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Episode 9: Breathing Fate

"Ring around the Rosie,

A pocket full of posies,

A-tishoo, a-tishoo

We all fall down."

Nursery Rhyme

Christy was one hell of a miracle worker.

Somehow, in the short reprieve they had before assaulting Skystorm Tower, she had managed to make new and rather stylish costumes for everyone. She claimed that if they were going to save the world, they had to do it 'in style'.

Eden had moved to the very limits of the storm and was ready to burn through the powerful wall of winds. The combatants all gathered at the enormous main gate of the titanic Animus. Once those double doors swung open and the ramp unfurled, about a hundred MODD troops would storm out try their best to capture three key points.

But before they all threw their lives to stop a world-destroying storm...

There was the official briefing.

All the troops had already been briefed either individually or with their platoon commanders. However, Marcus insisted that a stage be erected at the gates and a formal briefing be scheduled. Apparently, it was good for troop morale if a figure the troops respected and looked up to gave them the orders personally.

So, there stood about four hundred people - only about a hundred of whom would actually be fighting - all looking in anticipation at Marcus who stood on a metallic stage.

Apparently, Eden could reform the metal within her to whatever she wished. It was the ultimate defence, in a sense. To destroy Eden, they would have to get to her heart - the glowing dragoness Jacob had seen before - but that was located at the very core of the Animus. Either someone cut through the thick, nearly-impregnable, rapidly reconstructing metal or they enter Eden herself and get smashed by the multiple arrays of deadly traps she could unleash.

"This is it everyone," Marcus announced, his voice booming across the massive atrium.

Jacob glanced to those beside him - the other Branded standing side by side at the foot of the stage. It occurred to him that Marcus really did mean 'everyone'. There was no distinction between MODD and the Branded, Pollenburn and those from Skystorm Tower.

They were all fighting for the same thing here.

"The survival of our very world rests now in your hands and paws. Each and everyone one of you has been affected by Gale in one way or another. Whether it was because he helped you get back on your feet, gave you financial aid, save your life, gave you shelter or was just some figure that you could look up to. Gale was there.

"The Gale out there is confused and lost. There have been some..." Marcus faltered for a moment, his eyes dropping and falling directly into Jacob's gaze. "... Some complications recently. Gale isn't himself and like all of you after the Plague, he needs help."

That's putting it lightly...

The kangaroo gestured at the massive gateway into the storm behind him. "That storm out there... It's big. I won't lie to you. Some of you may not make it back."

Jacob had to hide a wince.

That's one hell of a way to motivate people to fight.

"But we're not just fighting for ourselves here," Marcus continued. "You all know what will happen if that storm is left unabated. All of Mortaelis will be consumed. I know a lot of you are wondering why MODD doesn't come in and stop Gale itself. The fact is, they probably will but a lot more people will die and our home will have been destroyed by then.

"We have to fight now. We have to bring Gale back to his senses because if we don't, Pollenburn will be nothing more than another memory just like Bloomcrest.

"Don't do this for yourselves. Don't do it for MODD. Do this for your loved ones. Do this for your friends, family and future! Do this for Gale!"

So you want us to fight the guy that's causing this storm for_that very same person...?_

Cheering erupted all around him, catching him by surprise. Everyone - and that was everyone - was cheering loudly and thrusting their fists into the air. Even the remnants of Pollenburn's population joined in the riotous roar.

Soldiers turned to their families and bid them goodbye.

"He is quite the speechmaker," Leo said, a big grin on his face. "It takes a very special person to be able to command the hearts and minds of countless people."

Yeah, a tyrant.

But Jacob dismissed that thought. Marcus wasn't bad... just... as puzzled as Gale. The truth had crushed him as much as it had everyone else. It occurred to him that out of the four of them - Gale, Sherry, Marcus and himself - each of them had taken a different approach in addressing the truth. Gale lashed out, Marcus turned to the one person he knew was the absolute truth, Sherrt stood her ground and tried to stabilise herself while Jacob ran away.

Out of the four of them... only one person really had the right idea.

And now she was dead...

How ironic...

CREEEEEEEEAAAAK!

The festivities abruptly stopped.

Silence ruled...

... until...

CREEEEEEEEEAAAK!

"Max...?" Joanna began, holding the two military issue sai the MODD troops had given her. Each of the Branded had picked up weapons from their MODD counterparts. Joanna had her dual sai while Taylor had dual chakram. Kerry had two spears though her right hand one was shorter than the left. Leo obtained a pair of combat gloves while Max got a long, metal staff.

Above all, they also obtained some fashionable clothing from Christy.

"Eden...?" Max began, looking up and scanning their surroundings. "Oh no..." His eyes suddenly went wide. "Everyone! Get down!"

BOOOM!

Eden's gates were blown clear off and Jacob ducked as the stage was ripped off its supports and sent hurling into the crowd. He didn't want to think how many people got crushed as several Unsealed came pouring into the atrium. Leading them...

... was Gale Winthrop...

Except...

Jacob couldn't feel his Brand itching...

"Gale...?" Marcus whispered. The kangaroo had a blood gash across his chest but he found the strength to stand up and drew his scimitar.

