Ubi took cover behind the front desk. Kenshe and Nafury continued to slaughter the griffin shifters who couldn't aim fast enough. She dared to peek up at the computer where she was. She let her power search through its information to find just what part of the Dragon Moon they had to hit. Once she had the answers she needed, she used her power over it to make the lights go out.
Alexia's power still reached Nafury, and his eyes quickly adjusted to the dark. The griffin shifters scrambled to adjust their helmets, only to be cut down before they could.
Ubi ran to them when it was clear, and then to the elevator they needed. "Fifteenth floor. If I can get my hands on the main generator, we can blow this dragon to the moon."
"Sounds like a plan," Kenshe said as the elevator arrived with a ding. They went inside and the door closed before starting upwards. "I know this is a bad time in our relationship to ask for a favour," Kenshe started as he looked at Nafury. "But could I borrow your wings once this place blows?"
"Like how you left me to die at the Falls?" Nafury replied with a cold tone.
"Hey, I did what I could, you unappreciative prick!"
"Like hell you did," Nafury replied, unconvinced.
"Nafury..." Ubi whined.
"Fine," Nafury said, looking briefly back at Ubi. "But only so I can drop your Bond from space so he can become a stain on the ground that you won't feel."
"Come on, Nafury." Kenshe replied, pretending to whine. "We are supposed to die with a death grip to each other's throats as we tumble into Hell. You are ruining the foundation of our friendship."
"You guys are pathetic," Ubi said as she hid to the side of the elevator as the doors opened. They were greeted with another group of soldiers. Kenshe and Nafury followed Ubi's lead as they were opened fire on.
"Shit, these ones are human," Kenshe said as he looked at Nafury.
"Yeah, I'm on it," Nafury said as he focused his psi on the weak human minds attacking them. He gave their heads the illusion that they were being charged at. While their guns pointed the other way towards the illusions, Kenshe and Nafury struck them down from behind. One of Kenshe's blades hit a little too deep, and a spark of electricity from an overhead light ignited. It was a warning from a Sentry.
Nafury kneeled down and healed the human just enough that he would live. Then they continued forward. "Can you be more careful?"
"My bad," Kenshe admitted and looked back to check on Ubi who stayed close to them.
"There," she said, running to the metal doors ahead.
"Can you open it?" Nafury asked.
"I can try." She set her hands on the control panel and focused on wrecking the circuitry. It worked, and the doors opened a few inches.
Kenshe grabbed one side, while Nafury did the other and they pulled it open the rest of the way. Kenshe went in first, and gave a quick look around to find that no one was inside.
Nafury and Ubi followed him, and they went for the giant Tech in the center of the room.
"There aren't any windows," Kenshe took immediate notice of.
"I have two eyes," Nafury reminded him and looked over the contraption. He peered through its small window and had to look twice to confirm what he saw.
"Congratulations on getting here late," Cirrus' voice said from the only way into the room.
"What have you done to my sister!?" Nafury demanded.
"I'm afraid you still aren't seeing the whole picture, my Prince," Cirrus replied. "When the first Aster was destroyed, Asteria was not destroyed with it. She merged her essence into her daughter, which is why Asil lived and Erebus did not. Within that tank is the most powerful life-giving force in the universe, next to Hino himself. With that power I will recreate the first Aster here, and Sybl will be alive as she was always meant to be."
"Release her! This is madness you're attempting!" Kenshe shouted at him.
"It will all be over soon," Cirrus said and used his Mei to channel his will to Sybl. The dragon-shaped construct shook as it came alive and began to stand up.
"Nafury!" Ubi pleaded, as Kenshe charged for Cirrus with his blade. "You have to stop him! You're the only one who can!"
Nafury desperately searched for a way to stop Cirrus. He felt completely helpless. Kenshe held Cirrus off, relying on him to think their way out of this. It was then that he caught sight of the Mei mark on Ubi's wrist. "Those are unbreakable..." Nafury thought aloud. He went over to the tank that immersed Sybl's unconscious body in golden water. "You belong to me," he said and pressed his head and hand against the window. "You have always belonged to me, my most precious Fay."
