Final Fantasy VIII [3rd Instalment]
Grace Barton
Chapter Thirty-Six
Sorceress Ultimecia: a future sorceress whose desire was to compress time and create a world where she alone could survive and reign for eternity. Corrupted by her power and her desire for this singular world, her body had been transformed into a being of almost unlimited power.
"I am Ultimecia," the being declared, her voice echoing through time and space. "Time shall compress… All existence denied."
She looked more monster than human. Standing almost ten feet tall, her body had twisted beyond all recognition. Her arms had elongated to the full length of her body, with her long, claw-like fingers curled into her open palms. Skeletal wings rose from her head and her back, acting as conductors to channel her powers. Plates of armour covered her flesh, and a red cape fluttered about her waist in an invisible wind.
Most terrifying of all was her face. The face of the true Ultimecia was hollowed out and encased in an empty metal hull. In its depths a single ball of light glowed, pulsing in time with her heart. This was the sorceress' soul, source of all her thoughts and desires.
From the waist down the sorceress' flesh had ripped open to reveal an empty chasm where a single heart glowed and pulsed with energy. At the base of the chasm new flesh had formed, replacing what had once been her legs with a stretched out lump of vein-marked flesh. This flesh took form the further it descended and the companions saw, to the horror, that it took the shape of a second Ultimecia. This one resembled more closely her human form, though her arms were melted into her torso and her eyes were closed in a deep trance from which she would not awaken. More veins covered the body of this Ultimecia, transferring both blood and power up into the main body.
After she spoke, light burst out from her face. Flames erupted beneath her and wrapped around her body. Using her immense powers, distant stars from all eras shrank down into energy and drifted towards her. The sorceress absorbed that energy deep into her body, commencing her task to compress all existence.
The companions stared at her in absolute horror. Rinoa, in particular, looked appalled. To see the depths that a sorceress could go in order to achieve her goals, even at the cost of her own body, sent a cold chill through her veins. In her mind, Rinoa reaffirmed her vow that she would never, ever, allow her magic to corrupt her as Sorceress Ultimecia had.
Ultimecia raised her hands. Fire burned around her fingertips as she channelled her magic. "Hell's Judgement!" she cried.
A bright light shone from below. The companions looked down as a circular seal inscribed with ancient runes appeared beneath them. Squall started to shout a warning, but his words were cut off as a blast of energy burst up from the seal. The companions screamed as they were engulfed in that energy, which wracked their bodies with fire and searing pain. Yet the pain was not physical. It struck them inside; in their souls.
As quickly as it had come, the fire vanished. The companions, released, dropped onto the floor. The seal faded as though it had never been. Ultimecia lowered her arms and leaned her head back, revelling in the euphoria of her magic.
Squall tried to walk forward. His legs buckled and he sank onto his knees. Though the sorceress' attack had only dealt spiritual damage, steam still rose from his clothes and his flesh. He looked around at the others. Each of them was similarly affected. Rinoa, like him, was unable to stand. Both Zell and Quistis sank to their knees. Irvine lay facedown on the floor reaching for Selphie, who had collapsed nearby. Looking at his hand, he saw it shake.
So this is… Ultimecia's true power, he thought. He forced his hand to stop shaking and then clenched it into a fist. Gripping the hilt of his gunblade, he pushed himself to his feet. His whole body protested against the effort, but Squall ignored the pain. He stood tall and faced Ultimecia.
The sorceress was no longer paying any attention to them. Despite how they had survived up to now and defeated both herself and Griever, Ultimecia did not believe that they could stop her. Now she was completely absorbed in her magic, focusing her every thought and ounce of energy she had on achieving her goal.
Squall cast Curaga. This did nothing to heal the inward pain he felt following Hell's Judgement, or relieve the exhaustion that was beginning to creep up on him. The many battles he had fought since entering Lunatic Pandora was beginning to take its toll. In fact he was amazed he had lasted this long, and he wasn't sure how much further he could keep going. But he knew he could not surrender. He had to keep on fighting until Ultimecia was defeated.
He raised his gunblade and stood ready. He did not need to look behind him to know that the others were doing the same. They were all so connected now that he knew their thoughts without even having to ask. He knew they shared his feelings. He also knew that they would fight to the end and beyond if need be. Seeing their confidence and their will to carry on fighting served to strengthen his own confidence and he knew right then that they could win.
We can do this, he thought. Glancing back at his friends, he saw their faces were turned to him, waiting for his signal. The swordsman gave a nod, and his friends raised their weapons. Turning back towards Ultimecia, Squall led the charge of what was to be their final battle.
