Dual Desire

By: 4quintessence

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Square Enix, the fanfiction to me.

Pairing: CliffxFayt

Rating: PG

Summary: When the source of Fayt's original power manifestation is revealed, the cause of Maria's strange behaviour pales in comparison. The ultimate battle against the Killers draws near, and Ophelia's rebellion on Mars requires aid. But the crew discovers wartime intelligence isn't always reliable - can Han & Luke step up to the task - and what about poor JP? Just as exhilarating, Cliff & Albel finally settle scores. Find out if Fayt's dreams come true in the thrilling, Gaia-inspired conclusion of Dual Desire.

Shoutouts: Zelavril - HOLY CRAP! That is the longest review you've ever written! My mouth dropped to the floor like Albel in this chapter! But I LOVE it & it was well worth the wait. Actually, I feel the same way as you when writing shonen-ai and yaoi! I really outdid myself with that Albel rampage scene didn't I :D? You know what makes me kinda sad though? I only have 2 favourites and 1 alert for this story! That's okay though because I love writing this anyways. I hope I did it justice with this ending! Wrote it with you in mind :D Spectralwings - How's it going? Well this is it I guess. This super long story finally comes to an end. Oh, I'm sorry to both of you that this chapter is so long! I tried to shorten it but I just couldn't cut anything out!

Chapter 21:

"I cannot face any of this without you Robert. Promise you'll always be there for me. Please."

--

"He speaks the truth," came Ally's voice from the far end of the room. Fayt nearly levitated out of his skin before quickly spinning around. Spank was resting on her right shoulder, idly playing with a long, curly strand of her chestnut hair, waves of it falling voluptuously across her shoulders. He gave a cheesy smile to the visitors.

"Ryoko Leingod learned of your whereabouts and contacted me while you were gone," Ally continued, pausing to straighten her glasses after Spank clumsily knocked them. "Yes Fayt, I'm thrilled to inform you that your mother is alive and well."

The bluenette didn't know what to say. He began blinking uncontrollably and a stream of sensation ran the length of his body. Everyone was staring at him. Taking a deep breath, like he was breathing for the very first time, tides of relief washed through his tired mind. He had convinced himself he had lost both of them, but his mother had made it to safety. That infinitesimal thread of hope that had always been buried within him was now splashing forth, carving his lips into a great, gleaming smile.

Ally was almost glowing as well. "She landed on planet Roak about three weeks ago, because the transport ship she was on experienced mechanical problems during the Executioner attack. She's been desperately trying to find you, but communications with the outer planets are still spotty, as you are well aware. I sent one of my ships to personally pick her up — which required authorization with our allies — as transportation between star systems is now severely limited."

Suddenly Fayt was encased in Cliff's arms, and he gladly received the congratulatory hug from behind. "Dude, I'm so fuckin' happy for ya! This has gotta be the best piece of news we've received in a long, long time," the blond declared, kissing Fayt softly on the neck before releasing him. "But hold yer horses. What's the deal with Fayt's power then Dr. Z?"

The doctor cleared his throat, while Nel stood beside him, the last pools of pink finally draining out of her face from her prior outburst. "Well, this is where it gets interesting….and rather somber. Dr. Ryoko explained to us that she is able to activate Fayt's power from afar, something which was to be disabled once Fayt was told about his genetic alterations and left to make decisions for himself. To make a long story short, news trickled into Roak that Dr. Robert had died and she was understandably devastated. There is a theory among scientists that the parallel universe of Daemonium is where our souls go when we die, and in her grief, she activated Fayt's power in hope of finding his whereabouts and of collapsing the 4-D wall between our universe and Daemonium. We all know what happened after that."

Daemonium? Fayt pondered, his head a tempest of thoughts. Where spirits are able to act by taking physical form? She thought she could find him there? We hardly know anything about that place. She must have been desperate, like me. I can't believe...

