The Forgotten
88888
Prishe dragged the Warrior from Chaos Shrine to Order's Sanctuary. Her wounds still fresh and unattended after her fight with Garland, but she focused on the man on her back while keeping one eye for any threatens presence. She could already feel the ankle-deep water of the Sanctuary, while musing at Shantotto's reaction.
"For Yagudo's ire. Since when you pick up stray?"
"Found him in Chaos Shrine. I don't know where he came from."
"I… didn't summon him."
"Well, I don't know about that. He's wounded, ya see. Can't you heal him or something? You're a goddess, aren't you?"
"Yes. But my powers have rules. I can't do anything to help my own soldier, much less an individual that has nothing to do with this war."
"… fine. I'll do it myself."
"Should not you heal yourself first? Or helping this man can satisfy something that you thirst?"
"What's that s'pose to mean?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all, youngling."
88888
"You're awake."
The Warrior covered his eyes from the blinding light. Slowly, he got up from a white stone throne he slept on while trying to focus his eyes to the person. A very small woman with pigtails sat on one of the smaller white pillars. He tried to stand, but fell flat on his face. The small woman walked to his right, smacked him lightly on head with her staff, before she propped him to lean on the throne.
"Keep you voice down, you don't want to make the waif frown."
"Who?"
She gestured at a young girl with pointed ears that fast asleep on one of the pillar to his left. One of her foot dangled on its edge while she curled up to herself. Head, forearms, and legs were heavily bandaged.
"You can say she saved you." She nodded to herself, "It's quite rare for her to show compassion for others." For once, she didn't rhyme, and rather enjoyed the melancholy of the situation. "Just don't get it on your head. It's time for you to go to bed."
"I just woke up."
"No need, Shantotto."
Woman in white glowed softly, so radiance that the Warrior couldn't help but to stare. She nodded to Shantotto, who only shrugged and walked away from the Sanctuary. The woman went to Shantotto's place and opened her hand. A string of light raced from her fingers and circled his head. Guided by instinct, he raised his hand and caught the light, feeling its warmth on his palm.
"I've decided that you will become my warrior. Along with them."
He had nothing to say about it, nodded softly as Cosmos vanished. Nowhere to go, nothing to remember, nothing to turn to, no reason to reject the proposal. Maybe if he became this 'warrior' he could found out who he is. For now, he would lay low.
He turned his head to where the sleeping girl was, only to stare at an empty Sanctuary.
88888
He walked into a strange place. Dark starry sky and glowing ground under his feet, giant orange crystal floating on its center and surrounded by the smaller ones. Must be one of the world fragments that Shantotto talked about. But even in his muddy memories, he doesn't remember seeing a scenery that more beautiful than this place. Or is it because he really couldn't recall everything at all. Sound of steps, and he face-to-face with the girl from Sanctuary. No longer with bandages, she gave him a very large smile.
"Welcome in my domain, good sir. Have business in this place?"
"No. Just went to see more places. That's all."
"Not a talkative type, aren't ya? Well, just chill when you're with me. I'm not that Doc who only wants to experiment on you just because you came here without being summoned. I mean, what's wrong with that? No one make fuss over something like coming uninvited into war between forces of harmony versus discord."
"…"
"I'm not making any sense, am I?"
"…"
"Alright, if you want to stare at me all day. I just go somewhere else."
"I want to say thank you, for saving me."
"Oh that. Don't mention."
"… why are you here?"
"Me? Cosmos makes me guarding this place. You see, here in Empyreal Paradox, you can see the junction to the Rift. A place full of nasty, I might add. She makes me guarding this place because of those crystal doll that often pop out and attack everything. I'm the one who in charge to put those things on their place."
"I see."
"But those Chaos' creeps are a different story. I think they try to make the Manikins their foot soldier or something like that. I don't really understand what's they're up to, though."
"Maybe it's better to not knowing…"
"Maybe…?"
"Why are you become a warrior of Cosmos?"
"That's pretty out of nowhere question, isn't it?"
"Curious."
"Well… let see. I become Cosmos' warrior because I want to go home; Cosmos said that if we won, we can go back to our own place."
"Home?"
"Yes." She gestured at his feet, or rather, the ground that he stood on, a large land mass that stretched behind the crystal mirror floor, "You see that continent? That's my home. Or, at least how I remember it…"
"You also lost your memories?"
"Not all of it, but it's pretty blur to me."
"…"
She turned to face him, hands on her hip.
"But know this. The struggle we go through… it's our experience that teach us strength. You may lose your memories, but those limbs won't forget. Don't think, just do what you feel is right."
"… I see…"
"But enough of the serious shits. I don't think we know each other name, do we? The name's Prishe. What's yours?"
"I don't remember."
"Of all things, you have to forget your name? That's sucks." She sat on the Paradox's floor cross-legged. "I see…"
She suddenly stood and run to the Warrior's side.
"I know! I name you, then!"
88888
The Warrior opens his eyes, two figures crowd beside him. Small murmurs from them, and he can feel they're trying to prop him to one of the Chaos Shrine's wall near Marilith portrait. He shakes the dizziness from his head, focusing his eyes on people who now helped him stand.
