To A Thief - Chapter 49: The Final Battle - Part 1

Is this the end?

???

Standing at the edge of a cliff side taking in the melody of the night, stood Draven gazing up at the full moon in all its glory. It was beautiful. Perhaps one day, he could have a world just like the moon. It reflected itself in his eyes, shining down at him like the light that once resided in his darkness. 

"You are alone?" A girl standing behind him asked, her silent but gentle voice ringing in his ears. It was the Ninja known as Kyrie. "Did your friends not come with you?" 

Draven remained silent, just staring up at that glorious moon. 

"I see... so they really don't care to be with you," she responded to his silence. "For whatever reason, they choose fate. Once again, Altana has brainwashed everyone with her beauty, like a black thorny rose..." 

The girl walked up to Draven's side, undoing the lace in her hair and letting it cascade down to her shoulders as she took in the full moon. "It's beautiful, isn't it? Like a pearl that isn't quite out of the way. We can see it, but we can't touch it. Not just yet," she said, walking up to the very edge of the cliff to take the hazy light of night in completely, her hair flowing behind her and almost glowing in the shine belonging to the great pearl in the sky. 

Draven let his eyes fall to her for a moment, thinking back... far back. 

******

Deep in a forest shrouded by the cover of the tree leaves and lit only by the moon light shining through the nooks between the trees ran a young boy and a young girl. Their bare feet hardly made a sound as they patted the ground with each step, keeping a steady rhythm of panting that never picked up despite their speed. 

"Where are we going, Drae?" The girl called to him as she kept up behind him. "My mommy told me not to wander out here all by myself!" 

Drae would only chuckle, turning back to her and giving a wide smirk. "Don't worry! We'll be back before she notices. Just trust me, Kye!" 

"Hmmmph!" Kye grumbled as she followed him, whining, "But everyone else is playing rarab tag! And I was going to be the wolf this time... now they're going to skip me and I'm going to have to wait until my turn again!"

As Drae turned his back to continue running, he snickered. "That dumb game? You can play it any other time! You'd have to wait longer for something like this." 

With a sigh, she smiled and placed her hopes on him, hoping it was worth it. "Fine, then!" 

"Up!" Drae playfully grunted as he jumped over a small stream running through the forest. 

"Uh-up!" Kye tried to keep up, but yelped as her right foot hit the edge of the cold stream. 

Drae couldn't help but laugh. "You jumped too soon! You idiot," he shouted as he ran towards the opening that now came into view. 

Kye pouted, too embarrassed to say anything. 

As the two made it out into the other side, they were faced with a hill's cliff side and the midnight sky. Above was the beautiful full moon, beckoning them towards the edge of the cliff. 

"Here we are!" Drae smiled as he made his way up the hill and pointed down at the ground far below. "Look." 

Kye had stopped for a second when they reached the clearing and walked up the hill, looking up at the moon. It looked so much better here than it did back in their village. But when she dropped her gaze to what Drae was pointing at, her face lit up and she gasped in pleasant surprise. "It's the wolves!" 

There, down below on a lower section of the cliff side were a number of white wolves gathered at the edge. They looked up at their pristine moon; azure stripes running across their backs appearing to glow with its light. 

"It's about to start," Drae whispered, looking up at the moon in excitement. 

Kye tilted her head curiously and leaned over the edge just a little more, getting a good look at them. Before she would ask what Drae was talking about, they all began to howl beautifully into the night- a nocturnal chorus. 

It was like music to her ears. So melodic. She could almost join in alongside these hierarchs of their clan. In fact, as she smiled up at Drae, she could see him already engulfing himself in the moon's radiance and taking in a deep breath. 

He howled as they did, pouring his soul out into his voice. Truly, one would not be able to tell the howling apart if they weren't looking at the two kids up in the hill's cliff side. 

Kye giggled as she watched him howl, making him turn to look at her with a grumpy and pink face. 

"It's not funny, Kye! This is cool!" 

"I'm sorry!" She giggled some more, holding her stomach. "I know it is! Even though we're not allowed! But it's just so funny to see somebody who isn't a wolf howling like that..." 

