Final Fantasy: Merging Journeys
By: Matthew handy
New Character
Name: Raven Ebony
Age: 19
Blood type: A-
Job: Unemployed
Weapon of Choice: Blade
GF of Choice: None. Doesn't trust them.
Ultimate Limit Break?: Psychic Blade (Raven forces all his energy into his weapon and then delivers several devastating slashes followed by a blast of psychic energy)
Bio: Almost as anti-social as Squall. However, Raven is more likely to laugh at something that bothers him. Raven is tough, but overly impulsive and it often gets him in trouble. He was once a mercenary for hire, but abruptly ended his successful career after he lost a loved one to the Galbadian Army.
Quote: "There's a bounty on your head and I'm low on cash!"
Prologue:
I ran and didn't look back.
"C'mon Squall!" called a voice, "We just wanna…talk!" It was Zell; I took no heed.
I knew they didn't want to 'talk'. Even my friends. Why didn't they believe me?
I couldn't stay to find out. I couldn't do anything from the wrong side of a jail cell. So I ran. I ran long after my breath left me and still after my chest felt as if it would burst. The landscape was a blur, but still I couldn't stop.
A primal rage filled my heart, an anger that sought to be quenched. Quenched with the blood of the one who had done this…quenched with the tears that would not come.
The voices of the others slowly faded. I realized that I was no longer in the Garden. I slowed - finally coming to a stop – and let out a scream into the darkness. For the first time I allowed myself to think – to ponder on what had happened.
Why! Rinoa, why did you have to die?
Part One
Chapter 1: Fugitive
Day finally broke. A few sullen rays of sunlight peaked over the horizon.
Squall slowly opened his eyes. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, but exhaustion had claimed its victim.
At the edge of a field near Balamb, the lone wolf had found shelter at the entrance of a forest.
Though now that the sun was up, he would have to get moving again. Maybe he could catch a train in Balamb and head to Timber. From there he could…he could…what? What could he do? Nothing yet, and nothing if he got caught.
I'll be here... He promised. Squall looked up. Rinoa...who killed you? Who could have done this? He gritted his teeth; no answers would come.
Standing, Squall began to head for toward Balamb. Hopefully he would get there before the news did.
News! Ha! If he hadn't been so miserable, Squall would have laughed. Maybe anyway. What had happened? Squall tried to remember back to the night before. He and Rinoa had had an argument, but things hadn't gotten out of hand. He had to figure things out…
***
"Please Squall," chided Rinoa, "You never want to do anything! C'mon, they barely ever have parties at the Garden anymore. Let's take advantage of this one and have a night out."
She walked up to Squall and wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his chest. "C'mon," she softly repeated, her voice bordered on coyness.
Squall sighed. He could never refuse her when she did that and she knew it. He returned the embrace and said, "Ok, I'll go."
It was three months since their last adventure – since the defeat of the sorceress, Ultimecia. Three months since Rinoa had come into Squall's life. Many things had happened since then. The world seemed to be getting back to its normal routine and a shaky peace had settled over the land. The Garden had repositioned itself near Balamb, but was yet to settle back to its old spot. It probably never would; having the Garden mobile could be quite an asset.
"Really? All right!" Rinoa's expression was one of pure joy, but that mischievous tone told him that she probably had something planned.
Squall had a feeling that this was going to be a long night.
***
As he entered Balamb, Squall looked around
And breathed a sigh of relief. No one found
His presence there unusual. Before
Him, Squall found the train station and only door
Off this forsaken Island Continent.
The sooner I get out of here the better, thought Squall.
He soon began to make his way the small harbor town until he was at the entrance of the station, his ticket out of there. Squall was about to enter too, when he heard someone call his name.
Tentatively, he reached for his gunblade, but found that it wasn't in its holster. He'd been in such a rush to get out the night before that he had neglected to take it with him…not that he had wanted to take it from where it had been.
"Squall!" This time he recognized the voice. It was Quistis. Squall turned to see her moving toward him. Perhaps she was coming to arrest him, but if she was, why was she alone, and why was she carrying his gunblade with her.
She refused to look him in the eyes at first. Squall saw that her own eyes were pained and full of strife. "I cleaned it off for you," she said softly. It seemed to be all that she could think of to say. Quistis stopped a few feet short of Squall and held out his weapon.
"Why did you come?" asked Squall. He was still somewhat suspicious. Still though, he accepted and took the gunblade.
"Because I believe you," the former instructor stated, "I think I understand you well enough to know that you wouldn't do…that to her."
She looked up at him, and their eyes met for the first time, "What will you do?" she asked at last.
Squall looked away, suddenly feeling uncomfortable, "I don't know. I suppose I'll lie low for awhile," his eyes narrowed, "and then I'll find out who did that to Rinoa and make him pay!" Squall suddenly realized that he was clenching his fists. After forcing himself to relax, he holstered his weapon.
"Let me come with you," suggested Quistis.
"No," the answer was automatic. Squall shook his head, "It would be too dangerous. And besides, I don't want you to get involved. Not in this. You would probably be counted as an accessory and loose your position in SeeD." Squall looked to Quistis, she seemed to be on the verge of tears and that was the last thing he wanted, "Listen," he encouraged, "You stay and find out what you can here. I'll contact you later, ok?"
The girl nodded but said, "Why did this happen?" She seemed to be looking for some kind of comfort from him; comfort that he didn't have and he could not give.
"I've asked myself the same question," he replied after a moment, "I haven't found the answer yet."
Quistis turned her back to him, "I know," she seemed lost. She and Rinoa had become good friends. This had probably hit her almost as hard as it had him.
A long silence pervaded the air. Neither of them wanting to be the first to speak. Finally though, Quistis broke the empty calmness and said, "You'd better get going. You'll miss the train."
That wasn't what she wanted to say and Squall knew it. Still, he could only stammer out, "Right…" With that, he turned and began to walk away. "Goodbye, Quistis." He knew it would probably be a while before they would see each other again.
"Goodbye, Squall," she simply returned the farewell, understanding what Squall meant. After all, as a fugitive, Squall would probably be on the run.
Quistis left slowly, and Squall knew that perhaps he had seen her for the last time.
***
Squall paid for his ticket and entered the train. He knew it would be too risky to use the SeeD car, so he settled into one of the rear compartments. Fortunately, the train wasn't all that full and he got a room all to himself. He didn't really want to sit with anyone anyway, so that was a blessing.
He removed his holster and set it and his gunblade on the seat next to him. Slumping down in the seat, Squall suddenly began to feel quite tired again…
The night before…when had it all gone wrong? It probably had to be about midway through the evening when…
***
… "Rinoa don't you think we should go?" It was early yet, but Squall was eager to leave. The party was nice and all, but he'd have enjoyed a quiet night alone with Rinoa even more.
"Oh, just a little while longer," pleaded Rinoa, "Hey!" Rinoa's ears seemed to perk up as she listened to the band start up again, "They're playing another song. Let's go dance." She took a sip of her drink and grabbed his hand.
