flops around limply I. Am. So. Tired.
Sorry if I haven't responded to some reviews…I'm easily distracted this week, plus sleep deprived, with a very shiny new video game screaming at me for attention (that being FFIV) O.O (and an ant infestation in my room which is awesome, but we're not going to go there)
In other words: Disaster
Quick for Multifan: I did mean to say tomes rather than tombs, lol. My bad. Thanks for catching that ;)
People should lurk more on the forums wink wink nudge nudge We've got some fun FFIV threads going on, haha ;)
Incomplete plot lines and character developments will also be carried over into other fics…basically, this isn't really the end…except…THAT IT IS!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Last chapter, everyone! Of this fic, anyway :)
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Chapter Thirty Seven
Time had a way of moving so quickly, that at times Rydia was made to wonder if she'd been caught in some spell for the last year of her training. When she paused to consider it, she realized that the past decade of her life had similarly flown by, and with it, the years of study and practice that had transformed her from a wild-eyed girl into the fiery young woman she was now. She tried to compare her former and present self with little success. How different she'd become! She'd shed one skin and taken on another identity, gradually coming to realize her strengths and the power that surged beneath her skin, roiling within the core of her spirit until it felt insistent enough to break free and light her ablaze. Old fears had been replaced with solid resolve, and with her reservations cast aside, her skills had been honed to a fine edge as sharp as any sword. She was not timid anymore, not afraid to speak the words of power that now streamed from her lips with fervor. Monsters cowered at her approach, elements bent to her will, and with each casting, Rydia acknowledged the legacy of her bloodline, the exhilarating command of magic that had her so enchanted.
Hers was a gritty confidence, and she knew she owed the Summons much on that account. She was a weapon of magic, slight but steely. If ever there was a time to rejoin her former companions, now was it, with a foundation in the lore of her people strongly secured. She felt the magic gathering in her veins, could feel the pulse of the crystals' energy just waiting to be channeled through her, and restlessly waited for the chance to use what she'd learned. Golbez would be made to taste the fury of the Summons for what he had wrought upon them and her own people. He would know their pain…
Startled by her own thoughts, Rydia sucked in a breath between barely parted lips, a hiss sounding as a result. She opened her green eyes and tried to slow her rapidly beating heart. It wasn't her skills that frightened her, it was realizing how soon the battles were approaching that made her heart hammer out of her chest. She'd been preparing for so long, for so many years, and here was her chance. She felt the pressure to succeed, to survive, and it was hard to keep her mind from traveling down dark paths when she thought about rejoining the war. What was awaiting her on the human side of the spell? She had no answers as she sat beneath the giant tree Asura and Leviathan had revived on the first day of her return from the Void. Its great leaves wavered in a breeze circulating through the city, more magic than wind, cooling her with shade.
She'd come here for the express reason not to think. It was frustrating enough knowing that Cecil and Rosa were so close and still beyond her reach, without having to acknowledge that the time for goodbyes to the Summons had finally arrived. She wanted to stay—she wanted to leave. She wanted to fight—she wanted to remain and mount a defense. Conflicting desires and emotions were doing battle within her mind, and trying not to think about either course of action was harder than she realized.
She closed her eyes again, willing calm to her troubled thoughts. Only when she felt a light touch rest on her shoulder did she open them again, looking into Mist's serene face.
"Is this your new hiding place?" the woman asked, lips pulled into a grin.
Rydia blew out a hurried breath and flung her arms carelessly around her raised knees, annoyed that she'd been discovered. "Not hiding," she deflected, "Thinking."
Mist laughed softly, seating herself gracefully at Rydia's side. "With you, aren't those two one and the same?"
Rydia gave her a reproachful look, and the Summon only smiled more broadly, dimples forming on both cheeks. "My, my! How close to the mark I've come!"
"Is it really—I mean, do I really have to leave? Can't I stay and fight from here?" Rydia asked beseechingly.
Mist's expression softened, her grin fading to a thoughtful thin line. Her gray eyes studied Rydia's own green ones, as she carefully raised a hand to move a stray lock of hair away from Rydia's face. "You already know the answer, dear one."
Rydia looked away, betrayed. "It's not that I don't want to help Cecil, but…this is my home."
