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Final Fantasy VI: The Sands of Time

Book 1: The Begininng

Chapter 8 - Dream's End

Part 8.10 - Life or Death

Captain Mobius Bismark awakened to a very different world than what he was expecting after his savage encounter with Maduin. He had expected to be killed by the traitorous Esper that had taken over Dune's body, but at the moment he wasn't quite sure whether he was alive or dead, awake or dreaming.

Walk the path of your heart, and the dream shall end.

These words had risen unbidden into Bismark's mind the moment he regained awareness. He looked around for the speaker, a young woman by the sound of it, but there was no one here except him. But where was here?

Spreading out from where Bismark found himself was the strangest environment he had ever seen in all his long years. To his left was a vast expanse of ice, perfectly smooth. A harsh wind blew from the western horizon, chilling him to his core. To his right was a wild ocean, waves tumbling against each other for as far back as he could see. A warm wind like the gentle breath of some slumbering giant flowed over him from the eastern horizon. In between, there was a narrow path of flames, melting the infinite ice into infinite seas. It was on this path that Bismark stood, wondering what the words he had heard meant.

Your heart is a battleground of conflicting desires, my child. You must choose your path, or be lost forever.

Bismark was about to shout at the invisible voice to explain, but stopped when he took a step forward in anger. He had stepped with his false leg, but had felt the sensation of life in his long gone limb. Looking down, he was amazed to find that both his legs were whole, and feeling his face, both his eyes could see. Either this was a dream, or he really was dead.

"What is this!" Bismark shouted, regaining his voice and his old impatience. He did not like mysteries, and he did not feel like he was dead or asleep.

My most devoted of children, you are on the border between life and death. Please, walk forward and follow your heart...

The voice was beautiful, and filled Bismark with a strangely familiar warmth. He could drown in that voice, the voice of his deepest desires. It sounded like a lover in the dark. It sounded like his mother when he was a child. It sounded like the ocean in his dreams. It sounded like...

"Elia..." Bismark whispered reverently.

You are a true child of the sea to call me in this place, Mobius. It pleases me to hear my name in the deepest recesses of your soul. Now! Follow your words and walk with me!

Bismark was stunned to hear his suspicion acknowledged. He looked around him for a sign of the legendary Maiden of Water, the patron goddess of all sea-faring men. But there was only the deathly pale plain of ice to the west, and the endless tumultuous seas to the east. And that narrow path of fire in between.

There was nothing else he could do, so he began to walk, keeping a vigil for the Maiden of his dreams. The flames licked at his two good feet, but they did not burn. He did not see any sign of an end to this narrow path. Only an endless line of fire stretching and stretching to the limits of his now perfect vision, but with each step the flames grew slightly smaller.

You must choose. The path of fire is the twilit path of mortals. If you continue that path, your fading fire will flicker and die, and you will die as well. If this is what you wish, then continue...

"I don't want to die just yet, Miss." Bismark said nervously, not sure at all of his sanity. This was madness, talking to the Maiden of Water as he walked on fire.

To test the words of the Maiden, he took one step onto the glacial expanse to his right. The moment he did, another voice roared into his mind. This voice was the exact opposite of the Maiden's, and was filled with rage and hate.

Yes! Ignore the calling of the Maiden and her waters. You will only drown in their seductive embrace. With my aid, you can have power, and revenge! Even now, Levi enjoys the blessings of his own Goddess, and uses it to toy with your friends' lives. Will you forget them in the warm folds of Mare Magnum, the Great Ocean?

Bismark did not like the biting cold he felt shoot up his body when he stood on the ice, but the words of that other voice, as hate-filled as they were, struck a chord in Bismark's soul. How he hated Levi! And he knew he was powerless to stop the monster in his current form of Leviathan. Was this the answer? Was this his revenge?

Mobius! Do not be deceived by the cold spears of my brother. He taunts you with promises that will cost you dearly to accept. My path is not one of power and violence, but of healing and of peace. Mare Magnum welcomes all weary travelers, and washes away all pains in its infinite depths. Join me, my child.

"Damn you both!" Bismark shouted. "What of my friends? What of Dune? What of Levi?"