Ally suddenly began speaking, forcing Fayt's eyes to focus on her. "You'll be glad to know that your mom will be arriving by this evening, so you may ask her all about it yourself." Spank had jumped down from her shoulder and was now circling around Albel, trying to leap up and swat at the Elicoorian's two long braids. "In the meantime, now that we have Apocalypse, we must prepare for war."

Maria shifted her weight as she stood, brushing one hand down the back of her hair. "I for one would like to talk to Mrs. Leingod once she arrives," she proclaimed, making sure her thoughts were known before moving on. "Prime Minister, what is the latest news on the opposition against the Killers?"

"Ally, Maria...one moment," Dr. Zoda interrupted, raising one hand. "Before we continue, Miss Traydor needs to know that my analysis of her scans show she was brainwashed by the Killers on Titan."

Maria's face immediately lit up like a scarlet sunset, a mixture of emotions imprisoning her speech.

Stepping forward, Sophia's big eyes shone under the Midgardian sunrays streaming through the window. "I knew something was wrong with Maria, especially when she acted so oddly during that Kevin guy's coup."

"Yes," Dr. Zoda continued. "I'm not sure what their strategy was, but the Killers wanted her to believe that blowing up Mars was the best option to get rid of them. And I guess that line of thought — 'the end justifies the means' — persisted with her behaviour during the coup. I think they wanted her to make Fayt feel isolated. I'm glad that you never considered such a senseless course of action, Fayt." At this, the bluenette broke eye contact with Dr. Zoda and fought to keep his face from flushing. "Anyways, there's nothing to worry about now as the effects of the brainwashing have worn off."

Han leaned close to Luke and whispered "Coulda fooled me," while they both scrutinized Maria.

"Well now that that has been cleared up, let's move on with our plans," Mirage suggested. Everyone nodded and took a seat at the conference table.

Dr. Zoda explained that they had had a virtual conference with the other star systems implicated in the Killer invasion. Some offered their ships to deliver the airborne virus to the Sol System planets overtaken by the Killers, which Dr. Zoda had graciously accepted. With the virus delivered to every affected planet or moon from Mercury to Neptune, the natural armour of the Killers across the Sol System was currently being disabled without them even knowing it. The time for an offensive was now.

They would mount an attack against the Killers on Mars, striking at the heart of the enemy, at their base for launching their tyrannical crusades. In addition, with the rebellion lead by Ophelia continuing on Mars and in desperate need of outside support, the plan was unmistakably the best course of action. The crew would unleash Apocalypse upon their arrival and eradicate the Killers from Mars once and for all.

As Dr. Zoda and Ally laid out the strategy, a huge grin was creeping across Cliff's face, revealing all of his teeth. "Yo, I got an idea! How 'bout we send the Vendeeni to Uranus to battle the Killers there, eh?"

Sophia covered her mouth, trying to suppress a laugh. A snort slipped out instead. Albel, on the other hand, was staring at Cliff with a sheer look of befuddlement. "What did you say, worm?"

"Oh well, y'know, there's a ring of debris around Uranus, Albel..." he began, pausing for Comic Cliff Effect, eyes locked on Albel. The latter's mouth was sagging like a double chin. "...And the Vendeeni will have alotta fun navigatin' their way through that one," he quickly added.

"Cliff, I hope you remember that the Vendeeni are on our side now," Mirage pointed out, chuckling.

Everyone let out a good laugh, and Albel finally figured out that Cliff wasn't referring to his butthole. Scowling, he decided a sly course of revenge would be to pour baby powder into the motor of the blond's hair dryer. The scowl suddenly morphed into a nefarious grin.

As the meeting concluded, Ally invited her guests back to her home in the trees, where Fayt kept himself occupied by holo-conferencing with the leaders of the allied star systems. Although they felt bad leaving John Paul on the Saviour, it was much easier that way, as they imagined it wouldn't go over too well if Dr. Zoda and Ally found out they had been harbouring a Killer all along.

