Chapter 19: Death
The odd sphere containing Griever unrolled, forming a strange creature that had to be painful on Griever. Ultimecia was junctioned across his chest, changing him in to an almost millipede like monster.
(What the hell did she do to him!) Ifrit shouted angrily, Squall didn't bother trying to calm him down, there was no point. When Ifrit got mad, he usually stayed that way.
But right now Ifrit had to contain his anger for the moment, not being able to attack from what ever attack Ultimecia was using to attack GFs. Unless he had a decoy. (Squall, I need to get out there and I have a plan, but it's going to hard and it's going to take some work.)
'Tell me.'
'How are we supposed to fight that thing?' Zell thought, watching the new creation,
(The same way you been fighting it before, don't get intimidated now, you can do this.) Carbuncle said encouragingly. (Don't back off now.)
Zell was the first to attack, running off the cliff and diving at Griever, he got close enough to grab hold of Ultimecia's neck and sending two punches to her face before some invisible force clawed across his chest and threw him back. Zell grabbed on to the edge of the island, pulling himself back up to safety.
As if this action reminded him of what he needed to do, Irvine fired more rounds at the monster, aiming towards Ultimecia since that seemed to be the main target. Right after his attack the strange purple rays of light from before appeared around Squall, piercing into him and blowing away all of his flare spells.
Ultimecia cast a Quake spell, watching the ground crack and split, red-light shined threw the broken earth. A force sent each broken part of land shooting like a piston. Squall Irvine and Zell were knocked to the ground, sent tumbling to the edge of the island. Irvine was the first to slip off but Zell managed to grab his arm and pull him back just as the spell's effects ended.
Squall used the triple cast on him to cast three float spells, the spell creating an invisible force that raised him and his friends off the ground and inhibited any ground attacks. Zell again leapt off the edge of the cliff, fearlessly grabbing hold of Ultimecia's neck and sending 2 hard blows across her face before being knocked back by the same invisible claw from before. It pierced his skin and drew more blood from the wounds already there while narrowly knocking him back on to the island.
But Ultimecia had more things then just a few strong spells. A long gray Helix appeared next to her, forcing Bahamut to create them.
'What's that?' Squall asked, he was on alert even though they seemed like just hairs.
(They act as magic amplifiers, her spells are more powerful when they are around.) Ifrit explained
'I'd better take it out'Squall thought, preparing to attack.
(No, it's useless, it only keep re-appearing, just focus on Ultimecia.) Ifrit instructed with past experience, getting a nod from Squall who thrust out his free hand, casting an Ultima spell.
A bright emerald glow appeared from a signal point in front the junctioned sorceress and the unwillingly junctioned Griever. It grew in to source of blinding white that exploded in a eruption of green flames. The flames expanded outward because of the pressure in the core, naturally forming into a sphere as it grew.
By the time the spell cleared the helix had been blown away. Griever drew a dispel spell from Irvine before Ultimecia forced his body to create another Helix to replace the one before it.
An exhausted and worn out Irvine reached his limit break again, loading the next best thing to his expended Pulse ammo, which was AP (armor piercing) in to the chamber.
The first shot went strait through Ultimecia and Griever easily, passing through her shoulder and coming out of the GF's back. The second shot passed through her stomach and exited out of Griever's back near where the first had. Irvine took more time to aim his next shots, firing the next right in to her heart, and the last one in to her head. He tried to leave Griever as undamaged as possible or at least finish Ultimecia as quickly as possible.
As soon as the last bullet was fired and caused all the damage it would, the ground began to shake. This time everything rumbled, the air itself shook like the ground in a disorientating manner, the sky a surreal image that looked as if it would fall at any moment.
"What's going on!" Zell shouted,
"Maybe that was it!" Irvine called out hopefully, pulling himself off the ground from the initial shock that had caused him to fall. In a way, it was the end, the end of this form of Griever more accurately, Ultimecia wasn't done by a long shot.
From Griever's body a shockwave radiated from some internal blast, washing over everything and changing reality around as it went, from the placid skies and rocky canyon to an endless black ocean on all sides streaming with bright stars. He was using the same magic used when creating the sub-reality when summoning, he was creating another reality and pulling them inside. This was Griever's second Limit Break Grand Cross, and had the potential to be more powerful then his Shockwave Pulsar. If he wasn't so weak, it would have been, but that didn't mean it was any less lethal.
From his hands, 4 thick streams of light shot out, 2 from each, acting like rope. One of them anchored in to a green plant not to far off, it was apparently a moon of another planet by the size of it.
