//------------------------------// // Chapter 46: Destroyer of Worlds. // Story: My Little Fantasy // by GuyWhoWritesThings //------------------------------// Chapter 46: Destroyer of Worlds. A burst of multi-color light breaks the clash of titans, Jenova's second head unleashing a concussive spell to blast Bahamut away and give it some breathing room. It steadies itself, but its back-left leg trembles, the heartbeat ringing through the Lifestream escalating in rhythm, making one thing clear - the injury Trixie and I gave it earlier is preventing it from fighting Bahamut in a straight test of strength. “The horn!” Princess Luna commands alongside a beat of her wings, ready to lunge into battle. “The horn must be severed if our dragon is to best this creature in combat!” The horn? “No!” I yell before she can take off. “The heart on its back! Can't you hear it beating from here? We need to hit that if we want to cripple it!” “Even so, dreamer - we must create an opening with which to strike.” To punctuate her lack of desire to debate the topic further, her wings beat again, and she's off, flying into the massive-scale duel ahead of us, weaving in the air to avoid the fallout winds from a magic blast and white energy stream connecting in a mid-air clash. Create an opening? There's no time for just breaking this thing down anymore! Before, when it was Trixie and I fighting, maybe, but now... I move to run after her, but Shining Armor's voice cuts me off. “Relax. We'll beat this thing and everything will be fine. Got it?” Ba-thump. Ba-thump. There's only one way everything will be fine. I rest the Buster Sword over my shoulder and get running, strafing to Jenova's side and scanning for some way to insert myself into the battle. Bahamut, now airborne, circles its injured prey, Jenova using burst after burst of concussive magic to force Bahamut to keep a distance. Jenova itself stays grounded despite its leg injury, deflecting further burst streams from the dragon with multi-colored barriers as it returns fire. Princess Luna's midnight blue form weaves between the trading projectiles, searching for the best angle to strike against its horn. A roar of the lower head indicates the end of Jenova's tolerance of its game with Bahamut, however, and its twisted horn glows a bright white, emitting a wind blast that forces me to dig in to retain my footing. When the winds and lights clear, the Princess and Bahamut have both been forced back, but are still airborne, while Jenova's arms and upper wings are outstretched, taking a pose I can feel the jeering smirk from without seeing it. What I do see, though, is what's floating around its arms and wings - specks of light, twinkling like multi-colored stars, their number far higher than anything I can guess. Princess Luna used a similar technique against the 'heart' in Ghastly Gorge, except nothing on this scale. Is it seriously able to mimic spells by sight now? Answering my question, Jenova's wings beat and arms lurch forward, 'throwing' the orbs of light at the Princess and Bahamut. The pair weave through the sky to dodge the seemingly infinite number of projectiles, the tails the lights leave behind them making them resemble multi-colored shooting stars, breaking and mixing in what would be beautiful patterns of light from another source. Ba-thump. Ba-thump. That sound won't let me forget the source of the light, though - but it does help me notice that Jenova's attention is entirely focused on its airborne attackers, despite its heartbeats ringing in my ears. Seeing my opportunity, I make my move. I circle around the side with the severed wing, so all it'll take is a running leap to give me a clear shot at my target - the heart! One strike... all it'll take to end this fight is one strike! I take to the air, raising the Buster Sword to swing, and look to the side, spotting the tail, already rearing up to strike me from the sky. Not this time, though... this time, I'm ready for it. I clutch my Buster Sword tightly, yellow Materia shining brightly as a flower-shaped shield forms, six petals and twelve faces capable of deflecting even Jenova's tail strike, though it cracks as the tail's sharp tip slides against it. It's all I need from Big Guard, though, as I land on Jenova's back, right at the base of the tail. I turn and quickly sight my target... only for my footing to jostle as Jenova rears up and its wings pulse to take it airborne. I slip, grabbing one of the fleshy arteries on instinct to prevent falling off its back entirely. The world around me tingles and wobbles, my stomach dropping as I curse this sensation that's slowly becoming familiar as I clench my eyes shut. A moment later, I'm still dangling from Jenova like a rag doll, but when I look down, I can see we're now behind and above the Princess and Bahamut, the latter unleashing one of its torrents of white energy from its mouth and evaporating the shooting stars of Jenova's stolen spell. It doesn't take long for them to turn and find Jenova's new position, though a second lurching of Jenova's body pulls my attention away from them and directly above - where Jenova's scorpion-like tail is descending for a second strike. Not having another option, I place a boot against its hide and kick away, barely dodging the tail's tip as I hurl myself backwards through the