Chapter 13: Bohemian Rhapsody
"I have an idea of how to get you to your other house. But it may take a while to get it into action."
"We don't have much time…"
"If you can come up with something better, then let us know, by all means. But just in case, I have a plan."
Mikoto thought back to the last conversation she had held with her closest female friend. She and Ryuu needed a way out of Treno, and Kashiya claimed she and Seth could get it for them. The only problem was it had been a month since the promise had been made, and she still hadn't heard a thing from either the medic or the mechanic.
The Genome trudged through the slums of Treno, paying no attention to her surroundings. In one hand she carried a bag of groceries and everyday grooming items and the other was resting nonchalantly on her dagger, just in case anyone tried anything on her. To any passing stranger she seemed alert and perfectly aware of her surroundings; no pick-pocket would try and target her. But honestly, she was paying more attention to the uneven cobblestones that paved the road and the pungent smell of the air than what was actually happening around her.
Time was running thin, and she knew it. They needed to get out of Treno fast. Because Treno was so close to Lindblum she knew it was only a matter of time before the authorities began to search for her there too. Still, there was the problem of not having a way out. Kirai wouldn't allow anyone near him except Mikoto, and even if the beast would allow both of them to ride him, Ryuu would never willingly climb onboard.
Just as she was passing by a block full of broken down thrift stores and pawn shops, she was jerked into reality when she bumped into something. She stopped herself and averted her eyes to see that an old and knobby cane had been thrust into her path. She followed the cane to the arm that was holding it, expecting to see some senile old man but found something that surprised her. A young woman, dressed in flowing garments and big silver jewelry, had stopped the Genome's progression home.
Mikoto opened her mouth to say something, but the woman beat her to it. "Come in, lost child," she said, her voice airy. "You're the one the spirits have been looking for."
"E-Excuse me?" Mikoto asked bewilderedly.
"Mikoto, isn't it, my dear?" the woman continued. Her eyes, once probably a dark brown, were cloudy gray and cast a vacant stare in Mikoto's direction. Black hair, as messy as a wild forest, was tied back from her face with a blood red scarf.
"Yes, my name is Mikoto..." she said uneasily.
"Well, dear, I don't mean to startle you. I know that this can't sound very appealing to you, a blind gypsy such as myself telling you that deceased spirits are trying to contact you. But they are. Every night, my dear. They've led me right to you."
"Who are you? Where are you from?"
"You can call me Sasha," the woman said as she stumbled to her feet. "And I am from nowhere, mainly because I live everywhere." Her thin mouth curled into a smile. "Follow me, dear, follow me."
Feeling very awkward, and also very confused, Mikoto forgot all previous notions of returning home right away and followed the woman into an old building that seemed to be tipping over. The interior was very dark, not that Sasha could tell the difference. Several long candles lit in a procession across the room provided the only light. The gypsy managed to navigate herself around the clutter of the room with such expertise that one could assume that she was able to see. She sat herself down at a large round table and motioned for Mikoto to sit in the seat opposite of her.
Quietly, Mikoto took the seat and sat her groceries on the floor next to her. "Yes, yes, my dear. Two spirits, very much alike in personality have been contacting me. They want me to speak with you on their behalf."
"I'm sorry, ma'am," Mikoto apologized quietly, "but this is such an outrageous claim, I'm having trouble believing you."
"And I understand perfectly." Through the dim lighting of the room Mikoto saw Sasha smile once again. "So shall I prove it to you?"
Mikoto didn't answer, but Sasha took no heed of that. With a sigh she lit a match and a stick of incense next to her. For a moment she breathed in the fumes and she closed her eyes.
"Mikoto…Tribal…is it? Let's see…I'm seeing a blue light. A blue light that is very intense. I can tell that this light is displeasing to you, and that it always has been. That is why to this day you dislike the color blue. Though you look young you have the mind of an adult. You have what you like to refer to as a curse, something that separates you from the world. Something that you believe makes you a 'freak.' You and I are very similar in many ways, Mikoto…" Sasha smiled her odd little smile and Mikoto couldn't help but smile back.
"Who is trying to contact me?"
"Your brother," she answered. "Or should I say, your brothers. They're a very confusing bunch, they are. As their messages seem to contradict one another. But I'll start with the strongest of the two. He wants me to tell you that you're doing an excellent job, he's very proud of you. Don't give up! That's the main thing he wants me to say."
