Guardian(Part IV): Revelation

Chapter 40: The Fox

"We're here," Tereza announced. It was nighttime before the dropship began to land, in the ruins of Exalorin. I felt an aura of darkness from the ruins that was even stronger than Tereza's. It wasn't from a monster, though. It was from dark matter. Master Avanka had said that a Camnorish LWM-445 had dark matter loaded in its gas emitters, capable of completely obscuring vision, and turning anyone unlucky enough to be touched by it into Lost. If that kind of weapon had been fitted onto the LWM-1000, along with a 380's energy blades, and an 821's energy cannon, then what Tereza said about it would have been true. It was a weapon of mass destruction. I would find out soon enough. Tereza stepped out of the dropship with me, along with the ECHOs escorting her. They allowed me to keep my blade, but the ECHOs still pointed their spear-shaped dark aura blades at me as we walked forward. We had landed in front of the ruins of Exalorin's palace, and Tereza led me through the large building, to the courtyard behind it. A tall structure built from scaffolding and covered with tarp was in the center.

"When I told you that I have the means to prove my facts, I meant it," said Tereza. "If you have anything to say against it, I welcome such opinions."

"Other than the fact that you're insane?" I growled.

"You wouldn't say that if you knew everything," Tereza assured. "But there is simply no other way. I brought you here for something else. You'll need your sword."

Suddenly, the ground trembled. I looked to the tent with my eyebrows raised, as did Tereza.

"What was that?" she demanded, through a radio. I heard a terrified voice answer her through my APID's radio.

"The War Machine!" they cried. "It's active!"

"I did not authorize this!" Tereza scolded.

"We don't know what's causing it, ma'am!" the same voice answered. People began to run out from under the tarp, screaming with terror, when the ground suddenly trembled again. The bottom of the tarp began to ignite with flames, which grew to eventually incinerate the entire thing, revealing the LWM-1000. It looked around, before turning its head to stare directly at me, and I saw them. The child revenant from Watervalley, sitting on the top of the War Machine's head. Were they controlling it? Did they want to kill me more than they wanted to haunt me? I wouldn't think about that right now, because the long-barreled energy cannon on the 1000's shoulder pointed in my direction, and it began to charge. I warped away, behind the ruins, as I heard the weapon fire a flame beam. An explosion erupted from where Tereza was standing, and I heard her scream. I hid behind a collapsed wall as the LWM-1000 began to stomp forward. When I peeked my head up over the top of the wall, I saw the massive War Machine looking down at the flaming wreckage of the dropship that Tereza flew me here on, and eventually, I saw Tereza pulling herself to her feet, standing over the flames.

"The Desolation will continue," she ranted. "And the Restoration will begin. Zenartha will know a new world without war, and everlasting peace, fueled by my ashes!"

The LWM-1000 raised its foot, then stomped on a piece of the aircraft's wreckage, slamming it down on Tereza to crush her.

"Get out of there, Fox!" Master Avanka ordered, through my APID's radio.

I began to sneak through the ruins of Elaxorin, trying my best to make sure the War Machine couldn't see me. For a moment, it seemed like it couldn't. It saw everything else, though. Turned gunships, tanks, and armored cars began to move in on the 1000. Machine guns, tank shells, and missiles fired all at once, all exploding against the War Machine. Even with everything that hit it, the War Machine continued stomping forward. I waited until it was further away from the courtyard before moving forward. It was taking whatever was thrown at it as though it was nothing! It shot down the gunships with storm missiles and stomped on the ground vehicles that it didn't split open with its energy cannon.

"Fox," Master Avanka warned. "You can't let that thing see the battlefield. If there's to be a proper Restoration, then you have to stop it. Destroy it!"

"I will," I promised. The War Machine eventually destroyed all of the Turned vehicles, and I drew my sword. The War Machine then suddenly turned around, aiming its energy cannon right at me. Did it hear me draw my sword or something? It didn't matter. Its energy cannon began to charge, aimed at me. I ran away as the weapon was about to fire a flame beam and incinerate me. I managed to get away, then I charged at the War Machine as fast as I could. Once I was close enough, I jumped into the air to try and climb it, but one of its energy blades ignited and swung at me, knocking me out of the air as I raised my sword to block the attack. I landed on my feet, sliding backward in the snow, then I rushed towards it again, dodging storm missiles from the launchers on its shoulder opposite of the one that held its energy cannon. One of its energy blades ignited, set to the frost enchantment, and it stabbed it into the ground. Spikes of ice began to erupt from the snow, chasing after me. I cut them down as I continued charging at the War Machine. It eventually swung its energy blade at me again, and I warped sideways to keep charging forward. I reached its legs, and took a swing at them with my ninjato. Before my blade could land, it jumped into the air with its thruster pads, landing a short distance away. Its machine guns began to fire at me, and I deflected them with constant swings of my sword as I rushed towards it to attack again, even as its energy cannon aimed towards me again. Before it could fire, though, it suddenly fell off its shoulder completely. A bright, glowing shape flew out from behind it, carrying a Paladin's aura of light. Ser Gabriel! Thanks to him, I got close enough to the War Machine to rush up its leg, dragging my sword through it, cutting the armor off of its machinery. I then jumped all the way to its head and dragged my blade all along the top. I had to have cut the AI pod that was operating it, because the entire War Machine began to topple over. I lost my balance, and fell off of its head. Ser Gabriel caught me out of the air and set me down before I hit the ground as the LWM-1000 crashed into the snow, finally destroyed. I sighed with relief.

"Thank you," I said, to Ser Gabriel.

"Any time," Ser Gabriel offered. I stepped closer to the wreckage of the War Machine. Its AI pod was destroyed, and its energy cannon was cut off, but there was still an aura of darkness hanging over the ruins of Exalorin. Tereza's aura. She was still alive.

"This isn't over," I warned. "Let's go see Tereza."

Ser Gabriel and I walked back to the flaming courtyard of Exalorin's palace, finding Tereza underneath the same dropship wreckage from before. Both of her legs were severed, and she was bleeding black blood from her wounds.

"Fox," she gasped.

I drew my sword, then raised it above her, aimed at her neck. For everything she'd done, I wanted to make her death as slow, and as painful as I could, but even after the pain and suffering she'd brought, I couldn't. I was about to bring my sword down, when my arm was suddenly grabbed. It was the Mayfly. She had her hand on one of my hands that held my sword. I knew why. Tereza's life was hers to take more than mine, but she wanted both of us to deal the killing blow, together. Together, we brought my sword down on Tereza's neck, cutting her head clean off. I felt her aura of darkness fade as her head rolled across the snow, with black blood bleeding from it. She was dead.

"Fox," the Mayfly whispered. "What she made me do... Was terrible. You were right."

"Well, you're free, now," I promised. "Let's go home."

"I brought a ride with me," said the Mayfly, as the sound of a dropship's engines echoed through the air. It was from Safe Haven, and landed near where the LWM-1000 was housed, and its door opened.

"I know we could have warped back to Safe Haven, but there are some things I need to talk about with you," the Mayfly enlightened. "And Fox..."

"Yes?" I asked.

Suddenly, the Mayfly threw her arms around my neck, pulling my head towards her, and she kissed me.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you so much."