The Dying of the Light Chapter 3
Guardians of Hope
By Luna Manar
" for you and I are not destined to meet again in this world."
--
Rinoa stared into Grievers fiendish eyes without fear or reserve, simply because she knew the creature, however twisted, could not hurt her. Even now as it hovered overhead, staring at her in pure, unadulterated hatred, it made no move to do her any harm.
She had known this to begin with. If Ultimecia had indeed pulled Griever directly from Squalls mind when he had been in her custody, then no matter what the witch had done to pervert the Guardian, he was created of Squalls psyche. And there was nothing in Squall that could intentionally hurt her; in that small, but significant sense, she owned this beast. She could not control him, but nor could Ultimecia command him to attack the blue sorceress that now stood guard over Squalls inert body. Everyone else was vulnerablejust not her.
Griever appeared to be confused and frustrated at whatever contradictory thoughts were running through his hateful heart. The Guardian hovered, poised to strike, but clearly could not bring himself to lay a claw on the girl who sat staring at him defiantly.
Rinoa noticed the beasts eyes stray to the silver chain that held the ring of its namesake. You remember, dont you, she thought to the creature though it could not hear her. Even you remember so long as Ive got this, I cant die. Youre Squalls, no one elses and because of you, hes still alive. I wonder if Ultimecia knows that.
Did that mean he would fight like Squall, she wondered, with the same unhindered ferocity? She remembered noticing that Squall often sought to overwhelm his enemy with his first strike, before they had a chance to turn and defend themselves. Watching as Griever abandoned his fruitless standoff with her, she thought to further strengthen the barriers that protected her three friends from harm, and wondered just how much good she was doing them anyway.
Quistis had recovered from her injury in the short lull of Grievers confusion, with Zell and Irvine guarding her. Rinoa had urged them not to worry about her. She had her own agenda, her own plan to work with this Guardian of Ultimecias creation and Squalls design. She just needed the right opportunity to present itself.
She thought briefly about what might have prevented the Guardian Forces from reaching them. Zell had clearly indicated that they were on their way, but had in some way become impeded or detained for reasons he knew not what. Not having called her Guardians (at Squalls request), she hadnt any idea why they had never showed up. She dared not waste the concentration it would require to find that out now.
As he rose to begin his next attack, a blinding flare of light exploded against Grievers back between his wings. The Guardian roared in rage, twisting in the air to face the spellcaster who had sought (in futility, it appeared) to ground him.
Zell made a taunting gesture, seeking to draw the beast away from his friends and into the open where it might be more easily engaged. "Pick on somebody of your own caliber, man!"
Grievers lip threatened to curl, but never did. His eyes squinted, and the expression was eerily familiarand it was a sign they all recognized.
Zell momentarily suspended his bravado. "Uh-oh " I think I pissed him off.
"I think you pissed him off!" Irvines voice warned him. Zell didnt have the time to be annoyed. Griever attacked.
It seemed that Griever could move faster than thought. One moment, the creature was hovering in place. The next, he was careening toward Zell, the entire body of the beast glowing eerily with deadly power. Like a hawk descending on its prey, Griever crashed into the ground in a calculated collision, talons spread and wings agape. Blood-red claws and a razor-edged tail cut and scarred the broken ground as the Guardian grappled with his victim. The only thing that saved Zell from a bloody death under Grievers claws was Rinoas barrier. Even so, he did not come away unscathed. Griever struck out at the SeeD with claws and fangs, seeking to grasp him and tear him apart. Only the very tips of the huge claws penetrated Rinoas shield, but it was enough to catch Zell on his arm, side and back; by the time he had scrambled out from beneath the monster, Zells clothes were torn and frayed, the spikes of his hair had been amply blown backward, and he stumbled dazedly away from the raging beast.
The silent sentinel over Squalls body bowed her head and wept. So here, the slaughter would begin. Unless someone found a way to defeat the undefeatable.
Griever wasted no time in resuming his assault. Twisting around with all
the ease and grace of his feline body, the Guardian launched himself into
the air again. He hovered over them briefly, oblivious to the rounds that
Irvine scored in his impervious flesh and the spells that crackled and sputtered
around him in futile attempts to do him harm. In a sudden, oddly human-like
motion, Griever crossed his long arms and appeared to concentrate. A shout
from the woman with blonde hair warned her comrades too late of his intentions.
Grievers roar drowned out the womans puny voice, and brought
the sky around him to his command.
Air and heat coalesced at a central point over the Guardians enemies.
Darkness and light collapsed the growing sphere, releasing a shockwave of
energy that raged like an army of white fire against Rinoas barrier.
As before when he had attacked Zell, the shield could not completely deflect
Grievers power. The deadly front struck the three fighters under the
sorceress shield, sending them to the floor, gasping for breath, ravaged
with pain, and fighting to get back on their feet. He did not wait for them
to stand. With another roar, he called not the skies but the heavens to his
aid. Flames tore the air and drew more power from the wind. Hundreds of shooting
stars rained down, breaking the tile flooring and exposing the dirt ground
beneath. The fist-sized meteors missed their summoner completely, seeming
instead to target his foes. The smaller balls of flame bounced off the shielding,
larger ones burning up in the energy field. Some made it through. A few scored
hits.
Quistis went down and did not get up. Zell knelt against the pain of burning wounds and stinging claw marks. Irvine got lucky. He was the only one of the three who remained standing after the storm had passed. More shots were fired as Griever swept down toward them all. The sharpshooter aimed for the beasts eyes. Even if he could not hurt the thing, surely he could at least cause it some pain and force it to retreat.
Griever took one in the eyes. Head reeling, the Guardian screamed, rearing back and slowing his charge. But the hesitation was momentary, there was no injury suffered, and the pain only served to fuel his rage. He descended on Irvine, more furious than ever. Claws speared the barrier, back-handing a retreating sharpshooter and sending him hurdling head-over heels. Irvine lost his hat over the edge of the flying island. Sliding to within a few feet of the drop, he almost lost himself, as well. All the while, he clung stubbornly to his gun. Once again, he got lucky. Only his coat had been torn by Grievers claws. One last glance after his hat convinced him that the beloved item was gone. He stood up and faced the beast that was flying toward him again. It seemed, one by one, he was losing every thing and every person he cared for.