"Grr, Kye!" Drae growled, playfully pouncing her onto the soft grass and trying not to let his laugh break his seriousness. He failed miserably. 

The two laughed as they attempted to pin one another down. When Kye found herself on the ground over Drae's back, another round of howling from the hierarchs began. The two kids remained like this on the grass, smiling and joining in with them. They howled up at their precious moon before giggling once more. 

"So?" Drae grinned as he rotated his body and decided to pin Kye down instead, looking down at her. "Worth it or not?" 

Kye looked up at him and felt her face turn hot as her cheeks went pink. It took her a moment to answer, but she nodded and replied after pushing him off with a smile, "Yeah... it was."

******

Draven walked up to Kyrie, bringing a hand to her shoulder and turning her to face him. He looked at her firmly with his eyes- no longer the eyes that once only ever followed. Now, his eyes simply led on. 

She herself found that she still followed him, just as before. After all this time. 

"Kyrie," he said. "I'll restore our clan. That's a promise. I don't care if I have to do it alone." 

She looked back at him through moonlit eyes. At first she would only stare, but eventually, she let the beginnings of a smile riddle her face as she looked down. "You really have remembered, haven't you? Fine. But you won't be doing it alone," she said taking his hand off her shoulder and bringing it into both of hers. "We'll do it together, Draven." 

Brigade H.Q.

Stiff tossed and turned in his bed, being careful not to wake Okina as she slept peacefully beside him. He had practically wrought himself to sleep the night before, and though it was still dark out, it wouldn't be long until morning was here. It also didn't help that he had napped just before he had that conversation with him previously.

"I can't do this," he grumbled to himself in a whisper. He just couldn't go back to sleep. That was the last thing he wanted to do now, as much as he cherished being with Okina. Everyone else must have been asleep too, because it was really quiet. 

Throwing his feet off of the bed side and sitting up, he rubbed the palm of his hand against his drowsy eyes. There was one other reason he knew he couldn't go back to sleep. Looking back, it was always at this time that he would come into his room and give him a rude awakening, telling him to get his a*s out of bed because it was time to make money. 

Sighing, Stiff let his eyes trail over his trashed room- the result of his break out the previous night. But then he noticed something odd. The door was wide open... and he was sure last night didn't happen with the door open for all to see. Not for what he did with Okina.

It was dark in the hallway, but he began to hear footsteps. They were approaching from the end of the hall towards his room. 

It could have just been one of his friends, but he didn't quite recognize these steps... something was off about them. 

They grew louder and louder, and Stiff listened until he saw the source of the steps.

That damned hooded visage of the Descent! The last man he wanted to see here in his own residence... 

He grabbed his daggers off the counter but before he could act on anything, the Descent leader stretched an arm out into the room and from his palm and brought a long thin strand of darkness zipping right into Stiff's chest. 

However, it didn't pierce him or anything. It merely seeped into his very own body, somehow freezing him in place and making him unable to speak or move. 

"What!?" Stiff's eyes winced in surprise. "What's going on? I can't move... my body is stuck!" 

Opening his hand wider, the shrouded man allowed for more darkness to lace around the previous strand, causing it to grow thicker. 

As Stiff's body began to emit a dark aura around it, the man pulled his hand back a bit and made him stand on his two feet. 

"He's controlling me with the darkness...?" Stiff thought, only able to furrow his brows. "S**t, nobody's awake either. This guy's got me like some puppet." 

Okina didn't stir at all. Even if she could hear it, with how silent everything was, she would probably only think it was Stiff being restless like he had been that whole night. 

As the man led him through the common room and outside, he reached forward and grabbed Stiff's linkpearl before proceeding. He threw it away into the sea as they walked on beside the edge of Jeuno. 

The few people that were already awake and wandering about town didn't notice anything unusual. Probably because it was still too dark, and walking side by side with the man this way made it harder to see the darkness connecting the two like conjoined twins. 

"B*****d. He just waltzed right in and back out like nobody's business," Stiff thought, annoyed. He wondered where he was taking him. 

Once the two were outside of Jeuno, the Descent leader activated his dark pendant and manifested a portal in front of them. When he stepped forward, he appeared to be multiplying into two at first, but then Stiff saw that it was actually the crimson haired boy from before. He had been "inside" the Descent leader, in the form of the darkness. 

