Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ A New Threat To Spira ❯ Storm's End ( Chapter 17 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Neon Ronin 
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.29.2004 | Updated On: 09.29.2004 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.5K | Visits: 296 | Status: Completed
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Action / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 09.29.2004 | Updated On: 09.29.2004 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.5K | Visits: 296 | Status: Completed
[A/N: I own nothing. Square Enix owns it all. And now]
17: Storm's End
All was silent.
Yuna stirred. What happened? Images flashed through her mind. The hellish light of the Jewel of Entropy as it flared and spread noxious vapors across the ground... The wrenching of her spirit as she poured every last remaining drop of magical energy into the Crystal, channeling the power that would summon Ultima... The barely visible outlines of the Crystals' personae manifesting The crack as the Jewel was overcome by the spell's crushing force, and then...
Did it work? she asked herself. Or are we... are we dead?
Her eyes remained closed as she took a deep breath, the crisp autumn air filling her lungs. No... No, not dead. We can't be. She could feel ground beneath her, along her arms and her back, down her legs It dawned on her that the explosion must have hurled her to the ground as stinging sensations shot throughout her skin. It didn't feel like she was bleeding- at least, no more than she had been before from the wounds Malar inflicted- but she could tell there were some serious bruises developing.
Malar! she suddenly thought. Where is he? Is he even still here? He can't have survived what just happened... Just then she heard a low scraping sound to her left, a sound much like someone crawling or limping across the ground. It was coming her way, getting steadily closer. Please don't let it be him, don't tell me he's still alive; great Bahamut, I can't even move to defend myself...
"Yuna?" A gloved hand delicately brushed several loose strands of hair away from her eyes. Her eyelids fluttered and a smile slowly emerged on her face as she turned her head. Tidus was kneeling next to her, looking just as battered and bruised, if not more so. His jacket was ripped in several places, most notably where Malar's sword had cut him, and part of his armored gauntlet was broken and hanging on by a single rivet. "Can you move?" he asked gently.
Yuna's smile spread to her eyes as she slipped her hand into his. "A little help?" she asked with a slight giggle.
"Of course," he replied with a smile. Sliding his right arm around her shoulders, he propped her up slowly at first so as not to hurt her. She pulled her feet closer to her chest, digging her heels into the ground and struggling upwards, using his shoulder for leverage. Just to her right she could make out Rikku rolling up into a sitting position, moaning and groaning as she did so. Paine had rolled onto her side and took a moment to catch her breath before pushing up onto her knees. Just then Yuna looked upward and noticed the sky for the first time. The multicolored barrier was gone, dispersed into thin air. Thick gray clouds drifted overhead and a low rumble of thunder echoed in the distance. The rain appeared to have stopped, and the only other sound was the soft trickle of water from the river that ran through the plains, not far from where they stood. Stray flecks of rainbow light wafted through the air.
"That was a whole bunch of no fun," Rikku sighed, holding her head. "I thought we were gonna get wiped out when that gem went kerblooie."
"I barely had time to cover my eyes before that explosion," said Tidus. "I've still got spots dancing in front of me."
Paine staggered to her feet. "What I want to know is whether or not Malar lived through that blast," she muttered. The sound of heavy, labored breathing suddenly caught their ears. Everyone turned in the direction of the noise, grasping at their weapons instinctively.
Malar lay on his back, splayed out over the bumps and ridges of the ground like a crumpled sheet. His arms lay limp, with only the occasional twitch from his fingers. Blood trickled from the gaping wound in his chest, which rose and fell as he struggled to breathe. His black hair was strewn about, giving the impression of a mop soaked in ink. But the thing that drew attention first and foremost was his face- formerly twisted with rage, set in a demonic scowl that alternated between furious and gleefully sadistic. Now it was completely relaxed, gazing upwards at the gray clouds dispassionately. The quartet stared for a moment, then slowly advanced closer, lowering their weapons slightly. As they approached, it became apparent that he was more than just mortally wounded. Fine lines had begun to crease his forehead, and his cheeks had sunken, giving him a haggard and pathetic appearance. He coughed and turned his head to face them as they drew alongside him.
"Why..." he wheezed. "Why did this have to happen?" He drew in a long, rasping breath. "I have seen and felt things no man has seen... I saw Rilian's failures, I felt for sure I could do better... I was so sure the power of Chaos was the key to it all." Malar coughed again, spitting up blood. "I have felt the thrill of being able to subdue the fiends, of being able to subjugate them and mold them to my liking... but it was not enough... As my power grew, so did my hunger for it. I was so sure I could control the power of the Jewel... How could I have lost to the likes of you..."
"You didn't lose to us," Yuna said. "You lost to yourself, a long time ago." She crouched beside the dying man, loosening the grip she had on both her guns. "Not long ago, you told me you wanted to make all Spira pay for ignoring your power. Let me ask you this- why did you want that power to begin with? To rule with an iron fist, or to protect people? Which was it? Why did you work so hard to reach into a force that your master, Rilian, did not dare to contemplate?"
