Final Battle
(By "I've been meanin ta write this, but I'm too freakin lazy" Zar)
(Author's Note: This story is based on my experience at the end of the game. I'm aware that there are those who split up their GF's evenly among all members of their party, but I am not one of those people. I'm also one of those freaks who used GF's all the time. So...)


"Swarming like lokusts akross generations..."

Zell was doing anything but paying attention to the woman who was speaking. Adrenaline provided a constant rush that made it difficult to focus on anything except going over how the battle would go, how he would react, what moves to do in advance. He shifted his weight from foot to foot with practiced ease, watching the sorceress as she spoke. He tried to imagine what it would be like to finally strike her down. How long it would take. How hard it would be. His muscles screamed for release.

He hopped from foot to foot. A few quick jabs thrown out, then Zell turned to look at his teammates. While they never played the most integral parts in the endless fantasy Zell had envisioned of this final battle, they were still there. Everyone was nervous. Zell just transformed that nervousness into activity. The others...

Rinoa stood beside Squall and held onto his arm. She looked utterly terrified and Zell didn't exactly blame her. After all, while she may have been a sorceress, she did not have anything resembling the training the other's had had. Rinoa was at a distinct disadvantage and she knew it. They all knew it.

Selphie stood with her nunchaku at ready and she constantly bobbed back and forth as well. Ultimecia hadn't even finished speaking and already everyone was falling into battle positions, routines long burned into muscle and memory. There was no conscious thought to Zell's constant motion, no coherent command that caused Selphie to bob and weave, the chain of her nunchaku following her motion.

Quistis had already uncurled her whip. She had always been good at retaining her composure in the face of the most dire of circumstances, and this ability had not failed her here. She looked grimly determined and only her hands shook. The tail end of her whip twitched on the ground.

Irvine often put on a cool front and this was what he was attempting to do now. The telltale signs of adrenaline--the twitching, the shaking, the nervous looks around at everyone, and the constant checking of his gun and his pockets for ammo--all of it betrayed the calmness he desperately wanted to convey. It didn't show on his face and it didn't have to.

Squall...

He had his gunblade held at his side and he alone out of all them showed no signs of anxiety. Then again, showing signs of any emotion was not exactly Squall's strong point. Quistis could keep her composure, Irvine might have an aura of confidence around him, but no one could match Squall's complete lack of any emotion whatsoever. Zell could not understand it. He had known Squall for a long time, and he knew that he had difficulty, which was putting it mildly, in expressing anything about how he felt. Rinoa felt she had changed that, though Zell saw no sign. Perhaps he wasn't close enough to Squall to tell.

But he looked just like before, when Seifer had ordered them up to the communications tower what felt like--and considering the mess called time compression that they had been through, could very well have been--hundreds of years ago. Nothing. No reaction.

This was Squall's job and this is what he was going to do. There was nothing else. That was how he handled battle, how he handled everything, and it had served him passably well so far. If it got them through this then Zell wasn't going to complain.

"I think I'll start with you three!"

Zell hadn't been listening to the majority of what the witch had said but those words caught his attention. All of his nervous energy immediately focused into battle patterns and routines he knew without conscious thought. He crouched, his hands clenched and his muscles trembling.

When she finally stood upright, a pair of black feathered wings slowly expanded from her back. They rose and fell, and Zell's eyes could not help but follow them.

A quick connection of a mind desperate for any thought not involving his potential death. Rinoa's clothes, Ultimecia's wings, what was it called, Angel Wing...

Almost as if in a trance, the three that Ultimecia had indicated stepped forward. Rinoa, Irvine, and Selphie. They took their place in front of Ultimecia without faltering or hesitating. It was decided.

"We're not going to attack?" Ifrit's voice resonated deep within his mind.

Ifrit was the first Guardian Force that he had really become acquainted with and that early connection ran deep. The fire spirit felt at home with Zell and its deep voice was familiar and comforting. Ifrit had made it clear that he appreciated Zell's indomitable spirit and his persistence in the face of unthinkable odds, and Zell...well, he agreed with him to be honest. The flames that Ifrit could give him, the power that the fire spirit lent him, all of it part of what Zell had come to view as a partnership. The two of them had gone through a great deal together.

The only other Guardian Forces junctioned to Zell that came close in trust were Cactuar and the Brothers, who rarely spoke to Zell. The Brothers had a tendency to bicker amongst themselves, but Zell quickly learned how to tune that out. Cactuar...he wasn't sure how to classify the noises it made in his head sometimes. The other two who found a place in Zell's mind, Cerberus and Diablos, had not really made their "home" there so to speak. The two of them did not like each other and did not like Zell in particular, and as a result Zell found he did not call them into battle very often. It didn't help that they conflicted with the others at times.

But the powers they lent him...it was more then enough justification.

Zell had not been particularly good at mental speak, but with Ifrit having been with him so long, he learned quickly.

"If they fall...we're next."

He turned to Squall and Quistis. Quistis was fidgeting with her whip and watching the three who had stepped forward with visible concern. Squall had his eyes closed.

It was likely that Squall was conversing with his own Guardian Forces, although Zell could never say for sure. The Guardian Forces were an unbelievable aid and indispensable force on the battlefield, and it paid to know who had what junctioned to them at any given time.

Squall was probably speaking with his lightning spirit, Quezacotl. Also attached to Squall were Pandemona, Bahamut, and Doom Train. Doom Train was not very attached to Squall and made this clear by being as slow as possible to come into the fray. Pandemona and Bahamut, however, seemed fond enough of Squall to appear quickly to aid him.

In Irvine were the most female looking of the Guardian Forces, Shiva and Siren. Zell had wondered occasionally about whether or not that was a coincidence, but Squall had been less then receptive to his questions about it.

Along with Shiva and Siren were three others. Carbuncle, Tonberry, and Alexander. Shiva had been the first to connect with Irvine, and she most likely shared a similar bond with him as did Zell and Ifrit. He didn't know how well they got along with Irvine for sure except by the speed they came to fight for them. In that regard, Shiva, Siren, and Alexander very much liked Irvine.

He saw little of Carbuncle and Tonberry.

Also junctioned to Irvine was the immensely powerful Eden. It had been assumed at first when they had found Eden that Squall would naturally take the Guardian Force into his mind, but he refused. He didn't explain why. After Zell lost a game of Triple Triad against him, Irvine was the one who allowed the massive...thing into his mind. In the end, Zell wasn't sure he was sorry. Eden didn't look...Eden didn't look like any living creature he had ever seen, and he had no idea what it would be like to have something like that in the back of your mind. The Guardian Forces that Zell had with him all resembled some kind of creature, no matter how strange, but Eden...he had no idea.