air. Luckily, something catches me under the arms, preventing me from needing to make a second part of the plan where I actually land safely. “Dreamer!” Princess Luna's frustrated voice emanates from just above my head. “Cease thy stubbornness and assail the horn with us! This endeavor shalt succeed only if we fight together!” “Then help me hit the heart and finish it off!” I yell up to her as she flies up, moving to regain the height advantage over Jenova as it dodges another of Bahamut's breath attacks. She lets out a very un-princess-like groan of frustration at my rebuttal. “When did thee come to be so driven by thy emotions?!” Ba-thump-ba-thump. Ba-thump-ba-thump. “That's none of your business!” I protest, wrestling away from her grasp now that we're above Jenova again. I swing the Buster Sword, using its weight to redirect my descent slightly to aim myself directly at its back for another pass. As the distance closes, however, my eternal rival, the tail, makes its move. It lashes its stinger forward, directly for my face. With no other options readily available, I bring the Buster Sword up to block the stinger, the impact ruining my descent path in an instant. I don't let that stop me, though, falling on the side with the remaining bat-like wing and plunging the Buster Sword deep into it from above. The leathery flesh holds even as my body swings to one side from my momentum, a firm grip on the Buster Sword's hilt the only thing preventing it from tossing me away entirely. The wing continues beating alongside the others as Jenova does its best to maneuver its unwieldy body through the air. Each beat dislodges the sword slightly, until an upward beat is enough to dislodge it, and in turn, me, completely, flinging me off. And, if things aren't bad enough - it's the return of the tail. This time, however, it's my advantage, as it's not quite ready to strike. Instead, I'm able to lodge the Buster Sword into the side of the tail, much like the wing before it. I barely get a moment to try lodging it deeper, the tail wasting no time in thrashing and trying to toss me aside. I might as well be at a Chuckin' Chocobo Rodeo where each bird just chucks you onto the back of an even angrier bird. I steady myself on the tail as best I can despite everything, ready to pull the Buster Sword out and make my move - when I'm flung from my perch yet again. This time, the cause of my ire is Bahamut deciding to body slam Jenova out of the sky. I realize as I flip through the air again that I'm essentially bunch of potatoes in a red sack and a cowboy hat at this point. Argh! Ba-thump-ba-thump-ba-thump. I don't even register the Princess plucking me from the air again until she speaks, her voice barely able to overpower the pounding in my ears. “Why?” She asks, her question needing no further words. “I said-” I start to rebuff her, but I'm cut off by her jerking both our bodies harshly to the side, wings beating fiercely to pull us from the path of a tumbling Jenova, its own wings flailing and magic encasing its body. A stream of white, crackling energy passing soon after illustrates the cause behind Jenova's panic to regain control of its descent, Bahamut leaving it no quarters to collect itself. The reverberations of the blast through the air temporarily drown out Jenova's heart, and the short reprieve from its mocking beats changes the answer waiting on my lips. “Because if she has to, Trixie's gonna push herself to keep Bahamut manifested until she's dead. I can't let that happen!” “Dreamer...” Her voice trails and her wing beats slow as we hover in place, Bahamut's massive-yet-swift form passing us by as it pursues Jenova back to ground level. “What? You can't protect everyone?” I tremble, feeling like a floodgate's opened inside now that I've started speaking. “I know that already, but... if I can end this fight in one strike, I need to try. You must be able to understand that.” “...Yes, We - I - understand thy sentiment.” She replies after a moment of hesitation. “I shouldn't indulge this notion, but... let us assail thy target once, in unison. Should our offensive fail, thee shalt follow mine orders thereafter. Is that acceptable?” “Let's get it.” I nod, accepting her 'terms' as her body lurches, propelling us to the fight below. Jenova's manifested yet another multi-colored bubble shield to defend itself against Bahamut's destructive energy stream, the attack scattering along the shield's surface like sparks of white lightning. We use Bahamut's attack as a distraction, circling around to Jenova's back in the same manner I had initially. “Careful,” I warn, “that tail seems to act independently of the rest of the body and attack when we get near the heart.” “We noticed not...” The Princess replies dryly. I turn my head up, debating mentally for a moment before speaking. “I don't think sarcasm suits you that well.” “Mayhaps not.” She nods. “Let us strike!” Ba-thump-ba-thump-ba-thump-ba-thump. The heartbeat returns in force as Princess Luna swoops in, myself in tow via her front hooves. She unleashes a concussive blast from her horn, the trajectory dead-on for the heart without the need to pinpoint it for her, but the tail moves in, its thick hide blocking it without any visible damage. She swoops in low, banking hard as she passes near the tail's tip, baiting it into a strike