By SilvyrWing
She had to be the most beautiful young lady I'd ever seen in my life. Her hair was white… Not just blonde, but actually white. Like Snow. Like a brand new, freshly fallen snow back on earth… Certainly not like the snow on Venus, where she claimed to be from, because the snow there was yellow, like sulfer (Or Urine, I thought with a sneer), when it even snowed at all. Her eyes were different, too… Light blue at the top, they faded to violet near the bottom… Certainly not like any other Venusian I'd ever seen. They were a rather secretive race of Rigelians to begin with, so that didn't strike me as being particularly odd. What was odd is that she'd teleported right into the Command Post of the Christa, and there was not one Rigelian that could do that.
It took me a while to get it. They always gave off this really strange aura… It was a mind-numbing, almost painful sedative that caused everyone to believe that this one creature was the singular most wonderful girl in the world… But I was a STARDOG, so I was able to break out of it. The others…?
They weren't fooled either. I was very relieved, as this would make my job a whole lot easier.
"What is she, Commander?" Harlan asked. He glanced to the side to look at her, sitting at Suzee's console as she claimed to be making 'improvements' to the engine. Suzee looked about ready to bash her across the back of the head… And to tell the truth, I don't think I would have stopped her. But this particular breed of alien had to be dealt with in a certain way… An angry Mharysuh was a dangerous Mharysuh.
"…Very dangerous. That's all you need to know," I responded, looking at her as well. She claimed her name was Ryasha when she'd first boarded. To my horror, she found that she was unable to teleport away from the Christa. "She'll suck your common sense out right through your eyes, if you're not careful. Drain your intelligence to nothing. I've dealt with these before, and I can honestly say I'd much rather deal with another Doppelganger than a Mharysuh."
Over at the engineering console, I heard Suzee snap: "Catalina says she doesn't even know you! How can you be her best friend?!"
This was bad. This was very, very bad. Ryasha was already getting to Suzee, and she'd not even been on the ship for more than ten minutes.
"Well, she doesn't seem so bad…" Rosie was saying, though I could see the doubt in her eyes. She was trying to make the best out of the situation, bless her, but there was just no way around the fact that we were all in very real danger. The problem was, despite my suspicions, I couldn't be sure she was what I thought she was. And if she really was just an innocent girl who just happened to teleport and get stuck aboard the Christa, I'd have absolutely no justification for, as T.J. would put it, "Doing her in."
"Team," I said. "To the airlock."
Radu narrowed his eyes at me, tilting his head a bit. No, Radu, I thought silently. Don't question my orders this time, please. I know this seems outlandish, but I have to know. I have to have proof… But I also had to have a failsafe… "…All except for you, Radu. I need you to stay here with her," Then I added in a whisper: "Just in case."
The Andromedan groaned, and I couldn't blame him. Normally, I'd leave Harlan, or even Suzee before I left Radu, but the fact was, Ryasha was already getting to them both. As much as Harlan didn't want to admit it, she was drawing him to herself… It wasn't hard for them to see that she was everyone's ideal of perfect. She claimed to be seventeen, but she looked like a friggin' model. She was smart – much more intelligent than anyone on board – and that, of course, made Suzee jealous. She was also a medical expert and an accomplished scientist, and despite Rosie's good humor, that irked even her. Bova wasn't affected at all, surprisingly enough. He just commented that he knew something like this would happen, and that we were likely all going to die. Typical Bova. The fact that he couldn't pinpoint how to deal with the problem, well… That worried me.
I wasn't going to leave T.J. alone with her, either, but that went without saying. That left Radu as the failsafe, just in case Ryasha wasn't a Mharysuh, and Thelma to operate the airlock.
I could see Radu shiver as he shuffled off toward her. Suzee gave him a very genuine pitying smile as he grabbed Ryasha's arm and shuffled off. I think he said something about giving her a tour, and she'd glomped onto his arm with a vice-like grip. Please, Radu, I thought silently, don't let her get to you.
Suzee gave them one last look as they vanished through the Command Post's one portal, and she hurried over to our little huddle. At first, I'd thought Suzee to be one of them, but thankfully it turned out that she had quite a bit more personality that the ne'er-do-wrong Mharysuhs. She was unsure. Scared. I still had my doubts about her, but at least she was a valuable asset to the team… When she wasn't driving Harlan and Radu insane. The fact was, Suzee had shortcomings. Something that a Mharysuh simply would not have.
