A Coming Home (Pt. 33)

     Ice flooded Percival’s veins as she immediately recognized the voice. “G-Galahad, wait!” Whether he heard or not, she rushed to her father’s side and knelt, sliding on the uneven rubble a little. She takes the fallen king’s raised hand in both of hers. “Father... I thought the Sol Emeralds would have protected you. what happened?”
     The King shakes his head. “Powerful as they are, they... cannot face the wrath of Chaos... alone... Nor can any of you.” He coughs. “I... am no longer fit to... wield their power... I thought with them, I could fulfill the feats of the old heroes... Look how that turned out...”
“Father, don’t speak. Save your strength... Perhaps they can-”
     “No, no... I’ll be fine. It’ll take more than this to... take me down... for long, anyways. And I doubt they would heed my call, at this point. But you...” He manages a weak smile. “You still have the blood. Perhaps you can still control them...” He releases his daughter’s hands, reaching behind himself. With some effort, he places all seven of the Sol Emeralds into her hands, closing them around the glowing gems. “Take these... to Lancelot. He will know what to do... With the Emeralds, and with Chaos.”
     “Lancelot?” Galahad spoke, now. “What does my father know of these? Or Chaos, for that matter?” Immediately after speaking, he bit his lip to silence himself.
The king chuckled, although painfully. “He’s been around a lot longer than you think. But regardless... You don’t have the time to waste... Go now... and fight well... Camelot is truly in your hands...” He leans back against the wall, falling into what the two young knights hope is only unconsciousness.
     Percival bites back the tears threatening to fall from her eyes with the strong hope of her father’s life. And to further prevent them, she turns to Galahad. “Lancelot is... your father...? I wasn’t aware that...” She wasn’t sure how to put it.
     “Not many people are.” His voice grew soft, with both the king, and this new subject. He hadn’t meant to let that slip, out of habit. “I’ll... I’ll tell you everything later. After... this. But to put it simply, the mere fact that I am his son could get me killed.” He shifts from foot to foot for a moment. “I promise, I’ll explain everything later. But we need to get back to my–‒ back to Lancelot.”
     That raised many more questions than it answered, but she left the topic alone and ran back out of the castle with him, clutching his hand tightly. He was right. They would have all the time they needed to talk once Chaos was dealt with.
And he would be.

     Lancelot was back on his feet by the time they returned to him, and had even retrieved the Chaos Emeralds. He seemed in much better condition in the presence of the emeralds, though looked no more patient than he had been. “Come! Quickly, now! Bring them here!”
     Without much waiting for an answer, he takes the 7 Emeralds from Percival and places them with the 7 he already possessed. together, they created a full circle; split down the middle as the two forms of power created the two halves of the circle. “Convenient that you two are here. You will easily resonate, and balance the power between each other. But that’s all up to you. I don’t have the strength to use their power, so it falls to the two of you to combine your strength. This is all we have left.”

     “You still believe you can defeat me? I, who have already destroyed your home? I have weathered every attack with but scratches, while you have all crumbled beneath my wrath! No amount of power will save you! You cannot win!”

     Crackling energy began to build up within Chaos once again; more than the god had called on before. The roiling mass of sheer power was great enough as to ripple the very air, the scent of ozone filling the air
     Galahad watched as the Emeralds swirled around him and Percival, becoming a solid rainbow of color. He felt Percival grab his hand, twitching before holding tight and looking to her. She smiled at him. “This is it. There’s no turning back, now.” As she spoke, both of them were lifted into the air, rising level with the serpent god’s head. “This is our last chance to put an end to this. To keep everyone safe.”
     Galahad nods, squeezing her hand tighter. “Yeah... Last chance we have... But before we really go, I just want you to know that--!”
He was cut off as Percival suddenly pulled him close, and pressed her lips to his. “Don’t worry about it, Galahad. I love you, and I know we can do this. Together. Now let’s show this monster the power we knights of the Round Table possess.”

     With a flash of light, both begin to glow with a brilliant light. Fire wreaths Percival’s hands and hair, while her fur takes on similar coloring. While Galahad’s fur begins to shine like gold. Their power builds, healing any and all of their wounds, granting them strength like neither have experienced before. They feel as though they could do anything, accomplish any feat, overcome any challenge. And this was just the way to find out.

      “That will not be enough! Collect all the power you wish, none of it will save you! I am your destruction, and I will not stop until every last one of you lay dead in these waters! now die! Die and take your place as worms in the dirt!”

     With that, the energy he, himself, had been gathering was released. A beam rippled towards them, burning the very air around it. A roiling mass of destruction aimed directly at them. In unison, the knights raised their hands; fire and blue light gathering together until it matched the might of the coming attack, and together they released their combined power. That fire and blue energy swirled together, meeting Chaos’s beam halfway. It was a battle of power; one party trying to overpower the other.
     The storm around them reacted with this overwhelming battle, gathering thicker and stronger around them. Lighting struck again and again, lighting the sky. The environment struggled just as hard as the two powers.
     Galahad and Percival gritted their teeth, pressing with all their might. But never did their hands part. They held each other tightly, using the strength they provided for each other. they would not lose now, not again. Not after everything they’d lost already. Gawain and Lamorak were missing, the town was a ruin, they hadn’t even been able to save everyone during the attack, and Percival...
     Tears welled in the hedgehog’s eyes, anger building in his heart. He would never let that happen again. He wouldn’t let Chaos hurt anyone else, especially not Percival. He’d nearly lost her once, he’d never let it happen again. He pushed harder, still, putting everything he had into forcing his power through the serpent’s. “No! This is the end for you, Chaos! We’re stopping you here!”
     With roars from both the hedgehog and the cat, the swirling beam they channeled burst with power, forcing itself further, pressing the beam back. They flew forward with it, letting their power envelop them. Together, with their combined strength, they cleaved through Chaos, tearing right through his body. Again and again, they struck never letting up for a moment. It proved too much for the god, and he fell back with a cry of agony.

     With their opponent weak, the pair rose above him. They raised their hands once more, glaring at the serpent. “You will never endanger anyone... ever again.” And so they fired once again.


           Chaos never stood a chance.