The demon rose high into the storm filled skies of the northern lands in a blaze of dark flame and red tattered wings. He had burst free from earth, and as he came to a stop, twisting gracefully upon the freezing gales that tore through the snowy mountains. He gazed below him, surprised to find himself at the northern-crater.
How had he come to be here?
The last thing he remembered…
Omega…
The demon bared its teeth at the memory his amber eyes glowing with pure hate before he beat his powerful wings and flew past the quickly darkening skies. He halted however as he realised something.
He did not recognise the coast line.
Yes, he was directly above what he believed to be the crater, but this feature was also…different.
He scanned the horizon, noticing yet more conflicting data. He knew what he should be seeing, yet he was not seeing it.
The entire world had changed somehow.
Vincent Valentine was known for keeping a cool head in the face of insurmountable odds but now, he had to admit, he was a little perturbed by what he was seeing, not to mention the rather disconcerting sensation of not knowing where he actually was…
The confrontation below had confused him and the outcome left him full of regret.
The girl had fought hard, managing to free him from the cage as he had requested. The cage that had drained him of his will, kept him weak and subservient…open to suggestion…
…controlled.
He had resisted long enough until he was freed.
Selphie.
The little one, so full of life and promise. Her upbeat manner and unwavering courage in the face of death, reminded him of another.
Aeris.
The comparison made her death more difficult to bear, especially since ultimately he had been the cause.
The dark man would pay, not only for the girls death, but Vincent got the feeling he knew why and maybe how he had been summoned to this strange new land.
He beat his wings and headed for a distant continent favouring the darkest corner. There he could rest and recover. Then, he would seek out the answers.
…
One Week Later
Hope ran through the corridors of the now familiar Trabia Garden, pulling on his cadet jacket as he went. It had been a busy week. With the Ragnarok down and no way for any other ship to extract them safely due to the interference from the ancient halls buried below the crater, they had to trek the twenty miles or so towards the smallest of the SeeD academies before they were picked up by the locals.
Some of their people were still camped out in the mountains, waiting for extraction, Squall included. Hope didn't like the thought of him out there, not that the guy couldn't look after himself, it was more to do with the fact out of everyone here, Squall was the one he relied on the most. So it felt odd not to have him around, but Hope understood why he stayed behind. Squall was a natural leader and like any good leader, he put his people first.
Hope had been sent ahead with both Irvine and Zell the former at first refused to leave since Selphie was to remain with the other fallen and collected later. Right now Squall's priority, and quite rightly so was to those still alive. Zell was all better, physically. The news of Selphie's death hit the guy hard and he hadn't been his usual self since.
Quistis arrived a few days after they had, having overseen the last of the injured home. She had taken charge in Squall's absence, arranging alternative transport for those who had been too injured too journey home, while also informing loved ones of those who had died. Most of the people who were affected by the tragedy were local to Trabia, as such, a solemn mood settled over the academy.
Hope done his best to keep himself occupied, everyone else was either too busy or too caught up in their own feelings. Irvine especially. He had been like a ghost, rarely seen and never heard. It was obvious the guy was taking Selphie's death hard and Hope had over-heard Quistis talking to Trabia's chief of medical expressing her concern.
Hope got the impression, and not for the first time, there was more going on between Irvine and Quistis. They were so close, secretive… It really wasn't his business to pry, but he was curious about it all.
Hope rounded the next corner and headed for the room at the far end. He wasn't really looking forward to this, but since everyone else was so busy, he was something of a loose end, that Quistis quickly tied up in lessons. Today was to be his first. He was reluctant initially, but then he remembered this place wasn't just an ordinary school. It was a military academy. Light would be so impressed…
…when he eventually came to fight her.
…
It hadn't gone well and Hope exited the class room feeling a little disappointed, mostly at himself.
He had gotten himself excited about learning everything he could about fighting and battle strategy and the lesson had been history! If that wasn't bad enough, Hope then discovered he couldn't actually read a single word in the databases they used and he blushed fiercely as the rest of the class laughed at his admission.
So now, following the directions of his Instructor, he was heading into another classroom.
He knocked politely and waited until he was told to enter. The sight that greeted him made his heart sink.
Row upon row of children sat at their learning stations, reading what he guessed to be their alphabet. Each child was no more than five years old and toothless grins and silly giggles erupted as Hope reported for his next and only class for the foreseeable future.
…
The day finally came to an end and Hope left the classroom, his head full of alphabet and numbers. In his hands he carried the very basic of books, all designed to help him to identify their letters and how they worked form the most basic of words. He felt like he was a child all over again, having being taught how to read words like, mat and hat.
To top it all off the girls and boys his own age from the first class now knew him and they laughed and made jokes as he passed. Hope just rolled his eyes and walked on.
"Not here a week and you've already made an impression."
Hope looked up from his feet seeing a familiar silver haired teen standing before him. Sonnet glanced past Hope at the group still mocking the l'Cie.
"I guess you could say that." He muttered as he passed her by.
"Don't let them get to you, kid…"
"My name's Hope and I'm not a kid." He was not in the best of moods right now.
"I said *don't* let them get to you." He turned to look at Sonnet who shot him the barest hint of a smile and again, he got that strange sensation from her. The act was genuine enough, but there was something artificial about it…
"Didn't your mother ever tell you, it's rude to stare?" Hope blinked, the spell Sonnet's presence had on him breaking as the new arrival, a tall red head dressed in a long black coat, spoke. He glared at her, sure she wasn't to know he had watched his mother fall to her death trying to protect him, but he was having a bad day.
He turned and continued on his way.
…
Quistis relaxed back in her high backed office chair and sighed. It had been such a long week, there had been so much to do and she had done it all, despite her grieving.