It was Mist's turn to look away, staring silently down the distance of the road in front of them. It took several minutes before she spoke again, painful resolve sounding in her tone. "No," she began slowly. "It's not."
Rydia locked the Summon beside her with a fierce gaze. "Of course it is! All of you are my family!"
Mist shook her head. "We're only substitutes. Your place is with your own kind, and you know it."
Rydia stood up hurriedly, trembling. "How can you say that! What about the last ten years? I was raised here!"
She was furious now, with herself, and with Mist for saying such a thing. This was one of the unspeakable topics she hadn't wanted to broach, and now it was plain before her. She wanted to belong here, wanted it more than anything. "That's it, then. You don't want me here," she forced out, staggering words while hoping not to burst into tears.
"Rydia," the Summon's voice was low, ominously calm. "You will always be loved by us and held with a level of esteem, but you know why you must leave. This is not the realm of humans, but of beings crafted by magic. Ten years of your life have already been taken, we dare not take any more."
Rydia was now dangerously near to tears, but she screwed up her features tightly, masking her hurt with stubborn anger. "You're saying that once I leave, there's no coming back?"
Mist's expression was hard to read, and Rydia didn't want to gaze long enough to find her answer in the silvery eyes.
"I won't accept that. I've proven all of you wrong before, I'll just do it again. When this is over, I'm coming back."
Mist's sigh was resigned. "You may not think the same way in time. I'm merely trying to ease your passage."
"Why are you even speaking of this!" Rydia demanded, suddenly noticing Mist's raised brows and realizing it wasn't the woman's fault at all, but her own. Her face turned red with embarrassment and she pulled her gaze to an unfixed point further down the road, clenching her fists at her side.
"Rydia, I'm just trying to make sure you don't spend your energies chasing after illusions. You knew from the beginning that your training was headed toward this path, and Shiva and Ramuh knew that one day they would have to release you into the world. You cannot have reservations when you leave. I won't allow it."
Tears were beginning to flood the brims of Rydia's eyes, her mask proving to be more fragile than she liked. "But does it…" she faltered. "Does it have to end this way?" she asked more strongly, finally finding her voice.
Mist was watching her from the ground, white hair fanning around her face like curtains of silk.
"I don't want you to feel torn in two when you leave. Some day you must make a choice, please realize that," Mist explained somberly.
Rydia rubbed her eyes, breathing deeply. "What about all of you? What if something happens while I'm gone? What if Golbez—"
There were arms around her shoulders, just as the night when Mist had returned. They were warm and comforting, wrapping her with strength, so similar to her mother's own embrace. Tears began to fall in earnest and Rydia tried to brush them away as quickly as they fell, furious at how often she could be brought to tears. Mist tenderly kissed the crown of her head.
"We've spoken of this before. All will be well. You have no need to fear, simply call our names and we will answer."
Rydia leaned on Mist for support and pouted, more to herself than anyone. "I've spent the last year trying to store up memories of this place to take with me, hoping to come back again, and now you're telling me I never belonged here in the first place. You have a cruel sense of humor, Mist."
"I never said you couldn't visit," she lightly replied, making Rydia reluctantly smile.
"I'm coming back whether you like it or not," Rydia warned in response.
Mist hummed softly, but said nothing, slackening the grip she held on the young mage's shoulders.
"You're going to make me say the goodbyes, aren't you," Rydia asked, turning.
Mist tilted her head to the side innocently. "You've put them off long enough, haven't you?"
Rydia feebly attempted to stifle a groan. She had become rebellious toward Mist, treating her like an older sibling who enjoyed meddling too much in her affairs. Mist poked her hard in the back, jabbing her in the direction of home, ignoring the complaint.
"The others are waiting for you, all of them. They have words of their own they've been waiting to share with you. It would be mean to make them wait any longer."
This time Rydia sighed and crossed her arms. "Asura hasn't said anything yet, has she?"
Mist was bemused, trying to hide a grin. "The queen still does not know the exact time for your departure, no, but stop putting things off to the last minute, silly girl. Go, go!" she commanded, shooing Rydia away and down the street, watching the green clad summoner stubbornly traipse in the direction of her responsibilities.
