Bringer of Nightfall

by RoseDragonWitch

Now hailed as a hero throughout the Source, what next awaits the Warrior of Light, soon to become a Warrior of Darkness? The time has come to move on only now we are heading to not a different country, but rather an entirely new world! The path to the First is open to us and a new battle awaits… the most epic one yet… discovering the truth of what lies at the heart of the Star...

28. Extinguishing the Last Light

Chapter 24: Extinguishing the Last Light

*The Source*

He listened... waited...

And soon he saw his chance. Defeating the guards was almost laughably easy... at least it would have been in his true body. The one he was currently using was awkward and slow; but at least he was adequate enough that he could channel a sliver of his normal strength through it.

He slowly made his way through the palace as he looked for 'himself' and soon realized that there was only one place left that he hadn't looked.

The throne room.

And sure enough, after arriving, he hid in the shadows as he heard his own voice speaking.

"Your Radiance. I have taken the liberty of quashing the vile rumors that your heir is possessed by a devil," his double said and he smirked at the thought. Let the people believe what they want. In a way, they weren't wrong.

"With the nation in the grip of war, we may rely on patriotic zeal to prevent them from resurfacing," he heard father speak dully before asking after Emet-Selch—whoever that was.

"He has taken himself to the First, to usher that world to its end," his imposter responded, "Or so I believe. He did not disclose the details of his mission, having ever preferred to work alone."

He did not know what this 'First' was, but for some reason it drew his attention and he found himself listening very carefully to his words.

"Even to those who have known him since the beginning, his actions can prove...unpredictable," his copy sighed.

His father seemed to share in whatever sentiments he had and confessed grimly, "I am no stranger to his ways. He joys in playing me for a fool. Full many times have I been convinced I was acting of my own volition, only to discover all was as he willed it. My dear grandfather..."

He felt his eyebrows raise at that. Why would they be discussing his great-grandfather as if he were still alive? Well, this was certainly interesting indeed.

"On the subject of our esteemed colleague: his last report, though brief, did contain one item of interest," his imposter stated suddenly, and he found himself listening in once more.

"You have doubtless wondered why the Scions of the Seventh Dawn have not taken the field of late," he said and he felt his heart actually stir slightly as he mentioned the object of his hunt.

"It is because they are no longer in the Source," 'Lord Zenos' said, "The hero of the Scions has journeyed to the First ─ as have her comrades, albeit incompletely. Their bodies yet remain here in the Source."

So those little flies that were always seen with the champion of Eorzea had left their bodies behind and travelled to this 'First' did they? By the sounds of things, his 'friend' had also travelled there as well but seemingly in possession of her own flesh. That truly was interesting. So they were no longer here in this world? But then... were was she now?

"This presents an opportunity. If we can defeat the Alliance prior to the Scions' return, we may eliminate their order at a stroke," his imposter stated, "And with the Scions gone, none shall remain to thwart our plans. It will be but a matter of striking down the hero upon his homecoming."

He nearly laughed.

Truly? Strike her down that easily? There was only one being who had that kind of talent—to understand how her mind worked—and that was him. After all, the two of them were not so different from each other.

"Which, lest you forget, is essential to the realization of our objective. Of both of our objectives," 'Lord Zenos' went on, trying to tempt his father with honeyed words, "Through Hydaelyn's meddling, Her champions threaten to wrest the reins of fate from our grasp. The world is at risk of being dragged down the false path. One which will never see man reclaim his true form."

Well, of course. Mankind is the only creature savage enough to be able to rein. Why else live such a life like this?

But still, his words piqued his interest for he did not understand what they were talking about. His copy suddenly moved closer to his father and said softly, "'Tis unthinkable that he should supplant us, incomplete as he is. Such a devolution is abhorrent. And it must be stopped ─ before it is too late."

He had to admit, his imposter was truly masterful with words… even he could appreciate that. Playing to his father's greatest weaknesses as he tried to tempt him into striking now.

"The hour is come, Your Radiance. Order your armies to march once more. Crush all who stand in your way," he said, "This is your heart's desire, is it not? To seize a victory that is yours and yours alone ─ for the future of Garlemald!"

He could see his father hesitate there and so he sighed, knowing that now he must step in. He cared not for the future of Garlemald, but the mention of his 'friend' was more than enough reason for him to let him borrow that body for a little longer. At least, long enough for him to learn the full truth.

He had been growing impatient for her to come to Garlemald and so whatever it was that was keeping her so distracted must be something special.

"Oh dear... You do not wear the mummer's motley well. I was never one to take an interest in tedious conflicts," he sighed in his usual bored way before stepping out from the shadows.

This immediately got their attention as they looked up to him and he strolled over, continuing speaking.

"The whereabouts of my one true friend, however ─ they interest me greatly," he drawled on, "I but hope the beasts of this "First" are providing him proper sport. I would know every detail, Lord Zenos. Or would you rather I called you Elidibus?

He stopped, a mere yalm away from them, and 'Lord Zenos' looked both annoyed and surprised by being addressed by his true name. He then closed his eyes as he seemed to concentrate... and then looked up with an expression that one could almost pass for startled.

"...Hm. Unexpected. Most unexpected," Elidibus said in his own voice rather than the voice of the prince. "That immortality should be within the reach of one with a borrowed Echo."

He felt himself smirk when Elidibus complemented, "You have outdone yourself, Zenos yae Galvus."

He smirked even wider as he got a good look at his father's face past the imposter and was staring at him in shock.

But he wasn't the reason he came back.

"I have no particular attachment to that name ─ but I am rather fond of that body," he confessed, wondering what it would be like to battle against himself. It was only a shame that Elidibus didn't seem to be able to use it to its full deadly potential otherwise he had a feeling that he would be enjoying such a fight.

Still, it was rightfully his and so he needed it back as soon as possible.

"Without it, I cannot enjoy my hunt to the fullest," he informed them calmly, but his curiosity still peaked as he pointed the blade at 'Lord Zenos' and gave an ultimatum, "Your secrets or my flesh. I care not which you give me first. The choice is yours."

He only smirked when he saw his own face glaring back.

It's alright... he had all the time in the world to get his answers.

After all, he was still waiting for her to arrive. And he had the growing feeling that whatever answers he got from them would be precious indeed in speeding up that long-awaited reunion with both his deadly enemy and treasured friend.

*The First*

It took a while for them to reach this point, but she could see the end in sight as the building for the Talos truly begun to take shape. Not that she understood half of it at this point, but Chai-Nuzz seemed to be satisfied with how well things were progressing. She had even seen him smiling from time to time. But even with all the help it still took another full two days for everything to be put in place for them to even think of preparing to awaken the Talos.

During that time, she found ways to keep herself entertained, such as travelling to Tomra with Giott and learning a little bit about Lamitt, one of Ardbert's old companions. After that whole business, she found herself off to the side of Amity as she sharpened her blade and Ardbert had appeared besides her as they waited for the final call.

"Hard to believe the people of Tomra were so welcoming of outsiders," he told her as they watched a few of the Dwarves speaking with the people of Amity, and basically seeing everyone getting along.

"Different in your day?" Claire asked him knowingly.

"You could say that," he answered back in amusement. "In my time they couldn't stand the thought of interacting with the outside world. The way for that though, according to Lamitt anyway, was because of tradition. This is how so many of their traditions survived for so long… because of the isolation. After I met her, I didn't think that there was a more stubborn dwarf than her. Boy, was I wrong."

"What do you think of everything now?" she asked Ardbert, "Of how Lamitt would feel to see this?"

"I think that she would have loved to see her people so happy to work with outsiders and making friends," he smiled. "Though, now that I think of it, you probably didn't feel the same way when we first met."

"I remember her very well. She was trouble in that fight," she said as she thought of the Lalafell-dwarf healer that was with them and just how irritating it was to fight them when she kept healing their wounds over and over.

He laughed.

"Aye, she always has been," he answered, "But it was thanks to her that we made it out of so many battles alive. She was the first comrade that I ever met after I left home. I was a brand new hunter and was given my first job to kill a hobgoblin somewhere on Kholusia. It never once dawned on me that the bastard would have friends lying low when I went after him. I almost died before Lamitt happen to cross my path."

"Did she always wear one of those ridiculous helms?" Claire could not help but ask and he laughed again.

"Aye, and let me tell you how I got such a telling off for that," he smirked. "I thought she was a man... the helm... you can't tell them apart with those... anyway, she agreed to come along with me and we travelled for ages and I never knew what she looked like. Renda-Rae once was brave enough to ask her why she didn't take it off, she just said that it was important tradition."

