Nothing made Squall Leonhart more frustrated than having his students go off to war and leaving him behind.

After Ezerath's final incantation and the subsequent flash of light, Squall found himself kneeling on the ground, alone in the deep sea cavern with Rinoa in his arms. Knowing what magic like Ezerath's was capable of doing, the gunblade swordsman could only hope that Cyrus Ranto and his team were alive and transported somewhere else by the Seraphim Prophet's dying spell. The alternative didn't sit well with the SeeD Commander…

"Squall," Rinoa spoke up weakly, her body still coping with the sudden loss of her sorceress powers. "The kids…will they be all right?"

Squall wanted to say something reassuring, but he couldn't bring himself to ignore the obvious.

"…I don't know," the gunblader admitted truthfully before adding, "but I hope they are."

Rinoa nodded groggily as Squall heard the sound of rapidly-approaching footsteps. His protective instincts kicking in, Squall immediately got back to his feet as he reached for Revolver, which had transformed back from Lionheart. To Squall's relieve, the footsteps belonged to his friends, who despite being battered and bloodied were no worse for wear. Zell, Quistis, Selphie, and Irvine ran up to join Squall and Rinoa, relief written in their faces.

"Squall! Rin! You two are all right!" Zell shouted as he raised his fist in the air in victory. Selphie and Irvine also cheered in joy as Quistis knelt down beside Rinoa.

"Rinoa, are you all right? You don't look well at all," the blonde SeeD remarked.

Squall was about to explain what had happened when he was interrupted by a familiar, boastful voice.

"Hell, that was great! Chalk up another epic victory for Seifer and his posse!"

Squall shook his head in disbelief as his gunblade-wielding rival sauntered into the cavern, followed closely as ever by Fujin and Raijin. Seifer, acting as if he had just taken on the Seraphim Society single-handedly and won, pushed past the rest of Destiny's Six before coming face-to-face with Squall.

"Long time, no see, Squall. How's things?" Seifer asked in his typical cocky manner.

Squall, ignoring Seifer's question, asked one of his own. "What are you doing here, Seifer?"

"Relax, Mr. Leader. I'm only here to lend an extra gunblade," Seifer explained. "Your boy Cyrus Ranto and I met up in FH while he was searching the world for you and Garden. He told me what was happening and let me know where to find this place. Figured you could use a little extra muscle dealing with these Seraphim jackasses."

After he finished speaking, Seifer immediately noticed something…or someone…was missing from this picture. "Speaking of that punk, what the hell did you do to him and his friends? Weren't they supposed to come and save your sorry ass?"

Squall's shoulders slumped as he explained to everyone present what had happened, from Rinoa losing her powers, the battle with Ezerath and Eden, and all the way to the mysterious flash of light that Cyrus and his team disappeared in. Everyone present became very quiet upon hearing Squall's tale save for one.

"Damn it!" Zell roared as he punched the ground in anger. He then turned to Seifer and grabbed the swordsman's gray jacket. "This is your fault, Seifer! It was your stupid idea to have those kids go on ahead! Because of you…"

"Zell, that's enough," Squall ordered. The tattooed fighter, after several seconds, let Seifer go with a huff. Before Squall could say anything else, he felt a strange energy coming from the cavern's central altar. The others felt it too as they turned towards the altar and saw a faint light emanate from the central pit. That light slowly grew larger and larger until it encompassed the entire cavern, blinding the SeeDs, Seifer, and Seifer's gang as it left all of them wondering what was going on.

A minute later, the light finally subsided as the nine icons of the Second Sorceress War found that they were no longer alone. On one side of the altar stood a tall, muscular young man who carried a massive white-bladed sword. On the other side stood a slender, athletic-looking woman with blood red hair wearing a leather overcoat emblazoned with white sparrows on the shoulders.

Up near the altar were two other figures. One, facing Squall and the others, was a blonde woman with ivory skin wearing a sheer white dress. She was hunched over and clenching at her stomach. On her flawless face was a look of complete and utter shock.

Standing next to the woman and facing the opposite wall was a bloodied and heavily-bruised man with golden brown hair and no shirt on his back. His body bore many scars from battles both past and present. Nevertheless, although unseen by Squall and his comrades, the man at the altar maintained a fiery look in his eyes. In the man's hands was a golden scythe, which glowed softly in the dim cavern. The man's hands were wrapped firmly around its shaft…

…whereas its blade was dug deep into the gut of the woman in white.

"Ranto?" Squall blurted out, recognizing the scythe wielder. Cyrus Ranto, still completely stoic, turned his attention to the victim impaled by his scythe's blade.

