Split Ends

Intro: . Wow… it's been at least a year. Er… um… well… sorry? Hey at least I'm updating! I'm a bit rusty with the attacks and all, because my GBA is missing, but otherwise… this should prove to be an entertaining chapter…

Italics – thoughts

Bold – actions, etc

XV

The cold gray eyes stared ominously back down on Llednar, anger flickering through them. "Yes…" he said in a harsh, cooing voice. His gruff hand tightened around Llednar's arm, almost snapping the bone in two. Ujuidar blinked awkwardly at the effect, as it was similar to that of the other outerworldly humans he'd encountered. "You're… real…"

Llednar merely gaped in surprise, too stunned for words. "I thought…"

Ujuidar's surprise, if you could call it that, at Llednar's sudden mortality waned, and his eyes narrowed once more, "No 'master'… no. I am very… much… alive!" With each word he leaned closer, until his face was inches from Llednar's. Llednar gulped, sweat trickling down the back of his neck, causing the hairs to stand on end. "Ujuidar… please…"

Ujuidar ignored his half plea and glanced around at the sordid area he'd walked into. Potions lie in disarray and seeping through their smashed bottles onto the floor; the tables were mainly overturned or crushed. Blood was smeared on the walls and floor, and off in the corner stood Marche and his clan, hunched around Mewt's mangled form in a protective stance. Ujuidar's eyes swept over the clan, the glance barely wavering until his eyes came to Marche. "You…"

Marche swallowed hard, his mouth dry. Ujuidar's aura radiated a little at the sight of him, and his pupils dilated till they were no more than a mere speck. "You killed Ztir!"

"What?" Ritz cried out before anyone else could speak. "Marche and Mewt helped her you idiot! Llednar's the one that tried to run her through!"

Ujuidar's eyes darkened. "You dare disagree with? Why you ignorant little wretch! I ought to-

Marche slid in front of Ritz, hands outstretched. Ritz glared at the back of his head, "What the hell are you doing! I can take care of myself!"

He ignored her. "Ujuidar, Llednar's just turned himself half human. He's going to begin the Ceremony of Seal. Our hometown, St. Ivalice, will cease to exist if that happens…" Ujuidar was completely uninterested, but Marche had to try, "And there will truly be no way to bring Ztir back."

His eyes flashed, and he whirled back to face Llednar, "Are you going to bring her back when the worlds mesh?"

Llednar was wedged between two smashed tables covered in blood. Slowly he gulped, real fear etching into his expression. "W-well…"

"Idiot…" Ritz muttered under her breath.

Ujuidar's anger flared. "You won't will you! Do you enjoy seeing my pain? My suffering!" He grabbed Llednar up by the scruff of the neck and shook him violently, facing him. "Or perhaps you wish to punish me… for my 'misbehavior'…"

Llednar's eyes were wide in terror. He hung from Ujuidar's strong grip, the grip on his bloodied attire threatening to hang him. "U-ujuidar… p-p-please…"

"Bring… her… back!" Ujuidar snarled, dragging him over towards the Gran Grimoire, which was open to the Ceremony of Seal spell. Marche's clan slid to the corners of the room, unwilling to get in the powerful being's way. He slammed Llednar onto the table beside the book, reading what the ingredients were. "The essence… of Li-grim… ?"

Llednar shuddered in pain, collapsing on the rough wood of the table. He couldn't move under Ujuidar's firm grip, but he knew what was in store. "The…. The…."

Ujuidar spotted the bear. "This? The wish maker…"

He was fading quickly, but he couldn't let his creation have the bear. "Ujuidar… Ujuidar please! You c-can't…! I…"

"This?" Ujuidar dangled the bear from his fingertips. "This is a key to your little spell is it not?" A sly smile curled over his pale lips. "Oh, but Li-grim… she is the great wish maker… she could bring Ztir back for me…"

"Ujuidar… n-no!" Llednar's voice had become shrill and scared.

