Chapter 34: Return of the King.
"Jenova..." I mutter the name under my breath, digging my feet into the ground and steadying my sword. It isn't my first time fighting it, but before, it had always been under Sephiroth's control, dominated by his will, with each piece turned into a separate monster. This, however... I've never fought Jenova on its own terms. There's no way to even know if this is the full creature, or what power it's gained from sapping the Lifestream from Equestria's sky for so long. Jenova itself is just... staring at us, from within the stream, its single visible eye locked with mine. I take a deep breath, and... are my hands shaking?
"Down!" Princess Luna shouts suddenly, a strong wing pressing against my back and forcing me to the ground. In that same second, the spider-like body Jenova's constructed for itself hurls just above our heads, the sound of rocks crumbling from its impact with the wall behind us resounding through the gorge. I roll to my back to try and keep eyes on it, to see it clinging to the wall of the ravine by its two hands and four legs like an insect, its head turned at an impossible angle to stay facing us.
Its visible eye lights its sickly, pale green as it dislodges a jutted chunk of ravine wall with its unicorn-stolen telekinetic powers, hurling it at us with force. Princess Luna stands, her horn aglow in her own blue magic as a shield raises around us, a blast from her horn piercing through her barrier and smashing into the large rock, causing it to splinter into a rain of smaller rock fragments that bounce harmlessly off the magic shield, clinking as if they're colliding with glass.
"Thou cannot falter, dreamer." Princess Luna stands tall, flaring her wings, eyes locked on the monstrousity now crawling along the gorge wall, the Lifestream still being pumped through its back and filtered like food. "This creature must fall!"
"Got any plans for that?" I ask, scrambling back to my feet and regaining my grip on my sword.
"But one." She says. "Our Sister says tis thine favorite: Hit it until it stops moving." The Princess kicks off from the ground with her hooves, wings beating as beam after beam of magic light fires from her horn, smashing into rocks around Jenova but never quite hitting their target.
"Dammit!" I trail after both, Haste-aided movement speed not quite enough to keep up. Though, it's still close enough... I tap into the power of the Time Materia again, target in sight, and cast another spell, this time on Jenova itself. It jerks around unnaturally at an unexpected decrease in its own movement speed, and barely gets to turn its head to face us before a power blast from Princess Luna hits home, sending smoke and dust up into the air and eliciting a twisted, pained howl from its target.
The pained howl is replaced with an enraged one as Jenova hurls itself through the smoke, its body colliding with Princess Luna after shattering through a barely-formed shield. The impact sends them crashing into the ground, a tangled mess of thrashing limbs against each other until their tumble stops at the edge of the stream, Jenova's spindly legs pinning the Princess of the Night beneath it by her wings.
I rush in as Jenova winds back its right arm, finally able to close the distance. Winding my sword back for a horizontal attack, I tap into two pairings of Blue and Green Materia along the blade, which erupts into an acid-spitting fire as I slash it into the wretched heart that acts as Jenova's insectoid abdomen. It draws back, its scream piercing into my head as Princess Luna finally has the mobility she needs to lurch her body forward, kicking it hard with her front hooves and forcing it off her. With a quick roll onto her stomach, she's back onto her hooves, turned to face Jenova once more. Her wings flare out again, and even in the nearly-nonexistent green light of our current situation, the color of red coating the normally midnight-blue feathers is easy to see. She either doesn't feel it or doesn't care, though, eyes still locked on our target as she pulls herself up into the air once again.
"You alright?" I can't stop myself from asking as I turn to face the creature as well, sword raised. Jenova's single eye glows as it stares us down, and I notice its... smiling, a sinister, predatory smile. And then, I see why - with each pump of the Lifestream absorbed by its heart-like abdomen, the damage caused by both myself and the Princess is slowly disappearing.
"You're trembling." Jenova's grin widens as it utters those words, taking pleasure in fear. Was I trembling? I shake it off, gripping my sword tighter, steadying my heads. It doesn't matter how strong this thing is, we'll find a way!