Silently, he stood tall and let loose every round he could manage before Griever closed the gap between himself and his enemy. Irvine met the attack with his eyes open, sights trained perfectly on the creatures hateful stare.
He only blinked when Griever stopped short of knocking him over the edge. The Guardian pulled up, missing Irvine altogether, and twisted in the air, pumping his wings and growling furiously as he tried to dislodge something from his back.
Zell had the beast by its white mane, and despite having been pummeled by claws and flaming stones, was making for the best rodeo display Irvine had ever seen in his life. The sharpshooter even smiled as Zell whooped and shouted, clinging gamely to the back of Grievers neck as the monster roared, bucked and twisted.
"YEEEEE HAH! Irv, youve gotta try this! Ohh, yeah! Ride it, baby, ride! Hoo!" He began reciting a chant Selphie had made up not long ago, albeit slightly edited, and he sounded nothing like any sort of cheerleaderfrom him, the words were taunting lyrics:
"Eenie, teenie, tiny, tale,
catch a lion by his tail,
if he hollers let im wail,
show em SeeDll never fail!
Booya!"
But the show didnt last long. With a particularly violent twist, Griever managed to throw Zell off, and his bladed tail barely missed slicing the offender in half on the way to the ground. Zell landed with a painful crack. His shoulder split at the joint. Griever dove for him.
Another cracking sound cut the melee, and this time it was Griever who was
sent tumbling to the floor by a force so powerful it knocked him out of the
air. The heavy creature crashed with a sound like thunder, shaking the ground
and causing the fringes of the island to fall away from the whole. Clawing
and snarling, he skidded across the dirt and tiles, inflicting deep gouges
in the floor, and finally coming to a stop not far from where Zell had fallen.
Jumping back to his feet, unharmed and furious, Griever kicked backward at
the incapacitated, scoring a bone-snapping blow that almost threw Zell over
the edge.
Ignoring the slow moan of pain behind him, Griever searched for his other attacker, tail lashing dangerously. The magic had been exceedingly powerful, to knock him from flight. But even as he stared at her, he knew the sorceress in blue, the one he could not harm, was not the one who had attacked him. His gaze rested on an inert figure laying in the center of the island. His blue eyes burned colder.
With a single, powerful beat of his wings, ignorant of the shots being fired at him from behind, Griever landed beside the woman he had previously thought dead. Now he knew better. He fumed internally. He was no mere animal. Playing dead would not fool him out of attacking. He would see to it that his enemies realized this. Muzzle arched in a livid, snarling scowl, he rested a clawed hand atop the "dead" woman, and watched in satisfaction as her eyes snapped open in terror.
Make them suffer! His mistress had said to him. So be it.
Rinoas heart was in her throat. She had seen Quistis fall, and had thought she was dead. She had lifted the barrier surrounding her friend, the better to concentrate on protecting Zell and Irvine. Shed had no idea Quistis was still alive.
Now she couldnt bear to watch, and turned her head away in grief and shame, her shoulders jerking painfully as she heard Quistis first scream.
If Id known if I hadnt taken the shield away, this wouldnt be happening. Quistis, Im so sorry! Rinoa opened teary eyes and tried to concentrate on keeping Zell and Irvine safe. She looked nowhere else but Squalls peaceful face. She knew Zell could no longer fight. He was still alive, but there was no telling how much damage Griever had dealt him. Irvine stood over him, ready to defend his remaining comrade with his last breath. Thats all Rinoa had seen before shed been forced to look away. Quistis spell had been supremely executed. Without looking, the veteran SeeD had still struck Griever squarely with the Ultima magic, saving Zell and forfeiting her life in the process. If Quistis had been expecting such an outcome, Rinoa couldnt know. Somehow, she doubted it. Had Quistis trusted Rinoa to protect her?
Rinoa trembled, fighting the remorse building in her heart. She knew she couldnt afford to give in to guilt. Not now. Even if she had to fight Griever herself
But they couldnt go on like this. Griever would slaughter them one by one. Zell and Irvine were at the opposite edge of the floating throne room, at the fringes of Rinoas ability to protect them. If she hoped to shield them, she would have to get closer to them.
She couldnt leave Squalls side. Hed asked her not to. She would not. She couldnt attack. To do so would mean dropping the shield. Quistiss screams had died away. Still, Rinoa could not look. She pressed her hand against Squalls quiet heart. He was still warm.
Squall, how do we fight him? If you can, tell us how I believe
More shrieks and shouts. Rinoa trembled under the rage of the beast.
{Where are they?} Leviathan twisted and coiled in distress.
{This realm is pure insanity! I cannot make heads or tails of it. How
are we to find them in this mess?}
"As most of us have learned, Leviathan," Diablos offered with unsettling calmness, "Ultimecias time-compressed world wreaks havoc with this dimension."
{I know that!} Unusually agitated, the Water Guardian twisted this way and that, desperately seeking some indication of where to go. Cerberus sniffed and snorted at the air in his own version of the same futile effort. The other Guardians began to gather behind them.
In disgust and frustration, Ifrit snorted a puff of hot smoke, causing Pandemonium to veer warily away from him. "This is impossible. Even in this cursed place, we have been able to find our way before! Why are we walking in circles now?" The Fire Guardian sneered with his feline visage and tossed his head bullishly, scattering yet more Guardians, who had no desire to meet the business-ends of his giant horns. "There is a chaos in this place. Diablos, you must surely feel it."
"Undoubtedly," the demon assented, "their battle has become so heatedforgive the pun, my friendthat it is creating too great a disturbance to isolate. The chaos is, in essence, everywhere."
I disagree. All eyes turned to one of Cerberuss headswhichever was closestand waited for him to speak again. No battle could create such an effect, not even in this place. Even if the Universe itself was at war, we are a part of it, and could learn to journey it. Somethingperhaps intentionallyis preventing us from following our summons. I detect a strange scent. It resembles that of a Guardian Force but it is abnormal. I do not understand it. Perhaps it is that presence which is causing this confusion.
