Destruction Preventer: Lunar Salvation

Destruction Preventer: Lunar Salvation
Chapter 13 – Destiny

~

So someone had made it to the top of Mount Ordeals.

The bad news was that they were dead.

Cecil stepped in front of the tombstone, head cocked and brows furrowed. What exactly was supposed to give him powers here? He hoped it didn't have anything to do with the tombstone's inscription – he had never seen that language before.

He laid a gloved hand over the granite monument, feeling no evil emanating from it. In fact, it called out to him...

The tombstone moved. Cecil jerked his hand back and jumped away, suspicious. His eyes settled on the narrow staircase opening.

"Well... I guess this is my destiny."

Tellah stood between the twins, hands on their shoulders. "We'll be waiting for you, Cecil. Good luck."

The knight nodded, thankful.

"Pffft, it doesn't look scary, it's just a hole..."

"Palom!"

The voices died out as he carefully stepped down the stairs. There were no lights either, but at least there was a ramp to guide him down. Time seemed to freeze as he went deeper, and literally suspended when the stairway came to a stop.

Crystals, crystals everywhere... lit by a strange and soft blue light. Crystal floors, crystal walls, crystal pillars... it created a magnificent display of shimmering reflections. At the far back, a large wall sent back his own image, the image of a soldier in dark, worn-out armor.

"My son... at last you've arrived..."

The voice boomed out of nowhere, bouncing off the crystalline surfaces.

"Who is this?!" he demanded. He reached for his sword and drew it in front of him. His reflection mimicked him perfectly.

"Long have I awaited this... the day that you would come..."

Cecil threw nervous looks around the room. Where did this voice come from?

Who was this?!

"A tragedy now unfolds... a tragedy which pains me more than you can know..."

Everything so far had been a tragedy. The downfall of the Baron kingdom, of its king – the very man who raised him, - the loss of his friends, Rosa's kidnapping, Kain's betrayal...

That last one had hurt more than he had let everybody know.

"To end it, I will give you what remains of my light."

The voice. It didn't feel familiar, but there was something to it. Something deep. This entity knew him, knew of his past, of his sins.

Was it ready to forgive him?

Tears brimmed in his eyes. He imagined the figure in front of him reacted the same way.

"By doing so, I will fall into greater sorrows, greater pain."

He wanted to say no. He felt unworthy of such a gift. But his mouth remained shut, and he was unable to utter a single word of protest.

"There is no other choice."

A sword materialized in front of him, lit by a strong, shining light.

"The time has come..."

The holy sword moved towards him, and Cecil took a few seconds to find the courage to take it in his hand.

"Bid farewell to your bloodstained past."

A flash of white light consumed him. Sheer force lifted him off the ground. The light ripped the obsidian armor from his body. Plates tore apart and shredded like mere paper. Black shards floated around his naked frame, then dissolved in mid-air.

The pain was agonizing. It seared through his skin and bones, from head to toe. The dark aura, which usually emanated from his body, was plucked out of his very soul. Just like the armor, it dissipated in the thick, impenetrable light, leaving nothing but an empty shell of a man.

He heard none of his own screams and sobs. The only thing he wished for was death.

Whoever was out there heard his plea. The pain left his body as soon as it had came, and was replaced by nothingness.

Out of torture and void, Cecil didn't know which one was the worst. He felt absolutely nothing. No harm, no fear, no happiness, no sadness... only emptiness.

Slowly, the light entered his body, radiating inside out and spreading across his skin. His vision went completely white. His frame spasmed under the warm touch and his eyes rolled in their sockets. Pure pleasure.

Enlightenment. Quite literally.

With a relaxed sigh, Cecil landed softly on the ground. He still held the sword in his hand, but there was something different about his hands... no more gloves.

His entire body was now covered by a lighter, sliver armor, accented with blue and gold. His chest contrasted, being blue with white flame designs. In a similar fashion as of his previous gear, two horns protruded from his shoulder pads, but that was the only resemblance.

What was that feeling? Was he at peace, after all this time?

