This is the Final Chapter of my story. I will probably right a final piece after this explaining anything some people may not have understood. Anyhow. If your just joining us, go back and read everything before this one, im not going to explain it all! Anyhow. Its 1:50am, I have to be up early tomorrow to go to visit my family and im writing this. Why? Requested, or moreso ordered to by my close friend Karissa. Thanks, I guess. If there is one thing I would like to do, it is dedicate this chapter to her. It's the final piece, and she is the one who got me started on writing. So again, thank you, I owe you this story. Copyright, everything related to FFXI is copyrighted to SE, everything else to myself. Character names copyrighted to the people who play them. Anyway, enjoy.
"What?"
"My lord Hector…he is a deviant…"
"This…how can this be…"
"Our…second renewed the lost memories of Alex…"
"That shouldn't matter!"
"I…I don't understand…"
"What did you tell the girl?"
"Everything you asked…"
"Tell me what you told her!"
"I, I told her about Fayte and his opponent"
"Yes, what else…"
"I told her this isn't the first time…"
"What else…"
"I told her about what happened last time…"
"And?"
"That, that's it my lord…"
"You didn't tell her about his feelings…"
"His…my lord I…"
"Theo…she had to know how he felt…"
"Sir, I don't know how I didn't remember that…"
"She has to know that…it…its to late…"
"Yes my lord…I…I am afraid I have failed you…"
"We will see how this plays out…but this isn't good…"
"I…I am sorry…"
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As the melee combat force led by Fayte smashed into the line of beastmen pale blue and black magic could be seen from the hill. Fayte was pleased, however he couldn't find Tohma. The blackmages were taking down the large Behemoths like he had thought they would, the whitemages kept protective spells up around the melee fighters.
"Tohma!" Fayte yelled as he hovered several feet above the ground looking for her.
As he looked to the side he saw her running toward the beastmen. She slammed her lance into a large orc, it crumbled to its knees as Tohma unleashed another attack on another target. Again and again she killed. Fayte soared forward and slashed through several beastmen at once, creating a large opening. The beastmen he killed seemed to disappear. They turned into shining lights and glowed for a moment as they rose into the air, then faded.
"Grah!" Tohma screamed as she spun quickly cutting a Yagudo in two. Blood covering her bottom pieces of gear.
"NOW!" Fayte shouted out to the direction of Ocat who was in the front of his group with Styrth, and Megieux.
Ocat raised his fists and ran forward screaming. Styrth pulled his Great Katana from his belt and the whole set of lines rushed forward. They slammed into the side of the Beastmen force delivering a heavy blow. As they hit the line Fayte rose up into the air again.
"Laquicia!" He shouted out.
On that command Laquicia got all the summoners to begin summoning their strongest of avatars. The bards ran forward directly behind the melee lines and began chanting songs and poetry. The entire army seemed to become a lot happier and efficient as soon as they began to sing. Fayte looked around. Everything was going as he had planned it would. He watched as the avatars soared over the melee lines and began to thrash into the beastmen.
"Perfect!" Fayte shouted as he dove down again and began erasing the beastmen he struck.
Tohma watched him. He was everything she thought an angel would be, strong, winged, and a dragoon. At that thought she laughed a little. As she laughed out loud she swung around removing a goblins head. She had always thought they had halos though, Fayte didn't have a halo, and neither did that Zervakus person. She felt very strange, like nothing could hurt her. It was almost as if she was in shock.
"Hrmph" Fayte laughed slashing through a few dozen more beastmen.
Styrth was tearing through his own group of beastmen, but he was noticing casualties. All the commanders were doing excellent jobs, they led their fleets of men and women smoothly, precisely and calmly. However in war there are always people dying. And there were many adventurers being struck down by beastmen magic and melee fighters. The white mages were doing their best, but Tornex and Vernia could only have them do so much. The war was definitely going the way they wanted it to, but the less casualties the better.
"Magic Burst!" one of the Tarutaru blackmages squeeked casting a high leveled fire spell.
As soon as the spell hit one of the behemoths another, and another spell linked with it. The behemoth lit up in flames and fell to its side charred and dead. The melee line continued destroying what little was left of their main melee line. This was far to easy!
Fayte continued his brigade killing off more and more of the beastmen. Tohma who was behind him was also killing off as much as she could. Zervakus sat and continued watching. He was amazed at how well the army was doing. They were losing one man for every 50 or 60 beastmen that was killed. He watched Fayte as he released more and more of the beastmen from their pain and torment. But he kept a very close eye on Tohma. He felt something, something he hadn't felt in a long time. Not since Fayte was descended.
