Disclaimer: I have said it 49 times over and over and over! I'm not saying it one more blasted time! You get the picture! Don't you? Please tell me you get this picture!
Chapter Fifty
The Beginning's End
What do I do? What do I choose? My time has run out. I don't know where I'm going or what I'm doing. I've never been so afraid in my life. I've never let fear get to me before. It's never bothered me, but now I know that all along, the one thing I fear the most, is fear itself. I've been oblivious to it, blocked it out. I never wanted to admit that I was afraid of anything. But I'm afraid of everything.
If you're afraid of everything, then what are you doing here? What brought you to this place? What inside of you makes you want to destroy this witch so badly?
I don't want her to hurt anyone else. I want the torture to stop. She is just as bad as the ones before her. And she wants to hurt Rinoa. I can't allow that. I promised that I wouldn't let anyone or anything hurt her.
Why did you make such a promise that you can't keep? There will always be something there to hurt her and bring her down. You can't stop that. No one can. It is evitable.
But I want to try as hard as I can to protect her from that something or someone. It's my duty. It's what I'm supposed to do, what I was destined to do.
How do you know that you were destined to do such a thing? Who told you that you were destined to protect a woman such as that?
No one told me that I had to do anything. I just felt that it was what I needed to do. I don't need someone to tell me to do what is right. I can do that on my own.
But how do you know that you made the right decision? How do you know that you are protecting the right sorceress?
I know because I love her, whether or not she is the right one that I'm supposed to protect.
How do you know that she is the one that you love?
What kind of question is that? I know I love her because I just do. I feel it inside.
Is it the right sorceress that you have sworn to protect? What tells you that you have protected the right sorceress?
My heart tells me. What other reason do I need? What other voice do I have to hear before I know what I'm doing right?
The heart does not always tell the truth. It can be misleading or you could be misinterpreting what it is truly saying. Are you blinded by what you think is love that you do not see what has been laid out for you?
What I think is love? I don't have to think about it. I know.
Then you know that all along what you think is true is really not? What the past has said is nothing but lies. The truth is hidden from you and you must find it. When you do, the outlook you have will change completely. Don't say I didn't warn you, but the choice you will make will change your entire being. Things will change right before your eyes, and you will be forced to question what you have stood for. Beware of what the future will hold for you.
What? I don't understand? How do I know what I am to choose?
You have known all along. There is nothing to choose. Your nature and past has made the choice for you.
But how do I know that is the choice that is needed? How do I know I won't regret my choice?
Whatever choice is made will have a form of regret. There is no such thing as a choice that is not regretted. Such a choice is not possible.
This is what I need to do? This is my path that Destiny has set out for me? Is there no other path that I can take?
There is none. You will soon meet the ugly face of truth, and you will be questioned by it.
And if I do not wish to be questioned by the truth? What happens then?
In time you will change that attitude. This is what you must do.
I know, but I'm scared. I fear of what will happen to me.
Fear is the greatest enemy that cannot be beat without the work of a true warrior. Fear will follow you and taunt you until Time's end. It is inescapable.
Fear is the greatest enemy?
Yes and you will first meet Fear's full form very soon. It is time that you depart and that you proceed onward to your destiny. They are waiting for you. This will be how it begins to end. The true ending is not near. There is still much Time left, but the first part is coming and will wait for you.
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They walked through the doors and were engulfed in darkness. There was the sound of the heavy doors closing, and they could see nothing beyond the bleak.
Squall took a step forward and a row of candles lit up, revealing a path. He hesitated before turning to the others who he could barely see now. "I guess we go this way."
"We're getting closer, aren't we? We're getting closer to the end, right?" Selphie asked. She gripped Rinoa by the arm, walking forward behind Squall.
"Don't always expect a happy ending." Squall muttered as he led the party down the path lit by candles.
"So where does this lead? I can't see anything but black! How do we know we're not going to go plummeting down?" Irvine exclaimed.
"I don't know, considering we're in a castle, it probably leads to a chamber where we'll fight Rianna." Squall answered, concentrating on walking forward and following the path of candles. He didn't want them to see how worried or scared he was. He was ashamed of his fear and wanted no one to see it.
"Is it just me or is this serious deja-vu?" Zell asked he had been quiet for a while. His head was in massive pain from the fight with Nadia. That cute little girl had turned into a monster! Was this world messed up or what?
