For summonerluna. Prompt is inspired by an image from her tumblr and her asking for a story to be told ;)
The darkness wasn't comprised of mere shadows; it was a living entity. It breathed in the absence of light and spread its inky limbs to wipe out the hope living in the hearts of feeble souls. That light existed only to be smothered, leaving behind an empty shell. In time, the darkness swallowed piles of corpses.
Thus was the way of time compression.
Squall fought to defy such a fate despite finding nothing but shadows bleeding around him. Everything he once came to know and love vanished into nothing. The places, the sights, the people - all of it. Gone. For no reason other than a madwoman believed the universe was better off never moving forward or backwards again.
Only stillness. Just the present moment.
Rinoa - that... was her name, wasn't it? - wished for that once, but it was different. There had been dread in her tearful eyes while she clung onto him. What Ultimecia longed for was fueled only by a hatred humanity could never fathom. What had happened to drive her into believing the only way to be at peace with herself was through destroying time and space as everyone knew it? He thought on the battle they won and the terrifying visage claiming to be Ultimecia burning out of existence.
There had been echoes of voices, blurs of images. Then nothing. He was... searching for something. Or someone. Squall couldn't discern the details. The only true certainty lied in his steps, for he progressed little as hours - perhaps days or weeks - dragged on. An endless stretch of land taunted him, next it warped into an island to torment him further.
Everything shrank and collapsed onto him. The memories he once held dear faded from his thoughts. The faces of those he fought with - fought for - smudged. The words shared with them muffled and choked. Squall clutched his face and attempted to make sense of the chaos clouding his mind.
Piercing through the haze was a crystal clear sound - a deep, rolling chuckle.
"You're more stubborn than I thought."
He whirled around, ignoring the chills flooding his body. That voice - he knew it. Even worse, it wasn't supposed to exist anymore.
Finding nothing but darkness, Squall clenched his jaw. "You should talk." Nothing. "If you're so fixed on mocking me, then show yourself."
"Why?"
A flash of images inundated him. Squall hitched his breath. Space, oceans, skies, fire, flower fields. Laughter, gasps, whispers, screams.
"You came into my world," the voice hissed in his ear, yet no tangible body loomed over him. "You went out of your way to stop me. Did you truly believe the likes of you would be enough to end my life?" The laughter froze Squall's blood. "So you think you've bested me simply because you traveled to my realm. One timeline. One possibility. It would take an eternity to wipe out my existence from every dimension."
The shadows hung motionless before him. In a blink of his eyes, an even darker figure hovered in front of Squall. The garb was different - draped silks drenched in deep crimsons and onyx - but there was no mistaking the white hair and the vivid skin markings.
And her eyes. She possessed the stare of a cobra, inching closer to a frozen Squall. Her lips quirked into a smirk.
"You don't have an eternity," she said.
Even if movement was possible, Squall couldn't have reacted quick enough to dodge the hands darting for his face. The once humanoid fingers were elongated, twig-like knives, digging into his flesh and drawing forth both blood and screams. His blue eyes fixed on the sorceress who was supposed to be dead. And when she grinned, her lips curled past human norms, spanning past her ears. His eyes widened at the sight; whatever she was now, it was lost between her previous self and her dying form.
It was something far worse.
"Even with all of your pathetic lifetimes," she continued, her voice splitting and multiplying, each one a different pitch, a different timbre, "I will always find you and gut you like the worthless maggot you are."
He promised. Rinoa memorized the words he spoke back at the flower field. And there she was, sprinting through a sea of endless flowers in an attempt to find a familiar face. Her lungs begged for rest, as did her legs, but Rinoa persisted. She whipped her head about in between gulps of air. No sign of him. If she slowed down now, then she could have missed him. That was not acceptable. She had to find him. After all they had been through, after all they promised to share with one another...
Her steps slowed down. Just a minute. Just a brief pause. Gasping for air, Rinoa eyed the thick clouds blotting out the skies. At any moment, they could open up and pour down relentless rain. Except this wasn't the world as she knew it. Time compression was but a mirror of what she wanted to believe was reality. A way to comfort her before the darkness claimed her life.
Dark eyes drifted to the pair of rings she wore as charms on her necklace. She clasped them in her hand and squeezed tight. Now wasn't the time to admit defeat. The only one who was going to claim her was Squall and that was only if she didn't find him first.
"You promised," Rinoa whispered, tilting her chin up to eye the mirage of a horizon. "We promised." She released the hold on her rings. "I'll find you. Don't worry, Squall. I'm coming for you!"
She broke out into a sprint again, resuming her persistent search. Hours seemed to slink by. Rinoa swore she ran in circles. Everything looked the same. Nothing greeted her with warmth.
It wasn't until she skidded to a halt that she found herself confronted with a cliff overlooking an abyss.