The shaking stopped, and Cirrus grabbed Kenshe and threw him to the side on realizing what was happening. The Awl charged at Nafury, and he caught Cirrus' blade against his own. The Awl's strength pressed him against the tank. "You promised me once that you would never leave me. But you lied--I have never seen you further from what we had once hoped for together!"
"Why can't you see that I do this for us and for Sybl--and for the greater of all Asterians?" Cirrus said.
"You will never create a perfect Aster from suffering!" Nafury shouted back, and pushed Cirrus' blade off and away from him.
Kenshe slashed at Cirrus from behind, and Nafury got a firm grip on his blade to assist the phelan shifter.
Ubi focused on trying to free Sybl from the metal prison. She hit everything, and it was enough as it opened and spilled a flood of water across the room. She grabbed Sybl before she could go with the water closer to the fight. "Mom! Mom wake up! We need your help!" Ubi shook her till she opened her eyes.
Sybl took notice of Ubi, then of the fight at the other side of the room. She pulled herself to her feet, channeling all of her aeri to her as she did. "Kenshe!"
Kenshe heard her thoughts and unleashed a flare of estus energy at Cirrus. He grabbed Nafury and pulled them to the ground as Sybl's aeri hit the Awl immediately after, resulting in a massive explosion. When the energy and debris cleared, Cirrus had vanished.
Ubi let out a breath of relief, and ran over to Kenshe and Nafury as they rolled over in pain. Kenshe had taken most of the hit from the blast for them both.
"Sister..." Nafury started, with the wind knocked out of him.
"We have to go," Sybl replied and pulled him to his feet. "We don't want to be in here when it blows up."
TWENTY-NINE
They followed after Sybl as the Dragon Moon shook violently. Once they were outside, Alexia and Kenshe's shift rejoined with them. Now it wasn't just the Dragon Moon they had to worry about, but the military fully armed and ready to shoot them down. Several tanks stood in the way of their retreat. Ubi looked up as a helicopter blinded them with a spotlight from above. They were completely surrounded.
"Oh no, not this again," Nafury said as he took up position in front of Sybl. "Please tell me you have a plan?"
"Yeah, we have our own Tank," she said and nodded in the direction of the military.
Several large black shapes emerged from the shadows, in a chorus of low growls. The military froze as the massive wolf-like creatures surrounded them. One of the giant wolves fearlessly walked right through their center.
"Hold your fire!" the lead officer ordered, then looked back at the entourage in front of the building. "Who are you and what do you want?"
"We retrieved our kind and just want to go home, General Ray," Sybl called back. She had read everything she needed to know from his defenseless mind. "We have no conflict with anyone else on Earth or any wish to hurt anyone."
Tank feared none of the guns and machinery as he walked over to them, pushing aside a car with his paw like it were a mere toy. "Caelestis, we have come to escort you," he said in English. His voice caused several of the soldiers to soil themselves.
Sybl smiled and looked back at General Ray. "We will be leaving now, is that alright with you?"
The growls became lower, challenging the General to say no. He couldn't say no, as his men would be slaughtered.
Nafury helped his sister by using his own psi to increase the General's fear of them. When Kenshe saw what he was doing, he did the same and a mischievous grin grew on his face.
The General nodded after some minutes, and Sybl let Nafury pull her into his shift. Kenshe pulled Ubi onto his back and shifted, and they followed their escort towards the Gate.
The phelan moved through the streets like shadows. Traffic and people stopped and screamed in terror as they passed. Many had taken refuge in their vehicles.
"Maybe I should have let Feryl come instead," Tank said to Prisca as they raced the last few blocks for the Gate. "He would have loved to have seen this all again."
