For the first time in her life, Ultimecia was afraid. She had
conquered the world and defeated all who dared to stand in her way. And
now, just as she was on the verge of becoming a god, Ultimecia knew, deep
down, that she would die today. She looked at the six SeeDs who would be
her destroyers. Her anger rose at the unfairness of it all, and Ultimecia
decided that she, the most powerful sorceress of all time, would make them
pay dearly for victory.
Just as she came to that decision, the blonde SeeD rushed at Ultimecia, the whip in her hand unfurling and flying out straight for the sorceress's neck. Moving quickly, Ultimecia unleashed a Stop spell on the foolish girl, freezing her in place. The evil sorceress felt a momentary sensation of elation, which quickly disappeared as pain began shooting through her back. She fell to the ground from the force of the savage blows; her hands on the stones beneath her, supporting her body as the SeeD above her continued his assault. Desperate to survive, Ultimecia channeled a Break spell through the floor, instantly petrifying the fighter right next to her and spreading through the ground to entomb the nunchaku- wielding SeeD and the obvious leader of the group, who held a gunblade, in stone as well.
Ultimecia rose from the floor, laughing. Only two little SeeDs left. In mid-laugh, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach as a bullet ripped through it. Another one followed soon behind, tearing a hole in her upper left arm. Focusing her energies, she used a powerful Blizzaga to imprison the gunman in ice. Ultimecia attempted to turn and finish off the last SeeD, but her wounds had fatally weakened her. Not wanting it to be over, she cast Curaga on herself, just so she could continue fighting. As she did that, however, the last Seed poured some strange liquid over the gunblade user's head, which returned his body to normal.
The pair moved as one to face Ultimecia, who struggled to stand. Unfortunately, even the Curaga spell had not strengthened her enough to enable her to fight.
For the first time since the battle started, one of the SeeDs spoke, "Rinoa, wait here. I'll finish her off," said the remaining male SeeD.
"All right, Squall," Rinoa replied, then, growing fearful, continued, "Don't die."
"Don't worry; I'm not going to let anything bad happen." With these words, Squall charged straight for Ultimecia as his gunblade, Lionheart, began to glow. When he was within range, he let loose with a swift flurry of blows from the blade. Lionheart moved faster than Ultimecia could follow, slicing her from every imaginable direction as the energy of the assault propelled her and the SeeD into the air.
For a moment, Rinoa stood, watching as Ultimecia and Squall began to disappear into the distance. Then she remembered her other friends. Rushing over to Zell and Selphie, she used an Esuna to free them from their stone encasings. As soon as she was free, Selphie ran over to Irvine and used Fire to melt the ice around him. Zell, on the other hand, stood by Rinoa and watched as Quistis began moving when the affects of the Stop spell wore off.
"Where's Squall?" Zell asked, once everyone was back to normal. In answer, Rinoa pointed into the sky above an adjacent tower where Squall and Ultimecia could be seen, just before they fall onto the tower's roof.
Over on the other tower, Ultimecia lay still, her back broken, feeling her life drain slowly away. As she stared up at the SeeD who had defeated her, revenge was the only thought on her mind. Suddenly, the perfect vengeance came to her and she began chanting under her breath, too softly for Squall to hear.
"Here stands the arrogant one
who dared to challenge me.
Punish this foolish SeeD
for his vicious deed.
Let him know no love,
imprison him in stone
until a thousand years are gone,
and everything he held dear
has been laid to waste."
As she chanted, Squall raised his blade above her stomach and struck downward just as Ultimecia finished the spell. Instantly, Squall was petrified once again. Ultimecia took a look at his statue. She decided that he looked much better this way, cold and motionless. He was standing tall, bent over at the waist as he had moved to deal the last blow. His arms were outstretched before his body; his gunblade clasped, point downwards, in his stone fists. As she lay there, slowly dying, her thoughts turned to Hyne. She had come so close to obtaining his power, until this fool had interrupted her. Now Hyne had nothing to fear.
"Indeed, my dear. However, I have decided that sorceresses are too much of a potential threat to be allowed to exist any longer. I am coming to reclaim my power soon," came what Ultimecia knew to be the voice of Hyne into her head. Her blood ran cold at what she had just heard. She would not, could not, allow him to win. She paused, wondering what she could possibly do. She looked at the statue of the SeeD once again. Then, it hit her. It was time to pass on the sorceress powers to a man for the first time. Inside the ensconced SeeD, they would go unnoticed until he awoke. She would just have to hope that he would be able to defeat Hyne then. With that last thought, Ultimecia passed on her powers to her foe and slipped away into eternity.