<So speak up, man, whats the answer?> Pandemonium, silent until this point, sighed powerfully, letting his impatience further permeate the conversation with the stench of anxiety.
Cerberuss ears drooped, and his heads bowed in unison. I do not know.
Carbuncle clambered atop Leviathans head again, his own ears limp with defeat. So its over. We cant find them.
{Nonsense!} Leviathan rippled with anxious annoyance. {I refuse to believe hope is lost. I will continue to search until Ultimecia herself destroys me.}
As will I, Cerberus barked with three voices. But my heart is frightened I fear that if we do find them we will not find much.
So we crush the bastards who cause da problem! Sacred pounded once big fist into the palm of his other hand, and shook his horns roughly. Grind em to powder!
"not so fast, bro." Minotaur horned in, forcing all present to crane their necks downward in order to see him. "cant do that if theyre all dead. no people, no power, remember?"
Oh, yeah. Sacreds face fell, and he snorted in dismay. Sorry.
Siren pointed, suddenly. As was her nature, she said nothing, but let her actions speak for her. The Guardians turned attention to the indicated direction.
What is that? Carbuncles question echoed their collective thoughts. Not far away, a shivering, blazing red and amber light hovered, as though it had been watching them and listening in on their discussion.
It was a cloud-like thing, a tiny nebula that pulsed and flared like a fiery heart. It moved upon being discovered, rising above the Guardians heads. There it remained, overlooking its spectators.
Most of the Guardians were too ancient not to recognize the little entity as a human soul. What was amazing was that this soul knew how to recognize them and how to find them, evidently.
Leviathan tested a curiosity, wondering if the spirit could understand them. {Who are you?}
There was no direct answer, at least, not at first. Of course, it made sensedisembodied as it was, the soul had no way of communicating with them in words. But there was a reaction, nevertheless, one that indicated some form of understanding. The nebula flared brightly, then dimmed again to a softer radiance.
I know! Still perched on Leviathans head, Carbuncle waved his paw about excitedly. Charades!
Ifrit sneered. "This is no time for games, chipmunk."
Not a game, silly! The little Guardian giggled. Just to talk! If it cant speak, then maybe it can show us what it wants to say. Siren does it all the time. He glanced at Siren, who smiled appreciatively, her winged ears wavering gently.
Leviathan took the suggestion to heart. He addressed the soul once more. {Indeed. If you can, show us who you are, or what you want to say.}
Diablos had other ideas. Annoyed, he flapped his black wings, rising over the other Guardians. "Standing idle in an attempt to converse with a human spirit is hardly what I deem an appropriate use of our time. Come. We must continue our search. Aiding lost souls is a pointless activity."
<So what if it aint lost?> Pandemonium folded his bloated arms. <Maybe it can help us. And you complain about us making impulsive decisions."
Yeah, agreed Sacred. What if it came lookin for us?
{Hush!} Annoyed at the constant bickering amongst the Guardians, Leviathan cast them all an angry scowl, one that was made stronger (if perhaps a little silly-looking) by Carbuncles own beady-eyed leer. Wisely, there was no laughing, and the water serpent was allowed to continue his one-sided conversation with the human spirit.
When he looked back to where the little nebula had been, however, he saw not a glowing cloud, but an image. The gaseous soul had reshaped itself, so that it was no longer a formless entity, but a flaming, very recognizable symbol: the head of a roaring lion.
There was no question amidst the Guardians just who it was that had found them. There was surprise, even shock, but no skepticism. Only one human bore that trademark.
Cerberus lunged forward, landing firmly in front of Leviathan and howling with delight at the sight of his lost summoner. Take us to them, he cried with all three heads. We will follow!
The image disintegrated, leaving only the nebula, which hovered for a moment before flaring again and racing out into the darkness.
There was no strength left in Rinoas heart, and no answer to her pleas.
Griever was torturing her. With every blow against her shield in his fight
to reach Irvine and Zell, Griever rocked Rinoas mind. Each attempt
was more brutal and savage. Rinoa fought to strengthen the shield enough
to keep the beast from so much as touching Irvine or Zell. She had
never tried so hard at anything. Irvine was doing his best to tend to poor
Zell, who was no longer capable of fighting by any stretch of the imagination.
When Rinoa had dared to look around her again, Quistis bodywhatever
might have been left of ithad vanished. Only a pool of blood marked
the ground where Griever had killed her. Now, only Zell and Irvine remained,
with Rinoa as their faltering wall of defense.
Even if she could defend them from Griever, they had no hope of ever killing the beast. He was completely immortal, like the other Guardians, only, somehow, he was able to stay and fight for however long Ultimecia wished. There was no Code of the Guardians known to Griever. He followed no rules. All he existed for was hate, blood and death. It was his sole purpose.
Squall could not answer her. If he even heard her anymore, she could not know. If he could, there was nothing he could do to help her, or any of them. More and more, Rinoa was beginning to believe that their hopes had died with Squall.
But she would not let herself believe that. He had told her not to leave his side, and to trust him. She did trust him. His word was the only thing she trusted, anymore.
Griever collided with the shield one more time. Rinoa cried out, cringing. Her head was spinning with the strain. She couldnt hold it up much longer.
Another roar. Rinoa opened her eyes. The voiceit was different. It wasnt Grievers bellow. Cooler, lighter, deeper
Leviathan? She twisted around just in time to watch a watery portal expand behind her. Instead of his usual slow, gradual transition from water to flesh, however, Leviathan burst from that other dimension he resided in, sending showers of glittering diamond water spraying in all directions. The giant serpent howled melodically, and twisted his sinuous body to face Griever, hissing viciously in threat. Griever stopped his attacks on Rinoas shield, and faced this new adversary. For a moment, it looked as though Leviathan and Griever were bound for a one-on-one duel.
