Lion's Legacy
By The Other SeeD
Disclaimer: All characters herein are creations of Square-Enix—EXCEPT for Serrus. He is my own creation, except for his last name. Read the story; you'll see.
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"Do you see it?" Quistis Trepe said, looking around the house
"He once said he put it here," Irvine Kinneas answered. "But I doubt he'd make it easy to find."
They both stepped farther into the old orphanage. The dilapidated walls and dirty floor made the place no less significant to Irvine and Quistis. It, as well as Balamb Garden, had been their only real home.
Quistis went ahead of Irvine and stepped carefully through the large gap in the interior wall. She found herself on a small cliff overlooking a long, sandy beach; a lighthouse stood in the distance to her right.
She hadn't been here in a while.
She heard Irvine call, and hurried back inside. She went down the old, creaking staircase in the corner and found her partner in the basement. "This may be it," he said.
She moved forward, excitement quickening her steps. After so long…
Irvine was kneeling before a solid grey case, similar to a guitar case, but longer and totally rectangular. Irvine brushed dust off the lid, and gasped as a silver lion's head emblem was revealed. Griever.
This was it.
Together, they lifted the lid. Lying securely inside was something they had not seen in years. They knew the gunblade was old, but the case had prevented too much wear and tear from befalling it. The handle was still grey and attached tightly to the hilt; the long, contoured blade was every bit as bright blue as they remembered.
"The Lion Heart," Quistis whispered.
"That's it," Irvine said, a touch of reverence in his voice. "We may have to change the ammunition, it'll be too old to—Quistis?"
She was crying. Whether out of joy or sorrow he could not tell. It didn't matter. He took her in his arms and hugged her.
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Serrus dug deep in his pockets and felt nothing but threads of rough cloth. He took his hands out and rubbed his eyes. Dinner wouldn't come easy tonight.
He walked to the Balamb pier and looked for the fishing rod vendor. He wasn't looking forward to it. The vendor was a shrewd old man who sold his rods at prices so outrageous that Serrus wondered if he did it just to torment people who needed them.
After five minutes of half-hearted searching, he found the man. He walked up and said, "Excuse me. I need a fishing rod."
The man looked down at him, sneering. "How badly?"
"What?"
"How badly do you need it?"
"Very badly. I have to eat."
"To eat, eh, boy? If that's so important to you, what'll you give me for the rod, eh?"
What was left of Serrus' spirits ebbed away. "I don't have any money."
"Then no fishing rod for you." The man turned to leave.
"Wait!" Serrus said. He was defeated; he knew it. "What can I give you? You tell me."
The old man turned back with a nasty smile. "Caught on, have you, boy?" He looked Serrus up and down, until his gaze locked onto the two rings that hung from a thin chain on his neck. Serrus winced as the man said, "That chain and the rings will do!"
Resigned, Serrus began to remove the chain.
"Stop!" a woman's voice shouted. "Do not give him the chain!"
Huh? Serrus had though he and the old man were alone. He turned and saw a tall woman behind him, holding—what was that, a whip?—firmly in her hands.
"Who the hell're you?" the vendor yelled back; the next second, he froze. The cold steel of what had to be a gun had pressed against the back of his neck. "Move away," a clear voice said.
The old man was out of his league. Without turning, he dropped the fishing rods and ran terrified past Serrus and the woman. The woman paid him no attention. Her eyes were fixed on Serrus.
"Are you…police?"
"You have to come with us, Serrus," she said, storing the whip on her belt.
"How do you know my—"
"Now is good," the gunman said, gripping Serrus' shoulder firmly. "The hotel. Quick."
Confused and nervous, Serrus followed the two into the nearby hotel. They paid for a room, ordered room service, and went straight up. Serrus noticed that they both seemed excited.
Inside the room, he twisted out of the man's grip and got out of reach. He eyed the two of them. "Who are you? What's the deal?"
"Irvine Kinneas," the man said, almost bowing, unless Serrus' eyes deceived him. He wore a rectangular grey case strapped vertically to his back, so long that it almost touched the ground.
"Quistis Trepe," the woman said. She took one step forward. "And you are Serrus."
"Serrus Leonhart," Irvine said quietly.
"I…don't know my last name," Serrus said. He sat on one of the three beds. "What's going on here?"
"Serrus, Quistis said gently, sitting beside him. He tensed, but she made no other movement. "Do you know who your parents were?"
"…No."
"Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly," Irvine said, sitting on the bed opposite and looking directly at Serrus.
"What?" Serrus stood up. "No way. Squall Leonhart? He was a war hero. The legendary SeeD, the only one stronger than Seifer Almasy. I can't be related to him. Look at me!"
"Serrus, sit down," Quistis said gently.
He stood for another minute, breathing quickly, and then sat down.
"Listen to me," Quistis said. "You are the son of Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly. We know you are, because we know your name. We've even seen you before…when you were very young. Your parents were killed, Serrus. When you were very young. We only have Squall's body. We were…never able to recover Rinoa's."