Fayt's mother arrived shortly before dinner, beaming down directly into Ally's house and rushing to embrace her son the instant he materialized into her vision, tears trickling from the corners of her eyes. It was a truly joyful moment, for everyone, and Fayt soon introduced each of them in turn to her. Cliff made a comment that Fayt had inherited her brilliant blue hair — which was a 'more beautiful shade than any ocean in the galaxy' — and they all heard her laugh for the first time.

A wonderful and lively dinner feast followed where everybody took turns telling Ryoko stories from their adventures, starting from Fayt's landing on Vanguard III, to their showdown with Luther, to Luke and Han's sudden arrival, all the way to the magical planets of Midgard and Chimos. As the bluenette sat back in his chair and bathed in the warmth of the genial atmosphere, he suddenly felt whole again being surrounded by people he loved — they were a family, he felt it with all his heart. Yes, it was like the dinner with Cliff's relatives...except this was Fayt's family, a family bigger than he had ever imagined.

After a dessert highlighted by cake smothered over Spank's face, Fayt and Ryoko slipped off to one of the guest rooms as the others lazed around and continued to chat over wine while the crickets chirped outside, each trying to push tomorrow's terrible task out of mind in order to just enjoy the moment. Later on while Cliff was taking a leak, he heard the sound of quiet sobs passing through the wall from the guest room next door.

Give me a reason to believe that you're gone
I see your shadow so I know they're all wrong
Moonlight on the soft brown earth it leads me to where you lay
They took you away from me but now I'm taking you home

I will stay forever here with you, My love
The softly spoken words you gave me
Even in death our love goes on
And I can't love you, anymore than I do

Some say I'm crazy for my love, Oh my love
But no bonds can hold me from your side, Oh my love
They don't know you can't leave me
They don't hear you singing to me

People die, but real love is forever...

- Evanescence's song 'Even in Death'

--

"INCOMING!"

A roaring blast rattled through the bowels of the Saviour and the lights flickered overhead. Immediately after exiting gravitic warp outside Mars, they had come under attack. I can't believe this is it...it's really happening, Fayt thought, surveying the fleet of Killer ships between them and the red planet.

A husky voice crackled through the comm link. "Allied vessels, this is President Widjaja speaking. All ships have now cleared hyperspace. The Klausian fleet will protect the Saviour on its way to Mars, while the Tetragenesis, Rondo Lukian, and Hyda fleets will engage the enemy's ships head on. Good luck, fighters of the free world."

Mirage and Cliff were manning the helm. "We've just received word that our other allies have arrived at their designated planets throughout the Sol System and have begun their offensives," the female Klausian announced, lips curled. "And Ally has sent a transmission from Venus promising to host a grand party once this is all over."

The crew grinned weakly as another torpedo battered the side of the ship. Off to the right of the front screen, a colossal battle was taking place as blinding blazes of radiance and multiple shockwaves sullied the still blackness of space. "Cross your fingers cuz shields are holdin'," Cliff sanguinely stated.

The Saviour was surrounded by Klausian vessels, and the ones out front were bombarding Mars' shield with a barrage of antimatter fire. Suddenly, one of the ships protecting them exploded into a planet-shaped firestorm, complete with a ring of destructive energy that rocked the Saviour and sent it veering off course. Mars' spacestation had been the culprit.

Seconds later, Klaus III's mothership detonated its creation cannon, pulverizing two Killer asteroid ships and knocking out a section of Mars' planetary shield. This got the enemy's attention and a group of formerly Federation ships swerved towards the Saviour, and one of them had its own creation cannon.

"SHIIIT!" Han bellowed. "We're not gonna make it to the surface in time! Whatchamacallit Wijiboard's ship needs time to reload its cannon…but we'll be toast by then!"

Something caught John Paul's eyes. "Hey look everybody! Who the hell is that?"

