Reaper: Graesham Campaign: Episode 9
#18 of Reaper 2
Episode 9: End of the Earth
"If you need me, call me No matter where you are No matter how far Just call my name I'll be there in a hurry You don't have to worry
'Cause baby, There ain't no mountain high enough Ain't no valley low enough Ain't no river wide enough To keep me from getting to you"
Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
1967
Belford threw his head back, letting out a confident, sharp laugh.
"An Apocalypse indeed..." he chuckled darkly and spreading his arms to his sides. "Let this day be the Day of Reckoning! I shall purge all the imperfections of the world and create a new, perfect existence!"
The crystal shards around him began to shake and vibrate... Large chunks hovered in the air, an eerie, ghostly glow emanating from deep inside its greenish-expanse. Strange lumps began appearing along the glassy surface.
Jacob gripped the swords of light associated with his Brand Form. His eyes focused on one particular set of lumps. They almost looked like...
... fingers...?
A lump formed in his throat when a paw slowly pushed itself out of the crystal, followed by an arm... a shoulder... and the torso of no another crystal-like Belford...
... but a unique person.
Thud!
The crystal individual landed on the devastated ground, slowly straightening himself with hollow, green eyes. Countless others dropped from the crystals around them, forming an army of the creatures. Unlike the Crystallized, these creatures were... They all moved differently... their body language was different from person to person.
It was almost like they...
"They're alive..." Joanna whispered with a gasp. Her eyes were fixated on several children who were clutching their parents and stood near the forefront of the ring of crystal people. "Oh my god... They're real...!"
"No they're not."
Rocky shifted her baton to her left paw while she held her shield in front of her. "Belford fights with tricks and makes you doubt yourself. That's the way he's always been. First he plants doubt and then he implants his own ideals! Don't let him in! These aren't those people!"
"But what if they are?" Joanna pleaded. "He took their memories right? What if he just put them back?"
Belford chuckled darkly. "Is it so impossible? A body is merely a hollow shell... Memory is what defines a person. Without memory, we cannot form a personality from our past and we cannot plan for the future." He raised his hands towards them as if offering his assistance to them. "Come. Tell me. Are they truly people or are they just shells?"
On cue... each of the people in the crystal crowd began wailing at them.
"I want my mommy!"
"Save us!"
"It hurts!"
SMASH!
A group of the crystal people shattered right in front of Jacob. Belford faltered for a brief moment.
Joanna seized Jacob's wrist and tried to force his arm down. "Jacob! What are you doing!?"
He glared at her. "You honestly think that if they were real, I'd hesitate to kill them?"
"How could you be so heartless!?" she cried. "How could you destroy people's lives so carelessly!?"
"It's either them or us!" Jacob barked. "Way I see it, they're already screwed!" He yanked his arm away from Joanna and swung Requiem at the crystal people. A crescent of concentrated sonic force erupted from the arc of the blade and shattered right through the crystal ranks.
Whether we kill them or Belford enslaves them again...
... they can't be saved.
No sense in letting ourselves fall because of it.
"But -"
"We can honour them once they're all dead!" Rocky shouted, charging forward and slamming her shield into the face of a crystal ferret and shattering him.
Joanna still seemed a little hesitant but she steeled herself and charged after Rocky. Taylor quickly joined in, sending flames into the crystal ranks and weakening their structure. Rex pressed his back against Jacob's as the latter spun around, lashing out with Requiem and shattering a large group of the crystal people behind him.
Whatever attempt at sympathy the creatures may have had, it was long gone. They lunged for the Branded. Two leapt into the air and attempted to pile on Jacob. With Rex by his side, Jacob spun towards the one to his left and kicked it back. Rex impaled the other on Shimmering Hope and sent it skittering towards the rest of the army.
The shattered crystals merely began to crawl back towards one another, quickly reforming into the pained visage of the woman he had just shattered.
Damn...
We've got to strike at Belford...
He glanced at Rex...
"Hey bro... Need a lift?"
Rex caught his gaze... and grinned. "Help me fly, Jake."
In perfect synchronisation, the two wolves spun around with their swords outstretched. Beams of blinding light erupted from Radiance while burning, blue starlight erupted from the tip of Shimmering Hope. Jacob skidded to a halt and spun to face Rex, crossing his blades in front of him. Not needing any further prompting, Rex jumped onto the crossed blades.
With a mighty roar, Jacob hurled Rex over his head and sent his half-brother speeding towards Belford.