Serrus listened with a pounding heart. He had known none of this. Could any of it be true?
"You parents left you two things before they were torn away from you," Irvine said. "The first was that chain around your neck. You mother used to wear it all the time. There are two rings on the chain; one was your mother's, and the other, the one with a lion engraving, was given to her by your father…somewhat unknowingly." The shadow of a smile flickered on his face.
"We could not allow you to give up that chain and those rings, Serrus," Quistis said. "Not to that terrible old man, not to anybody. That chain is all you have left of your past, and your two wonderful parents. That, and one other thing."
Irvine removed the case from his back and set it carefully on the bed. He worked the locks and opened the case. Serrus stared in awe. He had seen gunblades before, in shops and in magazines; but never a real one, and one so fine as this.
"Your father's weapon," Irvine said quietly. "The Lion Heart."
"It's yours, Serrus, more than it is anybody else's in the world," Quistis said. "Pick it up."
Serrus walked slowly to the case. He reached out and touched the gunblade. It was smooth and strong, and besides the cold steel of the grip and the razor-sharp edge of the blade, he felt a power and dignity in the weapon that he had never imagined he would feel in his tired, stale life.
He carefully lifted it out of the case and held it as best as he could. It was a large weapon, one that would take getting used to.
He looked hard at Irvine and Quistis. "This…is really mine?"
They nodded, eyes fixed on him.
"All right…now I have my father's weapon. So what do I do with it? What did you two come to me for? It can't have been just for this…"
Irvine started to reply, but at that moment a knock sounded at the door. Irvine jumped and checked who it was. "Dinner's here."
"We should eat, and then rest," Quistis told Serrus. "We'll explain the rest tomorrow. There's something we have to do, and we'll need your help. This will be the most important thing you've ever had to do, Serrus Leonhart."
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Serrus stood at the balcony looking out at the sea. The morning sun glared in his eyes and made the water sparkle.
So he was Serrus Leonhart, son of Squall Leonhart and Rinoa Heartilly. In his spare time—something he'd had a lot of lately—he had studied the history of wars and war heroes past. He knew about Squall Leonhart, about his strength, his sense of justice, and his character. The knowledge made him even more sceptical about being Squall's son. Look at me, he had said last night. Where was the strength, the character…?
And now he had his father's weapon, the Lion Heart. He was grateful to Irvine Kinneas and Quistis Trepe for bringing it to him; he could sense the significance behind it, and tried to imagine the magnitude of their efforts to find him. But now what, now that he had it? What had to be done?
"Even your name…" said a voice behind him. He turned and saw Quistis smiling at him.
"What?"
"Even your name speaks of Squall and Rinoa," she said. "Squall means an outcry, or a passing rain. Rain comes from clouds, and cirrus is a type of cloud. Rinoa, on the other hand, had a strong angelic aura to her. And a seraphim is a high-ranking adult angel. Therefore…Serrus."
He thought about it for a while. "Thank you," he said at last.
"Your mother named you," she said, also looking out towards the sea. "I only wish you could have seen her, Serrus. Her and your father."
"Did you…know them well?"
Quistis looked down at the floor. Before she could answer, Irvine's voice came out from the room. "In here, you two."
Quistis beckoned to Serrus, and they both went inside. Irvine was looking over a large map spread on a desk. "Look here," he said. "This is a world map. Serrus, you know about the Galbadian uprising that happened twenty-five years ago, right?"
Serrus nodded. The information was vivid from his history research.
"Okay," Irvine said. "Then you should know about Lunatic Pandora. Twenty-five years ago, Lunatic Pandora hovered over Tears' Point near Esthar, here." He pointed to a spot on the map. "Back then, your parents took a team of SeeD members—Quistis and I included—into Lunatic Pandora to stop Sorceress Ultimecia. We had to fight our way through a lot to get to Ultimecia's time period, in the future. We stopped her."
"But Lunatic Pandora itself was left intact, although completely deserted," Quistis said. "The previous headmaster of Balamb Garden, Cid Kramer, suggested that Lunatic Pandora be destroyed, as a precaution. But a team of scientists at Esthar disagreed. They wanted to explore and experiment on Lunatic Pandora. The scientist Odine, now deceased, had once led the team.
"The Esthar scientists worked on Lunatic Pandora, but found no way to manipulate or control it. The entire facility seemed to have locked itself up. Frustrated, they left it floating over a remote patch of ocean."
"By then SeeD was busy with other things," Irvine said. "They couldn't be bothered by Lunatic Pandora. But something's happened. There have been reports of aircraft and ocean vessels disappearing in the area where the Esthar scientists left it. The area of disappearances hasn't been staying still. It's moving…towards Tears' Point."
"We can't take any chances," Quistis said gravely. "We have to go check what's happening. At the rate it's going, Lunatic Pandora will be directly over Tears' Point before we can get to it. We do have a way to speed up our trip, though."
"We should get going as soon as possible," Irvine said, folding up the map. "Any questions, Serrus?"
"Yes," Serrus said," but…not about Lunatic Pandora. I understand how important this is, but there are still some things that I want to know...about my parents. And about you two."