Still, one thing bothered him. The mirror did not reflect his new appearance. His reflection was of the dark knight's. The figure matched his movements as it raised his sword and brought it back down, waved, and turned his head around.

"Forsake the darkness you once embraced, or the light will find no hold..."

The dark reflection stepped out of the mirror.

Cecil held his sword in front of him. The knight copied his movements.

"Vanquish the dark knight! You and he are one no more!"

"This is a fight for me, and me alone..." he reminded himself. "The atonement for all the sins I've wrought – my test. And one I do not mean to fail!" The words echoed in the crystal room, reaching the dark knight as well.

Cecil swung his sword at his doppleganger; the other man didn't fight back as the sword hit the armor. There was no recoil either. He remained unharmed.

"A true paladin sheaths his sword." It was that voice again...

The message was obvious. He'd have to bear the pain of the incoming attacks.

A wave of darkness hit him; he had no time to protect himself. The attack pushed him back, but he held on tight. He would not lose this fight.

The dark knight retreated. Normally, Cecil would unleash the wave himself about now. He readied himself for it, trying to draw in the darkness, and took another harsh blow. Realization set in – he was not a dark knight anymore.

But what other powers did he have? Surely fate wouldn't have robbed him of his strength...

And if it really did, he'd gain it all back. For the sake of the Crystals. For Rosa. For Kain.

He braced himself for the next wave. This time, the pain wasn't as strong and didn't last as long either.

Cecil kept parrying hit after hit after hit, and tried not to care about his opponent's health and strength. He was facing himself, after all...

"Justice and retribution are but trifle things... There are victories of greater worth. Someday, you will understand my words, Cecil. Go forth!"

The dark knight faded away. The only trail he left was in Cecil's mind. Simply because this side of him had vanished, did not mean it had completely disappeared.

"Your virtue has been proven, Cecil. I will grant you the power of the light, what remains of mine... my very soul. May it strengthen you, my son... you must defeat Golbez!"

There was something about the voice, a somewhat deep sadness...

"W-wait! I must know-..."

Nothing. No one responded to him.

But it still rang in his head. 'My son...'

He took a deep breath and clasped the sword in his hand. He had reached his goal.

He gave the crystal shrine one last, long look. The mirror now reflected his own appearance. He lifted his sapphire eyes to the ceiling, hoping to see a trace of his guide.

Confident, he headed back to the stairs.

Cecil Harvey, the little, pretty boy who grew up to one of the best dark knights of Baron... was now a paladin.

The first known paladin.

~

"This is boring..."

"This is something he must do. Give the man some time."

Cecil stepped out of the opening. The sunlight blinded him. He squinted and covered his eyes with his armbrace.

"... Who's that girl?" The young wizard looked at him with quirked eyebrows. He had never seen Cecil without his dark knight armor. Neither did the two others, but Palom was a blunt little boy.

The knight cocked his head and lifted a hand, about to explain about his looks, but he was cut off.

"It's Cecil, you idiot... That must be what he looked like under all that armor."

Porom was closer to sage than her brother. Cecil nodded and smiled in their direction. "It's me, yeah."

Palom waddled to him. "So you got paladinated! You did it!" He grinned, and pointed at his now visible white, fluffy hair. "But you still look like a chick."

With a smile, Cecil ruffled the boy's hair. "Let's just go. We need to get back to Mysidia."

"Wait!" Tellah tugged on his arm. His head went from left to right. He sensed something warm as well... "I... I remember everything!"

The three youths looked back at Tellah. The elder stood immobile, musing and gazing at the sky.

"My spells! I remember them! This light must be miraculous..." He started to walk, but stopped again. "Is this... Me... Meteor?" He had reached his goal as well. With this, he could defeat Golbez and avenge his daughter. "Alright kids! Let's go."

~

Getting used to his new power was hard. Cecil was distracted in combat. For so many years, he had relied on darkness to help him fight. Light did not seem to work the same way.

