Early autumn, Y3247
The first fallen leaves whirled around her when Lien-Da climbed up a hill close to the edge of Angel Island. Rutan had been left in Kaya-Na's care, besides he was still too young to understand.
Her destination was the giant stone plate on top of it. Names in golden letters were written all over it - a monument for people who had found their death thanks to Finitevus. She gently let her fingers run over the last name standing there.
"Xenin - died Y3245"
~~~***~~~
Early autumn, Y3245
"It's official now - Dr Finitevus has formed an alliance with Robotnik", Kragok said, "According to my scouts a troop of robots under the doctor's lead has landed on the east side of Angel Island. How are things going in Echidnaopolis?"
"The EST is ready, as well as a small militia of everyone who can handle a weapon", Lien-Da reported. Since Kragok avoided speaking with Guardians or members of the High Council even at times when Legionnaires and the people of Echidnaopolis were living peacefully along each other Lien-Da had become the ambassador of the Dark Legion once again. "Those together with our own Legion factions will be enough to push back the robots."
"Only until Robotnik sends out the next troops", Xenin said, "And we also can't be sure what backup plans on his own Finitevus has."
"Knuckles said he will try to contact the Kingdom of Acorn in case we need to retreat and need their help", Lien-Da said with a frown, "I’m not too happy about the thought of needing help from others again but if it’s for our own survival we will have to bite the bullet."
Kragok pointed at the large map in front of them. "So our two Legion factions will come from the south and west, the little army from Echidnaopolis from the north. It's best to surround them as soon as we can."
Lien-Da nodded. "I will get in contact with the Guardians right away. It's very likely they can be ready by tomorrow."
“This alliance is the worst that could have happened”, Xenin said when they were back at their tent later that night. “Robotnik alone already decimated the Echidna kind harshly years ago and Finitevus has the same plans. I don’t even want to imagine what things they could do when they team up. My death in the Egg Grape Chamber is something to remember for the rest of my life. After my resurrection of course. And even if we win tomorrow’s battle there will be more and more troops to follow.”
“I have already thought about the same thing”, Lien-Da sighed, “And with the people of the Acorn Kingdom involved too this will become yet another Great War. We only have the choice between getting completely extinguished now or a bit later after a few battles. I know, as a Grandmaster I should stay strong for my people but … it all feels so hopeless.”
She leaned against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. It looked as if he was searching for words to bolster her up, words he could not find, but actually it didn’t matter. His near was everything she needed right now.
~~~***~~~
It was one of the last few warm days of the year. Even the part of the Ice Cap Zone Lien-Da's soldiers passed looked friendlier than normally. 'As if the weather wants to make fun of us', Lien-Da thought when she looked up the clear sky. In her opinion a new war concerning the Echidna kind should start with a storm, or at least dark grey clouds. This weather rather added insult to injury.
From the last few frost covered hills of the Ice Cap Zone they had a good view over the plains at the eastern edge of Angel Island. An army of different kinds of robots surrounded the hill Finitevus was standing on. 'Of course that little sissy is hiding behind the backs of others again instead of leading them in the front', Lien-Da grimly thought, 'And I bet he will flee through one of his portals as soon as one of us gets closer to him than a few steps.'
On the other side she could see her brother's battalion approaching. Despite his great fear of death even Kragok was in front of his Legion and would be the first in battle unless a certain albino.
In the north now also the army of Echidnaopolis under the lead of the Guardians - minus Sabre - appeared. Sabre still hadn't recovered from the loss of his son - and maybe never would.
Lien-Da looked back at the large number of robots.
"I know there are also a lot of very weak bots but still our armies look like a joke compared to them."
Xenin shrugged. "A few hundred Echidnas versus over a thousand robots with the chance to become more? Sounds like fun. Bring it on."
The Grandmaster gave him a weak smile. She knew that Xenin's good mood was only facade. Like her he just tried to keep his courage up.
"I have awaited you, my fellow Echidnas", Finitevus' voice resounded over the plains as soon as the three factions were close enough to hear him.
"Blast that fellow", Spectre shouted back. "You will have to walk over our rotting corpses before we become your fellows."
"My, my, what a spitfire." The albino showed a wide grin. "But you guessed right - that's exactly what I want. And this time be assured that I won't retreat. There already had been too many years of simple trial and error and I'm sick of it. Today will be a fight till death and even if I have to rip the Zones open to succeed."
"We really hope you keep your word", Lien-Da said, "Because we want to see your rotting corpse too." She lifted up her arm. "Legions, at my command. Attack!"
The first few rows of bots were nearly mowed down but that was only the weaker vanguard. Soon Echidnas and robots were falling equally. The few Echidnas who tried getting closer to Finitevus were blocked and rammed away by SWAT-bots.