The Gale that slowly approached them was different. His entire body was wrapped in thick, black and gold armour but his face was left exposed. Two pieces of cloth hung from his shoulders like a pair of cloth wings. His eyes were lifeless and completely golden - no iris, no sclera and no pupil - just all gold. His expression was completely devoid of all emotion.

He stopped a few metres from the shattered gates.

The Seal of Fate's Winds appeared against his forehead.

"That's not Gale..." Taylor began, unhooking his chakrams which rested against his shoulders in two pouches Christy has specially designed for him. "That's an Unsealed!"

Wait... What?

Jacob had forgotten to ask Marcus how Gale could have produced Unsealed. When he heard that Gale's storm had somehow attracted countless new Unsealed, he had assumed it was because Gale's Seal attracted them... but here was an Unsealed that looked exactly like Gale.

That was no coincidence.

The Unsealed Gale made a sweeping gesture with his hand. Unsealed came pouring out from the storm beyond Eden.

Jacob immediately clicked his fingers, bringing out handful of those mini-marble bombs. He threw them at the coming Unsealed and flung around, leaping into the air and unleashing the full power of his Brand. That feeling of release as his muscles expanded and his Brand spread all over his body was fleeting as a deafening boom shook the titanic fortress. He spread his wings and gripped the two magical, light-swords in his paws.

He was surprised that his clothes hadn't ripped to shreds. Christy must have added something to ensure that they stretched and expanded when he entered his Brand Form.

For a horny bird, she sure thinks of everything!

Bright, golden arrows came flying out from all directions. Unsealed that appeared like humanoids merged with bows flung around the atrium, keeping well out of range and firing the blasts of golden light in all directions. On the ground, a wall of Unsealed wielding massive shields and staves marched ominously towards the crowd, slowly pushing them back. Ninja-like Unsealed vanished in a flurry of pink flower petals before reappearing behind the crowd, sandwiching the civilians.

A burst of flames erupted from somewhere at the front of the crowd and Taylor surged at the shield bearing Unsealed, slamming his mighty, flaming chakrams into them. A resounding clang filled the atrium. The Storm Wardens - as Jacob classified them - raised their staves, bolts of golden lightning encasing them completely.

"Tayl!"

Jacob dove...

CLANG!

... blocking the multiple staves with his swords with Taylor right behind him.

"Thanks, Jay," Taylor chuckled, a big grin on his body and the Brand glowing against his transformed body.

"You know, every time I save your ass, I should get to ride it," Jacob answered with a snicker.

"That's a fair price."

On some unspoken command, they switched places. Taylor unleashed a spinning torrent of flame that washed over the multiple Storm Wardens. The Unsealed cried out in agony as they were consumed by the flames.

"Jacob!"

Joanna...

All of the Branded had reverted to their Brand Forms, aiding the MODD troops in cutting through the army of Unsealed to get to the civilians to safety.

"Take Marcus!" she cried. "We'll hold the fort here! You have to get to Gale!"

The room itself shifted around them. Metal spikes erupted from the walls, impaling the Unsealed and shattering their bodies in an instant. Massive guns popped out of walls and bombarded the Unsealed.

Eden was a death trap to her enemies.

The civilians would be safe.

"Marcus!" Jacob shouted. "Leo!"

"Here, Jacob!"

The two named charged up to him.

"Spectre!"

The massive, winged wolf flew in from the storm. Spectre drew a breath and unleashed a burning beam of light. He did a single lap around the field before landed beside Jacob, shutting his muzzle and nuzzling Jacob tenderly. The Animus was wounded but nothing to severely.

"Sorry... I tried to tell you but there are tonnes of Unsealed out there... I didn't have time to talk."

Taylor's eyes went wide. "Whoa! You can talk!"

Jacob grinned and winked at the enhanced cougar. "See? I'm not that crazy." He turned to Marcus. "Get on. We have to get to Gale."

Marcus nodded and jumped onto Spectre's back, clutching the saddle tightly.

Jacob walked past them both, grabbed Leo's tightly and wrapped his lips around the Tribal's in one, tender kiss. Hormones were going wild and his erection was getting hard to contain. He could feel Leo's arousal as well. They tentatively brushed their tongues against one another before pulling away.

"Don't you dare die," Jacob growled. "Your Alpha commands you."

Leo grinned and licked Jacob's nose, sending a tingle down the latter's spine. "I would never dream of disobeying you."

"Good to hear." Jacob turned and bolted for the broken gates, Spectre right beside him.

Both of them jumped into the storm, spreading their wings. Raging winds blew dust and ash into their eyes. Marcus swung his blade and the winds subsided just a little, easing their passage through the storm. Countless Unsealed came pouring from the thick tornado, streaming towards Eden. The metallic Animus' cannons fired, sending beams of light and explosions in all directions. Black lightning coursed out of the golem's body, cutting through the storm, no doubt coming from Leo's Animus, Cerberus.