"Galactic Discus!"
Rex hurled his spiral blade of energy at Belford.
Fwash!
Belford lashed out with his mace, destroying the discus with ease. A smirk appeared on the gorilla's face as he pressed his hands on the ground. A huge spire of rock erupted from beneath his feet, carrying him over to Rex.
CLANG!
The two clashed weapons but with Rex having no secure footing, he quickly lost.
Rex!
Jacob elbowed a nearby crystal deer in the face - feeling a sharp pain in his bone from the impact - and bolted over to where his brother fell from the sky. He threw his blades of light forward. The weapons slammed and bounced off the hardened surfaces of the army in his way. They weren't sharp enough to cut through them without more force but it was enough to stagger them just enough to cleave a path through them.
He lunged -
WHAM!
... and hit the ground...
WHAM!
... with Rex landing directly on his back.
Pain shot up his spine and he thought he felt something shatter...
"Nice catch..." Rex chuckled softly but his chuckling broke into a groan. "Damn... That was a damn hard hit for an old guy..."
We shouldn't underestimate him...
Jacob shoved Rex off him as his regeneration took care of whatever injuries he had suffered against his back. With a grunt he rolled his shoulders, looking up at the sky where Belford stood looking down at them contemptuously. His paws twitched and he summoned another set of light blades.
Spectre... Where are you?
A tremendous roar was his answer.
Terrible quakes rocked the entire landscape. The earth heaved and then burst upwards. Behemoth erupted from the ground, spearing countless crystal people on his mighty horns. Fireballs surged through the army, burning through the enemy ranks and slamming into the spire where Belford stood. A shaft of light shot down from the skies, shattering Belford's spire completely.
Spectre landed deftly beside Jacob. His armour was broken and scratched in places. Blood was seeping out of open wounds, marring his white fur.
"Sorry..." his Animus panted, his tongue rolling out from the side of his muzzle. "Those things are impossible to kill..."
Alarm bells began ringing in his head. "Wait..." He spun, locking gazes with Spectre. "Did you actually kill them?"
The Animus returned a puzzled look. "What? You mean we didn't?"
Jacob spun around, gazing out into the ruined planes of the Grey Grounds Cemetery...
He expected to find crystal Belford-look-alikes shambling towards them from beyond the group of shattered crystal people. Only the devastated landscape met him with Graesham in the distance. The earth was torn asunder by the battle against the Animus and the Crystallized but there were no actual C_rystallized_ there...
Why...?
"Jake! Watch it!"
He glanced to his left just as a crystal person lunged at him. Spectre jumped in front of him and ripped open his jaws. A blast of searing, white light erupted from the Animus' muzzle shooting outwards and tore a hold right through the crystal bull's chest. Cracks appeared across the creature's chest before it shattered to pieces.
Spectre collapsed onto his side... gasping for breath.
Damn... He's been fighting non-stop...
"Just hang on a little longer, buddy," Jacob soothed, patting Spectre's flank. He straightened himself and gazed at where Belford was engaged with Rocky, Taylor, Joanna and Rex. Somehow, the old gorilla was able to keep them all at bay! The Animus around him kept the other crystal pawns away.
He gripped both his light swords tightly and charged, feet pumping as he scrambled to close the distance between himself and Belford. Crystal paws lunged for him from left and right. Prometheus and Behemoth slammed them back, knocking them away.
One strike...
Just got to make one, clean strike...
He was a hundred metres away from Belford...
Joanna lunged at the gorilla with her sai but Belford deftly leapt into the air. As his smirk came into full view of Joanna, he somersaulted in the air and kicked her. His feet slammed right against her muzzle, sending her falling to the ground.
He's nimble... Not surprising from someone who uses Light...
Ninety metres...
Belford danced away from a slash by Rex and kneed his stomach. At the same time, he blocked a blow from Rocky with his mace. He used his free hand to seize Rocky's baton and throw the bear off balance before grabbing Rex and hurling him at the Elemental Lord.
Strong too...
Eighty metres...
Taylor jumped into the air with a terrible roar and brought his chakrams crashing down upon Belford. The gorilla easily sidestepped the attack and struck Taylor on the side, sending him to the ground.
Damn... How is he beating them all_?_
Seventy metres...
Rex scrambled to his feet and threw himself at Belford. There was a resounding clang as the Belford blocked the attack with -
... his right forearm...
Jacob slowed his advance...
Sixty metres...
Wait a second...