"Yeah, it does feel that way, doesn't it?" Quistis sighed. She tried to stay as close to Seifer as possible without looking like she was hanging onto him, but he didn't mind. He didn't mind having her close to him at all.
"I wish I knew where we were." Selphie moaned. She didn't like the dark, and she didn't like not knowing where she was. It just wasn't how she did things.
"We should still be in the castle." Irvine whispered, gripping his gun close to him, prepared for anything to jump out at him.
Suddenly, the candles that lit their path all went out, and they stood in darkness, startled and waited for anything to happen.
From straight ahead of them, a light rose up, like a sun rising early in the morning and spread a warm, yellow glow to all it touches. They were finally able to see where they had ended up at. It was very surprising that they had found themselves in a giant hall that was in much better shape than the battleground with Nadia. Grand portraits lined the walls of elegant, beautiful people of royalty. A carpet of red and gold covered the floor up to a throne with a crown decorated with diamonds and rubies of a priceless value. Pillars of marble held up a ceiling painted with magnificent pictures of magical creatures. Flowers were strewn along the foot of the gray throne. The room was so bright, so beautiful and yet so old. Yes, it was old, but it had been well kept.
"Where are we?" Rinoa asked, barely breathing. She was clearly mesmerized by the sight of the room, as she hadn't expected anything quite like it.
"The castle of Ecnera, that is where you have found yourselves and your demise." A voice that had become very familiar to them spoke from behind them. They turned around to find Rianna. The Natural-born sorceress was dressed in a very medieval style dress of fancy design with purple and black coloring. She walked past them calmly toward the throne, her cape flying out and her black wings limply dragging behind her. She stood before the throne, staring where the crown was seated. It is almost time for the crown to be reclaimed. She will return and fix this mess that has been made. Our justice will be obtained." She spoke so softly that they strained to hear.
Squall, besides Irvine, was the first to draw his weapon. He only had a few minutes now before Griever appeared and expected an answer from him, but he had no idea what that answer would be. He was afraid of what would happen to him. He'd been told over and over and over that "this" was his destiny, his fate, but no one had ever told him just exactly what "this" meant. What was he destined to do? What had Fate set in stone for him? Did it end now or was there more to it?
Rianna finally turned to face them, glaring with looks that could kill. "I see you destroyed my one friend. Your kind has to destroy everything, don't you?" She glared at Squall who managed to hold his ground and not be afraid. "There is no matter, anyhow. Soon you will have nothing and the power that you hold inside will be worthless. The pathetic lie of the prophecy will not help you, and you'll be at the mercy of the Great and Powerful Refies!"
"Refies?" Selphie gulped. She looked around nervously at the others.
"Yes, she will soon return along with all others of my clan, and then, the battle for the universe will begin!" She laughed horribly.
"I guess world domination wasn't good enough." Irvine whispered, hiding inside a laugh. Squall turned his head and glared at him, telling him instantly that shutting up would be a wise decision.
"It ends here, Rianna. It ends now." Squall growled. The other sorceress smiled a wicked little grin.
"No, it does not. There is still much to happen. The future hold so much more than you know. There is a destiny for everyone here in this room, including you. It does not end here."
Squall let out a complete snarl in aggravation. "I am sick of hearing about fate and destiny! Things aren't just set in stone for all eternity! Things change! The future is not predetermined!" He yelled, clearly upset.
"Believe what you want, but you will soon see that, on the contrary, everything IS predetermined." The witch spread her great, black wings and rose up. Fire began to erupt from her fingers, and a twisted grin found its way to her face. "Including your demise!"
Squall pointed his gunblade at Rianna. "The only life that will end here is yours."
"That is doubtful." She shot fire from her fingertips at them, threateningly. "There is very little that you can do that will destroy me." The fire hit the ground and made a straight shot for Selphie, Irvine, Zell, and Quistis, branching off and encircling them.
"I don't want to be roast B-B-Q!" Selphie screamed, trapped by the flames. Now was definitely the time to start freaking out.
"Hey! Do something!" Zell yelled. The flames were rising up and almost had them all covered completely from sight.