"You've lost, Hyne," Cyrus muttered to the wounded goddess as he continued to apply the pressure with the mystical Soul of the Guardians.

"How…" Hyne said, almost as if she was choking. "How did it come to this? Bested by a mortal…slain again by my own creations? I…I am eternal…"

"Nothing lasts forever, Hyne," Cyrus interrupted. "You created humanity and enslaved them millennia ago. You tried to do it again. Did you just expect us to roll over like the Seraphim Society? The brave fear not the grave; instead, they push forward no matter what the odds. If one has the will, they can touch the untouchable, break the unbreakable, and achieve the impossible."

"Cursed…reaper," Hyne hissed as blood started to seep from her lips. "This changes nothing. I may fall here today…but I will rise again. I will endure in the abyss, and you will wither and die. You may have slain me…but as long as magic remains in this world, there will always be a way for me to return to life."

"Yeah, that's true," Cyrus admitted as he jerked the blade of Soul of the Guardians from Hyne's abdomen, allowing the blood to flow freely from the wound. Hyne fell to her knees, clutching her stomach in agony as Cyrus stepped behind her, turned the scythe's blade around, and pressed it against the goddess's throat.

"If nothing else, you have proven that gods will rise again when given the opportunity. And I'd be a fool to think you couldn't pull off another resurrection. Thing is, I'm okay with that. I've done all I could…the rest is out of my hands.

"But keep this in your thoughts as you drift in the abyss: twice humanity has stood against you and your will, and twice you've ended up dead. What makes you think that the third time's going to end differently?"

Hyne felt the scythe blade tighten on her throat as Cyrus continued, "As long as good men and women continue to fight the good fight, you'll never get a chance to dominate humanity again. I place my faith in the continuing strength and growth of the human spirit, and will strike you down today knowing that my faith is well placed…"

As Cyrus finished speaking, he tightened his grip on Soul of the Guardians. In one swift motion, Cyrus swung the mystical scythe with all his might, decapitated Hyne, and brought his weapon to rest on his left shoulder. Hyne, the Creator Goddess and Supreme Sorceress, was killed in an instant as her head fell from the altar and down the central pit. Her body fell softly to the ground as Soul of the Guardians changed back into Defiant Reaper.

Everyone save for Kyra and Taizen looked on at this exchange between the scythe-wielder and the goddess with looks of surprise and shock. Cyrus, ignoring his speechless superiors, nodded once at Taizen as he stepped down from the altar and walked over to Kyra. The two SeeDs smiled at one another for several seconds before Cyrus took the initiative and wrapped his arms around the crimson-haired fighter's waist, pulling her in for an embrace. Kyra, without hesitating, returned the embrace as the two stood there in each other's arms.

"Ranto!" Squall shouted, cutting Cyrus and Kyra's embrace short. The scythe-wielder rolled his eyes as he turned to face his Commander.

"What the hell just happened?" Squall demanded in his typical passive-aggressive tone. Cyrus was about to give a quick debriefing when something caught his eye back towards the altar…

"Commander!" Cyrus exclaimed. "Look! Over by the altar!"

Squall, along with everyone else, focused their attention at the central altar, where Hyne's headless body began to glow. Seconds later, the goddess's corpse dissolved into two separate streams of pure magical energy. One stream collided with Rinoa, encompassing her with the magical energy. Squall, seeing what was happening with his wife, turned his attention away from Cyrus and back to her.

The second stream turned and joined with Kyra, the force of which prevented Cyrus from reaching the crimson-haired fighter. Cyrus, frantically trying to understand what was going on, could do nothing but wait as the energy surrounding both Rinoa and Kyra finally calmed and vanished. Both ladies looked exhausted as Squall and Cyrus ran to Rinoa and Kyra respectively.

"Rinoa…are you all right?" Squall asked.

"Kyra!" Cyrus shouted worryingly. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"Ugh…" Kyra groaned as Cyrus helped her back to her feet. "Wha…what just happened? I feel…strange. Almost like I junctioned with a new GF, but I can't feel any new consciousness in my mind…"

As she spoke, the energy that had fused with her spiked, catching Cyrus off-guard. Seconds later, the energy dissipated, leaving Kyra confused. "What is this? Where did this power come from?!"