Malar blinked. "To fight fire with fire..." he gasped. "Humans have fought the fiends since the dawn of Spira... The souls of the Unsent that lash out resentfully at the living... We had to find ways to defend our people. But to fight them with souls imprisoned in a form of waking death... He would have rather sacrificed another than fight the fiends with their own power."
"A power that would turn you into a fiend yourself," Yuna said in a low voice. "You say you were looking for a way to defend your people, yet you have sent scores of your minions to kill the very people you once defended. Could it be the reason Rilian refused to accept the power of Chaos is because he knew it would corrupt the mind?" She paused, looking directly into his eyes. "You became so engrossed with the power within your grasp that you forgot your original purpose, didn't you? It wasn't that you learned to control the Jewel of Entropy; the Jewel began to control you."
His eyes went wide. For a moment, nobody said anything.
"I..." he began. "I have endured for over two thousand years, locked away beneath these plains... All that time I have been nursing the seed of revenge in my heart... I cursed Rilian, cursed those who did not respect the power at my disposal..." He drew in a long breath and a stray tear fell from his right eye. "How long have I been consumed by the black mist within... I have not known kindness, warmth or hope for so long; even before my imprisonment, when the Jewel's power first lent itself to me, there was no one who truly shared in my achievement... I gave myself over to that power, with the knowledge I would emerge as a force to meet the fiends on their own level."
"Just like those who gave their lives to become a Fayth," Tidus murmured. "They gave themselves to defend Spira, too."
Yuna nodded. "Their sacrifice was great, no one can deny that. But you cannot say you have not sacrificed just as much as they did, if not more so. You may not have given up your life, but you gave up something far dearer- you gave up your heart. By delving into Chaos you let it take control of you until you couldn't even remember your original purpose for doing so. Maybe you didn't forget your reasons, but you ignored them. You weren't fighting against the fiends anymore, you were befriending them. And once you reached that point, you blinded yourself to the living. How many do you think have suffered because of your actions? How many have died to sate your newfound thirst for power?"
There was silence for a few brief moments on the plains. Tears were flowing freely from Malar's eyes by now, his breathing raspy. Gray streaks were working their way through his mane of ebony hair. "I still remember how it was, so long ago..." he whispered. "The day when people began to fear me... I thought they were rebuking me for who I was before, but now I know... They feared what I had become." He coughed again, spitting up a small amount of blood. "How could I have been such a fool..." He turned his head and looked at the four warriors standing over him. "I have trod this world for far too long. The pain I have caused... Far too much for any one person to forgive. I can fight no more... For the first time in these many years, I am tired.
"Immortality... It has been a curse more than a gift. Those I once knew are long gone... Without the danger of death, my mind and spirit have stagnated. I never even knew it until this moment..." He coughed again, his breath harsher. "All those years spent toying with life as a means to pass the time... I lost sight of how dear it truly is. Please... I do not ask you to forgive me... If anything, do not make the mistake I did. Do not lose sight of what spurs you forward... lest you become blinded to it all too soon.
"Perhaps now... at last... I can rest..." His eyes closed and his head fell back against the ground. A white glow enveloped his form, which began to grow indistinct and hazy until it was nearly blinding. With a sound akin to a soft sigh, his body burst into a myriad cloud of pyreflies, swirling for a moment in the air before dissipating and drifting towards the slow current of the river nearby. There was a faint hum as the dancing lights cascaded into the water, illuminating the rocks below the surface before dispersing and joining the current flowing deeper into the underground chasms beyond.
Malar was gone.
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< br> Rikku let out a huge sigh. "Is it finally over now?"
"I don't know," Yuna replied. "For us, maybe. For him... it may be only the beginning."
"Wonder how the other spirits on the Farplane are going to react when he shows up," Paine muttered. "My guess is it won't be a friendly reception."
Yuna nodded. "Probably not. But hopefully, he may have learned something by now."
"You have done well, masters."
The four of them jumped in surprise as the manifestations of the Elemental Crystals burst forth, coalescing and hovering in the air directly in front of them. Each spirit bore a look of satisfaction and joy- even the Air spirit Strahl, though he reserved himself to the suggestion of a smile in contrast to Vora's fiery ear-to-ear grin.
Naia spoke first, her cloak flowing across her body like a bubbling brook. "You have done more than we ever could have expected. You have accomplished something we could not do long ago, when we first bound the Immortal beneath the Plains of Woe."
"We never learned of his source of power when we first faced him," Ferro added, his grassy hair waving in the wind. "Without that tiny piece of information, there was no way we could completely finish the task at hand."
"And without completing our task, it was left to us to remain as we are, to be on guard if he should ever return. We did not shy from that fate, though we knew it meant we might not return to our native domains for a long time," Strahl murmured, his white robes dancing of their own accord.
"But now that task is complete," Vora piped up, her flaming locks dancing and leaping up to the skies. "You have laid the Immortal to rest. The bonds holding us to the crystals have fallen away, and we are now free." As she said these words, a low light ebbed from each of the crystals. With an almost inaudible snapping sound, the crystals broke away from each of their hands, skipping through the air and hovering before their respective manifestations. Yuna glanced down at her right hand, which no longer bore the fingerless silver glove that held the Water Crystal in place.