After Eden had been junctioned, Irvine had been a little woozy and somewhat distant for a few days, but eventually it cleared up. However, regardless of how often they tried to call on Eden, it never seemed to come forward any faster. Zell had a feeling that Eden would never really get attached to anyone, even Irvine.

He turned back to those who had been chosen by Ultimecia. Zell hadn't wanted to think about it, but now there was no choice. Rinoa and Selphie stood bravely, each wielding their respective weapon.

They had no chance.

They had talked it over and over for the past few weeks--or what they assumed were weeks--before the battle. Everyone had spoken about it in depth and with varying degrees of emotion. It was Squall who originally proposed the plan they were following now.

This would be the most difficult battle of their lives, and without a doubt the most important. If there was any advantage to be taken against Ultimecia, it would be in their best interests to take that advantage. The Guardian Forces junctioned to Zell, Irvine, and Squall made their preferences clear on their hosts. Even the Guardian Forces that did not tolerate them did not view the other three members of their party any more favorably.
Squall referred back to battles he had studied, names long lost that Zell couldn't even try to remember. In this battle, they were going to have to focus all their power in a direct attack against Ultimecia. To split up meant to collectively weaken their chance, to weaken their strikes and potentially cost them those precious moments that meant life and death. They had to pool their strength.

There could only be three.

They knew this.

That was why Rinoa looked so frightened. They had worked hard to try and overcome their weakness, but the power of the Guardian Forces made this a matter of formality more then anything else. They knew that the Guardian Forces were going to be key in this battle, their ability to control magic and focus it in the hands and the mind, their natural powers...there was no comparison.

They couldn't split up their power. Not this close and not for something this important.
Of course, this plan hadn't gone uncontested. Bitter debates broke out over it for a good period of time...as much as time could be measured at that point.

But eventually, it came down to the fact that the Guardian Forces had spent more time with Zell, Irvine, and Squall on the whole and that they were most likely to come forward quickly for them. It was a matter of logistics and not something that could be changed, not this close.

Attempts to comfort the doomed, explanations that this world they were stuck in was not like the other world, the world they knew. Death might not exist here. How could death exist without time? And if it came down to it...they were sacrificing themselves for a greater good. Selphie and Quistis understood. Rinoa did not. It was not in her nature or her training, and no one blamed her for those nights she spent weeping inconsolably in Squall's arms.

It wasn't that she was afraid of death, or whatever the equivalent would be in a world without time. She didn't want to lose him.

They knew.

In a way, they gave their power, their only chance, to their best hope for their world.

Many people can claim that they can make peace with that, but there are few that actually can. Rinoa, Quistis, and Selphie were willing to do it, and in the end it was the action that truly mattered, not the motivation.

Ultimecia walked with impossible slowness. Apparently the bizarre timeframe of her hideous castle did not affect her, or perhaps only affected her in ways she desired. Zell wasn't exactly clear what she wanted or had accomplished through compressing time, and really, to him, it wasn't that important.

Ultimecia flapped her black wings through still air and floated downwards. She landed without sound in front of the three who waited to face her.

The first to fall was Selphie.

To let this happen, to let a friend fall in battle without aid, was a difficult thing for any member of their small group, but it was particularly difficult for Irvine. Irvine's flirtatious nature concealed a distinct protective streak, especially towards those he cared for, but that was not the only explanation for his difficulty staying his hand and keeping silent. Irvine was the only one who remembered when they first met, the one who had gone the longest without the Guardian Forces usurping the space his memories required, and his connections to his childhood friends had been the deepest and longest-lasting.

Now, with the amount of Guardian Forces attached to him some of his memories were fading. His feelings however not and his affection for Selphie, one of his youngest childhood friends, was obvious to everyone.

Selphie hadn't cried when she knew what was going to happen. She accepted that this would be her fate, and made it clear to everyone and to monsters within a hundred foot radius that when the time came, she would give everything she had before the end.

Irvine and Selphie talked earnestly the nights before the final confrontation and Zell had just enough tact not to eavesdrop.

The Guardian Forces offered them so much protection and so much power. They took it for granted, and it was never made more apparent then now. Selphie put on a brave face, her nunchaku thrown in front of her in an effort to break the wave of flame and magic.

They never realized how frail a human body was without its mental protector. She tried, and in the end, who could do more?

Selphie fell to the ground, her nunchaku knocked from her burnt hands. Somehow it had been made clear, perhaps between lines or in the sorceress' tone of voice, that this was not a normal battle and was not fought by normal rules. What happens to death when there is no time? Zell wished he had been paying more attention. Something about dimensions...

There were a few seconds for everyone to gather their composure that Ultimecia most likely did not intend. Irvine gathered his mental energy and prepared himself, casting the spell Triple on himself with familiar ease. He stared at her fallen body, but he didn't say anything. What could he say?

Rinoa braced herself. There was not much else she could do.

Zell took a few steps forward to pull Selphie back, get her body to safety so that he could take her place. Before he could reach her, something happened. If it were accurate or possible at this point, the closest approximation of time stopped as all eyes fell on Selphie's form.

As if it was a fragment of skin pulled off of a bad sunburn, a piece of Selphie left her body, floated upwards into the air into a strange light. Slowly Selphie's body began to disintegrate, her skin, her hair, her clothes, all becoming small fragments that floated upwards and disappeared like sparks from a fire at night.

Irvine called her name, but she couldn't hear him anyway.

Immediately disbelief set in place. There was no way that was a normal death, that wasn't normal, this whole place wasn't normal. It was possible, and this was something that Zell latched onto from determination and denial in equal measures, that Selphie was not dead as one normally understood the term. There was a chance that Selphie had been taken somewhere else, and there was a chance that if they succeeded against Ultimecia, that she would be returned. Glances at the others showed that they also put faith in the same hope. The alternative...

A familiar aura pulsed around Irvine, and that was the only moment Ultimecia left open. Another wave of fire formed in her hands and washed over what she knew had to be the weaker member. Rinoa screamed.

Squall moved forward as if to catch her when she fell back. Before Rinoa touched the ground her body began to fall apart just as Selphie's. Squall knelt where she had been, grasping at the disappearing fragments of her body as they vanished into the air.

Zell took another step forward, to take the place vacated by Rinoa, but Quistis stopped him. He stared at her, confused, and she only shook her head as explanation. She took her place beside Squall with a loud crack of her whip.

Squall stood where Rinoa had been and gripped his gunblade with audible creaks of leather from his gloves.