He kept a slow, easy pace as he wended his way through the army of crystal pawns, all the while watching Belford fight.
That confident smirk on his face remained planted in position as he deftly blocked each attack that came at him, wielding that mace in his left hand...
Fifty metres...
I could've sworn_he held is mace in his right..._
Wait!
...
He thought back to the mannequin... how Belford was capable of easily creating an illusion... and how Jacob had used that very same technique to trick the 'priest'.
He narrowed his gaze...
You clever bastard...
He followed the battle, all the while approaching slowly.
Forty metres...
Belford spun around, slamming his right arm against Rex's face and sending the wolf to the ground. Joanna and Taylor jumped on him in the moment that his back was turned. The earth ripped open just as they were airborne. A massive spire of rock shot out of the ground. The duo slammed into it painfully and dropped to the ground, dazed. Rocky charged at the stone barrier and slammed her shield against it, shattering it immediately.
Thirty metres...
She lunged at Belford, a flurry of green leaves trailing her baton. Belford easily blocked the attack -
Just as the leaves glowed bright green and shot straight at Belford. The priest's smirk grew broader and he seized Rocky with his free hand and pulled her over him with one might tug. Rocky let out a cry of pain as her body was peppered by her own attack!
Twenty metres... nineteen...
"Don't just stand there, Jacob!" Rex shouted. "Help us!"
Jacob advanced even slower than before. Belford laughed and tossed Rocky over his shoulder, sending the Elemental Lord crashing to the ground. He spun around and swung his mace, bringing it straight down on Rex's -
Thunk!
Belford's eyes widened as Jacob seized his wrist.
"Allow me."
Swish!
Rex went rigid... His eyes horribly wide as Jacob's light blade pierced his chest. Blood spurted out between his lips as he tried to breathe.
"W - W - Why...?" he stammered.
"Here's a clue," Jacob answered, eyes narrowed. "Rex always calls me 'Jake'."
The look of shock on Rex's face turned to one of rage and anger. "How observant... I should've noticed that." His visage shimmered and melted. The lupine features gave way to the flat, greying features of Randall Belford.
The Belford Jacob had restrained staggered back before his features shattered in a shower of light.
Rocky Groundwater stood in the image's place.
The 'Rocky' on the ground transformed into Rex. Taylor and Joanna even swapped images.
"Not so perfect now, are you?" Jacob scowled. He grunted and pulled his sword straight upwards, cleaving right through Belford's left shoulder, nearly severing the attached arm.
Strangely... the gorilla just smirked and began laughing.
Did I make a mistake...?
"You're absolutely right, Reaper..." Belford chuckled darkly, slowly rising to his feet despite the gaping wound in his shoulder.
No way in hell am I going to let him recover!
Jacob swung his blades, slicing right through Belford's legs!
The gorilla merely collapsed to the ground, laughing hysterically.
The hell - !?
Growling, Jacob brought his swords down, slicing right through Belford's shoulders and merely leaving a torso and a head. Despite the lack of limbs, Belford just kept laughing!
"Bastard!"
He swung his blades one last time -
Swish!
...
Belford's head rolled back... a perpetual grin implanted on its face with its eyes filled with mirth.
I should've just beheaded the asshole from the start...
"You see... I was far from perfect..."
Jacob had to hide a groan.
Of course_he isn't dead yet... He can't die_ that_easily..._
He turned around...
... and found the countless crystal pawns gathered around him and his companions once more, each of them grinning wildly just like Belford's head.
"My body is the one imperfection in my otherwise perfect form... To achieve true ascension... I must discard my mortal form... Thank you for that realisation, Reaper. I was far_from perfect..._
"But now..."
Crap...
The pawns began stepping towards one another. As their crystal skin touched, they merged, fusing into one. Despite the added mass, the creature they fused into remained vaguely the size of Belford. Dazzling, white light erupted from the creature's form as one by one, it absorbed every crystal pawn on the massive planes.
"Don't let him finish!" Rocky shouted, charging forward, shield first.
WHAM!
All the light gathering around Belford suddenly focused into a single, concentrated beam that piled all against Rocky's shield. The Elemental Lord of Earth's advance was halted. Despite all her strength, the piercing light was actually pushing her back!
Jacob grit his fangs together and he rushed towards Rocky, pressing his back against Rocky's and putting all his weight and strength to pushing the shield forward.
"Don't you dare stop!" he shouted.
Whump! Whump!
Taylor and Joanna pressed up against Rocky, holding her firm.