"Yes…" Ujuidar's smile spread farther. "This would make a perfect revenge don't you think? Dashing your hopes of bringing this pathetic world to life… all by destroying this small, stupid trinket. And then…" He brought the bear right under Llednar's nose, his eyes glittering with malice. "I'll bring her back to me… and make myself all powerful… so I can protect her…"

His breath hastened and he pinned Llednar to the desk. The mageknight screeched in pain, blood spilling across the table. "So I can protect her from the likes of you!"

"Ujuidar stop! Stop!" Llednar cried out. "I order you to stop!"

Ujuidar leaned over him, pinning him down with one hand, and holding the bear up in the other. He leaned in, grinning and whispering, "Your orders, 'master', fall on deaf ears."

Llednar's eyes widened. Without even uttering an incantation, energy drew into Ujuidar's hands. Almost instantly the bear burned up in flames, destroying the last ingredient, the most rare of all, of Llednar's spell. "N-no…"

Marche stared, stunned, "But… Li-grim's dead…"

"It's her spirit, the spirit of the form she took the last time she was alive," Ritz breathed. "Mewt's mother…"

"Does that mean she can bring Ztir back?" Marche watched the flames lick at the bear, a slow, light blue mist sprouting from its tarnished fur. The smell of burning hair awoke the unconscious Mewt to the grips of pain. Mewt began to scream horrendously, not just out of pain, but because his bear, his beloved keepsake of his mother, burned away before his eyes.

Miss Radiuju and Cid shaded him from the sight; her staff raised to seal away his pain, his father muttering words of comfort into his ears. Ritz bit back a sob, the sight of her friend's immense pain washing over her. "He… he can't bring Ztir back can he…?"

Llednar stayed silent, pinned between the smashed ends of the table. Blood poured down his face, everywhere, caking his fingers as he racked his mind for a way to stop Ujuidar. If Ujuidar sensed he could not bring Ztir back with the bear…

Marche shook his head, "He can't bring her back. We sent her off peacefully, and he's not a true being, he cannot summon the dead with Li-grim."

"Silence you fool!" Llednar snapped harshly, shuddering as Ujuidar turns from the flames, eyes glinting from the red flames. Ujuidar's face was slowly rearranging itself, as if…

Ujuidar turned to fully face them. "Oh great wish maker… I wish… for Ztir's return from the dead and… for ultimate power!"

The embers died, and the mist rose, encircling Ujuidar with a blinding light. Ujuidar laughed with glee as the light swirled and pulled him into the air. His features twisted, his muscles suddenly filled with energy. Energy swirled about him, distorting his features slowly and mechanically. His clothing slashed itself apart, his black hair burning off with the crazily growing light. At first Ujuidar kept his smile, but soon…

"What… what is happening?"

"Oh… my…" Montblanc whispered in horror as the clan watched Ujuidar's form twist and stretch, his features erupting with pulsating power. "The wish… his first wish couldn't be fulfilled! The wish maker's power backfired!"

"What the hell does that mean for the rest of us?" shouted Colin.

"That…" Marche stared in horror. "It'll overload his system… he'll…"

Suddenly Marche knelt down, clutching his chest. "Augh!"

Mewt stared as the last of Ujuidar's transformation completed itself, and swiveled his pale face to where Marche crouched, shaking terribly. "M-Marche…?"

Ritz ran over to him, kneeling beside him, "Marche! What's wrong?"

Cid helped Mewt to his feet, "Come on kiddo… we have to get out of here!"

Shara, Montblanc, and the trio of former bullies drew their weapons, prepared to attack the monstrosity before them. Ujuidar's wish had completely twisted him, distorting his features so he looked blind, deaf, and dumb. Large, green, pulsating arms draped to the ground with thick claws as fingers, the head moving in a weird way, like it was askew on its shoulders. A large opening coated with acid peeled back his lips and melted the roof of his mouth so it began a gaping hole. The mouth open and closed rhythmically, sucking at the air around it. Large green feet caked with blood and tatters of Ujuidar's clothing crushed the floor below. The monster turned to the group and roared, the sound so earsplitting it nearly deafened poor Shara and Miss Radiuju.

"W-what is that thing?" Mewt gasped in horror.

