When you walk away
You don't hear me say,
"Please, oh baby
Don't go."
 
Simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight
It's hard to let it go
 
Hold me
Whatever words we yelled this morning
It's a little late and old
Regardless of warnings
The future doesn't scare me at all
Nothing's like before

                ~Utada Hikaru, Simple and Clean

Chapter Twenty-Four: A Warrior's Last Stand

  The behemoth's lips curved into a snarl as a rumble came from the back of his throat. A long string of drool hung down from his mouth. I tensed my grip on the magnificent sword's handle. Guardian seemed to be holding his breath. The behemoth lowered himself onto his large purple paws, his growl growing with each small movement. The fur on its back stood erect in the anticipation of its dinner.

  I quickly decided that I didn't want to be its dinner.

  He pounced at me, his movements like a cat's, fluid and controlled. I ducked the best I could, almost on impulse, and rolled, missing the beast's flailing claws by centimeters. I took the opportunity to try out the sword, and found myself doing nothing but slapping the beast's back with the flat end of the blade. The sword was heavy and awkward; I wasn't accustomed to it. It had been difficult just trying to roll with weighty thing still in my grasp.

  The behemoth lifted himself heavily to his feet, seeming angrier for having received that slap. I grimaced and brought the sword out in front of me again, point facing the fiend, and gritted my teeth.

  Stand your ground, Destiny, you'll get used to the sword. He grinned. The first few minutes are always a shocker.

  I succeeded in jabbing the sword's point into the behemoth's forehead as he charged me again, causing him to back away with a howl of pain. Blood seeped down from the mark, going into his eyes and sending him into a frenzy. His monstrous hisses and howls filled the room. He threw himself at me, and he managed to dig his claws into my flesh as I tried to dodge. He seemed to snicker as I cried out in pain. I lashed out with the sword desperately, trying to get him to release his grip. I heard a satisfying howl as my blade touched furry flesh and I pulled away. I turned to see where I'd struck the beast, and was astonished by my luck.

  The behemoth had fallen to the ground. He seemed to be choking. His breath came in quick, sputtering gasps, and one look could tell me why. I had slit his throat. My wound forgotten, I watched as the behemoth faded into pyreflies. They drifted away, floating through the ceiling of the room as if it didn't exist.

  As the pyreflies faded away the pain of my wound came back, and it hit me hard. I fell to my knees, all of a sudden feeling weak and faint. I heard, sort of, Guardian's voice calling out to me, but it seemed far away, and I didn't really want to listen. I didn't know how much blood I'd lost from that behemoth's blow. Destiny! Guardian's voice tried to reach me, but I was beyond listening to him. I sunk to the floor with a sigh, and knew no more.

~*~*~*~

  "She's lucky to have even survived. It's obvious that is she IS a summoner, she's not a very good one."

  "On the contrary, Matthias, she summoned that sword, didn't she?"

  "She didn't exactly summon it-"

  "So she's been hiding it up her shirt this whole time?"

  "Well.."

  "She may be the one we've been waiting for, Matthias, think about it! She's able to conjure weapons to her aid. I've never seen anything like it!"

  I knew, however vaguely, that they were talking about me, whoever they were. My vision was blurred by a blinding light, and I could barely see their forms. I moaned. My shoulder was throbbing painfully. The scientists kept on talking, neither of them noticing that I'd awakened.

  "I have a good feeling about this, Matthias," one of them said confidently. He was older than the other, with graying brown hair and green eyes that sparkled with energetic life. He was tall and of average weight. His hands were clenched in anticipation.

  The younger one, who reminded me of a rat with his greasy black hair, large nose, and currently narrowed black eyes, said, "Well, we'll just see what the Guardian has to say about this."

  I let my eyes close again. Of course. I had passed the test. They were going to take me to Guardian, none of them knowing that I was already with him. I sighed deeply. Weakness from the behemoth's strike still wore into me.

  Weakness is a passing thing, Guardian mused sleepily.

  I thought on this, willing myself back to sleep. You're right, Guardian. You always are, I murmured as I began to fade away again.

  You'll get that after about a millenium of life, Destiny.

~*~*~*~

  You're so close.

  My eyes bolted open. I was still in the same room as before, the one with the two scientists, but they were gone now and all was dark.

  You may rest soon.

  A small light, like one from a fire, flickered over my face. I twisted my head to the right.

  Sophia sat there, a small smile on her face. Two wings spread from her back, wings with feathers of red and gold, so bright that they seemed to be on fire. She spoke to me with her true voice. "You'll meet with Guardian tomorrow, and by doing so will start a whole new chapter in your intertwined stories."

  "It seems almost like everything's coming to an end," I whispered.

  Sophia shook her head. "Not to an end, but to a whole new beginning. You've already done so much in so little time, Destiny. Your reward will be great."

  She seemed to fade into the darkness, and then come back brighter than ever. Her wings spread above her head and then over her body, and pulled back to reveal a new creature, a bird that shone like the sun.

  Destiny, your fate is secured by the Aeon of Eternity.

  She looked at me with kind eyes and flapped over to my bed. She bent down to her own wing and plucked a feather from it, then laid it on my chest.

  This feather will take you to anywhere and anytime you want to be. It is my gift to you and Guardian. Use it well.

  I tried to reach for it, but she placed a taloned claw on my arm, securing it against the bed.

  Not yet, Destiny. You may think you know where you want to go, but you have no idea. Wait until you've met him tomorrow, then maybe you will make a decision that will actually do good for this God forsaken world.

~*~*~*~

  Guardian?

  I'd woken up from the doze I'd fallen into after Sophia had left and had lain there in the dark, thinking about her gift. After two hours of silent musings, a plan had begun to form itself in my mind. I had gone over the details a hundred times, and now the only thing left to do was to get Guardian's consent.

  Mmmmhuhh? came Guardian's sleepy murmur.

  I have an idea..

~*~*~*~

  The two scientists from before woke me up at noon the next day and explained to me what was going to happen. I was to be taken to Guardian, and if he decided that I was suitable he would become my aeon. I nodded and played dumb. Guardian chose my words for me.

  They gave me summoner's robes and fed me breakfast, which was neither glamorous nor very good tasting, but I was hungry. Many people watched me with apprehensive eyes, and I could finally see that what they were doing had been a desperate answer to their problem. I hadn't seen so much helplessness in one place at the same time.

  Guardian, can you show me Sin?

  Guardian flashed a picture in my head, and my first impression of the image was an overgrown whale. That overgrown whale was the bane of Spira's existence for over a thousand years, Guardian reminded me.

  Until you came to show them the right way, I reminded him in turn. You're the reason there's no helplessness in the eyes of Spirans in our time.

  I felt Guardian's warm smile. It takes only a small pebble to disrupt the sea, he said sagely.

  I hope you're right, I murmured to my Guardian as I dropped my fork on my plate.

  It was time to shape the future of more lives than my own.

~*~*~

  Next week: The grand finale, and the epilogue if I can. I hope all of you have enjoyed MoW as much as I've enjoyed writing it. ^.^ My next project will be a Sonic the Hedgehog fic.

  In other news: Have you all seen that poster of Yuna? . I'm hoping it isn't real, because I, being female, would not like to see Yuna turned into some copy of Tomb Raider. Guns and Yuna is like pancakes and Pepsi. ^_^; *Don't mind my strange analogies*

  On the other hand, one of the female characters looks like she's holding the Brotherhood, and I'll buy the game nevertheless, me being a fanatic.