Chapter 8 : Guard down.
Note:longest chapter yet, I have a holiday coming so better keep the pace up.
Squall worried that, for the second time today, he would be stuck on a commercial fight between Balamb and Esthar. It was a great feeling of relief when Professor Lokai had explained that they had chartered their own private shuttle.
'Your friend Siefer is already aboard.' Lokai snapped his phone shut, 'Saves us having to wait. Now, My boy, tell me,' He turned his attention to the other passenger in the back of his chauffeured car, 'About all this sorcerer business.' Squall ran a hand down his face, obviously annoyed. 'We are on my way to my fathers' house,' He growled, 'In order to ascertain if my girlfriend is being used by a homicidal God to murder people, and you want to talk about trivial matters?' Lokai looked offended.
'It is hardly Trivial! You're the only on of your kind!' The sorcerer ignored him and gazed out of the window. The proffeser was not about to pass up such a unique oppertunity however. 'Alright then, Three questions. Just Three questions then I will leave you alone for the rest of the trip.' A white haze spread over the window from where Squalls' nose met the glass. He knew the scientist would never leave him alone.
Just like Odine... The thought krept into his head. No doubt he would like nothing more than to prod me with something sharp to find out how I work...If I wasn't a SeeD I'm sure Odine would have pickled me by now.
'Three questions,' Squall looked at the reflection of the short, well-dressed, scientist in darkened pane that separated the driver from the passengers, 'That's all you get, and I won't answer them if I don't think they're good.' Lokai clapped and nodded, bald head bobbing with excitement.
'Of course!.' He then crossed his arms over his chest and thought hard for a moment. He seemed to come up with a suitable question and snapped his fingers. 'Miss Trepe said, that you had been injured at some point and, needed to induce sleep to recover... I understand you don't have the power to heal large wounds, but, what I want to know is this; why take tablets when surely you have the power to cast sleep on yourself, right?' It was a fair question, Squall thought, Deserving an answer. He picked his words carefully.
'Diminishing effect, The amount I would have slept under a spell would have become less and less...And wouldn't have always worked, My magic would have stopped it some of the times. The tablets kept me under all night, allowing me to heal.' This was a satisfactory answer, Lokai began to think of his next question.
'You got your powers from the Sorceress, Rino Heartilly, is it still her power or yours? Have you ever felt connected with her? can you see each others dreams? I'm very curious on what effective connection two people having the same power would have, Like GFs...Is she in your head or are you a single person?'
These questions were certainly turning out to be better than the ones Laguna and Zell had come up with, ('Do you have to be careful when you pick your nose, in case of fire?' -Typical.)
'It's not really a connection as such, Not in the psychic sence you are thinking of. I think my magic knows where it comes from...and is empathetic with its old owner. I can feel Rinoas' emotions at the back of my head if I'm close to her. Right now I feel nothing.' The professor smiled, making mental notes.
'Ah, I see! Empathy, makes more sence than a mental connection...right, Last question!' Lokais' eyes narrowed. 'Tell me, SeeD, Are you afraid of needles?'
He had dropped the ball. With perfect twenty : twenty hindsight Squalls mind connected the dots, How could he have been so stupid? The questions had been subtle, sure, but he should have noticed the subtext!
The question of his recovery had, in fact been a probe into the effectiveness of spells or drugs on him. The question about his connection with Rinoa? That had been to see if she could hear his thought, if he could call for help... A split second after Lokai had said the word 'Afraid', he had felt the hypodermic needle sink into his neck, The launcher loaded into the seats headrest.
'I'm sorry my boy,' Sighed Lokai, 'You really are a fascinating subject, and I am loathe to do this...But I cannot have anyone stand in my way. At least this way you wont have to see everything you love destroyed by Hyne.'
He's been planning this the whole time! Squalls' mind was racing, trying to fight off the drug in his bloodstream, You should have been more careful. Siefers' going to have a feild day with this, You're losing your touch. This was his last lucid though, before slipping into blackness, where the void was waiting.