"Does this mean... if your task is complete, then you're leaving?" she asked. "You're just going away?"
Ferro shrugged. "That's not entirely true. We're not leaving so much as returning." He gestured out towards the South. "The Plains of Woe have borne scars untreated for far too long. The rest of Spira too. Our powers as they have been have been hampered, directed towards the purpose of warfare and destruction."
"It is time to put those powers aside," Naia continued. "We cannot remain the way we are anymore, we have no reason left to be weapons. If we do remain, and fall into the hands of those who would seek power for themselves... Can you imagine what might befall humanity then?"
Rikku winced. "That could be a bit of an icky situation..."
Strahl spoke up. "Destruction will only beget more of the same. Now that we are free to cast off that mantle, we will do what needs to be done. The pain Malar has inflicted cannot be erased completely, but through reconciliation and creation, new life may yet spring forth."
Their forms became indistinct blurs of light, slowly spiraling in towards one another. "We are eternally grateful for your help," came echoing back to them in Vora's voice. "Perhaps one day we will meet again." The spiral dispersed, becoming four separate clouds of energy once more and rising higher and higher into the sky.
"Wait a minute!" Paine shouted upwards. "How do we know for sure it's really over? How can we be sure he's not coming back?" The four stopped their ascension, hanging briefly in midair.
"If it were not finished, we would know," four voices said in unison. Their iridescent glow intensified as the clouds began swirling inwards once again, faster this time. The colors intermingled, producing a motley assortment of hues and gradually shining a brilliant white light. The Gullwings shielded their eyes, staring upwards in wonderment until the cloud of energy burst like a great bottle rocket, scattering flecks of light far and wide across the plains. The skies became a veritable sea of light for a brief moment, as thousands of the twinkling sparks, so similar to pyreflies and yet something entirely unique, cascaded gently down like snow.
"It's beautiful..." Yuna whispered. A tear ran down her right cheek, which she absently wiped away.
"Yuna... your hair," Tidus said lightly. She blinked and reached behind, her eyes going wide as the realization came that her braid had been chopped to a third of its previous length. She giggled, looking up at him. "Oh well, I guess it was getting a little too long anyways," she said at length with a laugh. "But... What about your pendant? Where'd it go?"
"It's over here, Yunie!" Rikku interjected, grabbing the Abes pendant off the ground and lobbing it in Tidus' direction. He caught it easily, looking sourly at the broken chain. "Guess I'd better get this fixed," he said, a look of mock anger on his face. It didn't last long as both he and Yuna began to laugh. Laughing out of not just humor, but relief. The long nightmare was finally drawing to a close. Rikku burst out laughing as well, and even Paine's cool exterior let itself down as she gave in to the relieved chuckles pervading them all. They barely noticed the clouds overhead beginning to part, letting through the rays of the setting sun in the distance. Nor did they notice the sound of a Hover getting gradually closer and closer, until it was almost on top of them.
Rikku paused in her laughing long enough to look up and notice the Hover's approach; her attention immediately shot to the person piloting it with reckless abandon. "GIPPAL!!" she hollered, nearly dropping her alchemical rifle as she dashed forward. The machina ground to a halt and the driver jumped out of the cockpit a second before being grappled in Rikku's biggest bear hug to date.
"Whoah, easy there!" Gippal sputtered. "Please... A little less affection, Rikku? You're kinda mashing my ribs..."
Rikku blushed. "Oopsie," she stammered, releasing her grip. "Guess I got a little carried away, huh?" She grinned sheepishly- then stared. "Good grief, what happened to you out there? You look awful!" Gippal glanced down at himself; his clothes were just as badly battered as they had been after the Bikanel assault, if not more so, and his left arm still bore bloodstains from when he had gotten ripped across the back.
"It wasn't exactly a day at the fair out there," he said with a grim smile. "It got pretty tough for a while, but we managed to hold out long enough." He looked down at Rikku with a smile. "Looks like you've had a nasty go of it yourself."
"Yeah, well... I got out in one piece, anyway; we all did. I did have your promise to keep, after all."
"Just like the one I had to keep," Gippal replied. "Guess you don't get to kick my butt all over the Farplane now," he added, and the two of them burst out laughing.
"It's good to see you made it," Yuna said as she, Tidus and Paine reached the Hover. "Why'd you come all the way out here to meet us?"
Baralai jumped down from the other side of the Hover, which apparently had another passenger as well. "When we saw the explosion from the South, everybody feared the worst. Some soldiers started to panic, thinking that a new, worse incarnation of Sin was emerging. But then the shockwave and the light started washing over us, and fiends began dropping like rocks. No warning, no suggestion of injury, they just dropped and dissipated. At first we thought it was going to wipe us out, too, but it didn't." He let out a relieved sigh. "Once we got our bearings, we figured we'd better check on you guys right away since the radio connection was still down."
