Legacies: Chapter 2
by: Gemini83
Disclaimer: You know it, I don't own FF8. But I do own this story.

Futures passed...

Greymalkin ran as fast as his legs would carry him, jumping above and away from the energy tendrils, cutting away at those which came too close with his gunblade. The others tried to fire at the two sorceresses, to no effect. Some even charged the witches, only to fall.

One man screamed in agony, as his very skin melted around him, flames swallowing him whole.

Arshes took up several of the group in her tendrils, flinging them away. Some simply crashed to the ground, groaning as they got back up. Others were not so lucky, as their bones were crushed from the impact. The Sorceress Alicia sent more flames searing around the group.

Greymalkin shouted out in rage, as he charged the two women. Arshes sent her tendrils out to lash at him, but he jumped above them. Alicia fired at him, sending forth a Flare spell. Greymalkin deflected the attack with his gunblade, allowing the attack to push him backwards through the air. He planted his feet firmly against a pillar in midair, using it to push away as he fired at the base with his weapon. The column fell downward, towards the two sorceresses. Alicia demolished the pillar but a thought, sending dust flying everywhere.

Greymalkin came out from the rising dust, shouting out a battle cry as he struck at Alicia. The sorceress jumped back, taken by surprise. She gripped her side, as blood trickled down. With a curse, Alicia bombarded Greymalkin with lightning, sending him into convulsions.

"Arshes!" she cried out.

Greymalkin barely had time to turn before she struck out at him, entangling him in her tendrils. He grunted in pain as the strands seared the flesh beneath his trench coat.

Alicia rose to her full height.

"Yes," she hissed, "make him suffer...kill him!"

"Not yet," said Greymalkin.

Wrenching his sword arm free, he slashed at his restraints, and fired at Arshes with his gunblade. She defensively flung him away, as she deflected the shot with her hand. Greymalkin landed on the floor, rolling, and took cover behind another pillar, as the tendrils struck at where he hand been.

"Is anybody still alive?" he asked.

"Still here," said Wade, "what are we going to do?"


"Hold them here Arshes," said Alicia to her comrade, "I must summon the Time Compression!"


Greymalkin saw the sorceress leave, "Alicia's going to summon Time Compression, go stall her."

"What about Arshes?" asked Wade.

"I'll take care of her," he replied, "now...GO!"

He quickly stepped out from hiding, evading the energy tendrils with ease, as he fired back with his own weapon.


The rest of the Shadow Unit moved the follow the Sorceress Alicia.


Greymalkin rushed straight for Arshes, slicing through all the tendrils with his blade, and came face to face with her.

"That just leaves you and I," he said.

"So it seems," replied Arshes, "why not join us Grey? I know you love me...we could use a man like you..."

He shook his head, "I can't, you know that."

She frothed in anger, "why not? Why won't you help us oppose those who would destroy us? We seek to bring forth a new world order, a better one."

"Because," answered he, "you aren't liberating anyone Arshes, you're terrorizing them. Shall I give up one set of chains for another?"

"We shall end suffering, end war!" said Arshes.

"By enslaving those beneath you? Forcing them under the tyrant's boot?"

"Survival of the fittest Grey," answered Arshes, "you, above all, should know that."

He darkened, "empty lies. Did you ever love me, really love me?"

Her eyes widened at the question.

"Because Arshes," he continued, "even standing there, representing all I hate, you are everything I ever wanted in my life. Even now, I want nothing more than to have you in my arms again."

"Then join us," she answered.

"You know I can't," he replied.

"Then die..."

Arshes gestured with her hand, and Greymalkin was engulfed in a fiery heap, crashing against the ground several meters away...


Back in the skies...

Rinoa screamed in pain as the spell hit her yet again. Almost instantly, she felt a bone deep weariness. She looked to her side, and saw Squall slumped to the ground, blood leaking out the corners of his mouth. She summoned her energies, trying desperately to revitalize the team. Although she nearly passed out from the strain, she cast the spell. Immediately, the trio felt their strength replenished.

Zell assaulted Ultimecia's final form with a flurry of punches, ending with a blow of atomic force, sending the evil sorceress reeling in pain. Rinoa followed up with her own attack, ramming into Ultimecia several times, her dog Angelo at her side.

Ultimecia faltered, speaking in cryptic phrases, "Time shall compress...All existence denied..."

Rinoa yelled out to Squall, "now!"