Behemoth roared and emerged from the ground, sending huge towers of rock cutting into the Unsealed ranks. The monstrous Animus swung his tail and crushed countless others. On its nose, Prometheus threw balls of flame and torrents of spinning fire into the Unsealed. Beside the burning Animus, Polaris stood. Spears of ice and starry explosions erupted from the lupine Animus' paws, freezing Unsealed unfortunate enough to get close and sending them hurtling to the lake waters below.

Suddenly, the storm abated.

Jacob left the raging winds behind him...

... and he was suddenly staring at the new Skystorm Tower.

Shards of the tower hovered in a vague mockery of its former shape. Enormous chunks of rock hovered between each one, filling in the gaps so to speak. Gunships, tanks and countless other metallic materials capable of surviving the storm flew on the periphery of the storm's border.

"The eye of the storm..." Marcus whispered.

High above them, at the very top of the tower, an enormous Seal hovered.

The Seal of Fate's Winds.

Its golden light filled the entire eye, fuelling the storm and causing it to grow rapidly.

WHAM!

Spectre cried out and his right wing balked.

"Spectre! Marcus!"

Jacob's senses screamed and he immediately jerked to the right as a crescent blade of golden energy flew by him.

Wait...

He recognised that attack as one of Gale's 'Wind Blades'.

Another shot by him and he spun around.

That Unsealed Gale came shooting towards him, soaring through the air with ease, unhindered by the storm. Just like the real Gale, this one possessed a wakizashi but that bladed-bow was nowhere to be seen. Jacob considered himself lucky as the Unsealed Gale clashed blades with him.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

They crossed blades, the Unsealed Gale pressing his lifeless face close to Jacob in what must have been an intimidating glare. Jacob placed one foot against the Unsealed's chest and kicked off, sending the fake Gale shooting back into the storm while he zoomed to where he had last seen Spectre and Marcus.

Other Unsealed came pouring in towards him. Those archer-like Unsealed - Gale Archers, he decided - bombarded him with arrows from all directions. The ninja-like Unsealed would appear beside him in a flurry of flower petals - thus earning their name, 'Fallen Flowers' - and would lash out at him with their kunai. Jacob dodged them all. They were fast but he was far faster and easily cut through them with his blades.

Spectre!? Where are you!?

He felt a tugging to his right from his heart and he obeyed blindly. Three Fallen Flowers appeared in front of him, lunging in for a strike. Jacob dove for the right hand one and shoved his sword into it before holding it in front of him. The other two struck the Unsealed and destroyed it, freeing his sword. He lashed out at the other two, destroying them immediately.

A shard of the tower - appearing to be some living quarters - hovered in front of him. Marcus stood above a limping Spectre while being surrounded by about half a dozen Storm Wardens. Marcus swung his blade and threw the 'teeth' of his scimitar. Remembering that Marcus' Elements were Earth and Wind, he realised the kangaroo was at a disadvantage considering they were so far up in the air.

A roar tore out of Jacob's throat and he threw his two blades at the Storm Wardens. With their backs turned to him, the Unsealed got literally 'stabbed in the back'. Jacob landed a second after their bodies began dissipating.

"Spectre," he began.

"I'm fine," Spectre grunted, shaking his head. "Gonna be out of commission for a while... Got a save point I can rest up in?"

"Huh?"

The Animus smirked. "This is the final dungeon. Usually, when you're in the final dungeon of a video game, there's a save point where you can heal up before fighting the final boss."

Jacob chuckled and rolled his eyes. He let Spectre revert back to his smaller self, the exhausted Animus resting on his shoulders. The Unsealed attack seemed to have abated for the moment but now they were stuck on the platform.

"You alright?" he asked Marcus.

The kangaroo nodded, rolling a shoulder. "Fine..." He glanced around. The platform was only about a hundred metres wide but the edges had no connection to the other platforms whatsoever. "How are we going to get to the top?"

The idea of waiting until Spectre regenerated didn't sit well with him. The others were still fighting valiantly on Eden. The Unsealed seemed to have no limits and as he looked up, they seemed to be like a plague of locusts that poured out of the Seal of Fate's Winds, zooming towards Eden. He guessed that they were all focused on fighting Eden so that himself and Marcus were being ignored.

His eyes fell on a large, chunk of rock about as big as a truck.

"We hitch a ride," he said with a grin, rushing up to the edge of the platform.

"What?"

"There," he announced, pointing at the platform. "Your Elements are Earth and Wind, right? Grab that chunk of rock and we can ride it to the top."

Marcus shook his head. "Ride it to the top? Are you nuts? What if we get shot down? What then? Better we take it one platform at a time."

That was true.

Jacob could fly but Marcus couldn't. While he wasn't adverse to the idea of letting the kangaroo drop to his death, getting Gale back to his senses required Marcus alive.

Although... Maybe I can convince Gale to stop his rampage after he killed Marcus, his best friend.... The crushing realisation might just knock him out of it...

_"Or cause him to kill himself after realising what he's become,"_Spectre grumbled.

Jacob could actually see that occurring...

True...

"Alright, we go with your plan," he conceded.

Marcus did a simple nod and the massive rock slowly zoomed towards them. Once it was within jumping distance, they jumped onto it and Marcus guided the rock over to the closest platform - one that appeared to be an armoury of some sort.