"You are not meant to be here!" Rianna boomed at the four of them. They were now completely hidden by the red flames. "Dr. Odine wishes to see you again, and the monsters have been patiently waiting!" Rianna laughed again as the fires sank into the ground, revealing that Selphie, Irvine, Zell, and Quistis were gone.
"Where'd they go!" Rinoa screamed, turning her attention away from Rianna. She searched the room, looking for them, worried for them.
Rianna took advantage of Rinoa's distraction, much like what Nadia did with Squall, and threw a spell her way. The other sorceress was completely not expecting the attack and went flying backwards into a wall, where she struggled to get back to her feet.
Squall growled at Rianna and ran right at her just as the sorceress dropped back down to her feet. She saw Squall coming and threw him backwards as well. He went smack into a pillar or marble and felt the pain follow immediately. He groaned and let his gunblade drop out of his hands.
Seifer was dumbfounded to see both Squall and Rinoa out, leaving him face to face with Rianna, alone! He suddenly felt very uneasy and began to back away, quite unsure of what to do. Rianna raised her hands, filling them with the same power that would surely strike him down. He kept his eyes fixed on her, but he couldn't have looked away from her no matter how hard he tried. She released the spell from her hands and it went flying at him, exploded with bright colors from her fingers, like little tiny darts. Doing the one thing that he could think of, he brought his gunblade up with the flat part facing Rianna, and he cringed back expecting a blow, but it never came. He looked up, straightening himself, just in time to see those darts flying back at Rianna. She hadn't even expected them to come back at her and just stood there, wide-eyes. They hit her full force, and she flew backwards and hit the wall behind the throne and crashed down to the floor, bringing down the tapestry of a sun with her. He heard her moan and looked down at his hands and gunblade in awe. What in the world did he do?
Squall and Rinoa slowly got to their feet, wincing in pain. They looked around for any sight of Rianna but saw nothing of her. They walked, in their separate ways, over to Seifer.
"Seifer, where's Rianna?" Squall asked, rubbing the back of his head. He could feel a bump starting to rise there and man, did it hurt!
"Over there." He pointed behind the throne where she had fallen. "She tried to send a spell at me, but it backfired. Don't ask me how, 'cause I don't know." He was shaking just slightly.
They heard her moan and saw her rise up, pushing the tapestry off her. "How can that be?" She touched her forefinger and middle finger of her left hand to her forehead. She stood like that for a moment before resuming her previous stature with the flames rising to her fingers again, lethal weapons. This time she was aiming at Seifer, even though Squall and Rinoa stood on either side of him. Her arms flew up behind her, fingers spread wide. She looked like a giant bird spreading its huge wings, ready to strike.
Squall and Rinoa both dove to the sides, just as the flames came shooting at them. Seifer did a crazy back flip, twisting his body just as the flames went sailing past him. He could feel the heat off of them and landed on his feet a ways away from his other spot. He looked behind him and then back at Rianna, wondering just how he had done that. She also looked quite stumped at how he was avoiding her attacks, but a sudden dawn of light appeared in her eyes.
"You are not meant to be here, as well." She pointed at Seifer with a grimace of understanding and confidence. "The others wait for you, and you hold a barrier that will keep you safe from me. I banish you from this place, from witnessing the destruction that will take place!" She shot the fire at him exactly the same as that of Selphie, Irvine, Zell, and Quistis. This time, Seifer was not able to dodge or get away and was encircled by the magic that hid him immediately. He made no sounds nor did he attempt to even try to get out. He was accepting banishment from the fighting ground, and he was actually willing to leave. This was not his place to be any longer.
Squall kept his eyes solely fixed on Rianna, angered by what she was doing. He hoped for her sake that she didn't try to banish Rinoa next 'cause then there'd be a major conflict of interest. Rinoa wasn't going to leave his side and that was final.
The fires of banishment sank into the ground to reveal that Seifer was gone just like before with the others. Squall and Rinoa were now alone to face Rianna, and all they had to use against her was Rinoa's magic and the prophecy that they were told had to be used. It was confusing, though. Just what was the true purpose of the prophecy besides the fact that Squall and Rinoa had a strong power between the two of them? Did it have something to do with Griever? Or was something hidden between those ancient words that had been missed?
Rianna dropped lightly to her feet and folded her arms over her chest looking quite pleased with herself. "What will you do now without all your companions? What do you have to throw at me? Her power cannot effect me any longer, not while you remain in the room." She spoke to Squall, completely ignoring Rinoa.