Selphie had never been out of her thoughts and Quistis was finding it harder to keep her emotions under control. With so much going on, she needed to focus. There were families to inform, stranded and injured SeeD to arrange transport for and of course, one very special funeral to arrange. She had taken it upon herself to spearhead Selphie's tribute, considering how her friend's body was going to be…
She sucked in a breath and wiped her eyes only realising she was crying when she felt the tears cascade down her cheek. She managed to clear her eyes and paint on the image of 'okay' just as a video call came through. She reached forward and hit accept, but with the anomaly responsible for the interference not to far away, the image and sound were both distorted, but it was possible to make out who it was calling.
"Laguna." She greeted the Esthar President. It wasn't the first them they had spoken since she got back, but she had been so busy, she now realised that it had been a few days since she reported to him. She wasn't obligated to; he was just worried about them all.
"Quistis, you look good as always." Even though the picture jumped and strafed, she could tell he was smiling and of course she knew he saw her image just as distorted, hence the remark. "How are you guys doing up there?"
"Getting by…" She tried to sound enthusiastic, but she was weary from putting on a brave face. "Have you been able to confirm Selphie's donor status?"
"It's why I'm calling. She is…was a registered donor."
"Right…"
"Are you okay?"
"Not really…" She sniffed feeling the dam holding back her tears threatening to burst. "I don't know how I'm going to tell Irvine…"
"Then don't. I can be there in two days."
"I appreciate the offer but-"
"Then let me do this. I know you're feeling responsible for him given you're his sponsor, but you need a break, Quistis…"
"I don't know…"
"I mean it Qu…tis…I can be th…r…"
"Laguna, you're breaking up." She sat forward and tried adjusting the frequencies but the signal was lost too quickly. There was nothing to do, it would come back on line in its own time, but Quistis understood the frustration of the students here and why they sent their best and brightest into the crater to try and neutralise the phenomenon.
"Instructor Trepe, sorry ma'am. The entire Garden is now offline."
"Because of the interference…" She assumed but the young technician who had just entered shook his head.
"No, ma'am. Usually the energy just messes with the signals, in coming and outgoing. We're not actually close enough for basic functions to be affected."
"Well, could the energy field be growing?" She stood and strode from her chambers, the technician following her.
"It's a possibility, but we've got no way to know for sure. Any readings we take of the field are too distorted by the interference. Its damn frustrating, like flying blind."
Quistis smiled sadly. "I don't know how you guys have coped for so long."
"That's the Trabia spirit, even when Galbadia obliterated our academy, we didn't give up. We just get on with it."
"That's right." Quistis nodded as they entered the elevator and headed to the ground level. "I hear the last repair was just completed."
"Aye, the staff toilet in the maintenance area. A couple of us were considering having a party to commemorate the event, but given…what's happened…" the tech fell silent and Quistis knew his reasoning.
"Not at all." Quistis bit back her anguish and forced a smile. "I think a party is just what this place needs. Why don't you start making the arrangements? A week from now. We'll give our friends…a send off to remember." The tech nodded and as the elevator doors slid open they exited and Quistis made for the one person who alone could confirm whether this new communications black out was the caused by the anomaly or not.
…
Sonnet shot Asuka a look of disappointment. She knew her friend was just trying to make a joke, but Hope was most definitely not in the mood.
"What's up with him?" Her red-headed friend asked as she folded her arms, finally noticing Sonnet's gaze. "What! It's not my fault if he's hyper-sensitive."
"I know." Sonnet turned back watching as a rather deflated teen continue towards the elevator, just as another familiar face exited it. "Can you excuse me please, Asuka? I need to speak with Instructor Trepe."
"Is it about-" Asuka struggled to find a way to finish that sentence, Selphie's death had been a shock to all of SeeD, not just the Trabia pupils. "Okay, but our train leaves at four, so we need to leave soon."
"I understand."
Sonnet approached Quistis but it was clear the veteran SeeD seemed to have been seeking her out anyway.
"Instructor Trepe…"
"Sonnet, you look…well…" The statement caught the girl off guard, as if Quistis expected her to be anything but.
"Yes, once I was clear of the interference…"
Quistis frowned, something was wrong.
"Is everything alright, Instructor?"
"No, we just lost all communication. The engineer's thought it might be the interference growing…"
"It can't be; I don't feel any…different." Sonnet kept her voice low as a random student passed. "So why have we lost contact with the outside?"
"I don't know…" Quistis had already started walking back towards the elevator and Sonnet fell into step behind her, waving for Asuka to follow. "Hope! Hold the door!" Quistis called on ahead to the silver haired youth who tried to stop the lift from leaving, but the doors were already closed by the time he reached the button.
…
Hope did his best to try and get the elevator doors to open, unfortunately once they had closed the mechanism that lifted the car kicked in and it was impossible to get them open. He sighed and lent back against the wall, jacket hooked over his linked hands.
What a day, he thought. It was just another blip in a long line of boings, and Hope was very tired of it. He had to consider though that there were others who were probably worse off than he was. Irvine for example…
He hadn't seen the sniper for days and no one but Quistis dared seek him out, Hope included. When they got back to Trabia, he had looked so…haunted.
He was nearing the ground floor of the Garden and was looking forward to retiring to his dorm for the day when the entire car shook; knocking him off balance so now he was on his hands and knees.
"What the-" He tried to get back up but another tremor ran through the whole structure, knocking him down once again. This time it was more powerful and he felt more than heard the cable and pulley system buck, as the weight of the elevator car swung and tipped off balance.
It was at this point he realised he was still quite a way from solid ground and he felt his stomach flip-flop as the car swung, then dipped. He called out in surprise, his frightened screams heard on the outside and mirrored by those above and below.
Another vibration seemed to tear Trabia from its very foundations and Hope could only close his eyes as the car swung free of its holdings…
…
"Hope!" Sonnet heard Quistis cry as the elevator swung free of the glass that encased it; as a result the people below were quickly running clear to avoid being showered in the rather large shards. Another tremor ran through Trabia and all around Sonnet were thrown to the floor, Asuka barely managing to stop herself from being thrown over the railing. Sonnet sped towards her friend and pulled her back onto solid ground as a secondary vibration threatened to finish the job gravity had started.
