Legacies: Chapter 3
by: Gemini83
Disclaimer: You know it, I don't own FF8. But I do own this story.
Greymalkin felt a strange rending of time and space, as if it were slowing down and speeding up all at once. Time Compression was starting. He was too late.
And Arshes had died for nothing...
He drew his gunblade from the ground, and determinedly walked down the hallway.
A sudden spasm of pain wracked his side with pain. Greymalkin dropped his blade, as he grasped between the ribs on his right side, where Arshes' energy tendrils had struck, and nearly fell unconscious from pain. He felt a strange tingling sensation go through his body. Then the pain was gone. He ignored it, and picked up his fallen weapon, venturing forth again, towards the source of his pains.
Greymalkin screamed out his rage, "ALICIA!!!!"
He strode into a darkened room, where the only light came from the blue hues of crystals reflecting from the walls.
The remnants of the Shadow Unit were assembled, blacking the path beyond.
Wade raised an eyebrow, "Arshes."
Greymalkin grimly stared back, "dead..."
Wade's eyes softened, "I'm sorry..."
"Save it," replied the warrior, "why are you waiting?"
The team parted, revealing what was beyond. The passageway trailed on for a bit more, before a glossy energy field blocked the path.
"We haven't been able to get through," said Wade.
Greymalkin walked to the field, slashing at it with his gunblade...to no effect.
He nodded, "get out of here. It's time to use the secret weapon."
The rest of the team stirred uncomfortably.
"Are you sure about that?" asked Wade.
Greymalkin ignored him, tapping his comm-link, "Gideon, come in."
"I'm here Grey," came the reply, "report?"
"Arshes is dead," he answered stoically.
"Oh Hyne," said Gideon, "I'm sorry Grey."
"That's beside the point," he a continued, "back off the forces, there's no more need for diversion."
"It is time then?" asked Gideon.
"Yes...I am unleashing the Guardian Force."
"Has Alicia summoned Time Compression?"
Greymalkin looked at the others, who grimly stared back.
"Yes..."
"You know what that means," said Gideon, "don't you?"
"Yes..."
"Then I'm pulling the troops out."
"You do that," answered Greymalkin, "I will make sure that Time Compression is shattered by the GF."
"Farewell Grey."
"Take care Gideon."
Greymalkin turned to the others in his unit, "alright, now you finally get rid of me. Get out of here, I'll make sure this place blows."
Several of the group began to leave.
"Hold it," said Wade.
The others stopped.
Wade saluted Greymalkin, the others stared for a moment, then followed suit.
"I may not have always liked you," said Wade, "but, for what it's worth...you've got stones...thank you."
Greymalkin nodded, "now leave. There will have to be survivors left to pick up the pieces when this is over. You'll have about five minutes to get out of here."
Wade nodded, and left with the others, not looking back even once.
He turned back to the sorceress Alicia, and walked through the force field, knowing he would not be barred now. He was not considered a threat.
Greymalkin smiled cruelly, he was always a threat. Especially when he had nothing to lose.
He walked up to Alicia, sitting on her ivory throne, and glared at her. She sneered down at him, daring him to defy her.
"Hopeless fool," she said, "have you any idea what you are up against?"
Greymalkin stared coldly back at her, "I will personally see to your destruction Alicia...for Arshes..."
"Arshes?" laughed the sorceress, "that worthless halfwit who let her emotions rule her? She wasn't worth my time."
Alicia glared down at him, "however, she did serve one purpose. You were her knight, but you killed her as well. Now there is a mark upon you, one that will haunt you forever."
The warrior looked downwards, shaking in raw fury, ignoring the recurring spasm in his side, "you used her...used me..."
Alicia smiled coldly, "yes..."
He looked back up at her, and grinned wolfishly.
"Then I have finally released her, and now, I finish my task."
The sorceress looked upon the warrior, uncertainty in her eyes. She struck out at him, casting a Flare spell, only to have it deflected with a counter.
"Not this time witch," replied Greymalkin.
Then he summoned forth the weapon Gideon had entrusted to him, as a last resort. In his mind, Greymalkin called out to his Guardian Force, and found it waiting.
'Are you ready?" he sub-vocalized.