"Is it…Zidane?"
"That's what he says," Sasha laughed quietly. "Now the other message is…" she paused for a moment. Her eyes narrowed and she looked as if she was listening to someone speaking to her, and she was answering in a murmur. She looked nervous.
"He wants to talk to you for himself," she said slowly. "Generally I do not allow this, for when a medium allows a spirit to enter her body she opens a gate to other spirits."
"Don't do anything you don't want to do."
"It seems very important…" Sasha continued in her airy voice. "I will allow it, only because I feel as if I can trust him." She began to murmur to the spirit something that sounded like, 'not yet, not yet.' Mikoto watched Sasha reach behind herself and fiddle with some chains on the walls. "This is just a precaution, for your safety, really," she stated as she strapped the shackles on her wrists.
The ebony haired woman breathed in deeply and went very still. Suddenly she let out a breath that sounded almost painful and Mikoto watched her chest swell. Then, in a voice more real than ever she heard someone say, "Mikoto! I've found something to help you!" It wasn't Sasha's voice, it was Kuja's.
"Kuja! Oh my God, Kuja, is that really you!"
A genuine smile crept across Sasha's face that mirrored Kuja's. "Mikoto, it's perfect. I've found a loophole, something to help you win! This isn't about Gaia or Garland winning, it's all about you."
"What are you talking about?"
"Kamikaze, Mikoto! I know how to stop kamikaze! And to make you mortal again!"
"You do?" she exclaimed, leaning forward in excitement. "W-Well, tell me! Tell me, how do I stop it?"
"Concentrate your-" Sasha stopped abruptly and began to shake violently and in Mikoto's frightened eyes it looked as if she was having a seizure.
"Kuja!" Mikoto exclaimed loudly, throwing her hands down and leaning on the table. "Kuja are you still there!"
Mikoto jumped from her seat and ran to Sasha's side and watched in horror as the woman continued to writhe as if in complete agony. Her arms still strapped the wall, she seemed as if she was having difficulty fighting whatever it was that was bothering her off. Suddenly the shaking stopped, and Sasha vomited on the floor.
Mikoto, just inches from Sasha's ear, although terrified, whispered, "Kuja…are you still there?"
Ever so slowly, Sasha's head turned toward Mikoto. Finally the two made eye contact, only there was something strange, there was a crazy, no, a psychotic look in the gypsy's eye as it peered at the Genome through disheveled hair. Then, without warning Sasha screamed and lunged at Mikoto, her gray eyes burning with rage. The Genome stumbled backwards and fell over an overturned chair.
"Come back here you coward!" an all-too-real voice screamed at her. "Come back here, let me finish it for you! You worthless, mindless, USELESS little cunt!" Sasha's long red nails slashed through the air just inches from making contact with Mikoto's skin. "Are you scared, Mikoto? Are you SCARED YET! Can't you just feel the adrenaline pumping through your veins? Let it go, let go of all of your hatred! Kill me! I DARE YOU!" Sasha screamed at her, eyes wild.
"GARLAND!" Mikoto shouted back, "Leave her alone!"
"STUPID GIRL!
"Garland!" she shouted again, this time closing her eyes so as not to see the crazed woman who seemed to be on the verge of breaking the chains that bound her, "Stop it!"
Now Sasha began to laugh, a cruel cackle of a laugh that Mikoto was sure could be heard from outside. "STOP IT!" the Genome yelled a second time, tears threatening to flow. She heard the chains on the wall groan as Sasha got closer and closer to breaking through them, when suddenly Mikoto heard the door open and saw a beam of light come into the old building. A tall figure ran across the room and using the hilt of a blade, knocked the gypsy out.
Gray eyes still opened slightly, though back to their vacant appearance, Sasha fell forward, toward Mikoto but was suspended in midair about a foot from the Genome by the chains. Mikoto took a few shuddering breaths, and stared at the motionless woman. "I-Is she?"
"She'll be fine," the man replied curtly.
Shakily, Mikoto tried to stand, but as she attempted to walk back to her chair a wave of dizziness hit her and she passed out midway through the room.
Ryuu was sitting on a couch reading a book when he heard someone urgently knocking on the door of their Treno mansion. "Coming," he announced as he casually threw the book against the chair and stood up. The knocking became more and more persistent, and the hollow sound of it resonated off every wall in the house.