Mist stood for a long time in the same place, her feet as rooted to the ground as the tree. She knew who had been standing behind the giant trunk silent as winter's night, listening to the entire exchange.
"Aren't you going to say something?" she inquired, voice tight with emotion. It had been harder to speak to Rydia than she'd anticipated, despite her smile.
Silks rustled and sandaled feet scuffed the loose dirt surrounding the tree's base. "What else is there to say, sister?" Shiva replied, stepping into view, elegant and cold. When she stood abreast of Mist, she cast a sidelong glance. "It had to be done. It's better for us to begin cutting the ties rather than leaving the task to her. If it were her choice, she would exhaust her life hiding behind our hospitality."
"I don't think she listened to my words," Mist pointed out wryly. "She has the rebellious nature of her mother, and that's a difficult beast to overcome."
Shiva rested her hands firmly on her hips, blue sleeves trailing down past her thighs. "It's something for her to think about while she's away. I can only hope that time among her own people will open her eyes to the truth. She belongs with humans."
"Why did you ask this of me?" Mist asked, quizzical.
"You she reveres too much to despise," Shiva responded with a small grin. "She wouldn't have taken me seriously."
Mist shook her head in disbelief. "And the queen, is she still in seclusion?"
"She watches the progress of the outsiders closely every day. She can't afford to allow a moment to go by without keeping watch. They are drawing near, or so I understand, but not near enough."
"You don't think she's stalling on Rydia's behalf, do you?"
"Whether she is or not, there will come a point when that kind of time no longer exists. Rydia will have to say her goodbyes and make quick preparations for her departure."
"You did a remarkable job training her to this end," Mist pointed out. "She will do well."
"You know, she spent most of her time among us trying to search for a way to bring you back from the dead," Shiva replied. "It was you that gave her a focus to her training and you that gave her the confidence she needed to stand on her own two feet."
Mist began to walk down the street, leaving the ice summon behind her, but she turned to give her friend a knowing look before she left. "I can't take all the credit for that, my dear. After all, if the two of you didn't share such a tight bond, you would have been the one standing in my place today saying those words."
At Shiva's stung reaction, Mist smiled. "See, I knew I was right."
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Rydia trudged down the stone street, oblivious to the conversation being held behind her. She plodded through the maze-like alleys and side streets until familiar ground greeted her eyes and wooden planking replaced ancient stone.
She was angry with Mist for what she'd said, and angrier still at herself for thinking she could stay here indefinitely. Hadn't she been waiting to return to Cecil's side for all this time? She imagined dark clouds hanging above her head as she walked between the small crowds of Summons going about their daily business. She tried to smile at a few of them as she passed, but on the whole, her mood was bleak. Had Mist really needed to be so blunt? There'd been a trace of ice behind the other woman's words, and Rydia wondered if Shiva had somehow had a hand in it. It wouldn't surprise her in the slightest. This was just the kind of thing the ice summon would do.
In some remote corner of Rydia's mind, she understood why Mist had felt it necessary to tell her those things, to encourage her to be true to the cause she'd been training for and venture outward instead of staying. That didn't, however, make it any easier, and Rydia still felt frustration with having to always make a choice between what she wanted and what she needed to do.
Besides, she'd never been good at saying goodbyes. Not ever. Not even to the village children of Mist when they'd all been forced to part for the dinner hour. It had to be wrenched out of her if at all, or come upon her so quickly that she had no time to think about it.
She'd gone into "hiding", as Mist called it, several days ago, after she'd closed the last of the Summoner's tomes Black and Ramuh had set aside for her. It had been difficult to shut it and acknowledge what it meant. It marked the beginning of the end of her time with all of them. Ten years already spent.
It was hard to accept that there would be no more leather bindings and parchments that crackled like autumn leaves beneath her fingertips; no scent of lamp oil burning richly in their sconces from solid stone walls. She'd already learned to read and write in this place, gleaning secrets hidden from the rest of the world and given to herself, the last of her people. She'd grown up, she'd traveled the stark white plains of the Void and returned with Mist at her side…and she'd formed a family of such disparate members that it almost made her laugh to think of the effort it took to bring them together.
What would she tell them?
She espied Black's spotted amber coat between the legs of some rather scaly summons and trotted to catch up to him.