They used the same method to jump from platform to platform. It seemed all the shards of Skystorm Tower were vaguely arranged in a spiralling formation so they were slowly making their way to the top. Along the way, they could see the seemingly infinite Unsealed pouring out of the Seal of Fate's Winds. Eden's silhouette soon emerged from the storm, its cannons surging out of the wall of winds and cutting through the Unsealed.

That brought Jacob some relief.

The others were still alive.

Jacob reached the end of another platform...

... but no rock waited for him.

He turned around...

Marcus was standing at the centre of the platform.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

For a second Marcus didn't reply... then he turned to his right and regarded what appeared to be an enormous vat of some sort. "You didn't notice...?"

Jacob walked up beside Marcus and regarded the vat. "Notice what?"

"This place... I was going to just let you completely ignore it... but I figured you deserved to know what it is considering what you're doing for all of us..."

"What are you talking about?" Jacob regarded the vat. The clear glass container was perfectly pristine. There were several little spikes crowning the base and the top of the vat. Only then did he notice that his Brand was starting to itch.

"Ever wondered where the Unsealed come from?"

Uh-oh...

"From the people who abuse Seals..."

Marcus sighed very softly, almost like he was releasing a great burden in his heart. "MODD keeps its power because of two reasons. Propaganda and the Eternal Seal. You already know how the Eternal Seal works. MODD gets so much money from commissions over the Seals that they sell and the creation of Seals.

"But the other way it keeps power is by using their power to protect people... both from the Unsealed and the Rebels. MODD insists that the Rebels purposefully transform themselves into Unsealed and all Unsealed are ultimately working for their leader, simply known as 'Lilith'."

"Lilith?" Jacob repeated. "As in the Angel of Manipulation that screwed up the world?"

Marcus chuckled and gave Jacob a lopsided smile. "It's apparently some attack on Ascensionists as well. They all believe in Seals, remember? The Rebels are against everything and everyone that use Seals and I guess calling their leader after one of the Angels that caused all mortals to be damned in that Seal-based religion is quite effective.

"MODD uses that to strike fear in people."

It made sense... The more MODD blamed the Rebels, the tighter the public clung onto them, thus giving them more support and making them stronger... It was probably why so many people were willing to use the Eternal Seal.

"That propaganda relied heavily on the Unsealed," Marcus continued, nodding towards the vat. "The Rebels don't really create Unsealed as far as we know."

"So where do the Unsealed come from?"

He had a feeling he would get an answer to his question of where Gale got the Unsealed... It looked like they were coming from the Seal of Fate's Winds and Jacob wondered if Gale had just become consumed by his Seal like the legends and was producing the Unsealed like crazy. Perhaps all the people he had killed were now being transformed into Unsealed.

"There are three types of Unsealed," Marcus said gravely. "The first are the 'Puritans'. They're the Unsealed that are consumed by their Seals and become Unsealed. If their Synchronisation Rate is too low or if they abuse their Seals, a person becomes an Unsealed. They're actually very rare. In my lifetime, I've only seen two. They're big, powerful and have frightening intelligence. Puritans also don't have armour or the Seals that consumed them covering their bodies. They're just like coloured forms."

'Frightening intelligence'...?

I've never seen an Unsealed with that kind of intelligence...

Except for that Griffon and Clear Wind I fought... but they wore armour and had their Seals...

"The second type are the 'Tainted' Unsealed. They are the Unsealed that MODD creates."

Jacob flinched... looking from Marcus to the vat. His jaw dropped open and even Spectre - despite his weariness - was horrified.

"MODD creates Unsealed!?" he exclaimed.

Marcus nodded slowly. "Propaganda."

... and it made sense.

The Rebels didn't produce Unsealed... so MODD had to make sure that that the Unsealed were a constant presence so that the unsuspecting public remained loyal to them. So, MODD created these 'Tainted Unsealed' over and over again to threaten people. As countless others died and became 'infected', they would turn to MODD for the cure...

It was diabolic...

Just when I thought MODD couldn't sink any lower...

"That's an Unsealed Production Vat," Marcus said, nodding towards the vat with a grimace. "People with Seals that have a Synchronisation Rate below 40% are placed into the vat and their Seals are extracted from them. Because the Seal binds Mind, Body and Soul, when it is extracted, it leaves a hollow shell behind..."

"And Unsealed..."

"Yes..." Marcus replied gravely. "MODD will find someone else better to fit the Seal and the resultant Unsealed is unleashed on the public to gain more support."

Jacob wasn't so sure how to feel... He was appalled on one hand but at the same time, he was actually pretty impressed. The whole system MODD had going was ridiculously complex but at the same time, quite simple that it worked. It ensured no resources were wasted and profit was assured.

"You mentioned there was a third type of Unsealed...?"

"Right," Marcus said with a grimace. "First off, you should know that the Tainted Unsealed are heavily armoured and show the Seals that they used to be bound with. That Lionwing you fought on the train and the Breeze Knight you and Gale defeated at Pollenburn were Tainted Unsealed."

