Xyder Zephyr - POV;
*"There it is! There it is!"* Tenebrae sung gleefully inside my head, *"The pitiful cage of those pitiful brothers and sisters of mine; The Alter of the Elements!"*
"I don't know what you're expecting to find, but the other Deities aren't here," I muttered.
*"Of course they are. How would you know they aren't?"* he questioned cheerfully.
"I came searching for them a long time ago. Trust me, they weren't there. But it doesn't matter. We'll leave this place in ruins before we march onwards," I declared.
"XYDER!"
I stopped in my tracks as the familiar voice reached my ear. Maintaining a slight frown, I turned around slowly to come face-to-face with my childhood friend.
"Stop this Xyder," Satella pleaded as she took a step forward, clutching onto her right arm. Her entire body had been battered and bruised and she seemed to be garnering all of her strength to merely stand still. "Isn't this enough Xyder? Hasn't enough damage been done? Do you know what happened to them Xyder? To our friends? We were winning. Sorine had even come back to our side and she fought against Celes to aid our team."
*"She broke my corruption?"* Tenebrae pondered in disbelief, *"No. I can still feel her. She is still corrupted but some powerful event has caused her to shift her priorities. Once she completes this single act of rebellion, she will fall back under our control."*
"We were almost at a point where we could beat the others who you turned against us but without harming them severely," Satella continued, "....but then he came. The young boy with the powers of Darkness. Rael was it? He turned the tide of our fight. We were forced to use deadly force. Dagan tried to stop him alone but he was already weakened by his previous conflict.... Dagan was killed first. Alva was distracted by this... and that's when Disas struck. A sword through the heart; Alva was gone in a second. Rydia tried to hold off against Disas but we all knew she was at a disadvantage. Celes and Sorine were evenly matched. By the time we knew what was going on, they had gotten off fatal blows on each other. They continued to fight despite it but it was only a matter if time before they succumbed to it. Fira had managed to bring Winter down; melting her Elemental Form into nothingness... but her victory was shortlived as Rael took the chance to prey on a tired huntress. He snapped her neck like it was nothing. Storm and I were facing off against Cheryl... and during the chaos I took the first opportunity I saw.... and I... I... I ran her through with my Heirloom. I killed her!"
Satella broke down completely, dropping to her knees as she wailed and lamented what she had done. I stared down at the broken and pitiful girl, though I felt no remorse. I felt no pain... but I also felt no joy. I felt no anger... I felt no pride... I felt no sense of victory... I felt no surprise. No anticipation. No disgust. No trust. No fear, agony, amusement, desire, angst, compassion, bravery, arousal, anxiety, despair.... I felt nothing.
"Storm went to help Rydia," she sniffled, "but he made me come here. He told me to find you and make things right. I don't know how long they will last.... but I know they can't win that fight. Please, Xyder. Stop this! Haven't we all suffered enough? What happened to all the good time we shared? All the happiness we enjoyed together? All the fun and loving times we all had? What happened to all of that? Does one accident warrant this kind of hell?! ...........What would Evelynn want at a time like this?"
"Simple. Complete and utter obliteration," I answered nonchalantly, continuing on my way.
"Xyder!" Satella shouted bolting towards me. In one, swift motion, I spun on my heel and casually placed Genesis' blade towards her, expecting her to be halted the moment it pierced her. Instead, the greatsword tore into her but she continued forward even more quickly and without skipping a beat she planted her lips against my own, wrapping her arms around my neck as she did.
To say I was stunned by her actions would be a grave understatement. Even with the gargantuan sword buried hilt deep in her chest, she pulled away gently as she whispered, "Maybe I'm really not as good as Cheryl. She accepted and supported you in your rampage all this time without question, but I can't. I can never agree with, help or watch you do these terrible things. I can never love someone who harbors only malice and hatred... but that is why I love you Xyder. I love you because I know the kindness and selflessness in your heart. I know the man you are and I know he is in there. That's why I'll never stop loving you. Come back... to us...... Xyder......."