"Almost there! Keep going!" Fayte shouted out.
Gaglevan was leading his section of the army perfectly. He was the best Paladin anyone had seen, taking blows and delivering them twofold back on the enemy. The ninjas were destroying everything with their Ninjitsu, and the beastmen had creatures of all shapes and sizes tearing through the enemy with them. It was a fine battle to watch, and an even finer one to fight in.
Zervakus continued watching from the crag. He found himself constantly looking at Tohma and remember the feelings he had during his ascension. When he had ascended he became linked with another, that other was Fayte. They were linked emotionally, everything one felt the other felt, it was a weak link, but that link still remained. These feelings he had, they were those Fayte had felt for Alex. It was a good feeling, but he knew it wasn't his, or he thought it wasn't.
As the final line of the melee fighters on the beastmen side were obliterated the mages were left defenseless. They still continued casting spells relentlessly, but it was almost over for them. Fayte tore through them along with the entire melee line. There was another line behind them that Fayte hadn't seen. Orcish towers! They began launching large fiery bombs over the line of mages. The casualties began rolling in at this point.
"Oh no…" Fayte said as he rushed forward destroying several of the towers on his own.
"Move back!" Tohma shouted as she got her squad to move backward with her.
"Rangers!" Tornex commanded.
The rangers all stepped up and began unleashing wave after wave of bullets and arrows. Slowly, yet steadily the towers began to fall. Fayte, who was now far up into the air saw the leader. The shadowlord was seated at the back of the army, which was visibly smaller than it was when they started. Fayte began soaring downward toward him.
"Grahtzigua!" the shadowlord cried out as Fayte plunged himself and his lance through him.
As Fayte emerged covered in what looked like an oil the Shadowlord fell to one side. He layed there twitching as Fayte walked up to his head. He bent down and whispered the final words of any free nation of Vana'diel the Shadowlord would ever hear;
"Goodbye…"
As Fayte stood up he plunged his lance downward into the Shadowlords head. With a twitch and a cry out the shadowlord dispersed like the rest of the beastmen Fayte had killed. After the small white shining lights rose into the air the beastmen seemed to lose it. All their co-ordination became nothing, there was no real order to what they were doing. They were simply slashing randomly. Without their leader they were powerless, or so it looked. The towers ceased firing, the mages ran forward and attacked with their staves and clubs.
Zervakus who was at the crag began clapping his hands and laughing aloud. He was impressed that Fayte was handling this so well. Soon the battle would be over. And soon he would have to fight again. He noticed the Avatars making the enemy look like fish! They were useless. A swipe from Ifrit would kill dozens in one strike! The beastmen had no leader now, they were going to lose, there was no question about it.
"Its almost over!" Tohma shouted with glee throwing her lance up into the air.
Her small wyvern was doing a lot of damage himself it was amazing! Tohma however was beginning to look nervious, she looked like she was in a lot of fear. Fayte was now walking around, his weapon in his hand just watching everyone else. He had thought something might happen regarding what Zervakus had said about his overall goal, but it looked like he had been wrong.
"Keep going!" Fayte shouted.
Everyone continued their destructive attacks. The beastmen army was almost completely gone. Fayte looked like he was going to explode he was so pleased with everyone.
"Fayte!' Fayte heard a voice scream from behind him, it was Styrth. As he was about to turn it happened. He felt it. Cold steal pierce his back. It slowly drove through him, and he realized he was right. Someone on his own side was attacking him, for fear that Zervakus was right! As the weapon plunged through him and out the other side he turned. His head was down and he was rasping for air. He looked up expecting to see Styrth standing in front of him, his weapon still in Fayte. But as he raised his head with an expression of anger he saw who it was.
Tohma stood before him, her hands shaking, her lance fully pierced through Fayte's body. His face turned from anger to shock. His eyes were wide, his mouth open, rasping for air. He saw Styrth behind Tohma several feet away, his hand was over his mouth. He had tried to warn Fayte. As Faytes eyes shifted back to Tohma her eyes were filled with tears and her hands were still shaking at her sides. Fayte, who was still rasping for air began to cough. Blood spurted out and covered the ground in front of him. He staggered toward her and dropped to his knees. His weapon hit the ground and disappeared.
"Fa…" Tohma almost said his name.