Ecco stood there with his arm out, giving Stiff a narrow grin while holding him locked in the darkness like he thought the leader had been doing. "Don't try to resist, Stiffy," he said, calling him by Okina's made up nickname to Stiff. "I mean, you're welcome to try but I'd hate to see you strain yourself over something so... meaningless?"

Stiff could only glare at him in this position. He hated this kid with a passion for what he did to Moku. This was only the second time seeing him, and already he wanted to choke the life out of his little neck. 

"I think he hates me, boss," Ecco pouted as he looked at Stiff's glare. "And here I was hoping I would get along with Aiden's kid, of all people." 

"I don't blame him," The Descent leader grumbled, making his way through the portal. "Hurry up."

Ecco gave a long sigh and hung his head for a moment before standing up straight and looking at Stiff, shrugging. "Story of my life! Oh, well. Come on Stiffy, let's go." 

As he turned and started leading him through the portal, Stiff came up with an idea that he thought might work. The moment Ecco walked into the other side, he began to activate a Pulse Attack- or rather, a Dragon Flare as the wyrms called it into the blade of his right dagger. He was still holding them, after all... and while he couldn't move his body, he could still control his own energy. 

And so... he followed in right after the boy. 

Grauberg

Walking out into the other side of the portal, which was the wasteland of Grauberg, the Descent leader stepped away and waited for Ecco to emerge after him. 

He was taking longer than expected for whatever reason, probably taunting Stiff again, he thought. 

But he was a bit surprised when he heard a distant explosion coming from within the portal... and not long after, Ecco came out flying with an "Eeeep!" 

He wasn't alone, either. Stiff had him by the neck, flying out with him. The darkness binding the two had been severed suddenly, and now that he was free, Stiff let the two fall to the ground- somewhat slamming him with the way he was holding him. 

Not wasting another moment, he growled as he readied to pummel the period-blood-hair colored little twit. And he honestly must apologize for that visualization, but it was time for payback! 

However, he didn't get to do much of anything. Upon raising his fist into the air, Ecco was quick to send two small tendrils of darkness to wrap around Stiff's wrist. He did the same when he would attempt to swing the other fist at him. 

"Whoa! That was clever, Stiffy!" Ecco smiled. "You almost got me. Played me like a fidd-" 

POW!

The last thing Ecco had expected was for Stiff to smash foreheads with him. And that's exactly what he did, in an attempt to headbutt him. 

Stiff didn't care how, he just wanted to hurt the little prick... unfortunately his head was harder than it looked, and he wasn't lined up to do that again. But still, it felt good!

He kept his forehead digging against Ecco's while gnarling at him. 

The boy had gone silent, eyes shut tight for a moment as he let the pain sink in. After that, he opened his eyes slowly and looked right back into Stiff's. 

"Well... this is pretty romantic," Ecco muttered, looking at him with a light smirk. "I like it rough." 

"What the hell!?" Stiff pulled his head back. "Fricken' creep!" 

The Descent leader pulled his hood down and rubbed the bridge of his nose, annoyed. "I turned my back on you for a second, Ecco..." 

"Sorry!" Ecco chuckled in defeat. "I didn't think he could still pull off that dragon stuff, you know? Guess there's no point binding him for now." 

Stiff struggled against the tendrils wrapped around his wrists, attempting to slash at them with his daggers but to no avail. They just didn't seem to cut. Eventually he just stopped and remained on his knees, gritting his teeth and digging his knuckles into the ground. 

"I hate you... so much," he growled. 

"Is that so?" The Descent leader replied, turning his back and taking a few steps away. "Is it because I turned your closest friend against you? Hmph. It is you who have turned against him. It is you who has turned against us..." 

Stiff's eyes followed the man, his glare never leaving him. 

"You and few others like you were meant to be the harbingers of peace. But alas, you were all misjudged, just as you misjudge me now," he explained, not making much sense to Stiff. The man lowered his gaze towards the ground, almost showing a hint of sadness in his emotionless stare. "In the end, I could only save you two..." 