"Oh, you mean the Griffon and the Clear Wind?"

Marcus gave him a surprised look. "What?"

He shrugged and gave the kangaroo a smug grin. "Hey, you guys get to come up with crazy names for attacks on the fly. I get to name the Unsealed as I see fit."

"Right..." Marcus shook his head. "The Lionwing - Griffon - used to be the previous owner of Sherry's Seal before they were consumed. The Clear Wind was the guy who had my Seal. We kept them stored here."

"Did Gale know?"

Marcus shook his head. "No. I'm guessing another thing that drove him mad is that when he tore this place apart, he found the Vats and the Unsealed we had stored here..."

He gave Marcus a sour look. "That might have been a good thing to tell him. Not only did you keep the origin of his Seal a secret but you also kept something like this a secret."

"We're still pretty low on the ladder, Jacob," Marcus said, heading for the edge of the platform. "Even being as high as we are, MODD is much larger. We're on a need-to-know basis. All this stuff wasn't really need-to-know."

"Even if they were producing Unsealed beneath your tower?"

"Yes."

That's rough...

... but you also gotta be all kinds of stupid not to notice that...

Marcus and Sherry knew... But I guess Gale was a little too busy looking at what was outside his tower instead of paying attention to what was right beneath him...

Ding!

The word 'epiphany' just lit up deep in Jacob's subconscious.

Gale was so focused on the future and the 'world of flowers' he wanted to create that he didn't notice just how weak the foundations of his future was. Gale's life could be symbolised by Skystorm Tower itself... Gale was at the very top, shining like a brilliant beacon of hope for everyone... but beneath him... everything was so unstable and shaky...

Now... it was shattered in a raging storm.

"The third type of Unsealed are the Scion Unsealed," Marcus said, summoning the rock and jumping onto it. "They're the ones that are attacking Eden now and the ones that Gale is producing."

Jacob leapt onto the rock and regarded Marcus curiously. "You mean you guys can produce Unsealed on your own?"

As the rock began moving to the next platform, Marcus nodded. "Yes... Anyone with a Synchronisation Rate higher than 90% can reach into themselves and produce Unsealed. An army of their own. The keyword is 'can'. Not everyone knows how to as it's apparently unique for everyone. Normally, elevated emotional states will bring about summoning Unsealed..."

Kind of like the Brands and our Animus...

"Usually, these Unsealed are representations of that person." Marcus nodded at the swarm of Unsealed that were pouring over to Eden. "All those Unsealed are probably part of Gale..."

"Can't you produce them and fight back?"

Marcus chuckled and shook his head. "I have on occasion but it's not consistent. The reason why Gale became ExIT Commander and not myself or Sherry is because he can summon Unsealed more frequently than the rest of us. He never does it on purpose and we always lie to him about where they come from but he can do it at will...

"My guess is that he realised he can and that's why he's capable of producing so many now..."

That explained quite a bit...

Especially when his sunglasses told him the 'Seal Alignment' of documented Unsealed. He always wondered what that meant but he guessed that it was something Albert had put in that he never could understand. He recalled that the Breeze he had fought in Pollenburn were aligned with Sherry's Seal.

They must have been representations of Sherry's doubt and internal conflicts...

"We can't usually control Scion Unsealed," Marcus replied. "They tend to go crazy and probably act on some unconscious will of ours. But I suppose Gale wouldn't be an Elemental Lord if he couldn't control them."

They reached the last platform and it seemed to be some sort of observation deck... It appeared to be part of the top of the tower or at least close to the top of the tower. Jacob was first to jump off with Marcus right behind him.

"So wait... Why did you guys unleash the Griffon and Clear Wind on us?"

Marcus gave him a humourless smile. "Part of the campaign. You weren't actually meant to destroy them, you know. They were there just to threaten and cause fear. I suppose myself and Sherry always had our doubts when we unleashed the Tainted... and that's why they're often accompanied by other, lesser Unsealed." He chuckled darkly. "Makes you think, doesn't it? It's obvious we know we're doing something wrong and yet we still do it...

"... just so that the Seals won't fall into the wrong hands..."

"They're already in wrong hands," Jacob replied grimly.

Chuckling, Marcus headed to the edge of the platform. "True that..." He let out another sigh and he actually seemed a little happier. "You know things won't be able to go back to the way they were, right? Even if we get Gale back to a semblance of sanity, it's not like we can erase from his memory what he did. Balthazar also already knows about you and Gale's plot so chances are, he'll get deposed. Not to mention he'll send guys to hunt us all down.

"I doubt the people of Pollenburn can keep travelling around Eden indefinitely. That massive hunk of metal is pretty hard to miss."

Jacob stood beside Marcus. The chunk of rock was hovering there to take them to the next platform but they didn't take it just yet. They stared out into the expanse of the storm. Realising just how vast the destruction was, MODD would have been blind not act. Some form of retribution was coming...

"So,"_Spectre sighed,"either we save Gale and get crushed by MODD or we_ don't_stop Gale and get turned into mashed meat just like Sherry. Only_ you_can find yourself in these situations, Jake."_

There has to be some payoff in all of this... There has to be some reason_we're doing this..._

"For Gale?"