Then the rest of the Guardians arrived, all of them roaring and snarling and screeching. Ifrit burst forth from an explosion of flame. The Minotaur Brothers climbed over the edges of the floor, snorting and tossing their heads, brandishing huge morning stars. The wind began to churn, whipping needles of dust in Grievers face while Pandemonium materialized from within a small twister of sand and debris. Darkness overshadowed the sky, bringing with it the terrible screeches of a thousand tiny bats, which rushed past a snarling Griever in a chaos of wings, squeals and sharp vampire teeth. They congealed nearby, forming the sphere of black blood that Diablos escaped with a single sweep of his dark wings. Somewhere there was music, haunting, enchanting, and though she remained invisible, Siren made her presence discreetly known. The final gateway opened, and the last Guardian to arrive stepped out from a glowing red gate, a portal from Hell into this no less demented realm. Three-headed Cerberus howled and growled as the gates closed up behind him, and he stood in the center of the circle with the rest of the surviving Guardians backing him. Leviathan and Diablos moved to flank the demon dog, and the three faced Griever as the captains and commodores of their terrible army. The Guardians surrounded Griever, all of them bristling with their power and ready to fight to the immortal death.
Rinoa watched all this with a mixture of relief and total awe. Never before had she seen such a display from the Guardian Forces. She had never thought that the creatures could work as a comprehensive whole.
Her assumption was clearly wrong. That didnt matter. The Guardian Forces, once hailed as gods by ancient civilizations, were here.
And they were angry.
Griever surveyed his new challenges with cool patience. He counted eight
beasts, all of them as immortal as he. Immortal, yes. But not omnipotent.
They could be defeated, beaten into submission. None of them were as powerful
as he was. He could take them all, if he was careful.
He growled deep in his throat at the three-headed dog beast directly before him. That one was the strongest. He would take him out first. Meanwhile, the creature, who appeared to be the ringleader of this unannounced circus of deathless beasts, was snarling in menace.
Freak of Guardians! What are you? Name yourself, or face destruction!
Griever did not answer. He had no intention of answering, now or ever. He only stared deep into the three pairs of yellow eyes, calculating the creatures intent. He knew the Guardian Forces would not attack one of their own kind, not unless the Guardian in question had broken one of their sacred laws. What did this black-and-red monster believe?
Snarling, yellowed teeth bared and dripping with acidic saliva, the hell dog began a slow, cautious approach of the hovering pseudo-Guardian. Griever watched him carefully, and listened.
I am Cerberus, Guardian of the death that awaits you if you refuse to answer now.
As if the last word was a cue, all the other Guardians took yet more threatening stances, each of themeven gracious Leviathanseeming anxious to rush in and tear this traitor to pieces. {This creature,} the serpent announced darkly, {is the source of the chaos that has been preventing us from reaching our charges. He is not a Guardian Force, Cerberus. He is not anything that will ever become a Guardian. He is a creation with the power of a Guardian. A synthetic Guardian Force, one that should not be allowed to continue to exist!} In his barely contained anger, Leviathan hissed again, edging his head forward. The Water Guardian looked ready to burst with fury. {Mark my words, imposter,} he warned, {your prowess will never extend beyond this puny scrap of land.}
At the same time all the threatening and bellowing was beginning, Irvine
crouched over an semi-conscious Zell. Both arms broken, not to mention a
rib or two, Zell seemed too mired in pain to care much about what was happening.
Irvine glanced nervously at Rinoa, who was watching the Guardian standoff
with awed fixation.
Darn it, Rinoa, I know its fascinating, but quit watching the show for a second. Zell needs your help! With much arm-waving, Irvine finally succeeded in acquiring her audience. Saying nothing, he pointed fervently with both hands at Zell, watching Rinoa expectantly for a response. Disappointingly, she only shrugged helplessly. Trying again for her comprehension, the sharpshooter pointed at her, then at Zell again, waving his fingers about in imitation of witchy spell-casting.
Rinoa made a signal with her hand, one Irvine couldnt understand, himself. He gave her an exasperated look of confusion. Is that some SeeD thing that Squall taught you? He shook his head and spread his arms in frustrated entreaty. I dont understand that stuff. Signal in English! He started to adjust his hat, only to remember belatedly that hed lost it to the skies far below them. He settled instead for scratching his head.
"The shield, man "
Startled, Irvine bent closer to Zell, all the while marveling that the SeeD had still been paying attention. "Say that again?"
"That shield thing," Zell rasped between rough breaths that painted the ground with small flecks of blood. "Cant keep it up if she helps me. One or the other, man "
"That Griever bugger is surrounded. How do I tell her to forget the shield and help you?"
Zell said nothing else. Either he didnt know or couldnt speak any more than he already had.
Irvine settled for mouthing the words, "do it anyway," hoping Rinoa would get the point.
As if seeking advice from him, Rinoa looked away and down at Squall. If their lost captain could give her any kind of guidance, it was on a level that only Rinoa could understand. Irvine waited.
Rinoa closed her eyes the shield that had been protecting them became visible for a brief second before flickering and fading away. A pale ripple of her sorceress magic preceded the glittering blue that surrounded her and caused her hair to waver. Irvine twisted around to stare at Zell. As he watched, a similar radiance, far more intense, surrounded the SeeDs body. A sharp gleam of white, like sunlight glinting off steel, grew in Zells chest before shooting out in all directions. Irvine was forced to avert his eyes. When he looked back, Zell was slowly, delicately picking himself up. Immediately, the shield was back up.
Zell tested his arms, first one, then the other, taking deep breaths all the while. While Irvine sat amazed, Zell rolled his head, audibly cracking his neck, blinked a few times and unsteadily stood up, teetering a bit before gaining his balance. Irvine made as if to help his friend, but Zell waved him away. "Nah, I can stand up." Nevertheless, the normally spunky SeeD seemed mellowed and tired. He didnt even seem to think about the fact that Rinoa had healed him in a matter of seconds.
Irvine glanced over his shoulder at Rinoa, whose eyes were still closed. She was still as stone, save for her breathing. If she could help Zell that fast, the sharpshooter wondered, how come she couldnt do that for Squall earlier ? He supposed it must have had something to do with the fact Ultimecia had inflicted those injuries.
He supposed it didnt matter, at this point.
"So whats goin on," Zell asked him wearily. "Whats all this? The big guys are all here."
