'moat-oar buy-keh' did have a strange charm to it. He couldn't figure out what it exactly was but it seemed, well, powerful. And Jak liked power.
"I'll take one of those 'moat-oar buy-kehs'", he muttered to the scientist. "And make it black."
Ash was still pretty suspiscious. "No essential Details?" he asked as he eyed the Black bikes. The suspicion and anger towards his friend DB's motives was making the strange feelings and depression from the other day pop back up. But this time they were ten fold!!
"Ash, are you okay?" asked Christydia.
Ash turned around, his eyes looked no different than Dark Fanrico's.
Christydia screamed.
****
Demondan and Dark Fanrico continued moving through the desert.
Demondan had grown to the habit of chewing his long nails, turning them into gross, gnarled protrusions. Dark Fanrico looked at him in disgust. "Hey," he said, smacking Demondan on the back of the head. "If you're going to be my partner, get some manners, alright? Just because we're demons doesn't mean we have to act like slobs." he rolled his eyes. "You better make me not regret creating you."
"Hey. . ." Demondan pointed ahead, oblivious to the smacking Dark Fanrico had just administered to him. "What's that huge thing on the horizon?"
"Heh." Dark Fanrico smirked, staring ahead. "That, my idiot apprentance, is a town. However, beyond it. . ." he said, raising his hand along the horizon. "That is the Temple."
The two trudged into town, smirking.
"For starters, let's level this place." Demondan grinned.
"Not a bad idea." Dark Fanrico smirked, taking the Obake Spear from behind his back. "You do have a weapon, don't you?"
"My formal self carried these. . ." Demondan pulled out Molokidan's chopsticks. "They were a keepsake from the village. Only a sushijin can transform them into. . .this." he said, quickly changing them into katanas. "Although they're a bit small."
"Give them to me." Dark Fanrico said, ripping them out of Demondan's hands. "Here. . ." his hands began to glow, pushing the katanas into each other. The result was a long, thin katana, with a blood red hilt. "The Demonseye. This should suit you fine."
Demondan stared at the sword in awe, and then looked back towards the town. "What are we waiting for, then?"
****
Jak took no chances. He imediatly saw the demonic look in Ash's eyes. There was now way he was going to allow the leader to attack the party in some demon possesed state.
"Duck and cover!" he yelled as he shot of a modified blizard spell, encasing Ash in ice without doing significant damage.
He turned to Christydia.
'WHAT THE F*CK IS GOING ON!?' he screamed, confusion and anger taking control. Jak was shaken badly. Ash had *those* eyes. The same ones he remembered from all those years ago... he shook his head. He tried to forget the images and sounds that came flooding back to him. The flames, the blood, and *those eyes* staring down at him, a cruel laugh echoing in his skull. Years of repressed torment came flooding back to him in a moment.
"Die demonspawn!" he screamed, as he leveled has hand at the frozen Ash, lightning crackling between his fingertips, eyes burning bright red.
"Holy crap!" Daniel yelled.
"Oh my god!!!" Kadina gasped.
"JAK, NO!!!" Kotoki, Folx, and Kira yelled at the mage.
"ASH, NO!!!" Christydia screamed.
"Woah, cool." Stephan commented.
Jak was about to unleash an electric torrent on the hero, when a small, tiny voice in the back of his head told him to stop. He ignored it easily, his rage pushing it aside. However, heavy blows to the back of the head are not so easy to shrug off. Jak collapsed to the ground in a semi-conscious state.
"I'm sorry, Jak..." whispered Kotoki, clutching her aching fist. "But... I won't let anyone hurt my friends anymore... not even you..."
A sudden explosion startled the party. As they turned to face in its direction, Dark Fanrico and his servant appeared from a swirling mass of flames. "How beautiful, little girl." said Ash's dark side cooly. "My heart aches in sympathy. However, I think you'll find that I myself cannot be contained by a punch to the neck..."
"It's time to die." added Demondan gleefully.
****
As Jonas, his daughter, and the blue wizard traveled to the town, the Midoku could sense that something was not quite right...
"Jonas... I think you and your daughter should go home..." Midoku suddenly told the man.
"Why Mr. Mid? You look scared..." Gina said.
"Is something wrong?" Jonas asked Midoku.
"...maybe, I just sense that a lot of magical activity has occured around here recently... it may not be safe for you and your daughter, you should go back home..."
