-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- FINAL FANTASY LEGACY Knights of the Round Begun (and herein concluded) by Brian Stricklin Epilogue: Goodbye and... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Excerpt from 'The Legacy's Path: Reflections of a Heretic' by Marcine Cavanaugh.] ...It's been a month now since we defeated Siegvin, and as I look around I can see the world slowly adjusting to everything that's happened. The dwarves have decided to end their separation from humanity, and are becoming an uncommon, but not unexpected, sight in Tienne. The Moon Empire has become more open as well, and I've even heard talk of trade with the Ryukins. Of course, there are still plenty of bridges left to be mended. Despite the actions of the Awakened, much of the population still distrusts magic; a lifetime of indoctrination cannot be overcome so easily. And as Mother Cecilina feared, there is a certain amount of distrust toward the Church for its use of magic over the centuries. It's going to take some time before magic is truly accepted, which is probably for the best; we've seen how easily it can be abused. The process of rebuilding Tienne goes on. It's slow, backbreaking work, but I've yet to hear a single complaint. There's laughter at each worksite, a growing camaraderie... and occasional times of silence as a new body is uncovered in the rubble. All heads bow for a long moment while the unfortunate victim is carried away, then the work begins again, with renewed vigor. The healing process has begun, but it remains a long and painful road. On a happier note, Piette has finally recovered, an event that I believe can be attributed to the appearance of Fenris at his bedside... -=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=- Fenris nodded. "Without his intervention, Darovan would certainly have resurrected Emhara, and no one could have prevented it. There is a debt to be paid." The unseen presence next to Fenris sighed. another presence spoke. Fenris sat down on his haunches, waiting. "Go to it, then." There was a pause, then abruptly the room was filled with flashes of white and red light. Alexander stood over Piette's body, his armored hand outstretched. He summoned Piette's soul - a pulsating glow in the air - drawing it back from where it had been wandering... and with a piercing cry, Phoenix beat its wings, suffusing the elementalist's body with the fires of life. His soul was drawn downward, returning to its home, and Piette took a shuddering breath. Phoenix looked at Fenris. Fenris pondered this, ignoring the pounding on the door as the nurses tried to investigate the strange lights. "I don't know... mortals do have their good points, you know." Alexander said firmly. The wolf grinned, his tail thumping on the floor. "All right, you talked me into it." The two Guardians faded; Fenris investigated the form of Piette, just to make sure, and a moment later the door burst inward. A heavyset matron barreled in. "What's going on in..." Her voice trailed off, and the giant white wolf smiled at her, as only a wolf could. "Don't mind me," he said. "I was just leaving." And with that, he leapt into the air, vanishing from sight. Nurses bustled into the room, chattering in confusion. "Did you see that?" "I did! It was a wolf, right?" "A wolf in a hospital? It had to be a... a dog. That's it." "Why was there a *dog* here, then? It could make people sick! ...-er." "Well, they do have very sanitary mouths, you know..." "Um... excuse me?" All eyes turned toward Piette, who had sat up with a bemused expression. "I hate to bother you, but I need to find a friend of mine... I know this is going to sound weird, but it's about Clea Manakyr, and..." "Oh, don't worry about that, lad," the matron said. "Everyone knows." He blinked. "They do." "Well, of course. The war's over now." "Oh." He considered this. "Did we win?" -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ...the rest of us are coping with what happened in our own ways. I think Zarela was probably affected the most; I didn't know her before Lumina... helped her, but she seems quite happy in her new mindset. Of course, she's still a woman of action, though I'm not sure how she's adjusting to her new partners... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Zarela paused at the top of the hill. She had spend most of her adult life as an assassin and a hunter of heretics, but neither profession appealed any more. Of course, there were always monsters to kill. Maybe she would grow tired of that, too. Best to take it one day at a time. "Booosssss..." The whining moan behind her made Zarela's eyebrow twitch. "Are we theeeereee yeeeeeet?" "I'm huuuuuungryyyyyy." She whirled around. "I don't understand this!" she shouted. "Lumina's gone! You know this, right? So why haven't you two turned back into statues or something?!" The two looming figures exchanged glances. "She forgot to put us back," Sacred told her. "We don't have any place to go," Minotaur added. The two put on tearful expressions, which was rather disturbing on bovine faces. "We're LONELY!" Zarela gave up. "All right, all right! Come on, then." "Yay!" -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ...Stine and Pearl got married a few weeks after the battle, and by all accounts it was an... interesting ceremony, made even more so by their choice of bridesmaids... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Kicking over a pew and propping one foot on top of it, Mika swept her bomb launcher across the crowd, daring anyone else to move. It was something of a surreal sight, the pristine white dress and crown of daisies contrasting with the slate gray metal tube. "Okay," she snarled, blowing a stray wisp of red hair out of her eyes, "I know you people were raised in freaking *barns*, but where I come from you DON'T DO RUN-IN ATTACKS DURING A WEDDING! The next one of you who comes jogging down that aisle *better* need to use the bathroom, or you'll be in for a world of hurt! *DO* I make myself clear?!" The citizens of Harbarm looked at each other, and there was much shuffling of feet. Finally there was a sullen murmur, which vaguely sounded like 'ysm'. "I can't hear you!" More grumbling. "Yes, ma'am." "Good." She nodded at the individual performing the ceremony. "Go ahead." Mother Cecilina stared at the young girl in mixed shock and amusement, then turned her attention back to the tome before her. "Do you, Stine J'bronni, take this woman under the eyes of the Three to be your wedded wife?" "Stine-" "Just like we practiced, Mr. Thou," a quiet voice behind him said, and Cecilina was impressed how Mika could look so innocent and sound so menacing at the same time. "Do it nice and slow, and don't forget that Shizuka's got a handful of knives in that bouquet she's carrying." The ninja looked unusually feminine in the dress, an effect that was improved as she blushed at Mika's statement... but she also didn't deny it. Stine cleared his throat nervously. "Stine... that is... I do." "Good boy." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ...Kyle and Jil had that 'long talk' they'd been planning... and I was surprised to learn that they'd decided to take things slow. I think they love each other, but I'm starting to realize that you can't always be with the one you love... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Jil leaned on the railing of her ship, gazing at what remained of Tienne. It was still a beautiful sight in the sunset, and it would only get better with time. Her new first mate joined her at the rail. "You're sure about this?" She sighed. "Not really, no. He's important to me, but..." "But?" "He has his duty, and I have my wanderlust. Tienne needs 'im more than I do right now. I can't ask 'im to make that choice." "You'll see each other again." Jil grinned. "Oh, aye. There be no question o' that. And maybe someday, one o' us will have better priorities." She turned around, signaling for the crew to cast off, then glanced to the side. "What about you, though? I thought you'd be set fer life here." Cid snorted. "Are you nuts? They would've locked me in a museum and thrown away the key. Can you believe they actually wanted me to have some *responsibility*?" He shook his head. "No, that's not the life for me." "Fair enough." She looked him over slyly. "O'course, I'll only be able ta pay ye half wages." "What?!" "Well, look at ye! Only one good arm, and that one's pretty scrawny..." "This arm is stronger than five normal men. Besides, look at these legs. Look at 'em! I can kick a hole in the side of a castle with these things." "I can see where that'd be useful on a ship..." They set out to sea, good-natured bickering rising from the deck. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ...Mika cried for about a week, then decided that the best way to cheer herself up was to cause as much destruction as she could. After strong-arming her way into the Tienne Engineering Department, she commandeered one of their largest labs for her own use. The only people she's allowed near it since then have been Shizuka and Tharlo. I'm still not sure whether the dwarf's presence is good or bad; he's always seemed a good influence on Mika, but ever since the battle he's been acting a bit strangely... -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "All right! Let's take this sucker for a spin. Alchemic reactor?" "Instruments reading at 105% power." "MIRV-deployment bomb mortars?" "Primed and ready." "Jaws of Death?" "Sharpened and on standby." "Eeeeexcellent." Mika flicked a switch. "Engine room, status report." "Systems check out all green, captain! Ye got full power!" "Roger. Hold tight." "Aye, captain." Tharlo turned off the intercom, a broad grin on his face. He was surprised how much he was enjoying himself... but after all, he was in his fourteenth childhood, and an old dwarf could always learn new tricks. Besides, there was something... *right* about his presence in the engine room. In the control room, Mika rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "Okay, here we go! Are ya ready?" "This one is happy to serve, Mistress." The alchemist