Forge Ahead
Darkness. An unending void as far as the eye could see. That was what had greeted them as they dove down after the Endsinger, and there seemed to be no end in sight.
That was, until, a faint blue shimmer appeared in her field of view. It was almost imperceptible in the dark, but grew as the seconds ticked by. As they closed in, S'eni saw that the glow was in fact a thin layer of fog that spread out in all directions. Casting her gaze far into the distance, where the fog made it almost appear as if she looked at a strange horizon caught in the moment of the last rays of a setting sun.
"Looks like we reached the bottom. Good, let's search from here."
"And what if her fate is the same as those beasts of her creation?" Zenos asked.
She frowned. Yes, that thought had crossed her mind. "Then we look until we are sure of it."
He didn't say anything further and began to fly. As they began their search, seconds stretched out into minutes, and the minutes grew longer and longer, with no sight of their quarry. Just a never-ending blue seeping through an equally endless darkness.
But just when she was ready to give up, her eyes spotted something in the distance. A dark speck amongst the blue. She pointed towards it. "Over there!"
Closing in on it, the speck swiftly turned into a recognisable form. It was Meteion. Her Endsinger form must have fallen apart, turning her back into the little girl she was. None of her sisters were in sight, only her, sitting on the ground with her head hung low within the darkness.
Once they were close enough, S'eni jumped off Zenos and ran over to Meteion, only vaguely taking note of her companion shedding his draconic form and landing somewhere behind her. As she came closer, her run slowed down into a walk and she came to a stop in front of the girl. A brief second of utter silence passed before Meteion shifted slightly and began to speak.
"It is dark everywhere...lonely...no matter how far I fly," she said, her voice small. "I wanted to deliver the answer Hermes so desperately wished for...but I did not find it..."
S'eni knelt down, prompting Meteion to finally look up. Her face was so sad, so tired. "Do not be alarmed...that is how I greeted you as well. I wished to hear your words...share your feelings...know your thoughts. To become friends..."
Meteion reached towards her, and she gingerly took her hand into her own. The corners of her lips rising ever so slightly, she placed her other hand on top of the girl's and closed her eyes. And with a deep exhale, began to share it all with her, starting with a simple question.
"May we please be friends?"
A loud sob ripped through Meteion, and while S'eni could hear the sadness in it, there was also the unmistakable hint of hope and bittersweet joy as she spoke. "Yes...I can hear it...your heart. The memories of your journey. So many friends...so many stories..."
The good, the bad, even the absurdly funny. She made sure to hide absolutely nothing from her. Upon opening her eyes again, she was met with Meteion's tear-filled gaze, cheeks wet from a few that had spilled out.
"There is no single answer...to the meaning of life," Meteion said and lowered her head again. "We gain something, we lose something...we live and experience new things. Again and again. Until we die...at the side of someone as gentle as you. I flew far and wide, but what Hermes was looking for had been on Etheirys all along."
"No, it wasn't," S'eni replied, reaching out to gently raise the girl's head and brush her tears away. "We had to make it so first. One step at a time."
"Like a flowerbed. One adds a new color here and there, and watches it grow..." She offered the girl a smile, and nodded. "Thank you, S'eni. For giving my journey a wonderful end. But before I go..."
Meteion rose to her feet, and S'eni followed suit.
"What we have taken can never be returned. There can't be forgiveness for that. Nevertheless, I wish to sing a song. A song of the joy that has filled my heart at long last. A song of the light, that shines through the starless night, radiant as it is beautiful." As she said those words, Meteion stepped backwards and spread her arms wide. Eyes closing, she began to twirl to a silent song while her body glowed with golden warmth. "The stars, robbed of its people...continents, devastated by grief...this song shall carry the seed and nurture it so that one day life will once again return to them."
The glow intensified, then shot high up, where it exploded into a rain of beautiful, golden light. In a matter of seconds, the darkness that had surrounded them was turned into an endless sea of stars. Her jaw dropped at the sight, yet it was when a bright light from her right made her turn her head, that she gasped out. There, on the edge of this strange horizon, the sun was rising.
