http://clampfix.fanworks.net/kenichi/rayfic14.txt </head><body><pre>"Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy." F. SCOTT FITZGERALD, The Crack-Up Chapter Thirteen: Earth The lance in my arms inscribed a perfect half-crescent as it arced over and toward the other Mashin's head. Despite the large size Dis suffered, he managed to duck the blade. I threw my elbow straight at him during the turn, but it didn't connect. It was almost as if I myself, rather than the Mashin, was the one fighting. Kore's body moved naturally to the choreographed rhythm of my fists and feet, spinning and twisting with the same ease that I had in my Wushu movements. Despite this, I was still pressed to make a touch, much less an effective strike against my opponent. Dis' wings swung forward and met me in a hail of feathers... Feathers like razor blades, cutting into Kore...my Mashin's... metallic skin. My steel skin... Cutting... Painful... Mind strengthening...focus on the task at hand... =================================== A clawed fist tore into my field of vision. It was like a steel-jacketed fist thrown into my nose... complete with an explosion of stars. I reflexively reached for my nose, and was shocked to find blood there. In my disorientation, I was punished by another hard blow to the midsection. I grunted, but tried not to feel it... So this is what it's like to be fighting inside a Mashin... Makes no sense at all... Why wear a huge piece of armor when everything that hits you still hurts like hell...? The clawed hand of Dis screamed down toward my head once again. This time, I whirled the lance upward to block the blow, remembering too late Rafaga's lesson to me... I heard Rafaga's voice scream at me once more. -Idiot! You PARRY blows like that, not meet them head-on!!!- The weapon was already raised. Big mistake... =================================== My opponent's feint was total in it's effectiveness. I over- extended myself to block the initial blow, which had turned out to be false as Dis suddenly and rapidly withdrew his attacking hand. I let out a burst of air as the other hand, the one hidden from my view, decided to take some space in my... Kore's...torso. The sky with its blacks, blues, and grays whirled around like a kaleidoscope before my eyes. First thought that hit me was that Rafaga was right... I was a pathetic excuse for a Knight, if my weapon skills were taken into full consideration. My only thought afterward was that being completely stepped on was a rotten way to die... Kore and I crashed to the ground like a meteor, devastating a great part of the forest along with our fall. I wasn't quite sure whether the snapping sounds were the trees or my own limbs as Kore and I rolled a short distance after landing. It hurts... damn, it hurts... <We cannot give in now...> I raised my head just in time to catch the bottom end of a metalshod boot cover my face. Again. And again. And again. =================================== The battle was no contest. Kore, Zagato and I were not doing well. This alone was almost blatantly apparent from the way our Mashin crawled on the ground. The lance must have been lost somewhere; I suddenly realized that I no longer held it in my hand. The sky turned into the earth as I landed face first into the soil once again. I felt a heavy weight stomp on my back. And the voice of a magus triumphant. "Do not think that you alone can beat me, Knight. After all, it took three of the four Knights to beat Zagato, didn't it? What actually made you think that you could win all by yourself?" The voice was strong and confident. Another stomp, and my back screamed in agony. "Oh, Kore, Kore, Kore... What WERE you thinking, choosing this useless litle boy...?" Other people would probably lose hope by now. I know I am. But Dis' monologues were just so damned annoying... I felt the foot lift again for another blow. Roll. =================================== Kore's metal body pitched violently to one side, in the same instant throwing the dark mage's Mashin off-balance as I rolled into his standing leg. I let myself twist a couple of times before rising to my feet. Incredible how such a large Mashin could move with a human's speed. Dis fell, then quickly staggered back to his feet. "OHO! This is MUCH more like it!" I was suddenly seized with the desire to make Dis' face look worse than Clef's. Assuming I live that long. <<Siren's Hurricane!!!>> The winds burst from the earth and sky about me, caressing me in their furious embrace, taking their life from the earth, increasing in size until it was twice as large as the Mashin itself. "So, you finally decide to let me taste your power, eh?" The dark mage's Mashin folded it's hands in a show of contempt. An opening. Now, while he... {{Siren's Hurricane...}} What the.... =================================== The other Mashin suddenly encased itself in it's own pillar of raging winds, and Dis raced straight for me. No time.... Must attack... I propelled myself forward and met the other Mashin head-on. The sky exploded all over me in bright neon jellybean colors as punch after painful punch met my body in the whirlwind. Unable to block or even counter the strikes, they hammered all over me like a hail of steel bullets. A part of me finally knew how Clef must have felt... =================================== Plummetting... Shattered Earth flew upward around me in all directions as Kore's body hit the ground backfirst. A pain both dull and sharp at the same instant ripped up and down my back. It felt like someone whacking my spine with a baseball bat. An aluminum baseball bat... =================================== The Dis Mashin was still unscathed. "Don't make me laugh, Knight! Have you forgotten I was once possessor of Kore and the powers of the earth? I'm not that stupid! I know all of your spell attacks because they are mine." The Dark Mashin glowed with the earth energy as I pried myself out of the hole Kore had made in the ground. I saw its arm crackle, and even before it struck the ground, my heart sank as I recognized the move all too well... {{Raging Geyser!!!