Post by Monika on Feb 12, 2009 22:13:34 GMT -5
Chapter One: Recurring Nightmare
"...You had the power to stop this, Riah." came a voice thick with experience, wisdom, and condescension. It was pitch black and virtually silent; the only thing that could be heard were the voice and occasional muffled screams of objection.
"No...Your demands were too unreasonable...I-I couldn't..." panted another voice in response. This one sounded young, as of an adolescent. It was frantic and choppy, befitting of an exceptionally nervous person.
"Do you not care for her...This 'Liline' character meant nothing to you in your times of companionship, Riah?" replied the aged, wise voice. His words were arranged in a way of taunting; he was trying to psychologically tamper with his opponent, Riah.
"The name's Zack...And Liline meant everything to me! I...I" Zack trailed off in thought, unable to complete the sentence. More muffled sounds of objection could be heard in the distance.
Suddenly, light penetrated the depths of the pitch black area. The illuminated realm revealed the source of the aged voice: It was a man, tall and peculiarly thin. He wore a long gray robe, a red stripe down the center. He had long, equally gray hair that fell to his waist and his beard fell to his neck. It was clear he hadn't shaved in quite a while, either by choice or by inability. His face was virtually flawless: Aged yet stunning, few wrinkles, and no blemishes. His face bore an expression of graveness and sadism; it was as if he was mocking Zack with his facial expression alone.
Zack was slightly shorter than the old, gray clad man. He had dark, short black hair that often covered his eyes. His skin was almost equally flawless and a light tan in color. He wore average pedestrian clothes: blue jeans, black t-shirt, tennis shoes, and a silver Rolex. The only thing strange about him was his stereotypical weapon. It was a standard silver sword, adorned with a few characters but aside from that fairly normal. It was sheathed to his left side as he stared at the old man with fear.
"What is it? You mean to tell me you hate the girl? You want her to die?" hissed the old man with false sympathy. His voice was growing darker by the second. From within his gray robe he produced a beautifully carved, ornately decorated staff that was equal in height. It was made of what appeared to be acacia tree wood with a cobra shaped head at the top. The eyes of the cobra burned strangely with intensity. With the staff the old man pointed toward the depths where more muffled screams could be heard. Their source could be clearly seen now. The source was a young woman, almost as tall and as old as Zack. He hair was a dark brown that fell to her shoulders, tightly attached to her pale skin by means of a rope which constricted her movement. Duct tape covered her mouth, conveying the reason of her muffled screams. She lie in a fetal position, crying toward her captor through the tape.
"I-I lo-" Zack still couldn't finish his sentence. The word wouldn't escape his lips. His voice shook as he repeatedly tried to tell the man what he had attempted to say.
"All I asked was you bring me the Ultima Weapon...The CGB, Riah. Was that so much to ask?" the man spat in disgust, pointing his staff toward Zack in contempt.
"No...I...I couldn't! You would kill all of-" Zack couldn't help but nearly choke over the Liline's crying and screams of protest.
"So I would've gained a bit of power...It's not that big of a deal." The man laughed following the sentence, a deep, slightly hoarse laugh that echoed throughout the area. The smirk fell from his face quickly as he donned his grave expression to continue. "But no. You care more about the foolish population than little Liline." he said, disappointed and very angry with Zack's decision.
"I...I lov...But I couldn't..." Zack remained in his stupor of unintelligible gibberish, allowing the aged man to continue.
"Save it, Boy. You had your chance and you failed. As promised, I bring to you the consequence. Grand Cross!" the man yelled. The ground trembled violently as he raised his staff into the air. Several feet away from him a massive cross appeared. He motioned his staff from Liline to the cross, transporting her across the realm directly in front of the large crucifix.
He outstretched his staff, muttering a word that sent her flying directly into the cross. Golden shackles appeared, binding her in place to where she lie on the cross.
"NO! You can't! I love-"
"SILENCE! I've had enough out of you, Boy. If you had brought me the Gunblade, this could have been over. You and your precious girl could have been on your merry way and I could have been this world's RULER! BUT NO! YOU WILL PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE!" the man yelled. His nostrils flared as various veins in his face became visible from his anger. "It's judgment time! Millibaldos-Thousand Blades!" the man exclaimed in rage. He slid his staff across the air about 100 inches, 10 blades appearing for every inch he crossed. Zack gasped in horror as he realized what was happening. Liline now lie strapped to a cross, a thousand blades facing directly toward her.
"Please...Don't..." Zack said, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Ah, you're right. Perhaps I should give her some last words?" snickered the aged man. The duct tape disappeared from her mouth as she stared at the two, glancing from Zack to the aged man to Zack again.
"I suggest you not waste your words on pathetic insults, little Liline. Your time is nigh." laughed the man. During this time his robe had slowly shifted from gray to a light, dull black.
"Fine." Liline said assertively. She was confident that she was going to survive and her sentiments spilled over into her voice. "Zack, you have meant a lot to me these past years. All of our times together were very special...Even if I leave this Earth now, I will still be with you. Remember, I love y-" Liline stopped abruptly as her head fell forward, staring toward the ground. The thousand swords that had been several feet in front of her were now buried deep through her stomach, chest, legs, arms, and neck.
"Woops...Clumsy me!" said the man in a mock apology. His fake apology slowly evolved into laughter as he went maniacal with blood lust. His light black robe was now completely black, as dark as the realm they were in had been earlier.
Zack was speechless. He had just witnessed Liline's death right before his eyes at the hands of a mysterious man he barely knew. His face broke out in a stream of tears as he collapsed upon the ground at the man's feet, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Ha ha ha...Let this be a lesson to you, little 'Zack'. Never, under ANY circumstances, cross the Observer..." and with those words the man departed, leaving Zack to wallow in pity and despair.