And the albino only stood on the same spot on the hill and watched them. His expression was the one of an entomologist who watched a hornet attack on a bee hive - something that was sure interesting but not too fascinating anymore after having it seen a few times already.
"As much as I hate to admit it", Lien-Da said, "but right now some reinforcement from Knothole could really be needed."
"But where the hell are they?" Kragok shouted, "I thought they should be here by now."
"Incoming aircraft!" a Legionnaire called out and pointed at the horizon.
"But what is it", Kragok asked.
"A machine capable of flying by means of aerodynamic forces", Xenin answered without missing a beat.
Kragok shot him a glare and Lien-Da quickly threw in, "It's hard to tell yet but ... it looks like one of the Acorn aircrafts."
Also Finitevus had noticed the flying object by now. His eyes narrowed. "Oh no, not this time", he snarled, "This time I will finish it. And even if I really have to rip the Zones open!" The last sentence he had shouted while stretching his arms to the sides. A black hole appeared above them, grew larger each second. Wind started to blow, first only a light breeze then it slowly became stronger. That was no natural wind, it rather felt as if the whole wanted to suck them all in. Only Finitevus and a small area around him seemed to be untouched. Not even the grass on the top of the hill moved a bit.
"Don't be afraid", the albino laughed, "you will only be teleported to another Zone. The members of the Dark Legion should be already used to that feeling. But unless the Twilight Zone this Zone of Death won't have a way to escape."
Lien-Da suddenly felt Xenin's fingers wrapped around hers. She turned her head and their gazes met and were locked for a few seconds. He placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Take care of yourself", he said, squeezed her hand a last time then quickly turned around and ran towards Finitevus.
Even the blasts of the Egg Gunners could only bring him slightly off course but then a large SWAT-Bot rammed him from the side right into a row of detonating Bombers. He was sent flying up the hill a bit and remained there lying lifelessly.
Before Lien-Da even had the time to realise what just had happened she was tackled to the ground by her brother. A volley of blasts shot over their heads. The Gunners had continued their attack, black hole above them or not. Lien-Da rolled to the side, jumped up again and was just about to open the backfire when a sudden movement at the hill caught her eyes.
Xenin jumped up again, ran the last few steps uphill, rammed Finitevus and both fell over the edge of Angel Island.
This time nothing could hold Lien-Da back. She simply dodged the bot attacks when she ran to the edge. The last she saw was that Xenin had wrapped his arms tightly around Finitevus before they hit the surface of the ocean.
Behind her the battle continued but she didn't care about it at all anymore. Inside her there was only emptiness. Even if he had survived the contact with the water surface - there was no way he could come back up again. His Titanium skin was too heavy to swim. He had known this was a point of no return and had decided to drown with Finitevus. And also for the albino there was no way out since he needed his arms to move freely to cast magic that would help him to escape and Xenin had made sure he had wrapped his arms around the other tighter than the grip of a giant clam.
She barely noticed the SWAT-Bots standing at her side. They didn't attack, simply stood there looking down as if they were wondering where their leader had gone. A call behind her told her that the troops from Knothole had arrived but they were useless now. The robots had stopped attacking as soon as Finitevus and Xenin had sunken down into the ocean. Also the black hole had disappeared that very second.
And then Kragok was suddenly standing beside her, carefully put a hand on her shoulder. That little touch was enough to pull her out off a world of emptiness, back into the hard, bitter reality.
'He is dead', it repeatedly hammered in her mind. 'Xenin is dead...' She didn't want to cry, didn't want to show such a weakness, especially not in front of her brother but before she could prevent it she already felt the hot tears on her cheeks. Kragok just silently put his arms around her shoulders, pulled her closer and now she started sobbing uncontrollably.
‘Take care of yourself.’ In Xenin’s case that meant more than just farewell. Since she had chosen him to be her bodyguard he always had been there by her side. If such words came from him, they meant that she would never see him again, dead or alive and that he would remain unreachable for her.
Sooner or later Finitevus’ dead body would come up again but Xenin’s heavy metal skin would keep him on the ocean floor.
~~~***~~~
The windy hill, Y3247 again
Lien-Da often had tried to remember what had happened in the months that followed but everything was too blurry. She simply had functioned at that time. Her comeback to life was when she found out that she was pregnant, that she carried Xenin’s child. Now functioning only wasn’t enough anymore. She had to live – for her child and for the memory of Xenin.
“Now Rutan is a bit over a year old, still too young to understand why he is growing up without a father but one day I will tell him and we will visit this place together”, she silently promised when she got up. She had already stayed too long at this place and it now was time for her to leave. One last time she looked back and a little smile wandered over her face when she said, “Wherever you are now … take care of yourself, my beloved monster.”