Ubi hung on tight with one hand, as she reached down to grab a cellphone from an unsuspecting man. Her victim had been too engrossed with it to notice the wolves till they had already passed him. "Souvenir, check."
"Ubi," Nafury said as he dove closer to them.
"On it," Ubi said and she turned around on Kenshe. She focused back on the Dragon Moon and visualized the controls she had seen. Remembering the connections, she focused her power to set it to explode. It erupted into the sky as the cries of fear echoed as far as they were now. "I hope that didn't hit anyone important..." Ubi turned back around on hearing what sounded like a fight up ahead.
"Master Gei!" Kenshe said ecstatic and rushed ahead on seeing the Iynx. He skid to a stop before the human form that the once cat-shaped General had taken to. Gei's short blond hair sparkled, as his green eyes glowed from the face of man who looked anything but thousands of years old.
"Holy cheese he's pretty," Ubi said first, and Kenshe's fur stood slightly on end.
"I have ensured that this Gate will take you back home," Gei said as he released the dead griffin shifter from his grip. He then looked to Nafury as the dragon landed.
Nafury unshifted to let Sybl see him for herself.
"You found your wings," Sybl said as she stood up straight and walked closer to Gei. It made a sad kind of sense why Gei had torn them off to begin with--Serena would have been instantly taken by him. "Will you not come back with us?"
"Cirrus must answer for his crimes, as Hino has his Laws as well," Gei explained.
"We've missed you," Kenshe said.
"You will be fine without me. I have taught you everything I know. Now hurry, all of you. You must pass through the Gate before they are able to close it again."
Kenshe unshifted and proceeded through the Gate's watery portal, and the others followed. Nafury stayed another moment behind. "Gei."
"Damek," Gei replied. "I'm happy to see that you've come to your senses."
"Heh, I just wish I did sooner. Will you be alright on your own here?"
"I can hold my own," Gei assured him. "You and the other Generals have babied me long enough."
Nafury laughed as some memories returned from ages past. They did used to overprotect him, but that was only because he was too trusting and timid.
"We are the only two left of the once renowned Four Generals, but it is enough to get done what needs to be done. I am far more concerned with you and the possible futures I have foreseen."
"Oh?" Nafury asked in concern.
"Do not let your wishes from the past consume you in the present. You must let go what must be let go if there is to be peace on Aster."
"I don't understand," Nafury replied.
Gei looked at Nafury's wrist. "You understand exactly what my words are conveying to you. Now you just need the strength to see that the peace we have obtained today is not undone."
Nafury looked at his wrist, before looking back at Gei. The General had shape-shifted into his slender, cat-like appearance, and his white fur glowed. "What if I don't want to?"
"There are consequences to every action," Gei replied. "If you defy the dark Fay, he will have his vengeance. With his strength returned to him from Aragmoth, he may very well obtain it."
Nafury set his arm back at his side and started for the Gate. "Will you help me if it comes to that?"
"We exist to serve the Caelestis' wishes. She is all we have left of Asteria now, and she is all that we need to define our existence. Just do not do anything rash," Gei said. "I have raised and loved Kas like my own son. I will not assist you in destroying him." He then turned and jogged off into the trees as several sirens could be heard coming closer.
Nafury committed his words to memory, then stepped through the Gate. He wanted to keep his sister safe and at his side. Any and all possible consequences of pursuing his wish fell on deaf ears.
GLOSSARY
Aeger -- The Sylvan Aur is the equilibrium for the aeri and estus Aurs, creating a balance of life and death energy over the world of Aster. When the Sylvan Aur was destroyed at the end of the Last War, this balance was lost, and the estus energy began to spread uncontrollably across the world. The Aeger is a sickness caused by being overwhelmed by estus energy and its related emotions. Those with the Aeger usually lose their minds before they die of starvation, injuries as they don't feel pain, or they are destroyed. When the Sylvan Aur was restored after Sybl's death, the Aeger ceased to be.