"Thanks!" The red head gasped and shook her head as if to clear it.
Quistis who had managed to pull herself up ran back towards the railing, looking down as an almighty crack came from the now free elevator car.
"It's going to drop…" Quistis gasped, fearing for the life of the boy trapped inside.
Sonnet didn't waste the precious seconds still available to her.
Her irises shifted a few shades darker as her various visual spectrums analysed the terrain, the seismic activity, the velocity at which the car travelled and exactly how far she would have to fall to the nearest ledge.
She launched herself over the rail, Asuka her only witness and that was how it would remain. Sonnet had done well to keep her secret limited to a chosen few and she wanted it to stay that way. As she hit the half way mark, the fibre-optics on her skin that appeared only as ordinary human hair, shifted position. They bent the light so now she appeared transparent. She landed with no one seeing her and it was just good timing that as she touched down, kicking up dust and debris that another frightening tremor shook the place.
She was down, knees bent, head low. But only a second.
She moved, running, eyes never leaving the car as its final swing finally tore it free of the one remaining cable holding it in place. Again her iris' altered and a million thought processes, equations and subsequent answers translated into every pore, every muscle and every cybernetic reaction that allowed her to jump, her body matching the speed and arc of the car. She reached out, managing to hold it securely before the same functions worked out how she was to land…and set the car down soft enough to spare the lad inside a grisly death.
Sonnet glared down at the fast approaching ground and prepared for the impact.
There was a boom as her feet touched down, denting the once smooth walkway, but the momentum and weight of her load bore down upon her. She bent her knees; put her head forward till all the weight was on her shoulders.
Her slight 'give' slowed the cars descent and cushioned the fall. But it was still a weight and it pushed against her. She locked her body in that position and growled as she was pushed along the walkway, the once pretty marble floor cracking and scuffed as she went.
Cadets and SeeD alike dived and ran out of the way of the wayward elevator car unaware of Sonnet who throughout had managed to stay invisible and any noise she may have made was insignificant compared to the groan and protests of the twisted metal and shattered stone.
She dug her heels in a little harder in a decided effort to slow herself down and it seemed to be working. With her limitless reserves of strength she slowly pushed herself up straight, tipping the car off her left shoulder and let it roll slowly off her before holding it still just as she came to a full stop. There was enough dust and debris to shield herself as she turned visible once more and forced the elevator doors open.
She expected to see the boy a bloody mess in the middle, for no matter how careful she had been; the glass had shattered around him and by rights should have cut him to ribbons.
All she saw was the protective barrier slowly fade from her sight, Hope virtually unscathed in the centre of it.
He didn't seem to realise she was there, obviously dazed and confused. Sonnet grabbed his arm and pulled him from the ruined shell and vacated the area, Hope just about managing to run along side her.
…
Hope had no idea what had just happened. All he could remember was being so scared and casting Protect in a feeble attempt to save himself. He could deflect most damage with that spell; however what he couldn't counteract was gravity. He all but resigned himself to his death…yet here he was. Alive. If a little dizzy.
"What's going on?" Hope asked as he bumped into a very happy Quistis.
"I'm…trying to find out." Hope felt her hands search his aching body and he blinked at the older woman. "By Hyne, you're okay…"
"I am…?" He didn't sound convinced and he held his head trying to get it to sit still.
…
Quistis smiled at Hope's sarcastic remark and turned to Sonnet who smiled back. No thanks was needed, Sonnet could see all of that in Quistis' eyes. Besides, they now had an attack to repel.
Quistis stood straight once she was sure Hope was alright and made for the nearest SeeD who was busy trying to put out a small fire that had started as one of the computer consoles had blown.
"Contact the bridge; tell them to get us the hell out of here!" She ordered, being the most senior member of Trabia at the moment, it was her call.
"I'd like to help you, Instructor, but the internal comms are down." He jumped back as the flames grew a little more out of control. "All the systems went down right before the attack."
"Damnit…" Quistis felt helpless. There was no way to organise a retaliation and no way of being certain who it was attacking. "Leave that, make a team of six and get word around the troops, every able bodied SeeD and Cadet is to report to the foyer. When you've done this, I want you and your five team mates to come and find me right here."
"Understood." The SeeD left, waving over at least two of his friends and gathering more as he went.
"What's the plan, ma'am." Sonnet asked as Asuka joined them once again.
"I need to find out what we're dealing with here, Sonnet…"
"Understood." With that the cybernetic girl ran, though at a more 'normal' speed than she had used before. Quistis knew that once she was out of sight, Sonnet would unleash her true speed in order to scout the enemy lines, maybe even take out a few.
"Asuka, you're with me." Quistis ran, still holding onto Hope's arm but the lad seemed more steady at least. A familiar face caught her eye and Quistis called Irvine over who was shadowed by Zell.
"What the hell is going on!" Zell asked, while Irvine just came to a halt, weapon in hand and a five o'clock shadow. She had already expressed her concern for him and now was not the time to do it again. She was just glad he had answered the call and was now out of his dorm, ready to fight against who ever was attacking.
"No idea yet, I need you guys to form squads. Irvine, take a team of ten out in the field with you. Our comms are down; just do what you can to take out those artillery."
"Sure…" He tipped his hat and hurried off to carry out her instructions.
"Zell, make a team, as many as you can. I want you on the front lines with me and Asuka. Try to stay close and keep the ranks tight… I need to be able to speak to you both as much as possible. I've already got runners lined up to relay any intel…" They were all running now and Quistis unfurled her weapon, the long supple whip a familiar friend in her hands.
"What about me?" Hope asked and Asuka laughed, making the silvered haired boy scowl up at her.
"Stay with me Hope, do what ever you can to protect Trabia."
Asuka looked a little surprised and Hope stuck out his tongue before hurrying on ahead.
…
Night had fallen very quickly as it so often did this far north and Hope stepped out into the cool night air ready to face what ever was attacking the Garden. He was eager to take out some of his frustrations on the enemy. The night air was filled with fire and smoke, the scent of the explosives filled his nose and a blast of heat washed over him and their group as another shell bombarded the far left side of Trabia.