"I'm coming! I'm coming!" he yelled as he approached the door. Reaching a confident hand in front of him, he turned the knob and began to open the heavy oak door "Just hold your…" he stopped short and stared in bewilderment as he saw a mountain of a redheaded man holding an unconscious Mikoto.
"What happened?" Ryuu demanded, looking shaken. "Is she okay?"
The redhead said nothing, only let himself in. Behind him stood a small, and frail looking woman with a mane of black hair and gray eyes. "I'm sorry about the intrusion, Ryuu…" she said quickly.
"What's wrong with Mikoto!" he demanded a second time.
"I'm Sasha, this is Parker, we're here to help you."
"But what's wrong with my girlfriend!" he yelled, almost in hysterics.
"She'll be fine, she had a little scare and passed out."
"How did you get here? How do I know I can trust you?" Ryuu asked, running to Parker and taking the limp Genome from him.
"I'm in contact with the spirits of your girlfriend's brothers. They led me to you. I know that the two of you need a way to escape the city, but you have no mode of transportation to get you across the sea to the Forgotten Continent, am I right?"
Ryuu stopped his progression to the couch to lie the motionless Mikoto down, and turned on his heel to stare in wonder at the mysterious couple.
Sasha, looking straight at him, but not truly seeing him, said, "We can help you escape. Do you trust us?"
Ryuu looked at her uneasily and bit his lower lip.
"She's an outcast, and so are we," Parker said with a booming voice. "It's always a pleasure to help," he finished with a slight bow.
Sasha smiled in his general direction. "Just like he said. But take only what you need to get you there. We'll be waiting at the airship dock, but we won't be leaving Treno until seven tonight, so as long as you're there before then, may the spirits bless you." With a small nod of her head, Sasha turned around, her garments flowing behind her, and walked out of the spacious entryway of the mansion.
Eyes wide in fear, Ryuu turned his head to the motionless Mikoto lying on the couch. After several minutes of trying to even form words, he managed to cry out, "Moogerz! Mogzika! Help me pack, we're leaving tonight!"
In the midst of their frenzy to gather all of their Stiltzkin flew through an open window. "Stiltzkin, kupo!" Moogerz exclaimed, "Now's not a good time, I hope you have some good news, kupopo."
"I have a letter, but what it says, I cannot be certain," the traveling moogle said quietly. Ryuu looked over his shoulder to see that Stiltzkin was holding the envelope out to him, and his name was scrawled haphazardly across the front in what looked to be his mother's hurried cursive. For the slightest moment, Ryuu and the mail-moogle made eye-contact, and somehow he knew then that whatever it was…was not good.
By the time Mikoto finally came to, she was not in a familiar place at all. The room she occupied was dark, messy and wet. She rolled over on the stiff bed and was able to see light shining through the cracks in an old door. Timidly she stood up and walked across the floor, the wood groaning and creaking with every step that she took. There were many voices, she could hear them all as she approached the door.
"Yar, the steam engine be acting up again. You two, go check on it!"
"Aye, aye, Cap'n!"
Where was she? Could it be that she's on a…
Just as she reached out to open the door it swung open and in the door frame was the same gypsy woman that she met on the streets in Treno. Her sudden appearance, as well as Mikoto's last memories of her, caused her to gasp stumble back in alarm.
"You don't have to worry, Mikoto. We're going to take you to the Forgotten Continent."
"Why am I on a pirate ship? Where are we going? And where is Ryuu?"
"These are my closest companions. They were eager to help when I told them that you needed a ride."
"But where is Ryuu?"
Sasha was silent, her cloudy eyes were downcast. "Mikoto, he…"
The Genome's eyes began to well up and before long she felt as if she was just as blind as Sasha. "Where is he, Sasha?" she whispered.
"He received a letter from his mother that his father had fallen ill, Ryuu…" she paused as if it pained her to say anything else," returned to Lindblum."
"Then, he left me?" Mikoto said quietly. She slowly backed up until she could feel the solid, damp wooden wall against her back. It had been too good to be true, and Mikoto knew it. And yet, she had hoped with every fiber of her being that it was genuine.
"When he delivered you to us, he also left this. He wanted me to give it to you." Sasha fumbled around in her pocket until she finally pulled out a roll of parchment. Hands shaking, Mikoto took it from her and untied the green ribbon binding it together. "I'll leave you alone while you read it," the gypsy said quietly, then turned away from the door and using her cane to help guide her way, she walked off.
