Chapter 18: I Love You, Son...

Caught completely unawares, none of the would-be rescuers were able to dodge Calan's attack, as he fired off Firaga. Vivi, closest to him, took the brunt of the assault and screamed as his clothes burst into flame. The rest cried out as well, beating at their burning garments. But Cal wasn't done. As if in Trance, he cast again, and this time Blizzaga struck home, putting out the flames, yes, but inflicting its punishing chill.

Dregan, fighting against the pain, attempted to cast Calm Emotions, to try and break this crazed state Cal was in. But, much to his amazement and despite his casting prowess, it utterly failed.

"Zentarou!"

"Right!" The cat used Sleep, but to the same effects.

"Nothing's working!" Zidane yelped, narrowly dodging another magical assault, this time lightening. "Garnet! Try a Gysahl Green!" Garnet made the attempt, but again it failed. And still Calan was casting spells. A Waterga went off, followed in a split second by a Firaga. He just kept casting and casting, as if he had no limit, couldn't run out of spell energy.

"Try anything!" Vivi cried, scrambling about trying to dodge the spells. More calming spells, sleep, even charm and - Dregan said later he was desperate - Thrall held no effect.

"Now what?" Dregan asked as the Bretheren huddled behind a piece of equipment that had gotten toppled over, and Cal took aim at the piece providing the rest with shelter.

"I - I have no idea." Vivi felt as if hiis world was spinning out of control.

"Maybe..." Orko said, somewhat timidly as if he knew the reaction his suggestion would have, "maybe if we - hurt him, just a little, he'll snap out of it."

"I don't know what else to do," Zentarou said. "We've got to get his to calm down." He took a deep breath. "Okay, here I go."

Zentarou burst out from around the metal and charged at Cal. He didn't draw his sword, rather, he grabbed at the mage, and gave him a punch in the arm. It wasn't hard, by any standards, but Zentarou had by his own words been a fighter before turning caster, and there was some oomph behind it. He was sure it would leave a bruise, and usually physical pain would alert someone to the fact that something was wrong.

But not this time.

Cal struggled and whirled around, trying to wiggle out of the cat's grasp. Zentarou held out as long as he could, but the smaller Black Mage child was too twisty and quick, his actions fueled by a frenzied desperation. He broke free and cast Fire at point-blank range.

Zentarou hit the ground, out cold from the pain of his injuries.

"Zentarou!" Kuja shouted. He, in turn, was targeted by - and this shocked everyone - Flare, and was sent flying into the wall. He slumped, stunned.

"I didn't know he could cast that!" Orko cried.

Vivi didn't answer. He didn't know how Calan had been able to cast such powerful magic spells. By all normalcy, he couldn't cast as well as any of his brothers, hence his decision to train with a weapon as well. Yet here he was, casting spell after spell, with no end in sight.

I've got to do something! Vivi thought desperately. He lunged into view, shouting, "Calan! Stop!" It was no use, as he got slammed into by Dregan, who had pushed him out of the way of the approaching fire spell.

Tears filled his eyes. Was there nothing to be done?

Garnet, after a quick spell on Zentarou to gethim up on his feet,tried a Cure, then a Remedy. Then a Magic Tag, a Vaccine, and a Phoenix Down for good measure. None did any good, save to seemingly enrage Calan. He turned on her with a vengeance, and she went down, out as well.

"I'm sorry to have to do this, Calan," Zidane apologized, and attacked, striking with The Tower. He didn't miss, and Cal tumbled only to scramble back up to his feet. "Now stop this! We're your friends!" Cal made an unintelligible noise and casted again, his eyes glowing more red by the second.

"Any ideas?" Dregan shouted as again theyducked down behind scrap metal.

"Only one!" Zidane responded in a tone that sounded like he didn't like this 'only one' plan.

And in that split second, all of them knew it too.

"You can't!" Orko shouted, horrified at what Zidane was proposing.

"We have to!" The Genome set himself in his battle stance. "We need to hurt him, get him weak enough to be restrained. Then we can try to fix this."

"Vivi?" Dregan asked. Somehow, Vivi knew that if he said so, Dregan wouldn't go along with this plan. It was just something about being a father himself, he understood was it was asking of him to allow this. Vivi looked at Cal, and nodded.

"Dregan, everyone, we can't get Cal continue on this way. Do it!"

"Right!" Zidane charged in, and swung with all his might. But Calan saw the attack coming, and reached up to clap his hands around the sides of the sword. Electricity zapped down the metal blade, and Zidane joined his brother in unconsciousness.

Now only the Bretheren Arcanum were left.

"Okay, brothers!" Dregan rallied. "It's mage versus mage. Don't hold anything back. It's the only chance we've got." Vivi set his stance, the Mace of Zeus gripped firmly in both hands. Heh, if he'd gripped it any harder, he'd likely break it.

I'm sorry Cal, but it's the only way.

He was the first to cast, sending a Fira Calan's way. It hit, and the Black Mage staggered. Dregan quickly followed with an Ice Ball, like a Fireball but opposite element, trying to keep their target off guard and unable to adapt to any one style of attack. Zentarou followed it up with a bolt of lightening, and Orko finished up the round with a sonic spell, sending Cal flying into the table he'd been strapped down onto. It broke under the force of the impact, and he was slow getting up.

"Cal, please, listen to me!" Vivi cried, and was again ignored. Calan now struck, casting Firaga and Blizzaga in rapid succession. Zentarou was dropped to a knee.

"Ow..." he moaned. He struggled to his feet as the other three rained down more spells. Each pounded into the child, but he seemed tougher than the oldest dragons, and kept just getting back up. And his supply of magical spells seemed endless! His spells never stopped, didn't give them a chance to catch a breath.

"What did they do to him?" Orko gasped. "Trolly-Molly, doesn't he ever stop?"

"I don't know," Vivi groaned back. He was getting desperate. Somewhat cautiously, he sent a Drain at Cal, desperate to get some strength back. While it made him feel better, it didn't last long, as Cal returned the favor with better results. It left Vivi weaker than he'd been at to begin with!

He won't stop! The realization came at Vivi with a dread certainty. If they couldn't calm him down, they couldn't let him get past them, couldn't let him get at the others outside, fighting the demons. Flanked, attacked from two sides they wouldn't stand a chance.

Especially when they wouldn't see the enemy for what he was.

"Guys," he said softly, intensely, during a small lull. "We can't let him get out of here. If we can't make him calm down..." His voice broke. "We... we... Cal wouldn't want to become a murderer." They all knew what that meant, and agreed. Their greatest spells hadn't done anything to bring him to reason. If they kept this up for much longer, they'd kill him.

And it seemed like there was no other way.

"As painless as possible," Dregan said in a choked voice.

Orko casted first. "Darkness from the Bottomless Hole, Engulf Him!" Dark light ripped through Calan, stunning him.

Zentarou went next, tears already streaming down his face. "This is for my mother!" The rose petals slammed into him again and again.

Dregan followed with an Omniball, a ball of all the elements combined. Lightening, fire, water and ice, earth, light, and darkness all pounded into him.

Then Vivi used his magic. As the energies began to swirl around his hand, he looked upon his eldest son, tears streaming down his face. Calan was on his knees, growling and struggling to stand. He just wouldn't stop coming after them, no matter how much he was hurt.

"I'm sorry, son. I love you." Vivi let the spell go, not closing his eyes no matter how much he wanted to, watching Doomsday engulf Calan. The Black Mage child cried out.

"Vivi!" Zidane's cry indicated that he and the others had awakened from their forced nap just in time to see the spell go off.

Calan fell to the ground, and didn't get up.