A set of peculiar looking ships had burst into being nearby and suddenly Han and Luke's hearts were pounding like drums. "No, it can't be...it's impossible…! How, how did they…?" Luke shouted, trying to control his tongue. "IT'S THE REBEL ALLIANCE! From our universe!"

"This is Admiral Ackbar speaking. We've been informed by the Vendeeni that you've been protecting two of our greatest heroes who we thought we had lost. It appears you could use some assistance. Stand by."

The Killer-controlled Federation vessel was soon overwhelmed by the new ships and the Saviour continued on by itself, landing on the Martian surface without too much difficulty. On the way down, the crew witnessed a cornucopia of smoke columns billowing up from sections of the ecumenopolis that enveloped the planet. Clearly, the World War was taking its toll on the once beauteous globe.

Rushing off the ship, the group was primed for combat. They had landed on one of the few patches of red earth left on Mars that formed a park between two cities. The area had become a battlefield, the dividing point between a rebellion stronghold and a Killer-controlled city. A cloud of haze hung in the air far above them, filtering out the rays of the sun. The chilling sound of phase shots and claps of symbology echoed across the landscape, bouncing off the walls of the surrounding city. It was a scene of mayhem.

John Paul came cautiously down the walkway from the Saviour and instantly stopped in his tracks. "He's here," he declared ominously, his hair changing colours with unusual speed as the walkway closed.

"Who's here?" Nel questioned while hunched over in her battle stance, daggers drawn.

"Our leader...the guy who tried to kill you on Titan, in the stadium," he replied, holding his arms tight to his chest and shivering.

Fayt scanned in front of him, his cheeks tightened in trepidation, and suddenly noticed Ophelia heading towards them from the rebel camp in the distance. "But I thought the reports said he was surveying the takeover on Neptune's moons!"

The others had noticed Ophelia now and were looking in her direction. All of a sudden there was a surge of cerulean light and she stopped in her tracks, her face screwed up in pain, and she toppled to the ground. Behind her stood the Killers' leader, holding a blade dripping with freshly-drawn blood.

"NOOO!" the bluenette screamed, running towards Ophelia with his sword drawn. The others soon found themselves surrounded by Killers and they had to fight through them in order to follow.

"Hey, assmuncher! This's for attackin' Midgard!" Cliff roared, smashing a fist writhing with electricity into the chest of the closest Killer. "And this's for almost killin' us on the way to Titan!" he barked, kicking the crotch of another with all his might ('I call that one Severed Dick!') before throwing one of his burly arms over his head and striking a Killer sneaking up behind him. Next he sprinted ahead to where one of the enemies was bearing down on Han and tapped it on the shoulder: "Now this one's for ruinin' the meeting to form a new Pangalactic Congress!" Like a gust of wind he circled round the Killer with hustle and ease, pummeling under his adversary's chin and flinging it skyward with a crushing uppercut. "AND THIS'S FOR CAUSIN' MY BABY SO MUCH ANXIETY AND DISTRESS!" His visage a twisted fury of wrath, Cliff launched himself up in the air and came barreling down on two Killers, smashing them both into the ground and staining the earth an even deeper shade of crimson.

Cliff, Nel, Albel, Sophia, Mirage, Luke, Han, and JP finally caught up to Fayt. The latter was kneeling beside Ophelia's unconscious body. "Han, can you take her back to the ship and tend to her wound?" Solo nodded silently and lifted her into his arms before vanishing in a transporter beam. The leader of the Killers had been standing there the whole time, watching, and sporting a terrible grin.

"FAYT! You're too close to him!" JP shouted tensely from behind.

Fayt ignored the admonition, standing up and gripping his sword until his arms shook. "YOU! Your tyranny ends here and now!"