"Why? To never let anyone see your face forever?" she asked, "I thought she was really pretty when I saw her on the Source."

"Yeah," he smirked back, "It was moons before the rest of us saw what she really looked like."

He smiled sadly as the memories continued to play around inside his head.

"I think they would have liked you," he said suddenly and she watched him for a moment. "Before... I mean. If we met under different circumstances—and in the same world. I think that we all would have been good friends."

"Tell me more about them," she said, getting his attention. "More about Lamitt and all the others. I would like to hear more."

He gave her a faint smile as he obliged. Talking about his old comrades seemed to bring him a sense of peace; though she could tell that he must miss them all terribly. Especially after seeing the mural in the caverns back in the Greatwood...? Still, he never passed up the chance to talk of his old comrades and so he told her more stories of some of their many adventures and she felt this terrible longing in her heart of how she wished she had such a connection to her fellow adventurers. She was normally travelling alone and it was sometimes the harsh reality of life would swoop down and remind her just how lonely she was.

It hurt.

But however bad she felt, she could only imagine just how lonely Ardbert felt. She wanted to tell him more of her dealings with the Cardinal Virtues, but she feared that the news of his friends' fates would upset him even more. Though she suspected that he must know by now what became of them…? After taking a deep breath, ready to come clean, Chai-Nuzz called her over.

She looked up as Ardbert turned his head to them and nodded to her.

"Go," he said and he disappeared before her eyes.

She hoped down from the fence and headed over to Chai-Nuzz who, for the first time, seemed excited. He told her that everything was now in place for them to move forward.

"Once we imbue the magic, it will stir itself and immediately carry out its designated function: namely, taking Mt. Gulg in its grasp," he explained as the Exarch joined them.

"Claire, we may be certain that Vauthry will not look on in idleness as we beat a path to his front door," the Exarch said to her. "Once our plans are set in motion, there will be no turning back. So see to your preparations as meticulously as you may, and I will give the order to proceed as soon as you are ready."

She grinned back and some of his excitement seemed to be on the verge of turning back to nerves as he began to mutter about how he hoped it would work. Dulia-Chai was patting him lovingly on the shoulder as she reassured them that no Talos that her husband built has ever failed before and she didn't expect it to fall now.

The Exarch nodded as he joined them and he looked to Claire as he said, "Give the word, and I will relay the order to awaken the Talos."

"ENGAGE!" she said and he beamed back, as if he were a child who was waiting for an exciting show.

"Very well! Let us begin!" he said with poorly concealed exhilaration. "I will see that everyone else is a safe distance away. Go and join your comrades, my friend, and focus only on reaching Vauthry. Come what may, we must prevail this day!"

It took several long minutes of painful waiting but the time had come. And then it erupted with a powerful surge in the form of a column of aether erupted and Chai-Nuzz was grinning ear to ear as he cried out, "Here it comes!"

Stones began to rise. It was nothing like the smooth stones before. More like giant boulders all forming together, pulsing with aether, and slowly began to rise up and come together. She saw its hand first and slowly the rest of it followed, a monster of a statue, rising out of the ground. Its hands, which were rather ugly miss happened things, but she loved them all the same when she saw them reaching out, the mountain just in reach.

That was when the swarm of eaters came flooding down, many of them were destroyed through the sheer force of the impact when the Talos came at them and the rest seemed to be baffled on how to fight it. Chai-Nuzz, who was watching through a spyglass, let out a loud booming laugh and jumped around like a child at Starlight.

"Yes! Yes! You've not lost your touch, you clever old bugger!" he cried, full of pride.

But it was short lived; for the cloud of sin eaters protecting the mountain swarmed the Talos, and after realizing they could do little to stop it, they began to focus on its hands, attempting to prevent it from grabbing hold of Mt. Gulg. She could see chunks falling from even here and Chai-Nuzz's joy quickly turned to worry.

"Do you see what they're doing?!" he demanded, "If its hands are damaged, it won't be able to cling to the mountain! Oh, I knew this was a terrible idea!"

"Vauthry marshals the eaters to his defense," the Exarch replied, "This was only to be expected." He came to Claire and told her that they had to try and draw as many of them to the ground as possible. She agreed before they heard it and they looked up to see something flying towards them. The form of a tall and beautiful as ever there was a fairy king—was Feo Ul—and flanked on all sides by her subjects

*Feo Ul*

How dare she?

Here they were, waiting and waiting and waiting to be called to their beloved sapling's side. But no. Nothing! Nothing at all! How could she not even think to have them all come out to her side if she needed it?

"Such a heartless thing our sapling is! Cold and cruel and heartless!" they called out in outrage, knowing that they would have to have a few words with her beloved sapling about this later on. "Summon us in times of need, we expressly said - yet what should we find but the final battle joined without so much as a whisper of our name!"

They were so upset about this that they barely paid any attention to when those horrid eaters came at her. Almost absent-mindedly, they held up their scepter and watched as they were reduced to nothing more than aether in the blinking of an eye. But they was nowhere near stopping with their rant.

"Yes, yes, we may also have said that we fae folk have no interest in the struggles of men," they muttered to herself, "but if our adorable sapling had come crying to us for help, we would of course have flown to her aid! Of course we would! What are we to do with her?"

Oh, they suppose they should have expected this from her sapling. As dear as their sapling was, she had a bad habit of wanting to do everything on her own. What a lonely existence that must be for her.

They turned her attention to more of the eaters and they felt herself smile a little once more when they realized that the perfect distraction came at them.

"We are so very, very sad," they sighed, "You will play with us. Cheer us up again!"

*Claire*

Claire watched as the Fae Folk swarmed at the army of eaters, giving the Talos time to grab onto the mountain at long last. One hand seized hold of it while the other grabbed onto the land beneath it, forming a bridge between land and sky. Though she could not hear anything that was being said from up above, she had a very good idea that Feo Ul wasn't so happy with her right now.

But she gave a smile and said, "Thank you, Feo Ul."

She had a feeling that her lovely branch heard her words though.

"This I did not expect," the Exarch said, who seemed too stunned to speak for a moment, "But I will gladly accept the help." He turned to her and added, "I will send word to Y'shtola and the others. Join them at the foot of Mt. Gulg and be ready to make the ascent!"

Well, whatever else he was, he was certainly efficient. She nodded in understanding and looked back to the Chais, thanking them for their help.

"Hahaha! Is there anything you can't do!? A genius is what you are, old boy! A genius among─" Chai-Nuzz cried out joyfully before he realized that everyone was looking at him and he cleared his throat, "...Ahem. I've played my part. The rest is up to you lot now. Carry on!"

"Take care, do you hear?" Dulia-Chai added and gave Claire a quick rib-cracking hug, "Make sure you all come back safe and sound, or I shall be most upset!"

"You know I never try to disappoint," she said as she smiled and hurried off—not noticing the sad look of longing that seemed to be coming from the Exarch as he watched after her.

Claire ran off from Amity, sprinting the rest of the way towards the foot of the mountain and the Talos as a longing to end this battle filled her heart. This time she could push past the sickness and was ready to fight as her spirits soared… and there they were. Everyone else was already waiting and ready to go.

"There you are, Claire!" Alphinaud waved when he saw her.

"Everyone is here. Good," Y'shtola said sternly, "The Talos has taken hold of the mountain. As planned, we will use its body as a bridge to reach Vauthry's sanctuary."

"The sin eaters will make us work for every yalm, of course," Alisaie agreed.

"But we will carve a path through their ranks, and meet with their master, regardless," Alphinaud stated determinately. They all looked to her, as if expecting her to say something and she gave a shrug and a laugh that seemed to cheer them all up when she cried, "For the First!"

They all grinned and looked to the mountain as they waited for the last few stones to fully settle before they were ready for the climb.

"Above us lies Vauthry's new paradise," Alphinaud said. "A paradise swarming with sin eaters, in which his own people have no place... It ends here. And it ends now."

"When our hunt for the Lightwardens began, I couldn't imagine ever being done with the task," Alisaie said and she surprised Claire by taking her hand and squeezing it tightly, causing her to look down at her. Alisaie just gazed back with a burning gaze as she vowed, "Yet here we are, ready to lay the last one low. We'll get you there, Claire. Mark my words!"