"Alright," replied Squall. He allowed himself a small smile for her benefit. They stood and went back to the dance floor.
It wasn't until a half an hour later that the two sat down again. Rinoa yawned; it looked as if she was beginning to tire.
"You look exhausted," observed Squall, "Do you want to…"
"No!" she interrupted. She looked at him with suddenly flush with anger. She let out an exasperated breath, "Is that all you care about? You just want to get the Hell out of here is that it?"
Where had that come from? Suddenly it didn't seem like Rinoa at all. All he could do was give her a perplexed look at her sudden burst of resentment. She downed her glass of wine and stood.
The normally cheerful girl gave him a look that she normally reserved for someone she hated, "You wanna go Squall? Fine! I'm outta here too! Thanks for the lovely evening!" With that she stormed out of the ballroom. The last he saw of her was the train of her sunshine-yellow dress as it slid from view.
For a moment Squall just sat there with a dumbfounded look on his face. For the life of him, he couldn't understand what had provoked Rinoa to act like that. Quickly regaining his composure though, Squall stood as well. Fortunately, the music had been loud enough to drown out most of Rinoa's heated, one-sided conversation. He himself didn't understand what had happened so he was glad that he wouldn't have to explain it to anyone else.
"Hey Squall!" he'd spoken too soon. Squall turned to see Selphie coming up with Irvine close in tow. "What was that all about?" asked Irvine. He held his hands up for emphasis.
This immediately was followed by a sharp poke to the ribs by Selphie, "You are so insensitive!" she complained. This was followed by some grumbling. Then she said, "Rinoa looked mad. What was that all about?"
Squall looked at the door that Rinoa had made he abrupt exit through. "I don't know."
Chapter 2: Where Magic Died
"Come on, kids!" called the young woman. Standing on a near-grassless hill, she looked out to where the children were playing. They seemed so happy, without a care in the world.
The wind blew, causing her long hair to blow wildly into her face. Terra pushed her green locks back, only to have them whip into her face again.
She smiled. The young woman had spent two and a half years watching over the children of Mobliz, and it had been more than a year since the defeat of Kefka, but she never tired of being with them. It was as it she had grown to be the mother of those dozen children…they were her children now.
"Coming Terra!" she heard one of the children call. It was Colleen, a spunky fifteen year old who took care of the other children if Terra ever had to leave for supplies. She came running up the hill, the other's not far behind.
When they got to her, Terra said, "It's getting dark. I want everyone to go inside where it's safer."
There was a chorus of whines, but then Colleen spoke up again, "Alright. Are you going to be alright, Terra?"
"Of course," Terra assured. She had already explained that she was going to go to Thamasa to get supplies. They had been short on medical herbs and potions for some time now, and were in danger of running out soon. Thamasa seemed like the ideal place to get more. "Don't worry, I got a hold of some of my friends and they said that they would give me a lift," she smiled again, trying to instill some confidence into the other children.
One by one, they went off towards the house, but Colleen stayed behind.
For a moment, neither she nor Terra said a word. But Terra broke the silence saying, "I'll be fine, really." She hugged the girl, "I know that you worry about me, but I promise I'll come back."
Colleen nodded, and took a step back. "I know," she replied. She turned and ran up to the house.
***
The next morning Terra bid her children farewell. Even with her less than keen hearing, she could tell Setzer's airship when she heard it.
She knew the fastest way to get anywhere these days was by airship, but still, it was times like these that Terra yearned to have her Esper powers back. With them, she could morph and fly to the next town and back in a matter of hours.
As it was, it would take about a day and a half until she could be back to Mobliz…although that was still better than walking.
Terra sighed.
She really hated to leave her children, but she couldn't think of that now. She would be back after all.
***
As the roaring engines ceased, Terra approached Setzer's airship and smiled slightly. The silver-haired pilot peaked over the edge and greeted her warmly. A moment later another man looked down at her.
She never would have expected to see him there. Not for her anyway. His kingdom had always been his first passion. The blond haired King waved to her and then threw down a rope ladder.
"Edgar," Terra called excitedly as she climbed, "What are you doing here?"
Edgar waved. Then when she was near the top of the ladder, he helped her aboard. "I needed some fresh air," he finally responded, "That drafty old castle of mine can be so boring compared to the skies…" he paused and smiled, "Or so Setzer tells me."
Terra looked to Setzer and he said, "I stopped over at Figaro castle to refuel, and he was so delighted that I was coming to see you that he practically begged me to take him with me."
Edgar flushed slightly, but said nothing.
Terra smiled inwardly. Probably to have another shot at the only woman that could resist his charm, Terra thought. Truthfully though, he had never really tried to romance her. Flirt, yes. But never a whole hearted attempt to win her affections. And though she probably never would have given him the time of day, Terra mused, she felt the smallest tinge of jealousy that he never tried.
…Not that she'd ever show it.
The love of her children was all she ever felt she needed. Romance was a luxury that she could do without…
"I'm sure he did," Terra finally responded. Shaking herself from her thoughts she walked to the center of the Falcon's bridge.
Setzer looked at Edgar and smirked, but said, "We'll be under way as soon as you're ready Terra."
Terra sighed, "The sooner the better," she told him, "I want to get this supply run over as soon a possible so I can get back.
Chapter 3: Wings of the Black Bird
"Now approaching Timber," called a voice over the p.a. system "One minute until arrival."
Squall looked up. Had he fallen asleep? What time was it? Whatever. As long as he got to Timber it didn't really matter. He looked sullenly at the door and then began to gather up his things. Lastly, he re-attached his gunblade to his belt.
Standing, Squall opened the door and walked out. He actually half expected the train security to be waiting for him, but the halls were empty save the others who were preparing to leave. He breathed a sigh of relief.
The train came to a stop and the anxious man quickly made his way to the nearest exit.
Squall looked out into Timber. Things really hadn't changed that much since the forest town had been liberated. In truth, there were a few differences. Most noticeably of which was that there were no more Galbadian soldiers occupying the city. In general, the place looked cleaner and brighter. Most of the buildings still looked run down, although a few of them had a new coat of paint slapped on them.
Really, it was a cheerful and disheartening sight. Squall only wished that he could let himself be caught up in the moment. But he couldn't.
Stepping away from the station, Squall noticed a television in a shop window. What was surprising about it was that there was a picture of Balamb Garden on it. He quickly headed toward the back alleys. He definitely didn't want to be seen here, and he knew that that news cast had been about him. Now Timber, if not the whole world would be on the look out for him. Squall grunted in annoyance at the idea. Not exactly his idea of a good time.
***
Two eyes focused on Squall as he made his way through the alleys. From the top of a building, a man watched as the fugitive quickly moved, thinking that no one had seen him.
Well he's in for a surprise, the man thought as he ran his fingers through his strawberry-blond hair, things are looking up. The man checked his equipment; his sword was still firmly attached to its magnetic sheath. He smiled to himself and began to follow squall, hopping silently from rooftop to rooftop.