The students screamed and shouted their dismay, some so furious that they banded together, weapons drawn and ran out into the night.
"PULL BACK!" Quistis demanded and a few, though not all done as she asked. "Stick together, form lines and ranks and listen to your assigned commander." Hope watched as cadet and SeeD alike fell into position, arranging by order of ability and weapon.
Zell had amassed an entire battalion of hand to hand combatants, while Asuka had the mid to long range users.
Irvine had left a while ago, but Hope spotted his familiar brown coat just before he disappeared into the darkness.
Shots and explosions sounded both far and near and a familiar high pitched whistle could be heard over head.
"Watch out!"
"Incoming!"
"Take cover!"
The variety of warnings sounded from the people around him and Hope scowled at the fast approaching shell as its arc carried it right to them.
Without hesitation he raised his left hand, his pale green eyes glowed with the power in his young body and hurtled that power forward. The shell collided with an invisible barrier and Hope felt its impact.
It hurt, but he held it long enough for the worst of the fire and shrapnel to be repelled. He had stopped one, but more were sailing in, impacting the already damaged structure.
"That was…" Asuka seemed impressed and Hope smiled as he wiped the blood away from under his nose.
He stood straight once more, ready should the Cadets around him require more cover as they organised themselves.
The students with the heavy fire arms now had the shells covered, firing at the incoming explosives and detonating them before they reached Trabia. Quistis lead these people, distributing teams of the heavy weapons experts evenly, so that as many Cadets as possible were covered as they amassed in on the frontlines.
Hope ran forward with Zell's troop, doing his best to shoot any stray shells out of the sky, this time rather than use the costly protective barrier, he would detonate the shells with a fire spell. Sometimes able to take out more than one as he filled the snowy skies with an inferno. The cadets around him seemed perplexed, after all magic in this world was scarce and any that they did have was rationed and used only in extreme circumstances.
Hope just smiled and sticking with Zell, he did what he could to, not only heal any wounded, but protect and drive back any attacking forces they encountered.
"Nice going little dude!" Zell commended, giving Hope a thumbs up and turned as one of Quistis' 'runners' approached the hand to hand expert. Hope ducked as a shell exploded off to their right, deafening them briefly.
"We've got confirmation, its Galbadia, sir!"
"Those sneaky bastards! What the hell are they playing at?"
"Unknown, sir."
"Okay, keep going, our troops need to know who it is we're dealing with…" The runner nodded and quickly jogged off into the chaos that was the battlefield. "Damn…"
"What is it?" Hope asked sprinting to keep up with Zell as he ran ahead of his troop.
"Caplin was right."
"Caplin!" Hope stopped. "The crazy doctor that drugged me? What does he have to do with this?" Zell came to a halt and looked back.
"Not now, Hope. We need to get you out of here."
"What do you mean? I can't leave you all fighting while I hide, I can help and you know I can!"
"Yeah and that's the problem."
"What do you mean?" They both ducked as another shell exploded just above them and Hope raised a barrier around them as the shrapnel rained down. Zell glared at the horizon, lit occasionally by the mortar fire before turning back to Hope and took his shoulders.
"Look, I know you won't understand hell I'm not sure even I do! But these guys are coming for you, Hope!"
"Why!" Hope strained to hold the barrier in place, only releasing it once the area was clear.
"Contact!"
Any explanation from Zell was cut off as a Cadet called their attention. They no longer faced the heavy weapons fire, now the Galbadian military itself raced towards them.
"This is not good!" Zell snarled and turned putting his fists up ready and stood in front of Hope, but the l'Cie still didn't completely understand why Zell was so concerned.
The fighting started with Zell and his team attacking the heavily armoured troops that flowed over the surrounding hills. Zell was fast and powerful, easily dodging enemy fire and moving quickly onto the next target as he dispatched the first. The Cadets under him worked similarly, though in pairs, none of them having reached SeeD status. Hope did his best to help in anyway he could and was managing fine, until the armoured troops realised that their target was right there.
There was a flurry of radio traffic; the troops it seemed were not having the same communications problems that Trabia was enduring.
Three suddenly converged on Hope, while five more kept the surrounding Cadets busy. Zell was fighting off two, desperate to get back to Hope and defend his friend.
Hope just glared at the men approaching him and raising his left hand, he called up on a devastating spell. The gale came from nowhere and swept the trio away, Hope able to direct the currents enough so that the three bowled over more of their troops.
He turned back to Zell who had taken care of the two on him and shook his head at the silver haired teen. His expression changed suddenly.
"Look out!" Hope spun seeing one of the armoured troops raise his weapon, having felled the two cadets he had previously struggled with. There was no time for Hope to cast, the last spell had taken more effort than he should have exerted. But he was the only one here with magic, the only one with the edge his friends needed, he couldn't stop.
He dived quickly to the left, avoiding the weapons fire. He briefly wondered why they were prepared to kill him if they were here to simply extract him. Maybe Zell had it wrong. Hope came to a stop behind some cover and took a few breaths, getting ready to emerge again, this time with a spell ready. But he was beaten to the punch…
Hope watched as Zell, with his right hand out stretched above one of the fallen troops, he seemed to siphon…something. The prettiest pink tinged light swirled from the body of the soldier and entered that of his friend. It swirled and twisted about Zell's arm, travelling towards his left, which was aimed at the one firing at Hope. The light changed, from pink, to the deeper, angrier shade of red, till it burned brightly within his palm.
Zell unleashed the energy, which Hope could now identify as a basic fire spell. It hurtled towards the gunman and knocked him down.
"I thought you didn't have any magic?" Hope asked as Zell ran over and grabbed him by the arm.
"I didn't, one of the guys I took out did."
"But, I don't understand, how did you get it." Hope tripped as they were now running so fast, but Zell still had hold of Hope and dragged him back up, sparing him a pair of grazed knees.
