"I guess if we're going to get across to that crack," Zidane said, "We'll have to use the bell and swing across."
It was no problem swinging across for Seifer, but Garnet was a little scared of heights.
"Don't worry, I'll be there with you," Zidane said, "You can hang on to me if you want."
"Um, Okay." She said, a little nervous.
It didn't take that long before they were all across and peering through the crack in the wall. What Seifer had said to be a big drop into an abyss turned out to be a large overhanging balcony that seemed to serve virtually no purpose save to stand on. Walking out they stood on the circular platform where they could get a good look at the Castle Proper.
Thunder and Lighting roared across the place as what appeared to be a full moon, but not any ordinary moon, shined down on them. The moon looked to be an eye of some kind, which chilled Garnet to no end.
"As soon as we find one of those keys, lets get back to the others, okay, Seifer." She gulped.
Suddenly a massive wind picked up and nearly blinded them. Covering their faces, Zidane, Seifer, and Garnet ducked as a massive creature flew over their heads.
"So you seek the Key of Souls…Defeat me, Tiamat, prince of the dragons, if you can..."
"We'll do more than that, you scaly freak!" Seifer yelled, perhaps his first-ever battle cry.
Diving into the fight, Seifer's Griever Blade lunged at the monster, but Tiamat seemed impossible to hit, it was just too fast.
"You think that I will let you win that easily, I'm more than you think. I am the brother of the great king of all dragons, Bahamut himself"
"Don't think for a minute that we're weak, Tiamat, we will destroy you!" Garnet stood defiant.
Screeching a high pitched cry that nearly deafened them, the monster swooped down on them, snapping particularly at Seifer.
Taking his opportunity, Seifer swung, hitting Tiamat's beak with a loud clang.
Taking his Tower, Zidane pole-vaulted high into the air and landed on the monster's back, plunging his blade into it's spine. The scales seemed to bite hard on the blade, but his determination and strength drove the Tower in.
Seeing what Zidane was doing, Tiamat performed an aerial barrel roll that nearly threw Zidane for a loop, except for the fact that he was hanging on for dear life by the Tower.
Seifer, seeing his chance, focused a Fated Circle shockwave upon Tiamat, stunning and disorienting the beast.
Garnet screamed, "Get off Zidane, he's about to crash into the tower!"
Zidane wide-eyed in terror, ripped out his weapon, and dove off Tiamat.
A loud crash rocked the side of the tower as Tiamat rammed itself into it.
The hit seemed to reorient Tiamat because he began to circle around high above the party like a dark vulture, waiting for his prey to let their guard down.
"Dammit, can't reach him!" Zidane yelled.
"We'll just have to wait till he gets low enough." Seifer replied.
"I have a better idea…" Garnet said, "Remember he's Bahamut's Brother, who better than to battle him, Zidane, I need your stone…."
Clutching Zidane's Zodiac Stone made out of her namesake, Garnet, she summoned one of the most awesome of her Eidolons: Bahamut himself.
Riding what looked like a massive hurricane, Bahamut swooped down and landed beside her, looking expectantly for her orders.
"Bahamut…your brother!!!" She pointed.
The dragon king's eyes widened in shock, that his own brother would betray their clan. Spreading forth his massive wings, he flew up to his brother and spoke.
"Brother...why..."
"You of all should know," he replied, "there is no room for man anymore, it is time for those of the heavens, angels, and dragons to rule this world."
“Altima...she is not what you think she is, she is no angel...She is a demon...A Lucavi...And you, a proud honorable dragon should know that we serve none, yet you obey her like an underling."
“How dare you...brother, say we serve none when you yourself serve that little girl down there."
"I heed man because man has saved my life on more than one occasion, I aid them, I do not serve them. You merely obey for the sake of a dragon's greed for power"
"I cannot call you brother anymore, Bahamut, it is time you die for betraying all dragons..."
With that Tiamat blew a cloud of wind in Bahamut's face and swiped a massive claw at him, knocking him down.
Catching himself, Bahamut dove upwards, slashing at Tiamat with his massive armored wings, like giant blades. Countering the blows, the powerful Tiamat caught Bahamut's wings and folded his own, preparing to force Bahamut to fall and take the brunt of the crash while crushing the Braves all in one move.
"This is not good!" Zidane yelled.
"We need your help this time guys!" Seifer yelled to the skies. In response the Guardian Force known as Griever appeared, and with a massive unknown strength, flew up and caught the spiraling dragons in both its paws.
"….I didn't know Griever could get that big!" Zidane stared in disbelief.
"This fight is between the two brothers; stand down Seifer, Garnet, Zidane!"
The three braves knew for certain this wasn't their fight now; and took cover inside the tower.
Seeing his plan to crush the braves and kill Bahamut thwarted by the emergence of the new GF, Tiamat flew into a rage at Bahamut, slashing and biting like a wild animal.
