Chapter 8: In the Presence of Enemies 2: Wasteland

"I'm so sorry!" I repeated again, feeling warm tears run down my cheeks. I was still kneeling on the ground, the dark clouds created by Stigma slowly enveloping us as he gained more and more power.

I felt a soft touch on my shoulder and looked up. Spiral eyes met my gaze. She smiled sweetly, reassuringly. For a moment I almost thanked her, I almost smiled . .

No! How dare you! This is your own fucking fault stupid! You led that bastard here and now he's gonna kill everyone! You failed . . miserably.

I was right . . it was all my fault. I had dug not only my grave, but theirs as well. I was . . . wait, that voice . . it had sounded different.

"Sam . ." Rikku whispered, drawing my attention back to her. I searched the emeralds, finding fear and sadness, but no damnation. She didn't blame me, she really didn't.

"How?" I whispered back. She furrowed her brow. "How can you not blame . . this is my fault, my doing!"

She shook her head and placed a finger on my lips, "You never meant for this to happen, and you tried to save us, all of us. And I'm grateful that you at least tried . . ."

. . . at least tried . . .

I felt a heat rise up inside me, building slowly. I tried . . that's all.

"Rikku's right, at least you tried and didn't just abandon us." Yuna said. "You fought to save us, not really caring about yourself . . ." she trailed off.

"Yeah, don't be so hard on yourself. None of could do anything to this guy." Paine leaned against the wall as the ship shuddered for the umpteenth time, she folded her arms across her chest. "We knocked this guy down and he just came back even more powerful."

They're just being nice . . they all blame you and you know it!

That voice . . .

"There has to be something . . something that I could . . ."

"Don't push yourself . . you've done enough." Rikku said, an extra meaning in her eyes.

"No . . I haven't." I said, trying to stand. The ship shook again, more violently this time. I wasn't prepared and fell back down and landed on my face. Paine stumbled but managed to keep standing.

Resilient to the end.

. . . to the end . . .

This was really the end, not just for them, but for me. I hadn't thought of that, and I knew it was selfish. But when you realize that you're about to die, it does something to you. I felt the fire burn harder, reaching higher and clawing at my very soul. A new found sense of resistance and resilience came over me, filling me, I sat back up.

Why what's the point, there's nothing you can do!

Why did that seem . . .

Rikku leaned closer to me, just barely, "I want . . to thank you." she breathed. It was so quiet, and it hit me so hard. I had barely known this girl for a few days and already it seemed like she had touched me in a way that nobody else had.

And now . . looking at her . . I could see the effects of what this ordeal had done to her. She had been so energetic, so full of life . . !

A life that you cut short!

Optimistic, colorful, happy!

You've destroyed it!

So loving and caring, so innocent.

You stole that away!

And she had loved me and I . . I . .

You gave nothing back, you even tried to block her out!

I loved her too. Underneath it all I still cared for her. I still loved her and was just too afraid to show it. And now . . at the end I realized it.

How . . very . . ironic . . .

When it was too late. If only I had more time . . if only there was something that I could . .

Please, give up this hopeless crusade, just accept it . . this is the end. Embrace it!

I just couldn't, I wouldn't. I wasn't about to lay down and die willingly.

You still want to continue . . how stupid can you get?

Why did that voice seem so . . cruel? No, what was it that kept drawing me back to it . . ?

You're just trying to distract yourself!

I looked around me. Rikku was watching me, her spiral eyes watching the person that she, for some reason, had feelings for. Yuna was sitting in the corner, hugging her legs to her chest and leaning her head on her knees. Paine was still leaning on the wall, her head was inclined and her eyes were closed. All of them seemed to be silently accepting what was happening.

And I was still trying to fight it.

Pathetic, isn't it?

Me, the person who was trained to realize and accept that death would be a constant companion in my travels and fights, couldn't accept it.

They were so strong . . .

You've killed them ALL!

NO!

Yes, you are their killer!

There! That time I heard it, the underlying tone, that air of malice. He was in my head, talking to me. Using my confusion as a weapon to destroy whatever fight I had left in me . . .

He was in my head.

Ahh, to bad. It seemed to take you a longer time to find me though . .

I mentally roared for him to get the fuck out of my mind. After a minute or so I didn't hear anything, so I guessed he was gone.

Then I remembered something. Earlier when Paine had to carry me to the elevator, when he was in my head it seemed to completely distract him from us, we had been able to get away.