Inch by inch, they began pushing Rocky forward.
SLAM!
Rex pressed himself against Jacob's back.
"Don't let him beat you, Rocky!"
They advanced a whole metre...
Belford's dark chuckle met their ears.
_"Perfection is mine,"_he uttered simply.
BOOM!
Burning pain exploded all over Jacob's body. Everything was a blur of blinding light, flailing bodies and Belford's dark, confident chortle. Jacob had enough feeling over his body to know when he hit the ground, his head slamming hard against solid rock. His vision blurred and but he could feel his regeneration starting to kick in.
Just... a few more seconds and... I can -
SWISH!
His entire body twisted upwards and curled around the sharp, crystal blade that stuck out of his chest. Blood rushed up his throat and came rushing out in a terrible burst as his left lung was flooded with his life fluid. His heart tried desperately to beat around the blade but it puttered out, letting his blood seep out of the wound in his chest.
"Such a fragile existence you mortals have."
Belford twisted the long mace he held in his crystal hands. The weapon looked identical to his mace only its tail had lengthened into a wicked, curved blade that bit deep into Jacob's chest. Jacob could actually feel the serrated edge rubbing against lungs.
The 'perfect being' grinned, pulling back perfectly arranged crystal teeth on his crystalline features. Every strand of fur on his body looked like an individual spike of flexible crystal that moved and flexed as his lips peeled back into that grin.
Massive, crystal hands twisted as it drove the blade deeper into Jacob's chest.
"Argh!"
"Jake!"
Belford flung out his other hand, sending a shower of crystal spikes hurtling straight towards the Starlord. Rex swung Shimmering Hope, knocking the shared aside as he plunged -
Thud!
... As Belford seized Rex's throat and held him a good metre off the ground.
No!
Jacob struggled to pull himself off the ground. He seized Belford's staff, trying to yank it free off his chest. The instant his fingers closed around the crystal blade, his flesh began to burn. With a gasp, he pulled his paws back. The burning didn't leave... and as he watched, his palms began to grown a thin layer of crystal that slowly spread...
That same burning sensation filled his chest and he didn't have to look down to know the crystals were growing out of where Belford had stabbed him as well.
"Discard your mortal forms and embrace perfection!"
"Screw you!"
An enormous chunk of rock exploded from behind Belford and surged forward, slamming right against the false priest's back. The crystal creature didn't even flinch. The rock simply struck him... lost all momentum... and dropped to the ground.
"Let them go!" Rocky screamed. Emerald leaves erupted from all around her before streaming down into blinding, green lasers. The beams were merely absorbed into Belford's crystalline structure. Frustration clear in her eyes, Rocky lunged at Belford and slammed her baton against the gorilla's neck.
Belford didn't even recognise it, his hollow, green eyes still focused on Jacob.
Sparks erupted from behind him. Jacob saw both Taylor and Joanna trying to break Belford's grip but to little avail.
Crap... crap... Crap!
Jacob tried to breathe but every as his lungs expanded, they bit into the crystal growing inside his chest, just causing him to bleed even more!
"First you... and then the rest of the world, Reaper..." Belford chuckled darkly. "Soon... I will turn this rotting world into a perfect diamond!"
Whump!
A massive blast of sky-blue light suddenly struck Belford's face. For a second, the fallen priest looked shocked... then that shock turned to horror as large, chunks of ice began to spread all over his body, freezing him in place.
What the...?
A pool of darkness burst out from directly beneath Jacob. Familiar, warm arms wrapped around his chest and pulled him into the shadowy expanse, sliding him off Belford's blade. His vision was blurred but he could make out the strange, dark world that he recalled seeing once before... and Leo's bright, comforting face as he was dragged through the shadows.
He was dropped onto his back and he could feel someone tearing off the crystals from his chest. He took in a relieved gasp of air, coughing out some blood but he could feel the crystals receding.
Jacob opened his eyes... never having realised he had closed them. Leo stood over him worriedly while Kerry and Max stood defensively, protecting them both. He heard the sound of shattering glass from somewhere and he craned his neck backwards. Rocky had managed to shatter Belford's arm that had been holding Rex. Being covered in ice, the arm was structurally weaker... He could see the crystal starting to regrow.
Taking a gasping Rex, Rocky, Taylor and Joanna retreated to the line of their comrades.
Jacob coughed, feeling more air rush into his lungs.
"Stay still," Leo said softly. "You are injured."