Irvine glanced back at Zell, then at Quistis. While the aura of triple flowed around him, he remained silent. It was understood. He was waiting for Zell to join them before he began to prepare. It was understood, but that made it no less painful.

Quistis whirled her whip around her head and lashed out at the sorceress, who took the blow without flinching. Zell thought he heard the briefest obscenity from Quistis' lips at the sorceress' lack of reaction.

With a smile, Ultimecia turned to Quistis. Her attack had easily shown another weak link in the their dwindling party. There was a flash of fire and a strange scent, but Quistis remained standing. Her clothes and skin were charred, her hair smoking, but she remained standing. She glared at Ultimecia with open hate and she smiled when she saw Ultimecia's look of surprise at her survival.

Irvine raised and lowered his hands but he knew he couldn't afford to waste their precious stores of magic and items, no matter how dear Quistis was to him. This battle relied on the three of them, they knew this, and it hurt.

Squall stared at the sorceress then held a hand to his forehead. A crackle of energy began to generate around his still form. Summoning Quezacoatl to come forward...Zell knew the process well.

Quistis was on her knees, breathing hard. Her skin had turned an ugly color that Zell didn't want to describe or to be honest look at, but he watched. He was unable to look away. Badly burnt, probably in searing pain, Quistis remained conscious. She couldn't stand, not yet, but she remained conscious.

The lightning bird rose, screeched, shook the ground and air. Ultimecia watched without fear or surprise. The arcs of lightning crept through her body but when Quezacoatl receded again into Squall's mind, she was still standing.

Irvine took a shot at the sorceress while he hoped she wasn't watching. He couldn't afford to be distracted in summoning a Guardian Force just yet, even if they would come to his aid fairly quickly. He had to prepare the others...

No, he had to prepare Squall and Zell.

Quistis staggered to her feet as Ultimecia lifted her hands, dark energy beginning to swirl in patterns around her claw-like fingers. Those remaining looked to Quistis, but she didn't look at them. She kept her eyes completely focused on Ultimecia, still breathing hard. She could barely stand, one leg bent at an awkward angle, her burnt hair hanging limp in her face. She took her whip handle in both hands and held it out towards Ultimecia, then closed her eyes.

A rush of energy swept around her feet, swirled around her, and Zell watched a translucent blue globe envelope the chosen party. Irvine and Squall turned to face Quistis, who immediately collapsed back on the ground.

Mighty Guard.

Quistis had understood the necessity of this plan from the beginning and she had been instrumental in its acceptance. She understood enough to know that while Mighty Guard would be of little help to her, it could mean the success of those who came after.

The energy gathered around Ultimecia's hands lashed out, black tendrils that swept through Quistis as if she were paper. She fell onto her back, the light glow of protection that still lit Squall and Irvine fading quickly.

Zell waited.

Squall took this chance to rush forward, gunblade held high. The first rushing gashes of Renzokuken tore through Ultimecia spoke of a limit not reached from outer pain. Perhaps the passing of his teammates meant more to him then he could express to the others.

Quistis broke apart, fragments of burnt skin fading and floating in some parody of ascension. Zell hoped...Zell knew that this couldn't be permanent. When this was all over...they'd have to be okay.

With quick, light steps, Zell moved to where Quistis once was. It was not a comfortable feeling.

Now it was up to them.

Zell gathered his thoughts, his emotions, and made the request to Ifrit. The Guardian Forces were why they were here, they were why they had strength, and they were their first choice of attack.

It took barely any time to summon Ifrit to appear. The fire spirit understood the situation...it had to, considering where it made its home.

With a massive burst of flame, Ifrit appeared, snarling. The meteor that Ifrit called, the sending of it back to earth, all of this had been played so many times that Zell committed the act to memory. He focused all of his emotions while Ifrit slammed the meteor downwards, knowing that his mental resolve and strength could give Ifrit the help he needed. Zell was his host, after all, and the two of them joined powers in many ways, some of which they weren't even aware of. Ultimecia managed to raise a shield around herself at the last moment, preventing her from being crushed completely beneath the flaming rock.

That would have been too easy.

Zell stepped back, still dancing back and forth, nervous energy and apprehension preventing any moment of stillness. Ultimecia glared at the three in front of her. She had underestimated them. The others...these three were not like the others who had fallen so quickly.

Quistis' Mighty Guard proved the blessing as she must have intended. Irvine did not have to focus on protecting all of his teammates at once. Instead, Zell felt the familiar protective film form over his skin and what felt like inside his mind. Shell and Protect. After the protection came a sudden rush of energy, of power and emotion, that Zell knew meant Aura. After that, Zell's thoughts tended towards the simplistic. With this much rage, this much pure power and force within his fists, waiting to be released, it took a great deal of control to keep his actions in check, to keep himself in time with his two companions.

Squall summoned Quezacoatl once again. The lightning bird rose quickly behind him, the buzz and crackle of electricity rising the hair on Zell's body on end. The ground cracked in front of them as massive arcs lanced towards and through Ultimecia, who staggered back, her wings flailing behind her.

Zell heard only a word.

"Griever!"

But isn't that...

He turned to Squall in surprise, who for once showed some emotion. He was as shocked as Zell was.

They had once been in the castle but now the world around them fell apart. This world wasn't like theirs, it never had been, so this abrupt transformation wasn't noted with too much surprise. They stood in what appeared to be a void, suspended on a fragile platform of tile and rock.

Out of the great abyss in front of them rose the figure that was a constant in Squall's attire. That was as much as Zell could say safely, considering Squall never told anyone anything about himself if at all possible. He knew Griever was important enough to Squall to be kept with him at all times as the charm around his neck, and to adorn his gunblade, but as to his further significance, Zell could not guess.

He hadn't seen Griever as a whole. The lion-like creature hovered above their platform, its wings, a strange mix of bat-like fingers with feather-like webbing between them, beat slowly yet still kept it aloft. Its razor-like tail swept back and forth as it stared at the three in front of it with hatred.

"Squall, did you know about this?" Irvine's voice was hoarse. Squall simply shook his head. There was something familiar about Griever...something apart from the necklace Squall always wore, but Zell could not put his finger on it. Squall stared at the Guardian Force, but little emotion crossed his face.

"How did she..." Zell found himself saying, but the rush of confidence and ability that Aura gave him prevented fear. He was ready. Even if this thing was attached to Squall in some way or form, it was their enemy now. That could not be changed.

Squall had to know that. He still held his gunblade at ready.