"That's it . ." I breathed. Rikku had had her eyes closed and they snapped open at my voice. Paine seemed to catch what I had said as well.

"Huh?" Rikku asked.

"That's . . I think we," I looked up and into her eyes, "we have a chance."

"Really?" Paine asked, disbelief in her voice.

"Yes, I . ." I paused and looked up towards the room we had been in earlier. I stood and ran for the stairs. The ship shook and I hit the hand rail. I righted myself and dashed up the stairs three steps at a time. I reached the top and vaulted over the couch.

I almost missed the door but managed to slow fast enough to actually make it inside. I found one of the cases that had been thrown to the side of the room and opened it. Inside were seven tiny metal spheres.

I picked one up and rolled it around in my hand, a thought in my mind becoming more and more like a plan.

Paine, Yuna and Rikku rushed into the room. They stood in silence as I sat staring at the tiny sphere. Finally I turned around and looked them each once in the eyes. I raised and eyebrow and a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth.

"Plan?" Paine asked, folding her arms over her chest again. I nodded.

"Yeah. And it's pretty simple."

"Oh no." Paine drawled, rolling her eyes. I laughed once and picked up the other six spheres. I stood and walked over to them. I gave Yuna, Rikku, and Paine two each. I held up the last one.

"On the top of each is a small red circle. If you press that down, you have five seconds until it releases the silver powder inside."

"Um, you tried using two of these earlier, remember?" Paine asked. "Sparky shot them down."

"Well, I just realized something." I said. "Earlier, after you punched me, Stigma started talking to me in my head. And that seemed to distract him, and then it seemed to really tick him off when I made him break the connection. So, I have a plan."

"Let me guess." Paine said. "This is where the not-so-easy part comes into play?"

"Pretty much." I nodded, smiling. "I'm going to go up there . ."

"What?!" Rikku yelled. We all three looked at her, eyes wide. "Sam, please . . he'll kill you." she said.

"I'll be fine. I'm going to challenge him. I'm going to force him to get into my head and try to brainwash me, which is kind of what he wants now. He won't be able to decline the challenge. Five minutes after I go up there I want you three to follow. Press the buttons on the grenades, count to two, and throw them up into the clouds as close to him as possible."

"Why?" Yuna asked.

"If I'm right, the smoke should mix with the rain and carry the silver down and onto him. He'll be hit by torrents of silver-filled water!"

"There are a lot of holes in that plan." Paine said.

I shrugged, "It's either that or we all sit around and wait for him to kill us." Paine's eyes lit up.

"Hell no!" she said, her crimson eyes burning. "We'll go with you're idea and just pray that it works."

"Well then, I'm gonna go ahead and go up to the deck. No need to keep red-eye waiting." I laughed nervously and quickly went back down the stairs. I went through the first door and stopped when I heard it open behind me. I turned around and was caught in a hug by Rikku, her lips were pressed forcefully against mine. After a few seconds she broke the kiss and looked me in the eyes, I watched as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Be careful." she said. As she started to let go I pulled her back into a second kiss and watched her eyed widen. Yeah, I was kinda shocked myself. I broke away and nodded. She removed her arms and I turned and ran into the elevator. The doors hissed shut and I hit the button that would take me to the deck.

I checked my pockets absentmindedly, my fingers brushing the cool metal sphere. I removed my hand and took a deep breath as the elevator jerked to a halt.

Immediately the thunder hit me. It was loud and seemed to shake the metal floor of the hall. I walked slowly to the door and it slid open. The rain and wind slapped me in the face. Both were freezing cold. There was barely any light. Most of it came from the short tendrils of lightning which snaked through the black clouds above. The majority of light, though, radiated from the red haze surrounding the Demon.

He opened his eyes and I could feel him watching me. He grinned as I slowly approached him.

"Well, well," he said, his voice was deep and powerful, "what brings you here, Samantha?" he asked. I could still see the black stains on his shirt, made worst by the rain.

"You said," I had to shout to be heard over the howling wind and the rolling thunder, "that you wanted my mind. Well, here I am! Take me, you red-eyed son of a bitch." time for the deal sealer. "If you can."

His smile faded, "You doubt my power." He raised a blood-red eyebrow. "You will never know what hit you, Samantha."

