Soujiro Seta
SIN
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The Eternal Dream -
To be Free
OOC: This story piece occurrs INSIDE of
Zeal's mind right before the Shapeshifter and Zeal separate.
Took me 2 hours to write this, and I'm not to be daunted just
by odd sequencing!
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There is a path no one can walk -
no one
but only me.
The path is long and arduous
and often
tough to see.
But I shall make it to its end
through danger, toil, and snare
and at its end, a
smile for me,
my loved ones waiting there.
I’ll
call their names and hold them close,
forgetting not a
single one.
I’ll know I’ve overcome the trial -
They’ll say “My friend, well done.”
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Zeal could only
watch as the image of Yume in her dream grew more vapid. It
was a slow change, but she had noticed it and despaired. She
was worn down and more tired than she had ever been. And even
then, the Void stood perhaps only a hundred meters away, as if
to taunt the Queen. It had all the time in the world. All it
needed to do was to wait, and Yume would be in their hands.
”There is a tree, a tree that was so great it
stretched out forever, holding up the heavens and rooting
itself in the earth. From this tree was born life, and the
existence. This tree…it is the Creator. The power is mightier
than any force, and it is a benevolent force that does not
sleep. But….we will enter the tree through its offspring…we
will turn the tree black….” Zeal heard the Void, knowing
its purpose now more than ever. And with that knowledge, the
fact that it must be stopped.
And I looked up, and
lo, I saw a great tree standing in the midst of the earth. Its
trunk was stronger than iron, its roots ran under the oceans
of the world. Upon its branches hung the stars and the
planets. Now the tree was mightier than all the things, and
great power was given unto it…. Zeal remembered the
ancient histories, how the first Enlightened Ones had compared
the universe to a huge tree. That…is my dream….my
vision. Zeal looked at the top of the hill, where in place
of that great tree of legend, lay a small young girl, her eyes
closed, phasing in and out of the vision. That was my
dream…and this…perhaps it is…my fate…
Zeal knew
the stakes, she knew her enemy, and she knew that somewhere,
outside of the vision in her mind there were people fighting
the Void, who had possessed her body, for the sake of the
continuation of existence. I suppose that if there’s one
thing most every being can agree on, it’s existence.
“I promised that to my dying breath, I would fight
you, and that’s one promise I intend to keep!” Zeal began to
chant, and the Void turned its head toward her, as if it had
at once heard something of great importance. Shadow-Zeal began
to walk toward where Zeal stood next to Yume, ever quickening
her pace. From walk, then a faster walk, then a jog into an
outright run. Zeal stood her ground. This time, there would be
no running away. There would be no flashy magical death duels.
This was the all-or-nothing, and she would not move from the
hilltop. She couldn’t see the great tree that was supposed to
be there, then looked down at Yume and realized that she was
indeed looking directly at it. She took one last look around
the visionary world. Its brook still sang as it gurgled over
the stones in the streambed, the grass blew in the breeze, and
to one side, mountains rose in the distance. Zeal saw from
afar the place she had first stood when she saw the vision,
the place where the children played games of war under the
great tree and the ages passed like days. It was a rich
vision, so full of symbolic possibilities, that she hoped
she’d be able to visit it again one day. There was no sun in
the dream land; the gray mist hung over the sky and obscured
anything further than the valley’s edges. No sun, and still a
shadow…
Zeal’s lips moved as fast as her mind could
conjure the words to her spell. “Great Living God, I invoke
thy power…let the stars be gathered into one place, let the
sun blaze in the night sky, and let the moon be the cold
mirror of my soul! Grant unto me the power of the high
sanctuary and the power of the harvester of souls! Let my mind
be the bridge between heaven and earth, and let my hand move
with the divine ray that shines from the eye of the Lord! By
the hand of the Almighty and by the twelve guiding stars and
the lords of the angels, I call the power to judge life
itself! Hallation!!!” Zeal finished and spread her hands wide,
as if to direct the spell’s intensity. But there was no
holding back; this was meant to be as powerful as the spell
could possibly be.