...

Jacob blinked... a grin slowly crawling onto his features.

"What?" Marcus asked.

"MODD is still a corporation... isn't it...?" he began.

"Yes... Why?"

"Just trust me on this," he said with a smirk. "Make sure you stick around, though. It won't work unless you're alive."

Marcus chuckled and jumped onto the rock. "Don't worry. I don't plan on dying."

"Jacob! Behind you!"

His senses screamed and he immediately shoved Marcus to the ground.

Whoosh!

A golden blade of light slipped past them both, barely missing Jacob's nose.

The Unsealed Gale stood at the opposite end of the platform.

I was wondering what happened to him...

"So..." Jacob began, readying his light-swords and spreading his wings. "What's the dirt on this guy?"

Marcus grumbled and rose to his feet, retrieving his scimitar. "He's probably an extension of Gale's will. A personification of everything that he has gone through. A 'false' version of himself to symbolise the false future he sought."

That's really pretty deep...

"Where'd that come from?"

Marcus smiled faintly and as the Unsealed Gale began to approach them. "I've feared something like him appearing. Even got a name for him. 'Dark Gale'."

Jacob winced loudly as the Unsealed Gale charged, flinging out his wakizashi in one hand and a kunai in the other. He clashed his blade with the wakizashi just as Marcus clashed his scimitar against the kunai. The 'false' Gale used his momentum to somersault over them both. He reached into his armour and threw a few, ball-bearings at them.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Thick, black smoke encased them both. Jacob lunged forward, emerging from the cloud.

Marcus!

CLANG!

The smoke abruptly cleared, brushed aside by a tremendous wind. Marcus clashed blades with the 'Dark Gale'.

"What?" the kangaroo asked, managing to grin slightly behind his grimace. "'Dark Gale' not good enough for you?"

The Unsealed Gale planted both feet against Marcus' chest and kicked off, sending the marsupial to the ground. Gale lunged forward in mid-flight -

CLANG!

... only to be barred by Jacob's blades.

"He doesn't strike me as particularly 'dark'," Jacob answered. "I was thinking more 'Nemesis Wind'."

The Unsealed planted both feet against Jacob's chest but before he could repeat his attack on Jacob, the wolf disengaged their blades, drove his two swords into the ground and seized Nemesis Wind's ankles. Using his superior strength and size, he slammed the Unsealed hard against the ground, cracking the floors. He flung the Unsealed around and hurled it into the storm.

Nemesis Wind froze in midair and straightened himself, appraising the two warriors with cold, emotionless eyes.

"Fitting," Marcus grunted, rising beside Jacob. "I like it."

"When you spend your time mostly alone and doing crazy things, you tend to let your imagination go wild. Creative names are sort of my forte."

Marcus let out a loud shout and his entire body was encased in a flash of brilliant, gold and green light. Seconds later, he stepped out of the light, encased in his Seal Armour.

"Our goal isn't this guy. We have to get to Gale. Think you can hold him off while I get us there?"

Jacob smirked. "Do pigs fly?"

He thought he heard Marcus chuckled at that.

Nemesis Wind suddenly lunged forward, lashing out with his wakizashi. A barrage of those Wind Blades screamed towards Jacob and Marcus. Jacob countered by sending several swords of light to intercept the blades. Where they clashed, bursts of light and golden winds erupted. Marcus jumped onto their trusty rock and Jacob followed shortly after.

The winds abruptly picked up. A huge funnel of black winds erupted from high above them and tore into their previous platform.

Oh shit...

"Marcus... Move it!"

Marcus didn't need telling twice and the rock zoomed towards the next platform. The funnel chased them, closing the one hundred and fifty metres they had between them rapidly.

Six platforms remained until they hit the very top of the tower.

We've got to make it!

BOOM!

A Wind Blade sliced right through their rock, sending it crumbling. Both of them jumped the last few metres and landed securely on the next platform. Neither of them wasted time and charged to the next edge. Kunai and Wind Blades descended around them, snapping at their feet as that tornado closed the gap between them, reducing it to a hundred and twenty metres.

"Got another rock there!?" Jacob shouted.

"I'm no amateur, Reaper!"

On cue, the shards of their previous transport flew in from the sides, forming a series of steps up to the next platform. Jacob let Marcus go first as he flung around and sent a wave of swords at Nemesis Wind. The Unsealed swerved away from the blades... but they quickly spun in the air and chased him back down.

With a grim grin, Jacob charged up the rocky stepping stones.

The tornado was a hundred metres away from them.

Nemesis Wind suddenly dropped down in front of them, hovering at the edge of their current platform. He slashed upwards with his wakizashi. A huge Wind Blade cut right through the platform, slicing it perfectly in two. The two halves tilted to the sides.

Jacob felt his feet slipping as gravity fought against him.

The tornado was ninety metres away...

"Marcus!"