I remember screaming. I felt him hit me, his mind forcefully pushing at my own. I fell to my knees and the world spun out of control. I think I fell, I remember falling for a long time, the black nothingness surrounding me as we fought each other.

"Enough of this child's play!" he roared. I felt it stop, the world stopped spinning and I felt solid ground beneath me. I opened my eyes, not realizing I had shut them.

A white fog covered the ground, and everything was silent. I looked around, all I could see was black, but not clouds. Gone was the thunder and the lightning, the wind and the rain.

"Welcome," a low, throaty voice said, "to my wasteland." the mist formed cloud-like walls a little ways away. They fog parted as someone walked through it. Stigma stepped into view. He looked more like his former self, even his voice was back to normal. There were no bloodstains and his eyes were back to their normal, piercing glow. The only thing that hinted to what was taking place out side of this, wasteland, were veins of black tracing his visible flesh.

"You should not have come here." he said.

"Well, I'm an idiot so . ." I shrugged. I wondered if five minutes would seem longer in here.

"What about five minutes?" he asked. Shit!

"Never you mind." I grunted, standing up slowly. The fog reached for me, like a ghostly hand it tried to grab me and pull me back down. I swung my arm and the hands vanished. I watched the receding fog warily. Just how much more power did Stigma have over me here?

"Far more than in reality." he chuckled.

"Damn it!" I hissed. I looked him in the eyes and stood as straight as I could.

"Oh please, drop the charade, Samantha. You're like a little child, shaking on the inside and crying for the safety of your mother and father."

"You know nothing." I said.

He arched and eyebrow, "Oh? Don't be so sure. Especially now that you're here." he spread his arms to out to the sides as far as he could, gesturing around him. "This is my world. I can see into your mind, see your life. I can feel what you feel and I know what you think."

I could feel him probing my mind, searching and looking. With as much strength as I could muster I blocked him and stopped his search. He growled and pushed harder, forcing his way into my mind.

The pressure was growing and I started to feel it. Still I fought him, and he only pressed harder. My head started to throb and I fell to my knees, pressing my hands to my temples. I screwed my eyes shut as the pain worsened.

"You . . cannot . . keep . . me . . . OUT!" he roared. I felt a violent shove and was thrown onto my back. My concentration slipped and he managed to push deeper.

"Hell no!" I yelled and pushed back with a new found will. It hit him like he had hit me. He stumbled and his eyes widened in shock. Quickly the look turned to anger and I felt him return the attack. It was like he was stabbing my head over and over again. The quick burst of pain that he was hitting me with only made me angrier. I managed to stand back up. It was a slow and painful process as I had to keep fighting him. Once on my feet I focused all my attention on the Demon and pushed back.

Much harder this time.

He cried out in pain and dropped to the ground. He twisted and rolled as I returned the attack and forced him to stay down. I let all my anger, my rage and pent up hatred pour out into him. He yelled again, and I admit I took pleasure seeing him in this much pain.

He fucking deserved it!

I felt myself growing weaker very quickly. So I let up and stumbled backwards. My legs felt weak and my vision was blurry. The air seemed to grow thicker and it seemed almost as if four massive walls fell down around me and a strange light filled the dark, foggy area I was in.

I looked up as my vision cleared and saw light pouring in from all around me. The fog was quickly receding and the darkness was gone. A single figure appeared and slowly approached me. The closer the shadowy form came the more intense the light became, and it began to heat up.

The figure stopped just a few feet from me and turned its head down to look at me. Whatever it was, it was tall, taller than any human and Stigma. A single hand reached down to me and I cautiously took it. The hand gripped mine and pulled me up. At my full height the figure was still a good five or six feet taller than me.

It nodded and turned, one arm gesturing towards the light. I watched the hand and then slowly approached the blinding white before me. The heat intensified even more as I grew closer. I moved slowly, unsure of the figure's intentions and my destination.

Suddenly the light rushed out to meet me like a wave of fire. It swept me up and carried me . . somewhere.

I felt myself picked up and the heat became close to unbearable. Flames swept up all around me and began to spin. It started slowly. A massive tornado of fire roared upwards and its speed picked up. The sea of flames was slowly sucked towards it, carrying me with it. I struggled against the current, not knowing which way I had come from and pretty sure that wherever it had been the fire had consumed it as it would eventually me.

The fire snaked up and into the vortex and then deposited on the outside as it carried upwards like some sort of revolving escalator. One that blinded and burned you. As I neared the tornado the flames picked up speed and soon I was racing towards it at impossible speeds.