The town of Setine had been under Galbadian rule ever since they had been invaded, a year before most of the orphan gang had taken their SeeD exam. Even long after Galbadia had been driven back the small town remained their territory. Luckily, for team Kinneas, the original population of the town still held less than pleasant feelings towards their new rulers; this mean there were, at least, three hotels willing to put up 'Mr and Mrs smith and Mrs. Smiths' younger brother,' free of charge.
'The soldiers are only here to be sure we townsfolk don't revolt!', The owner of the pinion hotel filled Irvine in as he waited for the SeeD to finish giving fake insurance details and Passport numbers. 'You don't know how many of us have been trying to convince the army to let us call in SeeD, then you just show up!' He handed the commander the cardkey to his room, taking the papers from him and filing them away. 'They only defend their own against this monster, so many towns Setinites have died...' Selphie clasped a hand to her mouth,.
'They just leave you to die? that's terrible!' She frowned and punched the air in her characteristic fashion. 'Don't worry old geezer, we're trained professionals and protectors of the weak. We'll take care of this evil nasty in five seconds!' Irvine rolled his eyes, pulling down his cowboy hat so as not to let the manager see, but Zell seemed to share his team mates' over zealous attitude.
'Hell yeah, I got a score to settle, I give you my word, no one else will die! This, surprisingly, delighted the hotel manager, who wrung Zells hand warmly, thanking them and offering them anything they needed, free of charge.
Nearly eight hours later however, as the sun began to set, even Selphie had to admit the caviler attitude had begun to fade; to be replaced by boredom. Setine had once been a pretty nice place, Irvine thought from his perch at the window; Rifle on his knee, surveying the town scape, before the Galbadians had moved in. Since then the areas natural resources had been plummed and stripped, leaving the once lush countryside reduced to a stark and dreary landscape, thanks to over grazing of cattle and mining. The ore refinery that had been built to accomodate the new mines belched smoke into the air, giving the sky a blurred murky feel. The cowboy smiled sadly, reflecting on how the town may have been; It was like seeing a skeleton in a museum and wondering what the creature would have looked like with flesh on its bones. Below the window, a soldier was doing his rounds. Irvine watched as he took a poorly aimed kick at a tabby cat, that had come up to him wanting its ears scratched, and frowned. 'Jerk,' He whispered, and kept an eye on the cat to make sure it was alright, he liked was satisfied the animal was fine when it sat down and began to wash itself with a fore-paw.
There was a huff and the sound something collapsing softly from behind him. Zell scratched his head out of agitation, as he always did, and glared at the failed house of cards. 'How come,' He blustered, breaking the silence again, 'That Hyne has to pick the most boring place on the planet!' He began to shadowbox, 'I've been in hospital for two weeks thanks to that witch, I want some action!' Selphie nodded in agreement, swinging her legs back and forth over the side of one of the rooms three single beds. 'Yeah, And, How come she only attacks at night?'
'My guess is She only attacks out of the way places, and only attacks at night, is to spread the enemy forces thin. Then cut them off from any reinforcement,' Mused Zell, picking at one of the freshy healed scars on his arm, a reminder of what Hyne could do, 'And attacking at night, well people aren't prepared for it...'
'Whatever,' Breathed Selphie, 'It still blows, we've been sat on our bums forever!' She fell back on the bed and shot the cracked ceiling an evil look, as though it were the fault of the plaster. 'How on earth do you put up with it Irvy?'
Irvine Kinneas was a trained sniper, used to spending hours or even days waiting for the right moment to take a shot. His ability to zone out of his surroundings, rendering him completely still, and concentrate, on only the spot he could see through the scope of his gun, made him the one of the best snipers on the planet. But how to explain the act of distancing yourself from what was going on around you, and enter a meditative state, to two people who couldn't even sit still? 'Zell,' He said finally,' Why don't you tell Seffie about what Hyne can do. She's never fought her before after all.' Zell nodded.
