The fall of Zarth

"We never even saw it coming." I mumbled, staring upon the grand city that now lay in ruins. "Perhaps if we did" he paused. "some of us would still be alive." My brother said as he was adjusting his helmet, before taking it off. "Drake, why don't you see if any Zephanite is in there?" Asked my sister Amber, who was treating the injury of a Civilian. I thought for a moment, before nodding and proceeding to the once beautiful city of Karatos. I walked past the burning buildings and radioactive corpses that littered the city in search for the rare ore our technology relied on so heavily. My mind started to wander, thinking back to how things once were.

"Drake, slow down! I cant run that fast anymore!" my brother laughed as we raced through the city and to our favorite hiding place. I used to mock my brother for being slow. Though its not really his fault, age tends to do that. I slowed to a stop as I reached the magnificent oasis outside the city. The crystals beneath the water gave the water life, they gave it color. I loved the oasis, every day I would go here and watch the fish inside the water. I shook my head, shaking away the flashback brought on by the broken vending machine for "Paradise Water" Just some bottle of water, nothing special too it. Tasted just like every other damned "Clear" water.

"This entire city's a mess. No Zephanite for miles most likely." I mumbled, looking around inside the ruins of a mechanic shop. Before my vision faded to white, oh boy, reading another soul's memories, how joyful. "Father, The news lady said to stay inside. Whats happening?" I asked my father. Only to receive a worrying response. "Nothing son, just stay inside, and lock the doors and windows, If anyone but me enters the building, use the gun on the table, alright?" he replied. "Yes father.." I shook my head, shaking away the false memories. "Damn. I hate this place even more now." I growled, grabbing a mechanic's tool box that somehow survived the disaster, proceeding to explore the rest of the city.

"Five days" I mumbled. "That's all it took for everything to go to hell. All because father wanted a few more planets to colonize. Greedy idiot." I proceeded to ramble and yell at the absolute emptiness out of spite for my own father, as I explored the cities Police station. "We wont be gone long, Drake! We just need a few more planets to colonize, so we will have more room to work. Besides, we are Zarthians! We'll have no issue taking worlds from a bunch of inbred parasites." My father, Ultima, boasted. "Drakova and Amber will take care of you in the meantime." I growled, hitting my head with the pommel of my own Zephi-blade. And instantly regretted it, cursing loudly at the headache I had just given myself. Then I stopped, looking at a burned skeleton of some civilian or police officer, it didn't matter which anymore. The skeleton was clutching a bright purple crystal tightly. "Zephanite! finally! poor bastard must have hoped its healing properties would have saved him. Tsk, if only that worked." I mumbled. breaking its hand to grab the raw Zephanite crystal. "Perfect."

I stood at the entrance of the city once more, taking one final look back at it. I got what we needed, one crystal is enough to power a transport ship to the ends of the ends of the universe and then some. Hopefully we'll find a new planet to live on by then. Zarth was already dying as it was. I regretted these thoughts, as it brought on yet more painful memories to think of. Fire raining from the skies, Ships crashing into the city and desert alike. People burning to ashes, others being slaughtered by the Verisa race, a race of bug like parasites that were merciless enough to kill your family, bath you in the blood, and proceed to torture you for the next six days then leave you to die of starvation in the ruins. "Mother! whats going on?! why is everyone fighting!" I screamed, watching soldiers be slaughtered as my mother was carrying me to a transport ship. "Just don't look sweetie! listen to mommy please!" When we arrived, i watched through the window as the city, my home, was incinerated. A beam of pure Trye energy blasting the entire city, reducing it to radioactive ruins in shear moments, before I saw something odd. A ball of fire flying directly at me. Before I couldn't see anything at all.

I shook my head. Shoving the deceased girls memories out of my thoughts, stepping off of the girls skeleton, having unknowingly walked into the crash site of a shot down transport ship. Poor souls, millions killed because of a mad-man's lust for power and fame. Though something caught my eye, a glint of a zephanite badge. I peered over at the badge, it was some key-card for Sirivun Industries. Father's friend's company. And then yet another memory flowed into my thoughts uninvited. I groaned as my vision went to white. "We need, more planets, Ultima. Zarth is dying. It'll only be a matter of days before it dies off." Argued Sirivun. "Fine, Fine, Fine! we'll take a planet or two from the Verisa. We've got the fire power to do so." Responded father, unknowing of Verisa's Advancements in technology. "Perfect. they have lush planets, full of wildlife and forests. It'll be perfect! I'll prepare Prototype Dark Soldier and Pentram for the attack." he announces before rushing out of the room, knocking a secretary over the rail and into the ground floor below. Ultima peered down at the now mangled body below. "Well, nice knowing you Viana." I sighed as the memory ended. "Dammit dad, Couldn't just invest in safer energy sources could you?"

As I returned to Amber and Drakova, they were helping the few civilians that survived the attack, onto the transport ship we managed to repair. "Guess who found Zephanite?" I boasted, holding up the raw crystal. "yes!" Amber yelled, excited. "We can finally get out of here!" Drakova said. "Toss it into the fuel chamber and lets get out of here before this junk pile of a planet explodes!" Doing as told, I threw the crystal into the chamber, entering the ship with my brother and sister. And watched through the window as the ship took off in only a few seconds.

I shook away the memories of my long forgotten past. Running my Zephanite finger along the glass panel that covered my family picture. Glancing back at the active forge, I realized that while daydreaming of the past, the sword I was working on melted in the furnace. Groaning I got back up and walked over to it, and restarted it for the twelfth time. "Eight hundred and twenty nine million years. That's how long I've been here." I paused. "Right?" I asked, glancing over at the familiar green eyes staring at me from the darkness of my forge. "Yes." they responded. "Finally you remember." he responded. "Of course, I just had to take a stroll down memory lane. Tell me, is Austin and the others still alive?" I asked, As Darke always knew if his enemies were alive. "Yes" he responded in annoyance. "As usual. But they wont be for long." he said. "Then I suppose I better go help them." I announced, my enchanted gauntlets working around the forge once more as I stood up, my right hand forming into a somewhat large walking stick. "This'll be one long journey. I hate this planet sometimes."