"My heart hurts," Azul said when the singing finished. 'What's going on here? Galtea or Zelda you got anything on this.' As he moved down the hall, he heard the singing start again. It was dreadfully sad. The furthur he moved to Alita the stronger it became the more his heart's hurt.
Galtea: This did not happen last time. Azul run to her now!
'Hurry' Zelda said. Her voice breaking as fresh memories rose to the surface. 'This cant be right. Why didnt I feel anything before.'
As Azul made it to the room there was no pressure only... sadness. It was not right. He then started to understand the language.
'Germnique they betray you.' Alita said in the strange tongue. 'Betrayal again. How many times has it been now?' She cried. 'First my User.. then the others.. why?!'
Reaching up to the ceiling was a dragon. Tied down with chains and all sorts of magic spells active on it. The body was all dried up lacking any moisture. The scales, what was left of them anyway were all destroyed plastered to the body like a makeshift puzzle. A few swords here and there scattered about.
Coming into the chamber, he stopped. "How can the be right?!" Azul was stunned stupid. The memory from last time started to surface in his mind. It finished quickly. "This is the dragon from my dream. How can Alita be that dragon?" Azul moved slowly to her. She didnt wake up just yet. The song was starting again.
Galtea: My User this.. this information....that you are absorbing with your biotics. This is heartwrenching. I can barely look at her through your eyes. Those seals are from Amarillo. A User that is in Rift prison. He is an Operator Hunter.
"Hum," the spear on Azul's back gave a soft hum. Galtea started to return back to despair if It didn't echo out.
'Calm yourself Galtea, we will do what we can to find out later.'
"Please kill me! I am sick of being here. I have almost no power left. I am no real threat to them." Alita pleaded.
"Very well then," Azul said as he reached his hand out. "Mental Cleansing!" He watched as her mind started to focus as he approached her. "Sign your self over to me and become my follower and I will give you your freedom in the future."
"You would enslave me! You filthy mortal! How dare you!." She lashed out with some magic towards him. Azul put up his biotic shielding and diverted the power to the spear.
"You have those abilities how mortal?!" Alita asked. She seemed to be both surprised and oddly happy. She continued to pour the magic out, almost testing Azul in a way. 'So confident. That scent, it is familiar.'
After the magic stop pouring out, his shield dropped. He looked at his feet and saw he was pushed more than 50 feet back. Why shy of the 250 that he was last time.
"So can you not try that again.. I like my legs thank you very much. So about that option I made." Azul asked tentatively and confident. "That blast was something else."
'Is he half an Operator and User... I wonder if he is. I can't feel any fluctuations of an Operator though. He must be a User. That would be for the best he would be able to heal me. Hopefully, the Administration has mostly died already. If not, I will stay with this person to recover. "I agree to become one of your followers. It will be an honor to serve you, my Lord. Also, I can gain a new form when you accept me. I can tell this form displeases you." Alita said softly like she was trying to gain his favor. As he stood in front of her her eyes dilated and her breaking quickened. 'I know him! I know his soul. I know his scent!'
System: Updating Quest....
Galtea: My User, she is now resting in your Nether World I will do my best to converse with her and find out where the connection comes from. Head to your squad with your second mind controlling your body. It would be best for your first to head to your Nether World.
Azul did just that and saw Zelda talking to Alita's sleeping form. Well, she was sleeping till Azul took a step.
"Sniff, sniff," her nose flared. Standing up she went to him and collapsed onto him. He would have been crushed but found his body had stretched and changed. It was the same as when he shifted using his Laguz powers in his other time.
"You survived the explosion. You survive those monsters." Alita said between gasps. "Your soul is so weak.. where is your spark?" She tried to move away to look at him, but she was to weak.
"Right.. umm here. Take this then we will talk." Azul pushed her soul piece out into her. As well as buying an elixer and using it on her. It helped but wouldn't work again for a while. He had to buy a big dose for the dragon. IT would take days for it to cycle through her body.
"Thank.. you," Alita said confused. She then turned into a human form. It also caused Azul to turn back as well. He had no control over it at all. Something he didnt like at all. "Better. Thank you, Azul. It will be a while till my soul merges completely."
"So Galtea... what now?" Azul asked. "I mean.. this has taken a wild turn."
"I have no idea. She is tied to That Magic the gathering quest of yours. I am checking to see what happened, so far I dont like what I am seeing." Galtea said annoyed. "When you yor soul was sent through time, the System sent it far back to several places. Really far back in some places. Right now they are stored and sleeping like they would be normally."
"But. I know there is a butt."