"The Sorcery Transference," Rinoa finally spoke up, standing up on her own two legs beside her husband. "When a sorceress dies, she must transfer her powers before she can rest in peace. Even if that sorceress is Hyne herself…"

Rinoa walked towards Cyrus and Kyra as Squall and the rest of the senior fighters followed close behind. Taizen continued to stand where he was with his arms crossed and a pensive look on his face. The raven-haired sorceress, after reaching Cyrus and Kyra, lowered her gaze as she continued to explain:

"When Cyrus struck Hyne down, the powers stolen from me were returned to me. But, my powers only made up one-half of Hyne's total strength. The other half…the stolen magical essence from that Guardian Force, now rests with you."

"Me?" Kyra repeated as she pointed to herself. "I'm…a sorceress?"

Rinoa nodded. "Right. But don't worry! Being a sorceress is a burden, but it's not all bad! You could do a lot of good with that power. And once you find a knight to stand by your side…"

"That's enough, Counselor," Cyrus interrupted. Until that moment, Cyrus had been silently listening to Rinoa, but something inside him compelled him to break his silence.

"Cyrus? What do you mean?" Rinoa asked, taken aback by Cyrus's interjection.

Cyrus sighed as he set Defiant Reaper down on the ground. "I appreciate you explaining this to us. The thing is, Kyra doesn't need a knight."

"And why's that, Ranto?" Squall asked.

Cyrus's lips curved into a smirk as he turned back toward Kyra.

"Because she already has one."

Kyra, after hearing Cyrus's statement, looked the scythe-wielder eye-to-eye. "Cyrus? You really mean that?"

Cyrus nodded. "If you'll have me…my lady."

Kyra answered Cyrus by wrapping her arms around his neck and meeting his lips with her own in a fiery, passionate kiss. Cyrus, almost immediately, wrapped his arms around Kyra's waist as the two SeeDs continued to drink one another in. Squall, Seifer, and the rest of the senior fighters couldn't help but gawk as the crimson-haired sorceress and her scythe-wielding knight continued embracing as their kiss lingered on.

Taizen, however, had already sheathed Knight's Valor and was making his way to the cavern's exit. Once he reached it, Taizen stole a quick glance back at his two teammates. Shaking his head, Taizen let slip a genuine smile as he said:

"Took those two long enough."

With that, Taizen turned and walked out of the cavern. Seifer, finally turning his attention away from Cyrus and Kyra, noticed Taizen walking away without a single word.

"Hey, Squall," Seifer whispered as he nudged the SeeD Commander. "I think the big guy's got the right idea. What do you say we get out of here and leave these two alone?"

Squall, for the first time in a long time, found himself agreeing with his rival. With a single nod, he and Seifer led their respective troops towards the cavern exit and started walking the long walk back to the surface. Once they were finally alone, Cyrus broke off the kiss as he looked over his shoulder and said, "Finally! Thought they'd never get the hint."

"No kidding," Kyra agreed, her arms still around Cyrus's neck. "So, want to follow them?"

Cyrus shook his head as he smiled. "Nah. I'm good like this for a while. How about you?"

Kyra laughed. "I'm still pretty comfortable. But…be a good knight and come here."

"Whatever my lady wants," Cyrus replied as he leaned in closer. The two closed their eyes as their lips met in another kiss…

Two Weeks Later

Balamb Garden, now reattached to its docking platform, was in a state of jubilation. After spending the last couple of weeks wiping out the remaining Seraphim Society forces, helping Fury Caraway reestablish his presidency in Deling City, returning the majority of the Guardian Forces to their respective lairs, and destroying the last of the Alio Crystals, the SeeDs and SeeD cadets from all three Gardens had gathered together for an impromptu multi-Garden Festival.

Preparing to deliver a speech to the entire SeeD collective was Taizen Kouken in his SeeD uniform. Uncomfortable with the prospect of speaking in front of every SeeD and SeeD cadet in the Garden Alliance, Taizen nevertheless remained focused as he reviewed his talking points in his head while he was waiting behind the stage set up in the Quad.

"Hey, Taizen!" Quistis Trepe shouted from behind Taizen. The massive swordsman turned to face the chain whip specialist, who also was wearing her SeeD uniform.

"Instructor Trepe," Taizen acknowledge with a nod.

"You're looking good. Ready to deliver that stirring and charismatic speech?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Taizen said, somewhat unsurely. "Cyrus was usually the one who delivered the speeches in our little group."

"So I noticed," Quistis replied. "That Cyrus…even after killing the goddess Hyne herself, he's still the same slacker. He couldn't even bother to show up today."

"With all due respect, Instructor," Taizen interjected, "he had a previous engagement that required his full attention."

"What are you talking about?"

Taizen turned his back to Quistis, hiding the smile that threatened to show on his face. "Have you not noticed that Kyra is missing as well?"