He received only a shrug for an answer.
"Aight." Heaving a huge sigh, he decided he might as well resume his unwanted role as "replacement for Squall." At least right now, he had an idea of what he was going to do. "Irv, you stay here," he instructed. "Im gonna go talk to er." He gestured at Rinoa. Not waiting for an answer, Zell did his best to straighten up, and marched, not too importantly, over to where Rinoa knelt, still in her trance.
Meanwhile the Guardians tensed for battle.
{
your prowess will never extend beyond this puny scrap of land.}
Leviathan had to snatch his head back to avoid a right-handed cuff by Grievers scythe-like claws. The "fake" Guardian was amazingly swift. The sea serpent only narrowly escaped with his pointed snout still in one piece. But the motion was enough; Leviathan would hesitate no longer. He attacked.
Screeching his anger, the giant sea serpent lunged forward at the leonine beast, striking like a cobra, aiming for the eyes. Three lightning-fast stabs of his pointed, horny beak landed no successful blows, but they were enough to put Griever on the defensive, backing up a few feet to avoid each attack. Leviathan followed the brief assault with another shrill battle cry, and called on his own power to aid him in his next strike.
The other Guardians were behind him, their own roars reinforcing his own, and the thunderous sound rocked the air. Leviathans body began to lose its cohesion. His next pass, as expected, did not deter Griever, but encouraged the creature to attack. The blood-red claws struck Leviathan squarely in the faceand passed uselessly through a body of impervious water.
Griever found himself suddenly trapped in the coils of a liquid constrictor. Sea water tightened around his chest, filled his mouth. He tried to roar, and only succeeded in breathing in a mouthful of the salty stuff. His wings were useless in the suffocating enclosure. He began to writhe, twisting desperately in a futile attempt to free himself. He felt giant hands and claws on him. Sacred, the larger of the Minotaur Brothers, plucked the water-encased Griever from the air and threw him roughly to the center of the floating floor. The impact did not harm Leviathan, now nothing but a monstrous water container.
Griever felt the water pressure around him increase, threatening to crush him. He had no strength to free himself. But he could still see quite well through the transparent liquid. His blue eyes fixed intently on the girl. He could not touch her. Another human was walking toward her. He didnt have what Griever sought. The icy gaze rested at last on the lone person a few meters away, the gunman that had scored a hit in the beasts eyes. Eyes narrowed. It was not much, but he would do. Bellowing soundlessly in his watery cage as Diablos and Cerberus descended on him, Griever reached out with his mind, grasped the power he had sensed within the human, and violently snatched it away.
Irvine had never had anything draw magic from him before. It was a rather
painful, peculiar feeling, but he was able to keep standing even as he watched
the unmistakable magic energy fly away from him and to
whoever it was
that had taken it.
Only humans and certain, very rare animals had the ability to glean magic from other beings. Irvine found himself somewhat disconcerted as well as puzzled, brushed his hand over his hair in an attempt to center himself. What was that? When he looked up again, his eyes widened. A flutter of fear entered his heart.
Griever cast the spell he had drawn from Irvines mind. The spell had not been meant to attack with, but as an escape tool; Leviathan, having surrounded Griever completely, became suddenly opaque. Griever had frozen his living prison. The Guardians who had rushed in to attack him now had their limbs mired in ice.
Not a moment later, the sphere of ice cracked through to its center, and Griever, screaming his rage, broke free. His wings snapped open, knife-like feathers slicing through the ice and sending shards of it scattering in all directions. Two thrusts of the powerful limbs carried him upward again. This time, he was not surrounded. He had room to move.
True to his intentions, he attacked Cerberus first. Stuck in the ice, the dog could not move to avoid any assault. His heavy, reptilian tail was still free, though, and he didnt hesitate to use it.
Griever had made a miscalculation in diving at Cerberus head-first. The thrashing tail of the hell dog whipped around unexpectedly, slamming against Grievers face and knocking him to the ground. Griever flipped onto his feet and took to the air again before he could be overwhelmed by the many smaller Guardianswho were standing around like jackals, simply waiting for their chance to move in.
There was no time to rest. Once in the air, Griever came face-to-face with a huge, black-winged demon. Diablos crashed into him with crushing force, and the two began to grapple in the air, Grievers booming roars and Diablos raspy grunts bouncing off walls that didnt appear to be there.
Ifrit took the opportunity to rush to Sacred, Cerberus and Pandemoniums aid. The Fire Lord, being who he was, had the privilege of melting the unnaturally hard ice that immobilized the other Guardians limbs. He did this by simply touching the ice around each trapped hand or paw; his lip curled in a wicked, cattish smirk. Holding out on hand, he conjured a flaming mass of lava, and casually tossed it into the remaining chunks of ice. The molten liquid spread over the frozen pieces, quickly melting them awayor, more accurately, evaporating them completely.
The steam that rose from the quickly cooling ground twisted and gave itself formand in a few moments, Leviathans glowing eyes were scowling at Ifrit from within a vaporous, serpentine apparition.
{Thank you, O Lord Pyromaniac, but that was just a bit more than was necessary.} Gradually, the mist was beginning to settle, and the serpent began to regain a watery consistency.
In a rare, comical gesture of apology, Ifrit offered a sheepish, toothy grin and wisely moved away from the rapidly recovering Leviathan, who, by the looks of it, was half-ready to exact retribution and drench the fiery Guardian.
Meanwhile, Diablos and Griever had taken their battle to a height that made the contest very difficult to see. It was impossible to tell who, if either of them, was winning, and there was little any of themsave Leviathan, who had not yet regained complete control over his formcould do to assist.
"Says who?" Ifrit sensed the collective thoughts of the other Guardians, and snorted puffs of red smoke. "You act like a bunch of mortals. Whoever heard of a Guardian who couldnt fly?" To emphasize his words, he rose a few meters off the ground, floating easily in mid-air.
I resent that question Cerberus flattened his ears, his feet heavy on the ground. But his attention was on the skies.