Princess Luna lowers her head as Jenova digs its legs into the ground. "Thou shalst feel Our wrath as Princess of the Night for defiling Our sky, abomination!" Her horn glows, small speckles of light appearing around her. First one, then two, then four, and eight... the number keeps doubling until there's too many to count. If they were further up in the sky, they could easily be mistaken for the night stars. With a beat of her wings the lights begin crashing into the ground around Jenova like shooting stars, forcing the monster to leap back once, then twice, then to cling to the wall once again as it crawls along it to avoid the blasts.
I turn to say something to the Princess, but she's... gone. Turning back to Jenova's insect form, I see a pure-black shadow clinging to the wall, ignoring the green light that's casting the canyon, moving directly for Jenova. There's a burst of magic as Princess Luna emerges from the shadow in a charge, body wrapped in her own magic as she impacts Jenova's underside, flinging it from the wall and sending it hurling through the air, where its an easy target for the remaining light beams. The beast lands on its back, but doesn't stay there long, its spider-like legs reversing their joints and lengthening, digging into the ground and allowing to flip itself back over with a single heave as if there's no bones inside them at all.
Before the Princess can make her next attack, Jenova launches itself into the air, clinging itself by its legs to another hastily-made, but this time more-durable, shield Princess Luna tosses up to defend herself. Again, I'm left trailing behind, running to keep up. What am I supposed to even do in a fight like this? I grip my left hand in frustration and see the Yellow Materia sitting on my bangle. I'll have to be careful using that one too often, or the strain will be too much, but... it might work. I hold my hand open, aimed at the body of Jenova that's thankfully facing me, and tap into one of the weaker spells of that Materia. A flurry of small, missile-like magic beams arc out, the Matra Magic crashing into Jenova's back and eliciting another pained howl, giving Princess Luna the opening she needs to focus her magic and make her shield explode, sending Jenova's form crashing back into the ground.
Jenova rights itself again, but I've already taken my opportunity, leaping and using Haste to get myself onto the creature's disgusting back. Its hard to keep balance on it with the pulsing of its abdomen, so I angle my sword down, gripped in both hands for a single, decisive stab. The Yellow Materia on the sword's hilt glows, the magic guiding my weapon down as I deliver a critical Deathblow!
It thrashes and screams, quickly throwing me off its back and to the side. I hear the crushing of rocks beneath its legs, and roll to my back, sword braced defensively by the hilt and the blade, just in time to block a downward strike from its right hand aimed directly for my neck. My muscles burn as it leans its weight down, and the sword begins to bend and crack, Jenova's weight being placed directly on the distortion left by the Sephiroth duplicate from the Crystal Caves.
A blue-wrapped boulder smashes into Jenova's side, thankfully forcing her weight off me, and I scramble to my feet. I look down, getting a view of the actual damage... and realize this thing won't last as a sword much longer. I turn back to Jenova, only to see the boulder that saved my life now flying at me, wrapped in green. I quickly cast the Barrier Materia to place up a wall as a beam of blue light strikes the rocks, the debris clinking against the multi-colored, diamond-shaped shield raised by my spell.
Jenova leaps again before the dust can settle, again aimed for Princess Luna, but this time I'm ready. I grip my sword hilt as another of the Green Materia glows, Jenova finding itself caught in the air as the space around it becomes black, distorting until Jenova is sent crashing to the ground by a powerful Gravity spell. Princess Luna doesn't miss the opportunity, her horn glowing as various shadows pull themselves up from the ground, wrapping around Jenova's body and pinning it to the ground despite its thrashing and flailing.
Princess Luna lands, slowly walking up to Jenova. "But a trifle, art We, monster?" Her eyes are cold and distant as she stares at the creature writhing in her snare. With a second glow of her horn, the shadows wrapping Jenova shift, becoming spears that stab through its pulsing abdomen, pinning it to the ground in a more literal sense. "Have thou last words before thy trip to Tartarus?"
Jenova stops struggling, its body shaking with a sickening laugh as rain begins to fall into the gorge, clouds blocking out much of the meager green light from the sky and leaving things truly dark. "You are a fool." It speaks, jeering, the Lifestream that its abdomen is still gorging on despite its many skewers now the only true light source in the ravine.
"Mocking even in thy final moments?" Princess Luna's horn lights, gathering magic.
"Was snuffing out your precious stars not clear enough?" It continues, single eye turned up and meeting hers defiantly as it raises its left hand up, reaching toward her.
