It's finally come, the end of this fanfiction… and most likely of my life as well. I feel like someone is going to murder me after reading this epilogue. At any rate, I have no regrets.
I'd like to thank everyone that read this fanfiction, specially the ones that reviewed it. You guys are awesome and it's thanks to you that I was able to finish it. Nie261, jeremy19nar, milkycelestial, you people really motivated me and I'm very grateful.
At first I wanted to post this last chapter two days ago, on August 13th – international day of gunbladeshipping –, but unfortunately I wasn't able to finish it on time. Even though it's late, that's still my contribution for all those that love gunbladeshipping. (also, this is not an official term, it's based on Yu-Gi-Oh!'s Shipper's List and I guess it applies quite well)
Finally, if I manage to survive and you don't hate this epilogue, I'd feel like writing a new fiction, but don't really know what I should write about. Some other pairing, moar gunbladeshipping, maybe some different style altogether… but ultimately I want you, the people that supported me, to enjoy it. So… uhm… any suggestions?
-
Despite the warriors of Cosmos's best efforts, they failed to defeat Chaos. The power of the god of discord was far too great for them to match, and thus all were defeated. Such result increased the goddess of harmony's grief and guilt, but also gave her a clue about a way to truly bring victory to her warriors. A risky plan that could spell her doom, yet the only hope that seemed to remain. If the champions of harmony were to face the god of chaos they needed divine power as well, so Cosmos devised a plan to infuse her chosen with her own energy, which would eventually become a crystal.
And so the twelfth cycle began, but this small hope was soon crushed by Chaos's new allies: the manikins.
-
Kain Highwind has leaning his back against a wall on M.S. Prima Vista while the Warrior of Light admired the view. They had just finished discussion the details of their plan: to put the warriors of Cosmos to sleep and seek victory in the next cycle. However, there were still unsolved issues, as the dragoon pointed out.
"What concerns me is that some of us are unlikely to fall easily. Specially dire fighters such as Jecht."
"You are correct, Jecht will be a great obstacle to our plan, but he would also be of great assistance should he join us."
"I don't think he'd accept what we're trying to do. Jecht tries not to show it, but I know he is always concerned about the others. Even though he looks rational, deep down he's a passionate man."
"It'll be difficult for the two of us to carry this out, but I won't turn back on this path."
"Then perhaps all we should do is ask someone else to help us, someone that isn't too attached to the others, nor too emotional."
"Do you have someone in mind, Kain?"
"I do."
-
Squall had bruises all over his body, proof that he had been fighting for a long time. He wasn't even wearing his jacket anymore, it was left behind on some other battlefield. As the lion sliced in half what he thought was the last manikin, he realized even more were coming. He didn't care.
"That your best?"
He didn't care because he believed falling by the hands of the manikins would only mean reviving in the next cycle. That was what Kain told him when he asked the lion's help to carry out his plan. Although Squall did believe the dragoon's words, he refused to aid. Not wanting to hunt down and defeat his own comrades, the lion left frustrated and sought out a quiet place to think things through. Unfortunately, no place was quiet anymore in that world, thanks to the manikins.
Instead of avoiding the battle, Squall embraced it. Where he would run to, after all? If he was going to live again, then he could as well keep fighting the manikins over and over again. At first, that was his drive, but as soon as he started recalling memories from both his homeworld and the previous cycles, this suicidal drive gave way to a wish to learn more.
The fact that the manikins resembled both allies and foes only served to stir more memories. Differently from most other warriors of Cosmos, who dismissed fragments from previous cycles as a side effect of losing their memory, the lion knew them to be true. However, putting such fragments together required enormous amounts of mental effort and fighting. In truth, there was only one thing he could truly remember: the fact that he once loved a fellow warrior of Cosmos.
The fact that he once loved Lightning.
Even though he missed her, Squall chose not to seek the woman. Telling her that the cycle would never end would only make the flash suffer, just like the lion was suffering right now. The vision of a bloodied Lightning falling before Kain Highwind was haunting Squall's mind for some time, but keeping her safe from the dragoon would only ensure she would have to keep fighting the manikins. There was no good way out of that mess and knowing that fact filled that man with endless rage. Rage which he unleashed by slaughtering the manikins.
However, Squall did not know the manikins could give him a lasting death.
Lost in his thoughts, the lion just realized there was someone else nearby when the manikins started clashing with the recently arrived warrior of Cosmos. A trick of destiny, perhaps? The one who saw Squall fighting and decided to help was none other than Lightning herself.
Only when all enemies were down the flash spoke on a somewhat accusing tone, while cleaning her gunblade.
"What you think you're doing, Squall? How long have you been fighting?"
"I lost track."
"Well, at least you're still alive. Come on, let's go to Order's Sanctuary, we need a plan to deal with these manikins and… traitors…"
So she already about Kain's plan, but it seemed as if Lightning did not realize yet the conflict was one without end. Even though he was glad to see his love safe and sound, Squall refused to join her.