Just as she came to that decision, the blonde SeeD rushed at Ultimecia, the whip in her hand unfurling and flying out straight for the sorceress's neck. Moving quickly, Ultimecia unleashed a Stop spell on the foolish girl, freezing her in place. The evil sorceress felt a momentary sensation of elation, which quickly disappeared as pain began shooting through her back. She fell to the ground from the force of the savage blows; her hands on the stones beneath her, supporting her body as the SeeD above her continued his assault. Desperate to survive, Ultimecia channeled a Break spell through the floor, instantly petrifying the fighter right next to her and spreading through the ground to entomb the nunchaku- wielding SeeD and the obvious leader of the group, who held a gunblade, in stone as well.
Ultimecia rose from the floor, laughing. Only two little SeeDs left. In mid-laugh, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach as a bullet ripped through it. Another one followed soon behind, tearing a hole in her upper left arm. Focusing her energies, she used a powerful Blizzaga to imprison the gunman in ice. Ultimecia attempted to turn and finish off the last SeeD, but her wounds had fatally weakened her. Not wanting it to be over, she cast Curaga on herself, just so she could continue fighting. As she did that, however, the last Seed poured some strange liquid over the gunblade user's head, which returned his body to normal.
The pair moved as one to face Ultimecia, who struggled to stand. Unfortunately, even the Curaga spell had not strengthened her enough to enable her to fight.
For the first time since the battle started, one of the SeeDs spoke, "Rinoa, wait here. I'll finish her off," said the remaining male SeeD.
"All right, Squall," Rinoa replied, then, growing fearful, continued, "Don't die."
"Don't worry; I'm not going to let anything bad happen." With these words, Squall charged straight for Ultimecia as his gunblade, Lionheart, began to glow. When he was within range, he let loose with a swift flurry of blows from the blade. Lionheart moved faster than Ultimecia could follow, slicing her from every imaginable direction as the energy of the assault propelled her and the SeeD into the air.
For a moment, Rinoa stood, watching as Ultimecia and Squall began to disappear into the distance. Then she remembered her other friends. Rushing over to Zell and Selphie, she used an Esuna to free them from their stone encasings. As soon as she was free, Selphie ran over to Irvine and used Fire to melt the ice around him. Zell, on the other hand, stood by Rinoa and watched as Quistis began moving when the affects of the Stop spell wore off.
"Where's Squall?" Zell asked, once everyone was back to normal. In answer, Rinoa pointed into the sky above an adjacent tower where Squall and Ultimecia could be seen, just before they fall onto the tower's roof.
Over on the other tower, Ultimecia lay still, her back broken, feeling her life drain slowly away. As she stared up at the SeeD who had defeated her, revenge was the only thought on her mind. Suddenly, the perfect vengeance came to her and she began chanting under her breath, too softly for Squall to hear.
"Here stands the arrogant one
who dared to challenge me.
Punish this foolish SeeD
for his vicious deed.
Let him know no love,
imprison him in stone
until a thousand years are gone,
and everything he held dear
has been laid to waste."
As she chanted, Squall raised his blade above her stomach and struck downward just as Ultimecia finished the spell. Instantly, Squall was petrified once again. Ultimecia took a look at his statue. She decided that he looked much better this way, cold and motionless. He was standing tall, bent over at the waist as he had moved to deal the last blow. His arms were outstretched before his body; his gunblade clasped, point downwards, in his stone fists. As she lay there, slowly dying, her thoughts turned to Hyne. She had come so close to obtaining his power, until this fool had interrupted her. Now Hyne had nothing to fear.
"Indeed, my dear. However, I have decided that sorceresses are too much of a potential threat to be allowed to exist any longer. I am coming to reclaim my power soon," came what Ultimecia knew to be the voice of Hyne into her head. Her blood ran cold at what she had just heard. She would not, could not, allow him to win. She paused, wondering what she could possibly do. She looked at the statue of the SeeD once again. Then, it hit her. It was time to pass on the sorceress powers to a man for the first time. Inside the ensconced SeeD, they would go unnoticed until he awoke. She would just have to hope that he would be able to defeat Hyne then. With that last thought, Ultimecia passed on her powers to her foe and slipped away into eternity.