Fantasy Thunder Chapter Twenty-Five: Murasaki

By Blue Dragon

They have done it. They have defeated us, or rather, WE defeated us. The army has accomplished the impossible, and they can rest from their long, hard battle. Good work, all of you. My diaries end here, as I am no longer living.

--Omega

Esthar Garden settled slowly back on the grass near the old Balamb Garden, which was being remodeled to be a bigger ship like the new Esthar Garden. It was a rainy day, contradicting the great battle that had been won.

Jessica walked alone down to her room, most of the garden vacated due to students leaving to see their families and the many festivities in the quad.

"Hey" Seifer called from behind her.

She turned around.

"Are you okay?"

"No . . . "

She couldn't hold back the tears after talking again, and Seifer went to comfort her.

"What's even worse . . . we have to go to say goodbye. Oren's-" it hurt to say the name again.

"His effect will wear off in a few minutes. You all will be taken back to wherever the first ones entered this planet, and the ones he brought back . . . "

"Squall's taking care of that."

"People of garden" he announced as if on cue.

"We have experienced battles, losses, and finally a decisive victory. Oren Murasaki is dead, vanished from this universe. All of you brought to this planet with any sort of teleportation will be returned in a matter of minutes, and those that Oren revived . . . All of you that qualify and those that engaged, please report to the conference room."

Some of the rooms had to be extended to make space for everyone. Not everyone had understood, but Jessica was counting down in her head when each effect would begin, and stood on the podium, trying not to concentrate on anything but the task at hand.

Seifer walked up the stage and whispered into her ear.

"Are you staying here?"

She nodded slowly.

Seifer was a bit relieved, and walked back off.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the inhabitants of Spira will be returned to that planet and in the airship stationed there in forty-two seconds. Please say goodbye . . . "

Tidus shook Cloud, Squall, and Zidane's hands.

"It's been an honor meeting you. After everything we've been through, it seems weird to go back to normal life."

He looked to Squall.

"I'm definitely going to try to get a gunblade in Spira!"

Squall couldn't help but chuckle.

"One announcement, we would like to thank Cid the Al Bhed for his wonderful expertise, and fixing the engines after Nida punished them back in space. We would also like to thank him for his piloting skills, you were a real help."

You could hear the old man congratulate himself and Highwind put a hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks for those engine plans, I'll have to remodel the Highwind to go even faster!"

The Al Bhed laughed.

"I'll be seeing you."

The one's from Spira began to glow blue, and Rikku looked at Sephiroth one last time.

"You'll go back to the farplane, won't you?"

He nodded.

"I wish I could see you again . . . "

"Maybe if you go to your farplane, find my image, I just might be available for conversation."

"But no one has ever-"

"You never know."

The last of the ice around the silver-haired man's heart melted for good and Rikku disappeared in their embrace, and they all went back to where they came from.

Jessica continued.

"Anyone from Gaia, you will be returning in forty-eight seconds."

Zidane shook Squall and Cloud's hands.

"You guys were the bomb. You really showed me a few things back there."

"It was cool having something like a Genome around" Squall returned.

Cloud handed him one of his spare swords, the Ragnarok.

"Hey, take up swordsmanship if you feel like it."

Zidane's face lit up.

"Definitely. I'll be seein' ya then, later!"

Soon enough, right after Jessica thanked Regent Cid for his amazing architectural designs, they Gaia crew disappeared.

"Thirty seconds before Cloud, his friends, and anyone from the Mako- enriched planet return. Say your goodbyes. Cid and Nida, your flying was wonderful. Thank you."

Cloud shook Squall's hand and patted him on the back.

"I don't know how, but I hope we meet again."

He nodded.

"It's been great. Enjoy your tribulation-free life" he joked.

Cloud smiled, waved, and walked back to his group where everyone he knew, Marlene on Barret's shoulder hugging him, and even the disappointed-looking Sephiroth waited.

Reeve twirled his gun.

"This trip sure helped out my skills. I'll show them IRS agents!"

They began to fade out and disappeared. Everyone was back where he or she belonged.

Cloud was in a wide field with everyone else outside of Cosmo Canyon, and immediately Sephiroth began to fade.

"I never liked you all, but you are capable fighters. And Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

"Good luck."

He disappeared from existence, and Aeris began to follow. Painful memories resurfaced.

"I won't ever forget you, ever"

Cloud hugged her deeply and she kissed him on the cheek.

"It is wonderful that I could help. This universe has been salvaged."

She turned and waved, as she was almost gone.

"Goodbye everyone, live happy lives . . . " She too, disappeared out of existence.

Kiros couldn't stop the tears. She was gone. They had shared a last kiss, and now she was gone, forever.

"You'll get over her, I'm really sorry." Laguna tried to comfort, but to no avail.

" . . . I won't ever be able to get over this."

Things were a little bad, but Squall and everyone else could get on with their lives. And now that they had Esthar Garden, what wonderful lives they could lead.

Auron, Jecht, Braska, and Seymour all said goodbyes save the last who was asleep, and no one felt perturbed at their departure. It was now as if they were always there. Tidus was afraid he would disappear, but it didn't happen and he was relieved

The airship was ready, and they were on their way. No one had thought about life after the battle, but here it was, waiting for them . . .

Somewhere in the universe

The brave souls of those fighters were put to rest, they lived out their lives, but without complication . . . ?

An orb of blue floated around in the depths of space.

Perhaps there is more to Fantasy Thunder than can ever be known.

--fin