Well, it's more or less on time, lol. I didn't expect to go see Man of Steel tonight when I made that promise earlier, but here I am. Shout outs:
The Unknowing Herald: Lol, well you know how teenage boys can be. Lol, because you already know how this ends?
TWI1IGHTMAST3R: Lol, no comment. Don't worry, lol. I am trying!
Celeron96: Again, no comment. I'll get to it, if not tonight, tomorrow.
Shadowdragon1317: Lol, that's why I use them!
Izumi Natsuno: Lol, your comment made me laugh for some reason.
13TheAce: Luriel isn't a bad character or person. She's just…lonely, you could say. She grew up in that brothel and never had a friend like Pierce before. You can't really blame her. He always knows, lol!
Lucenthia: Thanks, I tried to make it as epic as possible. I hope this one is worthy of your expectations.
Bezerker21: I'll just let you read the chapter, lol. But needless to say having finished it, I am depressed right now.
Alright, one final roll call for the entire main cast! I own Lorans, Soriah, Pierce, Marek, Rayne, and any others that go by Rikkison. TEL owns Griffin, AW owns Ava, Celeron owns Luriel, and Herald owns Shin. This is it, the finale of Part 2.
Herald told me to say this, so: Graphic content included in the chapter. No it's not sexual content, but it is graphic nonetheless. You've been warned. Did I say it right, Herald? Lol! Alright, read on and enjoy. *evil laugh*
Chapter 45: Interchangeable Fates
While Rayne guided the ship around the world for the next group's entry point, Pierce, Kain, and Ven ran as fast as they could across the landscape toward the Council's palace.
His hood still covering his face, Pierce led the way. Glancing at his surroundings as he ran, he couldn't help but notice the drastic change since the last time he had been here. This garden was radiant no more. In fact, it could hardly be called a garden now. The once bright and shining city was covered in black smoke and soot everywhere. Only a few buildings were still standing, and he could see rows upon rows of people in the distance, chained up like animals. "This is Lorans' true colors." Kain muttered as they continued on.
As they neared the palace, it was not long before a great number of soldiers came massing out of the gates to fight them. "Pierce, we'll handle these. Keep going." Ven told him, holding his Keyblade ready. Kain twirled his lance and adopted a battle stance. Pierce nodded at them.
"Good luck." he told them simply, before leaping up into the air and back-flipping onto his rider. He wasted no time in soaring upward into the air until the smoke covered most of his field of vision. He could still make out the lone figure standing atop the fortress in the distance, however, and rocketed toward it.
PALACE, ROOF PLATFORM…
Xehanort smirked and eyed the teen happily as Pierce flew in and leaped off his rider, landing on the ground almost silently. "It is difficult to imagine how far you have come in a little over a year, boy. Had your father been this quick at learning, my plans might actually have succeeded." Xehanort told him casually. Pierce stared at him evenly and raised his Keyblade.
"I'm not here to hear about your recollections of the past, old man. I'm here to save my friends' future, and that's what I intend to do." he replied calmly. Xehanort just smiled even wider.
"You are your father's son, Pierce, but you are not your father. You attempt to act like him when you are nothing like him. I can see right through you, boy. You do not have the heart of a warrior. The title of wanderer doesn't suit you like it did Jack Rikkison, my prodigal son. You are not your father." he told him, summoning his own Keyblade. Pierce twirled his Keyblade back into its normal backhand position.
"I know. That's what everyone keeps telling me." he said simply. Xehanort sighed and walked over to the edge.
"You think your cause is just, and right. You think Lorans is evil because he killed your parents. Did you never stop and genuinely consider what he has done for the worlds, boy? He has taken away this false idea of liberty, and replaced it with something far more tangible! He controls everyone with an iron fist, and they no longer have to make their own choices. They do not have to bend their knees to some invisible politician! They see him before them, they cloaked man who brought them out of the darkness of the Purge and the time of the LE. He has given them true liberty, by taking away all choices." he spoke, waving his arms around dramatically like he always did.
"You're telling me you actually believe that crap? You're even thicker than my dad let on." Pierce said in disgust, already in his battle position. Xehanort sighed and turned back to him.
"I guess I am wasting my breath. Very well, I shall let you have a taste of the power that Lorans has shown to us all!" he yelled, preparing for battle.
MEANWHILE…
"According to what Rayne told us, Braig should be right in here." Terra said out loud as she, Shin, and Marek hurried through the basement of the palace.
"Terra, be careful." Marek spoke up, reaching out a hand to her, only to be punched by Shin.
"Stay away from her, murderer!" he spat. Marek glared at him, but said nothing.
"Heroes, they're always so stupid!" a voice suddenly said. The lights flooded on, revealing Braig standing at the front of a massive gathering of Immortals. "This'll be fun." he said, his single eye narrowing in anticipation.
MEANWHILE…
"You should have known not to come here." Griffin told Rayne, Ava, and Lulu as they neared the back entrance to the palace.