Tired of the other Guardians incessant tendencies toward prattle, Leviathan wasnt paying attention. He was too busy trying to make out the battle high above. His eyes were keen, and if he had to make a judgement, it was that the fight was not going well for Diablos. As soon as he could, the sea serpent had every intention of lending his assistance. If he could bring the battle closer to this ground, Cerberus could fight, as well. If Ifrit chose to charge in to Diablos aid, that was all well and good, but Leviathan doubted it would be enough. Watching the fight from below, Griever appeared to Leviathan to be immune to Diablos magicwhich left the dark Guardian with only his immense strength as a weapon. Pandemonium could only control the air, and in this case, violent winds would cause just as many problems for Diablos as it would for Griever. Sirens song seemed louder now than it had ever been, but if it was directed at Griever, judging by all the bellowing, it had no effect whatsoever of the creature. Carbuncle had no offensive powers.
{Carbuncle?} Where was the little Guardian, anyway?
"Yo," Zell whispered, startling Rinoa as he crouched down next to her. He
offered a brief half-smile at her reaction. "How ya doin?"
She nodded vaguely as the first screech of battle rose from the throng of Guardians, and for a moment, they both watched as the first attacks were exchanged between Griever and Leviathan.
But despite the shaking of the ground, the roars and the ruckus, the eerie sound of Sirens song in the wind, neither Zell nor Rinoa had much wish to watch for long. Zell had given Irvine that role. Instead, he raised his voice a little to be heard over the noise. "You know what that thing is, dont ya? Tell me about it." He never mentioned how she had healed him, did not thank her. It was too soon to be extending gratitude.
Rinoa stared at him for a moment, then looked down at the floor. She grasped the ring on its chain at her chest. "Zell, do you remember the monster thats on Squalls ring? The one I asked you to copy for me?"
"Well, sure. I remember it looked cool. Whats that got to do with anything?"
Rinoa hesitated, then held up the ring, such that the "monster" was facing Zell. "Take a closer look."
Zell leaned forward, squinting at the finely detailed metalwork. He raised an eyebrow and sat back again, watching Rinoa uncertainly. " A lion with wings?"
"Yes."
"Hey that Griever thing looks a lot like a lion with wings." Zell began to look more and more uneasy, as though some terribly uncomfortable notion had popped into his head. "Youre freakin me out, girl. Whats it gotta do with everything?"
"The name of this symbol is Griever." She stared at the ring, finally let it rest against her skin once more. "Hes Squalls creation," she explained. "A Guardian Force its one he made up." She watched sadly as Griever broke free of an icy entrapment. "Griever is a symbol of strength and courage. Its Squalls way of fighting his fear."
" I still dont get it."
"Griever cant die," Rinoa summed up. "When Ultimecia had Squall in her power, she took Griever from his mind, and recreated this facsimile."
"Pretty damn good facsimile." Zell craned his neck to watch as Diablos and Griever rose higher and higher into the sky. "The big guys dont seem to be leaving a scratch on im"
"Somehow, Ultimecia was able to give Griever life, and then bend him to her will. If he has every quality that Squall gave him, then I dont know if any of the Guardians here will be able to beat him. I can only guess but as far as I know, Squall made up Griever to be the ultimate Guardian."
"What about Bahamut? And that Quetzer Ketzy whatever his name is?"
The tired sorceress sighed gravely. "With Squall gone, they have no reason to come Im surprised Diablos and Cerberus showed up." For that matter, she was surprised at Leviathans appearance. She hadnt actively called Leviathan. Why had he come and others stayed behind?
"I got another question."
She blinked, jarred from her thoughts. "Whats that?"
"Selphie an Quistis disappeared. Whys Squall still here?" Rinoa did not answer. Zell briefly glanced at Squalls body, and repressed a shiver. He still couldnt believe Squall was dead. Any moment, he expected his friend to open his eyes and get up. The part of Zell that knew that it was real, that Squall would never come back, sent chills through him. He couldnt find it within him to feel any emotion at the loss. Perhaps that was partly because he didnt fully believe it had happened. Part of it was because he had to be strong for the rest of them. Part of it was because he knew he still had a job to do.
Quistis and Selphie, too, lingered on his mind, but for some reason, it wasnt as hard for him to believe they were gone. They were no longer here to look at. He could feel loss over them and the terrible ache was transformed to anger in his heart. That witch bitchs got the nerve to steal stuff from other peoples heads? Talk about unoriginal. The thought did not reflect his rage, which was causing his fists to shake. He covered one fist with the other hand to calm himself. "So this thing is from Squalls head. That means its gonna think like Squall in a lot of ways, right? In a way, its Squall were fighting, here."
Rinoa cringed. "Zell, dont say that"
"Its true, Rinoa. I know you dont like it, but now that I think about it, its been fighting like Squall this whole time. You get in my field, you learn to see these things. Trust me."
"Squall would never attack his friends!" Rinoa snapped, tears brimming. "He would rather die " She trailed off, regretting her poor choice of words.
Zell put a hand to his face. Immediately afterward, he realized how unlike him it was to do this, and lifted his head, staring at his hand. Squall used to do that a lot when he was having trouble. He made a decision as an agonized scream tore the air high above. "Im not gonna forget im, k? That thing up there isnt him. All Im sayin is that it fights the same way. If were gonna have a prayer in hell of taking it down, we gotta learn to think like Squall an then we gotta learn how to outthink im."
Diablos crashed to the ground.
Griever wasnt far behind, plunging toward his enemy, wings tucked at his sides. The leonine beast landed on its feet, pinning the black-and-red Guardian beneath his crushing weight. To Zell and Rinoas utter astonishment, Diablos howled in pain, then shattered beneath Grievers claws. Each piece of Diablos became a screaming, fluttering bat; the bats collectively dispersed, effectively dissolving the defeated Guardian Force.
Griever stood tall, roaring victoriously. There was not a scratch on him.
Rinoa bowed her head and prayed to whoever might be listening.
Ifrit was the first to return Grievers roar of triumph with one of
fury. "Beast of witches," the Fire Lord bellowed, "You are stronger
than you look. But face the rest of us at once, and see how well you die!"
There were roars and screeches of concurrence.