Zell rushed forward, the power of Aura unable to be held back any longer. He avoided the swipes of Griever's claws with ease, almost without thought, as he lashed out in pre-learned patterns and connections. He couldn't remember who it was who had told him this, perhaps one of the girls, but they compared Zell's attacks when he performed at his peak to a kind of beautiful and deadly dance. He didn't see it that way. These were routines, patterns, burned into his memory over hours upon countless hours of practice, and he had refined them to do the most damage as quickly as possible, and to link to other motions in ways that were quick and painful for his foe. His motions had to be graceful because it spared him those few seconds, those precious moments where he would have to stop and think about what to do next.

Griever snarled, following him, trying to catch him, but Zell moved too fast. His fists connected with Griever's fur, his kicks knocked it down, and when it flapped its wings to get higher, the Dolphin Blow gave him that extra impetus to reach him.

No matter how hard Zell could try, he could not Duel with Griever forever, and eventually he had to fall back. One final Booya and he flipped back to his place beside his friends with grace, although when he landed he was breathing hard. He had to rest to catch his breath, even if it was only for a few seconds.

Griever did not appreciate the attack and made this clear. A series of rapid-fire spells and physical attacks hit the three of them hard. Quistis' Mighty Guard continued to hold and protected them from the majority of the life-threatening attacks, but it couldn't stop them all. Irvine was hard-pressed casting recovery spells, knitting burnt and split flesh as fast as he could. Their clothes were suffering, but they had expected that. While the power of Curaga could seal a wound and relieve the pain of damage, it did not get rid of the blood those wounds left behind. Zell's gloves felt slick, the metal plates that aided him with his attacks consistently covered with blood, and his clothes felt cold and heavy. The blood that weighted his clothes, the rips that dragged against his skin, were the only physical reminders of how close he came to death each time Irvine turned his words to him.

Irvine and the other's dependence on his magic to keep them going was what prevented Irvine from summoning Carbuncle to reflect Griever's magic. Irvine did not have much time to summon Guardian Forces, as Griever's attacks were quick and vicious. Faster then they had expected. But Shiva, Alexander, and Siren all had at least one chance to attack at one point or another. It was all that Irvine could spare.

The aura around Zell continued to pulse with enhanced energy, but Griever now knew what Zell was planning to do every time he rushed forward. Griever put his wings to use to soar far higher then Zell could reach, even with the help of Dolphin Blow, and the damage that he could potentially do was handicapped. Unfair, but while Griever had to dodge him like this, it meant he couldn't attack the others. Eventually, a nod from Squall confirmed what Zell already knew. He could not Duel with Griever on level ground. It was up to the Guardian Forces once again.

Zell summoned Ifrit as much as possible, although the Guardian Force was taking damage in his place. Griever almost seemed to sense whenever Zell or Squall would summon their Guardian Forces and immediately try to attack them. When summoning Zell and Squall could do nothing to protect themselves, and that duty fell to their mental guardians. Ifrit and Quezacoatl were suffering, as were the others.

Eden, for all its power, was too much of a risk. Griever gave them little recovery time, and their dependence on Irvine for healing meant he could not afford to summon the reluctant Guardian Force forward.

Too much of a risk...

"Irvine, summon Tonberry. I'll try and summon Doom Train. Zell, summon Diablos."

"But they won't listen to us right away! That'll leave us open!"

Squall remained silent. Zell sighed and looked at to Irvine, who shrugged. He might as well listen, as he had no other ideas. Their current strategy, while it did keep them alive, did not seem to be getting them anywhere. Griever still looked as healthy as when they had began.

Zell sighed again. Ifrit and him shared a close bond, and calling Ifrit forward was something Zell compared to asking a friend for help in dire straits. It was something that Ifrit did willingly and without question, because Ifrit cared about Zell.

For Diablos, for Cerberus, the experience could not be more different. To approach Cerberus and Diablos, despite the fact they resided in Zell's mind just like Ifrit, the Brothers, and Cactuar, was like approaching a stranger in a dark alley and asking for money. They viewed Zell with hostility, and Zell viewed them with suspicion, and that in combination involved a lengthy debate to get the two Guardian Forces to appear at all.

"Diablos, come forth! I need your help!" Zell knew what the answer would be.

"Why should I help you?"

Zell readied himself for the argument that always followed when something caught his attention.

"Griever, enough playing. Finish them!"

They hadn't seen Ultimecia since Griever had appeared. Her voice was something of a surprise, particularly since it had no visible source.

For the first time, Griever spoke.

"Shockwave Pulsar."

Its voice was sharp, angry, and low. That sounded ominous, to say the least. Had Griever been waiting for the three of them to prepare this way before he brought this attack forward? Or had Ultimecia timed this, waited for this moment?

They couldn't move, the three of them frozen in position, as they were raised into the air. They could see the massive wave of energy coming for them before it hit. They could not break free.

Zell could feel Diablos attempting to come forward now that this danger had presented itself. Imperceivable to most, the Guardian Force began to physically form at the beginning of the internal query for aid. The spirit hovered above and around their carrier in an increasingly corporeal form before finally fully appearing to attack.

This was typical of normal battles, where a claw could be diverted, where a wound would hit the air around Zell but never hit him, and he'd hear a sharp intake of breath as his Guardian felt pain.

The shockwave came closer to them and Diablos continued to struggle. Zell wanted to help but he wasn't sure how. He didn't know Diablos and he didn't know what he wanted.

The black creature pulled itself out of Zell for a few moments and its wings rose into the air behind him. The summoning wasn't complete yet and Diablos could not find his complete form. But this would be enough. In the face of this unknown danger, it had to be enough. Diablos curled black and red arms around Zell and the webs of his wings hid the shockwave from view.

The Guardian Forces were loyal, no matter how fiercely they may dislike their homes.

Zell couldn't see outside of the barrier of Diablos' wings, but he could imagine the small green figure standing in front of Irvine, and the shriek of Doom Train's whistle as it ran its tracks in front of oncoming death.

He felt the vibration of the shockwave through his whole body and Diablos made an unholy sound. The wings that shrouded Zell dissolved and he felt the presence in his mind abruptly fade.

Diablos was gone. He had not fractured into pieces like Zell's friends, but he was not going to be with Zell for the remainder of this fight, this was certain.

He did not like him but he had an obligation to protect him, just as Zell protected Diablos and gave him a home.

Griever hovered in front of them, watching. Zell turned to Squall and Irvine and knew that they too had lost their Guardian Forces in the attack.

Griever was recuperating from the mental energy it took to summon such a planet-leveling spell and Irvine took his chance. With a flare of bright energy, Irvine lifted his gun and fired as quickly as he could. The bullets slammed into Griever again and again, and this time even attempting to fly out of range could not work. Irvine was a sniper, after all. The bullets tore through the membranes, if they were membranes, of Griever's wings, and it began to fall towards the ground. Irvine continued firing, his eyes never leaving his target. It was only the necessity to reload that stopped him and he stepped back.