The cold voice of Chemosh, of Doom: Join me, and you can destroy Levi. Our goals are the same in this. The Leviathan must be stopped, and I can give you the power to stand against him.

The gentle voice of Elia, the Maiden: Join me, and you can save your friends, save Dune. Forget Levi and your mortal anger. Forget everything and be at peace.

Bismark took a step back from the ice, firmly planting both feet in the flames between. What was he supposed to do? He felt hopelessly torn between the two extremes of his life - anger and devotion. His hatred of Levi was only matched by his love for Dune. He knew he couldn't just abandon Dune to seek vengeance against Levi, but to let that monster run free while he enjoyed the comforts of a peaceful life...wherever the Maiden would lead him...that was almost as unbearable as leaving Dune to the monster that had possessed him.

"Elia, help me!" Bismark cried out.

She cannot help you. You must choose for yourself what path you walk. Doom's voice hummed malevolently.

Remember, this is your world, and you must shape it as your heart wills. Elia's voice, soft, but insistent.

Bismark could feel the flames beneath him weakening, and he knew he had to make his choice now, or die in vain. He looked above him, but the only thing in all directions was that same accursed storm that plagued him in the real world. It seemed even larger, even closer here. Bismark felt like he could reach up and tear that damnable cloud down from the heavens with his bare hands here. Those clouds were at the beginning of his nightmare, and here they were at its end.

Remember, this is your world. Elia's words echoed in his mind. My world...

Bismark walked slowly down the fading path of fire as he thought about those words. Without saying anything, he stopped and looked up at the clouds with a piercing stare, and then he reached into the sky. And kept reaching, straining his body to its limits. He watched as his hands reached further and further, far past what he thought was the length of his arms. And yet the clouds grew closer and closer, and his hands reached further and further. There was no change in his height, and no change in his surroundings, yet the more he strained, the closer the swirling blackness above him came.

Before he fully knew what he was doing, he had the cloud in his giant's reach, and was doing exactly what he had thought of doing - he was tearing the heavens down with his bare hands. Great swaths of darkness came away with each tearing grasp, and beyond was a shining light of pure sunlight.

What are you doing, fool? Doom's normally arrogant voice sounded confused, afraid.

Bismark did not pay any attention to the sound of Doom's voice. He was a man obsessed. Soon he had succeeded in ripping that black stain from his soul, and now stood staring at a clear, white brilliance above him. But he was not finished. His heart led him where his mind could not follow, and he continued reaching, growing as he did. The light grew closer, and he kept reaching upwards through sheer will.

Yes! Elia's voice rose up from within him. You can feel the divine power at the core of your soul, my child! Keep reaching into the very deepest recesses of your life's essence, of all life's essence, and you will find the answer you seek.

Stop! Doom's voice again, weaker, but still powerful in its hate and fear. You don't know what you're doing! That is not the path of salvation, only the path of self-destruction. If you reach for the Forge of Creation, you will by burned to a cinder!

But Bismark did not hear anything Doom said, or Elia. His entire being was filled with the blinding light ahead of him. He reached with the utmost strength of his will and almost leapt into the great luminescence. His hands embraced the light, and he felt a surge of power like nothing he had ever felt before. It blinded and burned him, but he held on with every last fiber of his spirit. Something deep inside was urging him on, telling him not to let go or he would be annihilated.

Fool! Let go! The Forge is not for you!

Doom's voice faded to silence, and another voice sounded in Bismark's ears, impossible to ignore. He could not see, and the pain of the burning light numbed him to all sensations except sound, but the voice he heard now was neither Doom's nor Elia's. It was a crisp, powerful voice that stirred him to the very core of his being. He could not deny this voice, and if it commanded his destruction, he knew he would be powerless to disobey it.

"My son, hold tight onto this light, and do not release it. Indomitable is you resolve, and unbreakable your spirit. You have forged your own path through the chaos of your soul, as you have always done in life. Now, my dreamer, awaken! Awaken, and see what it is you have wrought from the Forge!

Bismark felt himself rising through the maelstrom of his dream world, his hands firmly clenched around the glorious light. As he rose, he heard the voice of Elia, the Maiden of Water far below.

