The Final Run

[Abigail Crescentlight]

Abigail blinked. No, I don't mean that she closed her eyes and reopened them rapidly. I mean that she was in one place, at one time, then instantly she was somewhere and somewhen else! She gasped lightly, having only caught glimpses of the time-slowing that occurred onboard the Red Rose before suddenly she was in a place she only vaguely recognized from the high angle of the Altar of Naught.

"What?" she inquired, looking around quickly. Her only indication of where she was at the moment was the faintly lit heart-shaped moon hanging in the air like a man on a noose, bleeding a bilelike darkness from the wound inflicted on it by the attack of those aligned with evil. Her head felt as though it were splitting in two from such proximity to the heart of darkness.

"Ah-what... why did you bring me here, Lil-" that was when she realized the truth. Her eyes widened as the form of Lilith was replaced by this new woman. She held her KeyStaff out quickly, attempting to keep a safe distance as even now she noticed the second, more familiar evil.

"Kefka!" she gasped, her head a major distraction as she attempted to keep both the villains at bay. She wavered slightly, feeling that oppressing shadow over her even through the organization cloak she wore for protection. "I don't know what you two are planning, but I... I..."

She was getting weary. The timing could not have been better, in all honesty. She was worn down from casting not just a major spell like Holy II, but also from overusing her stoneskin, barrier, and protect spells. She just didn't have the kind of stamina she needed to keep up an offensive, and with trying to keep up a resistance to darkness at the same time, she was very close to passing out.

"I won't let you... hurt... anyone..." she breathed heavily, attempting to fight the blurring images swimming in front of her eyes. One fact remains to be said at this point...

Abigail is in serious trouble.

[kefka]

[glow=Yellow,2,300]"--this beat is sick, I wanna take--ohhhhh?"

With his fill of galavanting around like a lunatic before his captives Kefka grew bored and tired with his current situation and did something very unlike him: he sat down to wait patiently for a promise he doubted would ever be fulfilled.

And then, surprisingly, Jenova reappeared through the rift of a Black Corridor with none other than Abigail Crescentlight in tow. Kefka hopped up off the cobblestone in a sudden jolt and hovered over to where they stood lightning fast, simply to admire and examine the young white mage.

"Well, well, WELL!" he yelped happily, clapping his hands like he'd just seen a satisfactory performance. "A lil' outta her comfort zone, isn't she, Jenny-my-dear? A white mage, in MY domain? How deliciously odd!"

The Dancing Madman circled the girl and stared her down with an appraising eye while going over some last details with Jenova.

"So what can it do? OH!"

He produced something shiny from his outfit and returned to Abby's side, and stood before her.

"Oh, right. We should put this thing on her first, or else she'll think she can just do as she pleases."

And just that moment Kefka moved in to place the Slave Crown atop Abigail's head.[/glow]

[Abigail Crescentlight]

Slow and tired as she was, Abigail still knew better than to let the crazed clown get too close to her. She swung her keystaff harshly, a warning swipe to keep him at bay.

"Abigail! What are you doing?? This isn't your run-of-the-mill heartless! He doesn't have a family to go home to or any notion of living peacefully! So, don't treat him like he does!" the white mage's mind screamed at her. It was true that Kefka was a genuine monster, even from before when he mercilessly attacked her only home... was he beyond redemption?

"Book of Cosmos, chapter 7 verse twelve... 'No one is beyond redemption'..." she argued with herself, but shook it off, gripping her staff and keeping the "business end" pointed at her assailant.

"Don't you dare come near me!" she warned, the whole staff glowing softly as she cast light on it mentally, offering herself another layer of attack power should he try to get cute.

"A monster, Abigail. An unholy thing. Cosmos would not look harshly on it! He's as bad if not worse than Atticus. At least Atticus was once a whole, good man..."

Oh, Cosmos... what was Abigail's plan for when they got that far? After all, everyone was resolute in the fact that the monster had to pay for his sins. They were numerous, spanning crimes that no one had ever imagined before... But in the end came of a GOOD man. Knowing Sai alone was all Abigail had to know to determine this... But what about Kefka standing before her?

He did NOT.

But Zolapaz was a nice person. It was difficult for her to decide. For now, she'd keep him at bay, at least long enough to come up with some kind of strategy. First thing was first, though. Her stamina was low, and even the trace amount of energy she needed to cast a basic spell like Light was awfully draining. If she could just reach for the Elixir concentrate, she'd have a chance, but that would give Kefka one dandy of an opening.