***
Squall finally made his way to the edge of Timber. The great expanse before him was quite breath taking. But where should he go now? Perhaps Dollet or Deling City…no, that would accomplish nothing. With their levels of technology, they would have heard of what happened by now and would be on the lookout. Then maybe Fisherman's Horizon. Squall remembered that the transcontinental bridge was not far from Timber. And with that towns limited technology, it would be easy to hide out there for quite awhile without any news getting to the place.
That's where he would head then. It was a good ten miles to the coast so he knew it would be dark before he made it to the old abandoned bridge.
Just then, Squall thought he heard he heard a noise behind him. He looked, but saw nothing but a stray cat. Squall shook his head and smiled a small smile. He couldn't jump at every noise he heard. He had to calm down some.
So Squall began his trek. He hoped to make good time so that he wouldn't be out in the open for too long.
Five minutes later, Squall looked up. The sun was still high in the sky. He shaded his eyes from the bright light. If he could keep up the same pace all day, he would make it to the coast by sundown.
Suddenly, Squall heard another noise and this time he was sure he heard it. It sounded like a boot hitting the ground. He spun sharply around to see a man not ten feet away from him.
The man was about his height, probably about 5' 8". He had strawberry-blond hair that was slicked back. His eyes were blue, but seemed to have a strange violet hue to them. This man wore a black leather jacket similar to Squall's, but was wearing a black shirt under it. His choice of weapons was quite different too; on his back was a large flat bladed, double-edged sword. It had to be a good meter in length. The sword appeared to be strapped to the man's back in some fashion.
The blond man smiled at him, "So you're the Squall Leonhart." It wasn't even a question. Whoever this guy was knew him pretty well.
"And who are you?" questioned Squall.
"Name's Raven. Raven Ebony. I've come to you because there seems to be a little problem."
"And what would that be?" asked Squall skeptically. He was sure he wouldn't like the answer."
"Quite simply," stated Raven, "There's a bounty on your head and I'm low on cash!"
With that, Raven drew his sword and bullishly charged at Squall with all the strength he could muster. But Squall knew that he could use his impatience against him though and clip this over-sized crow's wings.
Squall un-sheathed his gunblade, side-stepped, and easily parried the attack. Then, he spun around and slammed the blunt side of his weapon into the aggressor's stomach.
Raven doubled over and exhaled sharply, stumbling to the ground. Though he quickly rolled forward and stood again. Holding his blade like a shield, Raven backed off to lick his wounds. "Not bad," he commented, "But not good enough." For a moment, a burst of light surrounded Raven signifying that he had just reached his limit break. Like a carnivorous bird about to corner its prey, Raven called out, "Blade Beam!" and before Squall could react, the man held out his sword in front of him. A surge of white light streamed from it and hit Squall so hard that it flung him to the ground, knocking the wind out of him.
Squall felt like he had been hit by a truck. Using his Gunblade as a support, he staggered back to his feet. He had an idea, but it would take a bit to pull off. He'd have to stall Raven while he completed the summon.
"You're not bad either," Squall threw out.
"Yes I am good aren't I," replied Raven with a short chuckle, "Now if you'll come with me, I'll turn you into the nearest authorities."
"Not likely," replied Squall.
Quite smug now, Raven retorted, "What are you gonna do?"
He didn't answer. Taking a rugged breath, Squall merely said, "Hell Fire."
Raven's eyes grew wide as Squall faded from view only to be replaced by a wall of fire. From the fire a huge demon-like creature was birthed. It looked at Raven and gave a near deafening roar. A few seconds later, the Ifrit rose into the air followed by a huge, flaming ball of earth and sulfur. With another howl, The creature hit the ball of fire and sent it hurling down to incinerate its target.
It would have finished Raven for good too if he hadn't chosen that moment to defend himself with his large sword. He was spared from the burning flame, but the giant ball of cinders pile-drived him to the ground.
The summon ended, and Squall reappeared to see Raven on the ground.
Raven looked up at him, "Ouch…" he breathed, and then promptly passed out cold.
***
When Raven woke again it was nearly dark. Something rancid was in the air. The blond man opened his weary eyes so see Squall a few feet away from him. He was standing over a small fire turning what looked like a Funguar over a makeshift spit. Squall appeared to be roasting the mushroom-like creature for a meal.
"I thought those things weren't edible," said Raven weakly. He scrunched his face as the distasteful odor it gave off once again wafted into his nostrils.
"They are edible," replied Squall, "Just not very palatable."
Raven sat up, and noticed that he was unarmed, but not bound, "I'm surprised you didn't tie me up." Not only that, but he was also surprised that he was still alive. Raven had heard how Squall had butchered Sorceress Rinoa. He'd also heard rumors that he was heading to Timber. That's how he'd managed to find the renegade. However, if that monster had killed someone he loved in such a grotesque manor, why would he think twice about sparing him? Something wasn't adding up, but Raven knew that he was in no position to start asking questions.
"I would have tied you up," answered Squall, "but I didn't have any rope." He shrugged, then added, "Hope you don't mind but I used that blade of yours to prepare this thing."
"You've gotta be kidding!" Raven blurted out. He was now quite perturbed, "Funguar blood is like acid!"
"It is acid. Don't worry, I cleaned it off," retorted Squall. He smiled at Raven's annoyance.
Raven folded his arms and gave a small snort, "Then I suppose I should thank you right," he said sarcastically.
"Whatever."
"What's your problem?"
"Nothing."
"Hmmm…" voiced Raven. He smiled and gave a small chuckle, "Well if you don't beat all."
Chapter 4: Be careful what you wish for
Their journey to Thamasa went off without a hitch. It had taken longer than expected though. Setzer's airship had experienced engine troubles which had taken a few hours to repair. At least now they were heading back again. Setzer said he would be taking a shortcut over the ocean that would take an hour or two off the flight. She thanked him for that small favor.
Again Terra found herself wishing she had her Esper powers back. She shook her head…Why bother wishing for something you can't have and never really understood, anyway? She scolded herself.
While Setzer piloted the ship above, Terra and Edgar were sitting on the lower deck. The green-haired girl sighed and let her head sink into her hands. She had a bad feeling. Something that had been bugging her ever since her talk with Colleen. It was nothing, of course. Nothing substantial anyway. She just wanted to be back…
Edgar noticed her discomfort and motioned for her attention. "Terra," he questioned, a thoughtful look on his face, "Are you feeling alright?"
Terra looked up at him, her face even, emotionless as ever, and said, "Nothing to be concerned about. I'm just a little anxious to get to Mobliz, that's all." She flicked a few strands of green hair out of her eyes, only to have them fall right back down again. With a small sigh of exasperation, she finally decided to ignore it.
Edgar scrutinized her expression for a moment. "You mustn't worry about them so much," he told her, seemingly reading her mind. Terra smiled inwardly. Edgar always had had a knack for getting to the bottom of what was bothering her. He continued, "Some of those children are almost as old as you. They have to learn how to got along by themselves someday. One day, they'll leave to make lives for themselves…"
The King of Figaro stopped. He must have seen the pained look on her face. She knew that the children of Mobliz would leave one day…that one day, she would be alone again. Terra really didn't want to think about it though. It just made her yearn to be with them all the more.
