Butz opened his eyes. "How long has it been?" he wondered.
	From behind him he heard, "My Queen, it's Butz! He has awakened!"
	Butz, with considerable effort, lifted himself up from the bed. He
was accutely aware that he was far from whole. The strain of using Celestia
was great, and he would not be able to do it again without forfeiting his
livelihood.
	"So the hero finally awakens," intoned the queen's honeyed voice.
The queen of fairies approached and sat down at the foot of the bed. Butz
had never paid much attention to her, and only now did he notice her. Her
emerald eyes fit strangely with her pink tresses, but somehow it was an
appealing visage. Butz could have fell into her arms, but then the horror
of leaving her behind returned to him, and sobered him.
	"Deception does not befit a queen, Titania. You would do well not
to pose as my beloved Lenna, lest I be forced to bury you, as I did my
memory of her," Butz stated.
	With her eyes half closed, Titania smiled. "So your endeavor has
not robbed you of sensibility... how unfortunate." Then she shifted back
into her true form.
	Titania stood up in all of her marble chiseled grace as Butz asked.
"How long has it been?"
	Titania looked towards the heavens as if answering them. "Days?
Weeks? Does it matter?"
	"Please, queen Titania, my thoughts are in no mood to be led into a
labyrinth," Butz dryly pleaded.
	Titania gazed back at Butz with her ice blue orbs. "Five days, son
of Dorgan Klauser... five days. You know something, speaking of Dorgan...
he desired me... nay, lusted for me... but I... I would give him no favors,
despite my anger at Oberon. I told him that I would be his if he could
conquer Typhon. I did not think he would actually attempt something so
foolish. Now you have done so, and I swore I would belong to Typhon's
conqueror. So why do you refuse me? Am I not lovely enough for you? I could
be any woman you want... any!"
	"No, queen Titania, you could not," Butz replied, but she had
shifted into the likeness of Lenna.
	In Lena's voice she asked, "Am I what you desire?"
	Butz knew it was not Lenna, but was not surprised at his response.
"Yes..." Though he knew her not to be Lenna, she was the only other thing
he desired, a chance to do something his father had not.

***************************************************************************

	Oberon, Keyla, and Cyan returned from a long day. They had to date
convinced several of the outcast espers to join their cause. The strength
of Typhon's name lent them much aid.
	" I think we have marshalled a sufficient amount of strength," Cyan
commented as the trio entered the fairy vale.
	"Perhaps, but Edgar's power is immense. I'm not sure enough power
exists," Keyla replied.
	Oberon seemed confident. "There is one other esper who may match
the fiend Takar's power... perhaps dwarf it. But it is best if I recruit
him myself. I shall make preparations, though I will need time. 'Tis best
that you head back first."
	Cyan appeared skeptical. "Who is this power that you speak of?"
	Oberon thought about his answer. "Best that you do not know, lest
you seek me should I fail." Cyan and Keyla pried more, but Oberon would not
divulge anything.
	They arrived in Butz's chamber to find him awake. Happy to see him
up, Cyan asked him, "So how long have you been among the living?"
	"Several hours," Butz replied truthfully, though his face was quite
expressionless.
	Keyla then inquired, "So are you travel-worthy?"
	Butz stretched his arm. "I'll survive," he answered with a slight
grimace.
	Suddenly a messenger burst into the chambers. The messenger had
flown far, and had the fatigue to show for it; he was panting as he
delivered his message. "My liege... it's... Bahamut, he comes!".
	Oberon's eyes widened as he considered why Bahamut would come.
Oberon put on a good robe and stepped out to greet the king of monsters.
	It had been some time since Oberon had seen the great dragon, but
Bahamut was as impressive as ever. Bahamut's great grey mass towered over
the tallest trees of the forest. Behind him was the royal family of the
land.
	"To what do I owe this honor, great Bahamut?" Oberon said with
false glee.
	Bahamut grunted, then answered, "You know why I am here, lord of
Fey. You seek to take espers back into the realms of man? Have you not
learned from the errors of the past?"