"Ask us," Quistis said. "The more you know, the better."
"Okay. You said that my parents went with a team of SeeD into Lunatic Pandora. Who was on the team, exactly?"
Irvine answered. "Squall, Rinoa, Quistis, me, Selphie Tilmitt, and Zell Dincht."
"Where are Selphie and Zell now?"
"At Balamb Garden," Quistis said. "Forgive us, Serrus, but for security reasons we can't tell you exactly where Balamb Garden is at the moment. But they're the good guys."
Serrus nodded. "Were all of you…my parents' only friends?"
"Rinoa had friends in Timber, and a father in Deling City," Quistis said. "But Squall was something of a loner. I think we were all he had in the way of friends."
"All right. Balamb Garden is willing to help us with this Pandora thing, right?"
"Right," Irvine said. "But they won't show up until we really need help. We don't want too much attention focused on you, to be honest. It's best to keep a low profile."
"Cid Kramer is dead now, right? Who's the new headmaster?"
"A guy named Nida. He used to be the Garden pilot. He knew Squall too. Everyone in the Garden knew him, really."
"We should get going," Quistis said. "I don't know what we're going to find inside Lunatic Pandora, and I'd rather have this over with. Serrus, you should carry the Lion Heart, in its case. It's about time you got a feel for it."
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They had breakfast, and then walked out onto a remote part of the Balamb beach.
"I mentioned that we have a way to speed things up," Quistis said. "Serrus, have you heard of the Ragnarok?"
"An airship," Serrus recited, "used by Balamb Garden SeeDs after being recovered from space."
"Very good," Quistis said, smiling at him. "The Ragnarok is still around, but it's hidden. Irvine and I know where it is, but we'll need a ride there. Have you ever heard of the Deep Sea Research Facility?"
Serrus shook his head.
"Battleship Island," Irvine said.
Serrus' eyes widened. "Same thing?" he asked.
"Yep," Irvine answered. "That's where it is right now. So you know about Battleship Island. You know about Guardian Forces too, I think. What old Guardian Force was housed inside Battleship Island?"
"You don't mean—"
Quistis raised her hand towards the sky and muttered something. The still, white clouds above them turned grey and began churning. Lightning cracked.
Serrus looked up nervously. What was happening?
The light and sound show grew in intensity, until Serrus saw a ring of light—looked like it was drawn up with ethereal runes—appear in the sky. Before he could ask about it, he saw a gigantic flying form race down from out of the clouds and fly straight through the ring. It swooped down and came to a halt before Serrus, Irvine, and Quistis. It was huge, a dark blue armoured creature with arms, legs, and two massive wings that beat as it hovered.
"Bahamut," Quistis said.
"I have arrived, summoner," Bahamut answered. His voice was like the collision of boulders: rough and grinding, but powerful almost beyond thought. "What do you will of me?"
"Bahamut," Quistis said. "You must bring the three of us to your old home. Only you would know the way. There is something there we must get, if we are to end the danger of Lunatic Pandora."
"I know of what you speak, human," Bahamut said, "and indeed your flight is essential. I will take you there."
Quistis and Irvine climbed onto the mighty creature's back. Serrus, still reeling from disbelief, followed them up. As soon as Serrus was on, Bahamut spread his wings and lifted off.
"Geez!" Serrus said, trying to stay in his seat.
"Anyone else would be hard-pressed to find Battleship Island," Quistis told him. "It's not easy to find, but Bahamut knows where it is. The Ragnarok is waiting there. We had to keep it there, instead of in Balamb Garden—all the better for secrecy."
"What are we gonna do once we get it?" Serrus asked.
"Fly it straight to Lunatic Pandora," Irvine said. "We have to get inside and see what's happening. We'd better be ready to fight."
After about an hour of fast flying, Bahamut finally landed and let his three passengers down.
"I have brought you to the place where you once sought me," he said to Quistis. "May you again find what you seek here."
"We thank you, Bahamut," Quistis said, bowing. Bahamut lifted off and flew into the clouds, making almost no disturbance or noise in the sky.
Serrus looked around. He'd read about Battleship Island, but had seen no pictures; it was too obscure a place. But now here he was.
"There!" Irvine ran ahead and scaled a small rock wall. The others followed quickly. On top of the plateau sat the huge red airship.
"Ragnarok," Irvine whispered. "It's been a while…"
The three of them stepped carefully inside the open cargo hatch. Serrus followed the other two. They went straight to the small elevator that led to the cockpit.
"Nobody has used this airship for years," Quistis said. "Selphie used to make some modifications on it. We may encounter some sort of security—"
Suddenly they heard a metallic clicking noise. A cool female computer voice intoned, "State voice-code trigger."
"A password…?" Quistis said. "We weren't told—"
Irvine tried the small elevator. "It's locked!" he shouted. Serrus felt panic creeping up on him.
"State voice-code trigger. Security system activation at next verbal warning."
"Oh no," Quistis muttered. "Irvine…"
"I don't know any passwords!" he yelled.