"Alright," Harlan said, once Radu and Ryasha were gone. "…So, we head for the airlock. What's the plan?"
"We're going to lock ourselves in there. Thelma's going to operate the lock." Five pairs of eyes stared at me as if I was nuts… Maybe I was. "Don't worry," I added hastily. "If she is what I think she is, she'll rescue us. If not, Radu will."
"This is a big risk you're taking, Commander," T.J. said to me. "It hinges on your assumption that she even is what you think she is."
"She's gotta be," Suzee interjected. Pot, Kettle, Black, I wanted to say, though I held back. She really wasn't that bad.
"And the worst thing that can happen is that we'll be sucked out into space," Bova drawled, without a hint of interest or fear in his eyes. "And if that happens, we'll be rid of her anyway. So it's really no big deal, right?"
"Don't think that way," Rosie said, offering a smile. We all appreciated it, I was sure. We really needed that smile, that reassurance. She continued. "We've been through worse than this before, right?"
"No," I said gravely. "Not worse than this. Never worse than this."
Rosie's smile faded.
"…To the airlock then?" Thelma asked. At least she was still smiling.
***
"So, I attended the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry on Venus. And then I went to University at—"
"So you're a wizard," Radu's eyebrows arched. Thankfully, her self-centered rantings were a serious turn-off, because he couldn't help but be attracted to her beauty. It was weird… Like a pull that he couldn't escape. She knew it, too, and every once in a while, she'd strike a pose that was totally uncalled for. And the uniform she just happened to be wearing was about three sizes too small… Not to mention that the various tattoos and patches on it were impossible colors such as hot pink and electric blue.
And he was sweating. He didn't know how long he could last against her. Valiantly, he managed to hold an interested expression, though his ability to keep it up was waning.
"A witch, actually," she said. "I specialize in… love charms… Though I have other abilities, too."
Oh, joy, Radu thought.
Keep her talking, Radu. Just keep her talking.
She went on, without having been prompted. "…You know, simple stuff. Like I can read your mind and then use your powers."
"Simple stuff," Radu repeated. Then he paused. "…That doesn't actually make any sense," he muttered to himself. Not that she actually heard it, as she was already going on about something else. Gods, what he wouldn't give for a good pair of earmuffs right about now. He could screen her out a little, by concentrating on the distant sound of the protomix, but her voice was seductive and throaty to a point that he really just wanted to break her in half.
And, he thought to himself, there was no way this plan would work. She'd been standing right there when they'd been talking about it. Then again, neither of them had all the details, and all Radu knew was that it involved the airlock, and that he was the 'failsafe.'
That didn't sound good.
"Radu, I thought you should know that the rest of the crew is locked in the airlock," Thelma's cheerful voice came over the intercom.
Well! That certainly answered one thing! The Andromedan started off toward the Christa's main airlocks – the ones that looked to him like the eyes of some giant bird of prey. Before he could say a word, though, Ryasha was dashing past him, shouting. Unfortunately, he heard every word as she jogged away in that too-small uniform. He was quite surprised that it didn't just tear.
"The crew is in danger, and I'm the only one that can save them!!"
The usually patient cadet clenched his hands into fists. "Actually…" he began. But it was too late. She was already gone.
"Of course," Radu muttered, as he followed after.
***
"This is insane!" T.J. said as she sat huddled next to me. The airlock was quite cramped with all of us in there. I'd instructed Thelma not to open it for anything, but that could be easily overridden if I simply asked her to forget what I'd said before. In a way, this was entirely unnecessary, but I had to know.
It wasn't long before I heard the panicked stomp of feet just outside the airlock. The fact that I heard them so clearly should have been impossible, as we were, after all, in an airlock. There was a certain degree of sound-proofness that went along with that. Clue number one.
"Commander!" Ryasha's voice. "I know you're doing this to test my loyalty! I heard you planning… And I just want to say…" Her voice was choked with tears. On my other side, Suzee rolled her eyes. Harlan suppressed a snicker. There was no real danger that the outer airlock door would open. At least, I didn't think so. "I just want to say that… Radu, what are you doing?"
I heard the sound of a scuffle outside. Then everything went silent for about three seconds, before the airlock door was simply forced open with minimal effort. I expected, hoped even, to see Radu standing there, and it was with a sense of dread that I found Ryasha. As long as she was on board, and we were in trouble, there was no way anyone would be able to do anything useful. I stared in horror. The others saw me staring.