Griever's wings were torn and from its vantage point on the floor, it snarled at them. Squall stepped forward and behind him rose the thunder bird, eager for revenge.

Griever howled as electricity shot through its body. With jerking motions, the beast lurched back onto its feet and gave a chilling scream. The three of them took a step back without thinking about it.

Griever's ruined wings began to beat furiously and somehow it rose into the air once again. It lashed and writhed in midair, still screaming horribly.

It happened so quickly it was hard to believe. With a flick of the razor-edged tail, Griever fell over the edge of the platform into the abyss. Its scream still echoed.

There was a pause as Squall, Zell, and Irvine all looked at one another. They all had minor scars and wounds, remnants of healed or unhealed damage. Irvine's coat was soaked red and his hat had vanished. Squall's clothes were also fairly torn and bloodied and Zell was sure he himself looked no better.

"We did it." Zell finally spoke, although his words were halting and awkward. Irvine and Squall looked at him and he tried to smile. "I think we did it."

Squall turned back to where Griever had fallen and said nothing. Irvine looked up at what was assumed to be the sky wherever they were and let out a long sigh.

"I think we did it, guys." Zell knew they heard him and knew he was repeating himself, but somehow that was all he could say. His voice was rising.

Irvine smiled and shrugged his bloodied coat off his shoulders, leaving him with just his vest. His necklace had been broken some time ago, a claw not seen fast enough catching the thin cord and tearing a gash in Irvine's skin. The wound was easy enough to heal. The necklace was gone.

Irvine let his coat drop to his feet and he stretched, thin arms with white lines and red splotches pulled above his head. It was obvious that, much like Zell's clothes at the moment, the coat had been weighing Irvine down.

"I think you're right." Irvine looked back at Zell and tried to smile back at him. It wasn't the most successful effort, but considering what they had been through, that wasn't too much of a surprise. Zell didn't blame him for it.

Zell tried to regain his energy, struggled to keep his thoughts from what this battle had cost them.

"We did it! We beat it!" He jumped halfheartedly. Irvine watched him with a thin smile, then turned to Squall. Their leader still stared at where Griever had fallen.

"Squall..."

There was a long pause as Zell and Irvine stared at him. He said nothing.

"Squall-" Irvine began.

Squall did not turn to face them, but he shook his head.

The ground beneath them began to shake.

That couldn't be the end.

Her voice cut through them.

"I won't lose!"

Irvine picked up his gun but left his coat where it was.

"I'll join myself to you, Griever!"

The scream came again and it changed in pitch. Something writhed just beneath the edge of their platform. Squall looked at the two of them and they nodded in response. Irvine began to whisper under his breath and familiar light formed around his hands.

Griever's body began to melt, to dissolve, and to grow all at once. The lion-like beast never stopped screaming, even when its face disappeared for a few moments in a jumble of flesh and fur.

The spell Irvine cast settled around them, a protective barrier since Mighty Guard had long ago faded away. After that, though, all attention focused on the metamorphosing monster in front of them. It was impossible to look away.

Black and red and pink. Griever's head raised and its scream became a roar. Beneath its head, resting in its chest cavity in a way that reminded Zell of how Adel had "junctioned" Rinoa, was the sorceress Ultimecia, her hands crossed against her chest. Griever's mass continued to expand, to grow. Massive arms with equally massive claws hooked onto the edge of the platform, and the twisted thing roared at them with such power that the vibrations could be felt right down to Zell's heart.

The three stared at it silently.

"Okay, I think it's time for Eden. Summon it, Irvine!" Zell called to his friend. Irvine nodded.

"You guys have to watch yourselves while I'm doing this. I can't heal you."

Irvine closed his eyes. The creature in front of them raised one claw.

There was a bright flash of light and a scream of pain that didn't exactly come from Irvine. He was brought back to the real world rather quickly.

"What happened?"

"Eden's gone! Something happened to it..."

"That thing killed it! Ifrit-"

"No." Squall shook his head, and his voice was low. "That thing...we're going to have to do this without our Guardian's help."

A flash of light surrounded the three of them and Irvine took a deep breath. A familiar golden glow with the rush of speed and energy. Their Guardian Forces could not attack themselves, but the magic they could channel would have to be enough.

Zell smiled and clenched his fists.

"And this one can't fly!"

He hopped back and forth, preparing himself for the initial strike against the monster in front of them, but Squall moved first. He darted forward, his gunblade trailing on the ground for a few seconds before he brought it upwards. The thing screamed as the blade cut through its flesh and the bullets pierced its skin, and with one final strike, Squall flipped away from the creature with acrobatic ease that only came with Renzokuken.

Now came the critical moment. Another surge of light surrounded Squall and this would be the finisher. Would the gunblade choose to perform Lionheart?

Zell knew that decision came down to the gunblade itself, no matter how inconvenient that made things. The technique Squall called Lionheart would be really useful about now, but there were no guarantees with a gunblade. Perhaps that's why so few chose to master it.

It wasn't Lionheart, and with a glance at Irvine he could see that the sniper was just as disappointed as he was. If Squall felt equally disappointed, he did not show it. The Fated Circle took its course and Squall fell back.

The monster in front of them screamed in rage and that was a chance.

Zell ran forward, dodging the massive claws that came after him. So much of the energy involved in these duels was focused on simply avoiding the enemies' attacks. Keeping his body in motion, keeping his maneuvers linked into chains with no pause, all while narrowly avoiding death which each failed swipe of the monster's claws...it was what he lived for.

It ticked off in his mind as his fists sank into the creature's flesh, his feet bursting unnaturally large vesicles. The spray of blood that almost burned. Punch Rush, Mach Kick, Dolphin Blow, Mach Kick, Dolphin Blow, Mach Kick, Booya, Mach Kick...

The thing swiped at him and, exhausted, Zell could not avoid it as effectively as he could before. It knocked him away, but he managed to roll with the blow and vaulted to his feet. He had to stop for a few seconds to take some deep breaths, remember what he was doing.

He turned to Irvine who seemed to be mumbling a constant litany of magical spells.

"What about you?" Zell gasped between breaths. There was another question he wanted to ask, but he hoped Irvine would figure that one out on his own. He had to breathe.

Irvine had his eyes closed again and a familiar warm energy took away the gashes that had been left across Zell's chest.

"I can't take the chance..."

A steady routine. The monstrous thing in front of them fired spell after spell in spans time that should have been impossible. Squall ran forward again and again, and the explosion of the gunblade against the creature's flesh could never drown out its furious screaming. Zell Dueled with it so often that he was beginning to memorize how it moved. Or at least, he hoped he was.

