A/N: Ok, this is it; the last chapter of my fic. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed my story so far; I really appreciate it ^^ As some of you may have guessed, I have chosen Justin to take the place of the nameless Riovanes knight who released Alma near the end of chapter 3 of FFT and had him release her from her guest chambers instead of a dungeon cell. I also feel that giving him a bigger role in Alma's escape makes him more than another faceless victim of the Riovanes Castle massacre who chose to release Alma out of compassion.

Chapter 10: Sweet Love, Survive

Izlude let out a strangled cry as Hashmalum lifted him off the ground by his throat, choking him, but he refused to give up. He may not be able to win this battle but that did not mean he would let this monster have his head so easily. The best he could hope for was to buy enough time for Justin and Alma to escape and was determined to keep fighting until his body gave out or the off chance that Hashmalum himself would fall. One way or another, it ends now, and he hoped that his sister and his love would forgive him if he did not survive this battle.

"Now to end this farce…" the lionesque demon growled.

"Not…just…yet…" Izlude gasped in a strangled whisper as he managed to shove his sword between the creature's eyes; if he could only sever its head, he may have a chance. By now, both he and Hashmalum himself were suffering from multiple injuries with the demon missing an arm that Izlude had severed earlier. But even with a missing arm, Hashmalum was still not to be taken lightly. So far, the young knight blade had lasted longer than the rest of the knights he started the battle with who did not have his strength and skills. He did not fault the ones who chose to run away, especially if they felt that their lord was not worth dying for. But it wasn't for Barrington or even himself that Izlude was fighting for; it was for his father, Justin, and of course, Alma.

Hashmalum roared with pain as he hurled Izlude to the ground; by now, the knight blade can no longer keep a grip on his sword and felt the handle slip from his grasp. He watched in horror as the monster pulled the blade from his face as if were merely a splinter; without a weapon, he would stand no chance against the creature and braced himself for the deathblow he was sure would follow. But to his surprise, Hashmalum did not strike. Even if he himself did not realize it, Izlude had caused him more damage than he thought and the demon would need to revert back to his human form before he could start healing himself.

"You are stronger than I thought, boy" he growled "I clearly underestimated you; had I known sooner, I would not have killed you. But no matter; you will never serve our cause any more than that stubborn fool you call your father. I have more important matters to attend to now so you can just stay here and die, regretting your meaningless, pitiful life!" And with that, the monster turned and left the room, slamming the door behind him and leaving the knight blade had who dared to challenge him to die a slow and agonizing death.

Izlude laid with his back against the wall, his body racked with pain. The demon was not even merciful enough to put him out of his misery. But no matter; as long as he was able to distract Hashmalum long enough for his friend and love to escape, that was all he could ask for. It had been over ten minutes since Justin left and he knew his friend was familiar enough with the castle's layout to lead Alma into the underground tunnels and outside to safety. His only regret was that he would not be able to keep his promise to his love to marry her after the war was over.

I am so sorry, Alma…Meliadoul…father… I have failed you all. All these years I followed this imposter ignorantly, blind to his evil, letting him lead me on the path to destruction. No… that isn't really true. Deep down, I knew, I felt it, but I chose not to see. I can only pray those I hold dear won't suffer for my mistakes…

No sooner did these thoughts crossed Izlude's mind when he heard an inhuman scream of agony echo through the castle hallways which gave him a flicker of hope. Could it mean that Ramza and his companions have stormed the castle and finished what he started? If he could, Izlude would have gotten up and tried to confirm his suspicions but right now, he could no longer even move his limbs, let alone get up and wander the castle. Hashmalum may be right about him dying but Izlude would not let himself die giving up hope that Ramza will succeed where he had failed, especially with Alma by his side…

SSSSSS

After saying a final prayer for the deceased Sir Justin Timbel, Alma forced herself to get back on her feet and move on. It pained her to know that these castle hallways, which was littered with corpses and thick with the stench of blood and death, was to be his final resting place, but it could not be helped. Justin had begged her to leave Riovanes as soon as possible and she could not find it in herself to deny a dying man's wish so she carefully made her way through the castle to search for the library where the promised secret passage was hidden. Passing through the foyer, Alma thought her heart would stop when she saw the gigantic corpse of a monster with a huge humanoid body and head of a demonic ram. Was this the monster Justin spoke of that caused all this carnage? If so, that meant she could relax a bit but not too much since she wasn't completely out of danger yet; she still had to get out of the castle no matter what.