The GF replied, I am master.
Greymalkin nodded, "I summon you...Eden..."
Alicia stared in awe, as the air around her vaporized. Bright hues surrounded the room, straining against the confines of her shield. She immediately finished her summons, before anything else could happen.
Alicia grinned evilly at her enemy, "it is too late mortal...Time Compression has begun. And with it, I shall attain full power, control life itself."
Greymalkin answered back, "never..."
Then, it came, like a star from the heavens. The powerful GF, Eden, descended, and struck out with its powers. Time Compression closed in around them. The straining of the two powers brought forth tidal winds, sending debris flying through the air.
Both Greymalkin and Alicia realized the tables had turned, and barely had time to shelter their eyes before a great blast engulfed them all...
Floating through time...
Rinoa looked around. Everyone was here. Everyone but Squall. Where was he? It was strange here...all one color, yet nothing she could positively define. The others were together.
Irvine shouted to the others, "Is it over? Let's go! Let's go back to our time!"
Zell looked back and forth, pacing, "Shut up! Just calm down and think where we have to go."
Selphie wondered at the surroundings, voicing her warning, "Careful guys! Don't pick the wrong time!"
Quistis was there as well, "Whatever you do, don't fall into a time warp!"
Rinoa could hear them, she could see them...but Squall...she wanted to be with Squall.
"Time...place...who I wanna be with...I wanna go there! Where Squall and I promised!"
Rinoa remembered her dream, and knew what she had to do. She began to search, through all of time. She'd take forever, if need be, but she would find Squall.
She cried out his name, "Squall! Squall! Let's go home! Where are you!?"
It was dark here. Dark and lonely. Where were the others? Squall ran back and forth, but he couldn't see anything but himself. IT was as if he were the only presence here, the only source of light and being.
"Where am I?" he thought to himself.
The he remembered. He had to keep his promise...he had to go to Matron's house...
The building was old, broken columns here and there, littered with growing vines and such. He landed in the right place.
Then he saw a woman, dressed in black, and knew he was in the wrong time...
"Excuse me. Have you seen a little boy?"
It was Matron, but younger. This was the orphanage, from when he was still a child.
Squall shook his head, "You don't have to worry. The boy won't go anywhere."
Matron frowned, "I think so, too. Poor thing..."
He started to speak, Squall felt something was amiss.
Then Ultimecia appeared, in a haze of darkness.
Squall drew his gunblade, "you're alive?!"
Edea looked from Squall to Ultimecia, she gestured to the woman, "the sorceress?"
Ultimecia began to slowly pace forward.
Squall brandished his gunblade, and nodded, "yes Matron, we had defeated her...stand back..."
Matron stopped him, "It's ok. There's no more need to fight. That sorceress is just looking for someone to pass her powers on to. In order to die in peace, a sorceress must be free of all her powers. I know...for I am one, too."
Squall shook his head.
Edea smiled sadly, " I shall take over that sorceress' powers. I do not want one of the children to become one."
Ultimecia emptied her powers into Edea. Like lightning, the powers flew into Matron's body, causing her to convulse in pain.
Squall ran to her side, "Matron!"
Edea brought up her hand, signaling that she was fine, "is this the end?"
"Most likely," said Squall
But he knew, deep in his heart, that while this was the end, this was also where it had all began...
Edea quirked her eyebrows, "Who are you?"
Squall answered, "a Seed, from Balamb Garden."
She looked at him as if the concepts were alien to her.
Squall explained, "both Seed and Garden were your ideas...Seeds are trained to defeat the sorceress."
Edea stared form one to the other, noticing the strange resemblance between them, "what are you saying? You're...that boy from the future?"
His younger ran from behind them. The young Squall, and the older, faced each other. How much time and destiny separated them both? If he had only known...
Now it was time for him to leave. He didn't belong here. Not two of him at least.
Edea shook her head, "Do you know where to go back to? Do you know how? Will you be all right by yourself?
Squall turned to leave, saluting Edea one last time.
Squall thought his answer to her, and perhaps she heard, as she nodded to his disappearing body, "...I'll be all right, Matron...Because I'm not alone..."