"I'm fine," he grunted, pulling himself up to his feet. Dizziness threatened to overtake him but he shook it away, pulling all his focus onto Belford.
"Do you think this will stop me!?" Belford growled, his lips managing to break through the icy sheets. "You are not perfect! Imperfect beings cannot destroy the perfect!"
Jacob summoned another set of light-blades, ready for the next round. Even with the Branded and two Elemental Lords beside him, he wasn't feeling confident they could be Belford. All their attacks could do nothing against him! Not with that supposedly 'perfect' body of his.
There has to be some_way..._
He looked towards the sky, looking for hope... anything...
... and he found it...
"Kerry... Can you keep him frozen?"
The doe frowned a little. "I don't know..." She hurled another icy blast at Belford. The frozen crystal priest shouted in anger as more ice crystals spread across his body and kept him in place. "It was a long run to get here... Leo couldn't exactly teleport us directly to the ground and we had to use our Animus to catch us. Even then... getting here..."
Jacob nodded. "I get it... Just keep him frozen for about ten more seconds."
"Ten?" she asked, puzzled. "Why -?"
He jerked his chin towards the sky.
"Oh..." she answered with a grim nod. "Alright..."
"Whatever it is that you're planning, it will not work!" Belford screamed. "I am perfect! I cannot be destroyed! Not even death can claim me!"
Ten... Nine...
Crrrack!
Belford managed to break his right arm free.
Fwash!
Kerry shot another icy bolt at him, keeping him still.
Eight... Seven...
"Insolence!"
SMASH!
Belford broke free completely, sending icy crystals everywhere. Rex and Rocky moved, launching themselves at Belford and seizing both his arms.
Six... Five...
"Fools! Your strength is nothing_compared to mine!"_
Belford roared and flung back his arms, throwing both Elemental Lords across the Grey Grounds Cemetery. That gave Kerry enough time to send another icy blast. Scowling, Belford swung his weapon at the ball of ice, knocking it aside even as his fist was frozen in an icy block.
Four...
Jacob and Leo charged...
Jacob kept one eye on Belford... and the other on the sky...
Three...
WHAM!
Belford knocked Leo aside but that gave Jacob enough time to slip around the crystal priest and catch him in a submission hold.
Two...
"What are you -?"
WHAM!
Jacob saw stars... and saw them explode when his head hit the ground once again several metres away from Belford.
One...
He shook them all away just in time to see Belford spin around...
... and see the massive, metal transport plane come hurtling towards him.
"Kerry! Now!"
With Belford's back to her, Kerry easily threw an enormous blast of ice that completely encased the mad priest. The gorilla's entire body was frozen solid just as the nose of the plane smashed into him. There was an ear-splitting scream followed by the sound of shattering glass as the plane erupted into a fierce, fiery conflagration and Belford was broken into a million pieces.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Jacob propped himself up on his feet and staggered towards the rest of the group.
They all exchanged glances... wondering where the plane had come from.
As if to answer their prayers, an ejection seat dropped down in front of them.
Sitting on the seat, arms crossed and looking ridiculously smug... was Sergeant James Canis.
The parachute covered him a second later.
"Hey!" the Alsatian cried. "Can someone help me out of this thing!?"
For some reason... the sight of their saviour struggling beneath the parachute was incredibly comical. Jacob tore the parachute in two and helped the Sergeant out of the seat.
"Nice tats," the Alsatian commented, taking Jacob's offered paw. "Where can I get one of those?"
"Visit me in hell, I'll give you a special offer," Jacob answered with a grin.
Kerry rushed towards the Sergeant and threw her arms around him. "You came back!" she exclaimed. As if realising what she was doing, she pulled away a second later and coughed, a blush touching her cheeks. "What made you decide that?"
Canis hiked a thumb at the wreckage behind him. "It ran out of fuel."
"So you decided to crash it into Belford instead?" Jacob asked sceptically.
"I was aiming for you."
That made his eyebrows rise.
...
Huh... Him, I like.
"I... Insolent children..."
"Oh no..."
Jacob spun back towards the wreckage.
The flames suddenly transformed from a burning, red flame into an eerie green. Countless crystals began forming around the debris, encasing the fire and bending the metallic frame into the twisted visage of Randall Belford. The plane's fuselage made the rough shape of a spine while the wings formed the rough bones for arms. Belford's face grew around the nose of the plane, twisted into a look of anger and hatred.
"You are not worthy of perfection!"