But before he could move a muscle, a searing pain shattered his head and he collapsed to his knees, holding his hands over his ears. I don't think so…that virus was a clever little trick, but I'll be having the last laugh...said a menacing voice in his mind. The Killers' leader was invading his mentality and thus paralyzing his body. He was forcing his way into the depths of the bluenette's psyche, to a place that was private, no sacred, to Fayt's being. No matter how hard the Earthling tried, he couldn't stop the violation, the disease, the intruder from accessing his memory...prying open those locked doors, going ever deeper. Images of the past flashed through his mind and suddenly, the Killer was nearing Fayt's most treasured memory: the day he and Cliff first met. Raw emotion fueled by categorical anger was amassing in his capillaries as there was no way his foe was defiling that place. "NO! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"

A wicked laugh was the only response. Just give in and it will be all over…

"OH NO!" Cliff cried, struggling to lift himself off the ground. "Fayt's power is manifesting in defence! He'll blow out this whole damn side of Mars! Somebody...DO SOMETHING!"

Luke knew this was his moment. Fighting to lift his right hand and not lose his mind, he desperately called upon the Force. Shrieking, the Killer leader was suddenly flung backwards, losing his mental grip on the crew, and as he fell he cracked his head on a rock.

Sturdy arms lifted Fayt from the soil and gently brushed him off. "Whoa, that was too close. Okay kid, now's our chance. Let's finish what we came to do and go da fuck home."

The bluenette briefly gazed up into eyes as precious as sapphire, his smile lines stretching. "Everyone! We must summon Apocalypse now!" He fretfully turned to JP. "We don't know if this will work, but we'll tell it to spare those Killers who don't support this invasion, who have good hearts like you."

"No, I know it has to be done. Don't let me stop you," JP replied softly, scratching his arm. "If this is the last time we speak, I want you all to know that I enjoyed every single minute spent with you."

Luke strolled over and placed an arm on JP's shoulder while the symbology users formed a circle by linking hands. "WAIT! Where's Maria?!" Sophia suddenly cried.

In all the commotion, they hadn't noticed that Maria was still surrounded near the ship, and it appeared she was limping as well. "Hurry maggots! Get. Her. Over here! For this spell we need all you fools!"

JP dashed over, gun blazing, and Luke hurled his lightsaber in the direction of the Killers around Maria. Spinning like the shimmering disk of a spiral galaxy, the saber buzzed at each full rotation and sliced through the remaining Killers, soaring left and right in the air as guided by Luke's invisible powers.

"HURRY!" Squinting through the bedlam on the battlefield, Cliff could see a phase cannon being set up on the Killers' side of the park, aimed at the crew.

Holding Maria under one arm, JP helped her limp over to the others. She joined the circle and they began the summoning of the most powerful symbology in the universe. A giant rune formed in the centre of the circle and the casters started feeling pulses of current travelling between them, across their arms and over their chests. A whirling wind began to pick up, whipping their hair and accoutrements upward. JP and Luke spotted a black mist spiraling in the whites of the crew's eyes, and it was actually flowing out and hovering around them, making them glow enigmatically obsidian. It was at this moment that the Killers fired the cannon.

Above the casters, the stygian haze in the sky had thickened into a cloud and was slowly corkscrewing down towards the rune like a tempestuous tornado. It was as if the entire Martian sky was being drawn into the heart of the symbology. The people on the battlefield ceased their struggles and watched as the sizeable phase blast hit the side of this mass and dissipated into oblivion. With the twister about to touch the rune, Fayt glanced over at Cliff and saw to his surprise that he was staring back, smiling peacefully.

When the cyclone made contact with the crew, the energy flowing between them reached its max and their hands began slipping apart. With a rolling boom, they were suddenly flung backwards and everyone let out their own sort of stunned scream. The inauspicious, snaking stormcloud swiftly melted away and the ground beneath them began to shudder. Thanks to Apocalypse, Mars had come alive.