"Black!" she called out.
He stopped, looking back at her. "There you are! Why is it you let Mist take up all your time these days?" he asked accusingly.
Rydia reached him and grimaced at his remark, running a hand along the scalp of her long jade hair. She didn't want to admit that she'd been avoiding everyone.
"We have a lot to talk about," she half-lied.
He blinked lazily, and continued walking with her at his side. "So I was thinking…" he announced after a while. "I'm fairly small—travel sized—and it probably wouldn't be too much of a drain on you to bring me with you. I could stay in a pack! I wouldn't complain! What do you think?"
Rydia laid an incredulous look on him. "Black, that wouldn't work."
"Why not!" he demanded. "This is better than my other plans!"
Her grin was devious. "They were all bad, Black, and you know it. You just want to escape the city and get away from Ramuh."
He stopped walking and stared at her, deadly serious. "Oh please, please get me out of here."
They stared at each other for a moment in stark silence, and then Rydia burst into laughter, unable to contain herself at the sight of Black's deadpan expression. "Now who's complaining about reading books!" she blurted out, nearly doubling over.
He continued to stare at her, not amused. "You only had him as your teacher for several months, but try several human lifetimes. Do you have any idea how many times I've heard him tell the same stories? Do you know how frustrating that is?"
Rydia's laughter had died down to a chuckle, but there were still tears pricking the corners of her eyes, she'd been laughing so hard. She couldn't stop imagining Black traveling in a small pack on her back with his ears laid back and a sour expression on his face. The picture of it almost made her lose her composure again.
"I'm sorry, Black. Not only is it physically impossible, but you know Shiva would never allow it."
"Sure. You can go to the Void and bring back Mist, but you can't suffer a tagalong like me," he retorted, stalking off ahead of her again.
"Don't take it personally," she implored, aware that this was just a mock argument he'd raised to start conversation—his way of easing her mind. In fact, this was the fifth ridiculous plan he'd come up with this week. Sixth, if she included the plot involving the catapult…
"Fine, fine, don't take me with you, but don't let your guard down around my cousins, the couerls—and don't forget that swordrats are hard customers! You'll get a face full of spikes if you cross them the wrong way!"
"Black—"
"And don't go out wearing poor equipment, replace your gear whenever you have a chance!"
"Black!" Rydia finally interrupted him, causing him to look up at her impatiently. "Thank you."
He shifted uncomfortably, and kept on walking, rambling on about a list of items to remember and look out for on her travels. Rydia rolled her eyes and started to pay attention to where he was leading her instead.
Ramuh's sturdy home appeared before them, and as they approached, the door opened and the man himself stepped out, clothed in his tawny robes with staff in hand. He noticed them and smiled, waving his staff in the air. "Hello there!" he said in greeting.
Rydia smiled and waved back, Black unable to do so himself.
"Out for a walk?" he asked politely.
Rydia clasped her hands behind her back and shifted all her weight to one leg, the bottom of her long green tunic hanging in the space between like an off-centered skirt. "I suppose you could call it that," she answered, glancing significantly down at Black.
"Ah," the thunder god responded, realization dawning. "How many schemes is he up to this week, might I ask?"
"THEY'RE NOT SCHEMES!" Black exploded.
"Five," Rydia replied cheerily.
Ramuh scratched his bearded chin. "Is that including or excluding the plot concerning the catapult?"
"I'll have you know that Mist thought it was a brilliant idea," Black added fiercely in his defense.
"Only because she wanted the chance to blast you into the sky herself," Ramuh chuckled.
"And where were you heading off to?" Black demanded of Ramuh, changing the subject.
Ramuh looked around, as if unsure himself why he'd stepped out his front door.
"Now that you mention it…"
"Why don't we head toward the garden?" Rydia suggested, stepping away from the house, hoping they'd begin to follow. She'd begun to notice Ramuh's forgetfulness months earlier, and was trying to be helpful somehow, hoping that more interaction would bring him back to his former self.
When they were all walking along the street, Ramuh cleared his throat. "Rydia, I know you don't want me to talk like this, but I don't know how much time there is left, and I wanted to tell you before we ran out of it. Thank you for always being so cheerful and such a devoted student."