Taking Tiamat by the throat, Bahamut did the best he could to disable his brother and not kill him, he was the older brother after all.
Performing a backflip in mid air, Tiamat kicked Bahamut away. Then charged up his Dark Impulse attack, massive grey orbs of energy struck Bahamut like massive explosions. Stunned and losing flight balance, Bahamut grabbed the edge of the clock tower for support. Swinging himself up on the top of the tower and taking off again, he spearheaded Tiamat right in his stomach. The force knocked the two dragons further away from the castle. Tiamat clawed away at his brother's scales as they grappled in mid air. Luckily, Bahamut's scales were near impenetrable.
"Don't make me hurt you, brother..."
"Bahamut, we are no longer brothers, I will never forgive what you did, siding with the humans..."
"Father....I am sorry..." Bahamut seemed to shed dragon tears as he threw his brother away, and charged up his most powerful attack....Terra Flare.
The massive energy that emitted from Bahamut ripped across the sky, practically burning the clouds that surrounded the night sky. The beam of light hit its mark…and felled the dark dragon, once Bahamut's brother, and the beast fell into the sea.
Bahamut swooped down to the balcony and looked upon the sea surrounding the castle, then he did something surprising for a dragon, almost human.
He knelt down and wept for his brother.
Silent, but standing still behind the Dragon King was Griever. The Lion-Angel placed a solitary paw on Bahamut's wing, Bahamut turned, and to his surprise, Griever had a look of understanding in its eyes.
"We've lost something great this day, let us never forget him." Griever said.
Bahamut silently nodded, then both Guardian Forces spread their wings and took off, leaving a half sad, half stunned party with the Soul Key.
Garnet looked at Zidane and asked, "Is it worth it? All this death? Is it really worth it?"
Zidane was silent for a moment, "Someone once told me: those who die, choose their own path, and those who live, choose their path as well. We choose to fight against Altima, that is our path."
Garnet was beyond tears at this point, "Then we have to win. For all those who gave their lives."
The two embraced to comfort themselves, while Seifer did something no one had ever seen him do, nor had any noticed.
Thrusting his gunblade Griever into the stone ground, he knelt in respect for the loss of the Dragon King's brother.
After the three had rested they headed back down the tower, walking in silence toward the rest of the party.
Elsewhere in the castle, Cloud, Aeris, and Agrias had just entered the fountain room where it seemed as though the Armory Door was locked.
"Not for long eh?" Cloud smiled.
Taking the Armory key, he put it into the door's keyhole.
Nothing happened. The door was still locked.
"What the?" Cloud said.
Agrias smiled wryly, "Did you forget the riddle, we're supposed to 'give' the key back to fountain boy's brother." She pointed at the fountain.
The party examined the statue for keyholes, but couldn't find any. Then Agrias found out that one of the statue's hands was an open palm.
"I think he wants his key back." Cloud said smugly.
"Oh be quiet!" Agrias said gruffly, and put the key in the statue's hand. The weight of the key worked, the hand lowered, and the door to the Armory opened.
"Key of Death, here we come!" Aeris said.
Marching in the Armory, they found a strange head and withered looking hands, staring up at them from the floor.
"My name is Visage, I am the guardian of the Key of Death, any who wish to challenge me must never underestimate my power."
"Alright, then we challenge you!" Cloud drew his Ultima Weapon, which now glowed in the presence of the fiend. "Prepare to be destroyed!"
The fight was rather easy at first, the face was completely immobilized, and therefore rather easy to dispatch, the left and right hands were a little difficult as one cast magic, while the other was purely physical in attacks.
Aeris cast Silence on the left hand while, Agrias dispatched both hands with her powerful Stasis Sword strike.
The hands and face seemed to disappear, yet no death key was given.
"Something odd about that Visage!" Aeris said.
All of a sudden the ground started to shake, and the former Visage rose up out of the ground, now a massive Gargantua.
"I told you not to underestimate me! Now Die!"
The Gargantua took its now massive hand and slapped Cloud aside like a rag doll. Agrias charged forward and thrust her Save the Queen deep into the Gargantua's chest. Crying out in pain, the massive being grabbed Agrias and threw her aside, slamming against a wall.
"And now for the little girl."
"Beings of light delay impending darkness, Seal Evil!" Aeris yelled.
The being froze immediately in its tracks, completely stopped!
Cloud and Agrias got back up from the ground and readied their swords for…nothing?
The being had just been turned to stone. Cloud, testing the spell Aeris cast, tapped on Gargantua with his sword, and it crumbled like so much dust.
Inside the being was the Death Key. Which made the party very happy they didn't need to fight a huge fight.
"Thanks a lot, Aeris, you were great back there!" Agrias said.
"I'm glad I could help." She replied confidently.
Cloud, sheathing his sword, looked into Aeris's eyes and wondered why it was he loved her so much, he knew it wasn't for her power with magic, it was just because she was there with him.
"As long as you're with me, Aeris, I'll never be alone."