Urianger nodded as he appeared on her other side and added, "That which now graspeth the mountain is no mere man of stone. 'Tis the hopes of all who have dwelled in this world, both in the past and in the present. 'Tis the prayers of all who yearn for peace, be they near or be they far."

She nodded back, taking a deep breath, and readied herself for the fight ahead. Surprisingly, they let her take command here, and she knew that she was now being expected to lead the way. They filed into formation, with a twin on either side of her and Y'shtola backing them up with the others following right after to deal with any eaters that appeared behind them.

And they were off.

Y'shtola was brimming with power as she stated while they climbed, "'Tis a trivial concern, but I cannot help feeling self-conscious knowing that some of the Night's Blessed are watching. In the guise of Master Matoya, I took great pains to cultivate an image of restraint. Yet I don't suppose they will be able to make out all that much from such a distance...meaning I may wreak havoc to my heart's content. I do believe I'm going to enjoy this."

Claire actually laughed again at that as they made their way up one of the massive arms as more of the glittering boulders flew about their heads. The Talos served as their bridge and they scrambled up it, sometimes walking other times climbing. But eventually they managed to make it up across the arm and onto its back when the sin eaters finally noticed them.

"So it is you…"

Ah, so he was aware of their arrival. Good, that saves them from the trouble of knocking. Vauthry could sense them coming closer and she could hear the loathing in his voice as he demanded, "You will not defile my new paradise!"

And so he called out the sin eaters to attack them.

"We're coming for you, Vauthry!" Alphinaud yelled as he was the first to charge in this time. The rocks and boulders continued to change around them as they climbed up even farther to make it to the island itself. But it seemed that they still had the Talos on their side for when what looked a dozen or so sin eaters blocking their way, the giant hand came up and flattened almost half of them.

"Well, that made short work of them!" Alisaie laughed at the sight.

"Let us take care of the rest!" Alphinaud grinned back as they finished off whatever was left of their foes who weren't flattened. But then the boulders blocking their way broke down and even more eaters appeared. Thankfully with all of them running high on adrenaline, they crushed the eaters almost in record time before they made it to the island properly and were clinging to the side of the mountain itself.

As they did so, more sin eaters attacked from the sky… only to be crushed in the Talos's giant fists.

"I love this thing," Claire laughed.

"That affords us some room to breathe," Alphinaud panted.

"Aye," Alisaie gasped, "Let's make the most of it!"

More eaters were blocking them as they dropped down from the golden halo from above of them; including a beautiful woman-like sin eater who seemed to be commanding the smaller ones. She stared blankly at them before she flew off again… and forcing them to continue on their own. They came to a large stone wall when the Talos fight came up and smashed it away, giving them room to fight. They then came to a bridge of stone where they found something waiting for them at the other end.

"This must be Vauthry's hound," Y'shtola said.

The same white lion that she saw when she first saw Vauthry reclining on. They charged at it as it began to roar out a swipe viciously at them, and she could feel the light inside it pulsating wildly—causing the light trapped inside her to start to claw at her insides. She gritted her teeth as she fought the surge of anguish that rose in her chest as she focused on the lion. They danced around its attacks as it opened its mouth wide and lunged at her, as if hoping to swallow her hole. She rammed her blade right through the roof of its mouth and watched as it let out one last strangled roar before collapsing into light dust.

"Vauthry will need more than that to stop us," Y'shtola said as she dusted off her hands.

They continued around the side of the mountain until they came to a strange wall. It was of the purest white color… like the most perfect marble ever crafted. Of course, when they drew close to it, and she could see how it seemed to glitter under this unholy light, it looked like the blocks continued to grow and shape around them… which reminded her a little of Omega and how it was able to create so much.

As they drew close enough a demon appeared out of it and lashed out. She had seen plenty of demon walls in her time and so she wasn't fazed, though she felt the others were taken aback.

Meanwhile the voice from above spoke again: "Scurrying about my domain like insects… I will not suffer it!"

They broke through the wall and continued up through a tunnel before coming out into the edge of the mountain gain and they stopped dead. There were thousands of the same white blocks around them… but as she stared at them, there that they began to shift and take shape, becoming elaborate pieces that resembled a palace of beautiful marble.

"A palace?" Alphinaud croaked. "Did Vauthry build all this?"

It seems that Vauthry was really starting to get the hang of his powers again. They ran up to where the mountain's stone became the marble and more sin eaters, including another sin eater demon wall, appeared and attacked.

"Come no closer, filthy creatures!" Vauthry's voice shrieked.

Well, if he hated that, then he really wasn't going to be happy about this next part, was he?

She felt herself grinning as she took in unusual enjoyment to see the sin eaters fall before her. But still, she wanted to go on, she needed more… more before this pain in her chest stopped her heart, for that was what it was feeling like—a great fist was wrapping it's way around her heart and squeezing it so tightly.

They broke through the wall and came to a more built form of the palace, lined with gold. Around them held the still forms of giant statues carved so beautifully that they looked to be too perfect. The ones on either side of her were of young women that were all hooded with their heads down, while the ones above the wall in front of them were of people in different positions of prayer and worship.

But her attention was drawn to the large cube in front of them.

'What is that cube?" Alisaie asked as the two golden masks on its squares seemed to be breathing.

"Have care," Y'shtola warned, "It harbors a prodigious amount of aether."

They did step forward and soon the cube began to spin about and rearrange itself. She could see the light glowing from the masks that were facing them and that was when she noticed the battlefield below her.

"Don't stand in the same squares where the masks are," she called out. The others seemed confused by this, but they moved to the appropriate squares where the opposing square didn't have a mask. Like she thought, the identical squares glowed and a flood of aether erupted around their feet.

After learning that trick, it wasn't too hard for them to move around the area until they were able to disable the blocks and watched them fall apart into pieces.

"Phew, that was tougher than it looked…" Alisaie said, panting hard now and sweat dripping into her eyes.

"As the old adage goes," Y'shtola shrugged.

They moved on till they reached what looked like a beautiful garden. She could see what looked like a massive door far opposite them and perfect steps leading up to it through a series of long walkways that were set up all along the way.

"I am righteousness! And righteousness will prevail!" Vauthry's voice screamed out as the others rolled their eyes.

"Oh, I look forward to shutting him up!" Alisaie growled under her breath.

Below them, Claire saw more hedges and plants that were shipped into more people who were worshiping their god—a mark to Vauthry's vanity. She was sickened by the sight of it all and was in full agreement with Alisaie.

They found more sin eaters along the way and Vauthry's voice was becoming desperate.

"Bah, can't you do anything by yourselves!?" he demanded as the sin eaters fell one after the other.

"This Light!" Alphinaud gasped, "Vanthry's channels it into his minions!"

Ah, that explains why these eaters were more aggressive than what they were used to.

But still, they pressed on undaunted until they were able to fight through the swarm of eaters to the stairs that she had seen in the distance, having climbed up over the remains of a dead eater to reach it. But it seemed that there were still more guests waiting for them.

They were almost directly underneath the bright light from the halo as they reached the foot of the stairs when something large and white flew out. It was that same eater that she has seen during their struggle up here.

It was in the form of that beautiful woman-eater with golden hair that fell in feathered layers about her head, and carrying a long staff in her hands. She looked down at them with those empty eyes and Claire felt the light inside her roar out.

"Vauthry begins to send us his favorite," Alphinaud said quietly behind them.

Ah, that explains why she looked familiar. She had seen her before too in Eulmore… that first day where she had been so lovingly petting the lion that they slew on their way up here. She had been right at his side tending to him like a handmaiden.

She must be the last line of defense now; confirming that Vauthry was waiting for them just beyond those impossibly tall doors. The eater slashed at them as her power began to rage about and light struck from all sides. Claire moved out of the way as Vauthry screamed out, "STOP THEM, DAMN YOU! I DON'T CARE WHAT IT TAKES!"

She could feel the same surge of power flooding in from behind her and all of a sudden the sin eater was bathed in a golden light. Vauthry was feeding her strength, it would seem. This got more complicated as she then cast traps of light and broke into multiple of herself as she caused rings of destruction around her. Balls of light were pulsating dangerously around them before attempting to run them over, and all the while, Claire wanted to scream out in agony for it felt like her throat was now being stretched apart as if something was trying to crawl up and out of her mouth. She swallowed hard as the eater did it's best to stop them. But she wasn't going to give in after coming up all this way. It was all about wearing her down and hope Vauthry's influence would break with time.

She hammered away piece by piece before she saw the cracks appear and broke through the armor-like skin.