"Yeah there is.. Alita
"How did she get here?" Zelda asked. "How did I not notice her all this time?"
"Because you were not here when I joined with him. When you did arrive, I was already changed and hidden from your senses." Alita hugged Zelda. "I am sorry but I would not risk my self even for you. Not anymore after we all were separated."
"I understand. Just wish we could go back to before." Zelda said a little heartbroken. She felt as if her friend had abandoned her.
"We cannot, but that is fine. I never expected to live again. Well, a third time." Alita said happily. She looked at Azul. "I am a Dragon and so are you.. somewhat. The more you become one, the stronger my desire for you becomes. Please stay a Dragon.. the wolf was nice but a new life as a dragon will be wondrous. I swear."
"Woah it is ok. I won't become a wolf again. Actually I cant." Azul showed her his status. The note that let her know he was barred from that form of transformation. "Also this," Azul showed her the memory of the time with the dragons.
"You are.. thank you. For that time. Thank you for saving us." Alita happily rubbed her head against his chest. She was a lot stronger than Azul and was pushing him back and forth. "You save us from the Enders. Me and the other dragons. You and Nicol Bolas."
"I did what!?" Azul questioned and felt his head become fuzzy. His two heart's started to seize as his nose bleed. "No no no no no," he said hysterically. I couldn't have that.. that.. makes..no sense."
System: Willpower Auto Fail. Overstimulation.
A rift opened and Lluvia appeared. She walked over and started to treat Azul. "Haa, I wanted to use this on something else. Not this."
"Did he just faint from that?" Alita said looking down at Azul. Her question made Galtea smile.
"Yup. His synchro is still high even now. The information may have been to much for him. I have know idea what the System was planning with you two. Well, you three. I think you should have the triforce piece."
"No. I dont want it. You keep it. I have Azul. You and Lluvia will have to share him." Alita said closing her eyes dangerously. "I am glad he didnt break. But this is so different than before. He is a little less murdery."
"Is that a bad thing?" Zelda asked.
"Yes and no." Alita realized she picked up some of Azul's mannerisms. "It is just different. I hope he gets his strength back soon. I want to go to Magic the Gathering. Maybe we can talk to Bolas and convince him."
"Chances are, you will have to kill him."
"Dont say that!" Alita snapped. "She stared dangerously at Lluvia. This pissed the woman off greatly. She snapped at her.
"As long as you remember that Azul comes first," Lluvia said looking at her. Zelda said nothing from the side, but she agreed all the same. "The System saved you from deleting your self for a reason. It covered you from others and allowed you to become a wandering Operator for companions and followers. Your User took his life and set Zelda and the others free. You traveled to several worlds doing whatever. You ended up in Final Fantasy Tactics last in out timeline. There Azul and Galtea took you in. Healed you and allowed you to rest and recover. You were given companions to help and send on missions at your pace. Heck, you did a damn good job of it."
"What are you getting at?" Alita said looking at her.
"All she is saying.. is if you had to help kill Bolas, would you be able to do it? Bolas or Azul, who would you side with?" Zelda answered then asked.
"I dont know?" Alita said. "I honestly dont know."
"Tch, then you are a danger to us all. You shouldn't even go there then." Lluvia said.
"That is not your decision!"
"You are right. It is not." Galtea said stomping them from fighting. "It is my decision. As his Operator. I say she goes. We will figure out what to do about anything popping up."
"Thank you Galtea," Alita said leaving to recover. She would enter into Mileuda to travel in for the time in the future. "I wont forget this."
"You will risk him, as well as all of us. Why?" Lluvia asked.
"Because I think he can succeed. Or at least we can get out of there safely enough." Galtea said staring at her with a strained smile. Her words didnt match what she was feeling. "We have to try. A lot is in motion already. As well as the Alliance with the other User Swift."
"Tch, I dont like it. Not one bit." Lluvia said. She looked to Zelda and shook her head. "You know her better than I do. What do you think she will do?"
"Hah, I know the old her. From the interactions between her and Azul.. I want to say... I should.." Zelda couldn't make up her mind.
"I need to know," Lluvia said sternly. She looked at Azul and watched as the magic flowed around him.
I think she would risk her life for him. But now.. her memory seems to favor more of her time spent in Magic the Gathering. I dont think it will end well. Not at all." Zelda couldn't give a definite answer herself. "I think we should prepare a little more for it. Best option."
