To See Another Day Chapter 15
Interview with an Insane Wizard
By Kain Servant
Through Zidane’s eyes, the whole world was turning red. Blood ran down his hand where he had punctured his skin pushing the trance button. There was his wife, his loss, his mistake. And there was the man keeping him away from her.
It was Necron. He could feel the same pulsing wailing sensation coursing through his body as he had that day ten years ago on the Field of death. Like every despair that he had faced his whole life was trying to push its way out of his system. A gutwrenching urge to cry came over him, but he forced it down as quick as he could, crouching low, both daggers extended behind him.
“Necron!” Zidane screamed, flying through the air, “Prepare to die forever!”
The shriveled form of the man wheezed a laugh, “Oh, alright so this time you’re going to kill me a little bit better than last time, is that it? What are you planning to do, Zidane?” Necron clenched his fists, concentrating on a spell. “Watch my corpse? I am only a solution…falling into different vessels as I see fit. Are you aware of any method for killing spirits?”
He was vaguely aware of the words. Vaguely aware of everything except his Garnet, bound naked against a stone…fear and pain in her eyes. Her cries to him were very crisp, very clear…he could feel her pain coursing through his body, and it only served to feed his trance.
The building began to shake, stones shuddered from the great force of his energy. It was almost painful to hold but he couldn’t control himself, couldn’t stop anymore. He had to be part of the energy.
It was a few more moments before Kain crashed through the door, and Menoth came staggering in behind. Necron took a step backwards, raising his hands and spitting out a few foreign words.
Zidane felt a wall form before him and he stopped just before running straight into it. The barrier was strong, too strong to pass. But he should be able to pass anything! Angrily he searched for some way to dispel it.
“Too fast, Zidane. You’re going to burn yourself out.”
“Shutup! Just tell me if there is a way to get Garnet without kicking your ass!”
“Oh there’s no way you could beat me by yourself…and it doesn’t look like the rest of the posse is here…I expected those other people that annoyed me before. I wanted to kill all of you in one sweep. And Kuja too…or should I say Arteon? Whatever you call him now – where are they?”
“Where is Arteon?” Kain mumbled to Menoth, both eyes fixed in horror upon Garnet. Menoth just shrugged,
“I didn’t know I was supposed to be watching him.”
“I have the upper hand in this battle, Zidane. Why? Because I am working from a different source than you. You deal with the present…anger, love…’kicking asses’. I deal in fate. What is meant to be, that is all I do for the planet…I see the future, I tug on the strings, and everyone does exactly what was meant to happen, no matter if they like it or not.
“Such as Menoth here. He and his wonderful little Fa’al em Delamfar have been working my way ever since they left their orbits years ago. But poor Menoth here only sees the present…what his body desires now…and this way he had no clue who I am, nor what I am doing with his life.”
Menoth shook his head and looked down, murmuring to himself. Zidane simply snarled back, “That’s bullshit, you’re controlling no one, now give me Garnet or prepare to fight me…I don’t care how bad the odds are – I don’t believe in odds. I don’t believe in fate.”
“Your senses are delusioned because of the vast amount of trance power you are absorbing right now. You might be able to defeat me if you weren’t holding so much – but as you are now, you won’t be able to focus enough for one attack. You are blind, Zidane. Just open your eyes.”
“Blind?” Zidane laughed and closed his eyes, “No. Garland told me I was soulless…but if I had no soul could I love? Would I be doing this all for the passion that cries from the place my soul should be? What am I living for? For you?” Slowly his eyes opened again…clearer, calmer. “So I’m blind, formless and soulless? Remind me not to listen so much to other people’s opinions. Give me my wife!”
“It was not meant to be, Zidane. As you witness the events that will transpire on this day, the day will begin Gaia’s downward spiral…know that nothing could have been changed by you – even if you are so powerful…the most powerful man in the world – it means nothing when you face the greatest force in the world. The force that gave me immortality when I embraced it.”
“I…” Zidane’s eyes turned from Necron back to Garnet – her eyes watching him, tears welling around the edges. She was his life. And he would claim her, no matter what Necron said.
“Shutup!” He screamed, slashing forward with all the force he could pour. The shield broke and he tumbled past it – falling on the ground before Garnet.
Necron took a few more steps back, flourishing with his hand, a knowing smile on his face. “Take her, it makes no difference now. It will make your demise all the more enjoyable for me.”
Another flourish, and the manacles that held Garnet’s wrists and ankles vanished, and she tumbled into a heap on the ground next to Zidane.