Irvine kept healing, kept casting spells, his arms held out even when he could not stand. That wasn't often though. Irvine knew that because he was such an essential support to their team, he had to keep himself alive.

The creature facing them backed away. Zell hoped this meant this was the end. Even when training, he had never exerted himself this much this long. The glow of Aura gave him the energy to keep going, but he wasn't sure how long it could stand against his protesting muscles.

He was limping slightly. He had kicked a rather sharp thing protruding from the beast's skin. That was careless of him...he typically tried to avoid dangerous parts of an enemy's anatomy when in such close range.

The monster raised two huge limbs and held out what could be called its palms. A long thick cord emerged from its skin and extended into the distance. Zell thought with slight surprise at his own thoughts that on some level, it reminded him of an umbilical cord.

The cords had vanished into the horizon, and Zell could not see what they were doing or what they were connected to, if that's what this was supposed to do.

"Irvine, defensive spells. I have a bad feeling about this." Squall's voice was calm, although not particularly calming in effect. Irvine obliged and again, the blue shield formed around them. Zell thought back to Quistis and then quickly shook the thought away. Not now.

"Do you see that?" Irvine put a hand over his eyes.

"I don't see anything."

"I see something..." Irvine continued peering off to his right, past Zell's shoulder. Zell trusted Irvine on this, considering how his profession relied on his sight. "It's coming this way..."

Squall was looking to the left. Slowly a speck became visible. It was rushing quickly towards the group huddled on the platform.

"Is that..."

The cords withdrew back into the creature's palms and the specks continued to approach.

"I hope these shields hold, whatever those are." Zell was nervous and he didn't think that was too unreasonable, considering what they had faced so far. There was a good chance, a very good chance, that this was going to be painful. Zell was willing to wager that this was going to be very painful, in fact, and hoped that the shield around his body would do its job.

The specks had grown as they approached and were still growing. Irvine reeled back.

"I know what they are, they're asteroids! They're heading straight for us!"

"There's one from over here, too. Brace yourselves."

"I can't believe it's doing this!"

Zell backed away from the edge, then felt someone behind him. With a quick glance over his shoulder, he caught sight of Irvine's ponytail. Squall soon joined them, and with a nod between all three, they stood back to back to back.

The asteroids hurtled towards them, and Zell held his arms in front of his face. A useless gesture and he knew that, but it was something he couldn't stop himself from doing. It all came down to the shield.

In terms of the Squall, Zell, and Irvine not being crushed into paste, the shield worked admirably well. The asteroids collided in the center of the platform, right on top of them, with a force that pressed the three of them tightly against each other. Zell was glad for the support, he was sure that even if the shield had held, the force of the collision would have knocked him right off the platform.

They weren't completely crushed but there was no way on earth the experience could be described as anything but extremely painful. Irvine staggered to his feet and readied himself again for a healing spell.

Squall had suffered the most from the attack, as he had not been in the best of health when he had entered it, and was struggling to remain standing. He was breathing hard but refused to back down or even ask for assistance.

The creature immediately focused its attention on Squall as if it sensed his weakness. Irvine finished his spell and the green light was able to get Squall back on his feet, but just barely.

A war of attrition began that the three of them were too exhausted to wage effectively. Irvine struggled to heal Squall while Zell kept attacking the creature as best he could. The Aura around him faded eventually, but Irvine's attention was completely focused on keeping Squall alive. Their most precious items came into play when Irvine could no longer speak and through these Squall rejoined them in the fray.

Irvine felt as though his magic was getting weaker, and wondered if in the fury of battle he had been casting something that he had junctioned. It wasn't impossible. Was he being careless?

Their stock of Triples was running low, and so were the magics that kept them going. Items then, but items were just as finite.

Zell kept moving, kept going. He could no longer find the energy to move from foot to foot as he had before, instead immediately falling to his knees beside his companions after he finished another grueling series of punches and kicks. The thing in front of them, that monster, he was sure of it, he was sure that it was changing its appearance, that it was altering its skin and making those sharp quills and horrible things that bit into Zell's hands and feet. His gloves and shoes were in tatters. He was sure at some point he had broken something, a toe or a finger he couldn't remember, and the Curaga that followed didn't exactly heal it correctly. The pain ended but that didn't necessarily mean that his finger was back in place. Or toe. How long had it been? There was no time. He couldn't tell.

Items frantically thrown out. Desperate attempts at anything that would kill the monster facing them. Squall again knelt on the ground, his leather jacket having long since been shredded off his body. Zell was sure the thing was making more spikes now. Squall's once-white shirt was red.

With one quick blurred motion the thing reached forward with a limb it didn't have before. It tore through the same place where Edea's ice spear had hit Squall so long ago and while his eyes widened in surprise, he said nothing.

The limb continued to the ground, and took Squall down with it. Pinned, Squall writhed for a few moments and Zell was sure that if it came down to it, Squall would rip his own arm off to get away and not think a thing about it.

This was not necessary. The limb withdrew, dragging tendrils of blood and remnants of muscle along with it. Squall clutched his wound with one hand and hissed.
Green energy began to swirl around Irvine's hands.

The monster screamed something that Zell couldn't understand and beneath Squall erupted a pillar of blinding white light. When Zell could look again, Squall was unconscious.

It took a moment for it to register.

Squall was down.

"Irvine, revive him! Revive him now!"

"I'm trying!" Irvine was trying to convert the energy that was originally intended for recovery into revival magic. That delay was long enough.

The green light of Curaga grasped at something that in moments wasn't there.

They stared at where Squall had been. That was the last thing either of them had expected.

"We lost him." Irvine said, although it was with obvious difficulty. Zell shook his head and spoke quickly. Not now. He couldn't get distracted, not now. Not now.

"It's not your fault, you tried!" Neither could Irvine. "It's up to us now, Irvine! Let's take this thing down!"

Irvine paused for a moment then nodded. Bloodstained hair fell in front of his eyes; his hair-tie had been lost long ago. Irvine rasped out the words for Triple and the energy surged forward reluctantly.

Zell had depended on Squall. They all had. Zell depended on Squall to help bolster his attacks, to help do damage. Now it was down to him and Irvine. Irvine was his support, but now the matter of taking down the monster in front of him--in a way, the actual blood on his hands--all of it was up to him. Irvine could keep him going but the actual defeat of this creature was now up to Zell.

He was exhausted. But there was no way he was going to give up.