"Just try!" she said loudly. "Um…Garden. SeeD. Balamb."
Serrus joined in. Fear made his voice shake. "Ragnarok. Squall. Serrus Leonhart."
"Security system activated. State voice-code trigger to deactivate." Yellow gas began pouring into the cockpit from hidden vents.
"Cid Kramer!" Quistis shouted, fear obvious in her voice. "Quistis Trepe! Irvine Kinneas!"
It was a knockout gas. Serrus began to feel drowsy. Fighting to stay conscious, he yelled, "Lion Heart! Gunblade! Lunatic Pandora!"
"AIRSHIP!" Irvine roared. "BATTLESHIP ISLAND! BAHAMUT!"
All three of them were feeling drowsy now. "Angel Wing…" Quistis tried feebly.
"WHY? WHY?" Irvine continued bellowing. "WHY DID YOU HAVE TO ADD A SECURITY SYSTEM, SEFIE!"
"Voice-code trigger SEFIE recognized. Deactivating security system." Exhaust ports opened inside the cockpit, and the gas was vented out.
The three of them collapsed to the floor, panting. After a minute, Irvine groaned and stood up unsteadily.
"'Sefie', was it?" he growled. "I'm gonna kill her…"
Quistis and Serrus couldn't help chuckling. "His nickname for Selphie," Quistis told him.
"Can we just start the blasted airship?" Irvine said.
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Quistis piloted the Ragnarok while Irvine operated the radio. "Ragnarok to Garden," he transmitted. "We are en route to Pandora. We have our package."
"Roger that, Ragnarok," came the reply. "We'll meet you there. Godspeed."
Irvine turned to Serrus. "'Package' means you. Sorry. Anybody could be monitoring this frequency."
Serrus nodded. "So Balamb Garden will meet us at Tears' Point, where Lunatic Pandora is. And we're gonna storm the place."
"Right. I don't have any good memories of Lunatic Pandora, so let's do our thing hard and fast. No telling what could be in there. Why don't you take a look around the airship, man? It's a piece of work. I'll let you know when we're almost there."
Serrus thanked him and went down the elevator into the airship itself. It was mostly all the same dark red, metallic passageways and staircases, but he saw that every room had a purpose. The marvel of seeing the Ragnarok from the inside was intensified by what he had read about it.
My parents were in this ship.
He saw an airlock and space suits, and understood that the Ragnarok was capable of deep-space travel. There was a cargo bay that doubled as a preparation area for disembarking from the ship. The last room he visited was what looked like a reception area. It was a large, brightly lit room with a view of the outside. Several high-tech, comfortable seats were positioned in two columns with an aisle in between. A small control panel blinked at the far end of the room.
Serrus sat on one of the chairs. A minute later he heard the door slide open. Quistis came into the room and sat on the chair beside him.
"That was the same chair your father sat in, when we were all together inside this ship," she said. "He was sitting there thinking about your mother."
He was silent for a while, and then said, "I guess you did know them well."
"Better than almost anyone else," she said. "I knew Squall the longest. He was my best student at Garden, although he wouldn't talk to me much. There was so much potential in him, but he didn't really shine until after he met Rinoa."
"How old are you?" Serrus blurted out. When he saw her surprised expression, he quickly said, "I mean, I want to know how old I am. Knowing your age might help. How old were you when my parents were killed? How long ago was it? If you don't mind," he added.
She smiled. "You're seventeen. Squall and Rinoa were…lost…seventeen years ago, when you were less than a year old. They were both twenty-five when you were born. I was a year older than both of them. For your information, Mr. Leonhart, that makes me forty-three. Irvine is forty-two."
"Wow," he said, trying to sound respectful. "And you can still fight?"
"We certainly can. Being a SeeD doesn't end when you get past your teen years, you know."
He smiled uncertainly at her. "You don't look a day over thirty-five."
"Thank you," she said, blushing. Just a little.
"Hey you two, here we go," they heard Irvine say on the intercom. They rushed up to the cockpit and found him pointing out the front window.
"That's it," he said.
They looked. That was it, all right. The huge, towering form that was Lunatic Pandora stretched almost down to the ground, and up past the clouds. It was a monstrosity of a structure, encased in cold steel walls and patterns of exposed wiring. It was larger than any building Serrus had ever seen, and it was hovering over Tears' Point.
"It's huge!" Serrus said.
"Take a seat, you two," Irvine said. "I'm gonna firewall it! Quistis, get the guns ready!"
"Roger!"
As the Ragnarok roared towards Pandora's outer hull, Quistis let loose with the machine guns and main cannon. The shots zipped towards the huge structure and impacted on the hull, creating a massive crater.
"What!" Irvine shouted. "I thought there were shields!"
"We're going too fast!" Quistis yelled.
Serrus tried to get into a brace position, but it was too late. The Ragnarok smashed into Pandora's hull. Irvine, Quistis, and Serrus were flung out of their seats by the inertia. The jolt and sudden flight had been so strong that as they slammed into the bullet-proof glass, they shattered it and fell through.