Paine stepped forward. "Well, you didn't really have to do that, you know..." She paused for a moment, then smiled. "But I'm glad you did," she finished, grasping Baralai's hand and pulling him into a hug. Yuna and Tidus looked at each other, smiled and nodded.
"Hey, we knew if we didn't check on you guys that Cid would never let us hear the end of it," Gippal said lightly.
"Oh, what about Pops anyway?" Rikku said, rolling her eyes. "Doesn't he know by now we can take care of ourselves?"
"Sheesh, yer just as stubborn as yer old man!!" boomed a very familiar voice; Rikku's eyes went wide as Cid jumped down from the other side of the Hover and marched around to face them. Yuna cringed; Paine shook her head in exasperation. "It's not a crime to show a little parental concern, is it? Especially when my only girl and my favorite niece are runnin' all over Spira riskin' their necks to try and save us all again!! You got any idea how much I've been up all night once I caught wind o' yer dadblasted adventure?"
"Uncle Cid, please..." Yuna said gently. "It's over now. We got through it just fine- well, one or two setbacks aside- and she is right, we do know how to take care of ourselves." She grinned a bit. "After all, we're the Gullwings!" she added lightly.
"What you are, young lady..." Cid began, then paused, giving Yuna a look that made her gulp and shuffle her feet. Then his shoulders relaxed and he beamed. "What you are is a three-time hero, and I'm proud of ya, Yuna!" He clapped a hand on her shoulder, then laughed and hugged her tightly. Yuna was stunned at first, but began laughing along with him a few seconds later as he lowered her to the ground. "I don't know when I'm gonna learn that once you set yer mind to something, ain't no one alive can make ya change yer mind!" he chuckled, then turned towards Tidus. "And you..."
"Me, Cid?" Tidus asked, slightly surprised.
"You're the main reason I didn't rush right out to these kids when I heard about this hullabaloo," Cid continued. "I figured as long as you were there, I had no reason to poke my nose in. I knew you'd be there if it got rough."
Tidus scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, I did make a promise, sir... one I intend to keep as long as I live," he added, smiling at Yuna. She smiled back, squeezing his hand.
"That's muh boy!" Cid exclaimed, clapping a hand on Tidus' shoulder so hard he winced. "Best nephew-in-law a man could hope fer! Now whaddya say we get these kids outta here and back to Bevelle? Once the Meyvn and the others finish clean-up detail and get the troops home, I'll wager anyone a hunnerd thousand gil there's gonna be one helluva shindig in yer honor!"
"Now that sounds more like it!" Rikku said as she climbed onto the Hover, with a bit of help from Gippal. "After all this mess, I could really use a party!"
"You could go for a party any time, Rikku," Paine muttered, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"There will be some formalities and some serious business to attend to first," Baralai said, "but he is right; today is a day that may well go down in the history books, to say nothing of Sphere libraries." At Paine's raised eyebrow, he continued. "We have to try and pick up the pieces from what Trema did, after all. We may never fully know what he destroyed, but we can amass as much information about here and now as we can- for the next generation."
Paine nodded. "I guess we can probably expect a parade of interviewers, then," she said, shooting a look at her three cohorts, who nodded in mock-exasperation. "Well... I for one am ready to head back." She started towards the Hover, then turned to Baralai. "Maybe... do you think maybe we could have that talk about old times now? Over tea?"
Baralai smiled. "That sounds nice," he said, walking to the Hover alongside her. Rikku scrambled into a seat next to Gippal while Tidus and Yuna hauled themselves onto the other side of the Hover. Gippal revved the engine, kicking the fan into high speed and blowing dust all over the place as he spun the machina around, heading due North. "Full speed to Bevelle!" he hollered as the Hover lurched forward, sluggish at first under the heavier load it now carried.
Yuna tugged at Tidus' sleeve. "Tidus, can I ask you something?" she said over the roar of the engine.
"You know you can ask me anything in the world, angel," he replied. "What's on your mind?"
Yuna let out a long sigh and smiled up at him. "Do you think maybe now we can retire from saving the world again and again? Just for a little while?" The two of them laughed, then grabbed for a railing to hold onto as Gippal accidentally drove over a rock; they wound up with their arms around each other and smiling. "I feel like I could go on vacation for three months right now and just do nothing."
"Yuna, you can do whatever you want to from here on out. You deserve it," Tidus said, also trying to outdo the roar of the engine. "Maybe now we can get around to something we haven't had the chance for- our honeymoon."
Yuna grinned. "That's right, we never really got the chance for that, did we?" she said with a giggle. "We've got a lot of catching up to do."
"And now we've got all the time in the world to do so. Our story isn't over yet, Yuna. Not by a long shot."
"The two of us, together until the end... No, not until the end," she said, correcting herself. "Always."
"Always and forever, Yuna," Tidus responded as the two of them drew closer, sharing a tender kiss as the reddish light of the setting sun illuminated the clearing skies over the plains.