"Perfection isn't for you to define!" Rocky shouted, standing at the forefront of the group. "You claim to be 'perfect' but in order to achieve that, you had to rob others of their memories! You aren't perfect! You're just a parasite!"
Belford brought lifted his deformed hand over his head. "Silence!"
That hand came crashing down -
WHAM!
A huge, ball of ice slammed into Belford's open palm, freezing it completely.
Leo suddenly jumped up in front of Rocky, his entire body encased in crackling, black lightning.
CRASH!
A huge ball of black lightning shot right through the frozen palm, instantly shattering it.
Letting loose a pained roar, Belford hung back before lifting his other hand. He swung it wide, bringing it sweeping across the field and straight towards them!
Shit!
Belford's arm suddenly jarred to a halt... before snapping back at an obscene angle. The scream from Belford was otherworldly...
Max gave a gruff chuckle as a drop of sweat rolled down his brow. "That's the problem with having a metallic skeleton..." He swung his staff upwards.
SNAP!
The entire arm just snapped upwards, ripping straight off Belford's shoulder and dropping to the monstrous crystal's side.
Without his arms and with his spine being rooted into the ground, Belford lost his balance and lurched forward, that look of anger in his face turning into fear.
CRASH!
A huge spire of rock erupted from right in front of Jacob, spearing Belford right through his mouth! There was a gurgling scream that came from the crystal monstrosity as the spike shot out from the back of his head.
"This is for all those people whose lives you've ruined!" Joanna shouted. "Behemoth!" She pointed directly at the impaled Belford...
Behemoth, the largest of the Animus, bounded over the Branded, spun and swung its mighty tail around. The winds rushed right past Jacob as the massive, meaty appendage slammed right into Belford's chest, tearing right through the earthen spike and shattering the crystal flesh around the fuselage that formed Belford's spine.
Taylor whispered something about 'fuel' and his eyes suddenly gleamed. The cougar bolted past the rest of the ground and leapt into the air, bringing both his chakrams back as they were encased in flames. He let loose a primal cry and threw both weapons straight into the exposed cavity in Belford's chest.
Against the titanic shape of the fallen priest... the chakrams vanished...
Then -
BOOM!
Belford's entire chest cavity exploded, sending his remaining shoulder soaring over across the field to hit the ground some distance away. His head shot straight skyward, encased in flames and screaming in agony with a bit of frustration mixed in there.
A burst of blue light erupted from Jacob's right. A shooting star shot up to meet Belford's head, striking it hard and sending it further into the sky. The star itself flashed and Rex hovered in the air, swinging Shimmering Hope in his paws.
"Desolation Grid!"
A stream of large, blue stars erupted from Rex's paws, forming a grid shape in front of him. Each of the stars joined with one another by long streams of blue light, forming a perfect, ten-by-ten grid. Rex shouted and thrust his sword forward. The grid rose up to meet Belford's descending head, slicing right through it and silencing the madman's gurgling scream.
The shards of Belford crumbled to the ground... piece by piece.
Jacob got ready to leap to deal the final blow... He took grim satisfaction from the fact Belford was still alive. He had his theories on what continued to sustain Belford's life... and he was more than willing to exploit them. Maybe impaling each shard of his head on a massive sword of light or shattering it into bits with a painfully long, sonic blast... He relished the idea of tearing down that arrogant bastard molecule by molecule...
But then again...
He lifted a paw...
... and rested it firmly on Rocky's shoulder.
"Wanna do the honours?"
The Elemental Lord of Earth lifted Earthborn. Jacob could see the ferocity in her eyes... the need for vengeance. The fire was there... and deep beyond, he could see something else... He wasn't sure... but he could have sworn there was a bit of Conway's obsessive gaze and Norton's passion in there... and... maybe a little bit of a stare he only saw once before...
... a happy, blissful sparkle that shone through in an ancient photograph...
Rocky lowered Earthborn.
"No... I don't."
Jacob was a little surprised at that.
Though I guess I should've expected as much from a 'saint'.
"So you mind if I...?"
"Yes, I mind," Rocky answered with a sharp chuckle. Then her expression darkened. "Death is too quick and easy for him."
That really surprised Jacob.
He didn't expect something like that from Rocky.
"Uh..." He poked Rocky's forehead with a finger. "You're sure you're Rocky Groundwater right? You're not actually some stray memory from another guy that slipped into her head, are you?"
Rocky smirked at him before moving towards Belford's severed head. "Maybe."