"...You had the power to stop this, Riah." came a voice thick with experience, wisdom, and condescension. It was pitch black and virtually silent; the only thing that could be heard were the voice and occasional muffled screams of objection.
"No...Your demands were too unreasonable...I-I couldn't..." panted another voice in response. This one sounded young, as of an adolescent. It was frantic and choppy, befitting of an exceptionally nervous person.
"Do you not care for her...This 'Liline' character meant nothing to you in your times of companionship, Riah?" replied the aged, wise voice. His words were arranged in a way of taunting; he was trying to psychologically tamper with his opponent, Riah.
"The name's Zack...And Liline meant everything to me! I...I" Zack trailed off in thought, unable to complete the sentence. More muffled sounds of objection could be heard in the distance.
Suddenly, light penetrated the depths of the pitch black area. The illuminated realm revealed the source of the aged voice: It was a man, tall and peculiarly thin. He wore a long gray robe, a red stripe down the center. He had long, equally gray hair that fell to his waist and his beard fell to his neck. It was clear he hadn't shaved in quite a while, either by choice or by inability. His face was virtually flawless: Aged yet stunning, few wrinkles, and no blemishes. His face bore an expression of graveness and sadism; it was as if he was mocking Zack with his facial expression alone.
Zack was slightly shorter than the old, gray clad man. He had dark, short black hair that often covered his eyes. His skin was almost equally flawless and a light tan in color. He wore average pedestrian clothes: blue jeans, black t-shirt, tennis shoes, and a silver Rolex. The only thing strange about him was his stereotypical weapon. It was a standard silver sword, adorned with a few characters but aside from that fairly normal. It was sheathed to his left side as he stared at the old man with fear.
"What is it? You mean to tell me you hate the girl? You want her to die?" hissed the old man with false sympathy. His voice was growing darker by the second. From within his gray robe he produced a beautifully carved, ornately decorated staff that was equal in height. It was made of what appeared to be acacia tree wood with a cobra shaped head at the top. The eyes of the cobra burned strangely with intensity. With the staff the old man pointed toward the depths where more muffled screams could be heard. Their source could be clearly seen now. The source was a young woman, almost as tall and as old as Zack. He hair was a dark brown that fell to her shoulders, tightly attached to her pale skin by means of a rope which constricted her movement. Duct tape covered her mouth, conveying the reason of her muffled screams. She lie in a fetal position, crying toward her captor through the tape.
"I-I lo-" Zack still couldn't finish his sentence. The word wouldn't escape his lips. His voice shook as he repeatedly tried to tell the man what he had attempted to say.
"All I asked was you bring me the Ultima Weapon...The CGB, Riah. Was that so much to ask?" the man spat in disgust, pointing his staff toward Zack in contempt.
"No...I...I couldn't! You would kill all of-" Zack couldn't help but nearly choke over the Liline's crying and screams of protest.
"So I would've gained a bit of power...It's not that big of a deal." The man laughed following the sentence, a deep, slightly hoarse laugh that echoed throughout the area. The smirk fell from his face quickly as he donned his grave expression to continue. "But no. You care more about the foolish population than little Liline." he said, disappointed and very angry with Zack's decision.
"I...I lov...But I couldn't..." Zack remained in his stupor of unintelligible gibberish, allowing the aged man to continue.
"Save it, Boy. You had your chance and you failed. As promised, I bring to you the consequence. Grand Cross!" the man yelled. The ground trembled violently as he raised his staff into the air. Several feet away from him a massive cross appeared. He motioned his staff from Liline to the cross, transporting her across the realm directly in front of the large crucifix.
He outstretched his staff, muttering a word that sent her flying directly into the cross. Golden shackles appeared, binding her in place to where she lie on the cross.
"NO! You can't! I love-"
"SILENCE! I've had enough out of you, Boy. If you had brought me the Gunblade, this could have been over. You and your precious girl could have been on your merry way and I could have been this world's RULER! BUT NO! YOU WILL PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE!" the man yelled. His nostrils flared as various veins in his face became visible from his anger. "It's judgment time! Millibaldos-Thousand Blades!" the man exclaimed in rage. He slid his staff across the air about 100 inches, 10 blades appearing for every inch he crossed. Zack gasped in horror as he realized what was happening. Liline now lie strapped to a cross, a thousand blades facing directly toward her.
"Please...Don't..." Zack said, tears welling up in his eyes.
"Ah, you're right. Perhaps I should give her some last words?" snickered the aged man. The duct tape disappeared from her mouth as she stared at the two, glancing from Zack to the aged man to Zack again.
"I suggest you not waste your words on pathetic insults, little Liline. Your time is nigh." laughed the man. During this time his robe had slowly shifted from gray to a light, dull black.
"Fine." Liline said assertively. She was confident that she was going to survive and her sentiments spilled over into her voice. "Zack, you have meant a lot to me these past years. All of our times together were very special...Even if I leave this Earth now, I will still be with you. Remember, I love y-" Liline stopped abruptly as her head fell forward, staring toward the ground. The thousand swords that had been several feet in front of her were now buried deep through her stomach, chest, legs, arms, and neck.
"Woops...Clumsy me!" said the man in a mock apology. His fake apology slowly evolved into laughter as he went maniacal with blood lust. His light black robe was now completely black, as dark as the realm they were in had been earlier.
Zack was speechless. He had just witnessed Liline's death right before his eyes at the hands of a mysterious man he barely knew. His face broke out in a stream of tears as he collapsed upon the ground at the man's feet, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Ha ha ha...Let this be a lesson to you, little 'Zack'. Never, under ANY circumstances, cross the Observer..." and with those words the man departed, leaving Zack to wallow in pity and despair.