"And leave you all by yourself? I don't think so," Jonas said, grabbing his large wood-chopping axe from the cart, "I didn't save you so you could run off and get yourself killed. Besides, if something is here, who's to say it may not find us at our home?"
"Daddy? What's going on?" Gina asked, gripping her father's leg tight.
"Nothing I hope, sweetness." Jonas said, taking his daughter's hand. "Midoku thinks something bad may have happened in town."
"Oh no! Is Mr. Birdy gonna be Ok?!" Gina asked, near tears.
"I'm not sure honey, but we're going to find out. Stay close to me, and I mean it this time, Ok?"
"...Ok daddy..." Gina said.
"Well, it looks like you have some help then Midoku." Jonas told the wizard.
"...Ok then, but I'll lead the way, just promise me you'll take your daughter and get out of here if something happens..." Midoku said, then smiled, "And *I* mean it as well.
"...Agreed..." Jonas conceeded.
The three made their way to the gates of the village, an uncomfortable silence in the air. Usually at this time of day, there was always activity by the gates (merchants selling, drunkards resting, etc.), but now it was like a ghost town. As they entered the gates, they found out why it was so quiet...
"Oh my..." Jonas gasped at the sight.
"IIIEEEEEEEEE!!!!" Gina screamed.
There were at least 9 people laying before them, their bodies burned, frozen, and blasted beyond recognition. Gina buried her face in Jonas arms, unable to stop screaming.
Midoku ran over to one person (they were beyond recognition as human beings), who seemed to still be alive.
"What happened here?" Midoku asked.
"...A man, and his assistant, started killing everyone..." the person said, coughing and wheezing.
"Is anyone else still alive?" Midoku inquired further.
"...everyone else... ran..." the person said, coughing up blood.
"Who did this?!" Jonas asked the man, the rage visible in his eyes.
"...dark man... broom..." the person gasped, then breathed his last.
"...Dark Franco..." Midoku said, a shiver running down his spine.
"Dark who? Do you know this man!?" Jonas asked the mage.
"...yes, but you may not like what you will hear..." Midoku told the craftsman.
"I don't care! Who is this man!" Jonas asked him angryly.
"...he is the one who almost killed me..." Midoku stammered.
"My god..." Jonas gasped.
"Now you know why you should leave now, I'd hate to see anything happen to you or Gina." Midoku told Jonas, looking serious.
"If we don't find and stop this Franco you speak of, he'll most likely find us leaving town..." Jonas told him, "Our home is by the trail that leads to this town, so you'll understand that I want to help you stop him..."
"...it seems I owe you again..." Midoku told Jonas.
"DADDY!" Gina cried, "I WANNA GO HOME TO MOMMY! I'm so scared..."
Jonas kneeled down, looking Gina right in the eyes. "I know you're afraid, sweetness, but if we don't find and stop this man, he may hurt more people. Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you..."
"*SNIFF*, ok daddy..." Gina said, holding her father's hand.
"Ok then, Midoku, where do we go from here?" Jonas asked the mage.
"Hmmm... it looks like the, um... 'trail' of bodies leads to that Inn over there..." Midoku commented.
"Then let's get going." Jonas told him.
****
Dark Fanrico sensed a power he'd only felt back in Doma... the power of a blue mage. A robed figure stepped forward, sheilding a man and a small child.
"Stephan?" asked Midoku hesitantly. "Stephan, is that you?"
"It can't be..." Stephan gasped, "...it, it has to be a trick..." He nearly dropped his blade as he saw Midoku come over to him, the young man and his daughter in tow.
"...Hello Stephan..." Midoku choked out. He took off his hat, revealing that tears had been falling down his cheeks, "...I didn't think we'd see each other again..."
Stephan suddenly grabbed Midoku, a loud sob escaping him as he cried openly in his arms. Everyone in the room looked on in surprise, even Dark Franco.
"Brother..." Daniel choked out.
"...M...Midoku...I...missed you... so much..." Stephan told the blue wizard, holding him tight.
"...so did I..." Midoku told the dark knight, refusing to let go.
'Now I know why you were still alive,' Jonas thought to himself, holding Gina close to him, 'There was someone who needed you...'