	Oberon had been cornered, but instead of trademark fairy deception,
he responded defiantly, "You do not rule the borderlands. We have chosen of
free will to exist outside of your rule. If we do not follow any of your
edicts, then why should we give this one any more thought?" he said,
confident in his hand.
	Bahamut scoffed. "Ever flighty and foolish are the Fey. Do you want
our people transformed into the humans' weapons of war? Long have I
tolerated the rule of others in the outskirts, but if you will not rule
your people wisely, then it is apparent that I must! Look at your damned
forest! Beyond the few fairies that make up your so-called court, there
is nothing else! A direct result of open gates! Not a single bird sings!
Not a single bug crawls! Tell me, what wisdom is there in pursuing this
course?"
	Oberon felt the soundness of Bahamut's arguement, but himself had
beliefs in his cause. "So you would allow evil like Livouf Takar and his
kind to usurp the otherworld? Tell me, how long after his conquest will
he and others like him turn to our world? We must not allow him to
establish a foothold! We must aid the humans lest we find ourselves faced
with a greater problem."
	Bahamut retorted, "Takar is not our problem! My first concern is
our people, and so too should yours be!"
	Oberon smiled slightly. "Even mighty Typhon sides with us, Bahamut.
Would you oppose him as well?"
	Bahamut was calm, and apparently aware of this. "My father
abdicated the throne. He holds no sway, and I know he will not oppose my
will." Bahamut spoke confidently.
	Oberon was sure that Typhon would have been his ace, but Bahamut
remain unfazed in the invocation of his name. Then a wild card was played.
	"Tharses Ganei Kune!" shouted Leviathan.
	Bahamut looked back at his brother. "WHAT?"
	"You heard me, Bahamut! I challenge you!" Leviathan answered with a
cold glare.
	Bahamut appeared genuinely confused. "Rethink this course of
action. I know you are unsure of what you do."
	Leviathan was undaunted " I have never been more sure in my life!
Tharses Ganei Kune! Do you accept?"
	Bahamut sneered. "Laksha tiele! Name your conditions, as you are
the younger brother."
	Leviathan did not think for long. "No magic, and in the Sea of
Mists."
	By now the trio had arrived. "What's happening?" asked Keyla.
	Oberon looked down. "Leviathan has challenged Bahamut to a battle
to the death."
	Everyone headed to the Sea of Mists to witness the battle. It
seemed that all of esperdom, what little of it remained, had headed off
to witness the grand battle.
	The sides seemed evenly divided, though most of Leviathan's
supporters were outcasts.
	"If you concede now, little brother, there won't have to be
bloodshed!" Bahamut pleaded.
	"I worry little about my own blood, only yours!" Leviathan
retorted. With that Leviathan dove into the sea and disappeared.
	"Hmmmph, since there is no reasoning with you, I hope you are
prepared to die for your insanity!" Bahamut countered as he took to the
sky.
	Bahamut scanned the waters for Leviathan. Leviathan had done well
in choosing his own element for the arena. In any other it would have been
over before it started, but Bahamut was confident. "Come, brother! Face
me!" Bahamut yelled.
	Leviathan obliged him by leaping behind him from the waters. Before
Bahamut could react, Leviathan latched his jaws on to Bahamut's tail and
dragged him into the briny deep. As they dove further Leviathan's coils
began encircling Bahamut.
	"Ingenious!" Bahamut thought. Leviathan was going to constrict him
and drag him under where the water pressure would only enhance Leviathan's
attack. Bahamut had to think of a way out before they went too deep.
	Bahamut reacted with a combination of clawing and mini-SunFlares at
many spots to weaken Leviathan's overall grasp. Leviathan eventually
relented to the barrage, and Bahamut got loose and went up.
	As Bahamut hovered slightly above the water, Leviathan's head
popped up before him. "Why do you oppose me, brother?" Bahamut asked.
	Leviathan maintained a cold stare. "Because you have forgotten!"
	"Forgotten what?" Bahamut asked perplexedly.