We all heard Radu muttering, helpless, from the floor. Shit, I thought. She's gotten to him. Well, it would have only been a matter of time anyway. The fact was, we had to get her off of the ship, now that I was absolutely sure that this masquerading Venusian was from the planet Mharysuh.
Harlan peered out over the edge of the airlock to see our navigator curled into a fetal position just to the right. "Oh, no," he muttered. "Not Radu…"
Ryasha nodded, knowingly. "He tried to keep me from rescuing you," she said. "I've exposed him for the traitor he is… I'm sorry it had to be me that did it. It's a shame that he couldn't be more loyal. I mean, with loyalty being an Andromedan's greatest strength, and all. I was forced to steal his powers so I could get you out of here. He'll be helpless for hours."
Rosie was out of the airlock first, and she kneeled next to Radu, leaning close to his ear and whispering softly… "C'mon, Radu. Let's get you to the medlab."
"He should be restrained, you know," Ryasha said as Rosie helped him to his feet. There was a blank emptiness in his eyes, and I couldn't help but look away. Ryasha sidled up next to Rosie, smiling sweetly as if they'd been friends for years. "I'd better go with you. That way I can put him under a spell that will keep him from moving."
I will never forget the look of horror in Rosie's eyes. It was an expression that I'd never seen from a Mercurian, and would likely never see again. But we had to make sacrifices, and Rosie had to do her part. As long as she didn't do anything to anger the girl, they'd be fine. And I needed Ryasha out of the way to plan.
It wasn't until I'd nodded, and Rosie had reluctantly led Radu and Ryasha down the jumptube, that I even realized she'd affected my mind to think that way. I would never offer Rosie as a sacrifice for anything!
"Commander?" Suzee asked, curiously.
"I know, I know," I said, massaging my temples. Poor Rosie… What had I done?
***
"We have to think clearly. Plan strategically. And above all, keep your wits about you. If you lose that for one second she'll have you."
The crew was sitting in front of me, T.J. standing to my right and remaining silent as I outlined the plan. The others listened with rapt attention, and I could see the fear on their faces. They were all afraid that what happened to Radu could easily happen to them, and they were right.
"Six steps. That's all it'll take. But you each have to do your part, and you each have to stick to it. No matter what she says." I paced back and forth in front of them, once, twice, before speaking again. This would be, perhaps, their greatest challenge yet. To defeat someone that was undefeatable, who had both the beauty of the cosmos and all its intelligence. Someone that could do anything, and be anywhere.
"Where did she come from, Commander?" Harlan asked, standing. He leaned against the inner door of the airlock, casually. "I mean, what kind of planet produces someone… like… like…"
Suzee shifted uncomfortably. She realized she was dangerously close to fitting the description. And because of that, she had a big role in this plan.
"Not a planet," I said, "But an idea. An idea formed in the mind of someone out there… Ideas have form, too, you know." I nodded, turning my gaze to each of them in turn. "There's a theory that everything exists within the idea of something else. Realities, for example, can coincide with other realities. That's what caused us to cross into that alternate universe, in which every person was a Spung."
"Catalina says we got out of that, though," Suzee offered nervously. I could tell she was nervous; she didn't talk to Catalina in front of us if she wasn't.
"And we can get out of this," I said.
"So, you're saying that this Mharysuh is from an alternate reality," Bova inquired. "That someone formed the idea of us in their head, and that this girl came around as a result of that?"
"Well, we don't really have any other theories," I said. "And it's just that – a theory. I will say that this isn't going to be easy. Mharysuhs think of themselves as indestructible."
"Six steps," Harlan said.
"That's all," I responded. "And with any luck, Rosie's already doing the first one, and she doesn't even realize it. I just hope we can get her out in time. You all ready?"
Harlan smiled, as the rest of the students got to their feet. "We're on it, Commander," he said.
***
"Well, he looks alright," Rosie said, looking nervously up at Ryasha. She stood off to the side of the bed a little, aloof. She wore a frown.
"I only did what was best for him, you know," she commented, looking down her nose at the Andromedan. He looked up at her, a combination of fear and longing in his eyes. Radu knew he was powerless, and that he was also powerless to stop that feeling. And he wanted to give into it, but he couldn't. He couldn't let her win…
…If he didn't know what she was, would he have been so strong? He shuddered to think about it. Suddered to think that even now, he might have already lost.