The ground quaked and groaned as
Shadow Zeal lept at Queen Zeal. The expansion of Hallation’s
dark rainbow ring caught Shadow-Zeal in mid-flight, throwing
it backward. Zeal could see a look in its eyes, a look of
mixed parts fear and satisfaction. It threw its right arm
forward to become a black tentacle, ensnaring Zeal’s arm. Zeal
fought to wrest the Shadow from her, but its grip was like a
vice, and it drew her energy balls into the realm of its
nothingness.
“No! This is the threshold of my dream!”
Zeal screamed above the howling. Hallation had expanded, and
more rings of the massive magical energy were yet radiating
from Zeal’s position. The mist had been completely rolled away
from the sky, as a scroll, revealing countless galaxies and
stars in the space above them. “You have invaded me, violated
me, and turned me against those willing good! And so I say to
you….die, along with the rest of this!” Zeal clenched the fist
of her free hand, and opened it again forcefully in the
direction of the Shadow creature. She could feel its tendril
tighten around her arm, though the length stretched and
Shadow-Zeal was now further away from her.
The grass
was dying, the mountains began to crumble, and the stream
stopped flowing as Hallation continued to expand across the
vast landscape, removing the life of everything it touched
like the scythe of the angel of death. Only two figures stood
alive on the hill, illuminated now by only the light of the
cosmos and Zeal’s succession spell. Shadow-Zeal – no, the Void
– bellowed above the sound of the mighty rushing wind that
blew violently over the dead and barren ground.
”You cannot kill something that is not alive,
Zeal!” Shadow-Zeal shouted, the Void’s voice ringing
indignantly over even the loudest sounds ”and you cannot
kill something that does not even EXIST! We ARE nonexistence
itself! Know this and despair, for there is naught you can
do!”
“You lie!” Zeal screamed back at the shadow
where it swayed from her arm like a kite carried aloft on a
strong wind.
”It is no lie!” the voice of the
Void growled. ”Against even your strongest magic, magic
that could level armies, we the Void stand fast! Look upon me
and see that it is true! Zeal, your power is spent, your
allies and friends are being crush by us, and Yume tries
desperately to heal the wound in the crystal! Give in! Give
in! There is no pain whither thou goest!”
“Get
thee behind me!” Zeal broke her concentration and fell to her
knees, exasperated. What the Void had said – were the
tournament participants truly being defeated? Surely, she felt
her energy drained – she had put her all into the Hallation
that had ripped even a dream asunder, and yet the abomination
stood before her now. She looked into its eye, and saw herself
reflected there. More than the hate she felt for the Void, she
hated the fact that it seemed to trigger all her most
unpleasant memories of herself.
As Zeal stood in a
stalemate, staring into the heart of the darkness, it began to
change. First it was a twitch which caused the Queen to recoil
immediately, then the melting of Shadow-Zeal into a black pool
on the floor. But the black pool did not sit. Restless, it
churned and grew; it expanded to a great size and began to
rise. Up and up it towered, until it seemed half as tall as
the tree must have been. A dark devourer of existence without
a name! Despair washed over her. This was indeed her final
hour. I must get one more message through…I must tell
Driscoll and Rubicant to slay me at all costs!
Zeal…Zeal…why are you disheartened? Zeal turned
to see three figures standing behind her. Two were clad in
robes of pure white, hoods covering their heads. The third
loomed as a monstrosity behind the other two, as large as what
the shadow had become. Zeal saw mostly its silhouette, though
the gigantic needles upon its back bathed in the glow of the
light of the cosmos. Zeal looked, afraid of what she
suspected, and saw it. A huge blue eye, unblinking, gazed back
at her.
“Lavos! Truly, I am possessed of woe!” She
fell to her knees and rested her face in her hands.
“Do not despair…we are all but apparitions.” Zeal
heard a female voice, full of kindness and concern. “We are
here because you have great need of us; you willed our spirits
to you.”