Soon enough I reached the massive column of fire and was sucked into it faster than I could think. The fire consumed me, completely surrounding me. I rushed up through the center of the vortex and was tossed around like a rag doll. I felt a weak tug from all around me and was suddenly sucked to the side and began to spin rapidly.

Then I was on the outside of it.

The spinning mass of flames pulled me around it quickly, steadily traveling upwards and towards the top. The pace quickened and I looked down as I was carried in an ever widening circle.

The sea of flames was still beneath me and took my breath away. Waves of fire the size of tsunamis crashed down and spilled towards the massive tornado.

What the hell was this?

Suddenly I was yanked around and a near blinding flash of light stole my sight. When it returned I looked upwards towards the source of the light.

My heart almost stopped.

Far above me, above the top of the tornado, a ball of fire was forming. The flames messily spilled into a shape resembling a sphere, but tongues and waves of flame kept spilling out the sides and making the sphere change into a sloppy mess multiple times.

I watched as it grew and its form stabilized. Flashes of light pulsed from it erratically every few seconds. Every time a flash receded the ball of fire looked more and more like just that: A ball of fire.

At least, until it grew.

After numerous pulses, one massive blinding flash consumed the area around the fireball. When it was gone the sphere had grown nearly a hundred times its original size. The river of fire that trailed from the top of the tornado to the sphere had grown as well. Now it literally poured fire into the sky only to have it consumed by the burning monster above.

It was a sun.

I watched in complete awe. The massive ball of fire was growing at an alarming rate until it filled close to the entire space above and beyond. A smile unconsciously came to my lips as I watched and slowly grew. I was stunned, completely shocked by what was taking place above me.

It was . . beautiful.

Power filled the limitless space and poured through me and the tornado. It rushed through the sea of fire like an invisible current and I felt a strange life force in it. It was invigorating and rejuvenating. It swept upwards and seemed to fill the sun, continuously feeding it. The pulses returned, much more violent and far bigger this time.

I realized that I was very close to the top of the tornado now and saw that it would only be a a few more minutes until I reached the top. What would happen? Would I be pulled into the sun like I had the tornado? Then what?

I was still wondering this when I finally reached the top. I felt a sense of excitement in me, like a child going down a roller coaster or a large water slide. I was caught in the current of the river and pulled upwards towards the star above. Halfway up the river something happened.

There was a huge rush of energy and a single, massive pulse filled the entire space. When it cleared I saw the sun imploding. All the fire in the vast space rushed up in one wave to meet the collapsing star.

. . . a black hole?

There was a deafening explosion and a deep thud as the fire was pushed down, but I didn't move. The waves of flame poured over me and then finally cleared, but I was still floating in the air. I looked up and saw a figure floating where the star had been. Brilliant light poured off of it and the glow grew and grew until it filled everything.

My sight was stolen and I found myself floating in space. The void around me filled by twinkling stars in the distance. I felt myself begin to turn and realized that I had no control over my body.

Am I seeing through another person's, being's, eyes?

Whatever it was looked down behind it. I would have gasped if I had the ability to. Below me was Earth. No city lights sparkled and no air ships or sky platforms hovered.

Suddenly I was turning again. I had my back to Earth and saw numerous streaks of light racing towards me. A ring of fire formed around me and grew. Flames poured out around me and covered me. Tendrils of fire wrapped around me and formed a massive sphere of fire, completely surrounding me. Then the fire rushed towards me and from me even. A massive fireball had formed around me, between Earth and the fast approaching lights.

I heard a voice speaking. Four words in . . Latin? I couldn't make out what the voice said, but it sounded male and very powerful. My vision filled with white and I heard that same voice speak one word.

"Sol."

Immediately my vision blacked out. I felt feeling return to me and I started feeling myself with my hands. I checked my chest, hands and skin. Well, I was back. No burns or anything else.

"And now you have seen." a strange, inhuman voice said. I looked around, but saw nothing. "The Conjoined One, that was one of the first names given to us. What you have seen was the birth of Sol, and how he saved your world from those that would destroy it."

"The Fallen." I stated.

"Wrong!" the voice roared. "They are a race you have not yet encountered. They call themselves the Risen." the voice said.

"Well who are you?" I asked. None of this was making any sense.

"One half of the whole." the voice said.

"And what the hell does that . ."