As Alma searched the hallways, she came upon Duke Barrington's meeting room where the door was closed and the place was dead quiet. She knew the library was past this room and that she should move on without haste but Alma could not bear to leave without knowing what has become of her love who was supposed to have met here with the duke and his father earlier so against her better judgment, Alma opened the door and went inside. As soon as she entered, she wished she hadn't.

The room was littered with the crushed, mutilated corpses of at least a dozen knights, all of them Barrington's personal bodyguards. Alma noticed that the worst of the castle carnage was in this very room; the victims, being only standard knights with no special skills or training, fell easily to whatever monster did this to them. If she wasn't already nauseous with the overpowering scent of blood, Alma would have screamed. Her first instinct was to turn heel and run out of this deathtrap as fast as her legs could carry her before a groan in the corner caught her attention. Upon closer inspection, Alma realized that it was Izlude lying against the wall, his golden armor badly dented and his green cloak stained with blood, both Hashmalum's and his own.

"My love!" the Beoulve girl cried as she forgot the horrid sight in the room and rushed to Izlude's side. Upon hearing Alma's voice, Izlude managed to lift his head and look towards her direction; when he stared past her without seeing her, Alma realized that he was blind, the head injuries he sustained from Hashmalum having destroyed his vision.

"Alma… is that you?"

"Yes, it's me, Izlude! My God, who did this to you?!"

"Never mind that… What are you still doing here?" He demanded weakly "I ordered Justin to get you out…"

Alma dropped her head, ashamed to look Izlude in the eyes even though she knew he could no longer see the shame and anguish on her face. "I'm sorry… he tried but he couldn't make it…"

Understanding dawned on the young knight blade. "I see… in any case, you must leave this place, do not stay here a moment longer, please, I beg you… there is a… monster on the loose."

"There is no need, I saw his body in the hall. My brother must have killed him so there is no need to fight anymore."

"You don't know how many more of them there could be… please go…"

Alma shook her head, the tears she had been holding back now falling freely, as she touched Izlude's face. Although he still breathed, she could feel the coldness of death setting in; it was a feeling she knew all too well, having felt it when she held her dying father's hand as he laid on his deathbed all those years ago.

"No, I won't leave you, my love. You can make it, I will help you!" Summoning her strongest healing magic, Alma attempted to heal Izlude's wounds but his injuries were too severe for even the most advanced cleric. The best she could do was melt away his physical pain and make him comfortable enough to breathe and speak easier but she was still only delaying the inevitable.

"Alma… please don't lie to me, I know you too well by now… I don't have much time left so please listen to what I have to say: my father, Weigraf, and the rest of his top officials…they are no longer human but demons possessing their bodies through the power of the Holy Stones." Reaching into his green cloak, Izlude pulled out a purple stone with the sign of Pieces on it along with a letter sealed in an envelope. "Give this stone to your brother and this letter to my sister, Meliadoul, if you should ever happen to run across her; I know she would aid your cause. Your brother was right about everything; I am sorry I doubted him…and you…"

"No, you can't die now, please! I love you!"

Hearing his love's cries of anguish pained Izlude more than anything Hashmalum could have done to him but he did not want her to throw her life away so carelessly just because of him.

"Forgive me, Alma… I am sorry that I could not keep my promise to you but you cannot let yourself die here… Your brother needs you and the world needs him. He may be a heretic, but he is the only one who can save Ivalice now. Please, you must promise me that you will survive…"

Alma couldn't believe she was being put in the same spot of being unable to deny a dying man's wish twice in one day but it appeared that she had no choice.

"Yes, Izlude… I promise."

The young knight blade smiled weakly, his own sightless eyes misty with tears as he looked into the face of the woman he would see no more. "I love you, Alma, and I always will… you are the best thing that has ever happened to me… please promise me one more thing before I go…"

"Anything…"

"Don't ever forget me…"

Alma took Izlude's face in her hands as she leaned forward to kiss him one last time, the tears from her own eyes falling on his cheeks. Since she knew she could not save him from his fate, the only thing she could do was tell him what he needed to hear while he still can.