Fayte reached up to grab onto her, trying to support himself. His hands met hers as his head leaned against her stomach. Blood was draining down out of the wound and onto the ground from the lance that was still fully through him. He heard Tornex screaming and running toward them. As Faytes eyes filled with tears he managed to look up at Tohma. She was looking down at him, one of her hands now covering her mouth as if she was going to burst into tears.
"Toh…tohma…" Fayte rasped.
"Fayte…I…I had…" Tohma began, "I had too…"
Fayte coughed again, more blood. His lung had been destroyed. He took the tip of the lance and pulled it all the way through his body with his hand. With a cry of pain and tears he fell to one side. Tornex arrived next to them, along with most of the other commanders. As he cast a healing spell on Fayte it managed to affect everyone around Fayte, but not Fayte himself.
Tohma, who was now down kneeling next to Fayte held the back of his head up and layed it in her lap. She began crying, she couldn't believe what she had done. Fayte was shaking as if he was frozen with fear, his eyes shot from person to person. Everyone seemed to be in disbelief, many had their hands over the mouths, some had even gotten sick. As he reached up with his bloody hand he touched her face. So warm, so loving, this was the girl he remembered.
"Your spells…can't affect him…" Zervakus silently said as he walked up past Tornex who was continuing with his white magic.
"What do you mean?" Tornex shouted.
"He is a deviant…your white magic wont affect him, for he is no longer under the protection of the gods who supply you with magic…" Zervakus explained.
Fayte who was crying in Tohma's lap looked up at Zervakus. Zervakus looked at him and looked almost like he himself was going to cry. As he shifted back to look at Tohma she touched his forhead, moving some of the hair that was there. After what seemed like hours he noticed that he was surrounded by people. Everyone had stopped fighting! Had the war been won?
"Tohma…I…" Fayte groaned, a stream of blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth.
"I…I'm sorry…" Tohma managed to say before she broke into tears again.
Fayte reached up a final time, his hand reaching around the back of her neck. He looked at her as her tears touched his face. His own tears mixed with dust and blood rolled down his face. He was shaking still as he said it. His last words.
"Tohma…I" Fayte began as he coughed again, "I…love you…" Fayte managed to say.
Her eyes widened as a smile grew across his face. He blinked once, then twice and then, never again. His hand let go, falling to the ground with a thud. Tohma was now crushed.
"Fayte…!" she screamed.
"Fayte!"
As tears streamed down her face she broke down. She stopped caring about everyone around her and she just cried. Tornex, and Styrth stood behind her. It was over. Memories of Fayte in Bastok seemed to fill their minds. Both of them were on the edge. As Tohma continued crying Karrick walked up. He looked down at Fayte' motionless body, wings tucked under him. He knelt down and looked at him.
"I…I'm sorry my friend" Karrick said as he closed Fayte's eyes.
Zervakus walked up to Tohma and knelt next to her. He looked at Fayte. Then up at her, still crying. He put his hand under her chin and turned her head to look at him.
"You did the right thing…" Zervakus said.
Tohma looked at him, her face was filled with emotion, pain, sorrow, but most of all, relief. Zervakus leaned down and picked up Fayte's body. Tohma sat on the ground for several minutes as Zervakus walked toward the crag. He looked down at the raged body. This was the man he called brother, the man he had done everything with in his ascension, and now he was dead. He walked up the stairs on the crag he layed Fayte's body down under the teleporting crystal. As he pulled Ragnarok from his belt he looked back.
The beastmen had been completely destroyed. And so had Fayte. Therefore, after he completed his mission he was to be given a second chance at life. He looked at the crystal, then down at Fayte.
"Good bye…my friend…" he said as he raised his sword up.
With a swift slash across the crystal the body slowly turned into the same white particles that the beastmen Fayte had killed turned into. As he walked down the stairs he could feel it, the energy of his ascension leaving him. He felt his wings simply de-materialize. Ragnarok fell from his hand and disappeared. He was free at last. He walked up to Tohma who was still on the ground.
"You…you all did a great thing today…" Zervakus began, "you destroyed the force of beastmen that would have eventually caused the ruin of Vana'diel."
Everyone was focused on him.
"For those of you who don't know…Fayte…was an angel, like I was…" Zervakus started.
Everyone perked up and began listening carefully.