"It's what we do. It's Junction!" Zell skidded to a halt, let go of Hope and quickly snapped his fist into another trooper, one who was about to smash the butt of his weapon into a Cadets face. Hope was impressed by the speed of the attack and winced as the guys mask, smashed, revealing a look of sheer pain on the face beneath. "Look Hope, any other time I'd talk about this stuff, but not now, okay?" Zell took Hope's arm and dragged him further behind their own lines.
"If you can steal magic…"
"Hope, I mean it, not now."
"Why don't you use mine?" Hope finally snapped his arm free and came to a halt again. Zell just looked at him, not quite sure what to think. "I'm serious, take mine! I've got heaps!" He grinned at the older boy who just scrubbed the back of his head.
"I dunno…"
"Just do it!"
"All right." He still seemed reluctant, but Hope stood ready as Zell held out his hand and focused on drawing out the magical energy that Hope possessed. It was…a strange sensation to say the least, it literally felt like he was being pulled towards Zell and he dug his heels in a little harder into the dirt as the force literally shifted him along slightly.
The energy tugged at Hope's chest as it lifted from him, almost like it was holding on, trying not to leave but Zell eventually pulled it back and into his own body. It was like a rope in a tug of war had been broken, both Hope and Zell staggering away from one another. Hope trying not to fall while Zell grabbed his arm, as if it was burning, ironic since the teen had drawn fire.
Zell tensed and still holding his arm, he called out. Not through pain, it was more like he was excited, full of energy. Hope had seen Zell like this few times before, usually just after or right before a big fight.
Hope rubbed his eyes as Zell seemed to be glowing. The same fiery energy he had extracted from the l'Cie now enveloped his body, travelling from his left palm, burning as it went the flames ethereal but most definitely there. Hope thought for a horrifying moment that the magic was killing his friend, but it couldn't have been further from the truth. Zell was thrilled, better than happy, he was pumped.
The tattooed boy laughed almost manically before running head long into an advancing troop of armoured soldiers. His rage and raw power seemed to stop the enemy in their tracks especially since they couldn't hit him. As they fired he leapt high into the air, landing a few feet before them, his fist connecting with the ground as he landed. The resulting shock-wave was enough to knock them all off their feet before Zell started to cast, filling the area with a blaze of heat so powerful, the armour the men wore seemed to melt in seconds, killing the occupants.
It was horrific and Hope had to turn away, but the fact that Zell had been able to draw from Hope had caught the Trabia Cadets eye and a number of them had gathered around the silver haired boy.
Hope met each of their eyes, gave a little nod and braced himself…
…
One by one they came and they each took a piece of Hope with them. Some took ice, others wind, more often than not it was fire and each time they did, a little more of his once upon a time friend, was gone. The people here seemed to get drunk on the power they siphoned from Hope, as they were not only granted a single spell, but the amount of energy in Hope made that spell into much more.
The one with the ice were vulnerable to the fire from the shells, but they were protected from most other attacks by encasing themselves in it. Any hit was rebounded and attackers were frozen to the point of being brittle enough to smash.
Those who drew fire became enraged and unapproachable, such was the heat they emitted. Those with the gale couldn't be touched as each attempt was thwarted by the manic currents swirling about them.
They didn't just have a spell of any particular element; they had every ability linked to that element. The statuses, the feelings and the vulnerabilities. They became that element and they rode into battle strong, confusing their enemy.
They couldn't know what they were doing to Hope in the process, Hope clearly didn't either, but Snow saw it.
From where he stood atop the structure known as Trabia Garden, Snow saw it all. His eyes still trapped behind the mask but somehow thanks to Hope, he could see the truth. He understood why they were here and why they had been stolen from their otherwise peaceful slumber.
He hated it, but at the same time craved the war and chaos that Mother wanted…he had been granted this opportunity to make a difference, to shape an unruly world and be a General in it. With the power Mother had granted, he had his own army to call on as he wished and do his bidding.
Yet the crack in the mask had changed this perception.
It wasn't his bidding. This wasn't his world so why then did he care about its politics? Why did he care for this power, he had managed with his own in the past?
No, power was not what a Hero craved.
Hope's strained voice caught his ear and he scowled down at the people continuing to leech his very life from him.
"Help him!"
The voice again…calling to him, pleading from the very stars.
Snow glowered down at the scene once again and called his Legion to life.
This battle had to end and as the Hero, it was his job to stop it and save the life of his friend…
…
Quistis leapt down from the rock she had just secured along with a squad of the heavy weapons specialists. The mortar fire had lessened and she knew it was down to Irvine's team infiltrating the enemy line covertly and she made a metal note to thank him on a job well done later. Asuka's team had rallied around the vulnerable Cadets, offering protection when the Galbadian militia finally poured over the hills. The heavy weapons teams were vulnerable to close range attack but with Asuka's team close by, any melee attack or sabotage to their only defences, was efficiently dealt with.
Asuka was like a poet with the long curved sword. Each stroke was like an artists brush painting a master piece, her movements flowing, each thrust, slice and parry leading seamlessly into the next movement. The Cadets she lead seemed in awe of her and fought on despite the overwhelming odds.
Quistis could see Zell from where she stood and she knew he must have gotten the news by now, but he and Hope were still dangerously close to the front lines. Her confusion only grew when strange glows and flashes of light started to appear on that line.
"Teams five and six, concentrate fire at the Galbadian forces!" She issued the order, screaming at the very top of her voice so the cadets heard her. They had managed to defend Trabia from the worst of the attack and now they had taken out a number of the attackers big guns, it was time to retaliate with their own.
Her team of six 'runners' constantly flowed into the battle field, delivering her orders, reporting casualties to the frantic medical crew and students, who in turn worked tirelessly to offer medical help to those who needed it. Not one of the six stood still long enough to take a breath and Quistis new that this entire retaliation wouldn't have been as successful if it was not for their commitment.