[A/N: Wait! It's not quite the end yet! The final chapter will feature both the Epilogue and a few director's notes on ideas that never quite made it to principal photography. I hope I've managed to do the characters justice in this wrap-up, and I do appreciate everyone who comes to read this. Please review before you go; I'd like to know just how people feel about this.]
17: Storm's End
All was silent.
Yuna stirred. What happened? Images flashed through her mind. The hellish light of the Jewel of Entropy as it flared and spread noxious vapors across the ground... The wrenching of her spirit as she poured every last remaining drop of magical energy into the Crystal, channeling the power that would summon Ultima... The barely visible outlines of the Crystals' personae manifesting The crack as the Jewel was overcome by the spell's crushing force, and then...
Did it work? she asked herself. Or are we... are we dead?
Her eyes remained closed as she took a deep breath, the crisp autumn air filling her lungs. No... No, not dead. We can't be. She could feel ground beneath her, along her arms and her back, down her legs It dawned on her that the explosion must have hurled her to the ground as stinging sensations shot throughout her skin. It didn't feel like she was bleeding- at least, no more than she had been before from the wounds Malar inflicted- but she could tell there were some serious bruises developing.
Malar! she suddenly thought. Where is he? Is he even still here? He can't have survived what just happened... Just then she heard a low scraping sound to her left, a sound much like someone crawling or limping across the ground. It was coming her way, getting steadily closer. Please don't let it be him, don't tell me he's still alive; great Bahamut, I can't even move to defend myself...
"Yuna?" A gloved hand delicately brushed several loose strands of hair away from her eyes. Her eyelids fluttered and a smile slowly emerged on her face as she turned her head. Tidus was kneeling next to her, looking just as battered and bruised, if not more so. His jacket was ripped in several places, most notably where Malar's sword had cut him, and part of his armored gauntlet was broken and hanging on by a single rivet. "Can you move?" he asked gently.
Yuna's smile spread to her eyes as she slipped her hand into his. "A little help?" she asked with a slight giggle.
"Of course," he replied with a smile. Sliding his right arm around her shoulders, he propped her up slowly at first so as not to hurt her. She pulled her feet closer to her chest, digging her heels into the ground and struggling upwards, using his shoulder for leverage. Just to her right she could make out Rikku rolling up into a sitting position, moaning and groaning as she did so. Paine had rolled onto her side and took a moment to catch her breath before pushing up onto her knees. Just then Yuna looked upward and noticed the sky for the first time. The multicolored barrier was gone, dispersed into thin air. Thick gray clouds drifted overhead and a low rumble of thunder echoed in the distance. The rain appeared to have stopped, and the only other sound was the soft trickle of water from the river that ran through the plains, not far from where they stood. Stray flecks of rainbow light wafted through the air.
"That was a whole bunch of no fun," Rikku sighed, holding her head. "I thought we were gonna get wiped out when that gem went kerblooie."
"I barely had time to cover my eyes before that explosion," said Tidus. "I've still got spots dancing in front of me."
Paine staggered to her feet. "What I want to know is whether or not Malar lived through that blast," she muttered. The sound of heavy, labored breathing suddenly caught their ears. Everyone turned in the direction of the noise, grasping at their weapons instinctively.
Malar lay on his back, splayed out over the bumps and ridges of the ground like a crumpled sheet. His arms lay limp, with only the occasional twitch from his fingers. Blood trickled from the gaping wound in his chest, which rose and fell as he struggled to breathe. His black hair was strewn about, giving the impression of a mop soaked in ink. But the thing that drew attention first and foremost was his face- formerly twisted with rage, set in a demonic scowl that alternated between furious and gleefully sadistic. Now it was completely relaxed, gazing upwards at the gray clouds dispassionately. The quartet stared for a moment, then slowly advanced closer, lowering their weapons slightly. As they approached, it became apparent that he was more than just mortally wounded. Fine lines had begun to crease his forehead, and his cheeks had sunken, giving him a haggard and pathetic appearance. He coughed and turned his head to face them as they drew alongside him.
"Why..." he wheezed. "Why did this have to happen?" He drew in a long, rasping breath. "I have seen and felt things no man has seen... I saw Rilian's failures, I felt for sure I could do better... I was so sure the power of Chaos was the key to it all." Malar coughed again, spitting up blood. "I have felt the thrill of being able to subdue the fiends, of being able to subjugate them and mold them to my liking... but it was not enough... As my power grew, so did my hunger for it. I was so sure I could control the power of the Jewel... How could I have lost to the likes of you..."
"You didn't lose to us," Yuna said. "You lost to yourself, a long time ago." She crouched beside the dying man, loosening the grip she had on both her guns. "Not long ago, you told me you wanted to make all Spira pay for ignoring your power. Let me ask you this- why did you want that power to begin with? To rule with an iron fist, or to protect people? Which was it? Why did you work so hard to reach into a force that your master, Rilian, did not dare to contemplate?"
Malar blinked. "To fight fire with fire..." he gasped. "Humans have fought the fiends since the dawn of Spira... The souls of the Unsent that lash out resentfully at the living... We had to find ways to defend our people. But to fight them with souls imprisoned in a form of waking death... He would have rather sacrificed another than fight the fiends with their own power."