}} A fierce column of water shot toward me at sizzling speed. The sound of my own spell being thrown back at me was horrifying... "Counter it, Ken! Counter it!!!" I mimcked Dis' initial movements and struck the ground before me with all the might I posessed. <<Raging Geyser!!!>> Another pillar of water shot away, to meet the first head-on. The two bursts of energy exploded a safe distance away from me. I muttered a silent thanks to Zagato. The dark Mashin clapped its hands and cackled. "Excellent! So being a master of destiny is not totally predictable process, then! Come and make me laugh!" After I tear your Mashin to shreds, I'm going to strangle you, Dis. I would never have been in this if it weren't for you. You're even more annoying than Zazu... Zazu. Dead, like everyone else. My fault. No matter what I do here, it's always my fault. My eyes met the Dark Mashin's stare. Mine and yours, Dis. We're both to blame for what's happening to Cephiro. One or both of us are going to die today. A scream rose out of my mouth as I charged full tilt at Dis. =================================== Both Flaming Dagger attacks met in the air before us, neither one hitting their mark. I followed up my own attack with a left hook. Lucky; it connected, sending the Mage sprwaling about the landscape. I didn't even wait for him to get up, kicking him while he rose... But though it connected, Dis stood as if nothing else had happened. Another swing of my fist, and he staggered, but this time did not fall. The extended battle was taking it's toll; I was already desperate, as my body began to succumb to the fatigue toxins I had built up, while Dis was taking every blow I threw at him without even slowing his pace. I gotta end this... now... I let fly with another blow. Parry... It was grabbed by the Mashin's arm. I felt the blood vessels in my own veins burst as pressure was applied to Kore's arm. I tried to break the hold... my strength was gone; Dis, however, seemed almost limitless in his reserve. I didn't even have enough strength left to curse. "It's been fun, Kenichi Kaeda. But I really must continue on my mission." Claws extended from the Mashin's hand. The claws went straight for Kore's chest... My cockpit... The Heart of the Mashin.... No, damnit! It can't end like this!!! Blood painted the walls of my chamber as I felt the cold blades tear into my chest. Pure ice lanced into my mind as I saw... Dark, almost black, blood... Everything... ...Everything going black... The darkness took me before pain. Mira... I'm joining you soon.... =================================== "Ken..." The voice... I know that voice... Rough, strong, good-natured and gentle. Gara...? "Don't tell me you're giving up so easily..." I tried to open my eyes, but saw nothing but the darkness. And the voices... "...You came this far. You swore to see it through to the end... Hey, you beat a tough old warrior like me, didn't you?" Gara, I'm sorry... "Do not care for us; we are dead. Help the living!" A strong female voice...? Chi...? "It is not your time just yet, Magic Knight. Do not let Gara and I die for nothing!!!" But I lost... I can't do anything anymore... "Kenichi..." Mira...? "Kaeda Kenichi, Magic Knight of the Earth, master of Kore the Unicorn and wielder of the black escude, listen to me...!" Mira's voice....But this time interjected with another's... "You can't... will not die! Cephiro needs you...!" I can't fight Dis anymore; I'm beaten. He's right. I can't fight destiny... I can't... "Yes you can. You will. Please, do it for the ones you love!" The ones I love are either dead or not here. How... "I believe in you Kenichi..." Mira... "We all believe in you..." My eyes fluttered open to see Mira' silhouette... Wait... Another silhouette superimposed upon Mira's... My eyes flew wide open. Emeraude. Princess Emeraude. "Zagato..." "Kenichi..." <We all believe in you, Ken...> =================================== The pain raced back into me as I lifted my head in very, very small, agonizing increments. My hands clasped in reflex as I fought every shattering nerve crying out of my body. Lance... I saw the weapon standing upright, one blade embedded deep in the soil. I grasped it tightly, propping myself into a standing position, slowly but painfully. The Dis Mashin recoiled in shock as it saw me rise. "What...? Impossible!!! I tore out your heart!!!" Fresh blood cascaded down my body from a cavity in my left chest. I fought the urge to look, as I stared into the other Mashin's cool eyes, now tinged with disbelief. "Dis... I swore I'd kill you..." I pulled the lance from the ground with all my might. "...I always keep my promises..." I hurled the lance at the dark Mashin. A silent prayer to Presea's weaponsmithing... Dis leapt upward, attempting to avoid being skewered. Obey. The lance split into two sections, each a weapon in itself. Twin arrows piercing the enemy Mashin's legs, pinning him to the ground. Dis screamed out of surprise, but not pain. "What in the... You think pinning me down will stop me...?!?!?" I slowly, painfully dragged my Mashin closer to Dis. Kore's voice danced within my head. <You must use one more technique, Knight. I pray you use it well.