Rydia smiled, not sure how to reply, until she saw Black. He was smirking at her mischievously—could cats smirk?—and she could kick him, the brat. He knew most of her secrets and had born the brunt of her temper and complaints on many occasions, something the other summon hadn't witnessed, and she herself would never admit to. Ramuh noticed the strange exchange of glares and rubbed the top of his head in confusion. "Is something wrong?"
Rydia shook her head decisively. "No! Nothing's wrong!"
Black snorted and Rydia began to stomp forward angrily.
"Though I will also miss watching the two of you argue," Ramuh pointed out with a laugh.
They walked a ways and then Ramuh stopped again. "But really, Rydia, these past ten years have been some of the best of my life. I have you to thank for that. If you ever need to speak to me, don't hesitate to summon me to your side. I will talk for as long as you like."
"Thank you, Ramuh," Rydia answered, literally touched at his admission. "I know I will miss our conversations when I'm gone."
The old summon looked like he was about to cry and Rydia stepped closer to give him a comforting embrace. "I'll come back, I promise," she told him, trying not to giggle when his whiskers tickled her face. "Golbez won't beat me so easily."
"If he does, can I have your bed?" Black interrupted from below.
Rydia and Ramuh both gave him pointed looks.
"I was joking, of course."
"Are you trying to set a record of some sort?" Rydia snapped at him.
"No," he replied lightly. "I'm just being thorough."
Rydia shook her head in disgust. She had to admit that he did have a talent for lightening the mood of a somber situation. For that, at least, she could be glad.
"Ah look, more company coming to join us," Black muttered dryly, and the three of them turned to look down the road at Fenrir and Siren, both approaching in a hurry. Rydia stepped away from Ramuh, and steeled herself for what she feared to hear. The brevity of the mood ended abruptly, and Rydia's smile turned into a set straight line.
"Is it the queen?" she asked, hesitantly, when the other pair of Summons was close enough.
Fenrir nodded, his golden eyes fixed on hers. "She asked for you urgently. There isn't much time."
"Where is she?"
"Follow me, I'll take you there," the wolf spoke, bounding back the way he'd come with Rydia chasing after him. Black was quick on her heels as well, but Ramuh stayed behind. He already knew what their departure meant, and he hadn't the energy of his youth to keep up. His goodbye had been interrupted, but he had faith that they'd speak again sooner than later. It was a harsh reality all of the summons were bracing for—the time when their cherished summoner would no longer live among them. It was only strange that no one had seen her until very recently…what could she have been doing, he wondered…surely Shiva or Mist would know, he thought, as he slowly ambled in the same direction of his young friends. Maybe he wouldn't be too late to give his real words of parting, but knowing Rydia, events had a habit of speeding up in her proximity rather than slowing down, and he silently cursed his weak knees their duplicity.
With Ramuh behind them, the other four dashed to the entryway of the city, the portal that connected the realm of the spell to the human world. Asura was there waiting for them, standing beside Leviathan, faces both shadowed with serious expressions. Rydia skidded to a stop in front of the queen, out of breath, and anxious.
"Is it time already? Is it really time to leave?" Rydia huffed, still unable to stand upright completely.
"I hope you've said all the words you needed to," the queen announced ominously. "I've waited as long as I could, and I may have even waited too long."
Rydia's conversation with Mist collided with the one she'd just had with Black and Ramuh in her mind. Her goodbyes…she hadn't said hardly any of them…mostly pathetic apologies and promises, but not what she'd wanted to say, and certainly not what they'd deserved.
"But I'm still not ready! I don't even know what to say!" Rydia objected, still not fully at terms with the idea of leaving, possibly for good. She could feel the call of her magic, urging her to step outward and forward, but her emotions were anchoring her in place. She didn't want to leave the Summons…she was too afraid of what she might find on the other side.
"I told you not to have reservations, and here you are with your feet stuck to the ground," Mist scolded her, approaching from one side along with Shiva who had a sorrowful, but resolute cast to her features.
Rydia couldn't help but frown at the two of them together. So they were in some sort of alliance, she fumed. Shiva walked closer until she stood at Rydia's side, only slightly taller than the Summoner who'd recently shed the softness and shortness of her girlhood for battle trim instead. The ice summon gripped her in a firm embrace, releasing her almost as soon as she'd latched on.