Her breath hitched in her throat and her arms flailed about to maintain balance. Stiffening her posture, Rinoa backed away from the ledge. Though when she spun in place to walk in the opposite direction, another cliff welcomed her. The darkness worked its vile magic and left her stranded on an island suspended in nothing. In time, it too would collapse, leaving Rinoa falling forever until all her memories of the past and all her dreams for the future dissolved. And when her mind failed her, the darkness would disintegrate her body to dust. Not even a breeze would carry her away from the nightmare existing around her.
But the darkness wasn't alone, for Rinoa also possessed boundless magic.
She furrowed her brow and clasped both her hands over her heart. Closing her eyes, she drew in a deep breath and focused.
Squall, she thought. Can you hear me? Where are you? Please, you must remember. You have to. It was the only way we'd find each other, right? Nothing chimed back to her. Playing hard to get? Her lips cracked into a short-lived smile. Typical. Guess I'll just have to drag you out from hiding again. I'd say you owe me, but I guess I've owed you for far too long.
With an exhale, Rinoa dropped her arms to her sides and tilted her head back. Light emanated around her and spurted two, massive wings from her back. She stretched them to their full wingspan before beating them to generate a magical wind. White feathers loosened from the wings and spun around Rinoa. She managed to snatch one midair and brought it to her face.
"Squall Leonhart," she whispered into the soft plume. "My knight. My love. Find him. Bring him back to me."
Sealing the spell with a kiss, Rinoa released the feather. It soared on a separate wind and traveled south of her. She dared to draw close to the cliff again, but this time, Rinoa spread her wings and took flight, following the single feather floating away in the darkness.
The wind carrying the feather ceased to exist. Once the feather found a home on the ground, Rinoa landed, as well. She wobbled upon alighting, then dusted herself off. With a gentle huff, she approached the fallen feather. But there was no Squall in sight. From appearances alone, the feather fell upon the ground for no reason.
Rinoa scrunched up her face and picked up her pace to approach the area. Her steps came to a standstill when she spied the shadows moving on their own.
A massive form draped in inky darkness rose from the cracks of the ground. In the light provided by her wings, Rinoa discerned the outline of the figure to be that of an abhorrent beast, nothing like any of the monsters they had fought before. A deep growl rumbled through the vicinity and rattled Rinoa's bones. Yet she stood her ground despite the horror staring her down.
Or it would have been if it had eyes. What served as its head twitched in place and a mouth cracked opened. It grinned with countless teeth, each one a disfigured canine. It stood upon lithe limbs akin to razor blades. Instead of skin, a muddy mixture covered its body, cloaked by shadows and burned with blueish markings. Rinoa knew those markings. As it loomed over her, it expanded and deflated with each breath, the sound alone unlike anything Rinoa had ever heard.
And it gradually assumed the grotesque, mutated form of a cat. Perhaps even a lion.
It clicked in Rinoa, accompanied by a barrage of images, each one a separate memory she clung onto for dear life. All the slivers were pieces to a bigger puzzle and once completed, she stared through the creature as if to kill it where it stood.
"You," Rinoa spat out, "shouldn't be here."
"And yet," the creature responded, the voice like a million stringed instruments playing various notes in unison, "here I am."
Through the cacophony of sound which was that terrifying voice, Rinoa pinpointed a more masculine tone. She knew it. A light gasp surfaced onto her lips; if it was indeed his voice, then he was there.
And then there was hope.
"Give him back!" Rinoa shouted, flourishing her wings while taking up an offensive stance.
The creature reared its head back and laughed, the sound cascading out of its colossal mouth on par with a falling piano smashing into the ground. "What ever gives you the idea that I'll do anything for you, let alone give him back?"
"He's not yours for taking!"
"Then will you offer yourself in replacement?"
Rinoa gritted her teeth. "I offer you nothing! Not after what you've done to the world!"
Again it laughed. Rinoa refused to flinch. Not now.
"So the sorceress comes to rescue her knight. How pathetic. Perhaps you should have chosen better. You were a wasted investment, after all."
"The only thing pathetic around here," Rinoa replied, "is that you cling onto someone else in order to stay alive."
She struck a chord somewhere within the vile thing, for the amusement died in its voice. "I made you, worthless brat." Black wings comprised of a murky mist jutted from its back. Thousands of blue and yellow eyes popped open along its neck, chest, and belly to stare Rinoa down. The creature reared back like a snake prepared to strike. "And I can very well undo you. I can ensure you never existed in the first place!"
One of its limbs snapped forward to skewer Rinoa at blinding speed. A flash of brilliant light, however, blinded the area and left the creature flinching. The magical barrier faded before Rinoa, who puffed up her chest and held her head high.
"Maybe," Rinoa responded, streams of light swirling around her, "you should have thought of that before you made me into what I am now."
Roaring in outrage, the creature lashed out once more. Hundreds upon hundreds of blades forged and tempered from shadows dared to eviscerate her where she stood. Rinoa weaved the magic which flowed through her like blood and air to create barriers. Each one blocked the barrage of attacks and lengthened her lifespan. The light danced around her as she formed it into weapons of her own to launch back. Some deflected, some missed, but others lodged into her target. Its cries confirmed the perfect strikes and Rinoa smirked to herself.