"Are you alright? And who is Prishe?"
The figure with brown hair takes his hand and makes him leans on his armor-covered left shoulder. Bartz Klauser, he remembered. The other one, Zidane Tribal, shouts to horizon, seems like he called the other warrior of Cosmos.
"You don't look too good."
"I'm fine. Are the others already found their Crystals?"
"You bet! Now we can finally beat Chaos, get Cosmos' revenge, and go home."
'Revenge…?'
The Warrior tries to stand on his own, swaying slightly before stand tall as he always has been seen. The ghost of memories still fresh playing in his head like a broken record. That girl… can't believe he forgot. He truly lost his sight after all this war. How long is it since the last time he saw some of their comrades. Fallen to Manikins' hands, banished to the Rift, or just plainly got killed. Familiar names flood his mind. Lightning, Laguna… many others. They all trust them to stop this meaningless war.
"Hei, did you hear what I'm sayin'?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't pay attention." Again he shakes his head, "Just have something in my mind…"
"Don't think too hard, 'kay. We all don't want you hesitate in final battle."
"Yes… but, I have to say that I'm very grateful for everything."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"It's nothing. Never mind."
He walks away to greet the other warrior, leaving Bartz scratching his head.
'We have many reasons to fight. But is revenge really one of mine? But even with all these memories returning to me, I still feel something that I still can't recall.'
88888
Sound of metal slammed to bone echoed loudly inside the Chaos Shrine. She gasped, felt her rib punctured her lung and made her coughing blood. A great sword made a long screech as Garland dragged its chain to put it back together. Low throaty laugh came from behind the hollow of his horned helmet, making her gritted her teeth in frustration.
"Horror of Antiquity. Pathetic… now you have fallen, it's only matter of time for the Manikin to run rampant."
Prishe growled some more, before she laughed softly, something that invited Garland's ire and curiosity.
"The one who is pathetic is you. Surrender yourself to this war… thinking that you can never get out. Aren't you the one who started everything? And now you regret it, and try to blame everyone because of it."
"You also no different. Bring that man to the Goddess, and unwittingly make your side lose. But even when you know that man was just a fake construct, you still believe he will end this cycle of conflict. What make you think that Manikin can safe you lot?"
"I don't believe. I know. Even when he's just a Manikin, he still a perfected version, I know he have ability to do just that. I've make sure of it."
"By filling his head with false hope? I can't see how it will help you."
"Just you see…"
Laughing, Garland started to walk away.
"You're not going to finish me off?"
"You still seek death? I have no pleasure destroying opponents that can no longer stand."
"Tch! Even you don't let me truly die. When I get back on my feet, prepare for some serious beating, you hear!"
"Hahaha! As if!"
After made sure the scratching sound on stone floor from Garland's sword went away and disappeared, she finally slumped down the floor, coughing more blood. Wiped the blood from scar on her cheek, she sighed, and crawled to an unmoving body that lie near Marilith portrait. Her fingers ghosted near his eyes, nose, and lips. Tears streamed down her non-swollen right eye.
"I'm sorry. But it looks like I'm done for."
She laid her head to his chest and took one last long breath; darkness inside her heart swallowed her whole and banished her to the Rift.
"I'm counting on you…"
.
.
.
.
.
"… A###…"
88888
The Warriors of Cosmos confronted Chaos in 13th cycle after Cosmos sacrificed herself by dividing her remaining power inside the Crystals to make sure her warriors can continue to fight after a decisive blow in 12th cycle. And for the first time, Cosmos' side of harmony prevails over discord, and by Cid of Lufenia's help, from that cycle she continues to win. Driven mad by his failures and loses, in 18th cycle Chaos makes a pact with Shinryu and starts attacking indiscriminately, whether it's his warriors or Cosmos'. The Warrior of Light is the last standing warrior that lives and die to protect Cosmos, with his motivation to survive is his promise that he can't even remember. Cid then seals away Chaos that went berserk.
When Chaos finally breaks free in 20th and tries to kill Cosmos himself, Cid seals Cosmos in Cavern of Earth. Have nothing else to do, Chaos turns his wrath to Shinryu, and fights to never ending battle against the dragon. Cid again seals the northern part of the world, where those colossal power fought. Cosmos lost her power to summons and revives her warrior, and 20th cycle ends without winner.
Concerned with the damage that Chaos and Shinryu made, Cid summons warriors from both Cosmos and Chaos allegiance to strike down them both. As they continue to march to northern continent, more warriors were set free and join force to take down Chaos and Shinryu, including the one who fall in Manikin's hand and banish to the Rift. Many of the warriors went mad because of accumulation of memories that had been erased continually for this very reason, including their dying experiences and losing their loved one. Even when some of the warriors are only small memories inside a more-advance Manikin, their experiences in the war are enough to send them to edge.
With the remained sane warriors, The Warrior of Light led the combined force of Harmony and Discord, and finally prevails. With the ultimate victory in their hands, souls inside the perfected Manikins found their peace.
Far away, but he can heard it clearly. After almost 20th cycle of battle, he finally heard the name that girl gave him as she walked to portal that will bring her home, just before his body turned to sand.
"Adam…"