As she finished speaking, her body began to slowly slide down me as she lost her strength and faded into unconsciousness.
*"Aww, how touching. She should have joined us while she had the chance. She would have been nice to have around. A shame she chose to side against us,"* Tenebrae shrugged, *"Oh well! Nothing we could have done."*
I watched as her body began to fall towards the cold, unforgiving Earth; as the pure skin of an innocent girl who was forced to taint her hands with the blood of an ally was about to be marred by the disgusting dirt trodden upon by an unholy soul. I watched as she was about to hit the floor lifeless, having been betrayed by the one she trusted most: by me..... and then.....
*"Save her, Xy."*
....then, I broke. Before I knew it, my body was moving on its own. I caught her before she could collapse and looked at her dying face in shock.
*"Xyder?"* Tenebrae's confused voice sounded, *"What are you doing?"*
I erected a stone bed, upon which I laid her gently and took a step backwards.
"No," I murmered, staring at my shivering, bloodied hands.
*"Xyder?"* Tenebrae repeated.
"No.... no, no, no, no, no. NO!!!" I bellowed before bolting for the Alter. My mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts so much so that I couldn't even understand a single one myself as they overlapped each other aggressively.
*"Xyder?! Xyder, calm down!"* Tenebrae roared, trying to forcefully seize control over my body. His dark aura began to swirl around me incompletely, eventually managing to cover have of my face.
"XYDER!" Tenebrae boomed.
"NOOO!!!" I growled, ramming myself headfirst through the heavy, metallic doors. That seemed to knock Tenebrae out of his senses at least momentarily as his attempts to take over ceased spontaneously, but it also gave me quite the wallop as well. I flipped over haphazardly and crashed into the floor at the centre of the Alter.
"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I rose onto my knees.
*"Ugh! Xyder! Listen to me!"* Tenebrae insisted.
"WHAT HAVE I DONE?!" I screeched, pulling strongly on my hair as I threw my head back and wailed in agony.
*"None of that matters anymore Xyder! It's already done! It was all your fault and there's nothing you can do about it!"* Tenebrae boomed.
"It's... all my fault... I did this," I murmered.
*"That's right. Thanks to you, everything you knew and loved is gone. Thanks to you, one of the world's greatest empires has been brought to its knees. There's nothing left for you to fight for Xyder,"* Tenebrae cooed.
"There's... nothing left...." I repeated.
*"Yes. You have nothing more to live for. Just give in Xyder. Let me take the reigns and rest. I will give you peace,"* the God of Darkness promised sweetly.
"You're right. I have nothing. This is the end for me," I conceded, closing my eyes as the darkness consumed me, "Take control over m-"
*"He's wrong!"*
****
My eyes shot open as the familiar voice reached me for the second time. I wasn't entirely sure where I'd found myself. The world around me was plunged into shadows and within it I simply floated aimlessly; unable to control my movement in the choking, smothering sea of black. In the distance, a slight shimmer emerged. It began to grow larger... or so I initially thought before the realization struck me. Rather than expand, the light was drawing closer and once it was within range, the voice echoed from its core once again, "It's great to see you again, Xy."
I watched in awe as a beautiful face manifested from the glow followed by the girl's flawless body and the flowing head of her signature green hair.
"Evie..." I barely got out, "but how?"
"No matter where I may be, I'll always be with you. In the inside!" she grinned.
"I... I never thought I'd see you again!" I cried out.
"Don't be silly! You know you can't get rid of annoying old me!" she teased.
"I... I'm so happy," I muttered.
"And that's great. It's great that you can still feel something. That means there's still hope," she said with determination.
"There is no hope. I ruined it. I ruined everything. I killed... everyone. That was all me. I've become a monster," I choked out.
"That isn't true," she shook her head, "Tenebrae took advantage of you in your weakest moments. He corrupted your mind and your heart to steal away your will and your senses. Then he tried to corrupt your soul to take away your emotions and finally make you his. But you said it yourself Xy. You felt. You felt joy. You are still here Xy, and even if you don't know it... you are still fighting. Tenebrae is still trying to seize your soul, but you can wrench it back from him! Fight Xy! Fight for the future! Release the things holding you down. Let go of me Xy... and fight for our friends! Believe in hope! Believe in your destiny!Release your shackles!"