shook her head fondly... then she paused. "Say, Shizuka... I've been meaning to ask... when Kali had me pinned in the Manakyr base and you were going to do something with the grenade, you said you hoped I would understand. What did you mean?" The ninja was silent for a long moment, her head tilted slightly. "This one... cannot remember," she said. "Perhaps it was not important enough for her to recall." Mika glanced at her friend, but as always Shizuka's expression was guileless. Then her attention turned back to her creation, and the grin was restored to her face. The immediate future promised screams, and panic, and huge explosions, and she was bound and determined to enjoy every minute of it. "Right, then! Synchronization rate at 98%... runic batteries to power... turbines to speed..." She hesitated, waiting for the perfect moment, then slammed her hand down on a large red button. "All engines ahead full! Strap yourselves in, people - we're goin' on a road trip!" There was an ear-piercing screech of metal, then lights flickered into life around the perimeter of the mechanical abomination. It rolled forward, easily smashing through the reinforced steel wall of the lab, and technicians quickly scattered for cover; the sight of the glowing yellow eyes and sharp teeth would give them nightmares for weeks, but if they were especially observant they might have noticed the misshapen stuffed animal, dangling by a noose from the rear view mirror. Creaking and roaring its way through the building, the MechaGriever (Mark One) rolled its way into the engineering history books... usually on the page entitled 'What Not To Do'. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ...As for me, I'm still not sure what to do with myself. I wrote this account to try to make sense of it all... but it didn't help. I still miss him. I still love him. - Marcine Cavanaugh -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ...is it over now? ...yes. ...why are you still here? ...there is something you must do. ...what is it? ...one final duty of the light. ...it's not over now. ...no. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "Why not?" She stared up at Shiva, perched on a glacier. "Haven't I done enough? Hasn't there been enough loss?" "We never wanted all this," Shiva said. "We never expected humans to sacrifice themselves for us." Marcine looked down. "They did it because they loved you." "Yes." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Ramuh stood on a wind-swept plain, lightning flashes in the distance, and Marcine pulled up a tall stem of grass. "What about Odin? He could be released someday, or break free." "We will be ready," he told her. "And who knows? Even he may someday seek redemption." "You would trust him after all this?" "He is our brother." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "You won't interact with humans anymore?" She walked barefoot on the lava, Ifrit at her side. "Sometimes. Not too much. Humans need to believe in each other before they believe in gods." "What about Callings?" "If you need us, we will come. But we're prepared now; no longer will we be summoned against our will." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Marcine sighed, and turned to face the Three. "What happens now? What am I supposed to do?" "Begin where it ended," Ramuh advised. "Return what was freely given," Ifrit added. "Remember the promises of others," Shiva said. "I don't understand." The Three Gods began to fade. "The Soultree..." "Wait! I..." But then the dream ended and she awoke, leaving her feeling lost and alone in her own bedroom. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The next morning, without really realizing where she was going, Marcine found herself staring up at the hull of the Excelsior. Maintenance crews, boasting both human and dwarven members, popped in and out of view as they performed various tasks. She sighed. It had been a silly idea; she couldn't exactly ask to use the Church's flagship as her own personal transport. Maybe she could hire someone to help... "Well, there ye be! We thought ye weren't comin'!" She looked up and saw the familiar face of Jil Fallensand beaming down at her. "You're... you're here?" "We're all here! Come on aboard, girl - we'll be gettin' underway in two shakes." She turned away from the railing. "Grenados! I *told* ye she'd be here! I told ye! You owe me ten big ones, an' no welchin' from ye this time!" Shaking her head in bemusement, Marcine sought out the nearest ladder." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- When the Excelsior was in the air once again, Marcine saw that her companions had indeed collected in Tienne to go on this journey... and even more astonishing was the reason. "The Three Gods spoke to *all* of you?" "If you can call it speaking," Zarela said with a snort. "'Go to the Tree, go to the Tree...' At least *you* got some instructions." She looked down at her hands. "But... I don't know what they want me to do. Something about the Light's final duty." Kyle glanced at his companions. "DO you think Siegvin going to break free? Maybe we should be ready for a fight..." "No... I think they would have told me if it were something like that." "I hope you're right." He shrugged. "I guess we'll find out when we get there." -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Now that the crater of the Worldtree was exposed to sunlight and the weather, a scattering of grasses had begun to crop up along the inside of the bowl. Rain was scarce, but a small lake was forming at the bottom; the Soultree stood at the center of the water, already over one hundred feet tall. And even so long after the battle, a large group of elemental spirits still remained in the crater, dancing along the surface of the water and decorating the Soultree with their light. Marcine sat on a ledge - the same ledge where she'd cast Clea's spell - and sighed as she stared down at the Soultree. "Well, I'm here," she whispered. "What now?" But there was no reply. Mika leaned back, her head resting on Shizuka's stomach in a T-shaped formation. "It's hard to believe that it's already been a month," she said. "Look at this place - it's completely different." "It's beautiful," Pearl added, snuggled close to her husband. "I wonder why the spirits are still hanging around, though?" Tharlo shrugged. "This be where Sylph is; I'd wager they take comfort in his presence." There was silence for a moment, then abruptly Marcine got to her feet. "I... I shouldn't have come here." Kyle turned to her as she took a step toward the airship. "Marcine?" She paused. "I don't know why the Three sent us here... but all I can see are reminders of how I... how I killed Davin." "No!" Mika jumped up. "That's not true, and you know it!" Marcine shook her head. "I cast the spell, and he died." "No, he didn't! He's right here in front of us! Okay, he's more tree-like than he used to be, but-" "Stop it. Just stop it." She sat down with her back to the others. "Because of me, Davin's gone. He's gone... and he's never coming back." Silence rolled over the group, broken only by the whisper of a faint wind... Then the whisper grew louder until it became more of a scream, and a shadow passed over the group. All eyes turned upward... then Kyle shook his head. "Okay," he decided, "now I've seen *everything*!" "This one sees the Emperor's symbol upon it," Shizuka added, "but she sincerely hopes the Emperor himself is not aboard." "Aw, c'mon, it's *kinda* cool," Mika said. "I mean, sure, as airships go the Excelsior's a lot better, but that thing looks lightweight... and, um, maneuverable? And... *it's coming right for us!*" There was a brief moment of panic as the giant rocket-propelled kite fell to the earth, then a lot of shouting as the rockets set the kite aflame, and finally relief as the contrivance was tossed into the lake and its pilot caught his breath. "Thanks, everyone. I don't know what went wrong; I'm *sure* I pulled the right lever. Or... should that have been the left letter?" Jil pinched the bridge of her nose. "Hiro, what are ye doin' here?" He perked up, immediately forgetting his near-fatal plunge. "Oh, I had this really weird dream, see. There was this red guy, and a guy with a stick, and a blue woman who wasn't wearing very much..." "I think we get the picture," Pearl said dryly. "Anyway, when I mentioned it to the Emperor, he immediately suggested I come out here like they told me to. He arranged for a ship to bring me, but I found this design in my uncle's old lab and figured... why not?" They turned to look at the sinking debris for a moment. "Rrrrright." Kyle rolled his eyes. "So I guess you got the same message we did." Hiro frowned. "Um, probably not, actually. I don't think so." "What? You were told to go to the Soultree, right?" "Yeah. They said 'Go to the Tree...'" "That's what I thought." "'...and bring Marcine's hat.'" Marcine stared at him. "My hat?" "You left it at Miss Highwater's house." He fumbled in his belongings, then pulled out a bedraggled blue fabric cone. "That looks like my original one, from when I first left Tienne" she said, taking it. "I've gotten several since... strange, it's kind of heavy." Mika watched as Marcine slid a hand into the hat, searching around. "If you pull a rabbit out of there," she warned, "I'm SO out of here." "I used to keep things in here," the mage said, frowning. "Most people don't look inside hats... Here we go." She removed her hand... ...and in it rested a small sphere, every color of the rainbow whirling on its surface. The young alchemist leaned forward. "Hey, Gyn gave you that one, didn't she?" Pearl gasped. "A Sleeper Egg? But I thought those were all broken!" Tharlo rubbed his chin. "It's a puzzle, right enough." "Yeah, when Darovan died, all of his seals were shattered." Kyle frowned in thought. "So why would... hey, Marcine?" She was staring at the globe, entranced, watching the colors swirl across it... Then she lifted her gaze to the Soultree, where elemental spirits were dancing and spinning in much the same pattern. "Marcine, you okay?" "...I understand now." "What?" But suddenly she was running, running toward the Soultree. 