Oh, my child, you have chosen well. But beware! Those who fight destiny and make their own path must live with the world they create, for good or ill. Use our gift wisely, and never let the light of hope fade from our world!

Bismark awoke with a gasp, his head throbbing and his shoulder numb. But he was alive, and back in the world he knew. He opened his eyes, but found to his intense displeasure that only one eye obeyed him. A quick push off the ground and he knew he had lost his leg once again as well.

"What is this?" A harsh, growling voice sounded from above him. It was the voice of Maduin, the self-proclaimed Herald of Doom.

Bismark looked up into the demon-like face of Dune's imprisoner and laughed. It hurt, but the pain was good, it was real. And he felt something else, something warm in his hands. Without looking away from Maduin's cold eyes, he knew what it was he held. Genju had been right, after all. Bismark laughed harder.

"What has happened, you wretched old man? Why are you awake? Why are you laughing!" Maduin did not understand what had went wrong. This was supposed to be a gift for his master, Chemosh. But something had gone wrong. And what was glowing in the old man's hands?

Bismark stopped laughing and stared directly into Maduin's eyes, eyes that were now filling with fear.

"This is for Dune, you bastard. You will give him back!" Bismark said savagely, a terrible grin on his face.

"What...!" Maduin stuttered, completely undone.

Bismark jumped up from the ground and pushed both his glowing hands straight into Maduin's broad chest, holding them there. The light in his hands exploded and engulfed both him and Maduin. Bismark felt a tug at his chest as the light flowed around them, and knew exactly what was happening. His life force was being siphoned out of his body and into Maduin's, purifying him of the dark presence inside, but at the cost of Bismark's own life.

"Silas...I'm returning what I took from you..." Bismark said, his strength ebbing away. His eyes never left the total blue eyes of Maduin, even as the life faded from them. Just as Bismark's gaze dulled, so too did Maduin's. When the holy light had finally faded, both Bismark and Maduin lay in a heap, the exchange of power completed.

Maduin howled in agony inside his fiendish mind, feeling his own existence waver. Deep inside the dream world of the twisted Esper form, the spirit of Dune struggled in the claws of a vastly larger Maduin. Here, Maduin was king, and held Dune in his grip like a rag doll. The battlefield was once again the icy plains of Cocytus, with Doom's grotesque corpse-like form towering above all, watching the struggle unfold.

Ever since his trial in the Nexus, Dune had been at the mercy of the titanic Maduin's power. The terrible murder of Cassandra by his own hands had filled him with hatred and fear of himself, and Doom had used those negative emotions to craft the giant Maduin around Dune's own soul, trapping his hapless vessel in the frozen prison of his own Cocytus.

All this time, Dune had been powerless against his own self-loathing, but now something was changing. The world shook, and deep cracks spread from the other end of Cocytus, opposite Doom's throne.

"Grrr...Damn you Bismark...I will have my revenge for this," Doom's massive voice rumbled from far above Dune and Maduin.

Dune watched in stunned silence as a brilliant ray of light shot down from the empty void above him, colliding with the larger-than-life form of Maduin. Maduin shuddered as the light enveloped him, dropping Dune to the cold floor. More rays of light burst from the cracks in the ice, filling the realm of Cocytus with a warmth it had never known before.

"Master, help me!" Maduin pleaded as he shrank further.

Doom said nothing and did not move to help his herald. Maduin had failed, and now the Master of Ice knew what would inevitably follow.

By the time Maduin had reached the same size as Dune, the light was everywhere, melting the ice and thawing the fear that had frozen Dune's soul.

"Until we meet again, my Vessel..." Doom's voice sounded from far in the distance, fading into the light. It sounded old, tired. In that ancient voice was a dull rage that said it knew it was doomed to always be vanquished by the power of love, and hope.

As Doom faded from his mind once and for all, Dune stood up and looked at Maduin, now powerless without his Master. He walked up to the Esper and put his hand on the beast's chest. The gravity crystal still hung there, and with a sharp tug Dune pulled it off and flung it into one of the cracks, where a ray of purifying light blasted it into nothing.