"Evelynn..." I called her name waving my arms inthe emptiness to move myself closer to her.
*"DON'T!!!"* Tenebrae demanded. Tendrils of Darkness shot up from the abyss far below and wrapped themselves around me. Quickly the began to tug and their tremendous force combined to drag me away from my sister.
"Come to me Xy! Sometimes things may seem tragic and terrible but sometimes that is just how things were meant to be! In those situations, none of it is anyone's fault! Not his, not hers, not mine and not yours! Rise Xy! Rise above your obstacles! No one can hold you down!" Evie yelled.
I dug my fingers deep into to ocean of black, preventing myself from sinking further. Slowly I began to claw my way back upwards, slightly overpowering my restraints.
"They're waiting for you Xy! Everyone is waiting for you to come back! You're the only one who can do this! Only you can set things right!" Evie continued.
I dragged myself within arm's reach of her and painfully raised my hand towards her. Tenebrae wasn't just about to let this go so easily however. Two dozen more of his ropes wrapped themselves around my neck, arms, legs and waist before yanking me further back from her. I sunk my feet into the Dark cloud surrounding me, bringing me to a halt yet again.
"Reach out to me Xy! I promised that I would always be there for you in your worst times! You can trust me Xy! I will always find you in your darkness!" she reached out.
"TENEBRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAE!" I roared, tensing every muscle in my legs as I pushed with every ounce of my might. At the same time, two figures flew through the shadows, with wings of feathers and scales respectively, towards me. An angelic and a demonic male bearing my face appeared at either side of me, grabbing beneath my arms and pushing me as they passed. With our combined force I was launched upwards, tearing through my bindings, and at the peak of my jump, I stretched my fingers towards Evie's, allowing them to intertwine with each others.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" The Evil Diety shrieked as a blinding light shot outwards from Evie and me, spreading across the landscape exponentially. The darkness seemed to run away in panic as it was driven into a corner by her prowess and Tenebrae's voiced faded from a thumping headache into a terrified squeak.
"You've done it. You've emerged victorious in the deadlock for your soul," Angel Xyder congratulated.
"And by banishing away that asshole, you've purified this space: your mind and heart," Demon Xyder cackled, "I was getting tired of being his loyal dog but playing the long game was worth it."
"Yes. Tenebrae has been forced back into his seal and his influence over you has practically been eliminated. But for now, it's time to return to the human realm," Angel Xyder informed me.
"Wait... Evie I-"
"Go Xy," she silenced me, placing a finger on my lips, "Be strong for us both."
****
I opened my eyelids to find myself in a cold yet loving embrace. Streams of tears flowed endlessly down the sides of my cheek as I glared at what was undoubtedly the intricate floor of Zephyr's Alter of Elements.
"Don't despair my child. All will be well," an unfamiliar female assured me as she stroked my hair. I raised myself slowly to take a glimpse of the one who had been diligently consoling me. She was unlike any person I'd ever seen: womanly, motherly figure created from head to toe by pristine, tranquil water. She smiled at me warmly as I stared at her silently, unwilling to believe what I was seeing. Deity Vessels could enter a completely Elemental Form... but this was not that. This was something different entirely. I just knew it and yet it couldn't be...
"Aqua? The Elemental Deity... of Water?"
"Not just her," a deep, male voice sounded as a mass of air swirled into a form which resembled a bulky, muscular male... Ventus, the Deity of Air!
"It took you long enough to get here," a rude grunt escaped from the sizzling flames which shaped themselves into a aesthetic humanoid.
"Oh shut up, Ignis. You're always like this," a shadowy woman scolded.
"I have to agree with Umbra. Isn't that right Terra?" a lady sculpted entirely of flowers and leaves asked her companion.