Serrus blacked out the instant he felt the glass break.
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Serrus awoke in chains.
He looked around him. He was in a dimly lit, large room. Irvine and Quistis, still knocked out, were beside him. They too were in chains. Their weapons, the whip and the shotgun, lay a few feet in front of them.
Serrus tried to wake them up, but it was no use. He hoped they weren't too badly hurt. Otherwise, he was on his own.
He took a second look around. So this was the interior of Lunatic Pandora. It was weirdly designed, as though it were both mechanical and organic. Sloping bridges, transparent tunnels, and bits of wiring punctuated the heavy steel walls and armor plates.
He realized that they weren't in a sealed room. There were walls, but there was no visible ceiling. The structure went up and up, beyond Serrus' sight.
Creepy.
He twisted to look behind him. He could just make out the figure of the Ragnarok, which had blasted itself halfway through into Lunatic Pandora. It was still partially embedded in the wall.
"What the hell," he heard Irvine say. He looked and saw that the man had awakened and was struggling with his chains.
"That hurt." Quistis was awake as well.
"This is Lunatic Pandora?" Serrus asked.
"Yeah," Irvine said. "But I don't remember this room…"
"A new ruler needs a new throne, mortal," a voice boomed out of nowhere. The three of them started.
A few overhead lights came on suddenly, and they saw the speaker's face.
"No," Quistis said softly. "No. No. No."
"You're…supposed to be…dead," Irvine said through clenched teeth.
"It is not that easy," said Sorceress Adel, "to destroy me."
Serrus had no idea who or what it was he was seeing, but he knew that it had to be the enemy. He struggled against his chains. Only now did he realize that the Lion Heart's case was missing.
I put it down inside the Ragnarok's cockpit…
"You remember me," said Adel, advancing slowly. "And I remember you. And all of your friends. Revenge is a dish best served cold; that it the human saying, I believe? Is eight years cold enough?"
"Revenge…eight years…seventeen to twenty-five…" Quistis murmured. "You…it was you!"
"You killed Squall and Rinoa!" Irvine yelled, struggling mightily.
The moment the words left Irvine's mouth and registered in Serrus' mind, he was overcome by a blurry wave of shock. His parents dead…because of this thing in front of him?
"You kill me," Adel said, eyes narrowing, "and I kill you. Every last one of you…SeeD."
"DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" Serrus heard himself bellow at Adel. "DO YOU KNOW WHO MY FATHER WAS? MY MOTHER?"
"Serrus, be quiet!" Quistis shouted, but it was too late. Adel turned to Serrus. "You are their son, then?" she said quietly.
"I'm gonna KILL you!"
Adel laughed long and loud. "You can try. Mortal."
She raised her grotesque hand. Green light appeared at each fingertip.
"NO!" Quistis shouted.
With what movement he could make, Irvine reached down to his belt and extracted a grenade. He pulled the pin and tossed it at Adel's feet.
"DUCK!" he yelled. The others turned away quickly.
Adel looked down at the grenade just as it detonated. The deafening explosion was like a sucker punch to the side of Serrus' head. He fell to the ground, head spinning, trying to see as the chamber was engulfed in the white light of the detonation. The towering figure of Adel was lost in the blaze.
Irvine was already out of his restraint. He rolled forward, grabbed his gun and yelled, "Don't move!"
With a few shots he had destroyed the chains holding Quistis and Serrus. Quistis dove for her whip. "Serrus! Get the Lion Heart!" she shouted as she and Irvine charged Adel, who had emerged from the smoke, screaming in rage.
Expecting his pounding heart to explode any second, Serrus sprinted for the Ragnarok. His vision went blurry and his breathing came ragged as he ran faster than he had ever run in his life. Behind him he could hear the snap of a whip, the bang of a gun, and the fury of a sorceress.
Reaching the Ragnarok, he dove clear through the space that used to be the bullet-proof windshield. He saw it at once: the Lion Heart's case. He opened it, took the gunblade, and dashed back to the fray.
When he returned to the battle area, he almost wished he'd just stayed back at the Ragnarok.
Sorceress Adel had stepped full into view. To Serrus, she was hideous beyond imagination. Adel was almost twice his own height, with a white torso marked by black slash patterns. Her face was curved into an insane smile of malice as she lifted her arms to cast deadly spells.
The worst part was her chest.
Strapped to Adel, bound by thick organic fibers, unconscious, arms and legs immobile, was Rinoa Heartilly.
Irvine almost fell to his knees; in his shock he lowered his weapon for a better look. "Rinoa…?"
"OH MY GOD!" Quistis screamed, clutching her face.
Serrus thought he was going to be sick. That was Rinoa Heartilly, his mother, attached to the sorceress like some piece of jewellery. He slowly lowered the Lion Heart.
"No!" Irvine shouted, running to him and shaking him. "You won't hurt Rinoa by attacking Adel. She did this too, the last time we fought her. It's a trick, Serrus! Just aim carefully and—"
A searing explosion appeared out of nowhere, in front of Serrus and Irvine. Both of them were thrown backwards into a wall, yelling. A fire spell? Serrus managed to think.
