Chapter Two

Hopes Blade; A Sword to fight Control

She felt uncomfortable, the ground under her hard and smooth. Not an ideal sleeping place. Maria opened her eyes slowly. Darkness. That was all there was. Darkness. Waiting for her eyes to adjust to it Maria stood up slowly, feeling tired and lethargic. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she could see the out lines of what she believed to be crystals and in the distance a throne. Something about this place seemed so vaguely...familiar to her. Standing up, Maria looked around. In the dark distance stars twinkled, showing off their lights. "Hmph, not everyday I find an adversary of Cosmos in my domain." Maria froze, hands going for her weapons.

"Emperor Mateus." Maria said, her fists clenched tightly around the hilt of one of her many weapons. She turned slightly- "Never good to have your back to the enemy"-and stared at the man behind her. "I thought you were dead." The Emperor laughed and simply smiled at her. Smiling. He was smiling at her! Maria's fists tightened around the hilt of her weapons, nails digging into them.

"So you remember me?" The Emperor asked. The man himself was draped in gold silk, alternating squares of light purples and white on the sleeves and rims of his robes along with lines of dark purple. The robes split along his arms to show the pale skin underneath and stop just below the wrist as well as showing off the top part of his chest, a large jewel stuck in the middle. His hair, once the color of hair, was now a light purple, almost white, and running down his face and out behind his back, no jewels adorning his hair as per usual. Behind that was a large and golden headdress and behind that were elegant wings that spread out wide.

"Of course I do, minus the angelic look your wearing now. Really Emperor you should stay with the other form of yours."

"Hmph, cheeky as always, are we not Maria?" The Emperor smiled. "All I simply want is you to forgive me." Maria blinked for a moment. He wanted...what?

"Forgiveness...for what?"

"Is it not obvious Maria?" The Emperor's smiled turned into an ugly sneer. "Forgiveness for killing you!" Maria's went to pull out her daggers when a large fireball formed at the tip of the Emperor's now summoned staff and flew towards her. She dodged and ran in a half circle. Running. She just had to keep running-The floor exploded and Maria dived left, hands grabbing at her knives and finally pulling them free of the their sheaves tied to her legs, before she hide behind one of the nearby crystals. She could hear the Emperor's cold laugh and then heard a crackle of lighting before diving left again, narrowly avoiding another one of the Emperor's attacks. "Do you plan on running around all day?" The Emperor mocked, laughing again. Maria dashed out behind the pillar, knives twirling in her fingers and flashing in the dim light before she threw them at the Emperor who in turn sidestepped out of the way to avoiding the whirling blades. As soon as the blades lodged themselves in the nearby wall Maria dashed foreword, grabbing the spear from her back and twirling it in her hands. "Fall you pathetic bitch." The Emperor bellowed, twisting his staff in his hands and forming a circle on the floor underneath. Lightning crackled again and a seal formed, a large circle with foreign words of unknown origins lining the outside. It sped towards her and Maria steadied her breath. She would have to time this just right. Jamming the spear into the exact center of the seal, where no electric charged mark lay she pushed herself up and over it, catapulting herself several feet into the air and easily avoiding the Emperor's trap. "It's pitiful you cur," The Emperor remarked, dark eyes focused on the women in the air above him ", Firion was far better then you and he could not defeat me without his friends. You have no one and thus no chance." Maria grabbed her blade and gnashed her teeth together. It frustrated her that nothing she had been doing had even fazed the Emperor. It frustrated her even more when the Emperor mentioned Firion, his tone sounding as if he were talking about some disgusting animal that was hardly worth the time of day to him and his precious self.

"Don't you take about Firion you bastard!" Maria screamed, bringing down her blade. The Emperor simply yawned and brought his staff up, easily blocking the attack. With a simple thrust Maria went flying, her blade falling from her hand.

"Well?" The Emperor mocked.

"Don't think for a second that I'm done!" Maria shouted, pulling her bow from her side and releasing a volley of arrows, two, three, four, five arrows at a time. The Emperor simply jumped out of the way and Maria gave a cry of rage, running for her spear. She grabbed the spear and ripped it out of the ground in one movement as she ran towards the Emperor. She twirled it once and held forward, the sharp tip of the spear looking deadly.