As they drew near, Ultimecia snapped out of her trance and lowered her head. Eyes that could not be seen glared down at them with such hatred and loathing. Seeing that her enemies would not give in even now, when all others would have surrendered before her, Ultimecia decided to grant their wish and send them into oblivion. She extended her hand, clawed fingers curled over, and cast Flare.
The magic leapt from her fingers, larger and more powerful than it had been before. The very air seemed to split apart as the magic was cast, creating a vacuum that sucked away the darkness to replace it with blinding light.
The companions saw the blast and immediately dove out of the way. As it passed, Ultimecia clenched her fist. The Flare exploded, sending several rays of light shooting out in all directions. Not expecting this, the companions were forced to dodge once again. Irvine caught the edge of one of the rays as it shot past him. The light seared a hole right through his jacket. The gunman gulped and clamped his hands onto his hat, dodging out of the way of another blast.
As the last of the Flare rays passed by, Quistis (who had thrown herself onto the 'ground') jumped up and ran at Ultimecia. She stretched out her arm to the side and a torrent of water rose out of the blackness beside her. The water swelled and rose up, towering over her and over Ultimecia. The wall then split as Leviathan's head pierced through. The serpent let out a hiss as his body slipped out of the water, his scales glimmering as he moved.
Once he was free of the water, the serpent rose up. He turned in a large circle and then dived to swim/fly alongside Quistis. The whipmaster jumped onto his back. She gripped onto his scales as he then powered his way through the air. He rose up to fly towards Ultimecia. The water from which he had emerged moved with him, growing larger and larger until finally it toppled on top of the sorceress.
Ultimecia parted the waters with a wave of her hand. She reached out for Leviathan. Her clawed fingers raked across his side. Scales that could withstand a volley of cannon-fire splintered and broke away at her deathly touch. A stream of blood stained the serpent's bluish body and Leviathan flinched and screeched in pain. Quistis leapt off his back just as Ultimecia struck him again. This time Leviathan gave a shudder and he froze. His body turned to liquid and then blew apart, evaporating in the air.
As she fell, Quistis swung her whip. The tail lashed around one of the skeletal wings protruding from Ultimecia's back. The sorceress tried to swipe her as Quistis swung past, but missed. Quistis kept on swinging until she came up behind the sorceress. Extending her palm, she slapped it facedown in the middle of the sorceress' back. Flames burst from beneath her palm to explode against Ultimecia's back. The shockwave sent Quistis flying back, but at the Ultimecia was propelled forward.
Seeing Ultimecia off-balance, Rinoa drew back her hands and then cast Thundaga. Ultimecia recovered just in time to thrust out her arm and catch the bolts with one hand and then return it back at Rinoa with the other. The countered attack struck the younger sorceress in the chest, and Rinoa was blown back.
Outraged at seeing his mistress attacked in such a manner, Angelo bounded into the fray. Ultimecia threw several balls of Holy magic at him, but the dog dodged each one. Squall came to run alongside him, and together the pair charged at the sorceress. They ducked and dodged as Ultimecia threw ball after ball at them. Squall reached her first and swung his sword at Ultimecia's lower half, but an invisible barrier hit him before he could reach her and he was thrown back. Angelo, on the other hand, leapt and rammed the sorceress in her gut with his head. He struck with more force than Ultimecia had anticipated, forcing her off-balance once again.
As she recovered, Ultimecia turned to Angelo and raised her hand, preparing to strike him down. A flash of movement caught her eye. She leaned back just as the Shooting Star came whizzing towards her, narrowly missing the pulsing veins of her neck. The sorceress looked over at Rinoa as she caught the pinwheel on its return flight. Selphie, standing beside her with a fading green aura on her hands, turned her nunchaku over in her hands and then raised them over her head.
A dark portal opened before her to reveal a set of iron gates. The gates opened and three sets of glowing yellow eyes appeared. The GF Cerberus then leapt out of the gates and landed in front of Selphie and Rinoa. Saliva dripped from Cerberus's three mouths as he snarled. His muscles rippled as he crouched down low. He then dove into a charge, running at Ultimecia.
The sorceress raised her arm to defend herself. Cerberus ducked aside at the last minute, ran around behind the sorceress and then, taking Angelo's lead, rammed her in the back. Then, while the sorceress was trying to recover, Cerberus clamped his jaws tight around her arm. He yanked, trying to sever her flesh or, failing, that, to bring her crashing down.