"I could never… good-bye…my love…"

As soon as those words left her mouth, Alma felt Izlude use the last of his strength to return her kiss before going limp in her arms as Justin had before him. She had lost loved ones before but none of their deaths have struck her as hard as Izlude's. Alma wanted nothing more than to lay down and die herself but she already made Izlude a promise. Both he and Justin had given their lives for her and she couldn't let it be a needless sacrifice. The world was in danger and there were still things she needed to do. Her love was right. Ramza needed her, and the world needed him; if anything were to happen to her, her brother would not have the will to keep fighting and Ivalice, no, possibly the world, would be doomed.

Putting the holy stone and letter in the pocket of her dress, Alma stood up. So consumed was she by her grief that she failed to notice the footsteps of someone approaching until she saw a tall, robust man clad in golden armor and a purple cloak walk into the room. The man had dark brown hair streaked with grey and dark green eyes and while he was no longer young, he was still a very attractive man who looked like Izlude might have had he lived another thirty years or so. Alma had never seen this man before but she knew without a doubt that he must be Vormav Tingel, leader of the Knights Templar, or more accurately, a Zodiac demon in his form. While he had reverted to the form of Izlude's father, the Beoulve girl was not fooled; she knew exactly what he was and found herself trembling with fear in his presence. Izlude and Justin was right; she should have gotten out of here while she still had the chance but now it was too late.

Upon seeing Alma, Vormav grinned, a mirthless grin that hid his hideous dark nature and intentions, as if he was delighted by all the bloodshed he had caused. Forgetting her fear for a moment, Alma screamed at him, her eyes burning with tears of anger and grief.

"How could you, you monster!? He was your son! Your only son!"

Vormav snorted. "I've no use for that weakling. But do not worry, you will be joining him soon enough!"

The knight started to approach Alma and every instinct she had was screaming at her to run but her body would not obey her command. It was as if her feet was being rooted to the ground in her fear. "Do not fear…" he assured her "You won't suffer…much…"

Before Alma could reply, they heard an inhuman sound that appeared to come from another part of the castle. Alma wasn't sure what it was but Vormav had a better idea. "What? Velius was killed?" he asked, more to himself then his intended victim. Upon confirming his own suspicion through an unknown power, he turned to Alma and chuckled in amusement as if his comrade's death was some kind of joke. "Heh…your brother has the devil's own luck…"

It was finally then that Alma was able to move again; if she can somehow get past Vormav and through the door, she might have a chance. Unfortunately, the knight had already anticipated her move and grabbed her before she could make a run for it but as soon as he did, a brilliant flash of light came between them, startling him.

"What? Why is Virgo responding? You can't be…"

Alma was confused as to what Vormav meant and when he looked at her, his face split into a frightening grin once more. "Very nice! I didn't expect to find you here! I thought it would take another hundred years to find you; I never dreamed you were the one!"

Alma had no idea what he meant nor did she care to find out. "Stop! Let go of me!" she cried. But it was a futile effort. It looked like she was going to join Izlude and Justin sooner than she thought but unfortunately, the possessed Templar had other plans.

"No need to fear…I won't kill you; now come here!" Before Alma can protest, she felt the knight slam a fist into her gut, and all was darkness. As the pair disappeared, the only witness to the scene, a shining blue stone, fell to the floor with a clang…

Fin

A/N: Ok, I've decided to end this fic right about here because we all know what happens with Alma, Ramza, and the rest of the gang beyond this point. For those of you who haven't finished FFT yet, I won't spoil it here. For those of you who have been following this fic for the last 3 years, my profound apologies for keeping you waiting so long because I wasn't sure how to continue and finish until I played the PSP version of FFT. I experimented with an idea in which Izlude survives and escapes the castle with Alma but that would likely alter the story too much and I wanted to remain as true to the original storyline as possible. However, I still think Izlude and Alma are meant to be and am currently working on the sequel with my co-writer and editor Falchion1984 called 'Finding My Way Back to You'.