'Yes, sir, commander!' He saluted and turned to Selphie, suddenly serious. He paced back and forth in front of the girl, recounting, in great and graphic detail, the human bomb Hyne had nearly killed him with. It was obvious to the horrified Selphie that Zell was still angry with himself for not being able to save the old woman. He had needed to be junctioned with a GF to have allowed him to heal so quickly, and he wore his scars as a reminder of how he could not fail again. He showed Selphie the fresh pink scars that dotted his chest and stomach, and Selphie couldn't help but think he looked like a microwave meal, with its plastic wrapper stabbed by a fork.
Suddenly, Irvine stood up and hoisted his rifle to the window, looking through the scope. 'I think,' He murmered to the two people now stood behind him, 'That it's party time.' In the town below shots rang out, Soldiers were on the move and flames were snaking their way up the bell tower of the town hall, all this Irvine watched through the coin sized circle of the rifles' lens. Zell punched the window sill, making Irvine jump, 'That must be Hyne! Setting fire to buildings, just like last time. We gotta get down there!' The cowboy shook his head and silenced Zell by raising a hand.
'Not yet, those soldiers-' He was interrupted by Selphie stamping her foot.
'Those Soldiers are your countrymen, and they're going to die! You can't just watch.' She looked to Zell. 'At least, I can't watch. If anyone should take on someone bent on destroying the world, then It should be us! We have previous!' She grabbed Zell by the wrist and charged out of the room, Leaving Irvine to stare at the point she had been, mouth agape. He groaned, loudly, he loved that woman but sometimes she drove him up the wall. He shouldered his rifle and ran after them.
Despite having fought Hyne before, Irvine and Zell were nowhere near prepared to fight the Hyne that stood before them now. Soldiers lay defeated on the ground about the place and the pavement was torn up to reveal pipes. Hyne stood in the middle, Once again, as before, a vortex of power and magic. Zell rounded the corner, leaping over a soldier that had been blasted his way by the Sorceress.
'Hyne!' He cried out, energy flowing into his fist as he prepared a singular, powerful attack. 'You're mine this time!' The shadow raised an arm and forced a car through the air, aimed Directly at the charging SeeD. Zell jumped, foot making contact with the bonnet of the viechle(*) as it spun towards him. He kicked off the car, giving himself an extra boost of height, easily clearing ten meters. The energy in his fist was visible now, a glowing, pulsating yellow, shining like the midday sun, It illuminated the tattoo on the side of his face and the furious expression he wore. He straightened out like a diver approaching the water, arm outstretched, all his weight focused behind the clenched hand, the resulting force behind it now could have leveled a T-rexaur in one punch. Irvine grabbed Selphie from behind and ducked, protecting her as the forgotten car now passed just over their heads, crushing a lamppost and shop window, before bursting into flames. With one hand Irvine held Selphie close to his chest, protecting her from the blast, the other held the hat to his head. He released the girl and spun on his heel, raising the but of his gun up to rest on his arm, and saw what Zells' attack had done.
'She stopped it?' Selphie pulled out her Nunchuku, from their holster strapped to her back, and shifted her weight into a battle stance. Zells' attack hit some kind of wall before it could come i contact with the target. He fought, willing the attack to pass through the invisible barrier, urged on by the fact all Hybe had done was raise a hand. He screamed and put everything behind the punch, being held aloft by that cushion of power that prevented His hand from touching the Sorceress, but it was in vain. There was a force, a sonic blast that almost swept Selphie off her feet, it pushed away all debris as it reflected the SeeDs attack back out, away from the target. Zell was sent tumbling through the air, hands over his head to protect himself from the landing. Irvine dropped his gun and jumped in the fighters path, The blonde colliding with his stomach, the pair sliding across the street, coming to rest just shy of the flames from the exploded car. 'Irvine!'