The light in the room Mikoto occupied was far too dim for her to make out anything, so she stepped out into the daylight.
"Look, the lassie is alive after all. We though ye be dead, sleepin' all through the night and into the day!" a tall man laughed.
"Nope, still alive," she breathed, not paying him any heed. Quietly she walked over to a part of the deck that was devoid of all the shipmates. She opened the letter and immediately felt comforted by the first three words:
My beloved Mikoto,
Please, do not get the wrong idea. I will be with you as soon as I can. My father has fallen terminally ill, and my family needs me here in Lindblum. Mother claims he only has a few days left. Trust me that I will see you again soon. I will find a way to get back to you, come hell or high water. And when we do see each other again…Mikoto…I wanted to say this in person…but as the situation has turned into quite a nasty one, I might as well ask you now. I want to spend the rest of my life with you Mikoto, that is…if you will marry me.
With all my
love,
Ryuu
Then, what next caught Mikoto's eye was something caught in the final roll of the parchment. When she unrolled it a golden band with a single small diamond fell out. Hurriedly she bent down and picked it up, placing it on her finger. She felt so happy, and yet there was another feeling haunting her. Something felt not right. Ryuu's words of "I will be with you as soon as I can," should have filled her with hope, and yet she had an eerie feeling that she might never see him again.
The more she thought about it, the more nervous she felt. She broke out in a cold sweat and gripped the railings on the deck of the airship she was on. She threw her chest out into the wind and lowered her head over the side of the ship, feeling as if she was about to get sick. That was when she noticed something that turned her blood cold. They were passing over the Shimmering Isle. And if that wasn't enough to send a chill up her spine, she noticed several sea ships sailing toward it.
"Captain," Mikoto called over her shoulder, "Is there any way we can lower our altitude?"
"Missy, gettin' ya to the Forgotten Continent be our job," answered a man who seemed to be even taller than Parker. His skin was the color of coffee beans and his head was clean shaven, making the large silver earring that he wore even more noticeable.
"With all due respect, sir, I don't think that is the best thing for me, or anyone else at this moment in time."
The captain looked bewildered at this, "Please! Lower our altitude, I must get a better look at who is occupying these ships!"
"I can't do that fer ya."
"Captain," she said again, this time unsheathing her weapon, "if you do not cooperate with me, I'm afraid I will have to use a form of language that you ruffians would understand, and I'm sure you won't want me to do that."
"We help the little lass out and this what she gives us fer thanks?" the captain roared. "Let me tell you something, missy, we all got weapons on board this airship and if ya want to play rough, you've come to the right pl-"
"Captain Guntali," Parker called out over the heads of the crew. "Do as the young lady says, it is obviously important to her."
"Do not tell me how to run my ship, Parker!" he barked.
"Aye, that it is your ship. But this is no ordinary girl here, Cap'n," Parker said, giving the captain a look that would have given the devil a run for his money.
Guntali grunted and frowned at Mikoto, then in a booming voice yelled, "Lower her just enough to see the inhabitants of the boats passing below us.
Very slowly the airship descended and all the while Mikoto peered over the side of the ship, eagerly watching as the boats came closer and closer to her view. Finally her keen eyes were able to spot the inhabitants and it made her heart beat wildly. They were Genomes. At a time of great chaos, the Genomes will return to Terra and will receive the souls wrought of Gaia. Thus Terra will live again.
"Captain, we have to turn around."
"What is this? Firs' it's 'we have to get these kids to the Forgotten Continent' then it's, 'turn around'? I thought you were runnin' from something back there!" he cried agitatedly.
"I was, sir. But I have to go back and face it, otherwise I think I might lose someone important to me."
"I won't do it."
Angrily Mikoto stormed off of the deck and began to search the ship crying out, "SASHA! SASHA! PLEASE, HELP ME! WHERE ARE YOU?"
"In here, dear," Mikoto heard the familiar airy voice. The Genome spun around and saw the frail gypsy sitting in a doorway.
"Please! You have to help me!" Mikoto said desperately, running to her. "I have to know if he's okay. He's the only thing that matters to me now."
Sasha's vacant eyes suddenly looked saddened, "Dear, I knew the moment he told me he had to return to Lindblum that something would go wrong."