So, she'd have to find some way to distract him. A bluff, maybe?

"I don't know what you're planning, but everyone is on their way here right now! There's no way you can win! They're going to beat you the same way you were beaten back in Midgar on Gaia!" she said, frowning. "And that's exactly where I'm going once this whole mess is cleaned up again! Home, at last!"

[kefka]

[glow=Yellow,2,300]It wasn't as if Kefka expected the tiny White Mage to simply stand there and accept his judgement, but he was somewhat taken aback when she had the audacity to scold him like he were an impudent child microwaving metal toy cars.

The mad clown giggled with a malicious tone that echoed beyond the tower. His bony fingers tapped at the air like he were playing a piano as he strode over to where Abby stood, blocking the KeyStaff with swiftness never before seen.

".......................................................I wasn't exactly aiming at Midgar, it was just in the way. I thought it was rather pretty when it went up in flames, though!!!"

He clapped his hands wildly like a child greeted with a certificate to the candy shop and cackled.

"And when that green goo started oozing from the center, it was like a pretty water show! And then I got bored of it and blew it up! Y'know, that stuff is highly flammable! And it screamed while it boiled, just like lobster! You know how amazing it is to burn off a liquid and hear a thousand voices screaming in unified agony? I wish normal water could do that--I'd be burning it all day!

"Aaaaaaaaannnnyway! I made a fair trade, little lady, so you'd better just do as you're told and put this on." He dangled the Slave Crown before her and stepped forward. "It's all polished and ready to sit on that porcelain forehead of yours. I'm not a patient man, you know."

His body began glowing, his golden eyes now burning with hellish multicolored fire. "A disobedient pup gets discipline before being put back in its cage, you know. I gave you fair warning...now put it on before I get mad!"[/glow]

[Twilight Path]

Something about this event was leaving a sour taste in the woman's mouth. Perhaps it was Kefka, again taking credit where credit was NOT due, or that place-- Midgard, which held familiarity that was corrupted by she herself. She quivered in place, remembering the poison she spread upon the world, and how it suddenly irked her on how much the Black Waltz had played her. In due time, she will eventually get even. She then watched Abigail, fighting so hard to return to such a world that was non existent, and sighed heavily before speaking, "Child of Light..." she mused, now wrapping both arms around Terra.

She awaited for the white mage to look over before she began undoing the Slave Crown from her traded 'counterpart.' -- She was doing it ever so slowly, as if to let know to the dark haired one how it was taken off, or what it did, almost on purpose. Thankfully, Kefka would be oblivious to this, " May your faith be a strong one... and you will make it out just fine."

A strange echo carried upon ONLY Abigail's ears...

I chose you for a reason...

[Abigail Crescentlight]

Abigail kept her distance, still holding her staff at the ready while the dark clown made his wild comments about her home. When he began talking about the lifestream, she glared lightly, angry. "You're lying!!" she called out, remembering his involvement being slightly less than earth-shattering.

But then again, how could he have known about the lifestream? Did something happen to her home world of Gaia while she was away? He couldn't have had anything to do with it, though... right? Ugh, if she felt she had a real opening to reach that elixir! The clown was too close, dangling that crown in front of her threateningly.

Looking over when the woman spoke, she watched a second or two as she removed the bauble from that woman's head. She had the distinct feeling that this was some kind of clue, even as the woman reminded her to keep the faith. Just then, a voice in her mind rang out...

I chose you for a reason...

"What?" Abigail whispered, confused. Why in the universe was she dragged here? Why was she be offered up like some toy to a depraved clown psychopath? She tried to call on what the Miss taught her, but she had nothing right now. Even the Light spell she cast on her keystaff was dwindling, soon to go dark and leave her with simple melee attacks to defend herself. Somehow, she doubted she alone could take Kefka down.

She glared at him again, swiping her keystaff at him in order to keep him away. "Get away from me! I won't put that on for you, you murderer!!" she yelled defiantly, trying to be strong.

Oh, Miss, if only you could see your star pupil now... And Miss Agrias, I'm so glad you're not here to see how pitiful I'm being after such a great display of skill back at Beast's Castle...

Focus! Right now, she had to keep her mind on Kefka. "Back away, you... you lying people-killer!!"