"That…" Ritz stared up at what had become of Ujuidar, "Is probably Li-grim's opposite, Bludshae. The legend of Bludshae tells of a nightmarish creature that is the shadow to Li-grim's light… if I'm not mistaken… the sheer amount of power Li-grim unleashed on Ujuidar completely overloaded his system and twisted his features to that of the mythical Bludshae."

"How do you know all this?" Lyle looked at her quizzically. Ritz shrugged, "Shara."

Shara pinned her ears to the side of her white head. "Ahh…."

Miss Radiuju couldn't block her ears from the horrific sound and fainted. Doned rolled out of her arms, Cid breaking his mother's fall. Doned lie on his backside and opened his eyes. He sat up stiffly, "What… Where am I? Mom!"

He noticed his mother in Cid's arms; it was a wonder that he even recognized her. "Mom!"

"She's fine," Cid panted. "Apparently… the sound echoing through the room from that monster…"

"Monster!" Doned wheeled around and looked up at the horrendous creature. His face turned to utter disgust. "T-that thing?"

"Yes…" Cid laid her down, trying to block up her ears with bits of cloth. As he tended to Doned's mother he filled him in about what had been happening whilst Doned slumbered beneath hypnosis.

Marche meanwhile, still knelt in the same position and refused to move. Ritz tried to talk to him, but there was no answer. "Marche! Marche! It's me!"

"No… please… please… no!" Marche bellowed, clamping his hands over his ears. The monster roared, flinging Shara, Montblanc, Nono, and the trio of boys off their feet. "Please… please don't… I…"

His eyes blanked as he muttered incoherently. Ritz gasped, "Marche! Mewt! We have to do something!"

Mewt stared in horror, fully healed and part illusion. Llednar slowly stumbled forward, blood sloshing from his wounds as he did so, "Mewt… Mewt…"

Mewt whirled around, staring at his hatred, "Llednar, what do you want!"

Llednar collapsed in a heap. "I… only want peace… Mewt. I have done a foolish thing… I never intended for this to happen…"

Mewt stared at himself and knew Llednar spoke the truth. He walked towards him and knelt at his side. "Do you know how to stop him?"

"OMEGA!" screamed the monster, and everyone was blown off his/her feet, except for Marche and Ritz, who, oddly enough, were surrounded by a shield. Mewt crouched over Llednar and took the brunt of the blast. When they were safe again, far away from the battle behind them, he asked Llednar again.

"I… have a plan…" Llednar whispered. Mewt fished some healing items from his pockets and healed them both. Llednar felt for any wounds and stood, facing Mewt. "We have to work together."

"What!"

"Together we are both the illusion and the reality," Llednar said calmly. "Mewt, if you and I… if we work together… we can achieve far greater than any amount of power Li-grim could give. I am the most powerful illusion, and you… you are an amazing person…"

Llednar bowed, "I am honored to be a part of you…"

Mewt stared at him, "Llednar…"

Lyle managed to strike the monster in its gaping mouth, but the monster never slowed down. Colin and Guiness did there best attempts to attack, nothing worked. Even Montblanc's strongest magic merely glanced off the monster. Nono backed away from the monster in horror, "This… this thing…"

"It's invincible…" Lyle whispered.

Guiness couldn't hide his fear, "We're gonna die…"

Cid managed to revive Miss Radiuju, frantic, "Miss… we have to get moving… can you stand?"
"I think so…" she said wearily, moving to her feet. "Is… is everyone all right…?"

"Doned's up," Cid said. Doned hugged his mother tightly, "Mother!"

"Doned…" Miss Radiuju smiled down at her son, returning his embrace, "My little boy… you're all right… and you can still walk!"

Doned started at this and looked at his legs. He could walk. His eyes widened, speechless. Miss Radiuju chuckled and stroked his hair, gazing out at the battle before them. "Oh…"

Doned turned to look too, "They need our help!"

Cid took to his feet, "You two stay here, and I'll help them out!"

Miss Radiuju put her hands on her hips, "Well now, we can't let them have all the fun can we?"
"Wait!" Doned grabbed her before she could sprint after Cid. "Look at Marche!"

Miss Radiuju whirled around and looked in the direction he was pointing. She gasped.

"Marche!"

To Be Continued