it has no hope of landing. I turn my eyes down, locking my attention on the target below and allowing the Princess to focus on defense and evasion. She weaves through the air, baiting the tail into one attack after another, the concussive blasts of her horn sounding off in turn. I don't need long to figure out her plan - wrap the attention of the tail around herself, and drop me while the remainder of Jenova is battling Bahamut, leaving a precious uncontested moment to strike the heart. It's a plan where any number of things can go horribly wrong... but it was probably the best one for attacking the heart without breaking down the rest of Jenova's body first. My attention is pulled from the heart when Jenova's entire back half buckles, its legs falling out from under it as it collapses against the ground. Looking to the front end, I see it again locked claw-to-claw in a test of strength against Bahamut, but this time Jenova's pinned, its secondary, pony-like head pressed under one of Bahamut's powerful legs. A desperate spell charges on Jenova's twisted horn, while another buildup of white energy begins in Bahamut's mouth, ready to wipe the monster off the planet if Jenova can't finish its spell in time. Ba-thump-ba-thump. “Now!” Both the Princess and I yell in near-perfect unison as she releases me from her grip. The distance between myself and the heart closes rapidly as I spin the Buster Sword in my hand. No need to waste time swinging - a single plunging strike into it should end it. Jenova... this ends now! Ba-thump, ba-thump. Ba-thump-ba-thump. Ba-thump-ba-thump-ba-thump-ba- It's stopped. The only sound left is the crackling of Bahamut's charging breath attack. How peaceful it is, without the sound of its blasted heart beating. I can't help but smile at the gruesome sight skewered to my Buster Sword. It's finally over. It- “Dreamer! Behind!” My eyes go wide and I spin immediately, pulling the Buster Sword free of the heart - and I barely register the incoming form of Jenova's scorpion-like tail as its tip slams directly into my chest, metal twisting and snapping as the force of the blow flings me from its body. I can't even feel the pain of the wound as I tumble through the air, my mind still reeling with disbelief at the sight in front of me. Jenova's still moving - wings and limbs still beating and struggling beneath Bahamut's grasp, with Princess Luna's blue form streaking around the front to try and assault the horn, which is still charging its spell. But... how? The heart's gone. The heartbeat's gone. Shouldn't it be left unable to circulate Lifestream through itself? As my back slams against the ground, making the pain from having my chest gorged come to the forefront, I hit my realization. It isn't healing. It has no Lifestream intakes. Its back is covered in circulatory arteries but its not actually taking in any Lifestream. “Cloud! Hey! Hang on, buddy!” Shining Armor's voice barely registers as I see his head enter my vision. Had I landed that close to Trixie? Not that it matters, at this point... Jenova's played me like a fiddle - capitalizing on my experience with its previous form, and said form's necessity of circulating Lifestream into itself to function. Princess Luna was right... our target should've been the horn... The heart was a decoy. Is that why it'd also been silent since assuming that form? Letting us... letting me focus so intently on that sound, pulling that one memory forward? Son of a... I pull myself onto my elbows, head swimming as Shining Armor uses his magic to pull open my cloak and inspect my wound. The chestplate from Princess Luna's storage lays shattered - it the only thing that saved me from being run clean through. Its not a pretty sight, though, so I look back up. If Bahamut can land its blow against Jenova, at least- Jenova smirks as Bahamut's building energy reaches a crest, passing its point of no return, the spell on its horn finally manifesting. In another situation, I might be impressed with its strategic deviousness, or disappointed in the anti-climax of the spell it's chosen to use. The magic flows from Jenova's horn like a snake, wrapping itself around Bahamut's muzzle and sealing it shut. Jenova's horn glows with an intense rainbow as it works, holding Bahamut in place and preventing its burst stream from escaping, its faux-feathered wings folding protectively over its upper torso. And, in that moment, Bahamut's attack explodes. The Lifestream's soft greens become overwhelmed by the brilliant white of Bahamut's blast as I wince and cover my eyes with one arm. A crash resounds from behind us, as seven smaller impacts happen nearby. I blink my eyes clear as the light fades and try to take stock of the situation. A bubble of Shining Armor's magic is surrounding both us and Trixie, shielding us from the blast. Nearby, I can spot the six groaning forms of Twilight and her friends, trying to pull themselves to their feet after being flung from Bahamut's back. A bit further away, I see Princess Luna, crumpled onto her side, chest moving with signs of life but not visibly conscious... she must've eaten quite a bit of force from that blast to be in that state. The largest crash must've been Bahamut, but from my half-prone position, there's no good way to see exactly where he landed, assuming he's still manifested