Mikoto gasped in a jagged breath.
"I tried to convince him not to go, but he was too adamant on seeing his father."
"What's happened?" the Genome asked wildly.
"I don't know, Mikoto," Sasha sighed, sadness weighing down her words. "Too many people have entered the world of the spirits now that it's become noisy, it's too jammed right and full of chaos for me to know exactly what has happened."
"Something's happening in Lindblum…" Mikoto breathed.
"Yes, something is happening in Lindblum…something big, and it's taking the lives of many people."
"We have to go back there!" Mikoto shouted.
"We can't, Mikoto…" Sasha said heavily. "You will never be able to convince Guntali to turn this ship around."
"If he won't take me…" Mikoto seethed… "then I'll…I'll…" then all of a sudden she got a crazy look in her eye. "I'll fly…" she laughed, "yes, that's what I'll do! I'll fly to Lindblum."
"Mikoto, have you gone mad?"
But she wouldn't have any more. If they did not help her, she would have to find a way to do it herself. Without a single word, or thought, Mikoto jumped off the side of the ship. She heard Sasha cry something, but it was lost amidst the rushing air. As her body plummeted toward the sea, she brought her hands close to her chest and clenched them together as if praying. Kirai, come and save me. Kirai come and save me… she thought desperately. The water was approaching faster she noted with terror. She was yards from the water, then meters…then feet. She could feel the salty ocean spray against her lips as she got closer and closer. KIRAI…!
Then, just as she was sure she would hit the water, a flash of silver swooped beneath her and she fell flat on the cool scales of Kuja's dragon friend. With a beat of his magnificent wings, the dragon ascended higher and higher into the air until they were level with the airship. Mikoto looked over to where Sasha stood, Parker beside her, with an arm around her shoulders.
"Mikoto, you don't understand. Lindblum is a madhouse! You take that dragon near that city, you will be shot down before you get there," Sasha warned, her airy voice full of fear. However, Mikoto didn't pay her any attention.
Kirai beat his wings again and with a shriek, the silver dragon and his rider were gone in a flash of silver scales.
"Lindblum is falling…" Sasha noted, as she turned to Parker. "And the only thing that she will see when she gets there is the death of the man she loves." Feeling the tears slide down her face, Sasha leaned her head against Parker's chest, "We won't be able to stop her…or help her…" she said shakily.
"But she looked magnificent and confident when she rode off," Parker said, forcing a smile onto his face.
"Did she now?" Sasha asked dreamily, head still resting on her lover's chest, her eyes gazing unseeingly out to sea.
"Yes, just like in the stories you used to hear as a child."
"I'm sure she did…" Sasha sighed. "I can only hope her story has a happy ending. The one I'm seeing now does not seem like it could possibly end well."
"Dragon approaching South Gate!" a soldier cried, running toward the captain of his platoon.
"What kind of dragon, private?" the captain asked sternly.
"Silver dragon, sir. And one with a rather nasty temper," the soldier reported back, quickly. As soon as these words escaped the soldier's lips the captain saw for himself as the dragon flew into view.
"Fire all weapons at it! Don't let that winged beast get through South Gate! We have enough trouble inside the city as it is!" the captain ordered.
Mikoto and Kirai flew at breakneck speed until they were finally approaching Lindblum. Even as the world past by her in a blur, she could see the danger that awaited them just ahead. Lindblum soldiers were standing by, posted all around South Gate and she could tell that they would not let her through without a fight. She saw the arrows being released from the bows, the guns being aimed and before anything could hit either her or her dragon, she cried, "PROTECT" at the top of her lungs.
Immediately the two resonated a golden color, arrows bounced off of Kirai's already tough scales, and bullets did little more than a bug bite. South Gate was approaching fast, but it was not open, and if it didn't open soon they were going to crash.
"It's the sorceress!" one of the soldiers cried. "Did you see her magic!"
"Silent, lieutenant! Open fire!"
Then, miraculously South Gate began to open up. But what awaited them therein, was not a pretty sight. One of Lindblum's battleships had been lying in wait there all along. Before Mikoto could think the ship fired a cannon and it hit Kirai directly in the chest. While the protect spell did soften the blow, it was still a pretty critical hit. Outraged, the dragon opened his mouth and spat fire at the battleship. Though it wasn't nearly enough to destroy the armored ship, it was enough to stun the crew while Kirai flew through the gate.