With a loud roar, he spread his wings and leapt into the air. The winds instantly picked up, trying to knock him into the storm. Marcus chose that instant to leapt towards him from the other half of the platform. Jacob immediately seized the kangaroo's paw and hurled him towards the next platform. At the same time, Marcus spun around and threw the 'teeth' of his scimitar at Jacob. The cloud of metal clamped tightly around his wrists and ankles,pulling him towards the next platform just as Marcus landed.

They exchanged wry grins... at least Jacob thought they did. He couldn't see Marcus' face beyond the helm.

BOOOM!

The tornado consumed their last platform... sixty metres away.

Three platforms down... three to go.

On some unspoke command, they charged towards the last edge.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Tiny ball-bearings descended around them. Black smoke erupted all around them, accompanied by swarms of kunai and Wind Blades. Jacob grunted as some of them cut through his flesh, slicing through his cloth armour. Thankfully, the armour absorbed most of the impact and he was only given a few, shallow cuts or bruises. The kunai bounced off Marcus' armour but the Wind Blades sliced right through it, drawing blood.

Nemesis Wind appeared between them and the next platform.

Forty metres away.

Marcus roared and lunged at the Unsealed. Jacob could have sworn the Unsealed's eyes went wide in shock as Marcus tackled him in midair. The marsupial instantly realigned himself, pressing both feet against Nemesis Wind's chest and kicking off. The strength of the jump sent him soaring and landing on the penultimate platform.

Jacob grinned as Nemesis Wind spun around in surprise. He jumped onto the Unsealed's shoulder and used them as a platform just like Marcus, landing securely beside the kangaroo.

Twenty metres.

The tornado was so close that its winds were sucking them both into its embrace.

"Reaper!"

"What!?"

"Save Gale!"

Jacob's heart froze. "Say what!?"

Marcus stared directly at him. Despite the helm, he could feel the kangaroo's gaze. "I'll hold off Nemesis Wind. You need to get to Gale and make him stop all this."

Ten metres.

Jacob shook his head. "Are you nuts!? That thing will kill you!?"

Nine...

He felt Marcus grin. "My Elements are Earth and Wind, Jacob. I'm the most equipped to deal with this. Earth beats Wind and I also_have Wind on my side. I can take this."_

Eight metres...

It was true... Essentially, Marcus was like an anti-Wind soldier. No wonder he was Gale's bodyguard. It was prudent to have someone fight by your side that could combat your own Element should anyone ever use it against you.

Seven... Six...

"Go,"_Marcus said softly. _"Gale may have gone nuts but he gave you something. You shine with your own light now, Reaper. A light that was sparked by Gale. I can see it."

Five...

"Do it for Gale... Do it for Sherry... Do it for all Mortaelis."

Four...

Jacob gnashed his teeth together and gripped Marcus' forearm tightly. "Just don't die. I'll be damned if I let you sacrifice yourself like this. I kicked your ass and you've got at least another ten years of me rubbing it in your face!"

Three...

Marcus laughed and gripped his forearm back. "Wouldn't have it any other way, Reaper."

Two...

Jacob released Marcus' arm and spun around, using his speed to zoom right down the second to last platform. He jumped the gap between the platforms, landing securely on it. The Seal of Fate's Winds glowed brightly above him with what appeared to be a... throne room hovering at its centre. He cast one last glance behind him...

BOOOM!

The tornado consumed the platform Marcus occupied...

Gritting his teeth, Jacob turned and ran towards the Seal. He spread his wings and flew through the Seal. A slight, tingling sensation washed over him as he passed through its golden expanse. No winds bothered him.

It was odd... in a tower based completely on the winds and with a Seal that controlled the Element of Wind... the very top was oddly silent.

Jacob landed on the edge of the throne room, farthest away from the throne itself. A long, golden carpet led from the broken archways of what must have been the door into the room, flanked by several broken pillars and shattered walls. On the throne itself, elevated miraculously by some unknown force...

... was Gale Winthrop, Elemental Lord of Wind....

Wildwind... and also known as the Ninja of the Seven Winds.

A strange sense of serenity filled Jacob as he slowly strode down the golden carpet. Gale was holding his head with one palm, that elbow resting on the armrest of his throne. His now golden irises watched him closely as Jacob approached.

When Jacob reached the foot of the throne, he wasn't sure whether to bow, kneel or attack there and then.

Instead... he released his Brand Form.

_"What are you doing...?"_Spectre asked wearily.

It was clear he wasn't going to get any assistance from his Animus.

Gale can still be reasoned with...

... I think...

"Save your breath."

Jacob found himself unable to breathe...

"Nothing you can say will change my mind," Gale continued, his voice full of sorrow, anger and regret. "My entire life was forged from a lie just like yours was. How could I continue building a future when my past it steeped in Balthazar's deception?"

"So what?" Jacob replied, after taking a deep breath. "You're just going to destroy everything that you've worked on and start over? Don't you think that's a waste of time and resources?"

"The real waste would be to continue on with this farce!" Gale roared, his voice strangely echoing. "Pollenburn... this Tower... Everything that I am is nothing more than a big lie! What do you think people will say when they realise that all my power, everything that I've done in the name of 'good' was caused by some unwitting sacrifice brought on by the greed of some filthy pig!?"

The answer was simple... Jacob had been working on it for a while now...