[kefka]

[glow=yellow,2,300]"Oh you poor, simple dear!" jeered the madman, who continued ignoring the White Mage's futile sweeps to keep him at bay. His fingers twitched and tightened around the Crown in his hands as his patience was growing thin.

He threw out an arm and opened a rather large, oval window-like Corridor which he spelled to move over to her side. While distracted, he turned her head to watch as an image would come up.

It was hellish fire, silhouettes of the attempted reborn city of Midgar, and deep within its center where Shinra once stood could be seen the tentacle-esque power of the Lifestream frantically oozing its way from the planet, bubbling and boiling.

Truly, this was the chaos caused by Jenova, but it also had much to do with Kefka; after all, the presence of the lifestream cracking and bursting right in the Midgar ruins was the result of Kefka's Judgmental power strike. Of course he couldn't help but remind the dear White Mage that her dear friend "Spikey" helped quite a bit.

"You see, had he not deflected, I wouldn't have found your green stuff so amusing. Now what do you say? I give you this crown and you be a good pup, OR! Or I could just kill ya now, save me the trouble of having to deal with you when those other brats get here!"

He began to drool, and the empty hand was soon alight with a crackling flame. "What good are your powers if you're not going to break anything with them!?"[/glow]

[Abigail Crescentlight]

Abigail was reluctant to look at first, but when suddenly her head was snapped into place, she had no choice but to see... the horrible truth.

Her eyes widened as she took it in, the image of the only home she ever knew in horrible agony. It suffered the curse of the darkness infecting the lifestream, bubbling and screaming like a million lives thrust into immediate and perfect terror. Tears began to fall from Abigail's eyes as she watched the black fires, saw the children running from creatures more horrific than anything she'd seen before in either the monsters of her homeworld or the heartless of these.

"Great... Cosmos..." she whispered, her staff falling at her side, the light fading out as it did. "What have they done...?" she muttered in a horrified tone, feeling a heavy weight in her chest. She had no family there, but everyone who came to her church was family to her. Seeing them in such misery was too much to bear. Hearing their screams of "Cosmos, why have you forsaken us" and "Great Cosmos above, please save us" while no aid came... It was... just too much.

Abigail's resolve was breaking. She had seen so much, helped so many, but at the end of the day her home was being destroyed and she was nowhere, powerless to help any who lived there. Her Keystaff fell from her hand, striking the ground with a loud "click-PANG" before disappearing in a whirl of flower petals to that place where all Keyblades go while not in use.

Abigail fell to her knees, crossing her arms over her chest as though trying to keep it from leaving her, the pain so intense that it made her cry all the harder, her eyes closed to the horror as biting tears poured from them. "No... no, no, no!!" she cried out, shaking her head. "Why, Cosmos? Why...?" she whimpered, wondering why the Goddess had not intervened. Why her home, of all the places, had to suffer so terribly.

Abby tugged at the black cloak that protected her heart from darkness, hugging it tight around her shoulders and ignoring the fact that the hood was down. Her whole form trembled in agony over the images she saw and knew to be true. This was a corridor, not a recording... she was getting it live. Cosmos help her... she could even SMELL the fires burning and hear the people dying even as her eyes closed in reaction to such viciousness.

"Cosmos... why...?" was all she could ask... her heart feeling utterly broken as she knealt there, not reacting to anything around her but that horrible, horrible vision.

[kefka]

"Great... Cosmos..."

"Why?"

[glow=yellow,2,300]That harsh, raspy cackle that made him sound almost as if he were close to choking on his own drool would soon drown out even the innocents crying in agony and begging for the sweet mercy that just simply would never come. Kefka had to hold onto his stomach, almost as the mage had to hold her chest, just to keep from hurting himself.

"Cosmos' got nothing to do with it, babe," he said bluntly, moving over to the Corridor window and pointing a root-like finger inside. "I'll bet your Queen of Harmony is shaking in that cute little dress of hers right now just watching this! I wonder if she's wet herself, kwee-hee-hee! Now, Read my lips: mercy is for wimps! There's a reason 'oppose' rhymes with 'dispose'; they opposed me and my glory...I disposed of them! It's like I'm psychic! Hah!"

And then he knelt before the mage, coming rather close so that he could see her face more clearly. He scrunched up his own to make it look sympathetic and patted Abigail on the shoulder.