Quistis tried to overcome her horror and attack, but Adel was too fast for her. The sorceress sent a wind spell at her, lifting her thirty feet off the ground and then dropping her like a rock. She hit the floor and lay moaning.
"No…" Irvine grated out as he tried to get up. His long coat was blackened and smoking.
Serrus was suddenly filled with reckless rage. This monster had trapped his mother, and was now throwing his only two friends around like rag dolls. He had the Lion Heart still in his hands; what was there to lose?
Screaming, he got to his feet and charged Adel. He leapt and went for a vicious air attack. But Adel had turned at the sound of his voice and was ready for him. With a cruel, hateful, twisted smile, she turned so that her chest was facing Serrus. With a jolt of horror Serrus realized that the blade of the Lion Heart was going straight for Rinoa. He was going too fast to stop. NO!
A split-second before the bright blue blade could slice through Rinoa, a smaller, thinner black blade swung from out of Serrus' vision range and clanged on the Lion Heart, stopping it cold.
"Seifer!" Quistis shouted from the floor.
"Let's try not to kill Rinoa, huh?" Serrus heard a rough voice say as he dropped back to the floor. He turned and saw Seifer Almasy looking at him, the Hyperion gunblade in one hand.
Irvine and Quistis stood up and stared at Seifer. He hadn't changed much; it was the same rough, cocky voice that had so irritated Quistis Trepe more than twenty-five years ago; the same blond hair, now with a little grey splashed in; even his clothes looked pretty much the same. Beside him stood Raijin and Fujin, weapons at the ready.
It's the old posse… Irvine thought. If they're here to help, they're welcome!
"Who the hell are you?" Seifer said as he and Serrus jumped out of Adel's range.
"Serrus…Leonhart."
"Leonhart? God, of all names…don't tell me: you're related to Squall."
"Yeah."
"Great day I'm having," Seifer growled as he ran back into the fray. Serrus was about to follow when he was stopped by a large hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw Raijin and Fujin beside him.
"The son of Squall…" Fujin said in awe.
"You look kinda like him, ya know?" Raijin said.
Serrus was dazed. "Who are you three?"
"Enemies," Fujin said, "turned friends. Forget the past, son of Squall. For now, we have a common enemy!" She and Raijin dashed off to help Seifer, who was raining accurate blows onto Adel.
Serrus had no idea what the woman in blue was talking about, but he understood that they were there to help. Letting them handle Adel for the moment, he turned to check on Irvine and Quistis.
What he saw almost made him raise the Lion Heart and cheer.
Balamb garden had arrived. He could see its hovering form through the hole in the wall made by the Ragnarok. A dozen SeeD members carrying various weapons rushed into the room.
Irvine spotted one of them immediately. "Selphie!" He ran towards a girl in a short yellow dress and hugged her. "Long time no see, huh?"
"One month, Irvy," she said, smiling at him. "I told you you'd miss me."
"I've gotta…talk…to you about the Ragnarok security system. Later." They nodded at each other, then turned and joined the fight.
"Zell!" Quistis said, shaking the martial artist's hand. "Good to see you!"
"Good to be here, Quis! Too much training, not enough real FIGHTING! Bring…it…ON!" Zell whooped and joined the battle.
"Son of Squall," Serrus heard. He turned and saw a uniformed SeeD bowing to him, a sword in his right hand. "Headmaster Nida at your service. I stand with you!" And he too leapt into the fray.
Serrus' mind reeled with sudden joy. So many friends…his father had been such a strong presence at Balamb Garden, long ago.
He was about to rejoin the fight when he saw a white light flash from above. He looked up and saw four blurred items fall from out of nowhere and impale themselves in the ground in a circle formation. When he looked closer, confused, he noticed three swords of different shape and color, and one long black axe.
At the center of the circle of weapons, a red shape began rising from the ground. It unfurled to reveal a grey figure hooded in red, with bright eyes and a noble posture.
"The Lion and the Angel…" Gilgamesh said, bowing to Serrus.
Serrus could only stand agape as Gilgamesh slung the Zantetsuken and the Excalipoor on his back, and took the Masamune in his right hand and the Excaliber in his left. He charged into the battle.
Feeling an incredible surge of hope, Serrus went to help.
Adel was in a fury. She unleashed spell after spell, turning the large room into Hell itself. SeeDs were burnt, frozen, blown away, poisoned, and almost drowned. Irvine was unloading all his ammunition at the sorceress, firing so fast that the barrel of his weapon was beginning to glow red. Quistis was attacking with a speed unheard of in the ranks of whip users. Selphie and Zell were pummelling the sorceress with magic and physical attacks.
"Don't hit Rinoa!" Serrus yelled as he slashed at Adel legs.
"No duh, kid!" Seifer yelled back as he triggered his gunblade, setting an explosion off near Adel's face.