He turned to face Stiff and pointed at him. "I may have failed you all once, just like Altana did... but I won't do so again. I won't give up the way she did. We shall restore order. We will create a new world- one garnered by darkness and the people who accept such an unbreakable balance as its shepherd. The balance between light and dark in this world, has all but shattered." 

"Don't you ever shut up?" Stiff scowled at the man. "You all are nothing but murderers..." 

"You misunderstand," the man replied. "You speak as though you've seen me draw blood, apart from the demon; Vincent. The man who led the Raven Unit years ago into the slaughter of your kind- of catalysts. Even so, my intentions were not to kill him. He repented for that tragedy a long time ago. And if it weren't for the interference of the mage, he would have not perished."

"Oh, right, like you care!" Stiff shouted. "You do nothing but ruin lives! You took Vincent away from us and more importantly, from Claire! You stripped so many people of their families. Also, you took Draven and Moku from us! It's people like you who are killing Vana'diel, not saving it. And while you may not have done it yourself, all the blood that your members spilled is in your hands!" 

Stiff's muscles began to convulse as his own darkness broke free from his body and ate away the shadowy tendrils Ecco had been using to hold his hands down. While shouting at this man that he hated so much, the whites of his eyes started flickering from black to white until they just stopped and remained black. 

His voice eventually just became a low snarl. Without wasting another second, he began a fast charge on his hands and feet towards the Descent leader. 

Catalyst Stiff: "En sien to ka o'o pien'te!" 

                (Now it is time for you to repent!)

The man narrowed his eyes and prepared himself, drawing two blades of darkness from his palms. 

Before either side could act, Stiff was tackled in midair by a sudden target that had flown through a stream of its own darkness very fast at him. 

It was Draven, having arrived fast enough to stop Stiff from attacking his new leader. The two of them, both in catalyst form tumbled countless feet over the ground until they came to a stop with Draven pinning Stiff down. 

Catalyst Draven: "O'e da o'o ka'no qui!? I'n so o'o I'n node ki're o'o! En o'o nous de'o."

                       (Why did you come here!? I told you I would kill you! Now you must die.)

Catalyst Stiff: (Growling and in a frenzy, he grabs Draven by the throat and uses the darkness coming out of his arm to create a firmer grip on his friend's throat. With this, he stands up and chucks Draven up at the air with the help of his darkness, which stretches outward like an elastic band and back after the throw.)

Catalyst Draven: (Watches as Stiff begins to follow after him on foot. Using the altitude and speed of the throw, Draven faces forward and forms a bow-like arch with his darkness spanning across his arms and feet to tear and glide through the air. Doing this, he would lead Stiff away from the Descent leader and fight him head-on.) 

Catalyst Stiff: (Gnarling and forming multiple appendages with the darkness and using them to follow Draven quicker, like some giant spider.) 

"Heh, off they go," Ecco smirked. "They're getting better at utilizing their... faculties, aren't they? I'm proud! Aren't you, boss?"

The Descent leader winced as he watched the two catalysts engage, getting ready to follow. "Let's go! I need both of them alive." 

But before he could take anymore steps, he heard the buzzing of an engine in the sky which grew closer until it became a roar. Looking up, he saw an airship approaching from above. 

"Not so fast, Descent!" A woman's voice called out of the loud com. 

"What?" The man squinted as he got a closer look. Although the sky was dimmed and gray with rain clouds, morning had come so he could see the emblem of Icarus on the air craft's body. 

"Eh? Did you invite any special guests to this party, boss?" Ecco blinked as he looked up at the ship curiously. 

A few wires connected to the airship dropped down below, and with it, the familiar faces of Brigadiers- specifically, Stiff's friends. 

One by one, Claire, Vero, Nanaa, Annie, Mel, Okina, Bear, and Flint repelled down the cables and landed swiftly on the ground, each drawing their weapons and making their way towards the enemy. 

"Ya ain't getting the jump on us again!" Flint smirked as he slid his custom gun out of its holster and began to load it. 

"It's over, Derpscent," Annie mocked, keeping her hand on the hilt of her great katana.

"Yeah, yeah! You're going to pay for what you did to Moku and Draven!" Okina called after them. 