Light footsteps made her look back towards Meteion, her form returned to the cheerful blue from her days in Elpis. Her hands were folded in front of her chest. "Hermes shall see life in full bloom. I know, it will not be easy. But the dynamis will fulfill my wish. And besides, sometimes wonders do happen, isn't that right?"
"It is," she replied with a warm chuckle and Meteion smiled brightly.
"And now...I will open a path to your friends. Once I am gone, you will only need to take a single step forward and wish to return to them with all your heart. It will guide you to them." With one last smile, the girl transformed into her bird form and shot into the sky, a trail of golden light following her like the shooting star she was named after, until she was little more than a twinkle in the distance. S'eni closed her eyes.
"Goodbye, Meteion..." S'eni murmured.
She remained standing like this, her mind going over what Meteion had said. Just a single step forward while wishing for it and she would be back with the others. It was simple, really. But—
"Do you not wish to return and resume your role as hero?" Zenos asked.
—there was still this one final matter.
Opening her eyes, S'eni turned around and saw him standing a distance away from her. "You have something to say to me. I'm listening."
"Very well, then. I know now what it was that excited me so during our battle in Ala Mhigo. Never before had I faced an adversary who fought with such determination. We fought until our last breaths. Until the last drop was spilled. That is what it means to live. It is my life's purpose, and my greatest gift to you. And now, I would ask you for a rematch. If you refuse, I will let you return to your friends. Cobblers and maids, they cling to their lives. That is why they eschew danger and avoid even the smallest risk. Heroes on the other hand wish to protect the lives of the weak, so they stare death in the face and go to the ends of the world." He held out his hand towards her, almost akin to someone asking for a dance. "But here, there is nothing that makes you a hero. Remember that day, high above Ala Mhigo. The blood! The rush one feels in a matter of life and death! You felt it too, S'eni."
She stared at him for a few long moments. That day in Ala Mhigo. Gods, it felt like an eternity ago. But yes, she remembered it. As well as another day...
"For the longest time, I told myself that I needed to defeat you because it was the right thing to do. To liberate Ala Mhigo from the Empire. But that's not true. No, I wanted to defeat you for one simple reason: you hurt the person I love most." She cracked her knuckles on one hand, then the other. "You're right. There's no one here I need to protect, no higher cause to veil my actions. Just you and me. Let's do this!"
"Yes!" he shouted, unbridled excitement entering his voice, and his hand went to the scythe on his back. "My life or yours...the heaven, the stars, we shall fight for it all!"
S'eni scoffed, yet couldn't help the smirk forming on her lips. Bastard.
Kicking out her leg, she entered a firm stance and raised her arms. Her eyes locked onto his, holding his gaze for a few long seconds. She balled her hands into fists and exploded forward.
She was immediately upon him, punching out her palm in a strike to his chest, only to meet air as he sidestepped her. S'eni swung to the side and chased him with a couple of blows that managed to grace him, before bringing her leg up into a high kick. Shifting his scythe, he blocked her attack with its shaft, then sweeped it upward, slamming the blunt edge into her face.
Pain shot through her face, and she felt the hot trickle of blood coming out of her nose. No time to focus on it though, as Zenos swiftly swung his weapon downward again, its sharp edge gleaming in the warm light while aiming for her neck. She quickly spun out of the way, grimacing when he still managed to graze her shoulder instead.
S'eni jumped backwards, bringing some distance between the two of them. Her eyes briefly went to her shoulder, where a dribble of blood was seeping into the fabric of her long gloves. Nothing that would get in the way. Wiping her nose with her thumb, she spit on the ground and turned her attention back to Zenos. A smirk was on his face, and he raised his hand into the air, a green aura surrounding him.
Ears twitching, S'eni glanced to the side where water shot from the ground. She narrowed her eyes at the familiarity of this. Looked like he absorbed a tad more from the rest of the Mothercrystal. With a wave of her hand, she summoned forth her staff and swung it around, creating a wall of fire just in time for the tidal wave that came crashing down. On contact, it evaporated into a large cloud of steam that covered the entire area.