"I think you might have… been…" Rosie hesitated. Those weirdly colored eyes were staring at her.
"Don't tell me I was wrong, Rosie," Ryasha said. "I know what I saw. He was trying to push me away from the airlock."
"Maybe he was, you know, concerned about us as much as you were. I mean, he's known us longer than you. And Radu's our friend! Aren't you, Radu?"
The navigator nodded weakly, eyes still glazed.
"Who are you going to believe?" Ryasha snapped. Rosie got the image – the rather painful image – in her head of about a million exclamation points following that statement. Ryasha's face started to glow… Was she overheating? Like a Mercurian? Little Rosie started to feel weak. Faint. But Ryasha didn't let up. "Are you going to believe me, or this traitor? Because if you believe him, then you're obviously not on my side."
Duh, Rosie wanted to say.
Ryasha's eyes glowed red. Lifting her hand, she flung a fireball at Rosie, before literally storming out of the room. Her footfalls almost sounded like thunder.
Rosie was able to absorb it easily, but she was troubled by the fact that she'd just been flamed… And all she'd done was offer a critique of the girl's behavior, too. Some… constructive criticism.
"Wow. She kinda reminds me of…" She tried to think of something really, really ugly. But at the same time, she couldn't be rude about it! "…A troll."
Weakly, Radu nodded his agreement.
***
I pressed down the button on the com, shutting it off, and smiling to myself. "Step one completed."
The rest of the team had all heard Rosie's report. Harlan shook his head. "How does getting her mad help anything?"
"She's going to want to go to someone for pity. A shoulder to cry on. Someone like her."
Everyone looked at Suzee.
Suzee smiled, nervously. "Guess I'm on," she said.
As she climbed into the jumptube, I reminded her to stick to the plan, no matter what. She nodded, uneasily. I trusted her, though. She'd do her part.
***
By the time Suzee reached the bunkroom, Ryasha was already there, making quite a show of crying her eyes out.
She's on my bunk, Suzee thought, bristling.
…Stick to the plan.
"…What's wrong, Ryasha?" One of Suzee's talents that she was less that proud of was the ability to sneak sincerity into her voice when she didn't actually mean it. It came in handy a lot… Though most of the time lately, she actually was sincere, she still maintained that false honey in her voice at times. She was surprised that the others had been onto her all that time. And while she wasn't really offended that they'd blatantly compared her to a Mharysuh, the accusation stung a little.
"I think Rosie's turning against me," Ryasha sniffled.
…Stick the the plan, Suzee, the Yensidian reminded herself, as she uncurled her fist.
"It figures. No one really appreciates what we do," Suzee commented, flumping down on the bed next to the self-proclaimed Rigelian. As she put her arm around the girl's shoulder, she tried to ignore the fact that Catalina, unseen, was making very rude gagging noises.
"You agree with me?" Ryasha asked. She looked up into Suzee's eyes, and Suzee had to fight not to pull away. She put on what she hoped was a genuine smile. Ryasha, however, frowned. "…But, you were so mean before!"
"…I figure that we geniuses have to stick together, you know? And Catalina, too."
Ryasha rubbed her eyes. "You'll help me get them back and save the ship, won't you, Suzee?"
She couldn't hesitate. That would be a fatal error. She filled the time it took her to respond with a self-assured chuckle, before answering, "Of course. The rest of them… They don't believe you either. There's gotta be something that's affecting them…"
"Yeerks," Ryasha said knowingly. "It has to be."
Suzee realized that she had absolutely no idea what the girl was talking about. The Commander had mentioned something about Mharysuhs being fond of 'crossovers,' but she really wasn't sure what those were, either. Luckily, Ryasha took the Yensidian's stunned silence for genuine surprise.
"Yes, I know. It's horrible. But we have to fight back. You and I, we're a lot alike, you know that?"
Suzee forced a smile as she stood, and offered a hand to the other girl. Yeah. We Mharysuhs have to stick together, she inwardly agreed. She'd get them all for this indignity. They'd pay…
Suzee shook her head, dizzy, as she sat back down on the bed.
"Are you alright, Suzee?" Ryasha asked her.
Offering a smile, Suzee nodded and stood again. That had been a close one. She'd almost given in.
…Stick to the plan, Suzee. She mentally repeated the mantra as she followed her new "friend" out the door.