"For luck, though I'm sure you don't need it," she explained. "And take this with you, it should be of good use to you now," she continued, handing Rydia the sturdy whip she'd trained with for so many years.
"May you fight your battles well," Mist added, smiling encouragingly.
Leviathan and Asura watched these proceedings quietly, always observers, rarely participants, until Leviathan finally cleared his throat.
"The time for partings has ended. Rydia, we must go. Step with us through the portal and face what hand fate has dealt you," he beckoned, holding out a hand from beneath his flowing purple robe.
Shiva nudged Rydia forward when she failed to move herself. She took one step first, then another. There were still so many things unsaid!
"Rydia!" Black shouted suddenly, causing her to turn around again. "Good bye! And good luck! We'll be waiting!"
She smiled, tears forming again for what felt like the millionth time that day, and waved, smiling wider when she saw Ramuh approaching from behind the amber cat, waving back at her.
"Good bye!" she shouted, terrified to leave them, but determined to face whatever lay in her path with their strength at her back. She finally turned again and took Leviathan's offered hand, leaving the city just as she'd first entered it, with the king of all waters by her side.
When they reached the other side, the queen took her by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eye, a look so fierce, it made Rydia's insides lurch.
"I have told you little these past weeks because I knew it would only make you anxious," the queen began, and Rydia could tell there was information Asura had waited to tell her until they were alone. "First, you should know that Cecil and the others have arrived in the castle stronghold of the dwarves. I waited as long as I could, hoping to give you enough time to prepare, but the longer I waited, the more events became twisted by the distortion of this spell. Time is not always constant between this realm and that, you know this, and rather than returning you to your fellows in good time, with ample room for explanations, events moved faster than I planned, and danger arose before I could even realize it was there. I fear I was too late in asking for you, hopefully not too late that your companions now face grave peril," the queen said, pausing for breath. "I'm sorry to have brought this upon you so abruptly, and to tell you that I will be sending you straight into danger and uncertainty, but I had no other choice," the queen explained hurriedly, speaking clearly and decisively so Rydia would be sure to understand her meaning. She then pulled a leather pouch from a belt of golden twine around her waist and thrust it into Rydia's hands, a faint tinkling of phials being heard. "Take this with you, it's sure to help," the queen offered. "There are several items in that pouch. Use them wisely. Keep your wits about you and be strong. I can sense Golbez's powers at work very near your companions, and you will need to be at your best if it's him you face. Remember that there are many summons who would gladly like a chance to make their presence known to him. Do not hesitate."
Rydia's nerves went taut. Golbez. Her very first battle might be with him of all people. It sent a shock through her system that she tried very hard to subdue. She didn't feel ready for this at all. Everything was happening so fast, so suddenly, that it had barely begun to sink in what she was about to encounter.
Asura and Leviathan then both shifted so that two pairs of hands rested on either shoulder. Rydia gave them each an apprehensive glance, wondering what was about to happen next and suddenly wishing that Mist was with her, guiding her through everything, or even Shiva.
"Now we must be quick," the queen continued. "We will send you as close as we can with our power combined, but should we err, may all speed be with you. Let nothing stand in your way. Remember your blood right: you are a Summoner, a wielder of powerful magic, and a seeker of justice. There are hands of fate at work here greater than any of us can imagine, and this fight belongs to us all, human and Summon alike. Now is the time, we will give you the means to fly. Good luck, daughter of Mist," the queen decreed, almost prophetic as her aura of magic swept like lightning from her hands and into Rydia's body, combining with her husband's and consuming Rydia in blinding light. The duality of magicks made Rydia gasp and her own magic surge in response, a crescendo of power that brought Rydia's senses to a frenzy. Release! She sought release! as the spell of teleportation expanded, fully encasing her. It was more powerful than any such spell Rydia had ever experienced before, and in the blink of an eye, the king and queen of the Summoned Land were lost to her sight, replaced by enormous distances being swept from beneath her—oceans of magma, continents of blistering rock—the entire breadth of the Underworld in an instant.