"AAAAAAAAAAAAH!" screamed Cantor, interrupting the scene. "The darkness... is... too... great... no..." His voice weakened as he spoke, and he eventually split in two. Two Cantors, standing next to each other. One was in shining white armor, the other in crimson and black. They looked at thier sides. "The Belthazra hasn't split!" they both exclaimed at the same time. They both looked in the space between them and saw the sword. At the exact same moment, the grabbed for it. THey hit heads and fell to the ground. Dark Cantor grabbed at it, but the Cantor in White got it first.
"No matter. I will still have my magic, and to that, you cannot win. You've been developing your dark powers more than those of light. I will win, this time!"
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" A staff came down on Dark Cantor's head, causing him to fall ot the ground.
"Kira... how could you do this to me?"
"You're not the Cantor I know! You only want others to suffer and to rule over them!"
"Thank you, Kira. I'll slay this villan before he can do any-"
Before he could finish, he was on the ground from the same staff. "You're also not tha Cantor! You only want to defeat him! You don't really care about the rest of us! You may be a Paladin, but all you care about is yourself! I want the old Cantor back! The one who took me to the city to be taught all of that time ago! The same Cantor who sang to me every night on that journey! The Cantor that came back after 5 years! The Cantor who I fell in love with! I can't stand this any longer!" Her staff began to glow, and the two Cantors rose into the air. They drew closer and closer. Suddenly, Dark Cantor broke free.
"No! I won't be part of him!"
Daniel bashed him over the head, knocking him out cold. "Go ahead."
Kira's staff began to glow again. Dark Cantor rose into the air and as soon as contact was made with the other, the fusion began. Everyone else made no movement at the spectacular sight. Light and darkness both consumed each other, leaving nothing in the area of the two Cantors. Sudeenly,a figure wearing grey stepped out of the void and fell to the ground. It was Cantor, and the one that everyone knew. Kira ran over to him. "Cantor! Are you okay?"
"I'm alright, just exausted. Let me rest... I'll be looking forward to waking up and seeing your face." And with that, he faded into unconsciousness.
Meanwhile, Christydia couldn't take it anymore. She ran up to the block of Ice that Ash was encased in. "I've got to do something besides crying. I've got to get Ash to help out here." said Christydia as she started charging up a fire spell.
While she was doing that all hell was breaking loose in town! Demondan and Ash Fanrico crashed into the room, knocking Kotoki and Jak aside.
"Stop right there!" Folx shouted, arming himself with his bow. Lance and Kira soon followed with their own respective weapons.
"Don't play jokes." Demondan laughed, running forward with his own blade. Lance parried, but Demondan quickly kicked the warriorfox in his knee, knocking him off balance for a second -- just enough time for the demonic 14-year old to slash him across the chest.
"Lance!" Folx shouted, firing an arrow at Demondan. Dark Fanrico jumped in quickly, knocking the arrow away with the Obake spear. "Hey now. . ." he said. "We're already outnumbered here. You think I'd let you gang up on my subordinate?"
Christydia used the Fire spell, and the ice started to slowly melt. Ash was starting to come back to consciousness. Before he could start doing anything she spoke to him.
"ASH! You have got to fight this!! FIGHT IT ASH!! You're stronger than this! You taught me how to recover from my father's death. So I'm not going to stand by and let you go down like this!!" she said to him.
The ice was gone, and Ash's eyes were still red and yellow. He seemed to not even notice his love in front of him as he started to walk towards the carnage. Christydia ran up to him and hugged him. Ash stopped in his tracks. He looked down at her. Christydia pulled him down and planted a big kiss on his lips.
Ash seemed to be frozen after that. His love for Christydia gave him enough power to fight back his evil side. He breathed deeply as he regained control of his body. "Christydia?" he asked.
"Ash! You're back!" she said.
"You brought me back, my love!" he said.
Suddenly, Folx's charred body flew to Ash's feet. He looked up. Dark Fanrico held his hand in front of him, smoking from the blast of magic he had just released.
Christydia pulled out Ash's old broom. "Now! Go out there and fight! You can do it Ash! I believe in you... and I love you." she said as she gave him a peck on the cheek and stepped aside.
Ash grabbed the broom, moving forward to fight once again. <p>---------------
"Well slap a dead fish on me and call me Molokidan!"</p>
Edited by: [url=http://p068.ezboard.com/brpgww60462.showUserPublicProfile?gid=molokidan>Molokidan</A] at: 11/4/04 4:44 am