"Curaga!" Mikoto cried, but just as they were on their way into the midst of the city the battleship fired another cannonball, which hit Kirai once again. She felt the strength drain out of the dragon, and helplessly held onto him as they began to descend. "Curaga!" she tried again, "Life!" but it was useless. The dragon's wounds were far too grievous. Once the beast had landed on the ground, Mikoto jumped off and ran around to the front of Kirai. The dragon's red eyes seemed distant, but he was still alive. "I'm sorry, Kirai, I'm going to have to leave you here," she said sadly.
But it was too late. Kirai had already passed and she had yet to find Ryuu.
Lindblum was in chaos; people were running around everywhere. It didn't take Mikoto very long to find out the source of the chaos either. A group of men wearing masks were walking through the streets, demanding where the sorceress was. "We know someone's hidden her! Anyone who aided in the escape of the sorceress will be destroyed!"
Gasping, Mikoto ducked into the air cab station. "I need to go to the Theater District, now!" she said quickly to the engineer.
"All of the air cabs have been disabled," he said. "Those men did it, and I can't figure out how to get them running again!"
"I need to get to the Theater District!" Mikoto cried desperately. "What's the fastest way for me to get there?"
"Go down Main St.," he said, pointing her in the direction. "Follow it all the way down and take a right on 22nd Street. There will be a sign that says 'Theater District'. Good luck!" he called after her as she ran off.
As she ran, she ran past many masked men. "Hey there!" they hollered after her. "You, stop where you are!" but she ignored them and instead ran faster. One of the benefits of the design Garland gave her was that she was much more agile than any human, they didn't stand a chance catching up with her.
While she ran she heard Lindblum's Regent announce over the intercom systems "To all citizens, do not panic. The Lindblum army is gathering up all remaining masked terrorists. Medical attention will be given to all of those who have sustained injuries during these hostilities. Please, remain in your houses until we can get this sorted out."
Faster she ran down the streets, finally she passed the sign that said 'Theater District' and oh! She could see Ryuu's house. She was so close, and she was sure that Ryuu and his family were safe inside…that is until she noticed something that made her slow down her pace tremendously. A large crowd of people were gathered around Ryuu's house, everyone murmuring to each other.
Mikoto pushed her way through until she could finally see what everyone was staring at. Ryuu's mother was standing alone in front of their house, looking absolutely horrified. "You and your family have been charged with helping the sorceress escape," a masked man was saying.
"Please, I don't know what you're trying to do, but please, leave me and my family out of it," Niya wimpered. "My husband is ill…"
"Do you deny that you aided the sorceress?"
The feeble woman didn't respond, just sob. "We saw your son grab the little bitch from the stake, we know she stayed here for some time!"
Niya was crying uncontrollably, "Do you deny it?" the masked man cried again.
"These sick bastards," a man beside Mikoto muttered.
"What are they doing this for?" she whispered.
"They're gathering up all who helped the sorceress escape and they're going to execute them all. They're calling them betrayers."
"I'll make a deal with you," the masked man smiled evilly. "If you give us your son, the son who freed her from the stake, we won't kill your entire family."
Niya looked as if she was going to faint.
"What is your decision?" he demanded.
"She doesn't have to turn me in," Ryuu said, stepping outside. "I'll admit to it."
"No, Ryuu!" his mother screamed, bawling anew and grabbing her son by his jacket. "Go back inside!" He pulled his mother's hands off of him and shook his head sadly.
"You go back inside, this is my battle."
"Battle? Boy you are mistaken. There will be no battle," the masked man chuckled maliciously. The sound of several guns being cocked could be heard and several other masked men stepped out from the crowd, each pointing a loaded gun at the defenseless Ryuu.
No, Mikoto thought wildly, trying again to push her way to the front. This time she was unable to, everyone was glued to his or her spot and unwilling to move. "Don't shoot!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, "DON'T SHOOT HIM!" but her voice was lost in the echo of several guns being fired at once.
Mikoto saw Ryuu's body drop, and Niya fall at once to the ground in a fit of tears. "My baby," she cried, as she crawled next to him.
"Halt!" a booming voice shouted, "You're all under arrest!" the Lindblum army had finally made it to the Theater District. An entire unit of soldiers stood, guns aimed at the terrorists in masks.