"A power that would turn you into a fiend yourself," Yuna said in a low voice. "You say you were looking for a way to defend your people, yet you have sent scores of your minions to kill the very people you once defended. Could it be the reason Rilian refused to accept the power of Chaos is because he knew it would corrupt the mind?" She paused, looking directly into his eyes. "You became so engrossed with the power within your grasp that you forgot your original purpose, didn't you? It wasn't that you learned to control the Jewel of Entropy; the Jewel began to control you."
His eyes went wide. For a moment, nobody said anything.
"I..." he began. "I have endured for over two thousand years, locked away beneath these plains... All that time I have been nursing the seed of revenge in my heart... I cursed Rilian, cursed those who did not respect the power at my disposal..." He drew in a long breath and a stray tear fell from his right eye. "How long have I been consumed by the black mist within... I have not known kindness, warmth or hope for so long; even before my imprisonment, when the Jewel's power first lent itself to me, there was no one who truly shared in my achievement... I gave myself over to that power, with the knowledge I would emerge as a force to meet the fiends on their own level."
"Just like those who gave their lives to become a Fayth," Tidus murmured. "They gave themselves to defend Spira, too."
Yuna nodded. "Their sacrifice was great, no one can deny that. But you cannot say you have not sacrificed just as much as they did, if not more so. You may not have given up your life, but you gave up something far dearer- you gave up your heart. By delving into Chaos you let it take control of you until you couldn't even remember your original purpose for doing so. Maybe you didn't forget your reasons, but you ignored them. You weren't fighting against the fiends anymore, you were befriending them. And once you reached that point, you blinded yourself to the living. How many do you think have suffered because of your actions? How many have died to sate your newfound thirst for power?"
There was silence for a few brief moments on the plains. Tears were flowing freely from Malar's eyes by now, his breathing raspy. Gray streaks were working their way through his mane of ebony hair. "I still remember how it was, so long ago..." he whispered. "The day when people began to fear me... I thought they were rebuking me for who I was before, but now I know... They feared what I had become." He coughed again, spitting up a small amount of blood. "How could I have been such a fool..." He turned his head and looked at the four warriors standing over him. "I have trod this world for far too long. The pain I have caused... Far too much for any one person to forgive. I can fight no more... For the first time in these many years, I am tired.
"Immortality... It has been a curse more than a gift. Those I once knew are long gone... Without the danger of death, my mind and spirit have stagnated. I never even knew it until this moment..." He coughed again, his breath harsher. "All those years spent toying with life as a means to pass the time... I lost sight of how dear it truly is. Please... I do not ask you to forgive me... If anything, do not make the mistake I did. Do not lose sight of what spurs you forward... lest you become blinded to it all too soon.
"Perhaps now... at last... I can rest..." His eyes closed and his head fell back against the ground. A white glow enveloped his form, which began to grow indistinct and hazy until it was nearly blinding. With a sound akin to a soft sigh, his body burst into a myriad cloud of pyreflies, swirling for a moment in the air before dissipating and drifting towards the slow current of the river nearby. There was a faint hum as the dancing lights cascaded into the water, illuminating the rocks below the surface before dispersing and joining the current flowing deeper into the underground chasms beyond.
Malar was gone.
********************************************
< br> Rikku let out a huge sigh. "Is it finally over now?"
"I don't know," Yuna replied. "For us, maybe. For him... it may be only the beginning."
"Wonder how the other spirits on the Farplane are going to react when he shows up," Paine muttered. "My guess is it won't be a friendly reception."
Yuna nodded. "Probably not. But hopefully, he may have learned something by now."
"You have done well, masters."
The four of them jumped in surprise as the manifestations of the Elemental Crystals burst forth, coalescing and hovering in the air directly in front of them. Each spirit bore a look of satisfaction and joy- even the Air spirit Strahl, though he reserved himself to the suggestion of a smile in contrast to Vora's fiery ear-to-ear grin.
Naia spoke first, her cloak flowing across her body like a bubbling brook. "You have done more than we ever could have expected. You have accomplished something we could not do long ago, when we first bound the Immortal beneath the Plains of Woe."
"We never learned of his source of power when we first faced him," Ferro added, his grassy hair waving in the wind. "Without that tiny piece of information, there was no way we could completely finish the task at hand."
"And without completing our task, it was left to us to remain as we are, to be on guard if he should ever return. We did not shy from that fate, though we knew it meant we might not return to our native domains for a long time," Strahl murmured, his white robes dancing of their own accord.
"But now that task is complete," Vora piped up, her flaming locks dancing and leaping up to the skies. "You have laid the Immortal to rest. The bonds holding us to the crystals have fallen away, and we are now free." As she said these words, a low light ebbed from each of the crystals. With an almost inaudible snapping sound, the crystals broke away from each of their hands, skipping through the air and hovering before their respective manifestations. Yuna glanced down at her right hand, which no longer bore the fingerless silver glove that held the Water Crystal in place.
