Second Comin part 4 Believe in Miracles ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the city of Vector a large flock of crows converges and begins to circle around the tower. Kefka stands on the balcony. Kefka: Taunt me all you like. You can't change the destiny of the empire. Jessie: The crows are gathering. The still earthbound souls of everyone you've killed. They have come for justice. They're turning aginst you Kefka. You're going to die. Kekfa: Let Leo come, and his bird too. I welcome them. Outside Leo stands at the gates. He looks to the streets behind him where the flag of the returners is just becoming visable at the front of a massive troop. He grasps his sword. Leo: I can feel your pain. The sadness inside you brother. The chaos tearing you apart. I will release you. Leo enters. Waiting for him is an unrecognized warrior. He wears steel claws on his hands. Vargus: My name is Vargus. I was sent by master Kefka to entertain you. Leo: This doesn't concearn you. Get out of the way and no harm will come to you. Vargus: Are you that afraid to die? Stop begging and go out with some dignity. Leo: I'm not afraid of death. I've already been there. But you should be. Vargus: Whatever. Vargus charges Leo. Leo ducks out of the way and buries his elbow in vargus's back, knocking him flat on his face. Leo places his foot on the back of Vargus's head and points his sword at him. Leo: Get up. Go home. Vargus: You're so arogant. I was just warming up. Killing men like you si my greatest pleasure in life.(Rolls out of Leo's grasp and springs to his feet.) Leo: Killing a man like me? But what do you do when a man is no longer a man. Vargus: What? Enough of your headgames. Fight me already! Vargus renews his attack with a flying kick which Leo grabs and uses to put Vargus to the floor. Vargus while still down tires a leg sweet but Leo jumps over coming back downs on Vargus's shins. The crack of bone resounds. Vargus: AAAAAAAGH! Impossible! I can't lose to any human being! What the Hell are you! Leo: Hell is exactly what I am. Leo kicks Vargus across the floor. Leo ascends the tower. Soldiers try to stop him but are quickly cut down. at the base of the stairwell the returners have arrived. Edgar is in the lead. In front of him several dead soldiers are dropping from above. Edgar: Looks like someone beat us here. What kind of demon was set loose up there? Leo finally arrives in the throne room. Jessie is tied to the throne. She is unconcious and badly bruised. Leo comes up to her and shakes her a bit trying to awaken her. Leo: Jessie.....Jessie wake up. There is no response. Leo: Dammit Jessie, don't you die on me! Wake up! It's me, Leo! Come on, wake up! Damn! Okay Leo get a grip. What was it Cid said about recussitating someone. Press against the heart, so and so repititions. Leo tries desperately to rivive Jessie. Leo: What else? Air she needs air. (stops to realize that he isn't even breathing himself, and hasn't been since he came back. Then forces a deep breath) Leo Gives Jessie a deep breath. He tries again several times. Finally Jessie starts to cough. Jessie: L...Leo. Leo: I thought you were..... Jessie: So did I. Kefka Really did a number on me. Leo: It's okay. That's all over now. Kefka will get his soon enough. (Edgar enters) Edgar: Nobody move! Leo: It's okay, were not Imperial. Edgar: Then what the Hell are you doing here? This place is a battle zone. Get out of here. Leo: No, I still have unsettled business here. Edgar: Well go get yorself killed if you're that set on it. But have you seen Emperor Palazo? Jessie: I think I saw him heading for the roof. Leo: Give it a minute, okay. He can't go anywhere from there. I want to do this myself. Edgar:(sarcasticly) Yeah, why not let some ameture take on Kefka and give him a chance to escape. Jessie: Don't you know who this is? This is general Leo. Edgar: What? General Leo on our side? Well you look enough like him. Alright, you've got ten minutes. Leo: Thanks. Now one more favour. Take her, and get her to a doctor. She's hurt pretty badly. Edgar: Will do. Locke! Locke: (aproaches) Yes? Edgar: Get that girl to a doctor and fast. Edgar has turns around. Leo is already gone. Edgar: Good luck General. Leo scales the wall. The crow lands on the roof ahead of him. Kefka: Hello winged demon.