"I'm sorry Terra," he continued, "I don't mean to hurt you but it make it no less true…"
Terra was about to tell him that it was alright, but the ship suddenly lurched and sent them both sprawling to the floor. Terra hit her head as she fell. The lights dimmed, and for a moment, Terra wondered if it had been caused by the blow, but she soon realized that the ships electrical lighting had failed.
Edgar stood and helped the girl to her feet, but the airship reeled again, sending them both to the ground again. Terra fell on top of Edger and was unpleasantly greeted by his auto-crossbow when it poked her in the ribs. She ignored the pain, and quickly righted herself.
The girl looked at the spot on her side…fortunately none of the arrows from Edgar's crossbow had pierced her.
"What in blaze is going on?" exclaimed Edgar.
Terra didn't have an answer, "We'd better find out!" then she suggested, "Let's go above deck!"
***
When they got there, Edgar found Setzer frantically piloting the Falcon. He sent the airship into a dive, apparently trying to avoid something. That 'something' very quickly made itself known…
The large Pterodactyl swooped at them again. Setzer barely had time to dodge it, but some how managed to pull up in time.
It was then that Edgar noticed that the ship was dangerously close to the ocean. Perhaps no more than twenty feet above the surface. The waters stirred as the wind washing over the ship caused waves and mist to spew forth from the murkiness. The air filling with salty brine.
Setzer pulled up, attempting to keep the dinosaur-like dragon from forcing the Falcon into the ocean. Edgar heard the silver-haired man curse under his breath as the engines of the ship strained.
Edgar pulled out his auto-crossbow and pulled the trigger, sending a spew of metallic arrows at the flying creature. The Pterodactyl roared in pain as the arrows pierced its side.
It retaliated in a way that Edgar wouldn't have expected.
Without warning, the air filled with static and Edgar's hair stood on end. Sparks flew and the blue lightning of Bolt3 arched through the air.
Edgar barely had time to dodge the bolt of energy before it struck, hitting the deck of the ship and splintering the boards not far from where he had stood. The blast sent bits of smoldering wood flying in every direction.
"What the Hell?" Setzer cried out.
"It's using magic!" exclaimed Terra.
Edgar shook his head, "But I thought that there was no more magic!" he questioned.
"There shouldn't be!" Terra replied. She was thrown back as another lightning blast struck. Terra hit the ground hard, but leapt back up. She cradled her right arm, but otherwise looked alright. That's when it happened…
Taking advantage of Terra's disorientation, the creature swooped down and slammed into her with all its might. She went flying back, and fell right over the edge of the ship…
Then nothing…
Edgar ran to where he had seen Terra fall, and searched frantically for her form in the water. He saw nothing but the murky ocean below.
"Turn around!" commanded Edgar, "We have to find her!"
Not that the pilot wouldn't have done so anyway. Slowly, the big ship lumbered around in a loop and began moving in the opposite direction.
After a moment, Setzer looked back to the blond-haired man, "Any sign of her or the Pterodactyl?" he queried.
Edgar shook his head, "None…" he looked up to meet Setzer's gaze, "That thing was using magic," he breathed.
"I know," the gambler replied.
"But there should be no magic…" Edgar paused, remembering the final fight with Kefka, "We destroyed the statues, and the Espers are all gone."
Setzer shrugged, "Not all of them…" Edgar gave him an odd glance, so Setzer clarified himself, "Remember that Terra is half Esper. Even if her power has been drained away, the blood of the Espers still courses through her veins. Then there is that shard of Magicite that she keeps in that pendent around her neck. It is all that remained of her father I believe."
Edgar nodded, "Yes, but that still doesn't explain how magic can exist without a source."
Setzer turned back to the wheel and was silent for several moments. Then, without looking back to him, he said, "If I was a gambling man," he smiled, almost ruefully, "I would say that something has found another source of power," he momentary glanced back at him before turning back to the wheel of the ship, "It would be arrogant of us to thing that all the power of the cosmos was held within three statues on our planet."
"What are you suggesting?"
"I don't know," Setzer replied curtly, "A better question might be – what are we going to do now?"
Edgar turned his attention back to the sea, "We can't give up on Terra yet. She's a strong girl; we have to find her!"
"Right," responded Setzer.
They continued on, but Edgar couldn't help but ponder what Setzer had said. Where could that creature have gotten such strong magic? He was almost afraid to find out. Right now though, all the King could do was worry. For he knew that he might never see his friend again.
Chapter 5: Bridging the Gap
They were silent for awhile. Squall didn't like Raven at all. He reminded him of himself…at least himself if his was sarcastic and jovial. The man was really beginning to grate on his nerves. Though, if he let the man go before he himself was ready to leave, Raven would probably have Timber's police force swarming on him in minutes.
Squall broke off a piece of the rancid roast and handed it to Raven, then took a piece for himself.
Raven carefully waited for Squall to take the first bite (probably waiting to see if it was poisonous) and then took a bite himself. Upon tasting it, Raven turned several shades of green and started gagging unbearably. After a moment, he managed to choke it down.
Squall laughed inwardly at the man's discomfort, but was careful not let it show. A moment later, Raven recovered and in a totally deadpan voice he said, "Better than I thought it would be." With that, he took another bite.
When he had eaten all that he could pallet, Raven asked, "So why did you do it?"
Squall looked down, not really wanting to answer questions, "Why'd I do what?"
Raven's expression became harder, "You know what I mean you piece of crap! Why did you kill that sorceress?"
The SeeD balled his hands into fists, "I didn't!" he hissed through clenched teeth.
"Yeah sure," rebuked Raven, "The evidence is piled up against you."
"That's what I don't understand," protested Squall, "There was so much evidence. But how?"
"Playing the innocent 'til the end, huh?"
Squall looked at Raven coldly, "You want to know what really happened that night?"
Raven shrugged, "I could use a good laugh."
Squall ignored that. "We had a fight; that I'll admit. I didn't really understand what made her so mad…then again I never do. Anyway, after she stormed out…"
***
Selphie had suggested that maybe Rinoa had had too much to drink and that she would probably apologize in the morning. Squall accepted this because he didn't have a better explanation.
Now though, he just wanted to go back to his dorm. It was late and he was tired and mentally exhausted. All he wanted to do was sleep.
So tired.
This was more than he wanted to think about. Maybe Selphie was right and things would better in the morning. Maybe…
Squall reached his dorm room but merely leaned his head against it. He didn't even have the strength to open the door. A moment later, he noticed that the halls were beginning to fill. The ball must have ended.
Since he didn't want to talk to anyone, Squall quickly unlocked his door and opened it. What he saw next made his heart stop. At first he couldn't tell what it was. It looked like a lump on the floor, but he knew it hadn't been there when he left for the party. Squall turned on the light.
He gasped.