"Yeah, Vita. Yeah, Yeah. He's a big dumb," the giant, stone golem agreed.
"Look who's talking. The definition of stupid himself," the moving, male ice sculpture sighed.
"Careful Crystallos. You don't want Terra smashing you into the ground like last time do you? Keekeekeekee," the tall, lanky, slouched male created entirely from electrical discharges laughed; no doubt The Deity of Lightning, Fulgur.
"Don't pay them too much mind, they're always fighting," the celestial girl of light assured me, "Your guess is accurate. I am Lumen and we are who you think believe us to be."
"You... you're here," I stated softly, "You're all here."
"Indeed we are," Aqua confirmed.
"We're sorry we didn't appear to you the last time you called. It simply was not the time and we were under orders to be silent. Forgive us for the grief we caused you," Ventus bowed.
"That doesn't matter anymore," Ignis waved him off, "We're here now."
"And so am I!"
All of us turned completely to see a terrible creature emerging from nothingness. It's body was impossibly muscular, like that of the highest orders of demons, and it boasted claw-like fingers with tips sharpened to the finest points. For its head, it owned a monstrous face complete with wide, hellish horns which it waved at us wickedly.
"It's been a long time since I could take a form of my own," it sniggered, "It's good to see you all again...brothers... sisters..."
"Tenebrae," they scorned.
"Aww. What a depressing and cold welcome. I expected some more eagerness after being separated for so long. I missed you guys so much," he faked a sad tone.
"Don't try playing games with us Tenebrae," Ignis spat.
"You lost the right to call yourself our brother on the day you turned your back against us and betrayed everything we stood for!" Ventus declared.
"I betrayed what we stood for?! Me?! Don't be retarded, Ventus. You and I both know that's not true. We were created for the sole purpose of wiping the slate clean! We were created to destroy the cancers that was humanity. You were the ones who betrayed our mission and sided with the parasites!" he growled, "But forget it. That's all in the past. This is the present and this is finally the time to join me, my siblings. Humans have become a shell of their former selves. They have managed to become even weaker after all these aeons. They no longer revere, remember or believe in the Elemental Deities. Most of them have written us off as mere fantasies and fairy tales. They are even blissfully unaware of the fact that half of the Elemental Clans carry my curse and can be taken under my control if I so please."
"Wait... what? What is he talking about?" I pressed
"Oh? So even you don't know Xyder? If I remember correctly, when I fought my siblings alongside Yin and Yang they employed an underhanded technique that forced us to be sealed away eternally," Tenebrae recalled, "but just before I could be locked away, I used all of my remaining energy to spread my corruption across the land. The stories of the origin are mostly true. Those afflicted by my Darkness were metamorphosed into the creatures of the night and the strongest amongst them evolved into the demons of the modern world. Those who were cast in the Light of Lumen transformed into the guradians of the day and the most noble had arisen to the status of angels. My powers had reached the likes of the leadersof the Elemental Clans. Well, half of them. Luckily for the other half, Lumen was wise and quick on her feet. She placed her blessing on them before me, saving them from being consumed by my prowess. However, because the Regulus bloodline has been maintained since then, so too was my curse. Half of the current Reguluses and any others who descended from the first Reguluses of those clans all have the potential of unleashing a demonic form and falling under my control. How do you think your friend Zacharias Fenix did it? My spell flows in his family."
"So then... even I..." I pondered aloud.
"Zephyr was... a unique a case," Lumen spoke up.
"Aye," Tenebrae continued, "None of us had expected it but Yin and Yang also unleashed a final spell of their own. Stories say that this is what created the mental split in humans between good and bad... but that's not so. Humans were always bastards that abused their free will to choose. Yin and Yang only did one thing. They specially marked a single clan and because of it, both my curse and her blessing could co-exist within the members of that family. Most of them didn't, but all of them possessed the potential to awaken both a demonic and angelic form. It should be obvious, but that clan was none other than Mara... who eventually became you all: Zephyr."
"Mara... that name again," I thought.