Serrus looked up at the hated visage. He stared in shock as Adel began drawing power from Rinoa. Red spheres of pure magic energy flowed into Adel. Serrus heard Rinoa moan.
She's still alive!
That was all he had time to think before Adel unleashed the Ultima spell.
There was a brilliant flash of green energy, and then an explosion and shockwave that rocked Lunatic Pandora.
The room was blasted into a scene of carnage. SeeDs were either killed outright or slammed into walls hard enough to dent them. A few unlucky ones were propelled through the large hole in the wall, blasted outside Lunatic Pandora, left to plummet to their doom. Serrus himself was thrown against a bulkhead. He almost blacked out as a wave of pain washed over him.
He could hear Adel laughing, somewhere in the background. Serrus tried to get up, but it was hopeless. He sagged and waited to die.
Irvine and Quistis shook him awake. They both looked like hell too. Irvine was charred and bleeding all over the face. Quistis had bruises all over and was barely conscious.
"The Lion Heart…" Irvine croaked. "Use it…Serrus…"
"It has to be you, Serrus," Quistis choked out. "It has to be you…who finishes this…"
Nodding, Serrus stood up. It felt like every evil force, every malicious entity in the universe was holding him down, trying to stop him; it seemed to take years, but he finally managed to get to his feet. He took a few unsteady steps towards Adel.
"What do you plan to do to me, mortal?" Adel said, looking down at him. "If I could kill your father…imagine what I could do to you."
"You didn't just kill my father," Serrus spat at her. "You killed Squall Leonhart. And this…this is for him."
With a sudden burst of energy, as if he had not been exhausted and almost waiting for death, he leapt up high, until he was level with Adel's face. He swung the Lion Heart in a full circle, and the blade glowed and left a trail of bright white energy in its wake.
"The Lion Wing…!" Gilgamesh said, on his knees.
The white energy arc separated into two halves, one on front of Serrus, and one behind. Each half took the shape of a single angel wing. The one behind him glowed blue and red and engulfed him, bestowing protection spells on him, shielding him from physical and magical pain. The wing in front of Serrus glowed with many different colors. Suddenly the wing disassembled itself, and fired multicoloured energy bolts at Adel. The sorceress recoiled as she was struck repeatedly by every offensive magical spell known to man.
Once the bolts had all flung themselves at Adel, Serrus himself, glowing with blue, red, and white auras, dashed at Adel. He attacked viciously, slicing again and again at Adel with explosive power and speed.
The Lion Heart… Quistis thought in awe as she watched.
Serrus' final blow almost shattered the entire room into fragments. It was a gigantic strike with the gunblade, tearing through Adel and setting off a massive energy explosion inside the sorceress.
Serrus dropped lightly onto the ground and stood at a ready position, in case Adel had somehow withstood the attack.
He needn't have bothered; Adel screamed and writhed as the power of the attack overwhelmed her. Rays of light burst forth from her, tearing her skin, consuming her huge frame.
"Rinoa!" Quistis yelled.
Irvine took aim with his rifle. So skilled a marksman was he that even with Adel's twisting and convulsing, he sent four bullets on perfect courses towards the fibers that bound Rinoa to Adel. Rinoa fell at Adel's feet. Serrus leapt forward and snatched her out of harm's way.
Adel's face was a hardened mask of loathing and defiance as she faced Serrus.
"You've…lost…mortal."
A blinding flash made everyone still alive in the room turn and shield their eyes. When they next looked, Adel was nowhere to be found.
Irvine, Quistis, Zell, and Selphie rushed to Serrus as he held Rinoa in his arms.
"Rinoa!" Selphie cried, hugging her long-lost friend.
"Selphie…" the other woman said, smiling weakly. Her voice was soft and labored, but startlingly clear. "Zell…Irvine…Quistis…"
"Rinoa," Quistis said, trying and failing to hold back tears, "this is—"
"Serrus," Rinoa whispered, reaching out to touch his cheek. "My son."
Serrus couldn't speak. He could hear himself choking back tears.
"Take it easy, Rinoa," Zell said. He stood up and bellowed "MEDIC!"
Seifer walked slowly towards Rinoa's limp form. He knelt beside her on one knee and said, "Rinoa."
"Seifer…you helped my son…you helped him…"
"Don't die," Seifer said firmly; but his lip was trembling. "Don't…"
"We're all here, Rinoa," Irvine said gently. "You're gonna be okay."
"Where's Squall?" Rinoa asked suddenly. She tried to sit up. "Where…?"
"Rinoa," Seifer said steadily, "Squall is—"
"Take care of him," Rinoa said, sagging back down to the floor. "Take care of my son…"
"We will," said Irvine.
Rinoa smiled once, and then closed her eyes. Her expression relaxed, and then did not change.
Selphie burst into tears and fell into Irvine's arms. Irvine held her with one hand; with the other he removed his hat, and he bowed his head. Quistis covered her face with her hands and began sobbing quietly. Zell punched the floor and cursed under his breath. Seifer dropped to both knees and rubbed his eyes with his gloved fingers.
