PART XXVII

"Do you believe in fate?"

"What? No."

"Why not?"

"Because I generally like to think I have a bit of control."

"I believe in it. I find it comforting."

"How so?"

"It means your entire life your rocketing towards one moment. One purpose. You have a reason to be."

"Ha. No one moment will decide my destiny!"

Bootus blinked. The four were assembled in a stone corridor. It looked much like the Temple of Uggalepih, but was built from a different stone, and was worn differently. Different inscriptions were on the walls also.

"Welcome to the past." The galka stated in awe.

"It's cold." Vivli shivered.

"I don't think that's determined by the time period, Li." Zinkata guessed.

"So, ready to save the world?" Voldos asked.

"Hell no." Bootus replied.

"We operate better that way." Zinkata sighed. "Let's move!"

Before the four could move they noticed eyes watching them from the darkness. A gigantic single eyed demon with a huge claw like mouth, an evil looking unicorn and sickish yellow dragon.

"Presumably monsters of the past look really stupid." Bootus commented.

"I forgot to mention," Vivli muttered, "According to the legend, the Temple of the Fiends was crawling with evil monsters."

"Thanks for telling us that!" Bootus cried.

"They aren't attacking." Zinkata observed

"We'll have to be careful." Vivli advised.

"No, you'll have to be careful. We'll just kick ass." The galka smiled.

"Need I remind you we're here to save the entire future?" Vivli said, putting her hands on her hips to try and look like she had authority.

"She's got a point." Zinkata admitted. "Let's go and finish this."

The four sprinted down the stone corridor, dodging the monsters and making it safely to a gigantic stone room. Garland awaited in the centre, still in the form of the dark knight.

"It's over, Chaos!" Zinkata cried.

"Over?" Garland asked. "Over? What is over?"

"You. Your reign. Your plan." The ex-thief told the demon.

"No. All that's over is this pathetic planet." Garland began to float in the air, suspended by some magical force. "This planet was doomed from the moment it came into existence. Everything begins and ends. I'm just the shortcut. Why postpone it? Why wait? Why let your lives continue? What does it matter? In the end, it will end. In the end, everything that has happened will be lost. There is no need to live. There is no need for this to continue. I will end it now. I will cut short the process that is inevitable. I will end it here!"

"It is not the end that matters!" Vivli cried, stepping forwards. "It's the middle. Sure, the world will end. But it's the life in the middle. The good of the people that live on it. Every life is precious. So what if in ten million years this world will crumble? Everybody still deserves to live. Everybody still deserves their chance. And we won't let you take that away!"

"You are too late." Garland let out a loud laugh. "My own crystal is returning power to the fiends as we speak. You cannot stop it."

"What?" Zinkata yelled.

"We have to do something!" Voldos cried.

"I might be able to cast dispel of some form on it." Vivli was thinking as she spoke. "I need to get to it!"

"Go!" Zinkata commanded. "We'll hold off Chaos!"

"I'll never make it!" Vivli told him. "Not with the monsters crawling all over this temple."

"Bootus! You're with Vivli!" The warrior ordered. "Voldos, me and you will handle Chaos."

"Sounds easy." Voldos said with wide eyes and a look of fear on his face.

"It will do you no good!" Garland laughed. "You shall all die!"

Vivli and Bootus bolted from the room. Zinkata and Voldos turned back to Garland. The Dark Knight summoned a gigantic silver scimitar.

"So, you are going to be the first to die?" Garland inquired. "Of course, my monsters could have crushed you, but instead I decided to leave that pleasure to myself." The demon paused. "It is a shame they will have to rip that irritating mage and the moronic galka apart instead of me, but I shall live with these small disappointments."

"Shut up and fight!" Zinkata snapped. The two warriors charged at the evil creature. Garland kicked Zinkata back, sending him flying across the room. He easily parried Voldos's attack and blasted back the elvaan. Zinkata rose, and charged at him. Garland took out the ex-thief with a bolt of lightning. Voldos started firing arrows, but they bounced off Garland without effect.

"We could be in trouble." The elf muttered.

The galka and mithra sprinted down the stone corridors. Bootus beat back freakish monsters as Vivli ran.