Jacob watched Rocky's back, puzzled before following the Elemental Lord towards where the remnants of Belford remained. Even though he knew Rex and the rest of the Branded had effectively torn to shreds, it still surprised him just how big the shards were. One eye was three times his size... and it was somewhat creepy to watch it follow him.
"I... Was meant to be... perfect..."
Rocky placed a paw on Belford's cheek and shook her head sadly. "Yeah... and I think in your own way... you were... But it's when you tried to make others fit your version of perfection that you failed..."
"There is only one_true form of perfection..."_ Belford rasped. "And that is reserved for those who achieve it first!"
Rocky nodded slowly and pulled away from Belford. "Then I guess... You just aren't perfect then."
Belford's eyes flared. "I am far_from done, cub! I -"_
A bright light suddenly erupted from behind Rocky, taking the shape of five Seals. An enormous Seal appeared in front of Belford's half-buried eye, one that looked like an amalgamation of hundreds of Seals.
Jacob staggered back, utterly amazed as four of Rocky's Seals began to deform and take on different shapes... His jaw dropped when he four figures stepped out from the Seals...
Norton Manx...
Gabriel Stone...
Conway Earthsire...
... and Soot...
What... the...?
"What...? What are you doing!?"
"The people who offered you their memories to become your Seal didn't do it because they believed in you," Rocky said solemnly. "The reason you needed me to be the first to convert is because I held the most sway. If I followed you, everyone else would follow you. They only offered you their memories because they thought I gave you my utter loyalty.
"That gave you a very high Synchronisation Rate... but in the end... They were following me. So... that means..."
Belford's eyes went horribly wide. "No... No... you can't!"
"Rocky's Synch Rate is higher than Belford's..."
Jacob turned to his right where Rex stood, jaw hanging open. The other Branded were around him as well... each of them watching the spectacle as the four people who had empowered Rocky moved forward and seized Belford's Seal.
"You can't! I won't let you! They are mine! My perfect army!"
In desperation, Belford hastily tried to reform himself. The crystals around them began to shake and slowly rose up, forming a gnarled hand that hovered over Rocky's head.
"You can't take them away from me!"
The hand came down -
WHUMP!
Jacob pushed back against the massive hand, pressing his entire weight against the barrier of solid light between himself and the crystal appendage.
Rocky gave him a smile -
Crrrack!
... just as Belford's Seal was taken away from him.
The four soldiers of Rocky brought the Seal over to the Elemental Lord just as the hand around Jacob's shield crumbled. Belford's form shuddered... the remnants of his body began to shatter. The proud nose... the high cheek bones... that pronounced brow... it all crumbled to dust. One eyes was blown into the winds and both ears disappeared into the ground.
Only an eyes and his lips were left.
"You... You...!"
"Save your strength," Rocky said, pressing a paw against Belford's enormous Seal. "You still have a lot of strength left in your body. Who knows? Maybe you'll live for another fifty years or so before what little energy you have left fades."
She turned towards Jacob with a smile. "Jacob... Would you please...?"
He understood what she wanted.
"Wait... What are you doing?"_Belford demanded. _"What is Reaper doing!?"
Jacob stepped up to the Seal... and raised his left paw towards it. All the Brand markings over his body began to glow brightly... and the Seal responded by emitting a similar glow.
"No! Whatever you're doing, stop! You'll ruin Balthazar's plan!"
...
Everyone froze... and turned Belford.
"Balthazar...? Balthazar Palmers?" Rex demanded.
"The Head of ExIT?" Joanna added. "What does he have to do with this?"
"Everything!"_Belford exclaimed, a sort of mad hysterical laugh mixing with his words. _"I'll tell you everything! Just don't let me die like this! Give me back my the Seal! I won't take it all! I promise! Just enough to reform myself! I'll even help you take him down!"
Rocky cursed... and but her eyes turned towards Jacob. "You've helped me through a lot, Jacob... Ultimately, this is your quest... It's your decision..."
"Shouldn't it be yours?" he asked. "He did screw up your life..."
"It's not just my life he screwed up." She looked a bit sad but there was also a gentle smile on her face. "But you're the one with the power to end this... Will you make this deal with the Devil?"
Jacob glanced from the Seal... to Belford... and then to each of his companions...
... and his smirked.
"The Devil? I make the Devil piss his pants."
SMASH!
"Noooooo!"