Hyne was before him, hand raised to strike. Selphie spun on on foot and scooped up the abandoned gun, letting the momentum of the spin carry it further as she released it in Irvines' direction. The sharpshooter snatched it up in one fluid movement, planting round after round into Hynes' torso. Or where Hynes' torso had been a split second before. Zell wasted not a second and was on his feet at Irvines side, facing the oposite way in case of an attack from behind. It was still for a second, Irvines' gun raised before him and Zells fists defending his back. 'Look out!' Selphie tried to warn them in time, the attack was coming from above! She had no time but to cast tornado in the path of the huge, pulsing purple missile that the sorceress had formed her shadows into. Zell had been fast enough to roll out of the way but Irvine was thrown forward by Selphies spell, out from under the crushing magic. The winds swirled and encompassed the missile, dampening most of the damage, forcing most of the attack up and out of the top of the widening funnel of dust and debris borne on the air.
The sky seemed to shudder, as a pillar of purple light shot from the eye of the whirlwind and pierced the smoke of the refineries. The clouds parted at once, magic carried in the light clearing the way, the failing sunlight shining in for a moment before it finally died, slipping down behind the horizon. It was as though Hyne had blown up the sun. The three SeeD covered their eyes from the last of the light and dust spilling forth from the localised tornado. The two forces had cancelled each other out, the resulting energy sweeping even the bodies from the pavement and slamming them into the houses and shop windows. Selphie wrapped one arm around a lamppost, her weapon flailing over her shoulder, feet lifted from the ground. The last of the attack faded as the dust settled, revealing a great and deep crater where the missles' force had preceded it. Irvine slowly stood up, wiping dirt from his eyes. 'Did we do it?'
The cracking of the pavement shattered any premature thoughts of victory. 'Foolish SeeD!' Hyne burst up through the pavement, sending all three of them flying, Shadows racing back to robe the figure once again. Zell glanced up just in time to make a horrible revelation. The Shadows had swept up a soldier trying to hide in a alleyway. The mans screams were terrible at the darkness probed and searched him, before sinking in through any opening there was. The eyes vanished under the pressure of the roving blackness, the man writhed in pain but Zell could not draw his eyes away. He knew the others would be watching, captivated as he was. The body soon stopped moving, before withering before their eyes like an aged fruit, Empty and dried, drained of all life. Hyne cast the body away, as one would throw away a bottle after finishing the drink., The red glow of her eyes intensified. 'Do you see SeeD? As long as there are people I cannot, I will not, be defeated by the likes of mere mortals.
'God job that GFs aren't mortal then huh?' Selphie swung the Nunchuck above her head, a flame appearing in the spot just above it. 'Come forth,' She cried, a flame growing in size it heat fierce and unrelenting. The air around it shimmered as all moisture was evaporated in an instant. 'I call to thee Ifrit! Warden of the eternal flame!' The fire ball expanded, enveloping the caster, Zell grinned and hooted with joy. 'Go Seffie! Go Ifrit, Kick her ass!' The form of a great horned beast appeared in the writing tidal wave of flame.
'Her?' Hyne chuckled, 'Never before has such a short sentence been so wrong.' The shadows surrounding the figure swept forward and lept onto the flames, turning them from red to black. The SeeDs watched in horror as the image of the guardian force in the flame was twisted and drained just like the soldier. The shadows returned, leaving Selphie on her knees, panting for air, exhausted. The Darkness that before had covered Hyne now formed great black wings, allowing the SeeD the first clear view of their enemy. Irvine took a step back, horrified. The figure was indeed a man, not a woman as they had been told. Long sliver hair trailed down to the waist, deep black lines in the form of magical runes were scarred into the mans flesh. He was naked, or seemed to be, Black feathers trailed down his back and curled upward between his legs to save his modesty. Hyne laughed at their terrified faces.