Zenos looked around, searching, when suddenly she came jumping out of the cloud and struck him in the face. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she zipped away and kicked him harshly into the side, making him stagger. Having caught him temporarily off guard, she slammed her knee into his gut, then somersaulted into the air. The tip of her boot connected with his chin, knocking him back.
Slamming the lower end of his scythe into the ground, he managed to keep himself upright and wiped at the corner of his mouth. His smirk grew. "Hah...it would have been too easy otherwise."
They rushed towards each other and resumed their deadly dance. Leviathan's magic, as it turned out, was not the only little ace up his sleeve. Ifrit and Ramuh, too, were part of his new repertoire, and the combination of fire and lightning soon forced her on the defensive. She had just managed to avoid his fiery hellfire, when she saw his eyes glow.
"Show me your perseverance!" he shouted and swung his arm downward to rain draconic energy upon her. She cursed loudly, her Gunblade appearing in her hand, and she pulled the trigger to form a barrier around her to absorb the brunt of it.
The attack had just come to an end, when a dark red flash from out of the corner of her eyes made her whirl around and raise her Gunblade behind her back to block the incoming scythe. Their eyes locked and she grit her teeth as she struggled against him. Little by little, she pushed his weapon away until, with one last shove, she pulled the trigger again. His scythe swerved to the side, leaving him wide open for her to spin around and slash his face.
Blood splashed to the ground, and Zenos reached up to his cheek. Looking at his crimson-stained fingers, he grinned. "Yes, just so!"
A dark red glow appeared behind him and formed into that twisted being that had nearly attacked her friends in Garlemald. It floated there idly for a second, the hands over its eyes making it impossible to gauge its intentions, until it grabbed its own scythe tightly and dove towards her. S'eni brought her Gunblade up to deflect its slash, only to immediately have to swing it in the other direction as Zenos joined in the assault. She deflected their simultaneous attack as best she could, ignoring the little cuts that managed to pass through her defense. They were relentless, pushing her further and further back until, at last, she found an opening.
"Enough of this!" she shouted, ducking out of the way and swinging her sword sideward. Pulling the trigger, the resulting momentum made her spin in place and the aether stored in the cartridge formed an explosive circle around her that forced Zenos to back off and his voidsent to disperse. She left her foe no time to recover, bridging the gap between them and ramming her shoulder into his abdomen.
He stumbled back and dropped to his knees, gasping for air while also chuckling. "Ah...the fiery heat of battle. Let us see if we can further stoke the flames within you."
Zenos once again called forth his voidsent. But instead of siccing it on her, it descended upon him and entered his body. With a dark red flash, they fused together, turning the ends of his hair into dark horns and changing his left arm into a demonic claw. His eyes, now nothing but glowing red, found hers.
"Mine is just flaring up!" within the blink of an eye, he rushed at her, leaving her barely enough time for her to bring up her weapon to block his strike. The sheer force behind it sent her sliding backwards, and while it had protected her from a serious wound, the blade was all but shattered. After giving it a brief once over, she sent it away and raised her fists again, her eyes narrowing. Zenos just grinned. "Haha, yes. That is the spirit!"
"Glad you're enjoying yourself!" She ran towards him.
All around them, the dynamis glowed in never before seen intensity, fueled by their battle and the emotions it invoked. Two unrelenting spirits facing off against each other, giving as good as they got, and not slowing down one bit. Their meeting in Rhalgr's Reach, their clash in Doma, and the subsequent battle over Ala Mhigo; it had all been but a prelude to this final confrontation. Here, at the edge of the universe.
S'eni gasped when Zenos grabbed her leg mid-kick and tossed her in the air. As he swung his scythe at her, she twisted around at the last second and shot a wave of aether from her folded hands that sent him flying back. The instant she was back on her feet, she vanished and appeared right in front of him, kicking him high into the air before he could hit the ground. She jumped after him, delivering a couple of more blows, before grabbing him and tossing him down with all her might.