> Understanding... I let the knowledge fill my mind. One final spell. One that could save Cephiro or end it. The earth's force. Known as "Dragon Currents" to Feng Shui practicioners. Source of the Earth's life and energy. Her rage. And as geomancers and geologists know... When the Mother Earth rages, woe be to all who live upon it. I stood, weakly, facing the trapped Dis. "I know what you're thinking Dis... about the prophecies on the Palace wall... They won't come true..." Dis jeered. "Go ahead, Knight. If you kill me, you will most certainly destroy Cephiro as well. You know that." A morbid smile came to my face. "Only if I want to destroy Cephiro..." "What...!?!?!" The earth's energy was flowing through me madly now. I could even feel the tassel on Kore's helmet rise from the ambient power I held. Pain hurt, but the energy kept me standing. I could smite Dis down forever with one blow right now. And still, it wasn't enough. "You think that if you make me angry enough to kill you, you'll win, right Dis?" "How... What do you..." I picture Dis's face must be one of complete shock by now. "You yourself said it. You are destiny, and the fact is that you were once the master of Kore..." The earth was truly beginning to rage. "You want to destroy Cephiro because destiny demands the pillar system be reinstated, right?!? Start again, from scratch, start again with the four Mashin and the four Knights to do the killing, right?!?" Dis was absolutely terrified by now, as he tried vainly to relieve himself from the lance. My weapon held him fast and completely without mercy. "How did you know...?!?!?" I felt Kore speak through my voice. "No one remembers the past as well as the earth itself does... It is the constant observer, forever watching what happens. This cycle... Pillar, Mashin, absolution of Pillar, destruction, rebirth... It all has to stop!!!" "You'd be insane to try! The only way you can stop that is if you kill me, and you can't do that without destroying Cephiro yourself!!!" He was probably right. The attack Kore wished me to use was incredibly powerful; It could all well doom all of the people in Cephiro. But I hoped that my plan would work. I summoned my strength into an attack. But not the one Dis was expecting. <<Raging Geyser!!!>> =================================== My fist burst into the ground, and the earth around us erupted in violent spasms. It was going to work. I felt inertia drag me down as the plot of land we stood upon burst skywards, supported on a pillar of water millions of miles up. Dis was still stupefied with what I was doing; The power was immense, as evidenced by the fact that we were thrown into the dark realms above the planet. Chizeta, Fahren, and Autozam were bright glowing stars in the distance, cheering me on. Aghast, unable to find his proper footing on the tiny islet, Dis screamed at me. "You... You can't do this!!!!" "I already have." =================================== I let the earth speak to me. It obeyed. One final burst. One last attack. All or nothing. If I succeed, I win. I fail, we all lose. Fire, Water, Air... Earth. The stones of earth itself glowing, answering my call. <<STONE RAIN!!!>> =================================== Black became shattering white as the soil Dis and I stood on exploded, tearing giant holes into both his Mashin and mine. Each small stone, a humble nameless object, ripped into us at incredible speed, exposing all to the cold void of space beyond. A final scream from Dis emerged as the stones shattered his chest. The dark Mashin eroded into a blinding light as it exploded. Kore too, began to fade away, her steel skin turning into shards of white dust, floating in the darkness. The power that Dis kept within ate away at what remained... <Thank you... Thank you....> Then her voice ceased to be. Silenced forever. Another death to add to my sins. Ahead... The dark figure of Dis... Being approached by another figure... Zagato...? "Thank you, Ken...." The dark mage and the dark priest looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity, floating above me like spirits in a dream... Zagato's voice, bitter at first, softened... Prodigal son returning... "Father....Iv'e come home...." And then the light took them both. =================================== Only myself and mine armor.... I watched as the pale blue world of Cephiro welcomed me into her arms once again. The black clouds melted away to reveal her true shining colors to the universe, and I was glad that I was able to save her. Cephiro... She was sapphire-blue, like my own Earth. Whole and undamaged. Beautiful. And pure. The prophecy denied. I did it. I defeated destiny... Weariness crept through me as I felt the warmth increase. Dropping back into Cephiro's atmosphere. Blue. Welcoming. Mira's world. Mira was Cephiro for me. I've kept my promise to Mira. To Hikaru. To everyone. I closed my eyes for what was to be my eternal rest. =================================== Falling... Icarus, his wings melting... Into the blue beauty of his beloved world.... Hands...? Small, gentle... Yet firm... "Ken-San!!!!!" Voices.... Small hand holding mine. A face. Face of someone I trusted and cared about. "Don't let go!!!!" Why? I've done my duty. Let me rest now... "I've got you!!! Fuu-San! Call an ambulance!!!" "He's slipping!!!" Let me go, please...I don't want to go on anymore... "No, I've got him...!!!" All this noise.... Just let me go... "Ken...!!! Don't die!!!" I just want to rest now... The darkness claimed me once more. But this time, I find no more agony or question. No mists, no nightmares, no pain, no prophecy. Only sweet, gentle peace... And silence...</pre><p><a href="./">Back</a></p><p><a href=http://www.dreamhost.com/donate.cgi?id=216><img border=0 alt="Donate towards our web hosting bill!" src=https://secure.newdream.net/donate1.gif></a></p></body></html>