No matter how many times he kicked or punched the creature, no matter how many times he dodged its claws, how he aimed for weak spots that always moved, no matter how much blood and bile and other fluids spilled over him as he hit what he hoped was a vulnerable spot, it always seemed to have some more hidden reserves of strength. It screamed and raged at them, but it refused to die.

It refused to die.

This battle seemed endless, and the once pleasant rush of Aura was becoming almost dreaded. His body felt mechanical, moving without his thought. Carelessness only caused more damage and with each consecutive Curaga that Zell felt rush through him, more pain lingered afterwards.

They were losing.

Zell and Irvine knew this.

Neither of them stopped.

Mach Kick, Dolphin Blow, Booya...

Aura, Curaga, Shell...

Zell could feel his muscles trembling when he tried to rest between onslaughts against the monster. His entire body shook and quivered, his muscles firing helplessly and automatically under Aura's influence. His leg was hurting him badly and that was something that each Curaga could never heal completely. He tried to favor his other leg but this left him open when he used his wounded leg for support. It was only a matter of time before both of his legs ached and burned and he felt as though he couldn't walk, much less lift his feet up for one more kick.

And yet that's what he did.

He had never felt so tired but he knew that he couldn't stop. He had to keep attacking and he had to keep going because him and Irvine were the last, the only two remaining who had to save everyone. They couldn't afford to fail.

Irvine was feeling the stress and weakness from casting so many spells and it showed. He had never cast this many spells at once for such a long period of time. The Guardian Forces in the back of his mind encouraged him, corrected him when he slurred his words, and at times he was sure they used their voices when his throat felt like it was bleeding. They tried to keep him going. They tried their hardest to calm him, but over such a long period there was only so much they could do.

Irvine wanted more then anything to sit and stop thinking, just stop thinking entirely. He wanted to sleep, he wanted to obliterate everything from his mind, every spell's incantations and motions and movements that kept repeating and repeating and repeating. Every spell that came from him felt like it was draining his soul. He had no energy left.
He could barely stand and his arms lifted for the motion of spells only with great effort. The creature wasn't stupid and knew that Irvine was responsible for the Zell's continued attacks and it attacked Irvine as often as possible. It was hard enough to keep himself alive, much less keeping Zell attacking. His vest had been torn open and his chest was covered with lines of blood and tissue healed too fast.

The victory that had once seemed so sure was fading from sight but he couldn't stop now.

Irvine looked at Zell.

He knew that even if he did stop healing and tried to attack, he couldn't do nearly as much damage as the shorter blond could. He couldn't do it for as long as Zell, as he could only carry so much ammunition at one time. It was, as he thought of it, all up to Zell. He was a secondary in the process. He would not be directly responsible for Ultimecia's death; it wouldn't be his bullet that sent her to oblivion. He was helping Zell and Zell was the only one now who could do it. He was the only one now who could attack with the strength, the persistence, and the reliability that was needed. It was up to Zell. Even if Irvine collapsed, even if he was gone, there was a chance that with his last remaining breath, Zell could do that last amount of damage, strike that final blow, and that would be the end. It was for him. Irvine had to stay alive and he had to stay awake and casting for him. For everyone.

Zell looked at Irvine.

Zell was terrible at magic and he knew it. It was never something he had a particular aptitude for and he made that clear. But he knew how useful it was, and more then ever he knew how much he needed it. Right now he was an extension, a weapon, being used against Ultimecia for as long as he could stand. He couldn't be concerned for himself, not now. He had a job to do and that was the extent of his ability. He relied on Irvine. Without the aid of Curaga and Shell and Aura, he could not find the energy, the momentary confidence that allowed him to leap at the ugly face of the monster that threatened everything.

He wished he could have helped Squall, but he was a weapon. He had one purpose. He was useless, helpless. He hated it.

Irvine was useful.

Zell forced himself to move forward, forced himself away from the claws that tried to knock him away, to block his progress. He forced his aching limbs to move, to follow his directions. A sickening crunch stopped his foot's progress and he realized he must have kicked something particularly sharp and unpleasant. He ripped his foot free with an arc of blood and then continued his pattern. He knew he could not keep this up for long.

How much longer? Oh Hyne please, how much longer.

The creature raised an appendage and whipped Zell away from it. He hit the ground hard and tumbled backward, unable to force his body to roll with the motion. The back of his shirt bunched up near his shoulders and wounds screamed at sudden exposure. The appendage it had used, which Zell could find no better word for, as he was not sure whether it was an arm or a leg or a tentacle or some other thing, had been covered with razor-like claws or spikes or something he didn't know, and he could feel his chest bleeding. He tried to stand but found his weakened limbs would not respond.

Before Irvine could ready himself to heal again, the creature lashed out at Zell again while he was down, this time hitting his side. Zell rolled and tried not to scream in pain. Nothing. He couldn't feel his arms.

Irvine somewhere near him.

"Zell, you can't stop now. I know we're at the end, I can feel it, I know it, just hold out a little longer please, please, I can't do this alone, you have to get up..."

"We're...I...I can't oh Hyne I can't I...I can't get up..." Zell struggled to move, struggled to do something, anything. Still bleeding from his chest. He felt lightheaded. Where were his legs? "Where...I...I can't do this..."

"Yes you can!" Irvine sounded frustrated. He thought it was frustration, anyway. "We have to win! Everyone is counting on us, we have to...we have to do this, we have to keep going...Selphie, Squall, Rinoa, Quistis...your mother, Zell! Your mom! Get up!"

"I can't I...I want to but I..." His breath hitched. "Can't do this...so tired..."

"Look, I am too but if we stay together, we'll be fine. Okay? We'll be fine, we just need to stay awake. We just need to keep going, I know we're close. I know we're close. Stay awake-"

Gone.

Not sure for how long.

Something electrified his body and he could hear his heart again. With a sharp gasp Zell opened his eyes.

"Where am I?!"

"Phoenix Down. Are you ready? Can you fight?" Irvine stood up shakily and held a hand out to Zell, who took it.

"We only have a few of those-"

"I don't think it matters now."

Zell staggered to his feet, still bleeding, and Irvine cast Curaga as quickly as he could. It felt like hours but took only minutes. The gashes on Zell's chest slowly closed and he straightened.

The creature raised its claws and a rush of dark energy swept over the platform. Ultima. The two were close enough to use each other as mutual support against the lash of magic as it tore at them, ripped at their already open wounds. When it ended, the two of them were on their knees, shoulder to shoulder, but they were still awake.

Time spent on healing, time spent automatically trying to regain lost willpower, lost skin, lost blood.