"Quistis." The veteran instructor jumped as a soft voice spoke behind her and she spun to face Sonnet. For all her running around, she looked as fresh as a daisy and Quistis found herself envying her abilities.
"Sonnet!" Quistis breathed her name and turned back to survey the scene, Sonnet following close by as she advanced, following the tide of her troops as they crept forward. "We're beating them back, slowly…but there's no way we can keep this up, not without reinforcements."
"You don't know the worst of it." The cybernetic girl said, her tone steady, but Quistis knew that wasn't a good start to her report. "This is only a fraction of the force that Galbadia have sent here, the rest are unloading from landing craft along the south-west coast. I intercepted a scouting party and managed to tap into their com-system, they're readying a massive secondary assault, more heavy cannons, more troops. I even spotted a small troop of the Galbadian-elite."
Quistis stopped dead in her tracks. "My god, all this for…"
"Ma'am?"
"N…nothing…" She lied and looked once more towards were she knew Hope to be. "Sonnet, I need you to do something."
"Anything."
"Find Hope, take him far from here and protect him."
"Except that." Sonnet looked insulted. "I will not abandon Trabia."
"You don't understand, Hope is…"
"LEGION!" The terrified scream came from a cadet behind her and Quistis spun, following the direction they were pointing. Sure enough, there it was. A bank of dark mist rolled in off the plains either side of the smallest of the Garden's, within its murky depths, shadows marched in rows and columns. Their steps were like a steady beat, building in volume and intensity as they drew closer. Suddenly both SeeD and the Galbadian forces stopped their fighting, sensing the more immediate danger from the soulless soldiers. When one fell, three more replaced them, their magic and fighting prowess unmatched…
Quistis turned back to Sonnet. "Get to Hope, now!"
"For us both to leave now, would sentence you all to death!" Sonnet argued but Quistis held her gaze.
"Hope is the only one who can stop Legion. If Galbadia get their hands on him, this entire world is doomed to die…" Sonnet seemed puzzled by that and looked out into the battle field, spotting the silver haired boy.
"How…?"
"I wish I could explain it…the fact is, every Legion Commander we've been able to take out, is because of Hope."
"Then he needs to be here, to take out this one." Sonnet surmised and her eyes were already scanning the area.
"Ultimately, yes. But I need to you keep him safe and if it looks bad, get him out of here!" Quistis headed back to her troops trusting Sonnet to follow through with her orders, even if she didn't agree with them.
…
When the cadets and other SeeD started to draw magic from him, Hope initially felt ok, if a little strange. Each time someone called on him for a spell, he parted with it willingly and eventually the resistance he had experienced with Zell the first time, wasn't there. He stood, willing to be nothing more than an resource if it meant they could beat these guys.
All around him, people fought and because he had shared his power, the attacking forces were being slowly driven back…but now Hope felt strange.
Now each draw seemed to take more than he could spare and he was soon on his knees, a familiar pain shooting through his left wrist and up into his arm.
He gazed down at his brand, just visible above the glove he wore. It was fading…
"Wha-" He sat back on his heels, moving the glove down. His hand…was fading too, not just the brand, but the skin and bone and…
Another cadet extended their hand towards Hope, who tried to shuffle away. Somehow what was happening to him, was connected to what they were doing to him and he had to stop it. But the cadets were too high on adrenaline and too focused on protecting their home to really listen and Hope felt more of his energy ripped from his chest.
"No…" He groaned, clasping his left arm as the pain intensified with the loss of more of his magical power. He cried out, falling onto his right side, squeezing his eyes shut, but still they came…
"P…please…don't…" He looked up, pleading at the next cadet in line, who hesitated, and drew back his hand.
"LEGION!" Hope barely heard the calls and screams as the warning sounded throughout the ranks and all fighting came to an stop, both sides fearing the dense mist, slowly advancing towards them the shadows within marching with purpose.
Hope's vision danced and spun, but he knew he had to get up. If this really was a Legion, then one of his friends had to be nearby and he had to help them. He had to free them…he had to remove the mask…
The thought of the task before him made him groan, he felt weak and in pain, removing the spell that had enslaved his friends would drain him more. But he had to do it. He had to keep fighting…
With a grunt, Hope dragged himself back to his feet, still holding his left arm. He staggered considerably before he got his balance, but now at least he was ready…
The Legion waded in, the mist that born them, still present; concealing their true numbers.
"G…get up Hope…" The l'Cie muttered to himself as he stumbled back down to one knee, standing was hard and the temptation just to give up and fall back down was difficult to resist. "Get up…" He growled and this time pushed himself back to his feet, weaving and swaying, still clutching his now very numb and cold arm. "T…there's work to be done…f…fighting to do…" He closed his eyes and took a shaky breath.
"What did I tell you."
Hope froze.
That voice.
The words.
All familiar.
"Leave the fighting to me."
Hope spun, his voice catching in his throat so all that came out was a choked gasp of surprise. The huge blond man just stood, his long white coat fluttering in the wind. He still wore the mask, but a large crack was now running almost right down the centre.
Everyone stepped back, seeming to realise this man had come from no where, and now there were at least two Legion soldiers all wearing a similar mask to Snow, for each Galbadian troop and SeeD cadet. They stood silently amongst the feuding factions.
Hope was confused. Galbadian soldiers were confused, SeeD were confused. The confusion had literally brought the battle to a stop, no one knew who to fight. Until now, Legion had been the one to fear, but now, here they were, just stood and one of their commanders, Hope's very good friend, was talking.
Hope stood a little straighter, hardened his eyes and took a step towards his friend. He didn't quite pull it off however and Hope felt his legs fail him. He started to fall his conscious already slipping away and he was on some level grateful for that, the approaching collision with the icy ground was going to hurt.
Or at least it should have…
Hope's eyes opened, sure enough there was the ground but he wasn't on it.
"I got you…" Snow's voice was soft, full of concern and Hope felt tears fill his eyes. He lifted his head, Snow's strong hand on his chest had spared him a painful face-plant with the ground.