Laying in a heap on the floor was Rinoa. That wasn't the worst part though. Impaled in the young woman's abdomen was his gunblade.
Squall silently walked up to the fallen angel and tried to calmly examine her. He failed and started to hyperventilate. Upon examination, he found that the blade portion of his weapon had not only been run threw her, but it had also been driven about three inches into the floor…she had been on the ground. She had been killed on the ground! Rinoa never had a chance! It had been cold-blooded…
"Murder…" came a shocked young voice from behind him. Squall realized that he had left the door open. Not that closing it had been a priority. Squall turned to see a cadet standing there. The boy gulped and squeaked, "You…didn't! You did!" With that he turned and ran back out the door.
Squall's mind was racing. None of this made sense
To him. What would happen next made him tense
Up all over again. Security
Would lock him up, but he had to be free…
Free to find out what had really happened. He knew that security would be coming soon. So he grabbed his leather jacket and made a mad dash for the door…
***
"And that's what happened," finished squall.
"Wow," said Raven. Squall noticed that Raven wouldn't meet his eyes. Maybe he believed him. "I'm sorry," he added after a moment.
"Yeah, well…" Squall didn't feel like talking anymore. He was tired. He looked up, "I don't care what you what you do. You can leave and call every police official on the continent for all I care. It doesn't matter anymore. I'm too tired…all I want now is sleep."
With that Squall laid down and closed his eyes.
***
Quistis entered the security office. She waited nervously for the Chief of Security to look up from his paperwork. At first she thought that maybe he hadn't heard her come in. But after a moment he said, "Have a seat miss Trepe." He didn't even look up.
She complied and sat on one of the plain wooden chairs that were by his desk.. This was only the third time she had been in this office and it still chilled her as to how unadorned and sterile is was.
A few minutes later, he set his papers down and looked up at her.
The security chief was a tall, gaunt and muscular man with a long narrow nose. He was almost completely bald. The man always carried an air of superiority. Even now he was looking down at her through his spectacles.
"You found him?" he questioned.
"Yes Mr. Kash," Quistis replied.
"And you put the tracking device on his gunblade, correct," he asked.
"I did," she responded, "We can track him from half way around the world."
"Excellent you may go."
Quistis stood and was about to turn and leave, but something didn't add up, "Sir," she began, "If you are so sure that Squall is guilty, then why not just arrest him?"
Kash's expression grew dark, "Yours is not to ask questions, miss Trepe," he stated coldly, "I want to know what he's up to. Now I am very busy so you are dismissed!"
Without another word, Quistis left. Something was wrong though. There was definitely something strange going on here.
***
Squall awoke just as the sun was beginning to rise. He opened his eyes…well, there was one good thing – there wasn't a squad of Battalion Aids standing over him. Squall sat up and looked around.
He was surprised to see that Raven was still there. He was sound asleep by the burned out ashes of the camp fire. Squall just about laughed – Raven looked almost serine. Not at all like the crazed man that had tried to kill him just the day before.
Squall also noticed another thing. Raven had taken his sword back. Not really surprising. Raven looked like the type that found comfort in weapons and not people. Again this reminded him of himself…or at least the way he used to be.
Just then, Raven stirred and yawned. A moment later, he opened his eyes. Looking at Squall, Raven only smiled. He seemed to be a cheerful morning person. Very much unlike Squall. "Hope you don't mind me re-arming myself," he said casually.
"Depends on what you do with it," retorted Squall.
Raven held his hands up in front of him in a 'hey I wasn't gonna' gesture. Then he said, "By the way. Speaking of weapons, I was looking at yours last night. You know just to try and figure out how it works."
"You touched it?" questioned Squall. He didn't really like the idea. But probably no more that Raven had liked the idea that Squall had used his blade to clean last night's dinner.
"Yeah, sorry," Raven's expression didn't change, "But did you know that there is a tracking device under the barrel of the gun part?"
"Yes," replied Squall. It was true enough. He had suspected that there was a tracer on it from the moment Quistis had given it to him. He simply wasn't sure where it was. Squall continued, "I was going to remove it when I got to Fisherman's Horizon, that way the Garden wouldn't know when I had left there."
"Clever," commented Raven.
They both stood.
"So where are you going to go now?" Squall asked Raven.
Raven smiled a small smile, "With you of course."
"What?"
Raven sheathed his weapon, "If you were lying to me last night, I have every intention of taking you in. So I'm gonna stay with you until we 'really' find out who killed your little girlfriend of yours."
Squall frowned, not liking his tone, "Whatever."
***
The sun was high in the sky as Squall and Raven reached the Trans-Continental Bridge. The two warriors had been silent since their departure from the Timber Area. Neither of them broke the tense silence, mainly because neither one of them trusted the other.
Finally however, as the two stepped on to the bridge, Raven spoke, "So what made you decide to take up the gunblade anyway? I've heard it is a difficult weapon to master."
Squall looked to his travel companion, "I dunno. It wasn't that difficult for me to learn. I guess I always knew that it would be my weapon," he shrugged, "How about you? That sword of yours looks pretty difficult to master as well?"
"True, but the Blade's benefits do outweigh its setbacks," a little color came across Raven's face.
"Oh." Again the two were silent, however, this time Squall broke the stillness saying, "Why are you really coming with me?"
"I told you I don't trust you!" Raven snapped. The blond man's blue eyes seemed to glow with anger. However, after a moment, Squall realized that the 'glow' was from tears. Raven blinked and wiped his eyes. He looked down, no longer able to meet Squall's gaze, "You're not the only one who has lost a loved one."
Squall put his hand on Raven's shoulder. Raven started to shrink away, but finally decided to accept the comfort. "You wanna talk about it?" asked Squall.
"Alright…"
"It was about three and a half months ago," began Raven, "I and my partner…no, we were more than just partners. We loved each other deeply."
"Her name was Athena, a genetically enhanced woman with abilities that bordered on being empathic. She and I met in our early teens and we never left each other."
"Enough about that though. Just before all that business with the sorceress started, Athena and I received word that the town of Winhill was being harassed by a small army of Galbadian soldiers. I suggested that we let you guys handle it, but she was always the warrior…she insisted that we help."
Raven sighed, "There were more of them that we expected. Winhill's defenses just weren't enough. Athena was mortally wounded and died in my arms."
"I feel as though it's my fault," stated Raven, "I wasn't there for her when she needed me the most."
"It wasn't your fault," said Squall, not believing that actually taking the time to listen to someone else's problems. Maybe Rinoa had taught him something after all.
"So I've been told," sulked Raven, "But I've also been told that if you keep someone in your heart that they'll always be with you," he looked up at Squall with a hard expression, "Trust me, it's not the same."
Squall didn't know what to say to that. After a moment, he decided to change the subject a little. "You said that she was genetically enhanced. How?"
Raven's expression softened a little, "You ever heard of elves?"
Squall wasn't sure if the man was saying something relevant of not, "Yeah. They're supposed to be mythical creatures; things out of storybooks."