"Though it's interesting," Tenebrae noted, "Normally, one only manifests their demonic and angelic forms that can't fend for themselves but you are different. It seems that, because you possess the element of Yin and Yang, that has allowed those forms to develop minds and personalities of their own. You and they are the same, yet separate. I've never seen something like that before. Then again, you're the only Vessel I've seen with the full potential of the Yin/Yang element, even though you haven't trained it in the slightest. Seraphim is the only other one I've met with the element but in him, this particular element is only at the level of a Partial Vessel. He may as well not have it with how weak it is. Perhaps that has something to do with why I wasn't able to fully inhabit your body, even though it appears to be a fitting Vessel for me?"
"Of course you wouldn't know," Ignis retorted, "You never spent enough time or cared enough to learn about the humans and our affinity to them."
"Excuse me? Repeat that so literally anyone else can understand," Tenebrae shot back.
"The reason that you couldn't is because Xyder's body and you aren't fully compatible," Ventus explained, "In order for us, the Elemental Deities, to inhabit the bodies of human Vessels, certain criteria must be met. For one, the human's natural physiology must be such that it can accept our power in full but there is also a mental aspect to overcome. They must accept us. We could try to join with someone incompatible but this would only lead to failure, temporary success before ejection or death. When disparity in power exists, there is rejection. When one's power is far greater than the other's, there is rejection."
"Oh ho. Hahahaha. I see! That's hilarious!" Tenebrae burst out laughing, "So Xyder isn't strong enough to contain me."
"No Tenebrae, you misunderstand," Aqua corrected, "It's quite the feat to have a body that can perfectly contain us. That human would have had to have the perfect adaptaions, a perfect genome and a perfect mental state that aligns with any one of us. You can imagine how it would be rare to come across someone with such qualities. And yet unlike most other humans, Xyder's body appears as a suitable Vessel to all of us Deities. That should be impossible but this boy has achieved it. So, its as you might have guessed by now: the problem is that Xyder's body is far too powerful and that is why you or even we would be slowly rejected if we took over. Tenebrae, you were the weak one, not Xyder. Xyder's body is so great that it is more suitable as a Vessel for someone or something leagues above any of us Deities."
"What? Him?! More powerful than me?! Don't make me laugh!" Tenebrae grunted loudly, "When I first inhabited him, he had only just become competent with his elements on a basic level! He wasn't even close to achieving this Deity Vessel form or whatever the hell they call it! He was a joke!"
"And yet in no time at all he took all of our elements to the next level. Most Vessels could not raise their single element to the status of Deity Vessel in that same period, much less for multiple," Vita defended.
"Whatever! I don't even need the brat anymore! Now that I can maintain a form of my own, I will abolish all of you on my own!" Tenebrae threatened.
"Ha! Look at you! So sad!" Ignis chuckled, eliciting a deadly glare from the Dark Deity, "You can't do anything as you are. In fact, by coming here, you trapped yourself further."
"Explain yourself!"
"In our battle against Yin and Yang so long ago, we were being pushed back. If things continued as is, we were sure to be defeated," Crystallos began, "So we acted in desperation. We pooled our powers together, beyond its max, and it cost us greatly. Our physical bodies were destroyed in its entirety... never to return... and we remained purely as masses of energy."
"Energy can exist in nature indefinitely, but it isn't so simple," Fulgur noted, "We would have been dispersed throughout the planet and though we would not have been destroyed, we would have been converted from one form to another. We would have lost our consciousness, our identity... and with enough time, elemental energy would have gradually disappeared from the world without us to continually recycle and regenerate its supply."
"Without our bodies, we Deities needed some kind of containment that would protect us and keep us whole. That was when the Mara Clan gracefully offered us a home. They built this structure, the Alter of the Elements, specially for us. It was designed in such a way that it could allow us to absorb energies from the outside world and pass out new elemental energy through an advanced underground network while we were also being protected from any harm and dispersion. Each of the statues in here was created specifically to suit the different needs and forms of us Elemental Deities. It could contain our energy safely," Umbra revealed.