"You knew we would come." Ava told him calmly, still hoping for some reconciliation. Griffin looked at her sadly, showing some sympathy.
"Lorans knew, actually. I never wanted to hurt you in any way, Ava. You've always been like an older sister to me. I didn't want this for you." he told her. Rayne stepped forward.
"This ends now, Griffin. There's still a chance for you to come back, but this is your last opportunity." she told him. He summoned his black Keyblade in response.
"So be it." Rayne sighed as the three of them raised their weapons.
PALACE, ROOF…..(Collective Consciousness, Metal Gear Rising)
Pierce rolled to the side as Xehanort cast a bolt of black lightning shot up where he had just been. As he finished his roll, he threw his Keyblade. Xehanort managed to block it, but stumbled off balance because of it. Pierce took the opportunity and ran up, jumping up. As Xehanort looked back, Pierce's knee connected with his face and sent him onto his back, momentarily dazed.
As the black haired boy raised his Keyblade to finish it, Xehanort teleported behind him and struck him in the back. Pierce staggered forward a couple steps, but quickly spun around, swinging his blade. Xehanort brought up his blade and locked it with the younger combatant's. "Now I understand. You lack the ferocity that your father fought with. You were not born for the battlefield as he was. Such a pity it did not save him in the end." he commented. Pierce roared in anger and shoved the older man backward. He ran up and spun in the air, kicking Xehanort in the face as he finished.
"I will finish what my father started! I may lose my life here, but my team will continue our fight!" he yelled angrily. He ran up and punched downward, slamming his fist onto Xehanort's knee cap. The old man let out a groan of agony as he stumbled back a few steps. "You know, I'm not very impressed. The way my father talked about you in his stories, I always thought you had to be an amazing fighter. I guess I was mistaken." he said, walking up and striking him across the chest. Xehanort fell back even further, before lurching forward and coughing up blood. He glared at Pierce, before raising his arms.
Pierce looked around, but looked down at the last second as a pillar rose up and knocked him into the air. Now in the air, he hovered and stared at Xehanort. "We're about done here!" he yelled, kicking the air and dashing forward. Before Xehanort could block or dodge, Pierce was in front of him, and drove his Keyblade up to its hilt in the old man's chest. (end Collective Consciousness)
"This is far from over. Lorans' plan has only just begun. You still do not even know who he truly is. It has already been foretold by Lorans himself. A Rikkison shall fall on this day. It cannot be altered or avoided." Xehanort told him as he gasped for air. Pierce nodded.
"I know, and I am ready to give up my life. But you, you are done here." he told him simply, ripping his Keyblade out suddenly. Xehanort sighed deeply, and fell to the floor. Pierce sighed and stared at him for several seconds. That was when he heard the scream.
FRONT GATES…..
"Get back here, Braig!" Marek yelled as he chased after the teleporting sniper.
"I'm cool way up here!" was the reply he got. Shin and Terra were covering the back, keeping the Immortals away.
"He's leading us somewhere." Shin commented. Terra nodded in agreement. That was when they heard the scream.
OUTSIDE THE PALACE…..
Kain and Ven when were still fighting when they heard the scream, as well. "No!" Kain yelled desperately as he dashed through the chaos toward the noise. Ven quickly chased after him, cutting down any soldiers in his way.
PALACE, BACK GATES…..
"Griffin, please stop this!" Lulu yelled. Griffin slammed his Keyblade into the ground and sent her flying into the building.
"Get away!" he screamed at her. Rayne moved to step toward him, but Ava beat her there.
"Griffin, stop this! Think about what you're doing! There's no going back if you kill me!" she told him, but he didn't slow down. She sighed and began to cry as he raised his Keyblade. She threw hers to the ground. "You'll have to kill a defenseless woman." she told him simply. He stared at her in disbelief for several seconds, and slowed his charge.
"Ava….." he began. Ava smiled and stepped toward him, but Rayne saw the danger just as Lulu was getting back to her feet.
"Griffin." she breathed in relief as she stepped forward to hug him, but she saw him raise his Keyblade again.
"Forgive me." he finished. He yelled and pulled his blade back, right before shoving toward her chest. She gasped and tensed her body as she saw it coming.
"AVA!" screamed Rayne suddenly. She appeared in between the two of them and shoved Griffin backward, knocking him off his feet. Ava breathed deeply for several seconds as Lulu came back over to them.
"Thanks, Rayne. I owe you one." she told her in gratitude. But Rayne slowly turned around to face her, showing the black Keyblade stuck in her chest.
"Rayne!" they yelled, catching her as she fell onto her back. Griffin smiled and laughed quietly as he got back to his feet. As Ava quickly tried to do whatever she could to check the damage, Lulu angrily turned to him.
"Braig really has warped your mind." she spat at him. He stood up and drew his dagger, still laughing.
"One down, two to go." he muttered, laughing maniacally as he walked toward both of them. Both were so worried about Rayne's wound that they weren't paying attention to him.