The Seal exploded... shattered like glass. Every fragment of the shattered Seal dissolved into a ghostly visage... drifting high into the air and vanishing into the dark, night sky with sighs of relief. Many of the souls drifted around Rocky, swirling around her in a mesmerising storm of tiny, lights.
"No..."
Jacob turned his gaze towards Belford's remnants.
"No... You bitch! You motherfucking bitch!"
Jacob was taken aback by the sudden string of profanities that sprung from Belford's lips. He couldn't shake the sensation that the guy was still a priest and all these swears were quite a shock. Even if Belford was just posing as a priest... it was still ingrained into his memory.
Heh... memory...
"Jacob," Rocky began, catching his attention. "Can I ask a favour...?" She nodded towards the four individuals that hovered before her.
"You sure?" he asked. "I mean, having five Seals is a killer advantage..."
She smiled. "I think I'll manage."
Jacob returned the smile and raised his paws towards each of the four individuals in turn.
He started off with Norton. The mole's Seal shattered easily. Norton smiled at them and turned to his right, pushing past Gabriel. A ghostly apparition of his son was not too far away, waving at him. A female mole stood beside the boy. Norton rushed to them, scooped his child up in his arms and spun him around joyously. Even if their laughter went unheard by the group, Jacob could imagine it... and it made his heart soar.
They vanished together just as Norton hugged his wide and kissed her...
Next, he turned to Conway...
The big, proud bear smiled down at his daughter and headed to her as his Seal shattered. He gave Rocky one last hug before he too vanished in a flurry of lights. The sparkle in his eyes, however, took time to fully dissipate. They were unlike the maddened stare of the Conway Jacob remembered... They were the proud look of a father.
Jacob shattered Gabriel's Seal next. The ram gave Jacob a wink and even gave him a 'Call me' gesture that made Jacob break into a smile. Just as the last vestiges of the ram vanished, he spun around to face Belford and gave him the finger.
Atta boy, Gabe.
Lastly, he turned to the last Seal...
Soot's.
He gave Rocky some time... and Soot leaned in towards Rocky... whispering something in her ear. Whatever he said, made her eyes widen and a tear roll down her cheek. Jacob chose that moment to shatter Soot's Seal and the bear broke into a genuine, loving smile before he too vanished.
"You..."
Belford again...
"You... I'll never forgive you! You - you -!"
Joanna stormed up in front of Belford. "Oh shut up!"
WHAM!
She slammed her fist into the ground. The earth split in two and Belford's last two shards dropped into nothingness. Joanna let out a huff, gripped the two halves of the ground and pulled them back together, closing the gap with frightening ease.
Wow... She's crazy strong...
Rocky chuckled... but quickly stopped.
"Luke..."
She spun around and bolted back down the battlefield.
Jacob remembered Soot's sacrifice for him... and he turned, hurrying after Rocky.
There was still a chance... maybe...
If he didn't get trampled under the masses of crystal people...
... or get disintegrated in the transport plane crash...
... or thrown away by Belford's final rampage...
Oh damn...
Despite all odds, Soot's body remained at the centre of the crater where Rocky had first woken up. There... he looked so peaceful even with the other half of Earthborn embedded into his chest. Rocky knelt beside him... but even from several metres away... Jacob could see that Soot was long dead...
The tears came unbidden.
Jacob shut his eyes, trying to fight them back... but even he knew this was far from fair...
All the people in Graesham had been abused, tricked and manipulated... Did any of them deserve to die...? No... but they all died anyway...
Rocky at least deserved to be with the love of her life...
If only there was a way...
He clenched his fists... and found them shaking in fury... Unwilling to let anyone see him fuming, he shoved them into the pockets of his coat...
... where his fingers brushed against something... something... round...
Puzzled... he dug out...
... the crystal seed.
Wait... What did Zack say...?
"Memories are more than just your recollection of events. More than one person experiences an event."
"Our stories are written in tandem with those of others especially when we experience the same event. While we won't share the same memories, the similarities between them and the fact that these memories are from the same event will unite our hearts as one... or perhaps drive them further away..."
A grin split across his face as he hurried towards Rocky... He placed a paw on her shoulder... and offered her the seed. For a second... she was puzzled... but when she took it gently... it began to glow...
"You've shared the same events haven't you?"
Hope blossomed in Rocky's eyes...
"The seed is there."
... She placed the seed gently onto Soot's chest... and it's glow grew even brighter...
...
"You just need to water it, nurture it and give it enough sunshine so that it'll grow."