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Brunette and blond faced each other, with one exception: the brunette's eyes were purple. In those eyes, Ankh could see madness. Hunched over, Eiji hardly looked human anymore. Meanwhile, the blond stood about ten meters away from the brunette, and he had a calm look on his face despite the turmoil going on inside him. Eiji crashed towards him, not seeming to care if his hair or clothes were sopping wet, and he was shivering from the cold. Landing blow after blow on Ankh, Eiji brought his fist down on a rock.
Doubling back with pain and shock written on his face, Eiji backtracked a few steps, giving Ankh time to drag himself back up onto his two feet. "Damn it Eiji, you've completely lost control!" Ankh couldn't keep himself from yelling. "After all this, do you still remember what you're fighting for?!" Eiji glared at him at the words shot like arrows from his lips. "Fool, you're going overboard! You dreamed too big! Nobody is going to not need help at any point in time, Eiji. You might as well give up now!" Eiji roared in rage, staggering towards Ankh, ruining the intimidating effect while adding to his inhumane one at the same time. Ducking, Ankh managed to clear the attack and Eiji swung again, this time managing to sock Ankh in the jaw. Ankh coughed, and when he raised his hand again, he could see fresh, red blood on it. The detective's own blood. Ankh stared at the quivering hand in disbelief. His head spun with what Hina would do to him when he got back to Cous Coussier. Ankh shot another glimpse at the brunette. Make that an if I get back, Ankh thought. This wasn't right. Eiji would never do this to him, no matter how many times he'd called the brunette a retard, or a fool, or his favorite, an idiot. Eiji's blows were usually precise, aimed and calculated, almost always making contact with the critical body parts: the head for an extremely damaging attack, at the stomach to stun the foe to buy some time, usually to change Combos, or at the arms and legs, reducing the enemy's ability to strike back. This Eiji, however, was fighting like he was blindfolded. It was already proven. In his last flurry of attacks, he'd hit a rock.
Eiji was still glaring at Ankh as though they were having a staring contest, but the truth was much worse than that. Ankh really wouldn't, no, couldn't hurt Eiji. What was he thinking, getting rid of Eiji so that he could have life? How would that work? If he'd gotten rid of the brunette, how would it have helped the situation? The world would still be in danger. Yummies would still be around. Uva and Gamel would still be around. Maki would still destroy the world. It wouldn't really make sense. The only change there would be was that he was now alive, and had the bear this loneliness alone, without his idiot to rely on. All to watch the last few days of the world as it came to a close? That wasn't really a fair deal. Even his Greeed nature said so. He was so used to making deals with the other Greeed, cores in exchange for cores. This deal... had never been fair, Ankh realized. And he cursed himself for realizing it only now.
Eiji had taken advantage of Ankh's silent musings, placing a kick on Ankh's stomach, causing him to fall backwards into the water. Grunting, Eiji turned around, and in that split second, Eiji's face changed to one with a more vicious expression. Then it was gone. Ankh's breath caught in his throat. It couldn't be... the man who'd given him his existence... then tried to take it away eight hundred years ago. The King. Gasping for breath, Ankh felt his host's heart twist with fear, hatred and rage. The King was possessing Eiji. Would terrors never cease? It was a struggle to get to his feet, but he finally did. Calling Eiji an idiot under his breath, he aimed a fireball at Eiji, but the latter easily blocked it and continued running towards him. A hard impact on his face made him fall to his knees. Eiji grabbed the scruff of Ankh's shirt and raised his fist, ready to end it once and for all.
He was the King of Birds.
He would not lose to someone like him. Like the King.
Screaming with the effort, still bleeding from his mouth, Ankh threw Eiji back. Eiji was in pain. Ankh could tell that. A wave of despair overcame Ankh, crushing him, pushing him to all fours. How to get...King...out...Eiji... his thoughts ran together until they made no sense. He was, after all, just a Greeed. Even if he did have infinite desire, he was powerless before the King.
Something seared through his head...
He was back at the airport, standing to one side as Eiji and Hina waved Date Akira off. "Damn stubborn bird, that Anko. Come here and say bye!" Date had called. "It's Ankh." He'd said. Even then, he could hear the humor in his voice. Date had patted Eiji's shoulder and said something.
"Remember your desire, okay?"
Those words... they weren't directed only towards Eiji. They had also been directed towards him. Ankh. But what did he mean, remember his own desire?
Ankh had wanted life. The one thing that would let him taste the world. But now... he noticed he was missing something. "Eiji! I've always wanted life, but life wouldn't mean anything without you!" Ankh choked out. He hardly realized that he was crying. Sobbing. Teardrops fell like rain from his cheeks. "You're my idiot, Eiji. Mine and mine only!" He screamed out, his mouth opening wide, letting tears run into his open maw. Gasping and retching from the bruises and the aches on his human body, Ankh had to hold a stone to stand up. He hated this feeling of weakness. It was too human. Life would be nothing. Life would always be nothing, if you don't have someone to lean on through tough times, and celebrate with during happy ones.
Eiji was still staring at him, but Ankh saw the purple in his eyes was a little less intense. "Eiji! As someone who's been with you this whole time, I'll tell you this."
Eiji literally stood as still as a statue, but Ankh could tell that he was listening. The avian Greeed took in a deep breath, and continued.
"It's not about whether you have power or not."
At the mention of the word, the brunette's kind, placating face twisted and distorted into one of fury, hunger and longing which made Ankh cringe. But still, he refused to back down.
"It's about giving your all... to protect others."
Eiji's face reverted back to the original look, one of confusion.
"THAT is the useful idiot that I know!"
Eiji's eyes widened. And he remembered.
When the unicorn Yummy had pulled his dream out of him, it had been humongous.
Maybe he had been dreaming too big, after all.
"So I can protect everyone within this range!" He'd said with a cheery smile on his face. "Although sometimes it might not reach... I can try my best to do as much as I can!" It was impossible to reach out to the whole world, wasn't it? The purple faded, and Eiji half slumped, half collapsed to the ground. Ankh moved, with the same lightning quick reflexes that he used to flick Medals Eiji's way, and caught him before the ground made contact with him.
Eiji smiled that goofy, irritating smile that always got on his nerves. But this time, it made a serene, peaceful feeling descend upon Ankh. He'd done it. He'd freed Eiji from the King. The last words before Eiji passed out were extraordinarily clear the Ankh's ears. "Ankh...
...Arigato."
And he smiled that same, sweet smile that he did on the first day that they'd met.