He stepped out of time again, into the darkness and began to search...
...Only, no one was here...
Squall felt a knot of fear catch in his throat. He shouted out his friends' names...
"Where is everyone!? Rinoa! Where are you!? Zell! Selphie! Quistis! Irvine! Rinoa!"
Squall ran through the darkness, finding nothing, '...Am I...alone? Rinoa? I want to hear your voice. Which way...do I go? I can't make it back...alone."
He gasped out her name again, almost pleading to the darkness, "Rinoa?"
'Am I...all alone again? Where...am I?'
Then his world was gone...
In the future...
Wade and the rest of the team strived their way out from the crumbling fortress. As did various demons, like rats abandoning ship.
Wade yelled out to the others, running towards the embattlements across the dusty fields ahead of them, only 70 yards away. The Shadow Unit looked back at the castle, only to see a great blue energy swallowing everything around it. They ran for their lives, taking shelter behind outcropping rocks.
The explosion was ear splitting. Then, as quickly as it had begun, the tumult stopped. Wade and the others stood up, looking at where the castle had been...
...Only to find nothing...literally. The castle had been vaporized.
Gideon's voice came over the comm-link, "what happened? Did it work?"
Wade replied, "it seems he was able to summon your last ditch weapon just as Time Compression started. I think we're alright for now."
"And Grey?" asked Gideon.
Wade remained silent for a moment, then replied, "I don't think so..."
Gideon cursed on the other end of the line, "very well, Shadow Unit, report back. We've still got a campaign to run."
"On our way," answered Wade.
The Shadow Unit slowly trekked their way across the sands.
A woman walked up to pace Wade, "what do you think happened to them?"
Wade turned to her, "probably toasted."
She looked away, "I don't know, whether he was a traitor, or a hero..."
"A little of both I think," replied Wade.
He looked off into the distance, where the fortress had once stood, and made one last farewell, 'see you around...rest easy...'
Author's Note: Oh, I must thank DSL for turning me on to Icy Brian's resource page, without which I could not have written these chapters. Sweet, we are well on our way into this story. Please, tell me what you think, and thanks again for reading.
by: Gemini83
Disclaimer: You know it, I don't own FF8. But I do own this story.
Greymalkin felt a strange rending of time and space, as if it were slowing down and speeding up all at once. Time Compression was starting. He was too late.
And Arshes had died for nothing...
He drew his gunblade from the ground, and determinedly walked down the hallway.
A sudden spasm of pain wracked his side with pain. Greymalkin dropped his blade, as he grasped between the ribs on his right side, where Arshes' energy tendrils had struck, and nearly fell unconscious from pain. He felt a strange tingling sensation go through his body. Then the pain was gone. He ignored it, and picked up his fallen weapon, venturing forth again, towards the source of his pains.
Greymalkin screamed out his rage, "ALICIA!!!!"
He strode into a darkened room, where the only light came from the blue hues of crystals reflecting from the walls.
The remnants of the Shadow Unit were assembled, blacking the path beyond.
Wade raised an eyebrow, "Arshes."
Greymalkin grimly stared back, "dead..."
Wade's eyes softened, "I'm sorry..."
"Save it," replied the warrior, "why are you waiting?"
The team parted, revealing what was beyond. The passageway trailed on for a bit more, before a glossy energy field blocked the path.
"We haven't been able to get through," said Wade.
Greymalkin walked to the field, slashing at it with his gunblade...to no effect.
He nodded, "get out of here. It's time to use the secret weapon."
The rest of the team stirred uncomfortably.
"Are you sure about that?" asked Wade.
Greymalkin ignored him, tapping his comm-link, "Gideon, come in."
"I'm here Grey," came the reply, "report?"
"Arshes is dead," he answered stoically.
"Oh Hyne," said Gideon, "I'm sorry Grey."
"That's beside the point," he a continued, "back off the forces, there's no more need for diversion."
"It is time then?" asked Gideon.
"Yes...I am unleashing the Guardian Force."
"Has Alicia summoned Time Compression?"
Greymalkin looked at the others, who grimly stared back.
"Yes..."
"You know what that means," said Gideon, "don't you?"
"Yes..."