As they came down, he felt useless, once again. While he had withstood the dark knight's attack – his own attacks – he had a hard time dealing with the living dead monsters. Even as he took damage for others, the bites and scratches were more painful.

When they reached Mount Ordeals' foot, Tellah grabbed the paladin by the arm and dragged him a few feet away.

"Something is troubling you, young man. It's written in your eyes."

Cecil shook his head. "No, it's alright. I'm adjusting to my new self."

"I'm a father, Cecil. I can tell when people have something on their mind." Tellah patted his shoulder in a fatherly manner.

Cecil looked away; too many people expected him to open up. He wasn't exactly comfortable with everything that happened to him.

The sage didn't budge. He stared at Cecil, brows quirked.

What was the use?

Cecil sighed. "That light... it called me its son."

Tellah shrugged and patted his shoulder again. "We're all children of the Blue Planet. I don't think this being meant it literally."

"But it gave me its power..." Cecil looked at his hands, trying to comprehend exactly why he was the chosen one. Out of all the men and women who had died up there... why him? What made him so different?

"Because you were worthy of it. In time, you'll found out why..." The elderly man smiled through his thick beard. "You know what you need to do now."

Of course he knew. Nothing would have stopped him. "I need to put an end to this."

Tellah squeezed his arm. "And you'll have the help you need. We each cannot get to Golbez on our own, nor can we kill him alone."

The paladin nodded in agreement. That was the whole point of teamwork. None of their goals prevented another from occurring. "Thank you, Tellah." He glanced at the twins, who were fighting – as usual. "Maybe we should go. The earlier Palom and Porom are back in Mysidia..."

~

The small village of Mysidia bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun. The elder stood by a window and looked in the distance. No sign of the twins and the dark knight.

Maybe they hadn't made it through.

Or the trials the knight had to go through were long, or near impossible.

The man drew the curtains. He'd have to wait. The twins wouldn't fail him.

He stretched as he headed for the staircase. It'd be time for his daily prayers soon; better get ready.

Something stopped him. He instead turned around and opened the door. From his house, he could hear the villagers working by the community garden. He watched as a female black mage walked by two of her colleagues.

"I heard Palom and Porom came back a few minutes ago, along with an elderly mage and a pretty warrior woman... weren't they escorting that dark knight from Baron?"

"I think so."

"Where did the knight go?"

"No one knows... I don't think anyone cares about him anyways."

The elder closed the door and slowly walked down the talus. Soon after, two little figures grew closer, followed by two bigger ones. Definitely Palom, Porom and Cecil. As for the fourth member of their party... the man looked oddly familiar.

The twins ran up to the elder. Both were grinning, obviously of themselves and happy to be back.

Palom jumped up and down while tugging on the elder's robes. Excitement burst out of his mouth. "He did it! He did it! He's a paladin!"

"He is!"

Cecil stepped up, a shy smile drawn on his lips. No matter how often people put him on a pedestal, he always felt incredibly uncomfortable. "I reached my goal." He paused, grabbed a strand of his hair and absentmindedly twirled it in his fingers. "Thank you for believing in me."

"The most important part is that you believed in yourself." The elder reinforced his words with a pat on Cecil's back. "Maybe we should finish this up inside."

~

"Well, Cecil, I'm afraid I haven't been fully honest with you."

The elder's words drew Cecil's attention. He posed his fork on the plate and let his fingers rest on the table. "What is it?"

"Palom and Porom weren't instructed only to help you. Their real goal was to make sure your intentions were pure." The gray-haired man apologized. "We've had no other choice. I am truly sorry."

Porom, who sat in front of the paladin, smiled sadly. "I'm sorry we couldn't tell you before..."

Cecil's sapphire gaze traveled between the older man and the twins. "I understand. After all I've done... you did the right thing."

Relieved, the elder sighed. "But all of this is now behind you. You are a paladin! Which reminds me... You carry a sword, do you not?"

The knight acquiesced.

"Would you mind if I had a look at it?"

"Go ahead." He got up and unsheathed the sword, then handed it to the man beside him. "It was given to me by the same light who called me its son. The light which made me a paladin."