The blond nodded, "Yeah, but apparently they're not so mythical, because Galbadia got a hold of one and did all kinds of horrific experiments to him. One of these was an attempt at creating a hybrid."
"That's inhumane!" although Squall was curious how SeeD intelligence had never found out such a thing. Maybe the operation had been well masked…or maybe…
"You'll get no argument from me. Seriously though, I have always suspected that that 'elf' Galbadia found was really a Shumi that had taken a different course of…ummm…development. But she always said 'elf' and had the pointed ears to prove it so I never disputed her claim."
"How did you find her?" asked Squall.
"By accident really. I was in Deling when I stumbled across the facility that was keeping her. I rescued her of course. I was surprised as to just how old she seemed. She was only twelve at the time, and I fifteen, but I'd've sworn that she was older than me. She was treated well apparently, but something must have happened to her, because she barely had an ounce of innocence left in her."
Squall raised an eyebrow as he thought. Then he inquired, "You said she was empathic. Are you?"
"No," said Raven nonchalantly, "But she did teach me a thing or two about sensing energy around me," he rubbed his head, "Never quite got the hang of it though."
Raven seemed to be in better spirits now and Squall was actually glad. Maybe this alliance wasn't such a bad thing after all.
Chapter 6: What Dreams are Made of
Night pervaded as the two weary soldiers entered Fisherman's Horizon. They had been walking all day, and both of them were tired.
They quickly checked at the Inn and were pleased to find that there was one room left. They took it and settled in for the night…
***
"Squall!"
Squall turned to see Rinoa standing there. The room was dark, but she seemed to glow with her own luminescence. Rinoa looked as she had at the dance. Her yellow ball gown was beautiful. She was beautiful.
How could this be? Wasn't Rinoa…
"Squall," Rinoa repeated, more softly this time.
"What is it?"
"It's your fault!" she replied. That look of hatred had returned.
"What?"
"You made me so angry, but when I went to apologize, I was killed! It's you're fault."
She turned from him. The girl that had seemed to shine a moment before now appeared to be not only dark but absorbing all the light around her. It couldn't be true.
"Rinoa I…" Squall looked down, but suddenly he realized what was happening, "You're not Rinoa."
The girl looked at him again. Not with hatred, but fear. The apparition slowly faded, and the surrounding scene began to change.
The area around him looked like a world built on a sunset. There was nothing above him, and nothing below his feet. Only warmth. The air caressed his face, like a million fingers or a ray of sunshine.
He knew she was there. Squall could feel her…and this time it was her.
"Rinoa!" he called out, but he didn't make a sound. Nothing came out. Squall was beginning to become frustrated; he could find her and couldn't speak. What was going on?
That's when he heard her, not as a ringing in his ears like the phantom, but in his mind and heart.
*Help us* the silent voice pleaded, *Please help us*.
*Squall! It's me Rinoa. I'm communicating with you through telepathy, using my sorceress powers. *
Rinoa! Squall thought, Where are you?
*I don't know! I was unconscious when they brought me here*
Rinoa, I thought you were dead! I found your body!
*I know. They wanted you to think that. They didn't want anyone searching for me.*
Her insistent voice continued, *Squall, we don't have much time left. I think these people are going to do something horrible to us.* She paused for a moment, *Squall! They are coming for you! Run! If you are caught you'll never find me! Hurry, find Ellone!*
The world around him began to collapse as quickly as it had come to life. Squall felt his body jerk and knew that he was about to wake.
***
There was an incessant low pitch hum in the air. Squall sat up in the bed. He knew that sound. He had heard it many times before. And only one thing made that noise.
"Garden!" said Squall aloud. From the sound of it was probably still about a mile away. They would still have to hurry if they were to escape.
He looked a Raven who was still asleep. "Wake up!" called Squall, "The Garden is about to dock with F.H."
Raven was up like a flash, gathering his things, "How do you know?"
"I'll tell you later," Squall replied.
Before leaving, Squall removed the tracking device from his gunblade and deposited it in the trash can. Hopefully that would slow them down.
The two ran through the town as quickly as they could. The Garden could easily be seen now. It was running with all of its lights on. It would probably finish docking in about thirty seconds.
Squall and Raven were about to jump back to the bridge when there was a cry, "Wait, Squall!"
He turned to see Selphie, Irvine, Zell, and Quistis standing by an old set of railroad tracks.
"What!?" asked the scarred man. He wasn't sure if they were about attack him or not.
"You really should come with us," Selphie suggested.
Zell piped in, "Yeah, man! I'm sure we can get this all straitened out."
"I can't stop now," stated Squall, "I think I'm on to something and I can't be stopped now."
"Are you sure?" asked Quistis.
"I think so," replied.
It was at this point that Selphie's eyes strode to Raven. Immediately forgetting that the man might be dangerous, she walked right up to him.
"And who's this hunk?" she asked gleefully.
Raven smiled, "Name's Ebony. Raven Ebony." He took her hand and kissed it.
Squall noticed the look that Irvine gave Raven, but Raven appeared not to take notice. However, Irvine restrained himself. Probably because he had done the same thing in front of Selphie one more than one occasion.
He shook his head. "Raven. We'd better go before Garden security finds us."
Raven looked to Squall, "Right," then he looked back to Selphie. "A pleasure meeting you milady."
The two jumped down to the bridge below. A few seconds later, Squall heard a sharp *slap* and Selphie's heated voice saying, "Why don't you ever treat me like that."
Squall chuckled to himself. Then, when they were out of earshot of the others, he asked, "Hey Raven. Are you actually attracted to Selphie?"
Raven shook his head and smiled, "No, I just wanted to make her boyfriend jealous. So how did you know that the Garden was coming anyway?"
Squall was silent for a moment. Then he said, "I think…Rinoa told me."
"Squall," Raven said sympathetically, "Rinoa is dead. There is no way that she could have told you."
"That's just it," said Squall, "I think she's alive. An there was something else…"
***
More than tree hours later, Quistis was once again was once again standing in Security Chief Kash's office.
"We've been scouring the city for hours," she explained, "but we haven't found him. However the tracking device says that he is still in F.H."
"Call off your search," Kash ordered, "I have reason to believe that he is no longer in Fisherman's Horizon. He is more than likely heading further up the Trans-Continental Bridge. Set a course for Esther."
"Why Esther, sir," questioned Quistis, hoping she could squeeze some more information out of him.
"Because that's where we'll find him miss Trepe! Dismissed!"
After she left, the now very annoyed Kash glared at nothing in particular as he attempted to figure out why Squall would be going to Esther.
After a moment he came to the conclusion, "He knows."
***
As the sun began to rise, Raven and Squall approached the Great Salt Lake. The ancient dried out lake was as creepy as ever. The air stank of death and brine.
"I've never been here before," admitted Raven.
They began their journey through the bones and pillars of salt. "Trust me, you didn't miss anything," Squall responded. He carefully stepped over a fragment of a skull.
