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Chapter 15: In The End...

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First Loop - Circa 590 years prior to present timeline

"The choice is yours brother...I can give you immortal life, you serve by my side for all eternity. You will no longer feel the guilt and pain of Rinoa's death, I will erase all your memories of her...imagine it Squall...a life free of pain and torment."

Squall eyed his sister wearily, she was right, the pain was too much. The young knight looked down at the woman he loved, as her life's blood spilled onto the tiled floor of Ultimecia's/Ellone's throne room. The agony of losing her was too much, but he knew that she would be ashamed of him if he were to end his own life.

Giving Rinoa's body one last longing look, Squall nodded to his sister.

"Do it."

The Witch smiled wickedly, "As you wish, brother..."

Ellone placed her long, elegant fingers on Squall's forehead and began chanting, "Uta...sumar...eternaial...servantais...grievear...

An amber colored light flashed from the witches hand and wrapped itself around Squall's body before finally sinking through his skin, causing the young man to scream in pain. He dropped to his knees, groaning as his life flashed before his eyes, images of him and Rinoa dancing together at his Graduation party, seeing her sleeping form on the train as he met her once again, all the arguments and secret looks, her smile...their promise...

Squall threw his head back and roared, "NO!!!!"

Unseen by either Squall or his sister, a transparent white light floated down from the ceiling and silently entered Squall's head.

"Fear not, my child...I will be your guide...you will have your chance again my son. I promise..."

Squall blinked, "Mother...?"

As the whispered words left his mouth, his world faded to black...

**********

Rinoa starred with her mouth open in shock as the one called Griever finished his little story, her eyes went to Squall, who stood rigidly by the old man's side, his gunblade still pointing at Ultimecia, who by the way, Squall had just called his sister.

The woman in question looked at the two men with disbelieving eyes, "I don't have any memory of those events."

Griever nodded, "I know...that's what you get for having a GF Junctioned to you for nearly 600 years...it kinda warps the brain."

Squall edged the tip of 'Lionheart' closer to the Sorceress, "So here are your options...One - You stop this insane quest of yours, there is no longer a point to it, the magic that was handed down to you has corrupted your soul and your mind...or two - I kill you...which I...don't want to do."

Ultimecia brought her hand to her head and sighed, "You are my brother?"

Squall nodded, "Yeah, looks that way..."

Griever looked at the witch with tired eyes, "If he kills you...he will die as well, he is a balance, seeing as how he and I are basically the same person, and the time loop started with my transformation into Griever, once the source of that transformation was destroyed, all that was created by it would also cease to exist."

The witch snarled her eyes flashing yellow, "I don't believe you! You're lying!"

Ultimecia swung her arms and sent a bolt of lighting surging through Squall. The force of the impact sent him hurtling across the chamber, slamming full-force into the far wall. Rinoa screamed as she ran to him only to be stopped as another bolt of lightning hit her in the back, causing her to fall forward into Squall's arms as the knight got back up.

"Rinny!" Squall yelled as he cradled her body in his arms. "No..."

Griever looked at the two lovers the fear evident in his eyes, "Not again...Dammit Ellone! Not again!"

The former knight and now the worlds most powerful Guardian Force turned on the witch, cold hatred flashing in his now glowing red eyes.

"You will not take her life again! You hear me sister!? Not again!"

Ultimecia grinned, "And what will you do, Griever? Your powers cannot be used again me...you know this."

Quistis placed her hand on Rinoa's neck, feeling for a pulse, "Squall...she's alive...but we need to get her out of here, now."

Squall nodded, his eyes still focused on Rinoa's unconscious form, "Get her out of here..."

Quistis starred at him as Squall silently rose to his feet, his gunblade in hand. Then the realization hit her.

"No! Squall you can't...if you do this, you'll die as well!"

Squall's eyes remained fixed on Rinoa, "Tell her...to remember our promise...she'll know what it means..."

Quistis remained in place, unmoving.

He glared at his former instructor, "That's an order, Trepe...get all them out of here. Now!"

Reluctantly, Quistis snapped a crisp salute and bent down to pick up Rinoa.

"Zell." Squall said, "Help her, I'm entrusting Rinoa's safety to you now."

Zell looked at his best friend as the beginning of tears formed in his eyes, "I wont let you down, Squall."

Without another look, Squall marched forward towards Griever and the Sorceress who were still engaged in their heated argument.

"Witch..." Squall growled, "I'm ending this now...sister or not...you will never hurt her again."

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With Rinoa safely in his arms, Zell reached the huge double doors that would hopefully lead them back to the outside.