She watched as the eater let out a shriek before falling to the ground and shattered apart. Though she took no joy in the sight of it though even as the others all caught up to her.

"No eaters remain to stand in our way," Thancred reassured them.

"All has gone to plan thus far," Urianger agreed, "To the extent there is a plan."

It was the moment of truth.

She wiped her face with her free hand, but that was when she realized that her hands were shaking again and she clenched them tightly.

"The end is near, my friends," Alphinaud said, staring up. "We have found Vauthry's hiding place."

"Unrepentant villains," the abomination's voice called from beyond the marble steps. "Will you not be satisfied until you have brought disaster down upon your own heads? By your wickedness, you stand to gain naught but ceaseless conflict!"

That had to be better than the alternative.

"Had you only entrusted your fate to me," the echoing voice continued, "there would have been peace for all. You could have lived in bliss in my eternal paradise, free from the burdens of conscience and purpose!"

She had seen his 'paradise' and she felt sickened at the though.

"Peace assumes many forms," Alphinaud said, staring at the ground, "and I do not doubt that you considered yours well worth the cost. I was even prepared to believe that the end might justify the means. Ignorant as I was, I had hoped you might mend your ways and join hands with us. That we might strive together for the happiness of all…"

The boy looked up the steps, his face hard. "But no more. Your actions cannot be reconciled with your words. 'Peace for all,' you say, yet when you were threatened, your first act was to sacrifice your own people in order to save yourself." He took a step forward, and began to shout, his anger getting the better of him. "If your 'paradise' can be rebuilt so long as you alone survive, it exists not for the people. It exists solely for your twisted pleasure!"

Oh, how she loved to see him take charge like this. It caused her heart to flutter warmly against her chest—but in a good way that was separated from the light. How far he has come since they first met.

Ryne stepped up beside him, his words setting a fire inside her as well. "Hear me, Vauthry," she cried, "The people won't submit to your will. For we each have our own." She placed her hand on her chest as she stated, "I made a promise to a noble soul - a woman who saw fit to entrust me with her legacy - and I mean to keep it. Everyone who stands with us has something precious, something that they cherish and would die to protect. They know their own hearts. They know what they want for this world. And by lending their strength to our cause, they have spoken! No matter how hard you may try to bend the world to your will, we will never yield!"

But Vauthry wasn't listening.

"Silence!" he screamed, "Not another word!" Sin eaters were gathering above their heads and her blade was back in her hands as they surrounded them.

"You presume to lecture me?" Vauthry continued, "Insolent worms! You will learn your place!" More and more sin eaters began to appear around them. "With my true powers awakened, I will expunge you like the filth you are. Your demise will serve as a reminder to all that I am the zenith of mankind and sin eater both, chosen to rule over creation by right of transcendence! My very existence is virtuous! I am perfect! Immaculate!"

"He seems disinclined to grant us an audience," Y'shtola pointed out obviously to the rest of them.

Which left them only one other choice… especially since more and more eaters were now appearing around them. She didn't wish to leave her friends behind again, but they were capable of looking after themselves and she knew they had to deal with Vauthry right now before he would try and escape from them again.

Alphinaud, directly behind her, turned his head to address her, and she closed her eyes, knowing what they were to ask. "Find Vauthry. We will hold the eaters here."

She lowered her head as she understood there was no other option.

"Be safe," she said as she sheaved her blade onto her back and ran flat out towards the stairs as the eaters surrounded the others.

She never looked back.

Instead, she found herself running up and up the pristine stairs around the final stretch of the mountain until she ran out of steps and she was standing upon an illustrated platform with one final set of steps with a golden archway… with a throne set up at the top.

That was when the massive form of Vauthry finally appeared. He looked just like when she saw him in Eulmore… including the ridiculous, tiny wings upon his back, and he began to waddle down the steps.

"Are you determined to die?" he demanded, "One last chance villains bow down and acknowledge your king! Your god!"

"Not gonna happen," she said and he let out a loud shriek as she pulled her blade out and attacked him.

"Come, then! Prepare for judgment!" he yelled.

But Vauthry was just swinging around his massive fists at her, hardly anything dangerous. She could feel the surge of light that would exploded out of him, and the skin was like trying to cut through a thick block of rubber.

But after several minutes and Vauthry was quickly noticing that this fight wasn't going like how he thought it was supposed to be.

"To me, my servants!" he screamed out, "Feast upon these villains and their foul sins!"

And sin eaters were summoned to his side once more. Weak ones though that fell to her blade quickly enough before she turned back to him and it was when she saw how his smug look was now starting to fade.

"Fine, fine! If you refuse to die…" he yelled as he shot balls of light aether down upon her head.

"Then you will suffer!" he laughed. "Yes! That will be your punishment!"

And so the fight went on between them.

"Suffer, suffer, suffer!" he screamed when he continued to be dealt damage by her sheer stubbornness, and she could see the fear really beginning to appear now. "Suffer and know your folly!"

But she continued to move around the beautiful platform and he was now leaping around trying to crush her.

"Damn you…" he roared out, his shriek now tearing into her eardrums, "Why do you not fall?"

She never answered him as she focused her might on getting through his skin, which was as tough as armor. It was slow work but eventually she could see cuts appearing.

"Why? WHYYYY!" he screamed and to her surprise he fell to his knees as he shook in pain. At first she thought that her last blow was responsible for it… but then she saw something bursting out of his back.

She stopped dead as he screamed out that it was burning. She moved backwards, unsure of what to do when she saw the golden wing-like blades bursting forth from his skin.

"What—what is this?" she gasped just as the shockwave that burst from him and she remembered sliding across the ground and away from Vauthry.

She wheezed before looking up to watch horror as his body was thrashing about while it rose up into the air.

"The Light surges within me!" he cried even as his body almost broke in half and light was shining through him. "Ahhh, such bliss!"

And she was blinded for a moment, unable to see anything at all as she tried to cover her eyes while still trying to feel out for any possible threat coming her way. She screwed up her eyes, forced to wait it out until the light died down enough for her to be able to get her eyesight back.

That was when a beautiful voice echoed around her.

"I see now… this is the passion of my ascension…"

Forcing herself to look on, her vision returning, she stared at she saw what it was. Vauthry was still there before her… though if she did not know any better she would never have made the connection. His appearance changed from that fat, balding whale of a person and one into that of a slim beautiful figure adorned in purple robes and armor. He now also had a full head of flowing hair that shone like the sun and a pair of large golden, metallic wings that emerged from his back while glittering blades flew about them.

For a moment, she was struck by the beauty before her and lamented that it seemed almost a shame to bring him down. But if anything, this just reminded her how dangerous he truly was and that she had to stop him at any costs.

So after mustering up her courage, she climbed back to her feet and marched towards him, her head held high as he looked down at her and smirked.

*Meanwhile down the side of the mountain*

After so many years of waiting, it was finally almost over.

With everyone below so focused upon the Talos and the sin eaters, no one paid him any attention and so it was easy for him to slip away from the crowd. Especially, with a simple spell of invisibility cloaking his presence.

He couldn't risk being stopped now… not when the ending was right upon them. He still had a duty to fulfill.

With the other Scions having already ascended the Talos, he knew that they must be at the top by now, or at least close enough to it, that he felt that it was safe enough for him to climb. He may be no warrior, but he had learned to hold his own in a battle… though he couldn't risk using up too much of his strength now. He had to save it for that moment when the Warrior of Darkness took the light from the final warden. And with the tower so far away from him now, he couldn't afford to spend what little energy he had left until that moment came.

He climbed up the side of the mountain, now almost free of all sin eaters and he rushed on ahead as quickly as he dared, even though he felt his body struggling to keep up. What he wouldn't give for a young man's body right about now…?

He kept his head pressed to the side of his head to make sure that the high winds didn't blow his hood off, and his staff at the ready as he ignored his pain all the way up the mountain.

He had done everything he could to try and prepare the people for a future that many believed no longer possible. He had done his best to bring people together and see this journey through to the end. Though now that it was here, he could feel the dread at the back of his mind at what he must ow do. But he had to do it… he was the only one who could.

Even if she cursed and hated him for what he was about to do, if it secured the future for both the Source and the First, then this was a sacrifice that had to be paid.

One life for the fate of two worlds seemed more than fair to him.

No, that wasn't what bothered him the most.

Despite all that he said… he hated that he had been forced to lie to her again. He could not answer her questions… he could not be the one to deliver the message that he had sworn to see delivered to her… but he set up everything to make sure that he did his duty.