The second anchored to another red moon, and the third in to a blue one. The last line imbedded itself in to a nearby asteroid. Griever pulled them in with a swift pull, all four of them moving towards the group at great speed.
Griever cinched his hands in to tight fist pulled breaking the lines at the source with his claws and letting the four forms plummet toward the group. Thick bolts of golden lighting began to pour off of them from the energy created between them, more and more formed as the planet sized forms came closer and closer, streaking between the four forms loudly. Finally the bolts became too intense, giving off a blinding flash before the plant's collided and even more energy was unleashed…
First there was a strong electrocuted feeling, before the actual collision, but after the first second of being shocked by the radiated energy, Squall and Zell felt absolutly nothing…
When the light faded, Squall and Zell were safe, escaping with minimal damage that could be easily ignored. The reason was that at the last second Ifrit and Carbuncle had forced themselves into a partial physical junction that was used when summoning. Taking the full blunt of the damage and saving them. Irvine on the other hand wasn't so lucky, both of his GFs were knocked out before Griever's attack, and whether he was alive or dead was unknown. By the time the light was gone Seiphie had taken his place.
Griever had taken his share of damage to, it finally showed when everything from his waist down was severed and fell. But he was strong, and he managed to keep on fighting in this weakened and half mutilated state. And if he could still fight Ultimecia would still junction.
Squall searched his mind for any trace of Ifrit, each time he called out to him and didn't get an answer...he was gone, completely gone, there wasn't even a junction any longer. "Damnit!" The golden aurora of limit break forced it's way out of him, and after the initial out burst Squall silently raised his blade 'Ifrit!' Squall charged forward and dived head off the cliff using Renzokuken, he was sick of this, and this would be over one way or another. The faster he go this over with, the fast he could find Ifrit, he hoped there was something left to find...
'Hey, he's going to need some help.' Seiphie thought, indicating to Cactuar of Tonberry to help Squall. They did so by creating a solid ground only visible by a soft green light.
Squall landed on the created ground right in front of Ultimecia, immediately springing back up, wrapping an arm around Griever's neck. Apparently he was extremely angry, because he started using death blows, plunging the sword in to Griever, then pulling it back and driving it in to the Junctioned Ultimecia with furious cries.
He kept stabbing and thrusting until he couldn't keep his grip and fell to the ground.
Squall didn't have the chance to use a finisher, Griever's ominously loud roars of pain forced a movement inhibiting shutter through his body. He backed away on to the familiar rock platform, watching Griever begin bucking and shaking despite Ultimecia's obvious attempt to keep him under her control. He was apparently angry too.
Sensing that Ultimecia was about to unjunction and her power over him slipping. He decided since his fate was already sealed that he could at lest take her down with him…..
Griever looked at Squall with those strained black eyes, half lidded from the pain tearing through his body and wincing when a stream of blood fell from his wounds. Squall looked back at him questioningly, why was he giving him that look? Did it even mean anything? 'Why is he looking at me?……..'
Griever only gave a smirk before a beam of white light expelled his body. Squall almost jumped when he realized what Griever was doing. 'Why……..would he…..do that? We could still finish Ultimecia ourselves…..'
"NO! Wait!" Squall shouted, but it was too late by then, a huge shockwave swept over them when Griever Kamikazed. After the shockwave there was silence, before the wall of light expanded outward and engulfed them before a substantial explosion erupted, shaking everything.
"Rghaah..."
When the light dimmed , a snow like residue was falling from the sky, all of it discharged energy. Griever's attack managed to take out a good portion of the platform, in fact, most of it was gone except for the small area they where standing on. One step in any direction meant death, or what ever else lay in that dark abyss. "He did it?"
Or so it seemed at first, another beam of light shot up from the darkness, the sky and everything around them darkened until nothing could be seen except that light and the energy reused falling like snow. "What now?"Zell took a quick step forward to catch himself and prevent faltering, he couldn't keep fighting like this, he couldn't go on much longer.
From that signal ray Ultimecia rose up again in her true form. Her face was hollowed out leaving nothing but a small beacon of light, everything else seemed normal until you got to her waist. Hanging upside down was what appeared to be the original Ultimecia, in her first form. But her body was covered in pail flesh and black veins and she still boar the wings and horns. Ultimecia's body was wrapped in a velvet red cape, the only clothing left
"Dose it ever end!" Zell shouted angrily, looking around at his new surroundings before making another move. They seemed to be in space, but it was clear this was not it, this was some type of place in time. No, this place was time and space itself, this was the fourth, and/or fifth dimension. 'Bahamut could have explained it to me...'