"I appreciate the concern, but I'll pass. I still have stuff to do around here."
She didn't need painful memories or despair right now. The best choice would be to leave her alone, to keep her undisturbed on her path. There was no place for love anymore in that apocalypse of a world.
"I can't just leave you here to die, you idiot!"
"It's okay, I'm not going to die here. Trust me."
He wasn't even looking at Lightning's eyes, afraid that the temptation of embracing her, of kissing her, would get the better of him.
"There's just no convincing you, huh? Fine, I'll trust you, but only if you accept this."
The flash took the potion she was saving and offered it to Squall. Sure, she would shove it on his face should the man refuse.
"Thanks."
They finally locked eyes and now Squall couldn't look away anymore. Lightning eyes weren't just entrancing, they brought back even more memories of a time when they were happy despite the conflict raging around them. A time that, unfortunately, wouldn't come back anymore.
Squall knew that, but yet he missed it. He missed the taste of Lightning's lips and, before he realized it, the lion was kissing her. That was something the woman would never expect and her first urge was to punch Squall to the ground, but she didn't. That kiss felt so nostalgic, so familiar that she could not let go of it. Instead, Lightning embraced the lion tight, corresponding to the kiss.
They tossed aside their doubts and their thoughts, allowing that familiar feeling to take control. They would have done it right there, but…
"There are more coming…"
Squall took a step back and drew his gunblade as he spoke, ready for combat.
"Squall, I…"
"Go, I'll be right after you as soon as I'm done here."
"Don't you dare die!"
True, hope was lost. But Squall didn't need hope, what he needed was Lightning. And now he would fight the entire manikin horde if it was necessary to protect the woman he loved. Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
-
The battle was dragging on and more manikins came with each passing minute. Some stayed to fight Squall, others went on. As their numbers were finally starting to overwhelm the lion, they suddenly stopped attacking and started marching to Order's Sanctuary.
"What is happening?"
"I merely gave them an order, since I can deal with you personally."
Squall didn't know the name of the silver-haired man before him, but after facing so many manikins made on his image it seemed like that wasn't the first time they met. In fact, it really wasn't, and Sephiroth remembered the lion very well.
"It's time to finish our little issue, don't you think?"
"Did I beat you in some previous cycle and now you want revenge?"
"You and your friends made your way through Onrac and defeated most warriors of Chaos. You were one of the champions of Cosmos who fought the god of discord himself. Such a shame you were all defeated in the end, but the skill you showed on that fight amused me. I want to face you one last time, before you embrace eternal death."
"Whatever."
-
Their was a vicious fight. Even though Squall was tired and injured, Sephiroth could not bring him down. The champion was disturbed, why could he not put a dying man out of his misery? What kept Squall standing and gave him strength to fight back?
"How can you be so foolish? Clinging to life in this accursed world where you are doomed to fail!"
"You can babble all you want, but I don't see you defeating me."
"What?"
"I've fought more manikins of you than I can count, and you're no better than them. The same patterns, the same tactics, I knew from the beginning how to deal with you."
"No better than the manikins?"
On that moment, a sinister thought crossed Sephiroth's mind. Could it be that I am a manikin too? There was no proof that he was indeed the real Sephiroth, he could merely be a doll infused with some of the champion's memories. His concern about the matter grew to such extent that suddenly Squall wasn't worthy of his attention. More important than defeating the lion was finding out whether or not he was the "true" Sephiroth.
Thus he came to a conclusion and left Squall alone. In order to find out if he was a manikin or truly Sephiroth, the champion took his own life somewhere else.
-
Shambling back to Sanctuary, Squall couldn't even carry his gunblade anymore. He was more than exhausted, he could feel life fading from his body just like consciousness faded from his mind.
There was no sign of life in Order's Sanctuary. Instead, there were chunks of crystal everywhere and, in front of Cosmos's throne, a fallen warrior. Seeing the Warrior of Light like that convinced Squall that the cycle had already ended, it was finally time to rest.
Then, the world turned black and the last thing Squall felt was his body falling to the ground.
-
"Here's your drink, Mr. Leonhart."
The waitress put a cup on Squall's table before moving on the next one. It was a truly run-down bar, where drunk people laughed and babbled about their issues. Not exactly the kind of place the lion enjoyed, but he had no choice but to wait. And so he waited, until finally a hooded man sat before him.
"Won't you drink?"
"I'm not putting a single drop of this… thing in my throat. Why couldn't we just meet in your office?"
"Sssshh, not so loud, Squall. This is top secret information, you never know what ill-intentioned people could do if they found out about it."
"Then why did you come personally."
"This is a very important matter, I wouldn't trust it to anyone else."
That conversation was annoying Squall really fast. It was time to cut it short.
"Just tell me what you found, Laguna."
"I found out about a man who studies alternative universes and stuff like that. Most people think he's crazy, but we know he's not. Perhaps his research could help you."
"And where can I find him?"
-
Two hearts calling each other across the void.
The strength of their bond will bring them back together.
The End