"I will have the crew in Mass Effect pick up some more work then," Lluvia said. "He needs more Companions here to do more work with the him that is here. I will talk to him about it another time." Looking at the out cold Azul, she smiled. "Smooch," a peck on the cheek and then she left. "Glatea.. the Paragon missions you are having him do is fine and dandy. But I love the Azul that was ruthless and did everything for us. I am setting up a world where he can do that. He will need that mindset in Magic the Gathering."
"Bwoom," her voice echoed in the Rift.
"What now Galtea?" Zelda asked. It was just them two and a sleeping Silveria left. "It will not end well if he dies there. Especially when it is such a high-level quest as this."
"I dont know. It is an actual X-level one. When he linked with Alita, it went up. I am worried about the fallout."
"The fallout?"
"Yes. Lluvia is powerful. Way more powerful than she appears. If push comes to shove.. a fight between her and Alita will rip wherever they are apart. And I am certain Lluvia will survive almost unscathed."
Zelda's eyes went wide at the statement. "Is she that dangerous truly?" Galtea gave her a nod. "Is it because of her parents or something else?"
"I dunno. I am a second-generation Operator as well. My power is vast but not as destructive as hers. I want to say it is in part from her accepting of Azul when they first met. Her parameters were so different. She also stepped down as an Operator and became a companion for him. Watching over him and making sure he lived in Mass Effect. Coming here and receiving that other part of herself even though it was damaged may have pushed her even higher to do better."
"I see," Zelda said looking at the grass. "Azul was to have her as his original Operator. But she was swapped for you. Then they tried to mess with you, her and her mother. Despite ruining your life once before they still caused problems. Even as a Companion we arent safe. He has you as his Operator now. You are doing what you do best for all of us. She will do everything for him it seems. He has me as spiritual support but I have to watch that new User they gave me as a new Operator myself."
"He is a target for a member of the Administration despite what he did to stop the others who wanted to derail everything. I think he should have agreed to do the task again." Shun said adding his piece in.
"No, I am glad he didnt. It would have made him a target for some other Users." Galtea said shaking her head in protest. "The conspirators were arrested but they were able to get a few agents out beforehand. The Administration hands are tied as the System wishes to see if the new User's will do the right thing and stop them. This has given the others the chance to rise up to help all the other world's with the growth design."
"Right the message every World has to keep pushing forward," Zelda said speaking up. "I will go and see if I can keep that assigned User on task."
"I do not envy you at all." Shun said.
"Why is that?" Zelda asked.
"Because of that new User. He doesn't know your name does he?" Shun asked. He was not trying to pry just to talk with her.
"No. Should he?" Zelda responded. Shun's gentle voice was already giving her a little peace of mind.
"Only if he deserves to." Galtea smiled a little. "Do you care for Azul?"
"Huh of course I do," Zelda said.
"You know which way I mean," Galtea asked with a smirk.
"I.. dont think about it..much," Zelda said sheepishly.
"Come to a decision before you hurt someone," Galtea said.
"Your right. But what about you?"
"I care for him but do not love him. As long as he is trying to find his way in this life, I won't be with him. I can and will wait till we are both sure of what we want." Galtea said looking up at the sky. She then looked at the little Hyrule that was made. Zelda gave her a look. "What is it?"
"Sounds like you are scared," Zelda said taunting. "Only one who is not scared seems to be Lluvia out of all his people. Even Mileuda is scared of what he will turn into with her having that dark pull inside her. removed."
"No there is another. Quistis is not scared of him." Galtea added. "Not even a little. It is scary. Especially for a Companion of her level."
"Huh, no way." Zelda looked shocked.
"Here look at what is happening with them in her world." Galtea moved a screen over showing Zelda. "See. Look at that Syncro rating. Her soul has become powerful. As powerful as Agria was. Without the high points spent. Heck with less time."
"I cant believe it," Zelda said staring. "Ah, Rose is a little jealous."
"See, she has made her choice," Galtea said chuckling. "Haha, she is gone. You are the one that is jealous."
"Hmph," Zelda said pouting. She then looked at the screen again. "Then Azul is in for a shock when he heads there."
"Yup. Now time for Silveria here. I know just where to send her to." Galtea said pulling the young woman over. "I will send her there now to make sure she has a chance to recuperate as well as get to spend time with Azul."
"You should send someone else as well. Just in case."
System: ... companion found...User is unresponsive... pull has agreed to wait... informing of situation.
"Like who?" Galtea said looking at the Rift open. "Or maybe this person will work fine."
"Hey, why did this take so long?" Zelda asked.
"Lluvia did that when Azul first arrived in Tactics," Galtea said looking up. "Hey Shun, come here. You are going with Silveria here. Have fun." The rift open taking Shun and Silveria away.