Well, thanks for all your reviews so far, especially Mako_majic, who has helped and persuaded me (with a rolled up newspaper) to begin writing. I kinda goofed last chapter and deleted some of your reviews. Oops! ^_^ Sorry and all that. Well, here is chapter 2; I still need help, so please continue to R&R.

Chapter 2: The Beginning of the End

Ultimacia let loose her massively powerful Apocalypse attack on the three who dared to confront her.

"SON-OF-A-BITCH!" Zell shouted, as he once again cast full-life on Quistis.

"Wha…what happened?" she muttered as she came around, shaking her head as the unconsciousness faded.

"Bloody Ultimacia, that's what" Squall muttered, pulling two X-potions out of his pocket and throwing Zell one. He could feel the potion flowing through his veins, as it healed him from the inside out. "Ahhh!" he gasped.

Ultimacia studied them for a moment. 'I wonder if these three would make better knights than that fool Siefer?' She quickly dispelled the thought out of her head. "Vermin" she growled at them in an ungodly, disembodied voice, which seemed to resonate around the warriors, as if she was speaking directly into their minds.

Quistis shuddered. "I hate it when she does that…" She glanced about, looking for a possible source for the voice Her surroundings so familiar just a few moments ago had disappeared, they were now encircled with stars, as if they were stood on some invisible platform in space. "Erm guys? I hate to worry you, but where did the room go?"

"Whoa!" Zell stumbled as he looked about, "Where's the floor? This is like a bad trip from a cheap hotdog…."

"Shut up, Zell. We need to concentrate on the matter at hand," Squall said, in a matter of fact way.

"Always about the mission huh?" Zell retorted, causing Squall to cast him a glance that could kill.

"Cut it out you two!" Quistis snapped, pointing her gloved finger at the sorceress "We got bigger problems right now?"

The massive form of Ultimacia, somehow glowing in her gown stood before them, calmly waiting for their next move, while contemplating ways to eradicate the vermin before her. It was Squall who made the move, stepping back, clutching his mighty Lionheart in one hand, putting one hand in front of him and concentrated. 'Eden' he asked in his mind. 'Eden, come' he felt the warmth envelop him, as Eden's life force covered his own. 'I am here'. He could hear the ancient, magical voice in his mind, so full of power, yet soft and gentle, as he opened his eyes and focused on the monstrosity before him.

"I don't think so", Ultimacia's disembodied voice called out again, and she let out a brilliant, white light, surrounding Squall. He could feel Eden's life force draining away, until he could no longer hear the thoughts of the powerful GF. "Damn it" he growled deeply, his eyes narrowing, the scar on his forehead now bleeding slightly. Ultimacia laughed a ringing laughter that went right through the trio.

"WHAT THE HELL?" proclaimed Zell, punching the ground as he realised that she had just killed the most powerful GF the party had, in a single blow. Again, Ultimacia let out a piercing, ringing laughter surrounding the three, and Quistis shuddered once more. "Damn you" she muttered, casting Blizzaraga on Ultimacia.

The spell weaved its way towards the sorceress, still laughing as it enveloped her in a block of ice. As it broke away at the end of the attack, Ultimacia stood, unaffected by the magic, and even angrier than before. "So, you want to play it like that, do you?" she teased.

"I have an idea" Squall interrupted, not taking his dark eyes off the 'woman' before him. "Cast Aura on me, maybe I can do some damage that way" he suggested to Zell, while Quistis slowly panted from the strain of the spell, her head slowly spinning.

"Uh, ok" Zell muttered, and began to weave the Limit Break spell in his mind. "AURA!" Streams of brilliant light shot out from Zell and enveloped Squall's entire body in an eerie glow, causing Squall in turn, to glow the same colour.

Squall gasped, as the raw power began to surge through his body. "Right" He stared at his enemy, weighing her up in his mind, and setting his grip on his sword again. Suddenly, he sprung forward, bringing the gunblade up in an arc to meet Ultimacia. Again and again, the shots rang out, the sound of metal striking flesh and bone resonated around, Squall moved faster than the naked eye could follow, slashing and cutting, throwing his sword about as if it were as light as a feather. It was over quickly, and Squall jumped back, regaining his fighting stance, as he began to summon the final part of his attack. "LION HEART" he called, drawing upon his strength and magic, letting out a flash as it began to charge his sword, and himself, giving him the strength to let loose a devastating blow on Ultimacia. As he brought the gunblade down, Quistis let loose Flare, causing the two attacks to occur simultaneously, leaving Ultimacia with no chance to defend herself as she was enveloped in an array of brilliant light and magic.

As the light faded away to the starry backdrop once more, the trio found themselves looking at something quite different. Ultimacia was knelt on the floor, breathing heavily. "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!?!?!?" Zell exclaimed yet again, "No one can withstand that!"

Squall grunted something incomprehensible, and wiped away the blood that was slowly trickling down his forehead, while Quistis looked on, shocked at the power and punishment that Ultimacia had withstood.

The trio cautiously crept forward, weapons ready, weary of any trap she might spring on them. They confronted her, and found her chuckling quietly.

"You think that's all I have?" Ultimacia laughed, raising her head at them. "Hahahahaha!" she rose up, and floated above the heads of the warriors. "What the hell…?" Zell muttered under his breath, staring in awe, as they backed off slightly, and tensed up.

"Time compression was just the start of my plan" Ultimacia began, "I intent to rule every time, of every dimension!" she began her penetrating laugh once more, sending chills down the spines of those present.

"So why are you telling us then? To give us more reason to stop you?" Quistis said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice, the whip she carried ready to strike.

"HA! You think you pathetic vermin can stop me?" Ultimacia snorted in disgust, while the laughter echoed away into an eerie silence. "I think I might just spare you," she mused, "you provide me with some humour" she remarked, before floating out of reach of the three, enveloping herself in a shell of barrier spells, and began to weave a more powerful, devastating spell.

"He... hey! What's happening?" Squall asked, feeling a change in the air around him. It felt to be growing more electric and colder somehow, as she weaved her spell.

"Right now, there is a world nearby me," Ultimacia scorned, staring down at the trio with her empty, black eyes, seemingly penetrating the very souls of the three. "A world in turmoil, the planet crying for help, and chaos reigning over it" she informed the group, who stood in shocked silence. "And I intent to…help it"

A/N:

Well, what's that like? ^_^ I hope you like it! Any ideas what's happening next? Lol! Please continue to R&R, I still need your expert advice, ideas and encouragement if this story is going to make it through to the end! Thanks!

~Vincent~