"They'll say that you made the best out of a terrible situation."

Gale looked up at him... surprised and a just a little appalled.

Before the chimpanzee could say anything, Jacob continued. "It doesn't matter where we come from, what led to our birth or how we got our strength. What matters is what we do with all of that. Even when people create weapons of mass destruction - weapons that have wiped out countless lives - people use that knowledge to teach one another about the responsibilities of possessing such power."

"Or coerce others into submission," Gale growled.

Erm... yeah...

"Okay, bad example," Jacob said, shaking his head. "There are just some things we can't prevent. Back then, you were incapable of preventing the Plague. You could never have known what the source of the Seals really was nor what Balthazar had planned. I'm all up for getting revenge for the bastard. I know I don't care but I can see that you do and if you need someone to hold down the spineless, manipulative ass, I'm your wolf but you don't have to destroy everything that you built.

"You took something terrible and used it for good. Don't direct your anger at the people who were merely following you. They don't deserve to be wiped out."

Gale's fists tightened around his armrests. "No? Are you telling me the people who support MODD aren't worth being destroyed? The people who fuelled Boswin's plans shouldn't be annihilated? The people who lied to me to keep my 'innocence' shouldn't be wiped off the face of this planet!?

"Everyone is a liar, Jacob! Whatever they do, they make a foundation of lies and continue to build upon it! Building, constantly building until finally, the weight of all their lies comes crashing down on their heads! It doesn't matter if the structures built upon those lies was good or not. It will all come crashing down!

"I am not targeting the innocents, Jacob. I am targeting all the lies! Let the world start anew, free of lies and deceit!"

Gah... That actually sounds like a half-decent plan...

... if he wasn't going about it in a psychotic sort of way...

"You know..." Jacob began softly, reaching into the pockets of his jeans. "... your problem has always been that you're constantly looking at the future... You're looking towards what will be and never looking at where you've been. Even now... you're looking at a world that is free of lies... but forgetting how you came to that conclusion..."

He pulled out a tiny trinket... A small, flower preserved in amber-like crystal.

"Remember where you've been Gale... Remember that while the world you built had a shaky foundation, ultimately, you still built it. Yes, MODD told you the lie but it was you who accepted the lie. MODD gave you the blueprints but you were the one who laid the first brick.

"You can't blame the world for something you constructed. Certainly circumstances may have led you to that decision but ultimately, you have to accept responsibility for that decision."

Jacob tossed the trinket to Gale.

The Elemental Lord of Wind caught it... and regarded it in his hands with widened eyes. "Where did you get this?"

"Can't really tell you that..." Jacob chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Don't really know myself..." His eyes locked with Gale's. "It's your building, Gale. Destroying everyone else's lives is meaningless. They built their lives around yours. Even if your life was built on a lie, doesn't mean that they did the same.

"Think about the people whose lives were ended on a similar pretence. Lillia Boswin saw her husband's lie and wanted to punish him and the world for the truth. Look what happened. Your brother, Danny, ended up getting turned into a Seal and countless others with him. Your life was destroyed as a result. Now you're going to do exactly the same thing."

Gale scowled at the trinket, closing his hand around it. His eyes closed and a tear slipped down his cheek. "No... I won't be like Lillia Boswin... I won't make the mistake of letting future generations suffer from my mistakes."

Jacob let out a sigh of relief.

He couldn't believe his words actually stopped a mad rampage.

Wow... I gotta do more talking in the future...

Gale's eyes flicked open, full of rage and hate. "I won't let anyone survive."

Uh-oh...

"What...?" Jacob exclaimed.

"The cycle ends here!" Gale shouted, rising to his feet. Unsealed came flying in from all directions, surrounding Jacob. Nemesis Gale appeared in a flurry of golden winds right beside Gale. "I will destroy all civilisation! I'll bring down MODD to ensure that this is never repeated again! I won't let anyone rise from the ashes only to bring the world back into ash!

"Mortals will use tragedy to 'teach' one another but that in itself is a lie! Either they hide behind proclamations of 'peace' and 'prosperity' or they use ignorant fools like myself to wield the power in the hopes that it will placate the public, bring them more popularity and the fool will never dare to use the power against them!

"They rebuild themselves around the tragedy, monopolising on the pain and suffering of others! They build more and more and then, when civilisation seems at its greatest, they wipe it all out, piling on the ash to make an even greater civilisation from the ruins of the last!

"No civilisation will stand on a bed of ash!"

Jacob deflated, wincing slightly. "Oh great..."

"You words are really_very powerful, Jake,"_ Spectre sighed. "You failed to convince Gale to stop... Instead, you strengthened his resolve. Bravo. You're one hell of a supervillain."

Shut up.

Jacob summoned his two swords, swinging them expertly in his paws. "So... You're set on destroying the world, right?"

"My storm will wipe out everything and everyone," Gale sneered. "The Mortaelis will be nothing. Not even ash." In one gesture, he threw away Danny's trinket, sending it into the storm.

"I was afraid you'd say that..." Jacob readied himself. "I'm sorry Gale... But even the greatest storm has to die eventually!"