Quistis, finally realizing what Taizen was alluding to, couldn't help but shake her head and laugh. Taizen, after hearing his name announced, straightened the creases out of his uniform as he started to walk out on stage.

"Cyrus owes you greatly for handling this speech for him," Alexander's voice boomed inside of Taizen's mind.

"Not really…but I will be sure to let him know what you said," Taizen mentally replied as he stepped onto the stage and was greeted by thunderous applause…

Meanwhile, a mile or so off the coast of Fisherman's Horizon, the Valeria floated gently in the calm, blue sea. Lying on the deck was a tanned Cyrus Ranto, wearing nothing but a pair of khaki shorts and sandals.

As he lied there, his mind drifted back to the events in the last two weeks: leading a SeeD task force to the Alio Ruins, collaborating with his father to scuttle Battleship Island, releasing Ifrit back into the Fire Cavern…

Cyrus sighed. It had been hard to let go of Ifrit, but the Demon Lord of Flames assured him that another SeeD cadet would need his strength more than Cyrus would and that Bahamut was a better fit as a GF for the scythe-wielder at this point in his development. Cyrus, accepting Ifrit's wisdom, released Ifrit and Diablos as Bahamut agreed to continue lending Cyrus his strength.

It had been much the same for Kyra and Taizen, as they returned their GFs to their respective lairs but kept their junctions with the Phoenix and Alexander. It was decided by the Garden Alliance that Cyrus and his friends were best suited to handle the massive power granted to them by the legendary Guardian Forces.

Cyrus wasn't about to argue. Especially since he had ruffled a few feathers by skipping out on the speech that Headmaster Cid had asked him to deliver at the Garden Festival…

"Thinking about something?" a familiar, sexy voice shouted from the back of the Valeria. Cyrus sat up as he saw Kyra walking up to him…wearing a very snug black bikini.

"No…no I am not thinking about anything at this particular moment," Cyrus blurted out as his eyes continued scanning Kyra over and over again.

"You really are incorrigible, hotshot," Kyra said with a chuckle as she sat down next to Cyrus. She then placed her hand on Cyrus's lap as she continued, "But seriously…are you having second thoughts about leaving Taizen to handle the crowds alone?"

"A little," Cyrus admitted, "but Taizen can handle it. Besides, this is the first chance you and I have had to be alone in two weeks. I'm not about to let some Garden party get between you and me."

Kyra nodded in agreement. "Well, right now there's nothing between you and me. Looks like you got what you wanted."

"'Never let the unimportant get between you and a good thing,'" Cyrus quipped.

"And what rule is that?" Kyra asked.

Cyrus leaned in and planted a quick kiss on Kyra's lips. "Don't know. I just made it up."

Both Cyrus and Kyra got a hearty laugh out of that as Kyra gently pushed Cyrus down on the deck and climbed on top of him. Her long, red hair cascaded down her shoulders as she leaned in and whispered, "I love you, Cyrus Ranto."

"And I love you, Kyra Vanguard," Cyrus replied. "Now, shut up and kiss me."

"With pleasure," Kyra replied as her lips met her knight's. The young sorceress laid on top of Cyrus as the two held onto one another, enjoying this moment to its fullest. In Cyrus's mind, whatever worries and concerns he had for the future…whatever machinations the heavens would try to impose on him…were pushed aside and rendered unimportant by two more potent truths:

He was in love with Kyra Vanguard, sorceress and all.

And he was a SeeD.

Author's Notes:

And thus this journey ends...hope it was good for all of you!

This was a bit of a challenge at times to finish, but I'm very happy with how it all turned out. And from your reviews, many of you were pleased with it as well!

As of today, this story has amassed 244 reviews, 7275 hits, 24 favorites, and 18 alerts. I am absolutely floored by the support the FanFiction community has shown me!

And as always, thanks to all the wonderful reviewers: the Duelist of Dawn, Hiiro Mizutani, BestInInfluence, Ally Todd, B-Boy Philosophy, Angel Avery, ExtremeuGamer, butcherthegirl, trevorami, noc, Onar, cloudfightback, ceedubya0275, pacificuser, Taeniaea, ZantokXIII, Kirie05, and Vicious Death. Thank you all for taking the time to review this story and for keeping me motivated.

Now, as I mentioned last chapter, you have until next week Sunday to vote in my poll. Your vote could determine what universe my next story will be written in. So, get off your asses and vote already!

It'll probably be a month or so before I actually start uploading my self-insert, so please be patient. I promise, your waiting will be rewarded!

And as always, please leave a review and honestly let me know if this story met your expectations.

See you all on the Long and Winding Road,

"The Exile" Cyrus Truth