And there it was, the burning rush of Aura. And it did burn. It burned through him and through his body and it was out of his control again. He could move, the possibility of again raging against the twisted thing in front of him, the possibility of another Mach Kick was not impossible. He was up, he was moving, and his fists, ripped raw and bloody, connected with flesh that felt more and more like glass shards every time he struck it.

It burned, it burned. It burned. Blood splashed onto him again and this time he saw it trying to eat through his skin.

Warm green light around him and his arm was intact.

Zell stumbled back, almost hyperventilating, as he tried to keep his legs working. Pain shot through him repeatedly and frequently, no matter how many times he felt the curing warmth of items. He couldn't move. Another rush of heat and his legs gave out entirely. He couldn't move. When he fell back, Irvine caught him.

Irvine knelt with Zell leaning against his chest, the two of them staring at the monster in front of them. Both were breathing hard. Zell could feel Irvine's heart beating furiously and knew that his was no slower.

Irvine struggled to think in words that didn't involve spells. He tried to think of anything except the rush of energy. Something was siphoning at him, but he wasn't casting now. He wasn't. He didn't think he was.

"I can't do this anymore..." Zell found breath enough to speak. "I..."

There was a horrific scream that's closest match could be considered the sound of rended metal. The thing in front of them began to convulse.

"Look, Zell..." Irvine was amazed that the word "curaga" hadn't escaped him instead. Hard to breathe. "I think we did it..."

Zell watched the monster writhe, occasionally blinking away blood that tried to run into his eyes. Irvine's arms were completely red and his breathing was hoarse and heavy. Neither of them were aware of their injuries as they saw what seemed to be victory in sight.

"The end..." He was still leaning heavily on Irvine who could hardly support him.

"I hope so..."

A blinding flash of light lit the area, causing the two of them to close their eyes and cringe. When they opened them, they found the platform that they had once been fighting on to be gone. Instead, they were sitting on...nothing. Floating in what seemed to be outer space, although they could breathe.

Zell and Irvine stared at the new creature in front of them that looked as if it were crafted from nightmares. It might have resembled a person once. No face, spikes, skeletal wings, a lower half that seemed to be constructed of another person, and a cloak that was absorbing the very space around them.

"Who..."

It could speak.

"I am Ultimecia."

With those words, their spirits sank. They had not won...there was only another form of their enemy for them to fight, and, weak as they were, they could not. Irvine groaned.

Zell tried to stand on his own but found his muscles wouldn't respond. There was a moment of hesitation, then Irvine stood up shakily, pulling Zell up in the process. Irvine had to keep him steady for a few moments but eventually Zell could stand on his own power. He clenched his fists and stared at the new horror in front of them.

Zell tried to sound brave but his voice shook. "We won't lose!"

Irvine extended his hand and readied another Curaga spell. "We won't lose..."

Ultimecia did not respond in words nor did they expect her to. With one attack, the two of them again fell to their knees. Another healing spell, but then Irvine felt Triple fading.

"I can't do this anymore..." Irvine pressed a hand against one eye. "Aren't any more Triples..."

Zell turned to look at him. He did not have much hope.

"Doubles?"

"Turned them all into Triples..."

Zell clenched his fists and let Aura take hold. He tried to focus all of his energy into this attack, energy that he wasn't sure he'd be able to summon again. He didn't even remember exactly what he did, but when it was done, she still lived.

Something hideous, something she called Hell's Judgment. Zell couldn't even exactly remember what happened, all he could remember was feeling as if he was only one inch from death. He couldn't stand.

There was a pause as Ultimecia gathered her reserves. A pause. Zell struggled and managed to stand despite every single fiber in his being resisting him.

He didn't turn to look at him. "Heal yourself, I-I can probably still attack before it does..."

Irvine could not stand. He knelt on the ground, his hands clenched in front of him. He was whispering to himself.

Zell felt a familiar rush of heat and light.

"No! Not me!"

The thing that called itself Ultimecia raised a hand and there was a burning white flash of light, weaving and fluxing vortexes of white and black. Holy. Irvine stumbled as he tried to stand for a few seconds, then fell heavily onto his side.

No!

I can't do this alone!

Zell ran over to him, reached into the pockets of his tattered clothing, and pulled out the last of the red feathers.

"I can't do this alone, Irvine. I can't do this alone, you have to help me! You can't die!"

The feather sank into Irvine's chest and with a lurching gasp Irvine sat up. He stared around him for a moment, then turned and saw Zell.

"That was the last one, wasn't it?"

The last one.

"I can't do this!" Zell buried his bloody hands in his hair, and even that minor motion caused his muscles to burn in protest. His voice was desperate. "I can't do this anymore!"

Irvine's muscles shook as he tried to raise himself up but found that he was just as helpless. He struggled to think of words, struggled to think at all.

"I...I can't move either...I can't...think, can't fight this anymore..."

Zell pulled Irvine upwards and let his head rest against his chest as support.

"But...we have to keep fighting...we have to...we're...or everyone..."

Irvine tried to lift his arms to cast a spell, tried to get the words to form in his mind, but found both outside his current ability. He could hear and feel his Guardians trying to keep him moving. Nothing. There was nothing. He couldn't move. He couldn't. He couldn't feel anything, not the slightest stirring of any magical reserves within his body. Nothing in his spirit responded to the smallest of magical words. Drained.

Drained...

Drained...

"We're going to die..." Irvine mumbled, his eyes fixed on the monstrosity that called itself Ultimecia.

The final realization. The death of hope.

Zell knew he was crying but couldn't stop himself.

"I know..."

He was going to die...

He was...

He could see it coming. The thin hand raised up and energy pooled around it, white-hot and swirling. Waiting.

Zell couldn't move, not to even raise a hand to try and protect himself. His body had finally shut down. Too much pain, too long, too much...

Totally helpless. There was nothing he could do.

"We did try..." Irvine coughed and blood flecked his lips. He closed his eyes and his voice was ragged. "No one can say we didn't try..."

"Yeah..." Zell was unable to think of anything else to say. "Good-bye then, Irvine Kinneas."

"Good-bye, Zell Dincht." Irvine managed to force his hand to move and he took hold of Zell's hand, shaking. "It was...nice fighting with you."

Burning hot fire flaring in Ultimecia's outstretched palm.

Ma...

We tried.

We tried.

We tried...

"You too."

Together, they sank into oblivion.

The End
(Author's Note: This was based on my first try against Ultimecia, where I lost. Not the last time I lost either, I assure you. I was left with only Irvine and Zell and da two kept reviving each other until they both died at once.
I wrote the original version of this five years or so ago. It's interesting to see how much I've changed as a writer since then. This got expanded from one file to three. Woooo! Hopefully it sucks much less.)
Completed 2/22/05.

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