"Then I'm pulling the troops out."
"You do that," answered Greymalkin, "I will make sure that Time Compression is shattered by the GF."
"Farewell Grey."
"Take care Gideon."
Greymalkin turned to the others in his unit, "alright, now you finally get rid of me. Get out of here, I'll make sure this place blows."
Several of the group began to leave.
"Hold it," said Wade.
The others stopped.
Wade saluted Greymalkin, the others stared for a moment, then followed suit.
"I may not have always liked you," said Wade, "but, for what it's worth...you've got stones...thank you."
Greymalkin nodded, "now leave. There will have to be survivors left to pick up the pieces when this is over. You'll have about five minutes to get out of here."
Wade nodded, and left with the others, not looking back even once.
He turned back to the sorceress Alicia, and walked through the force field, knowing he would not be barred now. He was not considered a threat.
Greymalkin smiled cruelly, he was always a threat. Especially when he had nothing to lose.
He walked up to Alicia, sitting on her ivory throne, and glared at her. She sneered down at him, daring him to defy her.
"Hopeless fool," she said, "have you any idea what you are up against?"
Greymalkin stared coldly back at her, "I will personally see to your destruction Alicia...for Arshes..."
"Arshes?" laughed the sorceress, "that worthless halfwit who let her emotions rule her? She wasn't worth my time."
Alicia glared down at him, "however, she did serve one purpose. You were her knight, but you killed her as well. Now there is a mark upon you, one that will haunt you forever."
The warrior looked downwards, shaking in raw fury, ignoring the recurring spasm in his side, "you used her...used me..."
Alicia smiled coldly, "yes..."
He looked back up at her, and grinned wolfishly.
"Then I have finally released her, and now, I finish my task."
The sorceress looked upon the warrior, uncertainty in her eyes. She struck out at him, casting a Flare spell, only to have it deflected with a counter.
"Not this time witch," replied Greymalkin.
Then he summoned forth the weapon Gideon had entrusted to him, as a last resort. In his mind, Greymalkin called out to his Guardian Force, and found it waiting.
'Are you ready?" he sub-vocalized.
The GF replied, I am master.
Greymalkin nodded, "I summon you...Eden..."
Alicia stared in awe, as the air around her vaporized. Bright hues surrounded the room, straining against the confines of her shield. She immediately finished her summons, before anything else could happen.
Alicia grinned evilly at her enemy, "it is too late mortal...Time Compression has begun. And with it, I shall attain full power, control life itself."
Greymalkin answered back, "never..."
Then, it came, like a star from the heavens. The powerful GF, Eden, descended, and struck out with its powers. Time Compression closed in around them. The straining of the two powers brought forth tidal winds, sending debris flying through the air.
Both Greymalkin and Alicia realized the tables had turned, and barely had time to shelter their eyes before a great blast engulfed them all...
Floating through time...
Rinoa looked around. Everyone was here. Everyone but Squall. Where was he? It was strange here...all one color, yet nothing she could positively define. The others were together.
Irvine shouted to the others, "Is it over? Let's go! Let's go back to our time!"
Zell looked back and forth, pacing, "Shut up! Just calm down and think where we have to go."
Selphie wondered at the surroundings, voicing her warning, "Careful guys! Don't pick the wrong time!"
Quistis was there as well, "Whatever you do, don't fall into a time warp!"
Rinoa could hear them, she could see them...but Squall...she wanted to be with Squall.
"Time...place...who I wanna be with...I wanna go there! Where Squall and I promised!"
Rinoa remembered her dream, and knew what she had to do. She began to search, through all of time. She'd take forever, if need be, but she would find Squall.
She cried out his name, "Squall! Squall! Let's go home! Where are you!?"
It was dark here. Dark and lonely. Where were the others? Squall ran back and forth, but he couldn't see anything but himself. IT was as if he were the only presence here, the only source of light and being.
"Where am I?" he thought to himself.
The he remembered. He had to keep his promise...he had to go to Matron's house...
The building was old, broken columns here and there, littered with growing vines and such. He landed in the right place.
Then he saw a woman, dressed in black, and knew he was in the wrong time...
"Excuse me. Have you seen a little boy?"