It was the least he could do for the one who charted his course since the day he first stepped out of the tower.

And still… despite all that… he didn't want to see anymore death. There was still so much that the world had to offer—even one as broken as this one—and he was not yet ready to see the end of this tale.

But there was one thing that he believed in. Now more than ever…

He had lived for long enough… while the Warrior of Darkness barely had a chance to live at all. It seemed an easy choice.

And so, when he finally comes upon the spot where the rest of the Scions were finishing up their fight with the eaters, he quickly drew back and hid behind a pillar as they all tried to catch their breath. After doing a quick headcount, it seemed that Claire had already moved on and they were getting ready to do the same.

He stood there and waited… mustering up his courage for this next act… no matter how much he feared it.

*Claire*

She was breathing hard as she stared down at the still form of Vauthry. Her hair had been torn out of its braid and was now blowing about her in the wind and she felt herself choking on a dry mouth as she glared down at the corrupted form of Vauthry. At one point, while she tried to catch her breath, she heard thundering footfalls and she didn't need to know who had arrived.

She turned her head to find the others have caught up. After a quick glance of them all, she was relieved to see that they were all in one piece, though exhausted and bruised from their fight.

"There lieth the last of the Light..." Urianger muttered, sporting several bruises on his skin as if he had been pummeled.

"Well, it looks like we missed it all yet again," Alisaie said, sounding thoroughly disappointed here.

"We've secured an escape route," Thancred reassured her, "Do what you must."

She nodded to him as Alphinaud, looked past her and stared at whatever Vauthry became.

"With your powers, you could have done so much good..." she heard him sigh, and she knew that he was taking the outcome of this event very hard. But there would be time to deal with all that later.

Vauthry wasn't dead… not yet… but his life was quickly fading as he stirred on the ground and she had a job to do. Vauthry, or perhaps Innocence, slowly raised his head but his body was shaking with the effort to keep it up as he looked at her.

"Why?" Vauthry asked with that echoing whimper. "Why am I cast down… when it is you who are the villains?"

He sounded so lost and scared… like a child who awoke from a fear of the darkness. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed painfully at the pitiful site… and for the first time she felt true sorrow for this unfortunate creature that Vauthry had become.

"Father told me… that I am hope," Vauthry continued with a shuddering gasp, "I am righteousness. That I am… a god... That is why I was born… as man and sin eater both… I kept the people safe! They respected me! Worshipped me!"

His body trembled as he punched the ground beneath him with his fist, but the strength that he had was quickly fading. All the while he was still trying to understand why and how it worked out this way.

"How can this be? I should be the one… looking down at you…" he whimpered before his eyes fixing upon her once more and he demanded, "Help me, damn you. I… am your god…"

She did not say anything as she watched his head fall back down to the ground with a dull thud as his body faded away into nothing but Light. All she could offer was a silent prayer, hoping that he would find peace in this and go to wherever it was he needed to go.

But still, her eyes were drawn to the ball of Light that was quickly growing larger by the second. She wanted to cry at the sight of it and the Light in her body was now reaching out eagerly as the Light gathered together into a large ball right above their heads. It was a good thing that she was already so tired now for she did not think that she could resist the urge to run away at any other time.

She stood there as she held out her arms and waited…

And it didn't take long for the Light to hone in on her and flew straight towards her. She braced herself as best as she could and gritted her teeth as the burning pain struck as if she had been set aflame with the very hellfire of the Seventh Hell.

Pain seemed to be scorching her insides and she bit down on her tongue so hard that she knew that she was drawing blood. Suddenly the pain was diverged when she heard the music once more. The chorus that would sing from somewhere deep within her mind, sounded off once more and the words now so loud that it felt like knives digging into her brain:

Authors of our fates
Orchestrate our fall from grace
Poorest players on the stage
Our defiance drives us straight to the edge
A reflection in the glass
Recollections of our past
Swift as darkness, cold as ash
Far beyond this dream of paradise lost

She stumbled and almost fell as the pain struck her head even as everything fell dark around her. She no longer heard what her friends were saying behind her as she reached up and felt herself straying back into a long ago memory.

And so she watched the scene play out before her eyes as the former mayor stood within Eulmore as he cursed the sin eaters and the seemingly endlessness of the fight.

But then the figure in black appeared… Emet-Selch.

And she watched how he came towards them and offered to them a way to give the power to control the sin eaters be passed on to their unborn child. The image then soon faded as the three of them stood with a sin eater in the room… with the mother holding a bundle in her arms and stared miserably at it as Emet-Selch whispered words of comfort to them on what to do next.

"I see…" she whispered to herself, "So that's what happened."

Her eyes opened and she felt her very being shatter at this news.

But it was over… at long last… this nightmare was…?

And that was when a loud crack echoed around her; a noise so loud that she felt that her eardrums were about to break. She staggered as she looked around, her vision blurring and she swayed dangerously and her head felt like a hot poker was being forced through her head.

She looked to her friends, who were all staring at her with a mixture of terror and horror.

"Are you all right?" Alisaie cried, her voice now echoing around her as if she was speaking from underwater. "Say something!"

Claire could not answer. She could not. For she knew the moment that she opened her mouth she would start screaming. Pain was filling through her and she thrashed around as flames of ethereal light burned around her.

"Twelve forefend, she cannot contain the Light!" Y'shtola yelled. "She's beginning to turn!"

The Miqo'te then whirled around to face Urianger, yelling at him that if he had anything up his sleeve, now was the time. Everyone was staring at him as he kept his head down low. But Claire could no longer see as light covered her vision. She heard Ryne crying out, "It's changing back!"

Sure enough, the unnatural illumination was returning. But at that moment, Claire could not care as she gripped her head hard as she finally let out a scream of agony, her sword falling to the ground with a loud clatter.

Alisaie was the first to move, running straight for her with Alphinaud on her heels, before a voice spoke up over the noise and her screams died as she fell to her knees.

"The combined power of every Lightwarden is too terrible a burden for any one soul to bear."

Claire forced her head up to see the Exarch, of all people, coming towards them. His staff in his hands and she watched as he carried with him the same flower that she had given him earlier in his other hand. He stepped up the stairs and walked by the others, who were all too stunned to say anything as he strolled by them without looking at any of them, and she saw how the flower slipped between his fingers as he approached her so that he was mere malms away.

She was struggling to breathe as she tried to get back up, but her legs seemed to have been frozen and grew numb so that she couldn't move. She panted, desperate for air, fighting against the raging pouring of light with every last ounce of strength she had left.

The Exarch stopped and stared at her before announcing, "And so I shall relieve you of it."

Relieve her of it?

She just saw him smiling before he held up his staff and a ring of light surrounded them, trapping the two of them inside and the others outside. Her friends watched on, not understanding, and Claire felt as if the Light was slowly being pulled from her. As if it had become a massive knotted string and was being pulled from one end away from her and towards the Exarch.

"Exarch!" Alisaie called in terror. "What are you doing!?"

At the sight of whatever was happening, or whatever it was that she was seeing, Y'shtola drew her staff, looking ready to fight before Urianger put out a hand to stop her, causing the mage to stare at him in disbelief.

Claire didn't see that though, the light now so painful that she was feeling as if something was clawing its way out of her skin. The light was now lashing out and it struck at the Exarch with the force of a whip.

He took it though, gritting his teeth for a moment as he fought to master the pain.

"I will channel this profusion of power to the Crystal Tower and use it to travel to other worlds," the Exarch struggled to spit out, hissing from the pain. "As I have dreamed of doing, ever since I first learned of their existence!"

His staff was still being pointed at her as his voice became uneven and rough, the pain of taking in the Light was taxing him and so he was sharing in her pain.

Still though, he would not let go as he yelled, "Who would choose to remain here, in this dying realm, when they might go elsewhere and begin anew? Not I. And thus… thus did I use you!"

"No…" Ryne screamed out with wide eyes, "No, I don't believe you! It doesn't make sense!"

No, it didn't. Those words didn't match him at all. They countered everything that he spoke and felt whenever he was around her. She was sure of that… though she didn't have any other way to prove it, her instincts were telling her that he would sooner see himself harmed than ever harm her. So why was he…?

"Damn you!" Alisaie roared protectively. "We won't let you do with her as you please!"

"Do not interfere!" Urianger ordered, the harshness in his tone startling them all, but he refused to look at any of them. Instead, he slowly lowered his arm as his eyes were focused upon the Exarch.