It turned out to be neither. Ultimecia, by far the stronger of the two, stood up straight and lifted her arm high. She dragged Cerberus off the ground and held him at arm's length. The hellhound dangled by his jaws, his hind legs swinging as still he tried to rip open her flesh.
"Enough!" bellowed Ultimecia. She swung her arm and broke Cerberus's hold on her, sending the hound flying back. As he hit the ground, Ultimecia raised her arms and cast Meteor. The sky rained fire down upon the Guardian Force, who howled and vanished in a rising wall of fire.
Although defeated, Cerberus had done the task that he had been summoned to do. He had distracted the sorceress' attention, thus allowing the others to move in to strike.
Squall and Zell came at her from both sides. Ultimecia turned her head about, wondering who she should strike first. While she was confused Selphie came running from behind. Remembering the barrier that protected her lower half, Selphie jumped. She landed on the invisible barrier which, instead of throwing her back, propelled her upwards. Using this to her advantage, Selphie let herself soar up until she was level with the sorceress' shoulder. She swung her nunchaku. The bars struck the sorceress around the head.
As the sorceress staggered, dazed, Zell ran up from her left. Casting Blizzaga, he sent a path of ice spiralling around her. The fighter ran along the path as it spiralled higher and higher until he reached the sorceress' head. He was about to leap and strike when Ultimecia strained her muscles against the ice, causing it to break apart. She thrust out her arm and snatched up the fighter in mid-leap. Closing her fingers around his waist, she began to squeeze.
"Ultima!" she shouted.
Zell screamed as the searing light engulfed him. When the magic faded, he sagged in her grasp. Ultimecia laughed and then cast him aside. She drew back her fist, which began to glow once again.
A light shone from above. Realising she had forgotten about the swordsman, Ultimecia looked up. Squall was in the air above her, standing on a platform of ice. The blade of his sword glowed as he channelled his energy into it. Flames then shot down the blade, and he leapt off the platform to face her.
With a snarl, Ultimecia drew back her hand. Just as she was about to cast Ultima, a gunshot fired and struck her in the shoulder. The attack caught her off-guard and she flinched. She lost her concentration, and the Ultima magic flickered out of existence.
Squall spun his body around, swinging his gunblade in a tight circle. The energy and flames he had summoned swept off the blade and fired down towards Ultimecia. Too late the sorceress tried to defend herself. The energy struck, slicing through her chest and piercing her back. The flames scraped along the pulsing heart that beat beneath her gaping chest. The orb glowed hot and a crack appeared in its surface. Ultimecia gave a shriek and clawed at her chest. Even her lower half screamed and began to writhe in pain.
The swordsman landed. He looked up at Ultimecia. That hurt her, he realised.
After recovering from the attack, Ultimecia retaliated by casting Meteor. The swordsman dodged and rolled as the meteors fell down. Getting to his feet, he swung his sword and slashed one in two. Spying an opening, he leapt out of the strike zone.
As he landed, he suddenly noticed something. The meteors were distinctly fewer in number than they were before. They struck the ground with less force, and Squall had required less effort to cut one in two. Thinking this was more than a little odd, he looked up at Ultimecia. Her faceless face was turned towards him, and Squall knew she was glaring. She cast Holy, and as the swordsman ducked out of its way, he realised that something was different. Somehow, her magic had become weaker.
He looked at the orb beating in her chest. It was pulsing faster, and he could see the dark crack on its surface. Perhaps damaging that orb has weakened her somehow, he wondered. He wished he had a chance to test his theory. If that orb was indeed her heart, then she had left her weak spot wide open.
Ultimecia raised her arms. "Hell's Judgement!" she cried.
Remembering the effects this attack had on the body and spirit, the companions hurried out of the way. Only Rinoa was unable to get out of the way in time. The seal appeared beneath her and sent a blast of energy surging up through her body. She screamed and dropped to the ground, her body twitching.
As she fell, Ultimecia sped forward. She reached for Rinoa, intending to absorb the younger sorceress and take her powers for her own. Rinoa saw this intent as well, and she tried to scramble out of the way.
Suddenly, Squall was in front of her. Rinoa looked up in surprise and hope as Squall swung his sword and slashed at Ultimecia's hand. The sorceress, surprised, drew back her hand. She started to withdraw, but Squall cast Firaga and sent a stream of hot flames flying into the sorceress' chest.
Once inside, the flames exploded. The blast sent Ultimecia flying backwards. Quistis and the others dived out of the way as the sorceress went flying past them. The fire swept over her body, blackening her flesh and her clothing. The orb in her chest flickered and another crack formed on its surface. At this the sorceress shrieked even more and writhed about, clawing at her chest.