"In here!" The tiny mithra yelled. The two ran in to see the glowing black orb. Around it floated smaller dull orbs. Blackish crackles of lightning sparked from the main orb to the smaller ones.

"What the hell is that?" Bootus asked in shock.

"As the energy moves from the big orb to the smaller ones the fiends have their souls returned to them!" Vivli explained. "Hold off the monsters! I'll cast whatever I can!" Vivli began to cast something, but it had no effect. "Damn!" She cursed.

"Whatever you're going to do, do it fast!" Bootus advised as cracked another of the strange creatures' skulls.

"I'm thinking!" Yelled Vivli.

Voldos ducked under Garland's blade, and then parried another attack. His sword flew out of his hand. Zinkata ran up behind, and Garland kicked him back. Voldos dove for his sword, coming up and running in. Garland blasted back the elvaan with a fireball, and turned to Zinkata. Zinkata took in a breath, spun his sword, and attacked again. Garland easily blocked the attacks, and head butted the hume, knocking him to the floor. Garland thrust downwards, but missed as Voldos tackled him. The evil creature burst into the air, flying, his cape flying behind him.

"Pathetic!" He boomed. Arrows flew in at him, turning to dust before they reached the demon king.

"Damn!" Voldos cursed.

"Don't give up!" Zinakata told him. "For everything we believe in, we can never give up!"

"Touching." Garland said with a laugh. "But it is inevitable. You will lose." He soared down, sending the warriors flying with a blast of electricity.

Vivli screamed in frustration.
"Nothing works!" She yelled.

"We're running out of time!" Bootus told her. "Look!" One of the smaller orbs began to glow a faint white.

"NO!" She screeched. "I'll think of something! I will!" She paused. "I have an idea!" She ran up to the orb, and put both her hands on it. Her eyes turned to black and she screamed.

"He's too powerful!" Voldos groaned. "Even without his Shadow Magic! We don't stand a chance!"

"Then surrender!" Garland boomed.

"Never!" Voldos snapped. "We'll always fight. No matter what the outcome."

"Then you will die!"

Vivli was absorbed by shadow. She could see Chaos's soul. She could see the spell she cast. She knew how to break it. But she couldn't. She was absorbed by darkness. It was invading her. It was taking her soul! She screamed but no words formed. She tried to speak, but couldn't. She felt a cold wash over her body. She felt something gripping her. Something pulling her away.

Bootus yanked Vivli away from the orb. Her eyes fluttered back to normal.

"What? What happened?" She pondered, slumped in the giant's arms.

"I have no idea!" The galka boomed. "Tell me you found out what you needed to know!" The first orb was glowing brightly now.

"I know." She sighed. "I know his spell. I can counter-act it!" She took a deep breath, and began to cast.

Garland pushed back Voldos again. Zinkata jumped at him and Garland flung him into the elf.

"And now, feel my true power!" Gigantic demonic wings burst from Garland's back, and his metallic horns burst into real ones as they had in the cave all that time ago. His eyes began to glow a ghostly purple. He waved his hand, and bolts of lightning struck down the two warriors.

White light quickly spread across their bodies. The two opened their eyes. Vivli lowered her hand from the spell and Bootus took a fighting stance. The four ran to each other.

"Prepare to die, Chaos!" The galka spat. "You're plan has failed!"

"So, you de-enchanted my crystal?" Chaos sounded impressed. "No matter. I will destroy you and build another one. It is of no concern. You are no closer to winning. I will crush you and destroy the world."

"No!" Voldos yelled.

"We will defeat you!" Vivli cried.

"It ends here!" Zinkata screamed.

"Very well." Chaos boomed. "If you are so insistent on battling the inevitable, then so be it. This shall be your final battle!"

Bootus lead the charge at Chaos. The winged knight soared backwards in the air, beating down the galka with gusts of wind. Voldos unleashed arrows, but they seemed to fail to affect the demon king in any way. Vivli was busy casting protect and shell to protect the heroes. Zinkata hurled his sword upwards. It blew apart in a spectacular array of metal shards as Chaos fired a lightning bolt at it.

"Here!" Voldos threw Zinkata his sword. "I'll distract him!"

"Distract me?" Chaos roared. "You overestimate yourself!" Chaos waved a hand, and Voldos found himself encased in ice. The shards blew apart, and the elf dropped down.