Serrus closed his eyes and placed his head gently on his mother's chest.
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The first thing Serrus thought about when he woke up was that he had probably been out cold for a while. He was starting to think that he'd better get used to it. It was probably easier not to care.
And then he thought about his mother dying in his arms, and wished he'd never woken up at all.
"Are you awake yet?" said a voice. A young woman's dark-haired face came into his view. "Nina Kadowaki at your service," she said. "Um, the headmaster wants a word with you. Wait here, okay?"
Serrus didn't even have the strength to nod. He watched as Nina left, and then endured two minutes of agonizing silence before the headmaster arrived.
"Hey," Nida said. "I hope you're feeling better. I mean, after what happened in there with Adel, and then…"
Seeing Serrus close his eyes, Nida sighed. "I'm sorry, Serrus. You shouldn't have to relive that, I guess. Anything I try to say to you will probably be completely insignificant compared to what you've just had to endure, so I won't try too hard. Just keep one thing in mind, if you can stand it."
Serrus was silent, eyes still closed.
"Serrus, ever since she was very young, independence and freedom were the most important things to your mother…besides your father, of course. It's what made her fight for the Timber nation's independence from Vinzer Deling, what made her want to participate in overthrowing Sorceress Edea, when Edea was possessed…I'm sure you know all the facts.
"Even when she was in love with Squall, she had freedom on her mind. She fought against Sorceress Ultimecia, to prevent a future of chaos and death. She fought to free us in the here and now. What you did today, Serrus, has ensured the freedom of the entire world from a tyranny so malevolent that I won't even try to explain it to you. You know about Sorceress Adel. And by defeating Adel, you freed your mother as well. Your following in her footsteps, fighting for the cause of freedom—I think, Serrus, that she would have wanted that for you above all else. To continue your parents' work and legacy."
When Nida saw no response from Serrus, he sighed again and stood up. "That's all, really. I guess it didn't help much, but that's what I think, for what it's worth." He walked towards the door.
"Headmaster."
Nida turned and saw Serrus looking straight at him.
"Thank you, sir."
Nida nodded, smiled briefly, and left the room.
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Serrus was up and about the next day. Everyone had relocated to Balamb Garden to wrap things up. Nida had ordered the complete destruction of Lunatic Pandora, and assured everyone that he would not let the order go ignored.
Serrus was present at the commendation ceremonies. He watched as Irvine, Quistis, Zell, Selphie, and all other survivors who had participated in the battle against Adel were elevated to the highest level of SeeD and bestowed with honors. Posthumous awards for valor and stirring eulogies were given for the deceased.
When Nida had finished awarding all the SeeDs, he called upon Seifer Almasy, Raijin, and Fujin; and then the headmaster stepped back. Quistis Trepe, dressed in full SeeD uniform, addressed the three.
"Seifer Almasy, Raijin, and Fujin. You have displayed a courage and camaraderie that was both unexpected and welcome. You willingly faced death and destruction, and stood with those fighting for a righteous cause. No other traits are necessary for a person to be welcomed into our ranks. By the power granted me by this Garden, I bestow honorary and life-long SeeDship on all of you."
She walked closer and saluted them one by one. Seifer was the last, and when they had both lowered their arms, she whispered, "You are now everything I had dreamed you would become, Seifer."
Seifer did not slacken his posture or shift his eyes, but a small smile of gratitude appeared unmistakably on his face.
"And finally," Nida announced as the three new SeeDs stepped down, "I call on Serrus Leonhart."
The crowd was silent as Serrus made his way up the stage.
Nida went on. "For his exemplary courage, cooperation, and endurance in the face of unspeakable terror, I congratulate Serrus Leonhart. No award or citation I could give could ease the pain or memory of what has befallen him. Yet any honor that should be given him is not mine to bestow; it was with him from the start. I can expose this honor in no greater a way than by proclaiming, Serrus Leonhart, that you are indeed your father's son, and your mother's child. I salute you."
And he did salute him, a rigid, respectful SeeD salute. In one crisp motion the entire assembly had followed suit, and Serrus looked out at the mass of people who loved him; and he knew his father would be proud of him.
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Later that day, Serrus stood alone at his parents' graves. Squall and Rinoa had both been buried at Balamb Garden.
He heard footsteps, and turned to see Irvine and Quistis behind him. He moved to embrace both of them. "Thank you," he said softly.
"Anything for you, Serrus," Quistis said, hugging him back tightly. "For you."
"She was a wonderful person, your mother," Irvine said. "And your father, too."
"I know," said Serrus. "Thanks to you, I know."
"What will you do now, Serrus?" Quistis asked as they pulled apart. "What will you fight for now?"
Serrus looked down. He thought about his mother, and his father, and what Headmaster Nida had said the day before. Finally he looked up at Irvine and Quistis.
"Freedom," he said.
end
AcknowledgementsThe Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. What an epic story! I tried to create some of the same feel in my own story.
The movie Final Fantasy: Advent Children, for two things: for the idea of introducing allies when they are most needed, and for giving me inspiration to create a new limit break.