It was Matron, but younger. This was the orphanage, from when he was still a child.
Squall shook his head, "You don't have to worry. The boy won't go anywhere."
Matron frowned, "I think so, too. Poor thing..."
He started to speak, Squall felt something was amiss.
Then Ultimecia appeared, in a haze of darkness.
Squall drew his gunblade, "you're alive?!"
Edea looked from Squall to Ultimecia, she gestured to the woman, "the sorceress?"
Ultimecia began to slowly pace forward.
Squall brandished his gunblade, and nodded, "yes Matron, we had defeated her...stand back..."
Matron stopped him, "It's ok. There's no more need to fight. That sorceress is just looking for someone to pass her powers on to. In order to die in peace, a sorceress must be free of all her powers. I know...for I am one, too."
Squall shook his head.
Edea smiled sadly, " I shall take over that sorceress' powers. I do not want one of the children to become one."
Ultimecia emptied her powers into Edea. Like lightning, the powers flew into Matron's body, causing her to convulse in pain.
Squall ran to her side, "Matron!"
Edea brought up her hand, signaling that she was fine, "is this the end?"
"Most likely," said Squall
But he knew, deep in his heart, that while this was the end, this was also where it had all began...
Edea quirked her eyebrows, "Who are you?"
Squall answered, "a Seed, from Balamb Garden."
She looked at him as if the concepts were alien to her.
Squall explained, "both Seed and Garden were your ideas...Seeds are trained to defeat the sorceress."
Edea stared form one to the other, noticing the strange resemblance between them, "what are you saying? You're...that boy from the future?"
His younger ran from behind them. The young Squall, and the older, faced each other. How much time and destiny separated them both? If he had only known...
Now it was time for him to leave. He didn't belong here. Not two of him at least.
Edea shook her head, "Do you know where to go back to? Do you know how? Will you be all right by yourself?
Squall turned to leave, saluting Edea one last time.
Squall thought his answer to her, and perhaps she heard, as she nodded to his disappearing body, "...I'll be all right, Matron...Because I'm not alone..."
He stepped out of time again, into the darkness and began to search...
...Only, no one was here...
Squall felt a knot of fear catch in his throat. He shouted out his friends' names...
"Where is everyone!? Rinoa! Where are you!? Zell! Selphie! Quistis! Irvine! Rinoa!"
Squall ran through the darkness, finding nothing, '...Am I...alone? Rinoa? I want to hear your voice. Which way...do I go? I can't make it back...alone."
He gasped out her name again, almost pleading to the darkness, "Rinoa?"
'Am I...all alone again? Where...am I?'
Then his world was gone...
In the future...
Wade and the rest of the team strived their way out from the crumbling fortress. As did various demons, like rats abandoning ship.
Wade yelled out to the others, running towards the embattlements across the dusty fields ahead of them, only 70 yards away. The Shadow Unit looked back at the castle, only to see a great blue energy swallowing everything around it. They ran for their lives, taking shelter behind outcropping rocks.
The explosion was ear splitting. Then, as quickly as it had begun, the tumult stopped. Wade and the others stood up, looking at where the castle had been...
...Only to find nothing...literally. The castle had been vaporized.
Gideon's voice came over the comm-link, "what happened? Did it work?"
Wade replied, "it seems he was able to summon your last ditch weapon just as Time Compression started. I think we're alright for now."
"And Grey?" asked Gideon.
Wade remained silent for a moment, then replied, "I don't think so..."
Gideon cursed on the other end of the line, "very well, Shadow Unit, report back. We've still got a campaign to run."
"On our way," answered Wade.
The Shadow Unit slowly trekked their way across the sands.
A woman walked up to pace Wade, "what do you think happened to them?"
Wade turned to her, "probably toasted."
She looked away, "I don't know, whether he was a traitor, or a hero..."
"A little of both I think," replied Wade.
He looked off into the distance, where the fortress had once stood, and made one last farewell, 'see you around...rest easy...'
Author's Note: Oh, I must thank DSL for turning me on to Icy Brian's resource page, without which I could not have written these chapters. Sweet, we are well on our way into this story. Please, tell me what you think, and thanks again for reading.