"Please!" he begged, his voice breaking apart as his hands were now balled into fists. "I beseech you all! Let him go!"

They all stared at him, not sure what to say or do. Claire didn't understand… she was feeling true fear inside her from not knowing what they were talking about. But then…?

Y'shtola was observing the Exarch and her eyes widened.

"You knew of this, Urianger," Y'shtola said with her voice both hard but soft at the same time. It was sad… as if she just figured everything out. She then slowly lowered her staff as everyone looked to her for answers now… well… all but Urianger, whose head was down and resembling a kicked puppy.

But Y'shtola shook her head.

"'Tis all a fiction," she said finally, her voice echoing in Claire's ears as she struggled to remain awake. "Such vaguely defined acts of teleportation stand no chance of success. The Exarch will never live to see another world - as he knows only too well."

So then…? Why was he doing this? He was taking her pain… she could feel the light slowly leaving her body even as it stubbornly sank it's claws into her, not wanting to leave.

The others were looking as baffled as she felt, and Alphinaud asked hesitantly, "Then… what does he mean to do?"

Y'shtola just closed her eyes and turned away as she explained, "He means to take the Light with him into the rift… where he will die. From the beginning, he intended to sacrifice himself to save our friend and Norvrandt."

No… he can't… why…?

She was still struggling for air as she forced her head to look up and stare at him, her vision now so clouded with light she couldn't see anything else in front of her but the Exarch.

'Why?' she wanted to ask him, demanding him to tell her everything.

But he was just looking back at her before he spoke again, this time his voice back to the same kind tone that she knew him as.

"At journey's end, an opportunistic thief makes off with the hero's prize. A paltry way to end a chapter, I concede," he said, only to her now, as if the others weren't there. "Yet your tale will continue, and my role in it will scarcely be remembered."

He was still smiling kindly at her as she drew in another painful lungful of air before she reached out, wanting to stop him from whatever it was he was about to do. He couldn't… not again… she couldn't stand it… couldn't bear to see another friend give his life for her sake.

"Please…" she whispered but she couldn't even hear her own voice at that point and doubted he could hear it.

"Worry not," the Exarch reassured her. "Whatever should become of me, I will be happy and free, safe in the knowledge that I have played my part."

He then gritted his teeth as held his staff up higher, readying his spell.

At that moment, something happened.

She wasn't sure if she imagined it, but she could hear a heart beating… not her own though. His. Their aether was connected and she felt a little of how he felt at that moment… as well as the memory that suddenly appeared across her mind to when she first came to the Crystarium. But this time it had nothing to do with the Echo…?

"I am not familiar with that name. Is there something I should know?"

I didn't wish to lie to her again…?

"Ah... no…" she had said in pure disappointment. "Back on the Source we did an investigation of the Crystal Tower together."

How I wish I could say the truth to her…?

"Then a lot of things happened and he sealed himself inside the tower. So, when I heard about the tower, I wondered if he was in there as well."

I want to say it... just once… right here, right now. That it is me.

Tears burned in her eyes as she knew that she had been right and the Light pulsed around them even harder before it flowed and as if from a great gust of wind, causing the cowl to be knocked from his head and revealing his face.

But she didn't need to look up to see that familiar red hair and ruby eyes to know who it was.

"G'raha!" she cried out desperately, scared and lost to how this was even possible. But at the sound of his true name, shock filled the Miqo'te's face.

In that moment, he looked as if ashamed that it was ending like this and looked away as she tried to reach out to him, but was no longer able to move as he finally seemed to force himself to look back. Red eyes met green as they both stared long and hard into each other's faces.

"Thank you," he said, swallowing hard. "For fighting for this world. For believing." It looked like there was so much more he wanted to say but they seemed to die at that. Instead, any trace of hesitation faded from his face as he looked up, his head held high and squaring his shoulders as he began to smile again. As if he couldn't have been happier than at that moment.

"Fair you well, my friend - my inspiration," he declared.

No… please… don't do this…?

But she was too weak to resist any longer as the Light was now being drawn away and the parts of his body that were already crystalized, were beginning to hum with aether even as they cracked and split off… another few seconds and…?

But then the sound of a gunshot cut through the air and the painful haze she was trapped in.

She watched as G'raha Tia's body jerked upwards for a moment before his staff fell to the ground with a loud clatter. Her eyes widened in horror as he staggered forward, his eyes finding her own… and she felt his regret as the spell died down and the Light that had been in the process of being pulled away from her was now clawing at her body again.

But this time she didn't even notice the pain she was in as she watched G'raha fall forward to the ground. While directly behind him stood Emet-Selch at the top of the steps with a gun in his hands.

For that brief moment, she forgot about the pain that was currently tearing her apart. All she felt was pain as she stared at the Exarch as he laid there and the ring of light that surrounded them died down.

The Light swirled back to her body, and she shuddered on the ground, while the Ascian lowered his gun. "Only those who possess the Royal Eye of the Allagan Imperial line are capable of controlling the Crystal Tower," he recited as he stared down at the site in front of him. She shook in terror at what was happening and for a twisted moment she was convinced this was just a horrid nightmare—at least until she felt the Light now surging through her again like fire in her veins.

"Such individuals do not exist in the First," Emet-Selch went on as he slowly moved forward as the others watched with their mouths wide open. "Therefore, in all likelihood, the Exarch arrived here with the tower. This much I had surmised, yet I could not discern his grand scheme."

The whole time that he spoke, his eyes never left G'raha's form as she seemed to forget to breath, still not understanding what was going on as Emet-Selch slowly strolled until he was standing right beside the Exarch as he finished, "To think that he went through all this trouble for the sake of a single hero. It's almost admirable in its absurdity. Alas, it is not your grand scheme that will succeed, but ours."

"You bastard!" Thancred yelled, finally finding his tongue again once the shock had worn off. He looked ready to draw his blade before Emet-Selch looked up and warned in a cold voice, "Stay put. Your friend is still alive, but whether he remains so depends on you."

Thancred froze, his eyes darting around as he tried to figure out what to do now before Emet-Selch turned back to Claire. He looked at her and shook his head before sighing.

"What a disappointment you turned out to be this time," he said, his voice now free of any warmth that had been there before. "I placed my faith in you. Let myself believe that you could contain the Light. That you could weather the rest of the Rejoinings."

His voice became dark, condescending before informing her, "But look at you now, halfway to becoming a monster. You are unworthy of my patronage."

She glared at him, fury rising up along with the pain. The Light responded to that and beat inside her chest as if trying to punch its way through. The image of the memory that she saw before all this still clear in her mind.

"It was you who created Vauthry, wasn't it?" she demanded, though her anger was weak and sounded pathetic at this time.

He rolled his eyes and sighed in severe frustration as he reminded her, "I am an Ascian. My heart's sole desire is to usher in the Great Rejoining."

He looked to the others as he explained, "A hundred years ago, I entrusted my comrade Loghrif with the task of increasing Light's sway over this world. This we sought to do by manipulating heroes. When that failed to achieve the desired result, I created Vauthry."

He just looked over all of them with an air of disgust as if he found something foul at the bottom of his shoes.

"Thanks to your meddling, that too has ended in failure," he said.

"What was your true purpose in approaching us?" Alphinaud demanded.

Emet-Selch growled in irritation and rolled his eyes as if he couldn't believe he was still here as he cried out exasperatedly, "By your Twelve, boy, have I not told you before that everything I said was the truth? You were specimens by which I might gauge man's potential as it stands. I genuinely had an interest in you. Genuinely considered taking you on as allies. Provided she could control the Light." He looked over his shoulder at her, who was on her knees and at this point was almost unable to draw breath now.

"If not, then she - and by extension you - would be of no use to me without another Calamity or two. 'Twas as simple as that," he said.

"So," Thancred snapped back sarcastically. "We've been found wanting. How disheartening. But even had we fulfilled your conditions, there was no guarantee that we would cooperate. What then?"

Emet-Selch shrugged lightly and answered as if it was the most obvious thing, "Then I simply kill you all. At the very least, it would restore the world to the way it was before you went about trouncing Lightwardens willy-nilly."

He looked down at G'raha unconscious form and she tried to get back up, but her body felt as if it had turned to stone at this point and the weight was impossible for her to move.

"Suffice it to say it would be most inconvenient to have all that Light taken away," Emet-Selch said, "And I would be lying if I were to claim his actions didn't have me worried."