"Snow?" The boy l'Cie gazed up into the place Snow's eyes should have been. "I…is it really you? Really you?" he had to emphasise on the last part as the last time they had met, Snow had tried to kill him.
"Yeah." He smiled and Hope didn't hold back…
He flung his arms around Snow's neck and squeezed. Snow laughed, feigned a choke, before returning the hug.
"W…where have you been!" Hope squeaked, blinking the tears from his eyes. "Where are the others? Light, is Light okay? And Sazh? Why are you guys fighting…"
"Easy, Hope." Snow pulled back and again Hope was met with that icy blue mask rather than Snow's kind eyes.
"The ambassador was right!" The moment was broken by the sudden raised voices of the Galbadian troops who until now had merely watched on dumbfounded. "SeeD are working with the Legion!"
"They're gonna take over the world! It's true!"
"We have to stop them!"
"Keep fighting!"
One of the soldiers aimed his weapon at Hope and still feeling drained, he couldn't even lift his hand to cast a protection spell. But he didn't need to.
Snow snarled, angry and pushed Hope behind him. The semi-automatic weapons fired continuously, but Snow had them all covered. He took the bullets, his Steel-guard ability ensuring that not one of the bullets touch either him or Hope. Snow was by far the most resilient fighter Hope had ever seen, even a ten story fall wasn't enough to beat him…
The Legion, who had once been stood silent now came to life. They were all tall and durable, using their fists much like their commander. They each targeted a Galbadian trooper and dispatched them easily. Some were pummelled with Ice magic, others were picked up and thrown so far back into their own lines and with such force, they took down at least two of their own before falling unconscious.
The confused SeeD reluctantly started their battle anew, taking down the attacking militia and soon the tide of battle was drastically changing in their favour. Hope who was on his knees now, could only watch as Snow fought with more spirit than he had ever seen before to protect him. The fight at Fishermans Horizon seemed so long ago and now, didn't matter. All that mattered was that Hope once again had Snow on his side and it meant there was hope for Light and Sahz! Hope didn't have to be alone in this world anymore, there was a way to neutralise the masks, without sending his friends away.
Hope tried to get back up as Snow approached once again having dealt with a large portion of the Galbadian army. His Legion puppets continued to fight, some even using their magic to heal injured SeeD.
"Come on, little guy." Snow said as he knelt by Hope who try as he might, still couldn't muster enough strength to stand up and his arm continued to feel wrong. "You shouldn't let them do that, our power isn't for them." The tone of Snow's voice became colder as he spoke, but his hands were gentle as he scooped Hope up from the floor.
"They needed my help…"
"No, we don't help them. That's not what we're here for." Hope frowned as now Snow was stood and walking towards the mist. "We have enough problems without getting involved in their petty politics."
"How can you say that!" Hope tried to wiggle free. "You're the hero, Snow!" Hope's word seemed to have no effect and Snow continued to walk into the mist. "W…where are we going?" He asked, Snow's motives were unclear. One moment he was helping him, fighting against the attacking army and now he was being carried away.
Snow didn't answer, he didn't even look down at him and Hope started to struggle.
"Put me down, Snow!" He almost wriggled free but Snow grabbed him around the waist and hoisted the boy l'Cie over his shoulder. "No! Snow! Listen to me!" Hope kicked his legs feebly and pounded his one good hand against Snow's back, all having no effect at all.
Suddenly however Snow's sure strides were suddenly brought to an end and Hope found himself falling, Snow's grip having relented.
When the fall and subsequent roll came to an end, Hope shook his head to clear it and again tried to stand. The most he could manage was getting to his knees and he glared down at his l'Cie brand like it had betrayed him. It was still faded as was his hand and half of his arm, but at least it hadn't spread…
He looked to his left seeing Snow stood ready to battle, but what he couldn't see was his assailant…
"Alright! I was hoping for another pop at you!" Hope's blood ran cold when he heard the familiar voice declare and in a blink of an eye, Zell was there. He'd came from no where, running incredibly fast and still imbued with the element fire. Snow stood ready, arms crossed before him as his own form of protection came forth, but in Zell's current state, it wasn't to be enough.
Hope watched awe-struck as Zell skidded to a halt, the act stopping him before he collided with Snow and also kicking up rock and ice into Snow's face, temporarily blinding him, the mask he wore offering no protection as it existed on a different plain, Hope the only one so far, able to touch and destroy them.
With his target unable to see, Zell didn't waste one moment and was now pounding Snow with punch after punch. Each fist was alight with fire and each motion left a pale red strobe in its wake. Even Zell's presence was enough to beat Snow down as the heat he generated weakened the ice based power of Snow.
Snow wasn't fast enough to hit Zell and could barely defend against the martial-arts master. He dodged and weaved, every movement leading into a well executed kick or punch. Their was not one moment where Zell stopped…
"Zell…please, stop!" His friend couldn't hear him and Hope knew it was to do with Hope's power running through him and so the fight continued with Hope to weakened to intervene this time.
…
Sonnet ran covertly through the battle field, her pace was brisk and so she had activated her fibre-optic camouflage so she wouldn't been seen operating beyond her apparent Human limits.
The battle was all but done, surprisingly the Legion had focused their attack solely on the Galbadia forces, eliminating at least one threat, now they couldn't be sure what their next move would be. Whether they would not turn on SeeD, finishing off the weaker force after taking out the much stronger and larger numbers of the Galbadian army. It was a tactical stroke of genius if that was the intension but Sonnet wasn't so sure.
As she passed the Legion, one by one they faded into the very air they apparently came from. It was confusing. One minute they were in front of her and the next, they were floating away like burnt paper after a fire, but not all…
She had thought it was a sign that the phantom beings were leaving, returning back to where ever the heck it was they came from, but she could clearly see others still amongst the troops, fighting on.
Sonnet rushed down a slight bank, landing silently at the bottom after launching herself off about halfway. The SeeD and Cadets were to concerned with what remained of the attacking army or celebrating to notice the effects of her landing and then sprint from the area.