	Leviathan responded, "You have forgotten who you are! You have
lived amongst humans for far too long! Look at yourself! You are a beast,
yet you would walk like a man! You think that men are superior so you
emulate them!"
	Bahamut replied, "No, they are aware of their mortality. They
understand that they are but tiny flickers in the grand scheme of things,
and thus they strive harder to achieve self-enlightenment and
understanding! They should be emulated, but instead I find our people
complacent and shiftless. Our people are satisfied without understanding,
and thus with all of our powers, we shall achieve far less!"
	"You use the term people as if we could be branded as such! We are
espers! Beasts! We are not to be bound by rules and edicts. If we wish to
sacrifice our lives, then so be it! Why should we invest so much energy in
self-enlightenment, when we already possess it!" Leviathan stated.
	"You truly believe you understand all?" Bahamut asked
sarcastically.
	"I understand enough, because I have deemed it so! We are superior
because we are not weighed down by a measurer's rule. We set what is
necessary for ourselves rather than allow another faceless body to do so,"
Leviathan answered. With that, Leviathan unleashed an immense tidal wave.
Bahamut flew up and barely avoided it.
	But it was only a ruse to set up for Leviathan's next attack, a
new strike that he had practiced for some time. Leviathan plunged deeply
into the sea, then aimed himself towards the sky and jetted upwards with
incredible velocity. This masterstroke would pierce even Bahamut's steely
scales. Leviathan burst from the waters with Dagon's Harpoon.
	The blow found Bahamut above it, but the king of summoned
monsters was prepared. "Gigaflare!". Though the massive blast of power
did little to change Leviathan's course, Leviathan lost all force as he
careened headfirst into the blast. Bahamut picked up the dying Leviathan,
and brought him onto the shore.
	"Leviathan!" screamed Asura as she approached Leviathan's body.
Asura focused much of her power, but saving an esper was far more
difficult than saving a human. For countless moments she pursed energy
into Leviathan's husk, but Leviathan remained motionless.
	" It is over. Leviathan made his bid and lost," Bahamut declared
as he tried to hold back his tears.
	"No! It is not! I shall take on second brother's challenge,
Bahamut!" vowed Terrato as he burst from below the Earth.
	"Are you as well eager to die brother?" Bahamut asked solemnly. "I
do not wish to take another on this day." Bahamut said tiredly.
	"Better to die for what's right than live, knowing that I did
nothing about it!" Terrato declared.
	"Bahamut!" Typhon screamed, the force of his voice a hurricane wind
to all but the largest espers. Oberon created a mystical barrier to keep
his friends from flying off. "Now look here, junior! I have had it up to
here with your self-righteous ass. I didn't think you would have killed
Leviathan, but I was wrong. I'm not going to let you take Terry too!"
Typhon ranted.
	"Father!" Bahamut pleaded.
	"Don't interrupt me, boy! Even after what they did to your mother,
I have forgiven them! Not because I like the squishy things, present
company excepted, but because our world can no longer fit us. The espers
cannot evolve without humanity on the other side to always expose us to
their ideas and dreams. We are more their creation then they are ours.
Don't question my wisdom. Remember that I was the first amongst espers.
Some other power has fashioned us from the dream stuff of men and women.
And when men dreamed of magic, we developed it, and brought it to them. We
serve some other purpose. Why do you think you are first among dragons?
Because you more than any love them, but you think you have some duty to
the espers. When their cries call out for you to mete out justice for them,
you hear, but you feel that you can't respond, though I know you do
sometimes. Your covenant goes against all you love, so why abide by it?"
	Bahamut was motionless for an eternity. He looked at Leviathan's
battered form, and his weeping wife trying to save him. He looked at
Terrato's youthful vigor, and blind readiness to walk beside death, and
Leviathan. He looked at father Typhon who, for the first time in his
life, chose reason over force. "Very well, but only the outcasts may
leave." Bahamut compromised.
	"We've won!" Cyan declared.
	Butz looked at Asura, who vigorously tried to hold on to what
little life Leviathan held. "Did we?" he asked silently.