That was when the most painful burst of light went through her and that time she couldn't keep it held back all the way. She coughed and blood burst from her mouth. The light building inside her and blood spurted from her mouth, blood that sparked with the light and stained on the pristine marble below her like glimmering gemstones.

He looked up at the noise and slowly began walking towards her.

"Hm, you still retain your form and your senses… but you have all but become a sin eater," he said before he squatted down on the ground before her so that they were looking at each other at eye level.

There was nothing she could do. It was all it took for her to try and breath, unable to move from where she knelt.

"Whether you will it or no, your mere existence will serve to engulf the world in Light," he whispered to her, "Those in your company will likewise turn into sin eaters, and in time you will succumb to your base instincts and hunt innocents to feast on their sweet, sweet aether."

Her vision was going quickly at that so that all she could see was a bright light around them… the only thing that was clear was Emet-Selch's face. So all she could see was his face as he was surrounded by light as his voice echoed in her ears.

He reached out and she felt his hand under her chin as he forced her head up to continue looking at him.

But despite the pain she was feeling, his hand was still surprisingly gentle as he looked at her. She wanted nothing more than to punch him for that look… that damn look of him looking through her every single time. As if desperately trying to find something in her eyes, as if determined to look passed them to whatever it was that was behind her.

But then the strange shine that had always been there before whenever he looked at her seemed to die down.

"Those few with the will left to fight may rise up against you. But before your absolute might, they will quickly know despair," he said before calling mockingly, "'There is no hope! We are finished! Mankind is finished!'"

A rather cruel smile appeared and added, "Ahhh, the irony. What Vauthry achieved through bliss, you will achieve through despair."

He then let go of her though as he stood up, immediately turning away from her as if unable to stand the sight of her there.

"But I have overstayed my welcome. I shall look forward to seeing you bring the world to its knees."

He then held up his hand and snapped his fingers when G'raha's body vanished from behind him.

"Exarch!" Alphinaud called and her eyes widened in panic and glared up at him.

"I have naught to show for all the time and effort I invested in you," Emet-Selch informed them with a bored shrug. "He is a small token for my troubles."

Rage rose up inside her, matching the force of the light that was currently tearing her apart. How dare he?

"I did not expect that I could learn aught from man, but I may yet learn something from all the knowledge he had hoarded for his precious hero," he said and her heart broke at his words as if she was just slapped.

He then slowly lifted off the ground and she could only watch through painful gasps as he lifted himself up into the air and he looked down at them all before his eyes landed on her.

"I pity you. I do," he said to her, though she couldn't tell if the sadness she could vaguely hear was genuine or not. "Your friends are now your foes. If you do not kill them, they will kill you. When it all becomes too much to bear, come home to me in my abode, in the dark depths of the Tempest. There you may complete your descent into madness with some dignity, far from prying eyes."

She only could look as he floated high above them but there was nothing more she could do.

She couldn't do anything. She never hated herself more than at that moment for her weakness. She tried to get up, to attack him, to force him to give G'raha back… but her head was pounding and everything was spinning. She was suffocating on this agonizing light—all but drowning on the cursed liquid that was continuing to drip from her mouth. She could feel as if her very being was tearing apart at the seams around her and she just wanted to tear her own skin off her body in an effort to free the light that was so desperate to break out.

Through the haze she could hear someone shouting her name, but she didn't know nor did care who it was any longer as she finally felt herself give in and she collapsed. Her vision clouded further, the cracking sound once faint now deafening in her eardrums as her strength faded and she felt her head falling until it collided with the stone beneath her—feeling herself slip away.

The last thing she saw were Alisaie, Alphinaud, and Ryne all sprinting towards her before her vision gave way to blackness.

But before she lost consciousness completely, she heard Emet-Selch's voice ring in her ears, now so far away that it was as if she were hearing his echo from across a large canyon:

"'Till then, I bid you farewell… eater."

And she knew no more.

*Dream*

Light was all she could see around her. Just more and more of that hateful light that was burning her body. She just felt true weariness down to her very soul and a full numbness over every part her that it was like thousands of needles were piercing her skin. She was so tired though and could only close her eyes and fall even deeper into the light. She would then drift in and out of consciousness during this time, but that light never left her.

It was as if she had been set adrift in an ocean of solid light and knew not which way was up or down. Most of the time she would slumber away, trying to will the pain to leave her, but then occasionally, something would stir her into waking for at least a short time. She wasn't sure what it was that would wake her from this slumber; either the light or the pain, but she could have sworn that it was because she heard someone whispering in her ear.

"There you are…" Claire whispered wearily, this time finally recognizing the voice.

"Now, now," Fray cooed in her ear as she continued to drift through this blinding light. "Is that anyway you wish to think of a friend?"

"Who?" Claire asked, trying to remember, but her mind was so muddled that she couldn't focus. She couldn't think.

"Can't think? Or don't want to remember?"

"You've been gone all this time and only now do you appear to tell me off?" Claire said wearily, closing her eyes again, wanting to drift back off into peaceful oblivion and block out the taunts that Fray would whisper to her.

"I mean, what is it with you?" she sighed and Claire forced opened her eyes to see her own face looking right back at her. But she was garbed in her dark armor once again, her own smile mischievous, but there was a sadness in her other's eyes as she gazed down at her.

"Not that I blame you, of course," Fray sighed, "After all, memories can bring even the strongest to their knees. Remembering is so dangerous."

Claire sighed as Fray leaned forward and rested her head against her chest as they continued to fall back into this seemingly perfect space of nothingness.

"What are you trying to do?" Claire asked dully, closing her eyes again but finding a strange comfort from Fray's weight.

"Is my company suddenly so unwelcomed?" she asked.

"You've been missing," Claire reminded her.

"Only because you haven't been listening to yourself," Fray countered. "It's strange how memories can work though, isn't it? One moment you are reliving a happy moment that is enough to warm your heart and remind you that there is good in the world... the next moment, however...? You are in a place you don't want to ever see again. And you have your fair share of memories you don't want to see again, don't you?"

Claire's eyes tightened as flashes of the past began to play themselves over behind her closed eyelids.

"But what we have to ask ourselves, where would we be without them?" Fray questioned, almost like a child with a curious question.

"I'm not sure I understand," Claire said, now growing irritated along with her weariness.

"Because I know you," Fray sighed. "You have to keep pretending that life still makes sense, that there's some point to all the pain and struggling. You keep pushing yourself into believing that you and only you can solve the problems this world faces. In fact, I think that you have started to believe that even though we both know that's far from true. Just like that ruby-eyed scholar friend of ours."

"G'raha..." Claire whispered, feeling tears in her eyes. How? How could he be here? What was going on? He had a plan for her all along, and he meant to die in her place? Why? Though she had suspected it was him, she couldn't for the life of her figure out how?

"Well, you won't figure that out by sleeping here," Fray said and she felt her head moving back and Claire looked to see herself so close they were almost nose-to-nose.

"So when the time comes that you find yourself lost," she whispered, "Where you are going someplace cold and dark where the guilt of the past as well as the audience of screams in your ear are unbearable, remember where you came from."

"How will more memories help me?" she asked as Fray grinned back, clearly enjoying this.

"Because what else do we have to go on? Warrior of Darkness…"

She blinked and suddenly she was all alone again.

Or so she thought… for she could hear the beating of wings once again.

No… not again… not that thing again!

But her wish was ignored when the armored figure appeared before her once again. The sin eater in the shining armor and enormous wings that had been haunting her dreams for weeks now was back.

The sin eater reached out and grabbed hold of her tightly, holding her in its cold arms and Claire felt as if she were trapped in a vice. She struggled and pulled but was unable to break the grip.

"Look at me..." the sin eater said again, her armored gauntlet now squeezing her face painfully as she seemed to be forcing her this time into paying attention this time.

And, at long last, Claire felt her eyes open and she looked directly back into those empty eyes—no wait—they weren't empty. There was still some life left in those eyes... eyes she knew so well... for they were her own.

And suddenly she understood.

This sin eater... it was her.

Or rather, what she was lurking inside her from that concentration of light that had been gathered.

"I am Benevolence," the sin eater said in that same beautiful voice. "I am what you are destined to become."

"N-No..." she croaked, trying to fight, to push the eater away, but was too tired... too drained. She was exhausted and broken in pieces just barely being held together by the finest of threads.

She could no longer fight.

And what would be the point anymore?

It would be so easy to give in...?

Her breathing was so painful now that she knew that she was no longer drawing in air any longer.