Griever sneered, turning slowly to face his next challenge. His white wings snapped open like switchblades, each razor-edged feather gleaming like silver in the sickly sun. Two powerful thrusts brought him about, and two more carried him directly into Ifrits claws. With the impact of the two Guardians, there was a great explosion. The blast seared Grievers exposed belly and his clawed hands came away burned and blistered, a result of the simple act of touching Ifrits fiery fur. He paid the wounds no heed. Locked in a power struggle with the Fire Lord, Grievers long arms gave him no advantage in the wrestling match he had started. The "lesser" Guardian was surprisingly strong; the two grappled and snarled for a few seconds, both feline heads roaring defiance in the others face. Other Guardians attacked, giving Griever no opportunity to defend himself. Pandemoniums powerful breath brought the brawling Guardians into the center of the disembodied throne room floor. Sacred, daring the wrath of the fluttering wings, rushed in with a grunt, Morning star swinging. The spiked weapon bounced harmlessly off Grievers tough hide. Griever and Ifrit continued to tear at each other. Ifrit was conjuring flame left and right, the air around him exploding with heat and cinder. His powers were not directed well; he threw flame and explosions without thought as to who else might become victim of the attacks, however unintentionally. One such fireball struck the ground not far from where Irvine was stationed. The sharpshooter shook a fist at him and yelled something that Ifrit was too busy to hear. Griever had him on the ground, and was raking at his hot flesh with furious abandon. The Fire Lord released a panther-like scream of pain and frustration, breathing fire in the eyes of his enemy. The assault had no effect whatsoever.
It seemed that the more Griever was attacked, the more aggressive and ruthless he became. Even with biting wind whipping at his face, a three-headed hell hound snapping at his limbs, the Minotaur brothers getting in a powerful swing wherever they could, and the sharp sting of Leviathans strike, Griever finally succeeded in getting his jaws under Ifrits defenses, snapping them shut on the Fire Lords throat. Cerberus threw spell after spell, blasting Grievers face with fire and lightning, hoping to dislodge the deadly fangs. When this failed, and Ifrits roaring became weaker, Cerberus charged, howling. The big Guardian crashed headlong into Griever, finally knocking the winged beast away, forcing the jaws to release their hold.
Ifrit seemed dead. Giving a low whine, Cerberus nudged the Fire Lords head with one of his own, while Leviathan and Pandemonium kept their enemy occupied. Cerberus ignored his burned nose, nudged Ifrit again. This time the blazing eyes did open, but they were dim and reddish. The Fire Lord turned his head weakly to stare at Cerberus. "Defeated by this?" His eyes went dark; Ifrit vanished, leaving behind only a charred patch to mark where he had met his defeat.
Cerberus watched from afar as Griever got the jump on Pandemonium, silencing the churning wind that blew gently at Cerberuss ears. Sacred and Minotaur were simply tossed overboard, falling into the empty sky far below.
The hell hound growled deeply in all three of his throats, claws gripping the ground as he watched Griever ascend into the sky again. The blue eyes trained on him. Cerberus ears flattened. He waved his tail tauntingly above his head. He was the next target.
He sneered at the irony of it all. Who would have given thought to the prospect that the Guardian of the death gates would ever have to admit himself to his own realm?
Leviathan didnt bother to help as Cerberus clashed with Griever. Powerful
as the hell dog was, he would meet the same fate as the rest of them had
at Grievers claws. The liquid serpent looked to the skies. It didnt
matter. Griever could not be harmed. Every wound that was inflicted on the
beast was healed within moments, and he would continue to fight until his
opponent was too exhausted to resist him any longer. Leviathan thought to
himself: {There is not a chance of taking him on, not if he can catch
you. Once hes on you, its all over. He wont let go until
youve expended every ounce of strength you have left. He becomes stronger
with each assault. Its almost as if
} He shrunk at the idea
that came to mind. {As though hes absorbing our powers. Simply
by touching him, we make him stronger. No magic we can create is strong enough
to defeat him. Perhaps
an all-out power-struggle is the wrong way to
go about this. But what other choice is there? Are we too late? Have we exhausted
every option?}
Cerberus was doing surprisingly well; his armored body protected him from Grievers fangs and claws, and his sheer size made it impossible to grapple with him. But Griever had one advantage over Cerberus; his ability to draw magic. It should have been impossible, but there was the fact before Leviathans aquamarine eyes. Griever was deftly weathering blasts of pure white from each of Cerberuss mouths, hovering close, drawing spell after spell from the snarling hound, all the while staying just out of reach of the heavy tail. Cerberus was lost in his own fury, growling, howling, jumping and snapping at a challenger that floated tantalizingly out of reach.
{Hes building up to something.} Taking the opportunity, the water serpent turned away from the fight, heading toward the sorceress he guarded. It was an unusual thing to do, but these were unusual circumstances. The Guardian asked his own summoner for help. He stopped just short of the powerful barrier that guarded Rinoa and her remaining two comrades. Both Zell and Irvine were on the ground now, trembling and helpless as they felt the defeat of their respective Guardians. Leviathan allowed himself a moment of sympathy for the two young men. It was enough to feel the pain of a single Guardians utter defeat, but all at once? It must have been nothing less than torment.
Leviathan looked through the barrier as though it were a glass window. His eyes focused on Rinoa, and the boy she knelt over.
{So it is true,} the Guardian spoke aloud, startling Rinoa, who started to cringe in fear. But the sight of her own Guardian, majestic Leviathan, peering down at her with sadness in his deep gaze, both calmed and moved her. {he is gone. It is a wonder he found us at all.}
"Found you?" Rinoa lowered the shield around her so the Guardian could come closer. "I dont understand."