"I am no longer yours or anyone else's slave. I will take back my body, and my freedom!" Dune shouted. He put both his hands on the shoulders of Maduin and gripped them as hard as he could, feeling the hard skin crumble in the grip of his iron will. The Esper vanished in a swirling cone of light, and Dune was left alone, master of his soul at last.

"Well done, my child." A voice sang from all around Dune.

"Who...you?" Dune said, then gasped as he held in his sight the woman from his idyllic vision in the Mordic. "Are you Elia?"

The young woman stood before Dune on the melting world of ice, the warm waters under her bare feet rapidly turning the false Cocytus into a churning sea. Before Dune could say anything more, he found himself back on the quiet shores of the dream sea. The lush forest sprang up behind him, and the sounds of life filled his ears once more. He glanced down and saw the same tiny crab waving its pincers at him, just like before. He smiled, and felt a great weight lift from him as he did.

"Welcome back to the Great Ocean, Dune." Elia said, the gentle breeze blowing her long hair softly around her shoulders and ruffling the thin gown she wore. She was as beautiful as Dune remembered.

"What happens now?" Dune said, feeling more at peace than he had ever felt before, and not really caring what happened next. He could lose himself here, awash in this quiet world forever. And would that be so bad?

As Dune's thoughts slowed and he contemplated walking straight into the endless waves before him, another voice brought him back to his senses.

"Dune! You're not done yet! Get up off your ass and wake up!" It was Bismark's voice, coming from somewhere beside Dune.

Dune looked to his side and saw the beams of light swirl into the shape of Captain Bismark.

"Captain? What are you doing here of all places?"

"I'm here to rescue you, you fool! Don't waste what I gave to you, Dune. She's seductive, isn't she? But she's not for you, not yet. Right now, the world needs you. Mae needs you. Now wake up."

Bismark's last words hit Dune like a slap in the face, and he felt the paradise around him shudder. Elia's vision wavered like a mirage, and her face was full of sadness.

"He is right. Your world still needs you, Dune. I will be here for you, waiting. You will always have a home here in the Mare Magnum."

Elia vanished into light, and Bismark followed her. Dune was left alone on the beach of his soul, wondering what he was supposed to do now. The world was quickly fading back into pure light, and Dune knew he would return to the real world any moment. But what then?

"Dune, my son, I am proud of you," another voice said from all around him, filling every corner of the vanishing world. It was a voice from his memory, a voice from childhood. It was the voice of his father.

"Father? Are you here as well?" Dune said, tears welling up in his eyes. He had only vague memories of his father, but they were his deepest memories, and he held onto them the tightest of all.

"My life force is a part of you now, thanks to Mobius's sacrifice." the voice of Silas resounded.

"Sacrifice? What do you mean?"

"I gave my life's energy to save my friend long ago, and now he has given that same energy to you, along with his own. I couldn't have asked for a better fate for my gift. Do not waste our friend's gift, Dune. You still have a long road ahead of you, and it grieves me that I am not there to walk it with you. I am sorry, my son."

"Dad! Don't go! What happened? Where is Captain Bismark?" Dune cried, afraid of what his father was telling him.

"Dune..." Silas's voice said softly, fading as the world around him faded. "I will not be able to talk to you again like this. When you wake up, you will be alone again. But do not let fear overtake you again! You must fight for your world! I pass my burden onto you, son. Keep the flame of hope alive, no matter how dark the world may seem."

"Dad, wait!"

"Farewell, my son. Remember me, and believe..."

"Dad! DAD!" Dune cried, but he was alone in his shrinking world again. There was nothing left now but light, and Dune knew it was time.

With a start he opened his eyes and looked around him. Bismark's body lay at his feet, and a haze filled his mind. Where was he? What had he been doing all this time? All his memories were a painful blur, but the sight before him started a chain reaction of memories that filled him with growing horror.

His feet...

Dune looked again at his feet and realized they were not his feet at all. They were the great clawed feet of some great beast, and as he lifted his hands to his face and felt the sharp horns and cruel teeth, he realized the nightmare was not over.

"I am...Maduin..." Dune said in a gravelly bass that was nothing like his old voice. It was the voice of a beast, the voice of an Esper, but it was still his voice, his body. He was free.