The planet's weapons against the Killers were the elements of life. With a deafening roar, slabs of the land in the battlefield began to crack and collapse...but only underneath the enemy. Fayt watched in awe as whole battalions of Killers vanished beneath the surface. Once the shaking settled, the terrain was scattered with lone islands of untouched earth on which stood extremely frightened Martians and still quite a number of Killers. Next came the lightning. Across the entire planet, thunderstorms sent a battery of electric bolts down into the cities, the feelers selectively picking out Killers and electrocuting them on the spot. At the end of this lightning blitz, the number of Killers left was even less.

The sky cleared and a frosty breeze tickled Fayt's cheeks. Suddenly, spires of ice materialized around the remaining enemy humanoids, splintering and cracking as they grew. He couldn't see it, but these ice-crystal death chambers were mainly targeting the Killers in buildings across the planet. When the ice finished its formation, the sound of profuse shattering reverberated across the world as each of the frigid structures exploded into a million pieces. And for the finale of the spell, Mars displayed its full fury by ephemerally becoming erubescent once again. Worldwide, the gates of hell opened and pyres of vermeil flame emerged from underneath the lingering Killers and brutally swallowed them up. Following the fading bonfires, only a few Killers remained unscathed in the park. Was JP one of them?

Turning hesitantly around, Fayt glimpsed JP standing within the shadow of the Saviour, wide-eyed and definitely alive. There was now a vertical cliff where the Killers' leader had been laying and beyond the land had sunk down and disappeared. The air reeked of smoke and cinders. It was deathly quiet.

But then, suddenly, like the first bud of spring, the sound of someone cheering met the bluenette's ears. It grew louder and louder. His friends, they were all clapping. Shaking some dust and dirt out of his frizzed-up hair, he saw Cliff beaming before him, and soon something was rushing up from within — a feeling — one that people search for all their lives. Everything was going to be okay, just like Cliff had said. It was over. The blond reached out for an embrace and Fayt's world closed in around him.

--

When Fayt flicked open his eyes, instead of seeing Cliff's face he froze in shock as he found himself staring straight into a nebula. In space. What the hell just happened?

It was the weirdest thing. He was standing on nothing, just floating in what appeared to be outer space, surrounded by blackness, stars, and the nebula. But he could breathe. And he wasn't frozen. And he wasn't drifting around, but standing still. Observing. And gradually his feeling of alarm turned to awe.

Being caught within a nebula was absolutely spectacular. And this nebula was pure gold. Heavenly clouds of exquisite interstellar dust surrounded him and gloriously dripped like viscous honey outwards from the arcane and obscure centre above. The rich shades of yellow and orange waltzed all around him like waves of wispy cirrus clouds carrying millions of glittering embryonic stars inside their feathery plumes. The beauty was staggering, the colour divine. And through it all, capricious stars were descending and smoldering like dazzling volcanic embers, leaving their splendorous nest to look for homes of their own.

A hand rested on Fayt's shoulder and he spun around. There stood a breathtaking woman; strong, well-built and dressed in warrior garb, with fierce looking eyes and sleek, defined cheek bones. Her long hair was mesmerizing — it was essentially an inferno. Each strand was a separate lick of luminous flame. She looked him in the eye for a moment before turning away to gaze nonchalantly up into the nebula. The flick of her head sent her hair flying outwards and it flashed, rippled, and bounced; simply captivating.

"Thank you, for awakening me," she said coolly, touching her finger to a tiny star falling past her. "Fayt, do you ever take the time to just stop everything in your life and gaze at the stars, to marvel at their majesty away from the obscuring light of the cities? To appreciate and truly enjoy everything around you, especially all the natural wonders of the universe and the worlds within?"

The bluenette stared off into space, literally, for a short time. "Well ya, I guess. I may have no idea why, but I'm doing it right now aren't I?"

The woman chuckled, continuing to avoid eye contact. "It's amazing how many humanoids in Eternal Sphere miss such a simple thing." A flick of the wrist. "Listen, I wanted a chance to return your favour and reward you for everything you've done to return balance to the universe. This nebula is part of your reward; there is perhaps nothing more beautiful in existence." She paused and put a finger to her lip. "Well, okay, to you maybe one thing is...he's blond, with blue eyes and a goofy smile...anyways, I know all about the makings of the universe, so Fayt, ask me any question you like and I will answer."