"I don't think so." Pierce said, appearing out of nowhere in between the girls and Griffin. Without hesitation, he drove his blade into the other boy's chest. "You bastard…..damn you for making me do this." he whispered, tears starting to roll down his face. Griffin gasped and tried to breathe as darkness oozed out of his wound. He looked at Pierce with sincere, sadness filled eyes. When he spoke, he finally sounded like his old self.
"Pierce…I'm sorry." he whispered. Pierce indifferently let go of his Keyblade and let Griffin fall to the ground. By now, the rest of the group had gathered around, except for Marek, who was nowhere to be found. (Why instrumental, Crisis Core)
He quickly made his way over to where his sister was lying on the ground, her head in Ava's lap. Everyone backed away to give him room, and he knelt down at her side. "Rayne….." he whispered, his face stained with tears. She reached up a trembling hand and touched his cheek.
"Don't be afraid, Pierce." she told him. He looked over.
"Mother's gauntlet. Can't you…..?" he asked. She sadly shook her head, showing him the huge gash where the gem used to be.
"Griffin slashed it with his knife. I don't have long, so listen…." she told him. He nodded, but she gestured everyone to listen in.
"The only way to win this fight…is to be one united group. Let go of all your personal grudges, and work together to finish this. This is our story, together, and it's your last chance." she told them. Ava and Lulu looked over at each other and sighed sadly. Kain walked up to her and knelt down at her side.
"So much is still left unsaid." he told her sadly. She smiled.
"Just kiss me." she said. He smiled sadly as he leaned down and kissed her on the lips. She kissed him back for several moments, and he stood back up sadly. Marek came walking up out of a portal.
"One more goodbye to say." he told her calmly, placing Soriah next to her. She smiled, tears coming down her own face now.
"Hey, little guy." she told him. He instantly recognized her and leaned over, reaching for her. She laughed sadly as she gripped her hand. "You're gonna be alright. These guys are gonna take care of you. Be strong for me, okay?" she told him. He stared at her silently. She looked at everyone one last time before locking eyes with Pierce, who was still crying. She smiled at him and nodded once. It took all of his strength to smile back, and he nodded. She saw him return it and slowly closed her eyes, the hand holding onto Soriah's going limp instantly. (end Why)
(To Zanarkand, Final Fantasy X)
Time slowed almost to a halt, and to Pierce, everything went completely silent. Ava gently laid Rayne's head down on the ground and stood up to be with the other group. The eight of them stood in a single line in front of her body, her Keyblade in her hands, the tip of the blade close to her feet. Pierce walked over and manually retrieved his Keyblade from Griffin's body and they all began digging two graves. The smaller one they placed Griffin inside and sealed with magic.
But they hesitated with Rayne. Ava, Lulu, Shin, and Marek were mostly silent and unmoving as everyone else said their goodbyes. Kain walked up to her body, and solemnly placed one more kiss on her lips and walked back to his place. Ven gently stroked her hair, remembering all of the times he had spent with her, 17 years of memories. Terra cried without stopping, thinking about the friendship they had quickly forged. Finally, Pierce walked up and gave his sister one final hug. "We will win this fight. We won't let your death be for nothing, Rayne. I promise." he told her. Marek put a hand on his shoulder, and together as a group they gently lowered her down into the grave they had dug for her. "It wasn't supposed to be her. It was supposed to be me!" Pierce sobbed. Marek sighed and held his nephew tightly, but soon the boy ran over to Ava and found comfort in her arms. Kain and Ven silently placed the gravestone at the forefront of the mound and stepped back into line with everyone else. The stone read:
IN LOVING MEMORY OF RAYNE RIKKISON,
LOVING AND CARING FRIEND,
HEADSTRONG DAUGHTER,
THE X-BLADE MADE FLESH,
NEVER WAS THERE A MORE CARING INDIVIDUAL…
AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT OF TIME LATER…
Lorans smirked as he walked through the palace, past the infirmary where Braig was getting his wounds sewn up, and walked into his holding cell. His prisoner silently looked up and glared at him. "Here to gloat again?" the man asked him. Lorans laughed.
"Don't be so down. I'll have you know that soon everything shall be mine. And now that the fugitives' will is broken because of Rayne's death, you will be my secret weapon that will shatter whatever remains of their strength." he told him calmly. The other man shook his head.
"I will die before I help you, murderer." he said simply. As he looked back at the floor, Lorans grabbed onto a single lock of his brown spiky hair.
"That remains to be seen, my new puppet." he whispered, letting go and walking to the door. Sora glared at his back until the door shut again, wrapping him in darkness once more…..
TO BE CONTINUED…IN PART 3….
Final notes on Part 2: In loving memory of both Rayne Rikkison and Griffin, listen to the song for another minute and let the seriousness of everything that you have just witnessed sink in. Now I'm out for a couple days doing other work. Take this heart, leave a last review for chapter 2 in memory of the fallen, and let me know how you felt about the chapter. I'm out, so have a good weekend, everyone.