(pulls a gun) and goodbye! (Shoots the crow down) Leo falls from the wall and hits the balcony. Edgar: He failed. Soldiers, move out! Edgar and as many soldiers as can fit crowd on to the balcony and take aim at Kefka. Several Bullest wiz by Kefka without hitting him. Finally a few rounds strike him. Kefka hunches over. He then stands back up. his eyes seem to glow. Kefka: Heh heh heh. You don't understand do you? Very well then. Feel the true power of the Jester. Kefka leaps back onto the balcony. The soldiers scatter. Edgar holds his ground and pumps several rounds, at point blank range, into Kefka. Kefka simply sneers and backhands Edgar with enough force to knock him back inside and against the opposite wall. He then turns his attention to Leo. Kefka: You see I knew the crow would come for me. That's why many years ago I prepared. I took full controll of this body from that weakling and embued it with my imortal power. You see I am what is called a snake. I am the nemesis of the crow. All I needed was a dark spirit to allow for my return. And you, how will you fight without your precious crow? You're just a man now. Leo: (pulls himself to his feet) Just a man.......but still a man. Kefka: All very good and heroic. Just the way your brother fought to keep me at bay. But in the end he gave way. Just as you will. A large constrictor snake crawls out of the rafters. It coils up at Kefka's feet. Leo: Kefka......brother..... Kefka: Kefka is gone now. Only the Jester remains.(Begins to choke Leo) Leo loses conciousness. Elsewhere Locke is escorting Jessie out of the tower. Jessie: Wait! I have to go back! Leo needs me. Locke attempst to restrain her but Jessie Breaks free and runs back up the tower. Kefka releases his strangle hold satisfied that Leo is dead. Leo lies motionless. Then hears a voice. The voice of his brother Kefka. Kefka's voice: Please...brother. Get up. You have to help me. So that my soul may rest. you have to help everyone here. Leo sees numerous people, many children, others old. many civilians and some soldiers. Banon also is there. Even Vicks and Sigfreid. Kefka's voice: Please, destroy the Jester. He feeds off of our pain. The more people he kills the stronger he becomes. Leo: I can't. I have no more power. Kefka's voice: Then we will be your power. Jessie enters the room. Jester: You? What do you think you can do? Jessie: (Lifts handgun) I said you would be surprized with how well I could handle a gun and now I'm going to show you. Jester: You would fight me even with all of your injuries? How brave. How heroic. How utterly stupid. The Jester slowly walks toward Jessie as she fires round after round into him. Finally the sound of gunfire gives way to clicking. Jester: You're empty. (Takes the Gun from Jessie) Jessie reaches over and takes Kefka's sword. Jester: And just what do you plan to do with that? Do you think you can kill me. Jessie stabs The Jester and pushes him back planting the sword's tip into the wall. The Jester reaches into his coat and takes out a gun. Jester: I've had enough of you girl! Leo awakens he rushes to attack the snake. It wraps its self aroung Leo's neck. Leo tries to pry it off but its grip is too strong. Leo steps back to the balcony. He looks down, then looks back to Jessie. He makes his decision. Leo: Goodbye Jessie. Leo Throws himself from the balcony taking the snake with him. Inside The Jester is ready to fire. An instant before he pulls the trigger he feels the pain of the sword still in his chest. Jester: AAAGH! My snake! Damn you! You distracted me. If I die, I'm taking you with me! The Jester fires. The crows above the tower swoop in. The bullet halts right in front of Jessie. Then drops to the floor. The crows swarm around The Jester untill his form disapears among the black feathers. The flock then departs for the sky. Locke catches up to Jessie. Locke: There you are. That was dangerous. Wait.....Where's Kefka? Edgar:(comes to) Kefka? Jessie: Gone. So is Leo. Locke: Come on. The rest of Kefka's forces have been rounded up. Most of them surrendered without a fight. This war is over. Jessie and the Returners leave the tower. As they leave Jessie stops to take one last look. Leo is nowhere to be seen. Jessie: Goodbye, Leo. ---------------------------Epilouge------------------------------------------------------------- Jessie: I'm the only one left to tell the story now. Leo and Kekfa along with all the other victims of the Jester could now rest in peace. I suppose in trying to understand the crow, that all this time, I was trying to understand myself. And now that I think of it, the crow isn't really about death, but rather about life. It helps us to realize how precious each of our lives is. And that people aren't really dead when they die. And that sometimes.....love is stronger than death. --------------------------------------END------------------------------------------------------- (medical note: CPR can be used in any situation where the heart and/or breathing stops. Though please don't try it if you are as unsure about it as Leo was.) I hope the ending was good enough. Since I have to be very careful writing a crow fic to get it to come out just right it is usually a very involved process. You can try it, but I'm not getting into another one. If you like the idea I'd like to see what you can come up with. Or if you just want to give me your opinion you can Email me at fragraham@mail.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------