"VOLDOS!" Vivli screamed, running to his side. Chaos blasted Vivli back with lightning. The little mithra got up painfully. Zinkata drove his sword at Chaos. This distracted the demon lord. Bootus charged, jumping up and grabbing the demon. The two tumbled from the sky. Bootus pounded the beast, and with a massive explosion of power, Chaos flung the galka off, lightning crackling all around the body of the demon king.

"FOOLS!" Chaos boomed. "You cannot defeat me! Witness the full power of that born of the crystals!" The body of Garland twisted and exploded into a gigantic bronze demon, the wings grew to gigantic sizes, the arms were the size of the tree trunks, the claws were like razor blades, the skin was thicker than any armour, the horns were like spears and the eyes glowed with a ghastly purple glow. "I am the Demon Lord Chaos, and I wish death to all who defy me! You will die! First you, and then the pathetic world you fight to save! Gaia is mine! Vana'diel is no more! It shall never exist!"

"CHAOS!" Zinkata bellowed, running forwards. White light shone from him as curaga healed the entire group. "You won't win!"

"We shall see, puny mortals!" Chaos roared, flying in and back fisting Zinkata across the room. His body soared across like a rag doll, smashing into the wall. Voldos's arrows bounced uselessly off the hide of the creature. Vivli ran to Zinkata's side.

Bootus charged at the demon, pounding his fists into the legs and hide of the gigantic monster. Chaos's razor sharp tail was pulled back, and thrust forwards, impaling the galka. He slid it out, leaving the bloodied tail and the wounded Bootus staggering away. Vivli had just finished healing Zinkata, and found herself running towards the badly injured Bootus. Voldos drew a knife from his boot and charged. Chaos grabbed the elf, picking him up.

"Your future is no more!" Chaos cried as he slammed the elvaan down into the ground. "You are all finished!" Voldos crawled out of the crater he was now in, bleeding heavily. Bootus rose, still clutching his newly healed side. Vivli ran towards Voldos, but Chaos intervened, stamping down. Zinkata slashed at Chaos with his sword. Chaos kicked the warrior back, and picked up Vivli by the tail, hurling her across the room. She crashed into Bootus before the mighty galka could launch an attack. Voldos fired an arrow from the ground to no avail. Zinkata and Bootus ran forwards once more.

Chaos swept down to meet them. He knocked Zinkata away and watched as Bootus thrust his fist forwards. Chaos blocked it back, and spun the arm around, snapping the bone. Bootus screamed and was thrown to the floor. Voldos managed to reach his knife, and drove it into the demon's foot. Chaos soared back into the air, giving Vivli enough time to cast another spell healing the party. The four reassembled.

"We can't beat it." Panted Voldos.

"We can't give up!" Groaned Zinkata.

"We won't." Bootus said, determined.

"Everything we've been through, for everyone we've met." Vivli gasped.

"Alex."

"Angel."

"Olose."

"Catara."

"Leine."

"Nenia."

"The lives Chaos has stolen." Vivli muttered.

"Signot." Zinkata grumbled.

"Sensei." Bootus remembered.

"Fiorel." Vivli said, almost crying.

"For all the elvaans, humes, mithra, tarus and galka that died fighting." Voldos stated.

"We won't lose." Zinkata decided.

"We can't." Voldos agreed.

"For Vana'diel." Bootus said.

"And for Gaia." Vivli pointed out.

"ATTACK!" Zinkata screamed.

The four, weapons drawn, charged at Chaos. The demon took Voldos out with a blast of lightning. Zinkata leapt through the air, driving his sword into the creature's chest. Chaos swatted him away like a fly. Bootus grappled with the demon, but was flung into the ground. Vivli did her best to cast offensive spells, but Chaos just smiled as banish failed to have any impact.

"Are you quite done?" Chaos inquired. "It is time you witnessed the truth of my power!" Chaos flew backwards into the air. "I believe you are already familiar with this spell." Fire began to form around Chaos's demonic form. "NUKE!"

The entire room exploded into heat. The four Light Warriors felt it spread across them, burn them, drain their life energy. They watched as the crystals glowed and their lives flashed before their eyes. Everything they had been through. Everything they had been through together.