The leading commander of Seed yelled out in rage as her struck out at the sorceress, landing blow after blow with his gunblade. He jumped back, preparing for his final attack.

The sorceress spoke again, "Time...It will not wait...no matter...how hard you hold on...it escapes you..."

He couldn't see her face, for she had none, but Squall could tell that Ultimecia was dazed.

'Now,' he thought, 'we end this!!!'

Squall rushed forth again, unleashing his most powerful attack. The sorceress was racked by strike after strike of the powerful gunblade. Squall cried out one final time, as he brought his energies to bear on Ultimecia, and stuck her down with a final swipe, sending energy waves exploding around her.

Ultimecia's voice echoed through the darkness around them, her screams vanishing into nothingness, as she shattered like glass.

Then...something strange happened. White...energy started to fall around them...like snow. And Squall knew then...it wasn't over yet.


Back to the future...

Greymalkin coughed and sputtered as he stood up again. He had barely been able to get a protective spell up in time, but immediately knew, even without it, he would have survived. The attack hadn't been very powerful.

"Your heart wasn't in that Arshes," he said, looking at her past the flames.

She sniffed, "it is too ignoble a way to die...especially for you. You deserve something...more..."

"Shall we continue?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied.

Almost as soon as she replied, Greymalkin was a blur, moving incredibly fast. Arshes barely turned around in time to deflect a thrust to her heart. The blade sheared through the side of her leg, and Arshes retaliated with a blast, catching her enemy in the chest.

Greymalkin flew backwards, landing on his back. He rolled over, coughing up blood, before rising to his feet. Bringing his blade up, Greymalkin clove asunder another score of tendrils aimed for his chest.

Arshes looked up at him, staring into his eyes. The two lost themselves in each other for what seemed like an eternity. They made no final appeals to each other, it would have been too insulting. They merely contented themselves, enjoying one final moment before it disappeared forever.

"Oh Hyne Arshes," he cried, "I loved you."

"I...loved you too," she replied, tears streaming down her face as well.

He saw her, and could not bear to look upon her anymore. Her blood was flowing...because he had drawn it. His love, she who made him whole...she was hurting because of him. And not for the first time...

Greymalkin made up his mind he leapt into the air, thrusting his sword forward. Closing his eyes, he left himself open to attack. If she was able to kill him, she would have to do it now, before he reached her and ran her through...

Arshes looked on and nodded, appreciating the gesture. He was a warrior to the end, and a brave man. No wonder she had loved him. She sent a tendril of energy to strike out at him...

"Now it ends," she whispered.

Greymalkin grunted as the tendril passed through him. He felt his blade imbed itself in something which yielded. He opened his eyes in shock.

Arshes nodded, wincing past the pain.

Greymalkin looked down at his stomach, and saw the tentacle had cut a hole through it, ripping out his back.

He looked into her eyes, blood leaking from his mouth, and said, with teary eyes, "you missed the vital organs."

Arshes smiled sadly up at him, "you didn't."

Then Greymalkin noticed...his gunblade...he had thrust it through her breast.

Arshes collapsed to the floor, the tendrils disappearing. Greymalkin landed on his feet, and took her in his arms. He let his weapon clatter to the floor, as Arshes bled away her final moments of life in his arms.

"A man...after my own...heart," she breathed, "I knew I could count on you."

"Why Arshes?" he demanded.

"I lost my will a long time ago, my love," she replied, "please forgive me. I used you...to set me free..."

He held her closer to him, "please...it can't end like this."

"I'm sorry love, it had to be this way...even though you were my knight."

He looked into her eyes once more, "I should have protected you..."

"You did," she replied, smiling up at him, "you saved me from myself. You'll have to stop Alicia now...before she finishes Time Compression."

Greymalkin said nothing, closing his eyes, shutting out the pain.

Arshes caressed his face with her hands, enjoying how he lovingly responded, taking her hands in his own.

She breathed again, "kiss me love...one last time..."

He closed the distance between them.

As her lips met his, more tears fell unbidden. Greymalkin hugged ever more fiercely, until at last, she went limp in his arms.

He laid her down, kissing her one more time on the forehead, before rising.

"Farewell Arshes," he whispered.

Author's Note: Hmm...sad...melodramatic...I love tormenting the heroes, don't I? Well, what just happened has more consequences, as you'll see, and no, Arshes is not coming back. 'She's not resting, she's dead!' Keep up the feedback, and thanks for reading.