Eying the landscape around him, Squall frowned. It was quiet. Quiet enough that he could hear his own footfalls. He drew his gunblade, and a moment later Raven readied his own weapon.
Both were very aware of that any one of the piles of bones around them could very well be an undead creature. A foul wind blew.
Suddenly it wasn't so quiet. Squall heard something, and if he didn't know better, he'd have sworn it was…breathing. Although he tried to localize it, he just couldn't figure out where it was coming from.
The earth abruptly shifted as something big hit the ground. Squall turned around and was shocked at what he saw. Coming up behind them was what looked like an oversized skeletal T-Rexaur. Only it appeared to have bony wings fused to its spinal cord.
It eyed the pair hungrily and roared. Flapping its wings, it made a flying leap and landed practically on top of the pair.
Both of them rolled out of the way just as it swiped at them with its talon-like claws.
Squall looked to Raven, "If you've got some Holy spells use them," he advised as he cast holy on the undead dinosaur. It roared in pain and took another swipe at him.
Raven shook his head, "I would if I could, but I don't trust GFs enough to use them. And no GF…"
"No magic," finished Squall, "Great!"
Squall cast Ultima on the creature but was forced to back off when it started flailing wildly.
Raven on the other hand attempted to seize the opportunity to charge the beast. It was much to his dismay when the creature flung its tail around and smacked him back. Raven hit hard against a pillar of rock salt.
At first Squall was sure that he'd been killed, or knocked out at least, but Raven surprised him when he hopped back to his feet.
He looked to Squall and said, "That's it! This think is mine!" At that moment, Raven reached his limit break and was surrounded by a red glow, "Psychic Blade!" he called out.
Raven held his blade up to the heavens and began to concentrate all of his emotional energy - his hate, anger, pain and love - into it. Soon his weapon was literally glowing with power. Then, as if he was being propelled by a rocket, Raven launched himself forward and began to mercilessly slash at the creature. Every strike cut off a claw, wing, or limb, and every strike hit its mark.
The undead beast fell to the ground, but even then tried to get up again.
Raven still wasn't finished. He leapt back a good two meters and held his blade in front of him. Aiming right at the creature's head, he fired a beam of white light at it. When it hit the creature, its skull exploded. After that, the undead monster fell again, crumbling to the ground. This time it didn't get up.
***
"That was an awesome attack," acknowledged Squall as they moved through the streets of Esther, "I didn't know that you had attacks that powerful."
The now exhausted Raven smiled, "There's a lot you don't know about me yet." He stumbled, but used his blade for support, "Unfortunately, that limit break takes a lot out of me."
"I can see."
They neared the capital building. Fortunately they had been able the more or less 'inattentive' Estherian guards.
"This is too easy," commented Raven.
It was true. They had received no opposition at all. There was something in the air. It was…anticipation.
"You're right," replied Squall. Then he noticed someone he recognized. He was a somewhat burly man, but also very powerful. He was tall, about seven feet in height and wore the garments of an Estherian official.
The man watched silently as the pair reluctantly walked up to him.
"Been awhile Ward," greeted Squall without changing his expression, "I see we were expected."
Ward nodded and motioned for Squall and Raven to follow him. They complied without a complaint.
Raven whispered to Squall, "He doesn't talk much does he?"
Squall whispered back, "He can't speak."
"Oh, sorry."
Ward looked back, but didn't seem particularly bothered.
Not long afterward, the two were standing in President Loire's office. Laguna was standing, looking out the window. As usual, he was in casual dress, not even wearing a tie. Laguna was the most unorthodox President Squall had ever meet. He ran the country by a strange mixture of admiration and pure luck. He was sure that if the older man hadn't had Kiros and Ward to help him explain away his eccentric notions, Laguna probably would have been unseated long ago.
The president was yet to acknowledge their presence. He probably wasn't sure of what to say. Not that he ever was really…
Squall took a moment to glance around the office. He noticed Kiros was there, as well as someone else. She was sitting at one of the high backed chairs by Laguna's desk. Whoever it was wasn't facing him and he couldn't tell who it was.
Laguna finally found his words, "Squall," he began, "I don't know what to say…"
Duh, thought Squall. Say something anyway. I want to here it.
"You didn't do it did you?" Laguna turned to face him, "Did you?"
Of course not! "No," Squall replied.
The president ran his fingers through his hair, "Garden security informed me that you were probably heading this way. They said I should arrest you on sight." His voice was somber, his words uneven. Maybe Laguna did know what he had to say – he just didn't want to say it. Was he about to be arrested?
"But I believe you," added Laguna, "But to prove it I want you to…to undergo a…sort of test."
"What sort of test?" Squall wasn't sure that he was following the man's ramblings.
Kiros chimed in, "I think he means a kind of 'lie-detector' test," he explained.
"Yeah. YEAH!" Laguna called out, "You know what they say; 'two bulls are better than one.'"
"I think that's 'two heads are better than one.'" Kiros corrected.
Laguna looked at Kiros sheepishly for a moment, "Oh…yeah…right." He smiled.
Hoping to speed things up, Squall prompted, "Where is this lie-detector?"
"Right here," replied the woman in the chair. She had been silent up until now, but now she stood to reveal none other than Ellone.
"Sis!" exclaimed Squall. He was definitely glad to see her. If nothing else, it would save him the trouble of having to search for her.
"Hello Squall," she said with a smile, "So are you still willing?"
"Definitely!" he asserted, "I really want to find out what happened too."
"Then come sit beside me," prompted Ellone, she patted the seat next to her, "We'll find out what happened together. Let's take a look at what Rinoa was doing after the dance."
Squall did as he was told. Ellone took his hands in hers and began to concentrate. Squall waited to be flung back to Rinoa's past…however, nothing happened.
Ellone shook her head, "That's odd. I can't send you back. The only thing that could do that, is if Rinoa was dead already or unconscious. Let's try during the dance." She tried again, but it seemed to yield the same result, "Ok then. Let's try a little further back…"
She began again. This time though, Squall began to feel drowsy. The world around him began to whirl. Then, everything went dark…
***
Rinoa was getting ready for the dance. That much was obvious. She was only half dressed. She had on her negligee and a thin T-shirt.
She took the T-shirt off and began trying to put on her delicate ball gown without wrinkling or tearing it.
She finished after about a minute and smiled. I'm gonna knock Squall's socks off tonight, she thought. After examining herself for a moment in her full-length mirror Rinoa sat down by her vanity and began to apply some make-up to her face.
She was about half way through, when there was a knock at the door. Turning around, she called out, "Is that you Squall?"
There was a brief pause, "Umm no miss," said a somewhat muffled female voice, "I've gotta package for you."
"Oh," said Rinoa glumly, "Be there in a sec." Just some dumb package! She thought. But maybe it would be something from Squall…then again, maybe it would be something from her father. Not that that would be all that bad either.
She stood and went to the door. Rinoa opened the door. What she saw make her gasp with shock. Staring at her from the other side of the door was a face that looked very much like her own.
Rinoa backed up, "Who are you?" she demanded.