Any question? About life, the universe, everything? he pondered. He knew right away what it would be. "Uhh, it's something we all want to know right? What the meaning of life is...why we are here..."

Another chuckle, this time louder. "Ahh, you humanoids. Always wanting more, never appreciating what you have. Afraid of loss. Fayt, you must remember that 'meaning' is a word that you and your kind have created. It's the same with the word 'time'. These are not inherent things in the universe. There is no meaning as you would know it, there is only life. And life always wants to keep on living, because it's a miracle in itself. And, with every death comes more life. One power binds the multiverse together and it lasts forever. Just be there for those you love and spend 'time' with them, don't be afraid of loss because there is an afterlife on every planet. And there's only one way to reach it. Just accept."

Fayt's stood silently with his head in a bit of a spin, but through all the mumbo-jumbo, it somehow made sense. The woman turned to face him. "I'm sorry, you'll have to go now. You can rest easy because I'll take care of restoring the 4-D wall between the universes, when the time is right." And just like that, before the bluenette had a chance to respond, she snapped her fingers and darkness surrounded him.

The next moment Fayt was back on the battlefield, and Cliff was loosening his warm embrace. "Hey man, whaddaya know...that's two-for-two now ain't it!? Wow, two times you've saved the universe...and we only fought and got spunky twice!"

Standing there looking tremendously confused, the bluenette finally glanced down at himself and pinched the side of his stomach. "I didn't save the universe, Cliff. We did. All of us." Then he was wiping some grime off the blond's face. "Umm, can you pinch me please?"

Cliff furrowed a brow, shrugged, and pinched the top of Fayt's buttcheek. The latter winced. "OWWW! Not that hard...fool!" the bluenette joked, tones of Albel tracing his voice. Okay, I know, this is real. "Cliff, once we get back home I have the craziest story to tell you." And with that the two of them linked hands and walked back to the ship, the rest of the group cheerily tagging along behind.

--

Back on the Saviour, the crew said goodbye to Ophelia and promised they'd see her at the 'Meeting for a New Pangalactic Congress II'. Reports arrived that Killers on the other Sol System planets and moons had in fact left the besieged surfaces for space, where it was easier for the allied fleet to finish them off. Without their leader, all chains of command collapsed. Some Killers had chosen to stay on the respective planets, and Fayt promised on the galactical news that they could stay and integrate into life there.

Resting in the lounge with a huge pizza as the ship blasted off from Mars, Fayt suddenly heard the loudest, deepest scream ever known to man ricocheting down the hallway followed by a furious "WHAT THE FUCK!?". Cliff, covered in white powder like a tree had dumped its snow on him, was soon hovering in the doorway with eyes of pure rage, water dripping from his hair onto the towel hugging his waist and flakes falling from his eyelashes. "I'm gonna kill him!! THIS TIME IT'S GONNA HAPPEN! The little bitch is going to hell...TODAY!" He stomped away like a mad animal, in search of Albel.

As soon as the blond left the lounge, Fayt burst into hysterics, rolling around on the cushy bench.

Later, with all on the bridge but Albel, who was nowhere to be found, the console in front of Maria started beeping. "We've got another distress call from an allied ship in the area, should we go and help?"

The crew glanced around at one another, heads nodding. Cliff leaned over so his mouth was closer to Mirage and Fayt, who were standing nearby. "Heh, could that distress be...in someone's paannts?"

Sophia and JP began snort-laughing while Mirage stared at him with a look of horror. She had had it with his stupid and immature comments. There was a sudden blur of motion and when everything became clear again, Mirage had Cliff pinned to the floor with his arm twisted around his back and her elbow digging into his shoulder blade. He began whining and kicking his legs. "You know, I'd prefer a more worthy opponent," Mirage mocked, sneakily using one of his catch phrases. Now everyone was laughing.