This black ocean of stars surrounding them was being pulled in by Ultimecia, sucked in in large amounts where the 'Original Ultimecia' was hanging bellow.
"I am Ultimecia. Time shall compress... All existence DENIED."
"This is so creepy, I'm the one that gets to be in the worst fight." Seiphie moaned wearily, rubbing her arm nervousness. "It could have been worse, I see we're the only ones left."
"Let's get this over with….'Zell said just as angry as before, he used the triple still in effect to cast Haste on all three of them.
Squall started with Shell, using that last of his own triple to cast that over them.
This form was powerful, it didn't need amplification, or needed to charge to do powerful attacks. She started by casting the one of most powerful spell in existence with no waiting time, Apocalypse.
Reality seemed to distort like ripples in water, a red beam etched out an emblem in the ground below them. Several rays of molter like lights streamed up in to the air from the sides of the seal, then smashed down on to them. It shattered like glass, pulling them down under the ground with it in to a black abyss like a drain, the man issue was that this place they were being pulled into wasn't really there. What followed next was an indescribable pain never experience by anyone before..
Finally they fell from the sky back on the ground, looming with a thick black smoke that was dusted out from the wall. A light shined down from the sky upon their arrival, and an angel slowly flew down.
Seiphie watched weakly as the small angel loomed over Squall, lifting his hands and causing Squall's body to dissolve and scatter, raising in to the beam of light.
"Squall….! No!" Seiphie shouted weakly, lifting herself off of her knees to her feet wearily. She could barely mange to stand, watching helplessly as the angel now was over an unmoving Zell. The faint light of Limit break came over her as she watched Zell's body scattered and dissolved, raising in to the light.
She was the only one left………
Seiphie turned towards Ultimecia, holding her cringed head partially because of the pain. But mostly because things were flying through her head in the effect of the Limit break.
Ultimecia raised her hands to her chest, sending an invisible attack on to Seiphie, two unseal claws slash her across the chest, knocking her off her feet. "Uhaaaa!"
As the strength slowly drained from her, Seiphie looked out of one half-lidded eye... She was still falling, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as her mind went into over drive processing everything at an extreme speed.
'This…….is what it feels like to die…?' She thought, staring breathlessly at Ultimecia, She'd shake her head if she could. 'No…….I don't wanna die!'
She felt like she was going through all the stages of death at once, skipping right to acceptance. 'If I die…..I'm taking you with me!' Seiphie's mind roared in a very un-Seiphie like manner. Knowing the ground was drawing near, she realized the true most powerful magic in existence wasn't the Apocalypse she'd just felt. She used what remaining strength she had to yell….
"THE END!"
Right before she landed on the ground, seeing only darkness where she once saw a see of stars. The darkness, it devoured Ultimecia, this attack was powerful enough to destroy even Ultimecia in the blink of an eye, not leaving one trace behind.
At first glance.
Ultimecia reappeared after the glass, still no doubt finished from the attack. She tried to scream, but only static could be heard coming from her voice. Combustions of light tore threw her body, she tried to scream again but again only a static sound came from her voice. Her powers were backfiring on her.
Then she exploded, not with flames but with light, all of that power was releasing, in a slow and painful death.
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Seiphie felt a warmth around her body…. 'Am I… dead…?' she thought, but even asking that question gave her the answer 'No, I'm not…….' Seiphie slowly opened her eyes, her vision was a little fuzzy and blurred at first, but the distortion slowly cleared. Everything was white, completely white.
Except that her body was surrounded by fire. Seiphie quickly found her voice when she saw tis.
"AHHHH! I'm on FIRE!" She shouted, jumping to her feet before and screaming before she realized that it didn't burn. 'Maybe I really am dead……'
Looking up she saw a large, red bird, with large wings extending from it's side, and three long silky tail feathers, one green, another yellow, and the last red. It had glowing green eyes, long yellow legs with clawed feet and a yellow beak. A few yellow and green feathers appearing scattered among the red, most of them at the base of the wings. It had to be the most beautiful thing in existence, and the rarest thing since time compression. She could hardly believe her eyes, it was the Phoenix.
"Wow………You saved me!" Seiphie shouted happily, jumping up and hugging the bird tightly, almost pulling him down out of the air with the unexpected weight. Phoenix flapped his wings to nervously, retaining the lost height.
When Ultimecia started absorbing all of time and space, it was needless to say that the Phoenix was effected. This was the Phoenix from their time, he was pulled in to the future by Ultimecia and was a second away from being absorbed by her.
Seeing the ones who saved him were all dead, he helped out a little…a lot. But the other's were nowhere to be found.
This was going to take some work………..
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