Deciding that the orb was the key to bringing her down, Squall raised his hand and signalled to the others to attack. He helped Rinoa to her feet and then they joined the others in their charge against the sorceress.
Suddenly, Ultimecia laughed. The eyes of her lower self opened and shone with an unearthly light. The upper half raised her arms, and at the same time several balls of energy were drawn from the lower half. The balls entered her cracking orb, which flashed bright as it absorbed the energy. Ultimecia then closed her eyes again, returning to her trance.
Feeling the power flowing through her veins, Ultimecia laughed again. Her fingertips glimmered, speckled with glittering energy that dripped from between her fingers. The power that she absorbed was the power of time and space, a power only she could manipulate. With it she would finally rid herself of the SeeDs who had dared to stand against her. She lifted her arms high, her palms turned outward. Her face glowed bright as she channelled that power through her body, preparing to cast her most powerful magic.
"Apocalypse!"
At her command the darkness beneath them opened up. The companions found themselves falling through empty space until they landed inside a gaping nebula. They slowed to a stop inside of it. Another runic seal, larger and more complex than the other they had seen, appeared beneath their feet. As the runes began to glow, Squall spun around.
"Rinoa!" he cried.
Rinoa nodded, understanding. Raising her arms up, she focused her magic into the palms of her hands. A warm glow radiated from her body, from her head down to her feet. Her glowing angel wings spread around her.
The outer parts of the seal flashed. Beams of light burst out of the ground and into the air. They soared in large arcs and then dove down to strike the ground. The ground trembled, and light and flame engulfed them.
Ultimecia watched all this from her vantage point above the nebula. She felt a euphoric thrill tingle through her body as she saw the nebula compress and explode, obliterating all that dwelt within it. The sorceress spread her arms and leaned her head back, revelling in her victory.
A speck of light burst out of the explosion. It flew straight at Sorceress Ultimecia and slashed across her throat. The sorceress clamped her hand over the wound, trying to stem the flow of blood that spilled between her fingers. Impossible… she thought as she looked down into the remains of the nebula.
The companions stood together at the heart of the nebula. They were safe and unharmed, their bodies covered in a protective layer of yellowish light. Rinoa stood at the centre, her eyes closed in a trance as she floated several inches from the floor, supported by her glowing wings. Ultimecia's rage rose. It was impossible that a fledgling sorceress had the power to cancel out her most lethal spell, and yet somehow she had. And with that knowledge came a realisation so clear that her entire body ran cold.
She could not win.
Zell summoned the GF Pandemona. The Guardian Force used his powers of the wind to send a powerful tornado spiralling up towards the sorceress. One by one the companions jumped into the vortex and let it carry them up to where Ultimecia waited. The sorceress stood frozen, immobilised by her fear.
Irvine was the first to break free of the tornado. Whilst holding onto his hat with one hand as he fell, he fired several shots with the other. The bullets struck the sorceress in her chest and waist and drove her back. Ultimecia tried to cast her magic to defend herself, but her powers slipped from her grasp.
Resigning herself to her fate, she began to speak.
"Reflect on your… childhood…"
Quistis cracked her whip. The tail latched around the sorceress' arm. Quistis sent a strong current of lightning shooting through the weapon. When it struck Ultimecia, the lightning leapt from the weapon and into the sorceress' body. Another crack appeared in the orb's surface, but Ultimecia no longer screamed. The barrier protecting her lower half flashed and then shattered.
"Your sensation… Your words… Your emotions…"
With her lower half unprotected, Zell took his chance and struck. He delivered a volley of kicks and punches to the sorceress' upturned body. Several veins on her body burst, and a well-aimed kick to the face shattered her jaw. Blood ran down her body and stained her hair.
"Time… It will not wait…"
Selphie raised her nunchaku and cast Demi. The gravitational magic enveloped the sorceress' body and twisted it out of shape. There came the crunch as several bones cracked, no longer able to take the strain. Yet Ultimecia did not flinch at the damage being done to her body. Not anymore.
"No matter… how hard you hold on. It escapes you…"
Summoning the GF Alexander, Rinoa ordered him to attack. Beams of light fired down from the heavens as the Guardian Force executed as command. The lights rained down upon Ultimecia, who offered no resistance. The beams cut through her body, burning holes in her cloak and in her flesh. After the beams finished falling Angelo charged and rammed his body into the sorceress. Ultimecia shuddered and lowered her head, her body trembling.