"You're too late!" Mikoto screamed at the soldiers. "You're too late, you sons of bitches! They've killed him! THEY'VE KILLED HIM!" she screamed. She felt a rush of energy, and a crimson aura surrounded her. With newfound strength she pushed everyone out of her way as if they were merely insects, and forcibly made her way to the center of the circle.
"You there! Girl! Stay away from them! They are dangerous!" one of the Lindblum soldiers yelled at her.
"Not nearly as dangerous as I am right now!" she roared.
"WE NEED EVERYONE WHO IS STANDING HERE RIGHT NOW TO LEAVE!" another soldier cried out.
Mikoto still continued to advance on the masked man, the one who had been threatening Ryuu's mother, who had ordered the termination of Ryuu. She was going to make sure he paid for what he did to Ryuu, to Ryuu's family, to her. She hated him, she wanted to kill him. As she got closer the world around her blurred and she saw herself running down that cursed corridor. The one she saw so many times in her dreams.
"You have every right to be angry, Mikoto!" she heard Kuja say. "He took something important to you. Make him pay for it!"
"Don't forget about everyone else!" Zidane's voice piped in. " If you lose it right now, the world as you know it will no longer exist. You will kill every man, woman, child and animal that walks on this planet."
"Yes, Mikoto. Let yourself go, by all means! Do it! Won't it feel good?" Garland's evil cackle joined in.
What's your decision? They all asked at once. Their voices echoing off the walls of her consciousness.
"You can't sacrifice the lives of thousands…no, millions of innocent civilians!"
"Yes you can, Mikoto! Do it!"
"You don't have to, Mikoto! There's another way!"
"Silence, defect! Do not stick your nose in what you know nothing of!" Garland's voice hissed.
"Mikoto, I know it sounds crazy! But if you will just trust me! Come this way! I know a way around it!"
"Don't destroy, Gaia!"
"It's your destiny! You can't hide from it!"
She was spinning. She had to choose and she had to do it now, Kamikaze was already surging through her veins, and if she didn't decide soon she would end up doing Garland's will.
Eyes clenched shut, Mikoto ran toward the voice that seemed the most soothing. A pair of arms welcome her, "Alright, kiddo. Here's what you gotta do," Kuja said reassuringly.
"Grab that bastard!"
The world came into clear focus, and now Mikoto found herself face-to-face with the man who had single handedly destroyed her world. She reached up and grabbed his shoulders. Although hidden behind a mask, Mikoto could see the terror in his eyes, and nothing in the world could have pleased her more.
"Concentrate all of the energy that is surging through your body right now into him. It's like magic, remember the book in Garland's Observatory? It's just like that! Push all of that energy into him!"
Her whole body was shaking and the crimson glow was becoming brighter and brighter. Mikoto concentrated with all of her might to push all of that energy, all of the hatred, and all of the malice that Garland put into her small body into masked man. Soon, the two were suspended far above the ground, surrounded by that same red glow.
"What's going on here?"
"That's the sorceress!"
"What's she doing to him?"
The excited and frantic murmurings of the crowd began to die down when all of a sudden the color of the aura turned from crimson red to gold.
"What the hell!" one of the soldiers gasped as the aura got brighter and brighter, and the two ascended higher and higher.
"Ignore it, men!" the captain hollered. "Gather up the remaining terrorists!"
Though it seemed nearly impossible for them to drag their gaze away from the spectacle, the soldiers gathered and restrained the remaining masked men.
"CALL THE PARAMEDICS! WE HAVE A CRITICAL INJURY, POSSIBLY EVEN A FATALITY!" the captain of the unit yelled to one of his men. The soldier saluted him and took off down the street, following his orders.
Kai ran out of the house and held onto his mother as she continued to sob and shiver over the body of her son. "Look, Ma!" he said, pointing to the golden glow.
Eyes fat with tears, Niya looked skyward too. "Kill him, Mikoto. Kill that bastard," she hissed. Then, as if on command there was a loud booming noise, the golden aura that had inhabited both the masked man and Mikoto exploded into a shower of golden sparks. The crowd gasped and watched as the bodies of the two fell from the air and landed with an undignified thud on the pavement.
"We can't say much, ma'am. Their bodies don't have so much as a scratch on them. The most I can say is a guess, and that's that they're hearts exploded."