"Being bold and rash..." The Emperor simply said, watching with mild interest as Maria charged at him. She brought the spear up high and trusted at him. In a flurry of movements the Emperor stood behind her, Maria's spear flying up high and clattering to the ground. "...Will only get you killed." Maria turned on her heel- "Dreary Call" -and went flying back into a wall as the world around her seemed to explode, pain erupting from her sides and back as she fell to the floor and slumped over slightly. Electricity raced and crackled over her body for a few seconds before fading away.

"Am I so weak that I cannot fight by myself?" Maria thought morbidly, trying her hardest to ignore the pain. "After everything I had been through...after all I have fought...am I to fall here?"

"It was a fluke that Firion defeated me before, but you have no chance of winning." The Emperor said slowly. He twirled his staff in hand and hooked it under Maria's shirt before lifting her up. The shirt tore but he still held her up with his staff. Walking slowly to the edge of Pandemonium Maria began to squirm despite the pain in her body and the tiredness that seemed to fill every fiber of her being.

"What do you mean...that Firion defeated you?" Maria breathed, grabbing at the Emperor's staff.

"It is best not to trifle yourself with such worries...for the dead have none!" The Emperor shouted. The familiar sense of earth vanished as she was propelled off the Emperors staff and into the ink black darkness below. She flailed.

"I'll consider myself forgiven now, leaving you alive would have only brought you pain and misery." The Emperor said slowly as Maria fell into the darkness. A sad feeling graced his presence before he turned away.

"Firion..." Maria thought. "I have failed..."

It had taken her eyes a while to adjust after the bright flash of light, her hands instinctively covering her eyes to avoid being blinded. The loud echoing in the room had stopped and the white light turned into a dull purple and then into the natural light coming off of the candles that decorated the stone room. Maria looked foreword and felt her heart leap when she saw the door's barrier had been destroyed. She turned, all to ready to thank Minwu- Only to see him collapsed on the floor nearby. The sense of relief and hope, however brief it had been, vanished as she stared about the broken body before her. They all quickly gathered around her and Maria could feel the silent tears begin to run down her face. "Minwu!" She had shouted. She could see the slow rise and fall of the white mages chest and she smiled when he looked to her. She bent over slightly, looking to Firion to cast a cure spell. "Firion, quickly before he-"

"Go...through the door. You must...take Ultima." Came Minwu's chocked voice.

"Minwu, just hold on..w-we will heal you."

"Do not grieve..." Minwu said sadly, turning to stare at the four of them. "This...this was my destiny..." Minwu coughed a bit and the whites of his robes started to turn pink. With a bright flash and a shower of shinning glitter Minwu's body faded away, taken by deaths and destiny's cold hand.

"Destiny?" Maria thought. "To hell with destiny!" She shouted out. The others flinched away from her and she clenched her fists. "Is this destiny!" She asked turning to the others. She could feel the tears running heavy down her face and she felt Firion move close to put an arm around her. "Is this destiny...to watch everyone die...is it!" She asked, clutching at Firion. He gazed sadly at her and she realized he too was crying. Maria pushed him away and whipped away her tears as she stood up, legs slightly wobbling and hands shaking. She took a moment to gaze at where Minwu had been but seconds ago and then to look at the door. "Destiny can go to hell..." She said. Firion and the others stood as well.

"We still have the Ultima tome, we can defeat the Emperor-"

"At what cost?" Maria asked morbidly, pushing past him and moving towards the door. They would get the Ultima tome and then they would stop the Emperor. Then no one else would have to become a victim to a man's plans for conquer. "To what cost..."

"Maria wake up." The words came to her softly and her eyes fluttered open. Above her was only the inky blackness that had swallowed her. As if coming out of darkness large purple walls came down from the wall, each of them covered in diamond shaped tiles and each tile seeming to pulsate like a beating heart. "Minwu?" She asked quietly, gazing around. She nearly gave out a small cry when the image of a blonde youth suddenly appeared. His hair was swept to the side and his eyes were a beautiful light shade of blue. She was surprised to see such youth in his face although his attire, looking much like a free lancer of sorts with added armor. Everything about him told her clearly that the boy was a knight of some variety. The boy gave her a queer look and stuck out his hand to help her up. She took the boys hand, who's grip was very strong, and was easily lifted off the floor. She stood slightly taller then the boy, a few inches higher but hardly noticeable. "My name is-"

"Maria, I know." The boy said curtly. His voice was calm and steady, much like his face which was blanked and conveyed little to no emotion at all.

"Yes but how did you-"

"Know?" The boy asked, finishing her sentence. Maria frowned, getting irritated at the boy who kept interrupting her. "Is there a problem?" The boy asked her as if sensing her frustration.

