Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII. Fujin and Ultimecia belong to Squaresoft. I make no money from this. Insert witty comment here.

"Through A Mirror Darkly" by code_epic.

Rating: PG.

Word Count: 250.

Warnings: None.

Spoilers: Describes Ultimecia's appearance.

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Through A Mirror Darkly



She is on patrol when there comes not the sound of footsteps clanking across the metal floor of Lunatic Pandora, but the sensation of wind. Instantly Fujin spins around, one hand pulling her shuriken up into an attack pose, and comes face-to-face with her.

Time loses meaning. The other woman's lips curve into what might be a smile and in that instant--accidentally? purposely?--her right eye fragments, revealing itself as an illusion hiding . . . Hyne have mercy . . . the whole universe, vast and dark and spiraling. Incandescent galaxies and burnt-out stars wheel through her skull.

Fujin stumbles backward, for to go in any other direction is to lose herself in the impossible power lurking behind that empty eye socket. "H-How?" Her chest feels hollow, like instead of organs she has only fragile memories fluttering around her ribcage. "No," she corrects herself, slowly realizing and dreading. Some of these memories are from the future, knocked loose by Time Compression. "Why?"

The eye resurrects itself, gold shards cohering into a black-edged iris. A tear has formed--real or illusory?--and now it wends down Ultimecia's violet-scarred cheek as she remembers ancient promises, friends long turned to dust, and perhaps even someone's childhood. Fine strands of white hair lash up past her horns to intermingle starkly against obsidian-feathered wings, which shudder as if being tormented by a violent storm. But the air inside Lunatic Pandora is still.

"Death beyond death for a world where knights lose themselves and their dreams." Her voice is beautiful.

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Reviews and feedback are appreciated, as well as--why not?--flames. This is my first FF.net offering. More of my writing can be found on my LJ, which is linked to in my author profile. I'm wackier there than I am here, don't worry. Or worry . . .