Her eyes shifted through the various visual spectrums again analysing the area ahead. She had spotted the Legion Commander some time ago and had made her move from Quistis' side and made straight for him, picking up Hope's life signs already in close proximity to the Commander. She couldn't be sure if that was a good or bad.
As she got closer, she decided it was bad since the reading she was getting from Hope were not good. His heart rate and temperature were both up and it was clear he was in some distress. Zell Dicht was close by, fighting back the Legion Commander who had attempted to carry Hope off, that much she ascertained since the three were a distance from the main body of the troops.
The readings she got of Zell concerned her, he seemed possessed and she could feel the heat he emitted as she drew closer and the way it started screwing with her cybernetic implants, that could only mean what ever status he now bore, was magical in nature.
She had to avoid Zell at all costs.
Sonnet angled her run towards Hope and staying invisible until the last moment, she knelt by Hope and reached for him. He was weak that much she could tell without her fancy eyes, what had caused this level of fatigue, she couldn't say.
While Zell continued to keep the Legion Commander busy, she could run Hope out of there at least and then return to offer her own brand of pay-back, but as she touched Hope's left shoulder in a bid to help him to his feet, something strange happened.
It started in her stomach and travelled up, swelling at an alarming rate. The surge of energy flowed and before she could even blink, it had ejected from her hand right into the shoulder of Hope who jerked as if he had been shocked.
Sonnet drew her hand away quickly and immediately ran a self diagnostic. By the time it was complete, Hope had hit the floor, semi-conscious and the results showed no malfunction had been recorded.
"Hope!" An unfamiliar voice boomed behind her and Sonnet spun facing the enraged Legion Commander. Where Zell had been able to hold his own, now he was cast aside as the six-foot-seven tank hurtled a devastating ice spell at him. Zell brought his arms up in a defensive stance, his fiery aura extending, but eventually the flames began to die and Zell seemed to deflate, as if he had expended not only the magical energy, but that of his own. The last of the ice shards collided into the martial artist and he was thrown back, to land unconscious.
Sonnet ran a quick scan for life signs, thankfully finding them, but now she had her own problem. The commander strode towards her and Sonnet leapt out of the way as he again began a cast. If she was hit with that level of magic, it would kill her.
She landed behind the man and quickly activated her fibre-optic camouflage once again, so when he turned all he saw was an empty space. Making the most of the situation, Sonnet charged forward sending her right fist into his stomach. He doubled over, the wind in his lungs pounded out of him, but he didn't fall. He was made of sterner stuff than that.
Sonnet raised her left knee, catching him below the chin before she spun, bringing her right leg round quickly and kicking him around the jaw. The man toppled, rolling to a stop a few feet away but surged back to his feet and before Sonnet could close the distance, he was casting once more.
Sonnet swerved out of the path of the oncoming ice storm, a maelstrom of wind, ice and deadly cold. But the fact that it was magic was enough to slow Sonnet down as while she avoided most of the hail, the little she did take a beating from slowed her down drastically.
She felt her joints seize up and movement became sluggish, her skin burned with the bitter cold that had assailed her and she could feel her mind growing numb, complacent and accepting of her fate. As much as she tried to fight it, the stronger the lethargy became.
"Snow! Stop!"
Hope's voice. Sonnet didn't think the Legion Commander would listen but to her surprised, the snowy storm around her began to dwindle and she could feel her senses and cybernetic implants begin the self-repair.
Sonnet opened her eyes as she felt two small hands reached around her shoulders and begin rubbing, meeting Hope's bright green eyes she frowned before turned to her right to see the masked lunatic.
"What, he actually listens to you?" Sonnet asked, her voice sounding strange because of the cold.
"I…I'm not sure." Hope admitted, still watching the tall man as he helped Sonnet back to her feet.
"He seemed to listen to you just then."
"I listen to no one." Snow snapped, his fists clenching, but then he seemed to relax. Most of Sonnet's functions were almost back to normal and she was collecting various readings from the man. She looked from Snow back to Hope and realized they were both emitting a strange energy signature, one she hadn't come across before. "What are you?" Snow then asked out of the blue, a question meant for Sonnet and she just looked at Hope.
"Should I start lining my clothes in lead?"
"I saw what you did to him." Snow continued and indicated Hope. "What I don't understand is how you did that."
"And what did I do to him?" She asked defensively. Sure a moment ago she was worried she had actually hurt him, but here he was bright as a button and perfectly fine.
"I…don't know." The Legion Commander stared at her for a long time, she felt a little uncomfortable. "You…remind me of someone." He looked off to the left briefly making Sonnet feel even more uncomfortable.
"What's going on here?" She turned to Hope, preying he could fill in the gaps. "I thought the Legion was our enemy, yet here he comes to save the day."
"It's what hero's do…" Hope replied his eyes still firmly fixed on Snow who lifted his gaze back to the young boy.
"I have to go." Snow announced and Sonnet felt Hope leave go and he bounded after the masked man.
"Wait, Snow!"
"I have to!" His tone changed and Sonnet ran after Hope, grabbing him by the shoulders and held him back. Something was happening to the man before them as he quickly strode away, back into the mist. The energy she was picking up on, was changing and the readings were going off the chart. "Let me go!" She held onto the struggling boy as the energy around Snow became something darker and more familiar. "Sonnet, let me go! I can't let him go again, he can help us!"
"Not right now he can't." She said softly and continued to hold Hope.
As Snow was finally consumed by the mists, his Legion following suit, Sonnet finally realized what was so familiar about that energy reading.
It was identical to the energy surrounding Trabia Garden, the one responsible for disrupting their mecha and her own cybernetic implants.
What ever was behind the Legion was also behind the disruptive energy in the crater. Someone or something had not only managed to negate much if not all of their worlds magic, but now also their technological edge. With both of these elements in effect – there was just no way they could defend themselves, once this unknown enemy finally decided to make its final move.