"Well actually, yes, there is."

"Enlighten me."

"Well for starts, I don't know your name or how you even know mine." Maria stated. The boy remained silent for a few moments, staring at her.

"My name is Ingus. As for how I know your name the Goddess Cosmos told me it." The boy turned and started to walk away. "If you want to know then follow me." Cosmos, she had heard that name twice already and a feeling of unease washed over her. She hurried to follow the boy, now know as Ingus, and grimaced. Her sides hurt as well as her back and the far to familiar ache of pain began to come to her. "Do you need to me to walk slower?" Ingus asked. She would have shoot him a nasty comment if he had meant that any other way but for the time being he seemed to actually mean it. She nodded and he walked back she continued to walk with him, albeit more carefully. "Cosmos has sent me to aid you"

"So who is this Goddess you keep mentioning...Cosmos?" Maria asked.

"She is he Goddess of Harmony and the opposed god to Chaos." Despite Ignus's calm demeanor she could see his fists clench slightly. "We are stuck in a war of gods, weapons to aid the Goddess Cosmos and defeat the forces of Chaos." The boy paused briefly before continuing. "If there is anything else to this then I haven't heard it."

"So...take down the forces of Chaos, then Chaos himself, and then..."

"We go home."

"Home..." Maria muttered.

Fire. Everything was on fire. All of it. Her home was on fire. They ran throughout the street, Leon, Firion, Guy and her, with fire at their heels and the screams of pain and aguish ringing in the air. She could hear the screams of children, oh the screams, as they cried for their parents and Maria stopped to help before Leon grabbed at her arm. "But Leon-"

"We can't save them Maria! We have got to go!" Leon shouted. The grim animosity in his eyes, the sheer need to survive clearly showing in his eyes, would haunt her for weeks. She nodded and Leon pulled her forward. She could hardly tell how long they were running. Fynn wasn't a large town, but it had felt like hours, every scream and cry registering in Maria's mind as a cry for help that she was ignoring. Her family was dead, she was sure of this, and her town was dying. She could only imagine how Leon felt, her brother always having such pride in Fynn and it's people. As they ran past the corner the sound of the clock tower bell tolling was loud and clear. Pausing again, Maria looked up at the clock tower. Plain looking compared to other clock towers around the world Maria thought that it always seemed to hold a simplistic beauty. There was a large creaking sound that sounded clear over the ringing of the bells and Maria was horrified to see the tower leaning sharply to the left. In seconds the bricks began to fall from the tower and Maria began to run. She tripped and screamed as she hit the ground.

"Maria!" Firion screamed, running back towards her. She watched as both Leon and Guy followed Firion, Leon yelling for her to watch out. She hardly had time to turned around and see a large blade rushing at her to-

Maria shook her head lightly. "My head is throbbing." She said quietly. Where these flashes in her mind memories. And if they were...why was everything else so foggy. She shook her head, deciding to worry about it later. The both of them continued on until Arc stopped her. She bumped into him and backed off. "Why are we stopping?"

"Something doesn't feel right." Ingus said quietly. His hand went quickly for his blade and Maria went for hers to find none but the simple daggers tied to her boots. The rest were with Emperor Mateus. "Are those the only weapons you have?"

"Sadly." Maria sighed.

"Then they'll have to do, lets go." Ingus said as he walked forward. Maria nodded and casted a wary look over her shoulder. She could feel something as well. Something...not right. They walked again for several minutes, Maria's legs beginning to ache, when Ingus slowed down. "

"Whats wrong now?" Maria asked in a sharp tone. She hadn't meant to use that tone but she was tired and worn down, her voice coming out meaner then she had meant it to. Truth be told she was glad he stopped. Gave her poor legs a momentary rest. Perhaps he felt it too? That odd feeling in the pit of her stomach, the feeling that something was not right. A general feeling of...emptiness. Was that why he stopped? Did he feel it to. She opened her mouth to ask when he turned to face her, his face a grim calm.

"From here on it is a small drop to the bottom. From there you will encounter a train. Take that to a place called Orphan's Cradle. You got that? Orphan's Cradle." Ignus said pulling out a second blade. He turned it around and offered the hilt of it to Maria, who cautiously grabbed it.

"Whats's a train? Ingus what are you-"

"If anything happens to me I want you to run. Alright?" Ingus said. He gave her a small smile. "It's a knights job to protect a princess right?" He stared at her and she saw his face visible soften a bit.