'Here I stand, your lord and creator, so close to completion and all you can do is cower?' He raised a hand to his face and brushed aside a strand of, almost white, hair from his red and glowing eyes with one, three inch long, black fingernail. The face that greeted them from behind the bangs sent shivers down Irvines' spine. 'You.' His fist was shaking with anger and fear, 'It was you?' His eyes narrowed to a slit as he glared at the, now, demi-god that hovered in the air before them. 'You were there...You stood in that room, and let us believe we would be fighting our friend Rinoa?' He spat dust from his mouth and raised his gun. 'You led us down a merry path didn't you? We danced to your tune, Fact is you've been Hyne since you got back, Haven't you Squall?' Hyne laughed once again. Indeed the face was that of Squall, their good and close friend. 'You have a good eye, and yes, you are correct.' Selphie gasped and shook her head in disbelief. 'Or at least,' Hyne continued, 'You were right. I no longer have need for that human.'
'Then let him go you son of a-' Zell was about to charge forward, fist raised, but Irvine held him back.
'If he wants to talk we better let him...' Irvines eyes flashed,,and Zell understood. The code words had been uttered, inside Irvines coat (If it was still in one piece) a communicator sent out a beacon now, calling back up from the nearby surroundings. If need be they could end this in an air strike from Garden herself. Hyne shook his head.
'You misunderstand me. I have no need for this Squall anymore, so Ive done away with it.' He chuckled in that ethereal voice, 'He may have been the one to give birth to me, allowing me to awaken from my sleep of ages, but I don't keep that which I don't need.' Selphie almost lost it there.
'Squall..gave birth to you?' Irvine squeezed her hand as her voice broke into a sob.
'Idiot, Not in the sense you believe.' Hyne looked at his newly acquired physical body and smiled. He swept an arm out and the three were at once pinned to a wall. 'You got lucky before. Back then I did Indeed inhabit the mind of your friend, This Squall, But now his taint is gone, I am free of him. I am my own being now and my power is incomprehensible. I sslept for ages, hiding in the back of the mind of countless sorceress' waiting for the day when there would be one, a male, who would inherit my power. And your friends lifeless corpse welcomed me! Once inside the body of a man once again I was able to grow, to take over...Now I have a host over which I have total control! There's none that can stop me!' Hyne laughed aloud again. 'And you thought I was a woman! Amusing creatures...all It takes is one theologian to spout some nonsensical opinion and the truth shatters. I even had that Rinoa girl under my spell, even planted the idea she was the host in Squalls' mind, so you would not suspect the person I hid inside was the one who loved her most.'
Zell growled, fighting Hynes' grip. 'You, Let Him go. With the four of us We'd kick your ass from her to next year.' Hyne shook his head.
'I'm afraid that even if Squall was with us anymore, I would decline. As amusing as it would be to fight the best Garden has to offer, I was in Squalls mind long enough to learn of garden proceedure.' He grinned, pointed white teeth gleamed. 'I know you have back up coming, and I am not prideful enough to get stupid. I am not yet complete, Under an attack from garden missles I would be as dust in the wind.' He waved an arm dramatically, 'I shall leave you to warn them...tell them That once I am complete...the first thing I will come for, is garden. It would be so easy to crush you now!' he snapped his fingers, the force holding Selphies' arms to the wall increased, shattering her bones as she let out a long and piercing scream. Irvine struggled to be free, to go to his lover, to comfort her.
'SELPHIE! No, No you don't you asshole! Stop it, I swear I'll kill you myself! Face me coward!' Hyne wagged on finger, teasingly and spoke out, above Selphies' pained sobbing.
'To easy...I would wish to fight you with all your strength, all your rage, once I am complete. I've even sent a gift to your headmistress, to stir up the soldiers as it were. Until then I do wish you'd prepare yourselves better this time, this was a pathetic attempt on SeeDs' part, I do not wish to be disappointed again.' Hyne folded his wings around him and vanished in a flurry of feathers, as helicopter searchlight swung over him. Garden was here. Irvine was released from the wall and now cradled Selphie in his arms, awaiting help, and swearing revenge.