The double smiled, "You of course. Or should I say your replacement?" With that, the double sprayed Rinoa in the face with come sort of mist.
She stumbled back, suddenly feeling very sleepy. She collapsed, but didn't even feel herself hit the ground…
***
Ellone disconnected and looked at Squall with sobered eyes. "Squall didn't do it," she stated.
"That's great!" cheered Laguna. He looked to Kiros and Ward who were also smiling.
"I don't even think Rinoa is dead," Ellone continued, "I think this was all just an elaborate plan to kidnap her."
"But why would anyone want to kidnap her?" asked Laguna.
"She is the last Sorceress…"
Ellone was interrupted when the door to the office burst open and about a dozen of the Garden's security officers poured in. Each one of them had a gun or pistol of some sort. They were targeting Squall mostly but he knew that the others were in danger as well.
A moment later, Chief of security Kash strode into the room. He coldly looked at Squall. "Arrest them all!"
"You have no authority here!" yelled Laguna. For once he was taking charge, "Let's work this out."
"My authority extends everywhere," responded Kash. He voice was perfectly even as if he actually believed what he said, "There is nothing to work out!" Then he addressed his subordinates, "Take them by whatever force necessary!"
The security guards immediately began to advance on them. They had their weapons trained on them, knowing that if they came much closer that they would have to use them.
Raven drew his blade and Squall un-holstered his own weapon. Both were ready and almost eager for combat. Squall held his gunblade out in front of him, his finger on the trigger.
For a moment, they all just stood there, none of them wanting to make the first move. Squall knew that summoning a GF in the room would destroy half the building so that was out. Perhaps there was another way though…
Without warning, Raven let out a cry and charged one of the soldiers. Everything started degrading rapidly. The security agents all opened fire at once.
Out of instinct, Squall shoved Ellone to the ground and was glad he did when several bullets whizzed past where her head had been. Ellone cried out in fear as she realized how close to death she had come. Squall wasn't very pleased either…with Raven that was. If only that hot head could have waited a few more seconds. Then maybe he could have thought of something.
But now he'd have to play it by instinct.
Squall pulled the trigger of his gunblade and a blinding flash filled the room. After he had stunned the 'enemy' with his light show, Squall charged and began to harshly plow the soldiers down.
Soon, between he and Raven, there were no more foes left. Squall looked to Kash, "You're the one who took Rinoa aren't you?" Squall's expression was one of pure fury.
"Now what would give you an idea like that?" asked Kash replied in an innocent tone.
"You're the only one that has the clearance to get her out of Garden without being noticed."
"Very good," commented Kash, "Quite the hero you are. But like any hero, you will ultimately be forgotten. You will never find that sorceress!"
"Like Hell we won't!" spat out Raven. He launched himself on Kash and began beating him senseless. Or that was what he had in mind. However, Kash suddenly grabbed Raven by the shirt and tossed him across the room. It was an effortless move for the man and it made Squall somewhat weary to let Kash within arms length.
Squall was blown back when Kash abruptly cast Ultima and he landed not too far from Raven and the others. The magic blast was just enough to make Squall reach his limit brake.
"Renzokuken!" he called out. Squall felt his rage building within him. He unleashed his pain and anger and launched himself at Kash.
Kash cast Protect on himself but was still badly injured by Squall's repeated attacks. Shoving Squall out of the way, Kash rushed out the door.
Squall wanted to give chase, but had to make sure that the others were alright first. After helping Ellone and Laguna to their feet, Squall went over to Raven.
"You could have gotten us all killed!" he scolded angrily.
"They were about to open fire anyway!" Raven defended, "I could sense it!"
Squall gave him a skeptical look, "You sure?"
"Yeah."
"…Ok…" Squall turned to the other two, "Great! The one person that could have led us to Rinoa is long gone by now."
Ellone walked up and placed her soft hand on his shoulder. She didn't seem to care that his jacket was completely covered in dust, or that there was blood stained on the stiff leather. But that was Sis for you; she never really cared about what was on the outside, but only saw the person underneath.
"Squall," she said, shaking him from his thoughts, "If he knew where Rinoa was, we can look back in order to find out."
That's right! Squall thought, how could I have forgotten? "Would you?" he asked questioningly.
"Of course, Squall," she replied.
Moments later, Squall had his answer. It wasn't that surprising when he thought about it. In fact, he probably would have checked there eventually anyway.
"Where are we headed?" asked Raven.
"The Sorceress Memorial!"
Chapter 7: Clear as Glass: The Beginning of the End
Squall and Raven approached the old building.
Everything seemed to begin and end here.
This ancient building that beckoned him to where
His destiny lies. There would be no more cries
Of pain from within the walls. He would rise!
He would rise from the very rubble of this building with Rinoa in his arms. He would burn the terrible edifice to the ground and make sure that the woman he loved was never taken from him again.
Squall's eyes narrowed, "Whoever is responsible for this will die!" he thought aloud.
Raven looked at him, "Where did that come from."
Squall didn't answer.
"Cool it, ok?" suggested Raven, "Can't go being all impulsive in there, right?"
Squall looked over at Raven, "You're one to talk…" he tried to suppress a smile but failed. Raven's ironic sense of humor had finally gotten to him.
"Now that's more like it!" Raven smiled back, "Come on! Let's go get the bad guys!"
***
The two men entered the Sorceress Memorial, and weren't surprised to find that all of the machinery was active. The building appeared to be devoid of any workers. Most notably Doctor Odine, the head of staff and research was missing.
They searched throughout the chambers, but Squall knew right where he would find her. And he was right…
In an almost eerie replay of the past, Squall saw her there, trapped within a chamber built specifically for holding sorceresses. She noticed them, and began frantically banging on the force field.
That's when Squall noticed that she wasn't alone. There was another woman in the cell with her. She didn't look up, but remained sitting on the floor, curled in a tight ball. Her clothes were torn, and the woman's long, red hair had fallen over her face. She looked to be a person that had given up hope…
"Athena?" Raven questioned. Of course she couldn't hear him, but the redhead looked up at Rinoa's prompting. She stared back at Raven in disbelief. Athena mouthed something that couldn't be heard, then put her hand against the barrier.
Raven looked to Squall, "How do we get them out of there?"
Squall shook his head, "I don't know…" The equipment that was supporting the barrier was different this time. There were computers and equipment all over the room that Squall knew weren't responsible for the maintaining of the field. Then what were they for?
"You don't!" came a gruff voice. It was Kash. Squall and Raven drew their weapons, but the man was ready for them. He cast Ultima point blank and sent them both to the ground. Raven fell into unconsciousness, and Squall could barely move. All he could do is watch as Kash strode up to one of the computer terminals and began to activate the machinery.
"Too much work has gone into this plan to let you interfere now," explained Kash in his usual tone of superiority, "All of them are in place now. We shall use their power to open the gate."
The chamber that housed Rinoa and Athena began to glow, and a hum filled Squall's ears. They grew in intensity until the light and sound drowned out everything else….Then the feeling of falling…