Zeal…Zeal…I AM Lavos, infamous immortal,
devourer of time, before whom planets tremble… Though the
alien creature’s audible tone was a language of clicks and
insane undulating screaming sounds, Zeal heard it speak to her
mind directly. Perhaps because of her past connection with the
entity… Zeal…I TOO EXIST! I will not allow this existence
to end. Of all the unlikely allies….things just kept
surpassing themselves.
“You must destroy the Void
within yourself, Zeal!” the female voice resounded with
urgency. “You shall need a weapon.” At this, the taller figure
robed in white came forward. Zeal saw that he brandished a
large scythe.
“The weapon of the Angel of Death…..”
Zeal said. She took it as the figure offered it to her,
surprised by how light the scythe was. “But…I don’t have much
experience in physical combat!” Zeal stuttered. She hadn’t
counted on being bailed out with an odd plan by
somehow-familiar people who were all actually figments of her
imagination or spirits or something – even she was becoming
confused at the complexity of the whole matter.
“This
weapon is called ‘Hurricane’” the tall figure said. His voice
was a strong baritone, clear as a bell and steeled in bravery.
Zeal sensed that he too had fought to suppress a shadow within
himself at one point. “Do not worry….it is called Hurricane
because it will always hit the eye of the storm.” He flicked
his finger against the flat of the scythe’s blade, causing it
to ring. Turning to where the Void-creature bore down upon
them, he only smiled. “You hear that? It’s the sound of the
reaper….”
“This” the female said, pointing to the
apparition of Lavos “is our cover fire. The needles of the
Lavos Spawn are among the most destructive weapons in the
cosmos. Do not forget, Queen, that it too is alive! It wants
you to win, as do I!”
“As do I” interjected the tall
man, stepping back to where Lavos sat poised and patted the
gigantic head of the monster. Its unblinking eye of sapphire
blue gazed out across the dream land. Suddenly, it gave a
soul-rattling scream that seemed to emanate from every inch of
its body. “It comes!” cried the man in the white robe. “Now is
your time! Take back the life that is yours! You stand upon
the brink of many ages, and you have a role to play in
deciding what is to come! My spirit is with you….mother.” He
pulled back his hood and stood stalwart. “Such is the promise
of Janus of Zeal!”
Her heart skipped a beat. Her dear
son, whom she had sought so long and cried over so many times…
“Mother…I forgive you. I still love you.” The girl
pulled back her hood, brilliant blue tresses cascading down
her back. She smiled at Zeal. “Such are the promises of Schala
of Zeal. See, you always said Janus would never be taller than
me, but lookit him now!” She would’ve laughed and run to hug
them, had she not a battle to fight.
Her wishes had
been answered – she had seen her children again, even if only
in spirit. “This is my battle for you, Yume!” Zeal summoned up
all the power and will within her, absorbing the components of
the dreamworld as ether energy. “Soryaaaaaaaaa!” She launched
herself at the giant shadow beast just as it swung its mighty
fist at her. Mid-flight, it had transmuted to a spiked mace,
cruel and wicked in form.
”Uuuuuuruuuuuugiiiiaaaaaaaa!! The shadow beast
moved his mace-fist effortlessly as if to swat Zeal out of the
sky like a gnat. Zeal flew quickly, then heard the creature
bellow in pain. She took only the smallest second to see that
Lavos had impaled its mace-arm with one of its deadly needles.
The energy release had been absorbed by the void, but it had
caused it true pain.
Lavos had injured the
Void! Zeal felt almost happy, or at least felt as if part
of her energy was returning. There was hope! She glanced down
at the scythe given to her by her own son. “I will become the
angel of death!” She dived at the giant beast, sickle at the
ready. “You sicken me!” She let fly her arm and the scythe
seemed to glide through the shadow beast’s arm. Another great
roar arose. She had not cut anything, seemingly, but that had
hurt it as well.