Zenos hit the ground harshly, groaning out in pain as his scythe left his grip. He remained lying there for seconds, not moving until she had landed on her feet. Slowly, his hands planted themselves firmly on the floor and he pushed himself up. He grimaced briefly and the red glow in his eyes slightly dimmed—
"So long as I breathe...this will not be over..."
—only to return with a vengeance!
Releasing a loud cry, he grabbed his scythe and jumped forward at blinding speed. S'eni tried to dodge, but the curved blade nevertheless found its mark. An intense pain shot through her abdomen, followed by a flooding warmth. Face contorting, she dropped to her knees, hands immediately going to the wound to quell the bleeding with a healing spell. But it wasn't working!
Shitshitshitshitshit her eyes shifted around, fingers pressing further down on her wound in a vain attempt to keep her lifeblood from spilling out. There had to be a way, something she could—
All of a sudden, a shadow cast itself over her, and she looked up, fully expecting to see Zenos having come over to finish the job. Her eyes widened, and she inhaled sharply when instead of her adversary, it was a shade standing in front of her. A tall man, his body language full of wisdom and kindness, had his back turned to her, looking to where the former crown prince was preparing his final strike.
The man turned around and knelt in front of her, and though his face was obscured, she could envision the grandfatherly smile on his lips. His form shifted, turning into a small flame, and almost out of pure reflex, S'eni reached out to cup it with her hands. Its comforting warmth spread through her fingers and a voice echoed from deep within it.
"If I can but see you to a new future, I should want for nothing more."
A weak chuckle escaped her at those words, and she closed her eyes. As she pulled the flame closer to her, it grew in intensity, its warmth turning into scorching heat. Up ahead, Zenos was leaping towards her, his scythe poised to bring an end to her. But just as the tip was about to bury itself into her skull, so too did the flame reach its apex. With a shriek echoing far and wide, it burst outward into a fiery storm, the force of which threw Zenos backwards.
Like a blanket, the heat wrapped itself around her, taking the pain away. Strength was returning to her as the wound in her stomach knit itself shut, and she slowly began to rise. Once back on her feet, she opened her eyes...and jumped through the fire.
Zenos, whose scythe had been knocked out of his hands, immediately grinned like a mad dog when he saw her emerge, and they both rushed towards each other. He raised his claw to swipe at her, but was intercepted by an uppercut. He reeled back with a cry, but quickly recovered and punched her in the face. A spurt of blood shot out of her already beaten nose, but all it did was piss her off more and she punched him right back.
Hunching over from the punch, Zenos gasped loudly for air, then kicked her in the stomach. The strength behind it was enough to push her far back, but also made him drop to his knee. Blood oozed from his mouth, staining his lips a deep crimson, and he fixed her with an almost frenzied look. He forced himself back up.
Following suit, S'eni ran towards him, pulling back her fist at the same time as him. As they advanced on one another, she gathered all of her remaining strength into this one attack. With twin cries, they met in the center and her fist connected with his face. Zenos arched through the air, his eyes wide with surprise, before falling to the ground.
This time, he did not get back up.
S'eni fell to her knee, loud gasps for air passing her lips. A sudden sting from her stomach made her wince, and a quick touch confirmed that, while not as bad as before, the wound had reopened again. Up ahead, Zenos stirred and planted his hands on the ground to push himself up, but it was merely enough for him to fall on his back. Darkness emanated from his body when his transformation slowly came undone.
"...I have lost. Again. How...incredibly vexing..." he laughed and S'eni took a slow step forward before collapsing on her back as well. Her vision was becoming blurry. "I never understood why the people around me attributed so much worth to trifling things. To me, the world resembled a bog...dreary and boring. Only sometimes was I able to escape it and, for but a moment, feel true excitement. Such a quick, fleeting enjoyment..."
He laughed again and reached his still glowing hand out towards her, but it unceremoniously dropped to the ground. "And you? You were born into this world to experience one unbelievable adventure after another..."
Her eyelids grew heavy, and it took her all to keep them from falling close. Images appeared before her mind's eye. The endless sea of trees of Black Shroud. The beautiful coast of La Noscea. Horizon in Thanalan, where the Waking Sands were located.