Irvine stopped and placed his hand on the door, feeling it out.

"There is a breeze on the other side, it might be the outside."

Quistis nodded, "Open it, we'll have to take our chances."

With a grunt, Irvine pushed the doors open, the wind immediately brushing across his face.

The cowboy smiled, "It's the outside, the field where we came in at."

At this moment, Rinoa began to stir, "...Squall..."

Zell looked down at the fragile girl as her eyes fluttered open, "It's ok, Rin. He's right behind us."

The girl lifted her head and looked behind them, seeing no sign of her knight she began to struggle.

"Zell! Let me go! We can't leave him in there!"

Zell ignored her and kept running as Quistis lead them further away from the castle. They came to a stop by a stream, the castle still largely visible on the horizon.

**********

Griever looked to Squall and smiled sadly, "I'm sorry it had to be this way. I wish it were different."

Squall didn't look at him, "So do I."

Ultimecia tried to take a step back, but found that the wall blocked any movement.

"You going to kill me, Knight? If what you say is true...than you will die as well, and you will never see your Sorceress again."

Squall's expression changed only slightly, "I know...but as long as she is safe...that's all that matters."

The witch's eyes flashed again, "Then do it! End this! See if I care!"

Squall frowned, "For what it's worth...I'm sorry sis..."

With movement that defied the laws physics, Squall swung his gunblade out and across, slicing the witch in the neck, deep enough to separate her head from her shoulders. Her body dropping to the ground and her head rolling down the stairs, coming to a stop at Seifer's unconscious body. Squall fought back the tears, as the realization that he had just killed his own sister dawned on him.

Griever grimaced, fighting back his own tears.

"You did what you had to do...now...we wait for the end...my friend..."

Squall nodded and slumped to his knees, "I'm sorry, Rinny...I love you..."

**********

The young SeeD's gathered close together as the ground began to shake violently, each of them leaning on each the other.

Rinoa starred at the castle, the earth shake apparently not effecting her.

I'm sorry, Rinny...I love you...

"NO!!"

Her scream echoed throughout the valley, it's deafening noise drowning out the earth shake.

The castle's exterior began to crumble, the massive towers toppling over each other, the walls cracking and tumbling to the ground.

Quistis keyed her radio, "Home Base One! Come in! We need that evac now!"

The radio crackled, "Roger that, Wanderer 1...eta to gateway pickup is 15 seconds, stand by for extraction."

Zell eyes widened, "Guys! We got incoming!"

Quistis turned back to the castle, as a large form appeared in the dust cloud, and it was coming there way.

"By Hyne...what the fuck is that!?"

"Holy Crap! It's huge!"

"It's gotta be a Guardian Force, I've never seen a normal monster that big before!"

The large monster flapped it's wings and came to a stop right in front of them, towering over the young SeeD's it looked down upon them. It showed a canine-filled grin.

"Rest easy, SeeD...once you return to your world, the time loop will cease."

Rinoa bravely stepped forward, and noticed that the GF took a step back, it's hard expression softening as it looked at her.

"Who are you?"

The GF bowed, "I am the true form of Griever, Sorceress..."

Rinoa nodded as the tears fell freely from her reddened eyes, "Where is Squall?"

Griever sighed and looked at her with sympathy, "The Knight sacrificed his existence so that you would live. There is no greater duty for a knight then to ensure the survival of his Sorceress. You should be proud...he gave his life to save you all..."

Rinoa's shoulder shook with emotion, "I want him back...I can't do it again...not without him..."

Griever smiled, "Remember your promise, Sorceress. Farewell SeeD...I hope our paths never cross again..."

The SeeD's watched as Griever spread his massive wings and flew high above them, finally disappearing into the darkened sky. His words ran through Rinoa's head over and over. Remember my promise? I don't get it...

At that moment, the portal to their world opened behind them with a whooshing sound.

"Everyone into the portal, now!" Quistis ordered.

With heavy hearts, the SeeD's walked through one by one, until only Rinoa and Quistis remained.

Quistis placed her hand on Rinoa's shaking shoulder, "Rinoa...we have to go...this world is falling apart."

Rinoa nodded slowly, taking one last look at the crumbling castle, and with her heart broken and shattered once again, she followed Quistis through the portal.

I love you, Squall...always...

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As the portal closed behind them, a familiar transparent white light rose from the debris of the castle and floated up into the sky. Only this time, the white light carried within it a worn and battered form...

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TBC - I was hoping to post both final chapters at once, but I hit some snags. This was of course 15, I will have 16 out tonight, which is the last part of the story.

Alicia