“If that works so well…” Zeal yelled,
the anger rising in her voice “then you’ll love this! Inverse
Soul Geyser Slash!” She had air-flipped over the monster’s
huge head, lodging the scythe’s blade in the base of the neck,
and proceeded to fly downward, dragging the blade down the
length of the creature’s back with the sound of a howling
wind.
”Uuuuuurrrrryyyuuuuuaaaaa!!!” Howling in
pain again, Zeal had no sooner flown back to the level of the
head when she saw another volley of Lavos’s needles pierce the
creature. It looked like a giant black pincushion from her
vantage point, and she shouted above the wind to her two
children below.
“What’s happening? Janus! Schala! You
must tell me!” she wanted to end the battle as soon as
possible – every second mattered for Driscoll and Rubicant,
who outside were facing the wrath of the Void in her body.
“Lavos is seeding this void-creature with DNA!” Janus
shouted back. “It’s coming into the chronic pains of beginning
to exist!” As he spoke, Lavos fired another volley of gigantic
needles into the void, then another. Each needle absorbed in
turn, for such is the nature of the void. Each needle brought
the Void being closer to life. “I feel a glimmer of existence
from it!” he called to his mother. “Schala is ready to help
you!”
Zeal flew to where the creature grasped
maddeningly at its own chest, tearing away as if it burned
from the inside. “Now, Schala! Together, we will bring an end
to this!” Schala nodded and raised her hands. The blade of the
Hurricane began to shimmer and glow, then radiate a while
light, as bright as the lightning carried on the wings of a
storm!
”You have elected to push us away, just as
primitive man scraped away at the darkness with light and
built up an empire for itself….but as long as there is
existence, there shall always be the Void!”
Zeal
stood hovering above the head of the creature as she looked
down. She could barely believe the nightmare was almost at an
end. “No more” was the only thing she uttered as she swung the
empowered Hurricane, smashing its light into the great head of
the Void-Creature. It bellowed a great shout that seemed to
shake the whole dream to its foundations, then slowly, ever so
slowly, began to fade away, the nothingness replaced with
substance, darkness giving way to light. “No more….”
She looked at her hands; the Hurricane too became
dreamdust and was carried away on the wind. Zeal wheeled
around to where two figues robed in white stood.
“Mother…I was so glad to see you again…” Schala
clasped her hands to her chest as she too began to fade.
“To each human is granted the chance to truly become
Enlightened…” Janus said, pausing to look at his dreamworld
body which was being wafted away on the breeze. “Yes…each of
us can confront the darkness and triumph…” he smiled and
pulled his hood over his blue locks once again. “Oh…and look
out for yourself, okay Mom?” Zeal landed just in time to see
them finally fade away. The cosmos were no longer visible in
the sky, rather a warm sun shone its rays upon the barren
land.
Yume! Zeal turned to find the image of
the young girl laying as peaceful as if no battle had ever
happened. Her appearance was still washed out, but all of the
most erratic phasing had disappeared.
“Thank you,
Yume” Zeal said, hugging the sleeping girl’s form. “You have
granted me my wish after all….” She felt the sun’s bright rays
calling to her…
Wake up….arise…come forth… She
closed her eyes and heeded the call. She had driven the void
from her mind and body, but it was not over yet, not until it
had been crushed on the physical plane and sent back to the
abyss. Driscoll and Rubicant would surely appreciate the help
against the now-outcast Void consciousness…if her body was
still intact.
--------------------
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~someday,
the dream will end~
"The Queen is peerless in both power and beauty"
FFOS6 :: Queen Zeal :: Sidekick
Last edited by
Soujiro Seta on 02-10-2002 at 02:42 AM |
02-09-2002 06:45
AM
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Currently sponsoring Duran (Seiken Densetsu
3) in FFO Survivor 6/Rurouni Taikai I.
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) Chaos asked, "What are you doing here?"
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I'm just going to change one reply to Zelda, and
leave the whole meteor thing in tact. .gif){kind=avatar}
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. Though perhaps I have no right to complain since
I'm sometimes one of those people myself. 
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