Disclaimer: I don't own FFXIII.
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Stone Wall Stone Fence
Prologue: Grace
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Envision the beach.
Are the skies clear? Not a cloud in sight? What about the sun? How bright is it? Can you feel the warmth of the sun? It's hot, isn't it? Yes, yes it is.
Are you alone? No? Then who are you with? Who are they? How important are they to you? Very important, you say? That's nice to hear.
What about the beach? Tell me what that's like. The sand …what is it like? Does the sand fall between your fingers as you pick it up? Do it's grains get stuck in the groves of your fingers, embedded in your nails? Are you watching it drift out of your hand, seeking placement somewhere else? How pure is this sand? Is it pure and pristine, untouchable by human hand? Or has it been marred, turned grey and polluted with the weight of the world? Does it speak of the death of mother earth?
Pure and pristine, you say? Well then …
What about the water? You said the sand was pristine and pure, was it not? Does the water reflect this quality? Can you hear the ocean crashing as it meets the shore? How close are you to this water? What about the color of the ocean? Does it reflect the incandescence of the sun? Is it warm or is it cool? Do you even want to swim?
Or do you want to stay here with this person just watching this scene before you and taking in all that is?
Let's talk about the ocean again. It is as if it stretches on for miles. The thought seems a bit frightening, doesn't it? From where you are sitting, perched on top of the safety of the sand, you can see that it appears to have no end. Yet, you were taught that everything must begin and end somewhere, weren't you?
…Can you think about what it would be like to swim across the very expanse of this ocean? Starting here, in this place where everything seems right, you think you can do it, can't you? You think you can keep going?
However, leaving the shore ...you find that things aren't exactly as they appear to be. The shore is easy to breech, the waves are docile here and you easily wade into the water, right? What about the person you left behind on the shore? What are they doing? They don't seem to object, do they? Maybe it is all right.
Your legs become completely submerged within the ocean; you find you're still okay, right? How bold are you? How brave are you? Maybe you should go further …it couldn't hurt, could it? First your legs, your abdomen, and then you're up to your shoulders in the water. What now?
Perhaps you should spare a glance at the person on the shore? What are they doing? They're still watching you aren't they? Silent, but still watching? Is that panic you see on their face? No? Are you imagining it? Were you not audacious but a few minutes ago? What is happening?
Can you swim? Well, you must be able to if you're out here.
What about the sky? The sun? Where have they gone? They were here a few moments ago. Things seem to be changing, don't they?
The person on the shore has risen, they're steadily advancing toward the shoreline and they seem to be saying something to you, something that you can't make out. Does this worry you? It should, shouldn't it?
And the ocean? Do you panic when you can no longer feel the ocean floor beneath your feet? All you feel is the water beneath your feet, you say? Can you feel the change in the ocean—a shift so subtle it catches you off guard before you can even react?
You miss the first wave before you can react. It grips your entire being, submerging you within the salty water. You know this is trouble now and you need to get out of here, but how?
Perhaps this is what the person on the shore was trying to warn you about.
Can they even see you? Do they even care? They must care, right? Didn't you say they were important to you? Where are they when you need them? Where have they gone?
You mustn't panic. Panicking will only worsen the situation. Yet you ask yourself, how much worse can this get? Can you brave the torrential waves the crash down upon your head, swallowing you within the waves of a violent storm? Do they swarm over your head, the undertow only pulling you further away from land? Can you even see above the waves anymore, seeing that last fleeting glimpse of sunlight as darkening clouds quickly gather overhead?
What is it like when the ocean finally pulls you under? Is it dark, devoid of warmth and destitute? Do you feel the pressure building in your chest as you're pulled further into its depths, feeling the air squeezed from your lungs as you fade from consciousness?
There's no hand reaching through the waves to pull you back. No helping hand, no one there. They are telling you to submit, give in and stop fighting, this is the course of life. Do you realize that it's always been you and only you from the start of things?
What does it feel like? What goes through your mind in those final moments? Do you think of the life you could have lived? Or perhaps you try to reach out, escape the suffering of the abysmal darkness and fight to break through the waves and reclaim your life.
Forget those memories of the warmth of the sun, the smell of the ocean, the sand between your fingers. Forget the memories of that special person you brought with you. Forget the memories of a peaceful shoreline before you entered this ocean. Forget everything you once knew, everything you once dreamed about. Close your eyes, float gently through the water and allow it to carry you along with it's currents.
Submit? Why ...of course it's the only way.
Because you have yet to realize that no matter how hard you fight, you're already destined to die.