JP's hair shifted back to champagne blond as he choked back snickering. "Why not!? Let's go and help them. Because with the Killers dealt with...my god...we have all the time in the world!"

Fayt crossed his arms and tilted his chin downwards. "You read my mind," he responded sarcastically.

The worst is over now and we can breathe again
I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away
There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain

- Seether featuring Amy Lee 'Broken'

--

One Month Later…

Fayt was sitting with his mom in a quiet room, away from the hustle and bustle outside the door. "...I just wish that Luke and Han could be here to see this, but I guess it can't be helped."

"They seemed really nice," Ryoko responded demurely. "That Han was a real character and there was something indescribable about Luke. But we had to get them all back to their universe before the 4-D wall returned. It's funny it was the Millennium Falcon that was sending out that distress signal."

"Yeah, those Killers took over everything," the bluenette remarked, hanging his head. "Well, at least Albel's here right? It might have been different if Ally hadn't pardoned him at the party for the whole assassination thing. But she had good reason to after what we did."

His mother nodded, a pretty rhododendron flower gracing her ear. "So how are the therapy sessions going for you?"

"I think they're really helping me work through my issues. Of course, it will take time, I know, to get over dad being gone…for the pain to fade...but being with Cliff helps so much..."

Ryoko shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Fayt, now that we're being so honest, I want you to know that I'm thinking about euthanasia. They're still pressing for my confinement and I just don't think I can do it alone. I've finally accepted what I hadn't before, when I started all this...my fate."

The bluenette expected himself to be furious at this sudden revelation — assisted suicide was recognized as a true choice in the Federation — but for some strange reason, it was like he knew this was coming all along…and he understood why. "I'm here for you, you know that, and I don't want you to do this. But I know it's not the same and I know he's waiting for you. Take time to make your decision, okay mom?"

Her face brightened again and she gathered him into a hug. "The best man in the universe needs a man of equal greatness to love. Cliff's perfect for you."

"Thanks mom, it means a lot," he replied, straightening his tuxedo. "I'm so excited...and nervous."

"You'll be fine, honey, you always are."

And with that, Fayt stood up and went into the waiting area where Cliff was loitering...and looking absolutely ravishing. He was going to love this man forever. A vision of their first meeting in the dungeon on Vanguard flashed through his mind and he grabbed onto the blond's hand and squeezed. I'm here to kidnap you Cliff, Fayt mused, staring up into those endless ocean eyes. Away from your mom, Savannah, Natalia, Mirage, and Logan… Hmm, did I make the right decision post-Luther? Yes, yes I did...Seduction complete.

Music began playing and they walked hand-in-hand down the aisle of a hall made of glass, with people sitting in rows of chairs. The media was sneaking holograms from an airship outside. Flowers were everywhere. On the little red stage at the end of the aisle, Leila was standing there, jumping up and down and waving, beside the rest of the Star Ocean crew, including JP.

Fayt felt genuinely serene, complete, and happy. He had spread peace throughout the universe once more, an enduring peace that would last a millennia.

THE END?

(A/N: NOPE! I've decided there is gonna be an epilogue! And it's almost going to be entirely a lemon! SWEET. But it will definately be important to the story. ZEL! I KNOW you loved the Cliff moments in the chapter! It turned out funnier than I imagined! Yay, they finally get their wedding and Fayt's mom is there! Speaking of Ryoko...controversial the ending wouldn't you say XD?! I like to be different. Did you like the Ryoko twist of her being the cause of the power manifestation? I am so happy Mirage finally snapped. Did you guys like Apocalypse? It feels so good to finish this story, I'm so proud of it, but I'm sad it's almost done too ;(. And Albel, don't worry! We all know Uranus is beautiful...even if it does have a ring of debris!)