"Thy mockery en-!" Jenova's hand slams into the ground and Princess Luna is cut off by a cry of pain as a lightning bolt strikes her back. The glow on Luna's horn and her binding shadows both disappear as I try to close the distance, but Jenova lurches forward, catching the Princess by the throat before her body can fall, holding her dangling above the ground.
"Luna!" I open my left palm and form a fireball as the appropriate Materia on my sword glows, throwing it to try and force Jenova to retreat again as I move in.
Jenova, however, doesn't even flinch, throwing up a green shield to block the attack without moving. "Do you understand now, Princess? This planet's knowledge is mine." Its green eye brightens and wraps Princess Luna's right wing in a magical grip, twisting it with the crunch of bone and a choked gasp from its owner. "This planet is mine." Jenova turns its head and single revealed eye to me, and with a single flick of its arm, it tosses Princess Luna like a rag doll, her body slamming into mine and sending us both toppling to the ground. "But, do not fret, little princess... your precious night can last forever, while I drain this planet dry."
Princess Luna groans on top of me, trying to make her body move. Her snapped wing is trapped between us, and I hear her pained wince as I try to get myself out from underneath her. Jenova approaches slowly, savoring each step as the wounds across its body slowly begin to heal once more. The downpour of rain fills my ears, though it's not enough to mask the sickly beating rhythm of Jenova's abdomen. Its steps slosh in newly formed puddles, each splash sounding its approach. The gorge is black to the point of barely being able to see the alicorn on top of me, Jenova only visible due to the glow of the Lifestream it's consuming framing its body. With some struggling, I finally free myself from below the Princess, pulling myself back to my feet and placing myself between Luna and the monster, my damaged sword at the ready.
"Oh?" It smirks, snickering and licking its lips. "And what do you expect to do?"
"..." I dig my feet into the ground, gripping the sword's hilt. What did I expect to do? A broken Princess lays behind me, and the longer I hesitate, the more it heals. It's just standing there, waiting, staring with that single, glowing eye. It knows it can take all the time in the world, and it's enjoying every moment of it.
In that moment, I do the only thing I can think of. I charge, swinging my sword in a frenzy, the four Materia along its blade again glowing. The acidic fire hisses as the rain falls onto it, Jenova lurching itself back to dodge each swipe of the blade. As it moves back once more, reaching the edge of the stream, I bring the blade down for a powerful vertical slash, the edge glowing blue as the Blade Beam fires, carving through the ground like the fin of a shark as it hits the monster before it can dodge again.
Seeing my opportunity, I charge while Jenova reels from the hit, the Deathblow Materia near the sword's hilt glowing once again. I ready the sword and hold it in front of me, the Deathblow Materia guiding my aim toward one of Jenova's weak spots. I thrust the sword, but as I plunge it forward, my blood goes cold from a small laugh that escapes the monster's lips. A green shield of magic apparates itself at the final moment, the tip of the sword crashing into it at full force... a force strong enough to shatter the heavily damaged blade. The eight pieces of shimmering Materia fall from the remnants of the sword, clattering against the ground as I look dumbfounded at the handle.
"Is that all, little vessel?" It mocks, taking a step forward.
I drop the useless sword handle and step back, my mind racing through what options I have left. Jenova advances another step, and my eyes again go to the Yellow Materia on my bangle, racing through the magic it contains before choosing one. I take another step back as the Materia glows, four golden orbs appearing around Jenova in the shape of a pyramid. They cackle with electricity before the bolts of lighting begin raching between all four of them, the electrical magic of Trine combined with the rain eliciting another shriek of agony from the monster.
I take the opportunity to turn and run to my right, wanting to make distance between both myself and Jenova, and the two of us and the crumpled form of Princess Luna, though the darkness has made finding her again nearly impossible unless I trip over her. The sound of smashing rocks tells me Jenova is giving chase, taking to the air with another of its powerful leaps. I turn and hold out my left palm, the Materia glowing once more, a barrage of thin, red beams from the Laser spell finding their target of their own accord. They tear through the underside of Jenova's abdomen as it lets out a curdling scream, the unexpected pain causing it to miss its landing slightly and allow me to continue to widen the gap between us.