If Leviathan could have smiled, he would have. He dipped his head lower, leaning forward with his long body until his pointed snout was only feet away from Rinoa. If she had tried, she might have been able to reach out and touch the Guardians slick-looking hide. But she did not try. She did not dare. {He heard your pleas, Rinoa. He came in search of us, and led us to you when we were lost in this dark world. It is because of Squall that we were able find you.} A cacophony of bellowing prompted Leviathan to twist his neck around to look behind him. Griever and Cerberus were struggling, the former pinned beneath the front paws of the latter. How Cerberus had accomplished such a feat was anyones guess. It did not matter. He was buying time at the most. Leviathan returned his attention to a teary-eyed Rinoa. {There is not much time.}
"He heard me." Rinoa looked away from her Guardian. Her emotions betrayed her. She collapsed, falling forward to rest her head against Squalls silent chest. She cried, choking to keep herself from making any noise. She heard no heartbeat, felt no breath. No comforting arms encircled her, no warmth shielded her from her fears. She had never felt so alone as she did in that moment. She didnt care anymore. All she wanted was to be with Squall as it was, life was what separated them, now. "It doesnt matter," she murmured. Only a Guardian Force could have heard her. Leviathan did. And he continued to listen. "Zell and Irvine cant do anything, I cant do anything Grievers invincible. Squalls done everything he can, and more hes given his life for usSquall and Quistis, and Selphie, they all did." She sat up, slowly, hugging Squalls still figure desperately in her arms. She buried her face in the white fur of his collar. "Squall heard me, and he brought you. I just want to talk to him I want to know if hes okay. If hes scared, or or sad."
Leviathan lowered his head to the floor and slithered quietly around Rinoa, circling the sorceress and her fallen love, his body a protective wall. A fin-like wing sheltered them in its shadow. {He is as close to your heart as he can be,} the Guardian whispered. {Do not lose hope. You will see him again, someday. Until then he will wait.}
Ill be waiting
Rinoa closed her watery eyes. Had Squall known that he would be waiting in this way?
{He will not leave you.}
She nodded slightly. Whatever happens, Ill see you again, Squall. I wont give up before I do.
<Big guy! Cmon, ya old dinosaur, get your scaly lizard butt outta
bed. I didnt come over here for nuthin!> Screeching loudly,
Quetzalcoatlus swooshed past a dark, hidden cavern, located on a forgotten
island in the center of a roiling sea. Hed brought an army of thunderheads
with him. The storm whipped up the wind until it howled past the caverns
entrance, churned the waves until they crashed against the sides of the rock,
sent bolt after bolt of white lightning raining down to scour the stony
outcroppings above the ground and shake the cavern with thunder until it
threatened to collapse.
In short, the Guardian of Lightning was throwing a temper tantrum, and in the process making an absolutely hideous racket.
Stony eyelids parted, revealing two glowing green slits in the rock inside the black cavern. The sleepy visage narrowed further at the sight of who had disrupted his slumber. A deep, low growl, louder and stronger than the storm outside, shook the entire island as the thunder never could.
Quetzal stopped his rampaging rants, and the skies quieted for a while as the ocean still rocked around him. He hovered in place before the entrance to the cave, waiting expectantly for a follow-up of this response from the darkness.
The eyes inside flashed angrily. {Imbecilic brat,} came an all-consuming, guttural voice that seemed to originate from nowhere. The sound was omnipresent, in the sky, the water, the earth, the darkness. Quetzal could hardly keep himself from shaking amidst the thunderous tone. {Are you quite finished? You have created enough noise to make the planets plug their ears and move to the next solar system. You need not make so much ruckus to awaken me! I hear every insect that walks on this earthdo you think I need you to announce your presence to be aware of it? A deaf moose could hear you coming from halfway across the world, for all the noise you make. If I wanted to speak to you, I would have been waiting outside long before you ever shined your ugly light on my lair!}
Quetzal waited with uncharacteristic patience for the insults to stop. He returned smoothly, <Well, I got you to talk to me, didnt I?>
The green eyes narrowed to bare threads of furious light and the island shook again under the force of another thunderous snarl. {Smart aleck fool! WHAT IS IT?!}
<Oh, nothing much,> the Guardian cooed, his tone becoming more sarcastic as he went on, <the world as we know it is about to end, thats all.> He awaited an answer for a full minute before deciding that the silent eyes were waiting for him to elaborate. <Evil sorceress, world domination, alternate dimensions, that sort of thing. Turns out the rest of us Guardian Forces are a little tuckered out, and the bad guys about to win. It came up in a conversation over coffee that maybe if we had you on our side, it just might turn the tables a little bit. So I was stopping by to let you know that unless something really good happens, the whole worlds gonna be enslaved by the time you finish your nap. Just thought youd like to know. Yknowin case you wanted to help or anything. Oh, and, by the way> Quetzal added as he winged around to leave, <Squalls dead.> He was about to fly away and leave the green eyes to their slumber again, when a bellow, louder than any of the others that had rocked the island, ripped the air and sent small claws of lightning crawling across the dark clouds. <Yeah,> Quetzal went on, turning around to face the cave again, <he, ah, called for you, but I guess you were asleep. Everyone else decided to go on to try and help his buddies, even after he died, but I came back here to get you, because you know what? Without you, were basically screwed. I didnt feel like getting blown up or something, so I decided Id come see if I could piss you off enough to get you into a fighting mood.> A short pause. <Is it working?>
The answer was a tooth-rattling bellow, and another question. {The girl, the one with Hynes power she lives still?}
<Oh, shes still alive. So far as I know.>
{Then there is still hope }
<Believe me, I wish that was the general consensus.>
{Very well!} The voice roared, eyes shining angrily. Flashes of steely blue hinted at more than just the disembodied stare within that dark entrance. {I will go. As for youyou should return to your element. You need not dabble in this matter any longer.}
<Yeah, right. Nice try, big guy. Im coming with you whether you like it or not.>
The clouds became yet darker, obscuring what little sunlight was left and pitching the skies into night as the eyes and their owner stepped forth from the cave. So dark was it that little could be seen of the beasts armored form. A snort from the creature briefly illuminated the shore with blue light, outlining a lithe reptilian body and a huge pair of bladed, folded wings. The creatures tail lashed like a whip in the dimness. {You choose to go, and I will not stop you. I warn you that you will only get in my way.}
<Dont worry,> Quetzal countered with reserved confidence as the so-called King of Guardians spread his mighty wings and leapt straight up into the sky. <When you start blowing stuff up, I plan to be as far out of your way as possible.>