Though it didn't mark a victory. This thing Ultimecia created - surely a junction between herself and Squall - was more savage and horrifying than the final form of the sorceress herself. Rinoa might have been alone, but she didn't need help; this fight was hers for the taking. Sorceress versus sorceress. All to claim a single man's life and restore the world to order. Ultimecia wished to tarnish Squall; Rinoa longed to grant him a second wind.
Darkness and light clashed. The creature roared with every attack, both against Rinoa and upon receiving a blow. Rinoa's angel wings bestowed flight to her once more as she zipped around. But the jet black wings trashed into the ground and lifted the creature into the air, as well. While not as agile, a formidable power resided behind every strike. Sometimes a limb shattered Rinoa's barrier and knocked her down, but she was quick to her feet again. She darted back into the sky each time. It never snuffed out her hope; it brought it burning brighter than before.
Black acid fell in place of blood from the creature. It hissed upon impact with the ground, pooling in vast quantities. Rinoa sported her own share of cuts and gouges, blood seeping down her arms, legs, and face. All of which would be healed once the battle was finished. She gasped for air, ignoring the searing agony in her muscles. It wasn't over until one of them was dead. Rinoa was fortunate she had never backed down from a challenge before.
But the creature faltered mid-flight and crashed into the decaying earth. The collapse boomed in Rinoa's ears. She watched as it struggled to regain composure. Without hesitation, Rinoa swooped down from high above and rushed for its face. Light swelled in her hands as she clutched onto both sides of its head. The jaw unhinged and attempted to snap at her, but Rinoa held her ground and stared into one of its many eyes.
"You will bring him back," Rinoa spoke, her tone rich with tenacity. "I will not allow you to have your way with him. You may have created me-" The light seeped into the creature to flood its entire body, leaving it flailing and whining. "-but that same power can undo you. The hold you once had over me is gone. I'm stronger now. If I was able to make you let go of me, then you will let go of my knight."
Rinoa closed her eyes and focused. A cyclone circulated around them, accompanied by her own feathers. The creature struggled against her, though continued to be drowned out by light. With a sharp inhale, Rinoa tossed her head back and gazed up above.
A light twinkled in what should have been the clouds. It split the heavens apart and descended at an alarming speed towards the two of them. Like a merciless executioner, it struck through the creature and split its body in half. The shriek exploding past its gaping mouth was enough to deafen the world, but Rinoa's mortal days were long gone. She was a sorceress, just like Ultimecia, and she planned on using her power for the good of others.
The dark entity once daring to kill her splintered away and faded like embers floating off from a dying fire. As Ultimecia's last attempt to survive snuffed out, the darkness above peeled back and rolled away to reveal blue skies. The ground beneath her sprung forth lush grass and a variety of flowers. Millions of colorful petals swayed in the breeze and floated past Ultimecia's remains.
The wind around Rinoa died out and feathers rained from the sky. Each plume floating to the earth lit up and fizzled away. Even her own wings glowed bright once she touched down again and vanished. Before she could marvel at the accomplishment of shattering time compression, Rinoa focused on what was before her.
With the creature dead, the darkness left only a single body in a pool of black water. The water rippled from the distant echoes of Ultimecia's dying cries. Within it was a humanoid shape, though slick in the inky residue of the shadows. Face down, its arms reached out, one palm turned to the skies, as if struggling to stay alive.
Rinoa recognized the form and held her breath.
No. You can't be dead. Please, no. After all we've been through, you can't just give up. She blinked away the tears which begged to be released. You never gave up on me. I never did for you, either. So please... Come back to me.
One last feather floated in the sky. Its descent was nonchalant, swaying to and fro. One more twirl and it found its home in the open palm of the body. The white feather would soon be marred by the sticky, black residue present. It began to glow, about to fade away, just like the other feathers - a sign its magic was drying up.
But tired fingers curled over the feather and the light exploded.
Rinoa held her breath and shielded her eyes. Once the light died down, she blinked and looked down. She gasped again, but this time it was joined by a smile on her lips. Not thinking twice, Rinoa darted towards the stirring body and dropped to her knees.
The darkness was gone and left behind the man she made a promise with in a field of flowers. Rinoa rolled Squall onto his back in the puddles of clear water, who in turn winced and squinted through heavy eyelids.
"Rinoa?" he spoke, weary as ever.
This time, she let the tears overwhelm her. "Squall!" And she clung onto him for dear life. "You're back!"
"Back...? Was I ever gone?"
He doesn't remember, does he? Rinoa giggled at him, though it sounded somehow off. "Does it even matter now?"
Squall studied her face, then grimaced. "You're crying." Then his eyes widened. "You're bleeding."
The wounds were the last of her worries. They would heal, just like everything else. She feared, though, that even her magic couldn't undone death itself if Squall ceased to exist.
"It's nothing," she told him with a bittersweet smile. The tears wouldn't stop rolling down her face. "I... I'm happy."
"Why?"
She nuzzled into his face and locked onto his eyes. "Because I thought I almost lost you... and I was afraid I'd then lose myself."