"And…"
Whatever she was about to say was lost as Squall prepared to deal the final blow. A gust of energy blew around him as he channelled all his remaining energy into the blade of the Lion Heart. The blade flashed and shone with a bright blue-white aura to signal that it was ready, and Squall ran in.
Dealing the sorceress an upward strike, he sent her flying up into the air. The swordsman jumped after her. He caught her in mid-flight and began to unleash blow after blow, attacking relentlessly and driving Ultimecia further into the air. Each blow sent a stream of energy shooting through the sorceress' body.
When he reached the highest point, Squall raised his sword and brought it crashing down on her. This final blow sent the sorceress crashing down. She hit the ground and a shockwave of released energy fired out from the impact.
The swordsman landed several feet away. The Lion Heart's glow faded, its energy spent. Squall rose to his feet and looked back at Ultimecia.
The sorceress rose up. Her whole body began to tremble, gently at first but then turned to violent convulsions. A series of explosions then burst from deep within her. They tore through her flesh and surrounded her in a cloud of red and white flame. The sorceress tried to put the flames out, but the heat seared her hands and made her draw back.
Suddenly she threw back her head. A beam of light burst from her mask and soared up into the air. At the same time the orb in her chest burst with the same light. It shone out around her, its intensity growing every second. A loud whirring noise emanated from the epicentre, growing louder as the light became brighter. Ultimecia's trembling became more violent, and her body stiffened.
Realising that an explosion was imminent, Squall turned to his friends. "Run!" he ordered. "Get back!"
Nobody disobeyed. The companions turned and fled as the light intensified, and the whirring noise rose to a pitched shriek. Squall started to follow but then stopped and looked back at Ultimecia. The sorceress was barely visible, her body swallowed up by the light. The swordsman watched her for a moment longer. He then turned away and ran to catch up with his friends.
He had not taken two steps when the orb in Ultimecia's chest exploded. A shockwave more powerful than any they had encountered before swept out across the battlefield. The blast hit Squall, who was thrown onto the floor. A deafening roar filled his ears, and light blotted out his vision.
At the explosion's epicentre, Ultimecia stood frozen. Her body glowed a sickly green as she at last released the time she had attempted to compress, returning it to space where it belonged.
One last explosion rocked her body. The two halves of the sorceress screamed and writhed in agony as their bodies began to burn and break up. The upper half disappeared first, dissolving into dust that was incinerated by the flames that consumed her. The lower half remained to the last, shrieking and screaming in her rage and despair. Her body disintegrated around her until only her voice remained, her long scream fading into the recesses of time.
After Ultimecia's defeat, the space where they had fought the sorceress disappeared and they found themselves standing in an empty void. There was nothing at all to be found in this place: no past, no present, and no future. The only living things they could see were themselves. Everything else was gone.
Irvine put his hand to his head. He noticed that as he moved, duplicated images of himself moved out of synch with him; a reaction of time decompressing.
"Is it over?" the gunman asked aloud. Even his voice seemed dead in this lifeless place, and echoed back at him at irregular intervals. He looked around. "Let's go!" he called. "Let's go back to our time!"
He started to walk, although there was no path for him to follow. Zell came running past him, the duplicated versions of himself running out of synch with the rest of him.
"Shut up!" the fighter snapped, glaring at him. "Just calm down and think where we have to go."
Selphie ran past him. The girl stopped and looked around her. "Careful, guys!" she said. "Don't pick the wrong time!" Irvine waved his hand to show that he had understood. Selphie sighed and began to run again.
Somewhere at the back of the void, Quistis also ran, with Angelo running at her side. "Whatever you do, don't fall into a time warp!" she warned them.
They each ran off, following their own paths. They did not need to fear losing one another, for they believed with all their hearts that no matter what happened they would end up together. One by one Irvine, Zell, Selphie and Quistis walked into the light and disappeared, disappearing into time.
From the depths of the void, Rinoa appeared. She ran through the waves of light, which felt cool as they passed over her skin.
"Time… Place…" she repeated. "Who I wanna be with… I wanna go there! Where Squall and I promised."
Closing her eyes, she spread her arms. Though her angel wings had now gone, she felt as though she was flying through this timeless place.
After a moment or two Rinoa lowered her arms and stopped. She looked down at the rings resting against her chest—hers and Squall's. Squall's ring had new meaning for her now they had faced and defeated Griever, whose traits Squall had tried to embody within himself. Rinoa closed her fingers around the two rings, feeling their metallic coolness. Yes, she wanted to go there, with Squall. Rinoa squeezed the rings tight and then raised her gaze, into the light.
"Squall!"