"Everybody in on this mission then?"

"I was trained as a White Mage within a monastery. I was risen shielded from the outside. All the other mages were allowed to leave. But not me. They said it was too dangerous. They never said why. And then, one day, somebody showed up at the camp with a message. That day they told me to leave."

"It takes a special kind of person to help somebody who had betrayed them."

"Urm. Thanks. Guys."

"A few years back, an expedition unveiled an interesting artefact. They took it back to Bastok. The crown of Uggalepih."

"After seeing that Sea Horror. I have no doubt it was coming for Vivli."

"I'll have you know amongst the tarutaru population back in Windurst I was considered quite tall!"

"You cannot get away from me. I will kill these fools and then you."

"We're going to die, aren't we?"

"You're going nowhere. It's too dangerous. Especially right now."

"That's enough, Signot!"

"Chaos? As in the bad guy from the legend?"

"See? I knew you liked me really."

"Helluva cowardly Light Warrior if she's got his spirit!"

"Moodier than usual? I didn't know that was possible."

"Tell me, young Vivli, you were a student of magic. Do you know what Uggalepih means in the ancient tongue?"

"Once again, I respectfully disagree."

"So we go to Bastok and ask for rumours about the crystal positions?"

"Does anybody else hear thundering?"

"Your friends are beyond your help."

"Hey! Stop treating me like a kid!"

"I can't do it. I can't cast magic."

"Thanks for everything, Olose."

"I'm so sorry. I couldn't save you. I got you killed"

"Oh, sorry, I mean 'everrrrry rrrrrright'."

"Do not be afraid, child."

"Putting our faith in four adventurers?"

"This shall be your final battle!"

Vivli opened her eyes. She could hear a voice in her head. The crystal shard was glowing. All the crystal shards were glowing. Chaos's demonic face was twisted in a smile. The shards shattered. Vivli jumped in surprise. A blue light seeped from each shard, and began to buzz around the Light Warriors. They slowly rose to their feet, feeling regenerated. The light shone to Vivli.

"The spirits of the Light Warriors." Gasped Chaos. "No!" Vivli's face took its turn to smile.

"I know." She gasped to herself. "I know what to do! They're lending me their power!"

Vivli took a step forwards, a look of determination on her face. Her robes were ripped, torn and burnt, much like the others armour. The blue glow surrounded her.

"What's she doing?" Bootus whispered. The others remained silent.

"For every force of darkness there is light." She began to speak, and the blue light began to form into a tighter ball. "For every power of evil there is good. For every moment of chaos, there is order." The blue energy settled floating between her hands, glowing as a gigantic ball of energy. "For every one force, there is another to crush it. And so it is, the force of Ultima shall judge you!" She unleashed the blue force, and it shot into the air as a bolt of energy, tearing through Chaos. He yelled in pain. There was a pause. Chaos knew what was coming. Hundreds of blue bolts ripped down from the sky, tearing through his might form. He let out a scream of agony, and crashed to the ground.

Vivli collapsed, and Zinkata rushed to her side, holding her up. Chaos lay sprawled on the ground, his armour twisted and ruined.

"No." He groaned. "The Light Warriors. Their spirit. It was too strong."

"No." Voldos said calmly, approaching the fallen demon, having picked up his sword. "Our spirit was too strong." He swung the sword down, and it cut off the demon's head. There was a pause. Chaos began to glow. White light shot out from every crack in his body. The armour began to crack further. Light poured and seeped from every little bit of the gigantic demon's hulk. And it exploded in a gigantic flash of white.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" They heard a voice bellow as everything became white.

"Is it over?"

"I don't know."

"Where are we?"

"What's happening?"

"Wake up!"

"What?"

"Wake up!"

Vivli opened her eyes. Bootus was stood over her. He gave her a hand up. She surveyed her surroundings.

"We're home." He told her. She got up and looked around. They were back in present day, at the Temple of Uggalepih.

The four adventurers wearingly wondered out of the temple. Outside the United Army of Vana'diel stood, staring at them. There was silence. Somebody started to clap. One by one the entire army joined in, clapping. Roaring in applause at the four beaten adventurers stood before them. Vana'diel had been saved. They had done it.