'The final duty of the Light'... of *Clea's* Light. The others called to her to stop, but she wasn't listening, her mind racing wildly. Sylph was the only Guardian that remained sealed, but more importantly he had been sealed *by Clea*. He agreed to become a prisoner so that she could test her theories; she had promised to release him when her experiment was over, but died before she could do that. As she approached the lake, spirits swirled around her, floating in her wake. Return what was freely given. Remember the promises of others. And there were two ways to take those, as well. The lake's surface was only a few steps away. *I promise. No matter what happens, I'm going to be there for you, Marcine...* "I believe you, Davin," she whispered, and stepped out over the lake. Before her foot could touch the water, the spirits dived down and held her up, creating a small platform below her. Without looking down she raced toward the tree, walking on a path of pure magic... Return what was freely given... A soul that was used in the sealing, willingly spent, would be twisted by the powerful magics involved to create a new individual. But... if that soul had *already* been used, and was created by those same magics... She reached the trunk of the Soultree, and again it felt warm to the touch. She gazed up into its branches, then took a deep breath. This had to work. It had to. She pressed Sylph's Egg to the Soultree, and the colors inside began to shift and dance madly. There was no chant involved here, no ritual; like Leviathan's Egg for Siren, it had to come from the heart. Marcine laid her forehead against the Egg, tears of hope and anticipation in her eyes, and whispered: "Please, Davin. Come home. I love you." The Egg shattered, and a light as bright as the sun illuminated the Soultree... = = = = = = = = = = AUTHOR'S NOTES I don't think it's quite sunk in yet; this story's been part of my life for so long now, it's hard to get my mind around the fact that it's finally over. FFL has its roots in a vague fanfic idea I had before I even knew about Impro. I didn't come up with many details at the time, but a lot of my ideas were more focused on game-rules than a story, Marcine (not her name) was more of a Shayla Shayla-style character (kind of like a grown-up Mika), and there was a talking chocobo who would have joined the party; his name was Lobo. Needless to say, FFL would have been wildly different and probably nowhere near as cool, so it's a good thing I found Impro when I did. So I'd written my first Ultra chapter, back when Impro was mostly just Ultra and a handful of fics, and the first Starter Sweepstakes came along. Final Fantasy 8: The Quest for Whatever was just about to be released, so I decided to give FFL a try. It was voted in, and we started out on this long, pleasant journey. It's no secret that I've taken FFL quite seriously over the last three or so years, and often a lot more seriously than I should have. Nevertheless, I can honestly say that, all things considered, I couldn't be prouder of how Final Fantasy Legacy has turned out, and given the option I doubt I would change a thing. I'd like to take this opportunity to offer my heartfelt thanks to each and every person who has taken up pen (or keyboard) to contribute to FFL; without you, it would have turned out far less than what it is. In particular, I'd like to thank the following people: Terence Ferguson, for his dedication and commitment to FFL, and his vault- like memory of what had gone before. Without his Glossary, these ending chapters would have been an even bigger mess than they already are, and I've never had a better proofreader. The Eternal Lost Lurker, for his imagination and vision. Both he and Terence helped give needed shape and direction to FFL, and Lurker's insight was essential in the characters and events of the story. Madsman, Marcus Fong, and NovaSeaker, for their contributions to FFL in general, but specifically for their assistance in writing EndGame I. Each of them wrote the journey through the Manakyr base of one of the three groups, and if they hadn't agreed to pitch in I doubt this would have been turned in on time. Mads (again), Nova (again), Terence (again again), Maruchan, Samantha Rogers, and Strait-jacketed, for their artistic contributions, because what's a Final Fantasy game without cool art and character designs? Finally, Calculus, for maintaining the FFL page and for his patience and understanding during the writing of these last chapters. When RL issues hit me hard and others would have closed the door on me, he allowed me the time I needed to complete the project that was so important to me. Oh, and I'd also like to thank *you*, gentle reader - you're the reason we did all this in the first place. If you've followed FFL all the way through and liked what you saw, then we've done what we set out to do. I hope you enjoyed the ride. Are we there yet? After three years, 60+ chapters, and an undeniably epic storyline... we are most definitely *there*. - Brian Stricklin