But Squall didn't answer her nor did he even acknowledge that she had spoken to him. He hung his head, trying to block out the sound of voices tearing his head apart, demanding that he make his choice. He thought he knew what to choose, but there was still doubt if that was a good idea. He was afraid of his destiny; afraid of what would happen to him of he chose what was right or wrong.
Rinoa watched Squall and knew that he had distanced himself from this place, lost in his thoughts. She wondered why he was acting in this strange way. He was just standing there, ignoring everything. A wicked grin occupied much of Rianna's face as if she took delight in Squall's inner torture. Rinoa knew that she had to take matters into her own hands until Squall got himself together and joined the fight. She stepped closer to Rianna.
"You will end here, Rianna. You will do no more damage and spend the rest of eternity in the very pits of Hell!" She breathed deeply and held her hands up. Rianna watched her with almost amused curiosity like she had been expecting this all along.
Rinoa ignored her to the best of her ability and concentrated on what was needed to be done. "O Mighty Griever, King of the Guardians! I call upon thee and beg of your assistance with this wretched evil! Your promise you gave and your word I hold!" The words, she knew, were not her won but the ancient summoning used by others before her to call the one being that could help them in this unspeakable task.
At first, there was silence and Rinoa looked around the large chamber. Nothing had changed; Squall still stood with his head bowed, blocking it all out, and Rianna was highly amused. Rinoa couldn't believe what was happening.
"You promised you would help us!" She yelled, her voice echoing.
Then, as if all hope had seemed lost, a strong wind began to blow through the chamber, which was very unusual since there was no apparent source of where it was coming. This time, it was Rinoa who bore the triumphant smile while Rianna wore the confused expression. Squall remained unmoved; something was wrong with him.
A roar was heard in the distance, echoing all around them, announcing what was coming. A huge shadow appeared on the floor by the throne and rose halfway up the wall. Rinoa and Rianna both looked to the shadow of a figure with massive wings, but just as they had seen it briefly, it disappeared. They turned back around and there stood the cloaked being that was Griever. Rinoa sighed in relief upon the sight of him. He bowed his head slightly to her.
"I promised I would aid you, and that promise I will keep."
Squall snapped back to attention, looking lost and dazed. He followed the gazes of both Rinoa and Rianna to Griever and a certain dread filled him. He had to choose now. The time had come.
Griever turned his full being to Squall. "Well?" Only Squall knew the meaning of the question. "What shall it be?"
"I never had a choice to begin with, did I?" Squall asked, but the guardian neither did nor said anything. "I've known what will happen all along." It was not a question, but a statement.
"What is your choice?" The guardian asked, demanding an answer now.
Squall hung his head again. He felt ashamed but knew what had to be done. He knew what would happen. He lifted his head and stared straight into the eyes of Griever, ignoring Rinoa's questioning glances. "The only real choice: Guardian."
Griever nodded and flew the cloak back to reveal himself in his true form. Rinoa stood in awe, and Rianna turned her back.
Squall and Griever both rose off the ground, a beam of yellow light shining down on each of them. A great stream of white, black, and red shot out of Griever and into Squall, who yelled out in pain as the power entered him. This was what he had chosen, and there was no going back. He knew what was to follow. He would have to say good-bye.
They both dropped to their feet; Squall was panting while Griever looked unaffected and somewhat sad. The great lion stepped nearer to Rianna. "I have just enough left, and with it is reserved for you." He pointed a long finger at Rianna. She slowly turned, eyes black as she glared at him.
"That is not to happen, and you know it. You have finished it. Thank you." She smiled, one of hinted sarcasm, and raised her hands. "Now you may go back to Hell!" She hissed.
"What? No!" Rinoa cried out and ran forward, but something happened. Griever turned and shot his remaining power, a stream of power shaped like a lion, straight at her. It hit her square in the chest, and she went flying backwards where she landed with a thump at the foot of the huge stone wall on the end; She didn't move.
"My debt is paid!" The Guardian dropped to his knees before Rianna and hung his head, mane falling forward. Rianna looked extremely surprised and glanced up. There was a sudden bright light that illuminated Griever for only a matter of seconds. The image of Griever then faded and then burst, like a bubble being popped. The area where ha had previously stood was filled with a shower of white feathers floating through the air.