"We were given a choice…a choice between our friends and family, and the enemy…Fayte chose the enemy, he chose to help those you just destroyed…"
Everyone seemed a little confused. Fayte had helped them defeat the beastmen, what was Zervakus talking about! Tohma, who had already known listened as well, tears still rolling down her face. There were many among them who weren't crying, but were in disbelief over what had happened.
"He didn't remember the reason he chose to kill you all…he…he remembered the reasons not to…And because of that he went against what he was supposed to do…"
"What are youzy saying?" Damuhookamu spoke up.
"I am saying you just witnessed the death of someone who needed to die. But his heart was pure. No heart is pure forever, but his was pure, more pure than any of yours. Even after I renewed those memories he couldn't bring himself to want to kill any of you!" Zervakus shouted out.
"Why!" Tohma cried out, "Why are you telling us this…"
"He loved another. He didn't care as much about the first, this Alex he loved. He cared about the girl he came back too. He care about you Tohma…" Zervakus tried to explain.
Tohma looked up at him. She looked like she was going to faint.
"Fayte and I were like brothers…for the longest time…we were linked. He felt such strong feelings for you Tohma…and…" Zervakus tried to explain more.
"What?" Styrth asked angrily.
"I will always carry a piece of him with me. And he would have done the same. He loved you Tohma…" Zervakus said with a sigh.
Everyone went silent. Most of them looked like they thought this was all bullshit. But some of them didn't. Some of them looked very serious. Tohma managed to bring herself to her feet. She looked around at everyone. She reached into her pouch on her belt and took the linkshell. A piece if history, or it would be. She took it and she smashed it into the ground. She looked around as everyone smiled.
"I…I want to go home…" Tohma managed to say.
"I'm sorry…" Zervakus said as he walked toward her.
Tohma wrapped her arms around him. She couldn't believe what she had done. She just wanted to go to Bastok and stay with her family. She wanted to curl up and stop. Stop everything. As the linkshell slowly dispersed and left the highlands, Zervakus stood there, holding her for hours.
Tornex and Vernia started their long trip back to Jeuno. Styrth left for San'doria with Ocat and Megieux. Damuhookamu began his journey back to his homeland of Windurst. Everyone left. Zervakus and Tohma began their journey to Bastok. Now that Zervakus was no longer an angel he could live and he would die like a normal person would. He had owed his freedom to Fayte.
Everyone owed their freedom to Fayte.
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The battle went down in the history books of all the nations. Great tales of Gaglevan the Giant! And Tohma, the princess of faith. Tales that were told to children of all the nations like those that were told to Tohma herself. Years passed by and slowly the truth faded. People no longer believe so strongly in the stories. But they were still told to the children, generation after generation. Tell Tale Stories that drove everyone to grow up to be strong and righteous. Friendship and loyalty could hold any bond together!
After thousands of years had passed and those adventurers had perished they lived on in the hearts of others. Their names remained, their souls righteous and pure. That could never change. Ever. And as the flow of time slowly took its toll, they were forgotten. The war was forgotten, the morals it taught. Replaced by more adventures and wars. The same adventurers who had grown up hearing about Fayte and Tohma were in the history books.
It was a circle. A constant. Never changing, but forever flowing. Forever growing. And it always would be.
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If memories are all you have, then you had better hold onto them. A memory will last forever, so never forget. If you try to forget, you will regret it. Do what is in your heart. Don't follow the rules, don't follow beliefs you don't believe in but know to be right. Follow what your heart tells you to. If memories are all I have because of mistakes I have made, then so be it. I cherish those memories, I cherish those times, those things I did, and didn't do. I may regret certain things, but can I change them? Yes, the answer is yes I can. I wrote this story with a reason behind it. It has a moral. It has more to it than characters, wars and monsters. Or I think it does. It has feelings, and emotions imbued into it. I loved writing this story, I love the characters, and I love the meaning behind it. However it's not my say to tell you what this story means to me. It means different things to everyone.
I finish writing this story at 4:48am. I would like to dedicate this final chapter to Karissa, a girl who inspired a lot of feelings put into this story. She got me started, and now I would like to finish with her in mind. Not to mention, you know, the one keeping me up this late to write this. Thank you, I had fun writing it, I hope you enjoyed reading it. I put a lot of thought into my friends when I wrote this and the kinds of characters they are, I tried to keep relatively close to them. But now I'm finished. Some people don't know how to finish something like this, but I feel that I ended it as best I could, I hope people aren't disappointed with it.
"You can't lose to anyone until you lose yourself"
/shutdown