Ignis growled and said, "It's clear enough to me that we've been trapped for centuries!" His orange eyes glinted brightly from the red mist of his body. A murmur of assent went across the rest, and Mayoke nodded. "Why were we freed if there was nothing left to save?" Her voice was soft and dreamy, as if she hadn't even known she'd spoken at all. Fona floated forward, "Obviously, since Aether has fallen, Venia needs our help. With two thirds of the world on it's side, Atrox must be more powerful than ever." "Venia was always prideful, even when they made us. They'd never concede defeat or ask for help until the last one of them dies." Silvus said, gazing out at the dark sky. "Well, there's no use just waiting in here talking about it. Let's go see for ourselves what shape Aether's in!" Daichi said, floating rapidly for the door.
"Wait Daichi! In case you've forgotten, we have no bodies and therefore, no way to work our magic." Kuuki said, drifting glumly only inches from the floor. "She is right, what good are we if we have no way to fight?" Akarui turned her golden gaze upon the world outside once again. It was clear she was utilizing her natural link to the world of light, Venia. "Venia didn't have time to restore our bodies...it knows we need them to battle." she said after a few moments. "Near the Veil of Light...there are eggs..." Akarui strained harder for the rest of the message, but a dark shadow cut her off. "Atrox has severed the link." she finished, glancing to Acerbu. "Atrox knows we are free, and is sending a legion of spirits to finish us off." he said quietly. Acerbu had always hated his link to the dark world Atrox, but it had been useful in the past.
Ignis drew himself up as much as a spirit could and said, "Then it's to the Veil of Light before Atrox catches up to us!" Kokuuzou shook his head, "No Ignis, we obviously cannot travel very quickly and there is no doubt that Atrox had unleashed more than one ghostly hoard out into Aether. There must be something else we can do..." "Eggs? What would we want with eggs when we need bodies?" Daichi asked. The strength of the stench was growing, filling the chamber with a cold, clammy mist. Fona chuckled, "You, little Mage of Dirt, should know why. Eggs contain creatures not yet born. Before they hatch, we can posses them and use their bodies." Huffing at Fona's tone, Daichi swelled. "Well not everyone has your limitless knowledge, Mage of Vapor!" "STOP!" Kokuuzou roared, the room filling with eerie purple light. "This was our downfall in the first place, pointless bickering amongst ourselves! I will NOT let the same thing happen again, not when so much more depends upon us!" Mayoke nodded solemnly. "Spirits against means spirits apart. We must be unified to defeat Atrox, for it's greatest power is causing dissension. We will go to the Veil of Light, life drains from the eggs evermore rapidly. Even light magic cannot protect them from so much dark." and she drifted outside almost carelessly. The rest had no choice but to follow.
Aether had been turned into a world of shadows, where the living rarely stayed that way and the dead rarely stayed buried. Acerbu felt the constant presence of Atrox where ever he looked, and stayed close to his sister. As it turned out, the chamber where they had been sealed was only a short distance from the veil of light, a huge glowing wall of white and gold magic that separated Aether and Venia. The Veil of Darkness had separated Aether from Atrox, while the Grey Veil separated Venia from Atrox. The Veil of Darkness had been a great wall of red and black magic, but it was quite destroyed. Kokuuzou didn't think even all of The Nine together would have the power to re-make a whole veil, it had nearly killed Mayoke and he just to repair a small breach. "There they are! Just ahead, and it looks like there is exactly nine! Oh, but..." The eggs, it seemed, were not of any creature of light, but the children of a great dark dragon. She reared up and fanned her black, leathery wings with a bellow. "Atrox dragon! Why did she lay her eggs so close to the Veil of Light?" Ignis cried. "Even dark beasts know all life flourishes next to the Veil, even dark life." Akarui responded.
The Nine all scattered as the mother charged, brandishing gleaming black horns. "Foolish beast, she left them unprotected!" Kokuuzou shouted and dove for the closest egg. The rest did the same, pressing easily through shell and flesh. Once inside, their magic changed the creatures from what they were, each spirit molded it's new body. The Atrox dragon mother sensed nothing wrong with her clutch and, now that the apparent enemies had vanished, curled around the granite-grey eggs.