after that. Though, we're not the only things to have survived the fallout of Bahamut's blast - across the Lifestream, Jenova begins to rise on shaky legs. All three of its remaining wings are in tatters, the frames and scraps of the insides all that remain from using them to protect its more vital areas. The remainder of its body is covered in burns, still sizzling, steam rising, much of its leathery browns and blues charred black. Its heavily damaged, for certain, but the only thing that matters is that its still standing - and it seems to be in plenty good enough shape to take on the tattered remnants of our group. D- “Darn it!” Rainbow Dash takes the curse from my mind, in a slightly more palatable form. “Look at that thing! I know it wasn't a direct hit, but look at it! How can it still stand in that state?” “Ah'll give it this, it's a stubborn one, alright.” Applejack pulls herself to her hooves, herself and the rest of Twilight's friends grouping around Rainbow Dash. “Really knows how to take a lickin'!” “That just means we'll need an extra-special party after we beat this one!” Pinkie Pie springs up in place, apparently unfazed by being flung from the back of a dragon during a magical explosion. I grip my right hand at the talk of continued fighting, and I feel it... the hilt of the Buster Sword. I somehow hadn't lost it while being flung from Jenova. I close my eyes and tap into the complex web of magics stored in the Enemy Skill Materia again, using my left hand to pull my cloak over my chest and hide away my wound. If they're still willing to fight, there's one spell I have left that can help. “Plan, anyone?” Rarity asks. Their group has coalesced next to myself, Trixie, and Shining Armor, each sparing worried glances towards their unconscious Princess, but focusing on the task in front of them. As they turn to face the looming form of Jenova, a gentle breeze blows, the winds shimmering white, each of them shaking their heads as their scrapes and exhaustion disappears. The White Wind eases the pain slightly from my own chest, but I don't need to inspect it to know my chest is having the same issue as my left arm - no longer responding properly to magical healing. Is the damn scorpion tail coated in cthulu-rabies as well? I wouldn't be surprised, at this point. “I think the Elements of Harmony are all we have left, girls.” Twilight replies, steeling her gaze ahead. “Wanna give it a taste of friendship and see what happens?” And these are the ponies that made fun of me for saying 'Let's mosey'. If I were in a better state than right now, I'd be offended. “I thought there was no way of knowing what the Elements of Harmony would do to a being from another world?” Shining Armor half-asks, half-argues. “Well, we have to do something!” Fluttershy answers, her demeanor anything but her namesake. “There's not much else we can do against something like that, anyway.” Rainbow Dash picks up the point from her. “Besides, the Elements made Cloud's dragon-thing super-powered and super-cool looking. They have to do something to it!” A roar from Jenova's lower head cuts off further arguing, snapping all eyes forward as it begins charging, dropping magical pretense and intent on just crushing us while it has the chance. “Here it comes, girls!” Twilight yells, calling their attention to the task at hand as their eyes close. The gems inlaid to their Elements glow a matching color, an aura that extends out and wraps around each pony in turn, pulling them several feet in the air as the magic builds itself up to a fever-pitch. Bands of white light shoot out, connecting the six of them as a rainbow manifests from the space between them, arcing high into the air before turning and aiming itself straight at Jenova. The rainbow light wraps itself tightly around Jenova, trying to consume its entire being as it twists and turns along and around the various limbs of its massive body. It thrashes against its rainbow-colored bindings, tearing at the threads of color with its claws and fragmenting them for mere moments before they reform. It's... working? Jenova continues thrashing, its lower head roaring and biting against the rainbow as the claws tear and tail jabs, until the full creature is consumed by the light. Twilight and the others descend back to the ground, panting as their Elements of Harmony continue to brim with magical potential, their work visibly incomplete even if they've released their Bearers from the trance-like state. “Think Princess Celestia will have room in her statue garden for one this big?” Rainbow Dash quips as the rainbow-colored magic of harmony grips tighter against Jenova's body. I don't think I want the answers to the implications of that question. Another, rage-fueled roar cuts off any potential reply as Jenova's lower head tears through its forming rainbow cocoon, followed by its claw-tipped arms, tearing the rainbow shell away from itself much like it did to the egg it hatched from. In response, the rainbow ripples, rebinding itself around Jenova and pressing its body against the ground, fighting against its many powerful limbs to keep it in place. “Tarnation!” Applejack curses. “The Elements can barely hold this thing down! How are we gonna finish it off like this?” “I've... got it!” A new voice says between pants. “Trixie...?” I pull myself to