***
"Step two is well underway," I said. "Bova…"
"Already gone," the Uranusian said, disappearing into the jumptube.
***
He met them in the hallway. And while he was shocked that Suzee and Ryasha were chatting happily like old friends, his face remained passive, indifferent, and bored. If Suzee had been taken in by the girl's charms, it would only play better into the plan in the end. Except for that part where she'd have to—
"Bova! Hi!" Suzee.
Bova detected the hint of nervousness in her voice. Good. She hadn't gone over to the dark side yet.
Yet.
Bova was to be the accessory. The last addition to the little faction they were forming. He's join forces with Suzee and Ryasha against the crew… To save them, of course. He'd have to allow himself to be persuaded that Ryasha was right, of course, which he'd do, eventually. It was just a matter of acting interested and actually convincing the Mharysuh that he cared.
It was why Bova had been selected in the first place. He cared about plenty, but he never showed it. It would be impossible for Ryasha to actually tell if he cared for her little scheme or not. She'd have to take his word, and she would, too. Because Suzee would agree, and Suzee was now her best friend.
She'll turn on the crew, Bova thought. She'll turn on her real friends, all because this new genius came along.
Whether it was Ryasha affecting his mind or not, he didn't know. The tactician merely shrugged it off, listening to the sob story with half his attention while the other was diverted back to wondering whether or not step four was in motion yet. If it wasn't, it would be, soon.
"So, will you do it?" Ryasha asked.
Bova shrugged. "Sure. I guess."
Suzee nodded, thereby convincing Ryasha of Bova's sincerity. The girl smiled.
It's all too easy, Bova thought.
***
"Well, I'm step four," Rosie muttered. She was the only one of the crew that had double duty. Actually, it was both her and Radu. He'd recovered slightly since Ryasha had left, and was even sitting up on his own.
"I'm ready when you are," he said. Then added, "I think."
Rosie smiled reassuringly, wrapping her arms around Radu's neck in a hug. He put his arm on her back, carefully, so as not to crush her with his strength. When she pulled away, she was still wearing that smile.
Good, thought Radu. I'll need it.
"Go ahead," Rosie said.
Offering a STARDOG salute and a troubled smile of his own, Radu stood up on wobbly legs, and punched in a random code on the jumptube control. All he had to do was get lost in the ship.
He waited on the edge of the entrance tube, watching as Rosie opened up a comlink with the rest of the Christa.
"Attention," she said. "Radu's escaped. We need your help, Ryasha. No one else can get him to listen but you!"
Shivering involuntarily, Radu realized that there was probably some truth to that. Then he let himself go, disappearing into the darkness of the jumptubes.
***
I looked at Harlan. Over the few years we'd been on the Christa, he and Radu had actually become somewhat close as friends. It had been tentative at first, then had grown into a camaraderie that had made them almost inseparable friends.
Considering Radu's current condition, their friendship was about to be tested. Harlan would pull through. Radu was the wildcard.
"You ready, Band?" I asked. He offered me that confident smile that he was so famous for.
Without a word, he headed off at a lope down the hall to locate the 'missing' Andromedan.
***
Radu wandered aimlessly down the Christa's corridors. Even the ship was helping, Radu thought, as he trailed a hand along the wall. She'd dimmed her lights, making the whole situation more ominous. Though a little miffed that he didn't know the fifth step of Goddard's ingenious plan, he had to trust that everyone else knew what they were doing. And he had to trust in himself not to screw it up… That was extremely hard to be confident over, considering the nature of what they were dealing with.
Distant footsteps. He recognized their pattern.
"Harlan?" he called?
"Radu! Radu, I've been looking all over for you, man."
Harlan's voice, but it sounded strained. The Earther continued. "…There's been a change in the plan. We figured it all out… She really is who she says she is."
"But… everything… Was working out before. Like you said…" Radu was confused. He shook his head. No, this couldn't be! They were letting themselves be affected.
"No, it's fine," Harlan said. "And she and I are even going out now. It's official."
Before Radu knew what he was doing, he was attacking Harlan with all his strength. The only thought on his mind was that Ryasha was his, and no one else's.
Harlan fell like a sack full of bricks.
Radu kicked his former friend. Odd… Harlan hadn't even put up a fight…
***
"Oh, no!" Ryasha said, stopping abruptly in the middle of the hall. "Harlan's in trouble! Suzee, Bova, hold onto my arm. We're going to teleport to him!"
