The Ragnarok found its landing dock and floated down. Before the ship touched down, Reis had already jumped inside the cockpit and shocked the wits out of Laguna and company.
"We find that Pinion NOW!" She pointed to the desert surrounding Esthar.
Laguna looked dumbfounded for a moment, shook his head and moved the ship in that direction, "Yes Ma'am." Kiros snickered at how 'President Loire' just got bossed by a woman.
"You say something?" she glared at Kiros.
"Ummmmm......no?" he gulped.
If Ward could talk he would have been roaring with laughter just then, Kiros privately elbowed him in the ribs.
It only took a while, but Reis's party touched down where most Zuus habituate. Looking up, she saw a flock of the giant birds circling overhead.
"They think we're carrion.....good!" she grinned evilly.
Laguna whipped out his machine gun and clutched the trigger, not out of fear, but nervousness, those Zuu were hard to kill.
Kiros unsheathed his katal and prepared to rush the lowest diving zuu, while the loud clank of Ward's harpoon trudged behind him.
Watching carefully, the party saw the diving patterns of one of the Zuu, when it began to dive low, Reis jumped.
Stomping on the creature's head, she brought the Zuu to the ground with a loud thump, but the bird just got up and began to hover.
Using his powerful arms, Ward threw the giant harpoon like a spear, slashing the giant beast. Kiros followed up with two quick slices of his katal. This left the opening Laguna needed for his machine gun; he cocked it and fired a short burst. The bullets hit home, and the Zuu fell.
"Aww, nuts, just a Phoenix Down...sorry Reis, no Pinions." Kiros muttered as he handed it to her.
"I'm not sure, but maybe, this will help me." She pulled her Sagittarius Zodiac stone out of a parcel she kept on her person, even in the hot bright sun; it glowed a cool green hue. She touched the down to the stone.
A large flash blinded her, and she collapsed.
"Oh no, Reis!" Laguna jumped to catch her.
She was unconscious.
"You summoned me?"
"Uhhhnnn....my head hurts....who are you?"
"I am she who rises from ashes, I am the embodiment of Holy Fire, and life itself."
"You....you're the Phoenix?"
"What is it you wish of me? You did use a Pinion of my Plume to summon me did you not?"
"I.....didn't have a Pinion....I only had a Phoenix Down."
"Only a Zodiac Stone could generate such power to equal the Power of my Pinions....I sense you are one of the Zodiac Braves. I also sense your grave predicament. Because of your quest and your humble honesty......I grant you my spirit. Normally I would only grant this skill to Guardian Forces, but you have the spirit of Grace under Fire within you. You are also very kind in spirit, so I also grant you the Doctor's Code."
"B-but I'm confused.....what are these things you speak of?"
The giant Phoenix fluffed itself with plumage floating everywhere. Then spoke once again.
"A Dragon Knight is a very honorable title to obtain, yet it is a very lonesome title, is it not? Your battles up to this point have been fought with a spear, alone in the sky, all you know is the power of the Wind. I give you the power of Fire. Should the need arise, you have the power to resurrect your allies who you hold most dear to you, with but a touch you can heal their every wound. That--is the true Spirit of the Phoenix, and I have granted it to you. Always remember your friends, and never forget them, even in death, because they are never really dead, are they?"
Engulfed in an incredible column of fire, the Phoenix disappeared. Reis awoke with Laguna staring down at her.
"You okay...?"
"Yes.......we should go now, I have what I was looking for..."
"But what about the Pinion?" Laguna protested.
"The Phoenix spoke with me......she granted me the power to Revive and Recover my allies." Reis held the little fire-red down in her palm, it was soft and comforting, a memento, she placed it in the pouch where she kept the Zodiac Stone, for a remembrance.
"You spoke with the Phoenix? And got two abilities?....I THOUGHT ONLY GFS COULD DO THAT!" Laguna said, shocked beyond disbelief.
"No time to explain, we really need to leave, before it's too late."
"Tch....fine...don't tell me the really cool part of the story." Laguna snorted.
"Hey..." Kiros patted him on the back, "I guess you had to have been there."
The four took off in the Ragnarok and headed Southwest toward the Research center. It only took them a few moments to land and get past the first airlock.
"Like I said, they're at the bottom level. But what I didn't tell you is that there's a way to get down there, it's like a maze of airlocks and docks."
"And how do you suppose we find our way down their Ms. Dragoon?" Laguna retorted, "by compass?"
Reis tapped her forehead; "I have a perfect memory."
Ward and Kiros shrugged, "Figures," Kiros said.
After going down several flights of steps and through a series of airlocks, Laguna was bushed. Huffing and puffing he opened the bottom room floor airlock. He would definitely need to get a map of this place.
He then stopped breathing. There they were.
Kiros and Ward turned away in silence while Laguna nearly vomited right there.
"...Ugh.... onslaught....wasn't it?" he said looking at the mutilated bodies of her comrades.
She nodded, then closed her eyes and concentrated on touching each and every Brave, as the Phoenix had said, their wounds had healed, yet they were still not alive, not yet.