"What do you mean their 'hearts exploded'?" Kashiya demanded.
"That's my best guess, the only way to find out would be to give them an autopsy."
"No! You can't do that!" she screeched. There was no telling what they might find! Mikoto was never completely human, after all.
"Well then what do you suspect we do with her body?" the doctor asked. "She has no identification, and no one is stepping forward to say they know who she is."
"She's a friend of mine, I'll see to it that she has a proper burial." And with that said, Kashiya and Seth picked up the motionless Mikoto and walked off.
When Mikoto opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was the cool grass under her. The sky was a light blue, and not a cloud in it. Then she noticed something else, there was a face peering over her.
"Welcome home, Miki…" he said, holding a hand down to her. Her eyes were still having trouble focusing, but finally she could make out the face. But it couldn't be; her eyes had to be playing a trick on her.
"Zidane?"
A warm smile spread across his face as he helped her up into an embrace. "We've all been waiting for you."
"Wha-?"
Zidane pointed to their behind her and Mikoto turned her head. It was all of Zidane's friends, exactly how she remembered them. Everyone from the young and beautiful Dagger, to the very young and rambunctious Eiko, to the quiet and stoic Amarant, were waiting for her. They were all there, and they were all smiling.
"But what about…?" she stopped herself. "Never mind," she blushed, "he survived, didn't he?"
No one said anything for a moment, but then Dagger spoke up, "If you're talking about Ryuu…" she said quietly, "just look over there."
The group parted down the center and Ryuu was standing in the back, smiling wide. "Mikoto!" he cried running toward her. In his excitement he picked her up and spun her around. "You were able to beat Kamikaze! We all knew you could do it!"
He hugged her tight, and for the first time ever, Mikoto was able to hug him back and know that now, no matter what, nothing could separate them ever again.
Final Author's Note:
Thank you everyone for being patient. I know it was a very long wait for the very end of this story, but I'm hoping it was worth it. There won't be another sequel, this series will stop here. I'm not even sure how I could do a sequel now that everyone from the original game is officially dead. Anyway, if you are still interested in our stories we are still working on a FF8 story "Taming the Lion" which seems to be our most popular story. If you are interested in reading that (because I promise I will finish it as well) then please do! As always your feedback is greatly appreciated. I want to hear what everyone has to say! (This was one ending of three, but the most widely liked it seemed.)
So…now all I have left to do is say my thank yous! Thank you, first and foremost, to all of my loyal readers (especially thank you for not giving up on me!) I also want to thank my wonderful Beta-Reader, Noelle (a.k.a. Save-the-Queen), who has had to put up with me and my writing for this series for four (count them) four years! (Whew, that's a long time!) I would also like to thank BreeAnne, the original moogle muse. Without her I would have never started to write (nor finish these stories!) Last but not least I want to thank all of the people who have had to put up with me rambling on about my story (especially when they've never played the game) because I was having a writer's block and was in severe need of ideas.
Thank you everyone!
Some Random Reviewer: Trust me, I never intended on keeping everyone waiting for so long. I got busy with other things, then lost the desire to write (after taking a composition class which made me question my talents as a writer…after getting a series of F's on papers), and then lastly never made "productive" use of what little time I could have used to write. (I'll admit it, I vegged in front of the television.) But thank you very much for your wonderful review! It made me want to continue to write again!
FFlover: I hope you haven't decided to go on strike. I mean it has been…whew… over a year ago since I updated this story. Hopefully the ending made up for the wait.
Robshi: I decided to not go with the idea of multiple endings for this story, mainly because I wanted there to be a specific ending. Even though I know everyone likes choice, I think they also want closure more than that. And when you give them three different "closures" they're not sure which one is the actual conclusion. This way just saved a big headache in the long run.
Oblivion Viruses: It's been a long time since we talked. I'm getting ready to head off to college this Wednesday. My IM has remained the same, if you want to get a hold of me again!
NOTE TO ALL READERS/FANS: Because of certain situations, BreeAnne and I will no longer be writing together under one username. I, Anna, will continue (and finish) "Taming the Lion", as that was our last big project. BreeAnne may or may not choose to finish her story "Run Away With Me!" After "Taming the Lion" has been completed, however, I will most likely continue to write, but under a different username. I will inform everyone of this when it occurs. Thanks once more for everyone's patience!
Please review! Flames and feedback are always appreciated!