The elder's eyes widened as he reached for the weapon. It was indeed a wonderful weapon. Its silver edges looked freshly polished. A few notches on the blade itself drew his attention. The writing was faint, but was still present.

"Whose voice was it?"

He looked up to Cecil. "I don't know, young man. One thing I know however...  this blade tells a legend passed down in Mysidia from one generation to the next..." The old man squinted to see the characters.

Birthed from womb of Dragon's maw
And borne unto the stars
By light and darkness cast aloft
Are dreamtide oaths resworn
Moon is swathed in ever-light
Ne'er again to know eclipse
Earth, with hallow'ed bounty reconciled

Yet fleeting is the reverie
When moon from shadow has egressed
Guided forth anew by light made manifest

"We Mysidians have been told to pray for its realization, and to trust the one with the hallowed light. This may very well be you, young paladin."

Cecil's cheeks grew crimson. "Please, Elder..."

Tellah, who had been quiet until now, sat up straight in his chair, as if he suddenly remembered his original goal. "Then all we need to do is to find Golbez and put an end to this!"

Upon hearing his voice, the elder stood up. A warm, welcoming smile grew on his lips. "Ah, old friend Tellah. It's good to see you again."

"It indeed is! It has been way too long, friend." The sage exchanged looks with the elder. Two buddies long separated.

A frantic Palom interrupted their moment; he stood on his chair and leaned on the table. Excitement got the worst of him...

"Tellah learned Meteor up there!"

Porom rolled her eyes and tugged on her brother's arm. "Sit down already...!"

"Now, I have the means to avenge Anna." Tellah's voice remained poised, but the light in his eyes and his furrowed brows showed his pent-up anger and pain. "Golbez killed her, and he shall pay with his own life."

The elder slowly shook his head. Tellah hadn't changed. Once the man had a goal, it was near impossible to change his mind. Of course, whatever he said would probably fall on deaf ears. "Your own hatred will consume you, my friend. Much like it almost cost this young man's life."

Tellah's answer indeed came as expected. "Then so be it. Golbez' deeds must not go without punishment."

"If that truly is your wish, with this paladin by your side," the man's gaze turned to Cecil, "you may succeed."

"But we'll need an airship to face Golbez. So we must get back to Baron." Cecil gulped. He wasn't exactly keen about returning to his country.

The elder got to his feet and excused himself from the table. "Then it is decided. I will open the Devil's Road. As a paladin, you will travel without being harmed." He paused and assessed the twins. "Palom, Porom, your task is now over. Well done."

Cecil bowed his head. "Thank y-"

Palom stood up again on his chair, in utter disbelief. "Hell no it's not over! We need to help him! Our task was to see this through the end, and it's definitely not over."

Porom's answer was unexpected. Whereas she tried to quiet her twin, she was now almost as excited as he. "I agree with my brother. Please let us accompany Cecil and Tellah! Please!"

Sapphire eyes widened. Could he stand the bickering twins all the way back to Baron? Unless the elder was firm on his decision...

"Oh, you two..." He took a few seconds to mull it over. Maybe it was their destiny. "Fine. You may go with Cecil and Tellah. This adventure will be part of your training. It won't hurt you to see more of this world."

The twins looked up at the older men, their eyes as wide as saucers in excitement.

Cecil bit his lower lip. "They're only chil-"

"Really? Really?! I thought you'd know better by now, pretty boy!"

He took a moment to register the words. Was he being called a pretty boy by a five-year-old child?

And once again, his sister supported him. "You've seen what we can do. We won't hinder you."

Tellah raised his brows. He had no objection in having the twins with them. "Cecil and I will watch over those two."

"So I guess they'll be coming with us." A part of him still wanted to have the twins safe in Mysidia, around their loved ones.

The elder stepped to the door and opened it, yet remained in the doorframe. "Alright. The Devil's Road lies up ahead. When you're done with your meals, Palom and Porom will show you its entrance. I'll be waiting there."

~ To be continued... ~