"Does this mean... if your task is complete, then you're leaving?" she asked. "You're just going away?"
Ferro shrugged. "That's not entirely true. We're not leaving so much as returning." He gestured out towards the South. "The Plains of Woe have borne scars untreated for far too long. The rest of Spira too. Our powers as they have been have been hampered, directed towards the purpose of warfare and destruction."
"It is time to put those powers aside," Naia continued. "We cannot remain the way we are anymore, we have no reason left to be weapons. If we do remain, and fall into the hands of those who would seek power for themselves... Can you imagine what might befall humanity then?"
Rikku winced. "That could be a bit of an icky situation..."
Strahl spoke up. "Destruction will only beget more of the same. Now that we are free to cast off that mantle, we will do what needs to be done. The pain Malar has inflicted cannot be erased completely, but through reconciliation and creation, new life may yet spring forth."
Their forms became indistinct blurs of light, slowly spiraling in towards one another. "We are eternally grateful for your help," came echoing back to them in Vora's voice. "Perhaps one day we will meet again." The spiral dispersed, becoming four separate clouds of energy once more and rising higher and higher into the sky.
"Wait a minute!" Paine shouted upwards. "How do we know for sure it's really over? How can we be sure he's not coming back?" The four stopped their ascension, hanging briefly in midair.
"If it were not finished, we would know," four voices said in unison. Their iridescent glow intensified as the clouds began swirling inwards once again, faster this time. The colors intermingled, producing a motley assortment of hues and gradually shining a brilliant white light. The Gullwings shielded their eyes, staring upwards in wonderment until the cloud of energy burst like a great bottle rocket, scattering flecks of light far and wide across the plains. The skies became a veritable sea of light for a brief moment, as thousands of the twinkling sparks, so similar to pyreflies and yet something entirely unique, cascaded gently down like snow.
"It's beautiful..." Yuna whispered. A tear ran down her right cheek, which she absently wiped away.
"Yuna... your hair," Tidus said lightly. She blinked and reached behind, her eyes going wide as the realization came that her braid had been chopped to a third of its previous length. She giggled, looking up at him. "Oh well, I guess it was getting a little too long anyways," she said at length with a laugh. "But... What about your pendant? Where'd it go?"
"It's over here, Yunie!" Rikku interjected, grabbing the Abes pendant off the ground and lobbing it in Tidus' direction. He caught it easily, looking sourly at the broken chain. "Guess I'd better get this fixed," he said, a look of mock anger on his face. It didn't last long as both he and Yuna began to laugh. Laughing out of not just humor, but relief. The long nightmare was finally drawing to a close. Rikku burst out laughing as well, and even Paine's cool exterior let itself down as she gave in to the relieved chuckles pervading them all. They barely noticed the clouds overhead beginning to part, letting through the rays of the setting sun in the distance. Nor did they notice the sound of a Hover getting gradually closer and closer, until it was almost on top of them.
Rikku paused in her laughing long enough to look up and notice the Hover's approach; her attention immediately shot to the person piloting it with reckless abandon. "GIPPAL!!" she hollered, nearly dropping her alchemical rifle as she dashed forward. The machina ground to a halt and the driver jumped out of the cockpit a second before being grappled in Rikku's biggest bear hug to date.
"Whoah, easy there!" Gippal sputtered. "Please... A little less affection, Rikku? You're kinda mashing my ribs..."
Rikku blushed. "Oopsie," she stammered, releasing her grip. "Guess I got a little carried away, huh?" She grinned sheepishly- then stared. "Good grief, what happened to you out there? You look awful!" Gippal glanced down at himself; his clothes were just as badly battered as they had been after the Bikanel assault, if not more so, and his left arm still bore bloodstains from when he had gotten ripped across the back.
"It wasn't exactly a day at the fair out there," he said with a grim smile. "It got pretty tough for a while, but we managed to hold out long enough." He looked down at Rikku with a smile. "Looks like you've had a nasty go of it yourself."
"Yeah, well... I got out in one piece, anyway; we all did. I did have your promise to keep, after all."
"Just like the one I had to keep," Gippal replied. "Guess you don't get to kick my butt all over the Farplane now," he added, and the two of them burst out laughing.
"It's good to see you made it," Yuna said as she, Tidus and Paine reached the Hover. "Why'd you come all the way out here to meet us?"
Baralai jumped down from the other side of the Hover, which apparently had another passenger as well. "When we saw the explosion from the South, everybody feared the worst. Some soldiers started to panic, thinking that a new, worse incarnation of Sin was emerging. But then the shockwave and the light started washing over us, and fiends began dropping like rocks. No warning, no suggestion of injury, they just dropped and dissipated. At first we thought it was going to wipe us out, too, but it didn't." He let out a relieved sigh. "Once we got our bearings, we figured we'd better check on you guys right away since the radio connection was still down."
Paine stepped forward. "Well, you didn't really have to do that, you know..." She paused for a moment, then smiled. "But I'm glad you did," she finished, grasping Baralai's hand and pulling him into a hug. Yuna and Tidus looked at each other, smiled and nodded.