"Ingus. I'm not a princess-" She hardly got to finish her sentence as Ingus's eyes darted up, he yelled "move" and then shoved her aside. Their was a brief flash of light and the world seem to explode as Maria was thrown back. She instinctively grabbed at her legs and rolled when her back hit the ground, effectively springing up, ready for battle. She heard a distorted laugh above her and looked up to see- To see what appeared to be a crystal copy of none other then Firion. Maria's breath hitched as the crystal Firion turned it's gaze on her, a bow in hand.

"Move!" A voice shouted. She turned to see Ingus dash up a pillar and launch himself at the crystal Firion. Dammit why was she hesitating! She pulled out he daggers, ignoring Ingus's order. She went to run forward when again the world exploded in white and she was again flying backwards. This time, whoever she didn't manage to roll and spring back, her foot placement wrong and her ankle crying out in pain. She looked up to Ingus who had seemed to have killed the Crystal Firion. He looked nervous until he saw her, a grim emotionless expression taking his face. "I said move-" The pillar exploded and he fell, jumping from chunks of the pillar to land in front of her.

"Such fragile things." Came a seductive voice, echoing through the dark halls. Maria looked about while Ingus pulled her up and pushed her forward. "Where will you run when the Void takes you?" There was another flash and Ingus shoved her forward. For a moment she felt weightless, the fact that she was over another seemingly endless pit making her stomach turn, before she again screamed. In the last seconds before the darkness took her she saw Ingus, sword in hand with a look of determination. Then, suddenly, out of darkness sprang a women with silver hair and dark red eyes. She seemed to give her a knowing smile and then Maria was swallowed by whatever awaited bellow.

There was a steady rumbling sound all around her and Maria slowly opened her. "H-Hello?" She called out. There again was silence. Around her was a long line of seats on both sides of her that ended at a grey door. Above the seats were windows that were currently showing a large dark forest. For some reason she felt as if she was being watched. She stood up slowly and looked around. Ingus was gone and she was dropped into an empty dark pit to wind up somewhere else. Again. She sighed and made her way to the door. She didn't know where she was, or hell, what she was on. That however wasn't going to stop her from moving on though. What had Arc said? She closed her eyes for a moment, Ingus's words loud in her mind: From there you will encounter a train. Take that to a place called Orphan's Cradle. You got that? Orphan's Cradle. What in the hell had he meant by "Orphans Cradle?" She knew it had nothing to do with what it implied, so she had to believe it was a place. A place that she was heading to on this..."train." She sighed again and rested her head against the glass. It was cool to the touch and she smiled. It was like her world yet different. The coverings over the seat were cloth, like the cloth in her world. The glass was cool to the touch like in her world. Almost everything in this "train" was like in her world and yet it was different. Everything was different. Peering out through the glass she studied the forest. The sky was dark and seemed heavy with rain. The forest was dark and thick and a heavy mist seem to pulse out from within it. It was...odd. She pulled back from the class and opened the door. Again there was another long line of seats. She sighed and continued on, opening the next door. Yet again, more seats. Maria sighed and sat in one, propping her feat up on the seat and resting her head against the glass. She safely assumed she was the only on on this "Train" thing and thought she might as well try and rest. Her body relaxed and she let out a small sigh of relief. Suddenly the train seemed to stop and she was thrown into the seat in front of her. She dropped to the floor and scrambled up. Looking at the window her jaw dropped. The once thick foliage of trees were now sparse, the trees far and few in-between with the ground giving way to some odd pink and white metal. The sky, once thick with clouds was now empty and black. Maria turned and hurried down the aisle before throwing open the door. Another set of seats were laid out in front of her but, to the left in-between two seats, was another larger door. She hurried to it, threw open and- "GAU!" Something screamed. Maria cried out and threw out a fist, connecting with something soft. There was a loud thud and a brief silence before she opened her eyes. Below her a green haired youth dressed in animal skins stared up at her curiously. His left cheek was bright red.

And so we introduce Maria. I know I could have picked someone else like Guy or Leon but I said fuck it, I want Maria. Of course the Emperor is the main villain to rise against her but...well there were no other villains to take the place. Oh and yes COD is back as well although she'll be more of a side character for another villain from FF 3. Not saying who. As for picking Ingus, he was the only other choice. Oh and Gau...God I love him. I love him so fucking much. Hm but if he's FF 6's hero then who is the badguy? Hmmmm