"Take her away, Wert," Bear spoke into his linkpearl at their smithy, who could apparently fly airships as well. "This place is too rough for a landing." 

"Sekai's airship, the Icarus Wing?" The Descent leader said. "Hmph, he must have taken notice of our presence in Jeuno and brought you here." 

"Well, you're half-right," Mel replied as the group stopped just across the two enemies. "He saw you sneak in and decided it'd be best to warn us after you've upped and left... though he didn't bring us here himself. He just let us borrow his ship while he took care of some other business." 

"End of the line, a*****e," Vero gnarled as he slammed the end of his great axe against the ground. "I want to cut those fluffy ears of his off. Dibs on them." 

"So, you're the infamous man we're all after then? Such a shame. You are a lot more handsome than I imagined," Nanaa giggled as she took a good look at the Descent leader's uncovered face. "Tsk, tsk, you Mithran men... always getting yourselves killed somehow~"

(From left to right: Flint, Nanaa, Claire, Bear, Vero)

(From left to right: Mel, Okina, Annie)

The Descent leader looked at them all without any change in expression. "It's all the same. This makes no difference to me," he replied. "No amount of you will be able to stop me. You are just prolonging the inevitable." 

Ecco was leaning forward getting a good look at them all, a wide smirk on his face. "Ohhh, what a good looking bunch. Finally, things are starting to pick up. I can tell this is going to be a lot of fun... but, I thought they all wore Brigade insignias? And isn't there supposed to be more of them?" 

"The Brigade is overseeing things in Jeuno," Claire explained. "The reason we do not bear our banner this day, is because we aren't fighting as the Brigade. We're fighting for Vana'diel... as her children. The scourge of your Descent ends here." 

"Hmph," the Descent leader stepped to one side, giving them all an emotionless gaze as usual. "When you are done speaking hypocrisy, you may come at me." 

(The Descent leader)

Before any of them could approach, Vero stuck his axe out to stop them all. "Don't bother, I got this punk a*s. I've been waiting for this moment since he took Vincent out... I can finally try that."

Vero: (Steps forward and gives a short ended grunt, starting up a red aura around him. He holds his great axe in both hands and begins tensing the muscles of his upper body.) 

Descent leader: (Raising a brow.) Berserk? Such a low level ability isn't going to do anything for you.

Vero: (Smirking.) Keep watching, tough guy. (Giving a low growl as the red aura around him becomes agitated. It rotates quickly around his arms, faster and faster until it spurs what looks like flames engulfing his arms.) I call this little number, 'Ire'. That little runt Stiff isn't the only one that's been doing some training around here...!

Flint: Whoa, Vero's on fire! 

Annie: Now he's more hot-headed than ever... 

Descent leader: Hmph. 

Vero: (Approaching his target and ignoring his friends, he unfurls a chain that is wrapped around his arm and connected to the end of his great axe. Within the next second, he swings the large weapon forward heavily, sending it spinning like a boomerang at the Descent leader.) 

Descent leader: ( ! ) It's fast... (He ducks and rolls off to the side, just barely dodging the spinning two handed weapon.) 

Vero: Tch, it's not over yet! (His arm is tugged as the axe unfurls the rest of his chain, and right after that he pulls the chain back hard in his own direction. This causes his great axe to come flying right back at him, headed straight for his target once again.)

Descent leader: (Surprised once again by the speed and flight of the incoming great axe, turns around and jumps backward kicking his legs up into the air and forcing his body to flip back. The heavy though razor sharp edge just barely grazes his ear, cutting off a section of fur and nothing else. The moment he lands on his feet and turns quickly back towards Vero's direction, he's nearly met face to edge with the Elvaan warrior's axe.) 

Vero: (Grits his teeth and tightens his grip around the hilt of his weapon as the Descent leader's two blades of darkness clash with the edge of the axe in a crossed manner.) You're pretty damn fast, but the look on your face shows how surprised you were at the speed of such a big and heavy weapon like my great axe. The materials I used to make this specific axe- crafted solely to kill you, are rare and exclusive. Combined with my Ire ability, I'm the only guy in the world with something like that and this kind of two-handed fighting style! 