The anger that Squall felt was so great, so immense, that he could not longer hold it inside, but he was unsure just who he was angry with. He was angry with Rianna for being the main cause of all this, angry with Griever for not being specific and for hurting Rinoa, and he was tremendously angry with himself for allowing this to happen. He could of have stopped it. But now it just didn't matter. Griever was gone, he would soon leave Rinoa and the rest of them, and Rianna was still a threat. It was up to him to take her down, even if it meant taking himself down too. He gripped his gunblade and began to slowly walk toward her. She was poised to strike with that strange glow at her fingers that had proven to be a very bad thing for all of them. She was his one target, the one thing he wanted dead more than any other. The hatred was beyond real now, and he was being powered by it. He now had the power of Griever. She couldn't stop him now. He was invincible and he knew it. He was immortal, and nothing would hurt him but himself.
She stared at him with the same amount of confidence, not afraid of him or not showing it. He knew not of her extreme vigor. He knew not of what he was dealing with. He could win the battle here, but never would his kind win the war that had been ongoing for centuries. He may be their strongest weapon, but he was still not strong enough.
"You, too, should go back to Hell where you belong! You have done no good! You have hurt too many, lied too much, and obsessed with the power that does not belong to you!" She hissed lowly.
"No, you evil witch, you're the one who's to go back to Hell! I have done nothing compared to your evil!" he still continued to her, the black in his eyes covering the steel-blue, transforming him as he progressed to her, determined to finish this.
He now stood within several feet her and had his gunblade risen, aimed at her throat. She glared down at him, ready at any time to throw a spell of the strongest degree at him.
It happened so fast. He lashed the gunblade at her, which she easy avoided, but he grabbed her by the wrist, twisting it and cutting off her magic. He threw her backward with amazing strength. She flew backwards; sending spells his way that never once hit him. He growled, the sound the exact equivalent of that of a lion, and charged at her. It was his turn to attack harshly, non-stop. She threw spells at him while avoiding critical hits from him.
They fought like that, in a dance of war, but it was he who got the final blow in. She was running out of power; she needed a rest, time to restore her power. By herself, she just wasn't strong enough. The missing piece was out cold. He struck her across the front, ripping the medieval dress that she wore. She dropped to her knees, knowing that this battle was over.
"We will meet again, and you will not succeed! Consider this a warning!" She raised her hands and sank into the ground, disappearing. A black liquid was splattered across the stone, and Squall was fascinated by it.
Suddenly, it began to bubble and slowly form a large puddle. A figure then rose out of it, enveloped in its dark color. He kept his ground, unafraid of anything now. Nothing could surprise him now. The figure materialized into a being that he instantly recognized.
"Well done. You have scared her away for now. You are what we have been waiting on to set us free from our prison that we have been placed into. The time is now that we prove our power. They have not seen the last of us." It held out a gloved hand to him. "Come to your destiny and help us and yourself with this true demon. You have much to learn and much to show of your strength."
The figure sank back into the and a circle of light appeared, waiting for him to step through it to his fate.
Squall took a step forward, but turned and glanced back at Rinoa one last time, knowing that he may never see her again. His mind was filled with random pictures and memories of the times they had spent with each other. He saw her smile fill his mind, blocking everything else out, and he imprinted the image of her face now, as it looked so peaceful with the strand of hair fallen across her eyes so he may never forget his true angel. With a deep breath, he turned back to the circle of light that stood before him with a menacing smile. This was it and there was no turning back. He had to finish it. He clenched his gunblade in both hands, and ground his teeth. He was nervous and scared but knew he had to go on.
He took a step forward and closed his eyes.
A/N: Well? That was the final chapter. Book one is now complete. I will have the epilogue for you guys soon, hopefully. I can understand that some of you may be very upset with me for this ending, but you have to know that not all endings are happy, and that there are still two more books to come. Please bear with me. That is all I ask of you. This is only the first ending. There is still more to come.
Book two will come around the middle to end of October.
I wish to thank everyone who has reviewed. You guys are the ONLY reason why I have even continued to post this story. This story will always be my masterpiece and always my favorite. And you all will always be my heroes. Thank you so much.
Later Days guys!