"Everybody… I-inside.. N-now!!" Mr. 288 was urging the last of the Genomes through the door to the inn. It was the biggest building in the village, though only just enough to hold them all. It was certainly a tight fit.
But what else can be done?
"Is everyone here?" The Mage asked, disappearing inside as he pulled the door closed.
"Bobby Corwin!" A muffled cry came from the back. "He's s-still out there!"
There was silence.
Who had forgotten to bring the chocobo along?
"D-don’t worry about Bobby Corwin." Another voice said. "If he sees trouble, he can run real fast. Have you ever seen how fast he runs?"
"Yeah.."
"I hope you're right.."
The spirit of Mr. 36 nodded his approval. "Very g-good, Mr. 288. You've gotten everyone all in one place… It'll make it easier for us now."
"What… exactly is.. h-happening to us?" Mr. 12 asked, his voice worried. "For the longest time I haven't been able to move or t-talk.. or do anything at all. And now, I feel… stronger magic inside me than when I was still.. um.. alive."
"I think.." Mr. 44 spoke slowly. "When those dark creatures attacked us with their magic, instead of destroying us, for some reason, it gave us more power."
"How?" Asked Mr. 25.
"Uh… I d-dunno."
They all looked to Mr. 36.
"You know how strange m-magic can be sometimes." Mr. 36 told them. "You j-just can't always have a logical answer."
"True." Mr. 25 replied.
"The i-important thing isn't how it happened.. but that it has happened." Mr. 44 added. "Somehow, though their dark magic is strong, all they can do when they a-attack us is make us stronger. And because of this, w-we can protect the village."
"And that's what we must do!"
"Y-yeah!"
"Is everyone here?" Asked Mr. 36.
Mr. 44 counted about ten all together. "I think so."
"So.. how… are we gonna p-protect them?"
"For now, those dark things have gone away… They'll probably be coming back though."
"We just s-surprised them. That's all."
"Yeah… did you hear them shout when Mr. 44 blasted them? It was funny to see them run!"
"How did you do it, Mr. 44?" Asked Mr. 12. "I've never seen anyone use that kind of m-magic before. It doesn't feel like any I know."
"Um.. umm… I don’t really know either." Mr. 44 stuttered in embarrassment. "It w-was just like.. I somehow absorbed all the magic they casted on me… and then suddenly, it just t-turned back on them… I was probably more s-surprised than they were when it happened. I thought I was going to ….um… die."
One of the others looked to Mr. 36 and asked quizzically. "Is it possible to die on this side?"
"Again?" Someone else added.
"I don't know." Mr. 36 answered. "But I do know that the o-others in the village can die."
"Yeah…" Mr. 60 agreed. "But we can't let that h-happen!"
"No… we can't.."
"They're our f-friends. They come to see us almost every day here at the hill." Mr. 25 spoke rapidly. "They haven't forgotten about us. Even after all this t-time.."
"I miss them."
"Me too."
"The Genomes are so cute."
"Yeah. Hehehehe."
"I think they're kinda weird-looking, myself."
"Yeah. Me too."
"Um…?" Mr. 44 attempted to interrupt.
"No, they're cute."
"Not nearly as cute as Bobby Corwin."
"Okay… I'll agree with t-that. Bobby Corwin is much cuter."
"Um… don't you feel that?" Mr. 44 asked.
The discussion paused.
"What?"
"Those dark things. Are coming b-back." Mr. 44 told them.
"So soon?"
"Oh no!! What do we do!! They're coming back to kill us!"
"Um.. they.. can't hurt us, remember?"
"Oh. Really? Uh… when did we find that out?"
"About ten m-minutes ago, where were you?"
"Watching the b-butterflies in the bushes… sorry…"
Mr. 44 sighed, and heard Mr. 36 do the same.
"If we're going to be a-any help to the village, we need to figure something out." Mr. 36's words were forceful. "Everyone must pay attention when we do. Is that understood?"
"Y-yeah…"
"Um..okay."
"I'm sorry.. what was that again?"
Mr. 44 winced.
Mr. 36 asked. "How close are they can you tell?"
Mr. 44 never got to answer.
A hailstorm of dark energy rained down upon them from all sides, pelting them with death magics. It burned. It really really hurt. But at the same time, Mr. 44 could feel the power coming to him, as if his very being attracted it, drew it in. This time, he knew what to do.
Reaching out with awareness, he called to the flow of dark magic. It responded, shockingly so, turning into a tremendous torrent of blackness, ebbing and swirling about him, growing inside. The dark creature who had cast the spell gave a crackling screech, writhing backwards, as if it only wanted now to escape, to get away.
Mr. 44 knew all at once, the creature had long since stopped casting his spell. But the flow of energy had not ceased. The blood-red glow of its eyes flickered, seeming to fizzle, then dim. A shudder ran through its being, as it slowly faded to nothing, leaving only the fluttering robe there upon the ground.
Mr. 44 drew the last of the magic from it.
Then he unleashed it upon a second dark creature who had just arrived. The two forces collided, contracting on each other, shattering into a void of dust. Leaving nothing there at all. Not even a robe.
The impact was deafening, throwing them all back against the wall of the inn. A horrified cry rang from inside the building, a scuffling of fear and terror. The villagers could not see the battle that raged outside. But Mr. 44 wished he could ease their fear.
None of the others said a word. They simply picked themselves off of the ground.
Mr. 12 pulled himself from out of a tree.
"I see.." Mr. 36 was the first to speak.
"They are… nothing at all against us.." Mr. 25 jeered.
"Mr. 44.. are you o-okay?"
"I… killed them.. both…?" Mr. 44 was trembling all over from the experience.
There was silence.
"I… did.. didn't w-want to kill them… I don't.. know what h-happened…"
"All that's left to those creatures are m-magic." Mr. 36 spoke slowly. "They are only made of magic. Dark, dark magic. I don't think that p-people could hurt them with weapons.. or even ordinary magic. But.. somehow.. there's a way to draw their energy from them when they cast s-spells at you."
"I didn't mean it.. I only wanted to scare it away."
"Since it was only made of magic.. Mr. 44 killed it by absorbing all of it's magic? There was nothing left to it."
"I think so."
"Interesting."
"It was an accident!" Mr. 44's voice was still horrified.
"Mr. 44. Don't feel bad." Mr. 60 said softly. "If you didn't kill them.. they were going to kill the others in the village."
"But.. killing.. is evil.."
Mr. 36 disagreed. "They are evil. You are only protecting your f-friends."
"I'm confused." Mr. 44 wanted to hide. To run far away. "I swore.. after I became aware.. I'd never hurt anyone again.. ever.."
"Me too…" Mr. 36 told him. "But if we don't fight.. other p-people will be hurt. Think of the others.. the Mages and the Genomes.."
"Genomes are cute." Someone agreed.
"Think of.. Garland.."
A shock ran through Mr. 44. "G-Garland!"
"You don't want to see him hurt do you..?"
"N-no!"
"Then you must fight to protect him.."
Mr. 44 did not answer. But he also did not disagree.
"We all must fight for them."
The others agreed with silence, gathering around like invisible guards to the little wooden inn. No one inside would be harmed. They would make sure of it.
Mr. 44 stared off in the direction from which the dark creatures had come, testing the air to see if there were more on the way. Then a horrible thought crossed his mind.
Didn't Garland leave the village with Vivi this morning…?