Descent leader: (Keeping his dual blades up and pushing them against his opponent's axe.) I'll admit, you caught me off-guard. But now that I know for sure, it would appear as though you're back to square one. (Slashing both of his crossed blades outward, he sends Vero's light axe off to the side easily and gives a quick, separate slash across the warrior's chest, shortly before kicking him in the stomach and sending him tumbling back to the others.) 

Vero: Ugh! (Sprawled on the floor, his Ire flames disperse. He pushes himself up on one knee and and presses his hand to his chest, wincing.) 

Okina: Vero! Are you okay, okay? (Going over to him.) 

Vero: I'm FINE! (Getting back up and picking his axe up angrily, letting the blood run down his chest.) 

Mel: Um, yeah... I don't think going against him one-on-one is a smart thing to do. 

Annie: That's what he gets for trying to play hero! (Shaking her head and pulling her sword out.) 

Bear: He's quick. I haven't seen the other guy do anything either...

Descent leader: (Raising a brow and looking back at Ecco.) Why are you still here...? You were supposed to go after them. 

Ecco: (Standing up straight and laughing helplessly) Oh, alright. I was hoping I could enjoy the show a little longer, but I guess I have another one to attend to. Besides, it doesn't look as though this one will go anywhere. (Saluting everyone and running off with a smirk before streamlining away in the darkness the same way Draven does.) Ciao! 

Descent leader: (Eyes closed, shaking his head.) That guy... he's the only real threat to me... with his stupidity. (He opens his eyes and sheathes one of his shadowy blades back into his palm to reach up at his pendant. Yanking it off of his neck, he holds it out before him and drops it on the ground below. It doesn't bounce or land, it simply sinks through like a pebble dropped in water. It leaves a small indentation of darkness in the ground, which begins to accumulate until it forms a larger portal, one that's bigger than their usual ones.) I'd best check to see if these recruits of his are what he says...

Out of the large portal, a number of more Descent members emerge, all draped in black hooded cloaks. Their faces, much like the leader had before, were all shrouded by those hoods. Kyrie also emerged from the portal among them. They all had appeared to be asleep, or unconscious and walking on their own. But they began to come to once they were out in the open. Judging by the sounds of their voices and body types, they all appeared to be just as young as the Brigadiers here. 

Fit Elvaan Male Recruit #1: (Looking down at his cloak and hands.) Ah, ta' hell is this? S**t, I was having a wet dream, too... 

Lanky Hume Male Recruit #2: (Rubbing his shrouded face drowsily and looking around the area.) Ugh, what a bummer...

Short, Glasses-Wearing Tarutaru Female Recruit #1: Eh? Is something wrong? Why was I summoned here? Shouldn't I be sleeping? Isn't Ecco supposed to be here? Am I supposed to be here? (Looking left and right, shrugging her shoulders. Though her face is shrouded in black, her reading glasses are quite visible. ) 

Slender Hume Male Recruit #3: (Cripwalking on the dirt while beatboxing. He snaps his fingers and points at everyone with both hands.)  Risqué! Risqué!

Slender, Big Breasted Mithran Female Recruit #2: (Crossing her arms over her chest.) Who dares interrupt the warmth of my sleep? I'm going to kill every last one of you. 

Small and Petite Hume Female Recruit #3: (Scans the area curiously, then stops as she notices the Descent leader and hops up once in a cheerful manner before running over to him and throwing her arms around him, giving a small giggle.) 

Descent leader: (Frozen in disbelief and in Female #3's embrace.) ... ECCO!

____________________________________________________________________________________

Continued in Chapter 49: The Final Battle - Part 2

Author's Note

Sorry this took so long >_< I got quite busy the last couple of days and it took some time to finish these incredibly rough, amateur sketches hehe... hope you like them at least a little bit!

Sorry for the size of the pictures! For whatever reason they's either big or small at times... photobucket sucks!

Reviews

[okina]

Aww that was such a sweet moment between Draven and Kyrie in the beginning. They seemed so innocent.. almost makes me wonder if they're really supposed to be the bad guys or not. I'm still cheering for Stiff and the Brigadiers though!
I can't wait for the next chapter. Sounds like the fight is going to be really intense and exciting!