"Your life...was a marvel..." more images surfaced. Haurchefant's grave and the breathtaking view of Ishgard. The stunning view of Kugane's harbor. The roofs of Ala Mhigo. "...So much better...than mine..."
"I wasn't...born for it..." she replied amidst the siren call of unconsciousness. The image of the first night's sky over the Crystarium flashed through her mind, followed by that of her friends as they all looked towards Sharlayan. Another one joined, the view of a sheer endless horizon from a small, familiar beach. "I'm...just a kid...who wanted to see the world...to experience the stories my father had told me..."
"I..." Zenos began to say, but broke off with a large exhale.
"Zenos...?" she asked. He didn't respond.
...He was gone.
Funny, she should be glad about it. To finally be rid of him. But in the end, all that she felt for him...was pity. Maybe if things had been different—perhaps in another life—they really might have become friends.
She would find out soon enough, she supposed. It was growing harder and harder to stay conscious. Her eyes started to fall shut. Faintly, she could make out a twinkle amidst the stars, before her vision grew dark and she began to drift off.
...Beep.
...Beep.
...Beep.
...Beep.
...Beeeeeeeeeep.
Then...nothing...
...
...
...
...she felt herself drift. It was quiet. Peaceful. More so even than when she was in deep meditation.
She was so cold. And tired. So tired. Sleep was beckoning her so sweetly, honeyed words that were softly whispering into her ear. Part of her just wished to give in, to rest. Rest, yes that sounded nice...
"Hey...hear me?"
A voice, barely audible, pierced the quiet and latched onto the fading recesses of her consciousness. It sounded like Thancred...?
"Swiftly...assistance..." Urianger...?
"Open...please..." That sounded like G'raha. Was he...crying?
"Give me a hand..." Y'shtola...yes, that was unmistakably her.
"Wake up!" Alphinaud...
A loud sob followed, and a pale light appeared in front of her. Warm and comfortable. Trying to fend off the dark.
"Please, open your eyes!" she heard Alisaie cry amidst the sobs, and the light grew. "You can't just leave us behind like that! Wake up!"
Warmth flooded her body, chasing away the cold and clearing part of the fog that had settled in her mind. And though she still felt incredibly weak, she followed the light, letting it guide her back; back to those she cherished.
S'eni opened her eyes.
She was immediately greeted by the familiar blue glow of healing magic and the three hands that administered it. She saw Thancred and Estinien, their faces holding barely concealed worry, G'raha who was struggling to keep it together, and Alisaie who was openly weeping. Shifting her eyes left, towards Alphinaud. He briefly glanced at her, then did a double take when he saw her looking at him.
"You're awake!" he exclaimed, a mixture of disbelief in his voice and he lowered his hand.
"Hey..." she said, lips curling into a weak smile, and she saw tears well up in his eyes.
He buried his face in his hand. "Thank the gods!"
"Are you...all...unharmed?" she asked.
"What are you saying?" G'raha knelt next to Alphinaud, trying and failing to keep himself from sobbing. "Everyone is fine..."
"You truly outdid yourself this time, partner," Estinien said, sending her a little smile.
"It turned out alright this time..." she heard Y'shtola say and she turned her head to look at her. The other Miqo'te placed a soft hand on her cheek, and while far more composed than most of the others, S'eni could still make out the wetness in those pale eyes. "...but don't you dare go off alone like that ever again. Do you realize how worried we were? How worried I was?"
"I'll say. Do you know what it feels like to be just teleported away like that?" Thancred asked, stepping up next to her lover and glaring at her. But it quickly gave way to a smile. "Really now, you're lucky we're friends..."
"Shtola...everyone..." She raised her hand, placing it on top of Y'shtola's. "I'm...so...glad..."
Her smile grew, and a sigh passed her lips, before her eyes drifted shut and unconsciousness claimed her once more to the sound of her friend's voices.
Lol, sorry if you all were expecting the end of this chapter to be like in the game, but gotta give this a personal touch after all.
And speaking of personal touches: see you next week.