"We weren't the only desperate ones though. You were as well. You spread out your corruption hapharzardly as one last insult to us but that, as well as the time you spent sealed away, took an enormous toll on your body. It wasted away, leaving your in a form much like our own... one of pure energy," Ventus concluded, "You were safe while confined in Xyder but just now something truly remarkable occurred. He ejected you... well atleast part. The majority of your Dark power was forced back into the seal, but a portion of your energy which contained your conscience was forced out of him entirely. Our friends at Mara had installed a statue for you on the off chance that you came to your senses. It turned out to be useful for other things however. The moment you flew out of Xyder, you were absorbed directly into it... and now you're here to stay.... brother."
"Wait, what? No," Tenebrae spat examining the construct he was bound to.
"Now that your mind and power have been separated from each other, you won't be causing any more trouble," Ignis hissed.
"This is the end of the line, Tenebrae," Umbra snapped.
"No... No. NO! This can't be happening! This is all your fault, you incompetent brat!" Tenebrae bellowed at me, "If you'd just stayed in your place, everything would have been perfect! I should have known from the beginning that you were a failure. You've never done a single thing right in your life. You let Seraphim kill your mother and father and then believed his lies. You failed to use any of your elements at the age of twelve. You were cast from the throne of Regulus. You let your friends get kidnapped. You trusted and allowed a traitorous enemy amongst your ranks. You failed to recover the Devil's prophecy. You let your uncle, Incendio, be killed. You got your allies kicked from the tournament and landed yourself in prison. You endangered everyone who ever tried to help you! .................................And then you let Evelynn die. You killed all of your friends and your family. You ruined everything that you had. I may have said it before, simply to trick you into relinquishing control, but it was all true. Even if you didn't mean any of it... it is done."
I stared at the Deoty of Darkness as he spoke but immediately lowered my head afterwards.
"It's true," I muttered, "I have nothing left to go back to. It's all gone now and I can only see suffering from this point onwards. At the very least however... you will suffer with them and with me, you worthless bastard of a God."
"Insolence!" Tenebrae boomed.
"Xyder, your will and position are both strong but you don't have to accept this fate, you know?" Aqua told me gently.
"What do you mean?" I pressed.
"She means that there is one way to fix this. That way has been done before. You and your allies have all experienced it," Fulgur answered.
"Wait, you can't be talking about... That would never happen!" Tenebrae argued.
"Not only is there just one way... you are the only one who can fix this," Crystallos continued.
"The blood of the Terrible One runs in your veins. The surge of Devil energy in your body is currently off the charts. If anyone can fix this, it's you in your current state who can," Ignis stated.
"Wait, but how do I even do that?" I enquired.
"We will get your powers going. A jumpstart if you will," Umbra responded as all of the Deities, with the exception of Tenebrae, raised their palms towards me. I felt a tingling sensation before the raging streams of elemental energy all rushed into my body simultaneously and begun to thrash around rapidly.
"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" I screamed as my body was sent into a fit of agony.
"Believe. Believe in the powers passed down to you by your father, grandfather and his father before him," Lumen whispered.
My scarlet eye bulged violently and I held onto that side of my face as I continued to cry out in agonizing pain.
"Dig deep inside of you and pull forth the power which resides in you. That which defies even time itself: The Crimson Eye of the Devil," Vita instructed.
A brilliant red light began to seep through my fingers, growing tremendously in intensity with each passing second.
*"You can do this, Xy."*
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH" I roared throwing my arms back behind me as the vermilion aura consumed the entire room. A glyph in the form of a clock's face formed on the floor around me and on my burning iris.
It's hands spun anti-clockwise, building up speed as it did, and a terrifying ticking sound echoed alongside it's revolutions, "Tick tock......... Tick tock....... Tick tock... Tick tock. Ticktock. Ticktockticktockticktockticktock!"
With one final scream, space itself seemed to crack and shatter around me and I felt myself falling into an endless pit of fragmented memories.
"Go back, Xyder. Go back to the turning point of history," Ventus' voice sounded, "This time we will stand beside you."