Suzee looked at Bova and smiled.
Bova mouthed, "Step six?"
Suzee nodded.
***
I waited, pacing back and forth in front of the airlock door. Why I hadn't moved from there was a mystery even to me. I could have been in the Command Post… No. The airlock was part of the plan, of course. I'd wait here.
***
"Radu! Think about what you're doing!" Ryasha skipped ahead of the Andromedan, now and then laying a hand on his shoulder which he deftly shrugged away.
"He said you were going out. How could you do that to me, Ryasha? After all we've been through?!" Radu growled, continuing to trudge down the hallway with Harlan slung over his shoulder. Suzee winced. Not only did he sound as if the Mharysuh had completely weaseled her way into his mind, but he sounded like a script page from a soap opera. Speaking of scripts, she elbowed Bova.
Bova felt like such a third wheel. He'd only joined forces with Ryasha for one line. One line which he'd never even had to rehearse.
"It looks like he's heading for the airlock," Bova droned.
Radu hadn't been. But it seemed like a good idea. He changed directions.
"Bova!" Suzee exclaimed. Also scripted.
***
I heard them approaching. Three pairs of footsteps, and four people… At least, I hoped. Now, all that was left was relying on a Mharysuh's instinct for dramatic self-sacrifice, and this would all work out perfectly.
I stepped aside, allowing Radu to pry open the airlock and shove Harlan inside. This had all been done before, and this was far too familiar. This time, though…
Suzee caught Radu off guard, and before he could react, he was already jumping into his mind. This was her part. She'd show him the truth.
"Quick!" T.J. uttered. "You've got to go in after him! If the airlock opens, you're the only one that can save him!"
"Right," Ryasha agreed. Foolish girl, I thought, distantly. Climbing into an airlock. Then again, hadn't we all just done that earlier? Yet she did it so willingly… The door closed behind her.
My turn.
I stood at the control console for the airlocks. Honestly, I didn't know what I was reading, or what any of the color indicators meant. "According to this, only one person can teleport out of there at a time." A totally senseless statement, but she'd buy it. "It's gotta be either you or Harlan first. Then you're gonna have to wait ten seconds and get yourself out of there. Can you hear me, Ryasha?"
"I hear you, Commander. Okay, here comes Harlan."
Harlan suddenly appeared on the floor in front of the airlock, and I looked down at my watch. At least Harlan was safe. It was all going according to plan. There was just one thing left to do… The seconds ticked away…
Ryasha's pitiful wail filled everyone's ears. "If this doesn't work, I just want to say that…"
I reached over. Pushed the outer airlock door release.
There was .82 seconds left on my timer.
***
"Sorry again, Harlan," Radu muttered. He was once more in the infirmary. The poor boy was still recovering from the shock.
Things were definitely getting back to normal. More than one of us felt a heavy guilt for releasing Ryasha out into the vacuum of space, but as I told the crew, it was likely just a residual effect from Ryasha's influence. I knew, of course, that a Mharysuh really could never be killed.
"So, why was it so complicated? The plan, I mean? Why didn't we just stuff her in the airlock to begin with?" Suzee was leaning on the table next to the medical chair, looking up at me. The whole crew was watching me.
"…Drama," I said simply, shaking my head. "If we'd have stuffed her in the airlock, as you put it, she would have found a way out. This way, she thinks she made a sacrifice… Or rather, the spirit of her does. And the truth of the matter is, no matter how hard we try to forget her…"
"We never will," Bova finished. We all bowed our heads. It was true. The only reason we were keeping her at bay was because we'd taken a solemn vow never to forget what she'd done. Not that we could, even if we tried.
"So, she believes it's an accident. That we're all in here crying our eyes out because she got sucked out of an airlock." Harlan laughed. "Well, it was definitely an interesting experience."
"One I'll skip over next time, gladly," T.J. interjected as Rosie placed a cold compress on Radu's forehead.
We'd been through the worst, my team and I, and we'd come up just fine in the end. My thoughts turned to Ryasha, though, and I couldn't help but feel just a little guilty.
It wouldn't last long.
***
Seifer and Squall were training together in the valley that separated the fire cave from Balamb Proper. Steel clashed on steel as they took turns exchanging hit after hit. It wouldn't be long now before one of them was victorious.
"You don't want to hurt him."
Both of them stopped. Looked up. There she was – the most beautiful girl each of them had ever seen…