"Don't be so hard on yourself! There's still a planet, you know! We didn't rip it ALL to shreds...just horrifically and violently burned it. A lot. Once you're ready you'll be good to go blow it away for good, just like that pretty pirate lady friend of yours did to hers."

Abby's tears glistened with the fires of Gaia, and it only made Kefka burst out laughing again; this time he fell on his rump and held his stomach, finding this overwhelmingly hilarious.

To him the White Mage's preaching was like hack comedy, and when he regained his composure he gave her an applause.

"Toying with your prey is fun," he mused to himself before sidling up to Abby again in a menacing fashion. He now held the crown over the broken girl's head and craned his neck to give her one final message before taking away that light.

"Nothing personal, Ma'am," he whispered. "It's just good business, and you've got a HEEE-UUUUUGE amount of power I'm just waiting to overload! Now--"

He grinned, and slammed down the diadem with keen precision onto the White Mage's head.

"Restore your power! I have guests that will be arriving soon, and I need you cleaned up and ready to kill! Hahahahahahahaha!"[/glow]

[Abigail Crescentlight]

It was just too cruel... the way he mocked her even now. And yet, for all those hateful words, grinding underheel everything she believed in and everything she cared for, they fell on deaf ears. She didn't hear him, all she heard was the pain of her people. He could talk, he could laugh, he could joke and he could preach, but all that came through to her was the cruelty inflicted on a world that already had suffered enough.

Then, he was so close that she could almost smell that putrid scent that nobodies called the smell of darkness. She opened her eyes enough to look into the gaze of the monster... and found something that she had almost overlooked, her own strength. She glared at him, took his words and let them fester. The last act of defiance she'd offer as that crown came crashing down like a tsunami of hatred was a single quote from the Book of Cosmos.

"Light... will always triumph over evil..."

And then, she was lost. The crown touched her head, and her will was gone. Instantly, her eyes glazed over with a far-distant look. Unable to feel like a Nobody, she stood onto her feet. She was attentive and alert, listening for instructions without sign of complaint. So, when the clown demanded that she heal, how could she not obey?

Grabbing the shoulder of her black cloak that served to protect her from darkness, the possessed White Mage ripped away the dark garment and cast it to the wind, which carried it away into oblivion while she stood there. The main white of her garb had strangely turned a light gray, and the bright red trimming around her clothing had darkened to a deep blood tone. Already, the close proximity to darkness and Abigail's unusual sensitivity was creating curious reactions to the slave crown on her head and prompting equally strange behaviors.

Reaching into her bag of holding, the possessed Abigail produced the concentrate Elixir which was given to her by Ellin. A quick sip was all she needed. Instantly, her health was completely recovered and her magic was in top form. Corking it, she placed it back carefully.

Holding her hand out, she summoned her Keystaff anew, but it was strangely twisted, blackened, and more vicious looking than the flowery, effeminate item it had once been. She slowly held it vertical and at her side. Her eyes, though distant, seemed sharper, more hardened...

"What do you wish of me next... Master?"

[kefka]

[glow=yellow,2,300]While the White Mage adhered to her new role as the madman's pup, he watched with that evil grin as she obediently healed herself and cleaned up. When she finished she turned to him, and it was all he could do not to cackle madly.

"Kill the pinhead," he said, indicating over to where the possessed Edgar stood, watching with glazed eyes the scene before him.

"I want his blood to paint the stone! Kwee-hee-hee!"

That lingering statement still stuck in his head, though, pestering him. "Light will NOT prevail ever again," he said aloud before standing.

And then...he began to dance, and took her by the arms to join him before sending her to work.

"Oh, Jenny...you're free to go too, by the way! I just LOVE my new toy! Wait 'till Attikins sees what I got!"[/glow]

[Abigail Crescentlight]

After a brief bout of dancing, Abigail would find herself standing stock-still and facing the King of Figaro. A pause was all the indication that there would be of any resistance in the White Mage's form. This act that she was being commanded to commit... it went against everything she stood for, everything that defined who she was and what she believed in. She was asked to murder a man for no other reason than because he was there.

And in a fairy tale, she would have resisted. Light would triumph over darkness in a grand and glorious show of faith and love for every living being. Her will would exert itself and break the invisible bonds of the slave crown, showing once and for all that true good would always outweigh even the vilest evil.