"Farewell..." Benevolence whispered and she felt the armored fist finally release her windpipe and she began falling once more. Claire closed her eyes... no longer willing or able to fight it any longer. She was drifting away into the light… perhaps… for good this time.

But before she felt herself fade completely, she felt a hand reach out and grab hold of her wrist and roughly pulled her back.

"Hey! Wake up! Now's not the time to take a nap!"

She knew that voice... though she didn't know how...?

Her eyes opened and her head jerked upwards when she realized she could see clearly once more. Immediately, she was focusing upon the figure who was pulling her back upwards and she felt her eyes widen in shock.

It was Branden.

She stared as the knight of Voebert beamed at her.

"Now's not the time for sleeping," he scolded again lightly and with a great heave, he pulled her up right up and over his head and she instinctively twisted her body around to land on her feet. But her body was still screaming in protest and she stumbled before falling to her knees, still exhausted and fighting the urge to rest when she felt a healing hand besides her and she looked to her side to see Lamitt standing there.

"You'll be ok," she reassured and suddenly her weak body was filled with new energy and she could breathe again.

"You...?" Claire said, staggering to her feet and looking around her.

Standing beside her, even with the seething anger brimming from Benevolence so thick that it felt like stones weighing her down, were the four other Warriors of Light of the First. All of them just as they should have been... as she had seen them in those many memories.

"How...?" Claire gasped as she looked around at them all in bafflement.

"You didn't think that we'd let you have all the fun?" Renda-Rae teased with a friendly wink. "We heard you crying out through the light. And so we came when you called."

"That... I... called?" she repeated slowly, her mind still foggy.

Branden stood directly in front of her as he held up his shield and blocked the attack from Benevolence while Lamitt's staff began to glow. She offered her powers to Renda-Rae, whose arrow began to glow, and she fired with perfect aim, piercing a piece of Benevolence's armor. It shrieked and fell back until Nyelbert's spell finished casting and the eater was knocked to the ground with a crash.

"Stay sharp!" Lamitt yelled, "We just tripped it up! It'll be up again before long!"

"Aye!" Renda-Rae agreed before turning back to Claire. "Now's your chance! You must leave here now while we have it distracted. If it catches you then all would have been for naught!"

"But... but how...? I don't...?" Claire said, not sure if she was just dreaming or...?

But then the answer came to her as she remembered what she had been carrying around.

"The crystals...!" she gasped as the images of those dead and broken crystals came back to mind.

"A fragment of ourselves remained within the crystals you have collected!" Branden called from the front, never taking his eyes off the sin eater as he acted the part of a living, solid wall. "And so we are taking that opportunity to answer your call for aid!"

"You risked much and more to save us from our own nightmares," Renda-Rae said to her cheerfully, her bow back in her hands as she faced up against the sin eater. "Allow us to repay the favor!"

Without warning, Nyelbert grabbed Claire by the arm and pulled her roughly back. She looked up into his face, though she could only see his one eye due to his face being covered as he whispered, "You did what I could not and saved my best friend. This is the least that I can do to."

His head then jerked his head up in time as the sin eater launched another attack at them.

But he was ready and forced Claire behind him before he fired another spell. The two forces collided in midair and exploded, Claire could feel the heat as she stared on.

"We will hold it here," Lamitt told her again, her staff still in hand, "We'll keep it distracted while you return to the waking world! Just run as far as you can from here and you will be able to wake up!"

"But understand we cannot hold it back indefinitely," Nyelbert warned Claire. "The bonds holding it here will only grow weaker with every passing moment. But we can help give you as much time as we are able."

"I can't just leave you all here to face it alone!" Claire countered.

"You are needed elsewhere, lass!" Branden yelled, "Don't be stubborn like our leader! Let us help you carry the burden for once!"

"But what will I do when I do get out of here?!" Claire demanded, but it was hard to be heard over Benevolence's shriek.

Of course though, Renda-Rae sharp ears heard her words.

"That is up to you to decide!" she called as she began to launch a barrage of arrows against their foe. "You have come so far but there is still so much farther to go. But you do not have the whole story! If you wish to defeat this foe before it consumes you then you must know everything!"

"What story?!" Claire asked hurriedly.

"You will find out soon," Lamitt added, now sounding annoyed by the questions instead of her just leaving already. "Now hurry up and go! Leave this thing to us! Return and find your friends!"

Claire didn't want to go, but with Benevolence's desperation growing and no weapon of her own with, she knew that she would be of little help right now.

She nodded and turned, beginning to run off in the direct opposite direction of the eater.

"And Claire?"

Claire looked back to see Lamitt still there, smiling warmly but there was sadness shining in her eyes.

Yet it seemed to pass as she gave her a wink and told her, "Take care of our boy for us. He's a handful, but we wouldn't want him any other way."

And suddenly everything faded around her.

And Claire's eyes finally opened.

*End of Dream*

Her vision was so hazy at first that she couldn't make anything out around her. She felt sick to her stomach and sore all over... as if she had been beaten. The pounding in her head was so bad that she just wanted to curl up and black out again so that she didn't have to feel anything anymore. Though now that she was awake, she could not believe she slept through the pain to begin with.

She blinked a few times as her vision slowly started to clear and she came to realize she recognized the ceiling. She was in her room. Her room at the Pendants.

Wincing in pain, she slowly began to push herself up to look around, trying to piece together what happened.

"Ah, finally," said a voice.

*Ardbert*

A simple touch… a breath filling their lungs… the feeling of something hot and cold…?

Even something as small as a look in his direction. Most would take such things for granted. He did not. Not anymore. After a century of solitude, he finally met someone who could see and hear him. At first, he had thought that because she was not of this world was the answer. But that did not explain the rest of the Scions or the Exarch. Why was she the only one who could see and hear him? Either way, he didn't care for he finally had someone with whom he could speak with and it meant the world to him.

When they parted ways back in the Source, never in his wildest dreams did he imagine ever meeting her again.

He remained at her side the entire time when she collapsed atop Mt. Gulg as they desperately tried to find a way to halt the transformation. He followed the others down the mountain with her in Thancred's arms, as still as death. He was there the entire time they bore her to an airship and took her back to the Crystarium where she could receive more treatment.

And now here he stood… silently keeping a vigil at her side as she slept on.

He needed this, someone to protect once again. He watched over her the entire time… never having to leave the room.

The others hardly left her alone either. It was very rare that they did ever leave her side, only to discuss any new information that they found. Sure, they tried several things to help… but nothing they discovered was a cure. He knew that at the rate they were going, it would more likely take years before they could come up with a plausible means to save their friend.

Something they did not have.

There was even talk that they try to send her back to the Source… where a few days there could end up becoming years here? But even if they had the means to do so, they dared not risk the light being taken to the Source without having Ryne or anyone there to properly care for her.

Ardbert just stood there at her side and watched over her as she slept on. He was there when Urianger finally confessed the full truth to them all. He was astonished, to say the least… and he wondered if he should tell her the truth when she did awaken.

It was on this day, almost a full fortnight since her collapse did the others left her side so that they could compare more information. Though, judging from the looks on their faces when they left the room, it did not look promising.

He was staring out the glass at the sky, wondering what was to happen now. The reason he was spared had something to do with this woman, he was all but certain of it. But what? What could he reasonably do? He could not left a finger to help himself, much less her.

It was a slight groan that drew him out of dark thoughts.

He looked back to see that she was moving… for the first time in weeks. And finally, her eyes opened up and blinked at the ceiling… as if having trouble recognizing it.

"Ah, finally," he said, relief filling his soul when she sat up.

(I had planned to get this chapter up much sooner. But sadly, due to an unfortunate accident I find writing very difficult these days. See, I took a nasty fall and ended up dislocating and breaking my ankle and needed surgery to get the damn thing fixed so I'm now confined to bedrest. I'm sorry, but due to those situations I can't say for sure when the next chapter will be up. But I will keep going when I have the time. I do hope that you all enjoyed the chapter as well as the 'dream' sequence that I put in here. I mean, with those crystals that she had gathered from doing the role quests, I felt that it could work to play the other warriors of light into the story. Sadly while I know that it didn't happen… I will stubbornly say that it did. Anyway… if you are wondering just how the conversation went with the others when Urianger finally confessed the whole truth to them… you will find out soon. Not in the next chapter… but hopefully in the chapter after that will be an entire chapter devoted to the Scions fighting to save their friend so please look forward to that.)