Like a tether cut loose, the Summons had released Rydia from their midst. All she'd been left with were their words of encouragement and the raging magic within her to carry her the few remaining feet to the battle that awaited. Cecil was depending on her now, and he didn't even know it! Failure was not an option, and she shut out all other thoughts, regrets, and wishes from her mind to focus on this one upcoming task. Gritting her teeth as the spell spit her out onto solid ground, she took heed of the queen's last words and made haste.
It wouldn't be long before she discovered just how much each second truly mattered.
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Author's Note:
Oh goodness…because Sarah MacLachlan's "Angel" isn't a depressing song to start this off to O.O Stupid shuffle…
(this note section keeps growing as I go…geesh. I should tell you that the longer these sections, both top and bottom, the more times I've had to come back to this chapter and write/edit/re-write. This chapter's blather was rather long…so you can see I had to come back to this chapter many many times. This ends the tutorial.)
This chapter got weird. I don't know what to tell you guys…I started writing it in a really angsty mood…and then I got into a much better humorous mood…and then I descended into another angsty mood…and as a result you received one of the most insane final chapters I've ever written (and amusingly, this is only the second final chapter I've ever written). I also feel like I've short-changed this chapter…and even so! It's ten pages long! There were a lot of complex things that could have happened…that started to happen…that I never really resolved…I think the last half of the chapter could probably go on and on for a dozen more pages with a whole bunch of tearful goodbyes and lots of speeches…I don't know, maybe it will make more sense to the rest of you, and I'm just going crazy…all I know is that my eyes are shot from reading and re-reading this bloody chapter again and again and I need to STOP. Basically, I think it really boiled down to…I'm impatient. And I'm tired. And it's now 2 a.m. and I've been working on this chapter for almost four days straight…therefore…I'm going to say it's done. This ends my chapter summary…now I bring you to…the summary of the entire fic as a whole!
Honestly, I did not expect to write anything this long. It's been almost two years exactly, and just over 200 printed pages of work to get this far. It's been frustrating but entertaining to write, I must say. There are some things in this fic that I did not address or explore, certain choices that I made that might have been disappointing for some of you. Just know that if I had explored all of the possibilities that Rydia could have encountered in the Summoned Land, I'd be writing this forever, and to be honest, I just don't have that kind of patience or stamina. If there was something that you REALLY think I should have included, private message me and let me know, and I'll think about writing and adding it to the story at a later time. By the way, info on Rydia's father and mother that wasn't addressed in this fic will still be written about in other novelizations…not to worry, I'm coming back to that arc. I never revealed Black's real name and power either…I'll get to that too…probably not until much much later ;) I wrote this story without a beta and I really could still use one! I know the story is complete, but I like constructive crit for style, dialogue, word choice and characterization, and can still put that to use. If anyone's interested, let me know…you can private message me :)
I definitely would not have been able to continue this without the support of all of you who took the time to read it and offer me your feedback. I truly appreciate it, and I know that long fics can often be a huge time investment to read. I hope it lived up to your expectations and that you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed putting it together!
I'll be starting the next novelization soon…maybe not for another couple of weeks while I get an outline thrown together…until then I may post a few oneshots or drabbles that I've been sitting on for a while to tide you over. I will also be returning to the Girl With No Name once I go back and change some of the already posted material. You'll probably start to see new material by the end of August when I'll be locked in my house on pain medication from having my wisdom teeth pulled. FUN FUN!
On a side note, if any of you want some shorter material, feel free to private message me and offer me some prompts (I'm very specific to FFIV) and I'll do what I can with those :) It doesn't have to be about Rydia. I'm willing to expand to other characters, and I'm curious about what other people would like to see written! I'll even write for characters I'm not fond of…just try me! For updates and other information, check my profile. I update it every once in a while :)
Lastly, a special thanks to: Katmillia, Freida Right, Multifan, Plasma Knight, and several others (of whom there are many names, and I'd love to list you all, but it could take several hours to scour through gmail to find all the review alerts, lol). Let me just say that the fact that there are so many of you reading and reviewing this story humbles me and makes me really excited! Thank you for your support of not only this fic but its prequel as well! I'm glad you've enjoyed it!
Till next time!
myth :)
p.s. Zeromus is one bad…well…you get the picture .