"Do not question, just wait patiently, the time is almost here. Just a minute more and you will have freedom. If you wish for victory, then help us." a second voice said. This one was the strong, powerful voice from earlier.

"How?" I asked, still turning in circles, searching for the direction of the voices. The space around me was still black and I had no idea where I was. I couldn't see a damn thing!

"Open your mind. We are but remnants of our former selves. Help us, open your mind and let us see!" the voice pleaded.

"See what?" I asked the darkness.

Silence.

I sighed and guessed I should do what they asked. I closed my eyes, not that I needed to, and lifted the barrier I had placed on my mind. I felt a rush of wind and fell onto my backside.

"Whoa." was all that came to mind. I waited for what seemed like forever. An eternity could have passed and I wouldn't have noticed. I felt my mind wandering. I wondered just how much time had passed outside of this . . wasteland.

I also thought about Rikku. I hoped that this would all work. I wanted to see her again, and I wanted to be able to talk to her, clean up this mess and get things straight.

It was as I was thinking this that I felt a breeze hit me. I looked around, shocked, but stopped when I realized that it was still dark. I heard footsteps and voices. A hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me up.

"The time is now, complete your task as the mind changes! Hurry . . now!" the strong voice said from in front of me, I felt a hand on my left shoulder.

"Do not fear to use force, it will take as much as possible to truly make us see." the inhuman voice came from behind me. I felt a second hand on my right shoulder.

"Beware for the mind will try and migrate, if it does so then all hope will be lost!" came the first voice.

"Use the silver, pierce him!"

"Use your mind and heart, destroy him!"

Then both voices rang out at once, "Free us from this self-inflicted misery! Bring us out from our self-made wasteland!"

A hand on my shoulder made me open my eyes. I looked up. I was laying on my back and the sky was black. Rain pelted my face and I was soaked to the bone. I sat up quickly and coughed. My mouth must have been open because it was filled with water.

"Sam, you alright?" Paine asked. I looked up at her and nodded. She reached down to me and I grabbed her hand. She pulled me up and I swayed dangerously. She helped steady me and I gave her a questioning look. "We just threw our grenades up." she said. I nodded and reached into my pocket and pulled out the one grenade that I had kept.

Stigma was still where he had been, still covered in blood and everything. His eyes were closed and he was writhing where he floated. Rikku and Yuna were behind me and Paine. I ran forward and got as close as I could to Stigma. I pressed the release button on the grenade and dropped in a little in front of him before running back to join the others.

The thunder was rolling in more violently and lightning struck the deck erratically. We all hurried into the tiny hallway. Rikku and Yuna where heading for the elevator.

"Wait!" I said. They stopped abruptly and turned back to me.

"What do you mean?" Yuna asked.

"This is our last chance." I said. "If this works it will stop the storm and severely drain him. This time," I gripped the handle of one of my swords, "we won't fail." I paused. "I won't fail." I said. A horrid scream pierced through the thunder, wind and rain. I turned around.

Stigma was writhing in pain. He began to twist sharply and the clouds surrounding him slowly dissipated. He fell face first to the deck. There was one last rumble and the rain slowed to a stop.

Stigma didn't move.

He was just laying there, prostrate, on the deck. I smirked and walked out onto the deck. Paine, Yuna and Rikku followed me. We fanned out and I slowly approached the Demon.

"H . . how?" he gasped, his voice was back to normal, as was his skin. I stopped and just stared at him. He lifted his head and glared at me, his eyes filled with fury and utter hate. His eyes were normal again too.

"Because." I shrugged. "I don't know the specifics, but we just did. You got cocky. We did earlier and it hurt us, now its hurt you more than you've ever been hurt before."

"Even so . . no one can kill me . . no one."

"Yeah well," I drew one sword and stared at the blade, "killing you isn't exactly on the menu anymore. All I have to do now is just hurt you, apparently." I said.

"Say what?" Paine asked.

"I'll tell you later. All you need to know is that we just have to beat the shit out this mother fucker." I said.

"Suits me." Paine said. I heard her draw her sword and approach me.

"Lets get this over with." I hissed.

Author's Note: Took me a little longer than normal to get this chapter out. Also, there isn't much more I can do with this story, so there will only be two more chapters. Anyway, I'll try and get the next chapter out as soon as possible. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. (I am also posting chapter 2 of 01011001 today.)

- Thank-you for reading.