But this was not a fairy tale. While the elements are there: light, darkness, good, and evil, this was the real world they lived in and Abigail didn't have a choice. The slave crown worked by robbing a person completely of will and self, making them nothing more than puppets, toys belonging to a mad clown. While she was completely aware of her actions and hated herself all the more for being unable to fight the diadem on her head, the inevitable was going to happen.

Her staff was raised, pointed dead at the man's chest. Dark-sharpened eyes focused on the Royal... and like a snake's hiss, the words were spoken. "Holy II..." Abigail whispered, causing the Keystaff in her hands to glow a bright light before erupting forward in a display of raw devine power. It would find its mark. The slave crowns on both of their heads would see to it that Abby did not miss and Edgar did not dodge.

The blast knocked the late King of Figaro backward from the top of the tower in a show of pure force. If he was not dead in that very instant, the front of his body seared and smoking from heat and light, surely gravity would finish the job for her.

I wish I could tell you that a daring rescue came next, by a brave and charming prince or warrior princess. I wish I could say that Edgar was swooped into the sky and healed by magic and science to perfect health in order to rule his kingdom again, now with a daring near-death experience to regail his people with.

But this is not a fairy tale.

[kefka]

[glow=yellow,2,300]It was like watching your favorite movie over and over, but never, EVER getting bored with it. Such a display of power made Kefka nearly fall over the tower's side, himself, as he was dancing, applauding and cackling madly and erratically while Abby carried out such a dark deed.

"BRILLIANTLY EXECUTED!" he roared in the hellish tone given to sentient Heartless like himself. "Such tremendous power!!! Kwee-hee-hee!!!"[/glow]

[Atticus the Fallen]

Nearby, a familiar presence would be returning. The corridor opened as it had so many times already, with all the familiarity to their kind as a door opening to your typical human. From it stepped the dark architect of the grand scheme, the villain responsible for the fall of Kingdom Hearts and the death of light. Atticus had returned from his "business" abroad.

Looking over, he spotted the execution of one of Kefka's fond little toys as it fell hundreds of feet to his death. Part of the heartless caretaker was saddened by such a waste. At the very least, Kefka could have taken his heart first... Oh well. This was war, and casualties were bound to happen.

Turning those blazing yellow hues to the other who was there, Atticus acknowledged Jenova with Terra now freed of the crown. Apparently, the transaction had taken place. Jenova had Terra, but who was...

Another glance showed Atticus that it was the White Mage his dear daughter so cared for that was the bargaining chip. Interesting. How long before the 'heroes' came charging here to rescue her? Had Kefka even considered the possibility that this new plaything had powerful allies that would see this as further insult to injury? Probably not. Frankly, it didn't even matter.

"Jenova..." Atticus muttered, turning his attention back to her after this triple-take of images. "Your interest in that one is still... intriguing. I trust as a Master of Darkness, your fascination does not contradict the work done here? I sense a familiar presence in you... One I had the distinct impression was no longer of consequence..."
His words had a strange edge... was he threatening her?

[Twilight Path]

Jenova watched carefully as the White Mage's Will vanished, and how easily the one called Edgar was to fall in agonizing pain. She was the type to kill swiftly, and once she saw the man still alive, and barely breathing she sighed, and froze time momentarily for her rare act of kindness... of what she considered kind. As Edgar began to plummet off the tower, everyone could see him be split suddenly into 1/4th even parts, possibly done by the mages attack? Uncertain because it looked like Jenova did not move a muscle at all, it was assumed.

Then, like the plague, Atticus returned to again question her methods and decisions. His words burning her senses, she was able to decipher:

"Your interest in that one is still... intriguing. I trust as a Master of Darkness, your fascination does not contradict the work done here? I sense a familiar presence in you... One I had the distinct impression was no longer of consequence..."

"Interesting, Indeed." Jenova slowly looked to him, blinking once. She was still embracing Tera in a hold, while the girl was still to come into consciousness, "consequence, I mean. You use it, so I am certain you know of its meaning. Consequence of losing something I know you consider to be your promised land, is an example... but who is to say that consequence shall be brought upon by myself or by others..." -- was she threatening in her own way as well? This conversation did not matter...

A portal began to form upon the two women, and a final glance was spared toward the White Mage, who was still somewhere within that shell...

White Mage... you have my blessing... I know you will bring me happiness upon this story.



[[**To Dive into the Heart, The Holy Trinity **]]