This time, however, it doesn't leap. I can hear the continuous cracking of rocks and splashing of puddles as it races behind me on its insectoid legs, the distance closing quickly. After finally deciding on the next spell, I turn to begin casting it, only to reel as the lunging body of Jenova crashes into me, toppling me and sending me skidding along the ground on my back. My head swims, but finds the ability to quickly clear itself as Jenova's body lands on top of mine, its head leaning in close to mine.
"I think this game has gotten boring, little vessel." It mocks, its sinister grin wide as its face leans closer. "What do you think about ending it?"
I respond by channeling the Materia once more, tapping into the spell Goblin Punch, and giving the twisted creature a right hook across the face, accentuated by a burst of red magic.
It responds by grabbing my neck, leaning its weight down and closing its fingers tight to cut off the airflow.
I grip its arm with both of mine, trying desperately to pull it off, but it only leans in more. I clench my eyes shut, trying to pull up every ounce of strength I can manage to remove it. It seems hopeless, the jeer of Jenova's laughter ringing in my ears, until finally... the weight begins to lift. I open my eyes to see Jenova wrapped in familiar shadows, being pulled away slowly until its grip on my neck is completely severed, then tossed to one side, into the stream.
"Thou hast yet to best Us, cur!" Princess Luna yells, her voice confident even if the light eminating from the glow of her horn reveals her true state. Her right wing is hanging uselessly by her side, and when not speaking, her breathing is haggard. Her body has a slight limp every few steps, one of her legs probably injured when she was thrown into me.
I gasp for air and do my best to get myself back on my feet again, quickly moving next to her. "Thanks." I mutter, at a loss for other words as I turn to the stream.
"Our spell cannot hold the creature long." Princess Luna explains between breaths, her horn glowing brighter. "Dost thou hast a means left for us to fight?"
I look to the bangle of Materia once more. All the magic use has begun to send my body to the point of exhaustion, but... "Just one, but... you'll need to hold Jenova back a little bit longer."
"Leave that matter to Us, dreamer." Princess Luna says, standing close but in front now, her shaky hooves digging into the ground as she lowers her head in another combat stance.
I turn up to the sky, clenching my left hand into a fist as I can see the glow of two Materia cutting through the darkness from the corner of my vision. The clouds in the sky dip, but my eyes are torn away from them by the sound of the stream erupting as Jenova breaks free of Princess Luna's spell, clinging itself again to the far wall of the ravine. It roars and its eye glows, reaching its arm forward, a torrent of green magic erupting from its palm like a stream. Princess Luna's horn glows in retaliation, forming a wide shield to cover us as the magic washes against it.
The impact forces her head to one side, her legs nearly buckling, but she stays standing, turning to face the torrent head on. She steps forward and digs herself in again, lowering her head as the glow of her horn, and with it the coloration of her shield, intensifies. Soon, however, small cracks begin to form along the barrier as the magic crashing against it from Jenova intensifies as well, but the Princess holds fast, standing tall as the attack ravages the land around us that's not protected by the barrier. Just a little bit more...
Jenova screams in pain as the sound of something crashing against rock rumbles through the gorge, the magical onslaught stopping. The trail of Lifestream from Jenova's abdomen allows us to easily track it as it smacks into the ground to our right, bouncing and tumbling from the impact. I look down at my bangle again, to the two Materia - Red and Blue, glowing brightly as a wingbeat sends a gust of wind past Luna and myself.
It lands between us and Jenova, an easy twenty feet tall from feet to head, and possibly another ten or fifteen more from its head to the upper tips of its wings. Its massive tail smacks against the ground, causing the stream to erupt again as the tip falls into it. Its black scales are cast like armor plates, tinted in the green glow of Lifestream again reaching into the valley after it burst through the cloud cover above, dissipating the rain. Its wings expand, nearly the width of the gorge itself as it roars, flexing its clawed hands as its feet dig into the ground. Its yellow eyes cut through the dark as its head lowers, focused intently on the foe rising again to its insectoid legs in front of us.
In this state, this is my final gambit, the energy it needs causing me to drop to my knees as the summoning stabilizes itself.
"Even We did not expect this much, dreamer..." Princess Luna mutters, allowing herself to kneel and rest as well behind the creature defending us. "Mayhaps victory shaln't yet allude us this day."
Right now, if there's anything left that can let us win, it's this - The Great Dragon King, Bahamut!