"Hey, we knew if we didn't check on you guys that Cid would never let us hear the end of it," Gippal said lightly.
"Oh, what about Pops anyway?" Rikku said, rolling her eyes. "Doesn't he know by now we can take care of ourselves?"
"Sheesh, yer just as stubborn as yer old man!!" boomed a very familiar voice; Rikku's eyes went wide as Cid jumped down from the other side of the Hover and marched around to face them. Yuna cringed; Paine shook her head in exasperation. "It's not a crime to show a little parental concern, is it? Especially when my only girl and my favorite niece are runnin' all over Spira riskin' their necks to try and save us all again!! You got any idea how much I've been up all night once I caught wind o' yer dadblasted adventure?"
"Uncle Cid, please..." Yuna said gently. "It's over now. We got through it just fine- well, one or two setbacks aside- and she is right, we do know how to take care of ourselves." She grinned a bit. "After all, we're the Gullwings!" she added lightly.
"What you are, young lady..." Cid began, then paused, giving Yuna a look that made her gulp and shuffle her feet. Then his shoulders relaxed and he beamed. "What you are is a three-time hero, and I'm proud of ya, Yuna!" He clapped a hand on her shoulder, then laughed and hugged her tightly. Yuna was stunned at first, but began laughing along with him a few seconds later as he lowered her to the ground. "I don't know when I'm gonna learn that once you set yer mind to something, ain't no one alive can make ya change yer mind!" he chuckled, then turned towards Tidus. "And you..."
"Me, Cid?" Tidus asked, slightly surprised.
"You're the main reason I didn't rush right out to these kids when I heard about this hullabaloo," Cid continued. "I figured as long as you were there, I had no reason to poke my nose in. I knew you'd be there if it got rough."
Tidus scratched the back of his head nervously. "Well, I did make a promise, sir... one I intend to keep as long as I live," he added, smiling at Yuna. She smiled back, squeezing his hand.
"That's muh boy!" Cid exclaimed, clapping a hand on Tidus' shoulder so hard he winced. "Best nephew-in-law a man could hope fer! Now whaddya say we get these kids outta here and back to Bevelle? Once the Meyvn and the others finish clean-up detail and get the troops home, I'll wager anyone a hunnerd thousand gil there's gonna be one helluva shindig in yer honor!"
"Now that sounds more like it!" Rikku said as she climbed onto the Hover, with a bit of help from Gippal. "After all this mess, I could really use a party!"
"You could go for a party any time, Rikku," Paine muttered, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.
"There will be some formalities and some serious business to attend to first," Baralai said, "but he is right; today is a day that may well go down in the history books, to say nothing of Sphere libraries." At Paine's raised eyebrow, he continued. "We have to try and pick up the pieces from what Trema did, after all. We may never fully know what he destroyed, but we can amass as much information about here and now as we can- for the next generation."
Paine nodded. "I guess we can probably expect a parade of interviewers, then," she said, shooting a look at her three cohorts, who nodded in mock-exasperation. "Well... I for one am ready to head back." She started towards the Hover, then turned to Baralai. "Maybe... do you think maybe we could have that talk about old times now? Over tea?"
Baralai smiled. "That sounds nice," he said, walking to the Hover alongside her. Rikku scrambled into a seat next to Gippal while Tidus and Yuna hauled themselves onto the other side of the Hover. Gippal revved the engine, kicking the fan into high speed and blowing dust all over the place as he spun the machina around, heading due North. "Full speed to Bevelle!" he hollered as the Hover lurched forward, sluggish at first under the heavier load it now carried.
Yuna tugged at Tidus' sleeve. "Tidus, can I ask you something?" she said over the roar of the engine.
"You know you can ask me anything in the world, angel," he replied. "What's on your mind?"
Yuna let out a long sigh and smiled up at him. "Do you think maybe now we can retire from saving the world again and again? Just for a little while?" The two of them laughed, then grabbed for a railing to hold onto as Gippal accidentally drove over a rock; they wound up with their arms around each other and smiling. "I feel like I could go on vacation for three months right now and just do nothing."
"Yuna, you can do whatever you want to from here on out. You deserve it," Tidus said, also trying to outdo the roar of the engine. "Maybe now we can get around to something we haven't had the chance for- our honeymoon."
Yuna grinned. "That's right, we never really got the chance for that, did we?" she said with a giggle. "We've got a lot of catching up to do."
"And now we've got all the time in the world to do so. Our story isn't over yet, Yuna. Not by a long shot."
"The two of us, together until the end... No, not until the end," she said, correcting herself. "Always."
"Always and forever, Yuna," Tidus responded as the two of them drew closer, sharing a tender kiss as the reddish light of the setting sun illuminated the clearing skies over the plains.
[A/N: Wait! It's not quite the end yet! The final chapter will feature both the Epilogue and a few director's notes on ideas that never quite made it to principal photography. I hope I've managed to do the characters justice in this wrap-up, and I do appreciate everyone who comes to read this. Please review before you go; I'd like to know just how people feel about this.]