a proper sitting position, bracing myself against my Buster Sword as I turn to her. She looks at me and smirks. “Was there ever any doubt?” She puffs herself up, hoof to her chest, though it doesn't mask the wobbly way she's currently standing. “Should've used a different healing spell if you wanted to keep me asleep for this part, Dusk.” Twilight turns to her, sporting a small smile. “What's your plan, Trixie?” “The same one Dusk and I always use in times like this.” Trixie returns Twilight's smile with one of her own. She does her best to steady herself, taking a few deep breaths before continuing. “Hit it until it stops moving!” She stomps her hoof, drawing my attention down to the Red Materia on her bangle, glowing brighter than ever before as Lifestream gathers around the gem. “Bahamut! Rise up!” Behind us, claws crash against the ground, first one, then another, as the dragon obeys her command. “Trixie...” I mutter weakly, pulling myself up to my feet with my Buster Sword. All I can think of right now is the Ghastly Gorge, where I had also been injured, and where she... “Trixie, if you push yourself like this, you'll be risking a lot more than just a horn. Don't you understand?” “I understand just fine, Dusk.” She rebuffs me, head held high. “But there's no choice, is there?” Her gaze turns squarely on the pinned form of Jenova. “Bahamut, fly!” Following her order, the dragon's massive wing beats send gusts against our back as it takes to the sky, stopping far above us and spreading out its six wings, hovering. Without need for a further order, energy builds in its maw, green wisps of Lifestream joining the white electricity as it charges its final strike. I grip the Buster Sword's hilt tightly in both hands, still using it to support my weight and barely suppressing a scream. The one thing I'd wanted to prevent... it was here, staring me in the face, a smug dose of reality to remedy my stupidity. Then, reality decides I haven't had enough, and doubles my dosage. Jenova writhes, still struggling against its rainbow-bindings, but after a moment, I see a second aura of rainbow magic join the first... one that distinctly does not belong to the Elements of Harmony. “Dammit!” I curse. “The horn!” Its horn. Its horn is free from the binding of the Elements of Harmony, and both its heads are turned directly at Bahamut as it struggles to manifest a final spell. Was this thing going to win, even after all this, simply because I didn't follow Princess Luna's plan? “Dusk...?” No... I can't accept that... I pull the Buster Sword from the ground, gripping it in both hands, the pain from both my left arm and my chest the furthest thing from my mind as I take rhythmic breaths, readying myself. “The horn. Its charging a new spell to deflect Bahamut's attack.” I explain to Trixie once I'm steady. “We have to get rid of it. If this attack fails, we know you're going to be in no state to do another one, even in the best circumstances.” “You can barely stand, Dusk! It's suicide!” You're one to talk, Trixie. “Even if you get the horn, you won't get away in time!” “But there's no choice, is there, Trixie?” I don't let her argue further, propelling my body forward with force of will. The distant pain disappears entirely as my muscles cry out. I feel the blue glow of the Mako flowing through my veins without needing to see it, Buster Sword over my right shoulder and gripped tightly in both hands, running at full sprint. Both of Jenova's heads are turned skyward even as it fights against the powers of Harmony, leaving me completely undetected on my approach. With a single leap, I'm atop the pony-like head, directly between its eyes as I swing the Buster Sword at the horn's base, the magic crackling and fighting, trying to resist my attempt to shatter its focus point with everything it has. Time slows as I clash against the horn, magic running down the Buster Sword's Starmetal blade. I smirk. What Princess Luna had done in an attempt to make Materia easier to channel is now acting as a magical lightning rod, preventing Jenova from simply blasting me away. I don't know quite how long the clash truly lasts - a few seconds, a few minutes? It takes every bit of strength I'm able to muster, but, eventually, the Buster Sword cuts through the horn, severing from its owner. I spin the sword in my hands, not satisfied, and jam it blade-first into the Jenova's remaining stump, wanting to ensure its magic is well and truly sealed as I look up. A burst stream - white with faint lines of green - descends from the sky, its target clear as Jenova does everything it can without its horn to try and escape the clutches of the Elements of Harmony. My gaze turns from the impeding blast to Jenova's upper 'head', its true head, and its one visible eye, and what I see there gives me a twisted sense of satisfaction. Fear. For possibly the only time in its existence, Jenova, destroyer of worlds, is experiencing true fear, all but confirming it has no escape from impending doom from above. I clutch my eyes shut and keep a tight grip on my Buster Sword, even as the thrashing of the lower head finally dislodges me from it. It flings me away, but its too late. Even if there's some magic it can manifest with only a stump of a horn, it doesn't have the time. It only takes another second for my world to go white.