Final Fantasy VIII
Emerald Princess of Vernea
Chapter Thirty-Three
"Well," said Seifer, "this is how it turned out."
Squall stood up and looked at Seifer. He then looked at Sorceress Edea, standing behind him. Her face was unreadable now but Squall could have sworn that, for a moment, a look of anger had passed over her face when she saw him.
"So you've become the sorceress' lapdog," he observed, turning back to Seifer.
Seifer grinned. He also stood up. "I prefer to be called her knight," he said. He placed his hand on his hip and leered down at Squall, his smile growing wider. "This has always been my dream."
Squall said nothing. He drew his gunblade. The time for talk was over. Sorceress' lapdog or sorceress' knight, it made no difference. Seifer had made his choice. Squall had no alternative. If Seifer was so determined to protect the sorceress, then Squall would force his way through. He raised his sword and held it ready.
Seifer looked at the gunblade and then at Squall. Somehow he had known this day would come: the day when he and Squall clashed swords as enemies and not rivals. Seifer raised his own gunblade and pointed it at Squall.
"Squall," he said, "you're mine!"
He then ran at Squall and stabbed with his sword. Squall jumped back and off the parade vehicle, landing on the ground in front of it. Squall looked up as Seifer walked to the end of the vehicle and also jumped off. He landed in front of Squall and raised his sword again. The two walked around each other, blades raised.
"So, I assume the instructor and chicken-wuss are here, too?" Seifer asked.
"That's none of your business!" Squall said back, and he charged at Seifer.
Seifer smirked. He also charged. The two met, and their blades clashed. They pushed against each other before separating and then clashing again.
Seifer sidestepped, letting Squall pass him by. Pulling back his sword, he channelled Fire into the gunblade. There was a whoosh and flames swept across the blade. Seifer then turned and thrust out his sword, aiming for Squall's head.
Squall tilted his head to the side and dodged the blow. He felt the searing heat of the flames burn across his cheek. With his sword he knocked Seifer's gunblade aside and lunged at Seifer, trying to strike him while his guard was down. Seifer was faster, however, and was able to twist his body out of the way. The swordsman turned and nimbly moved behind Squall. With the hilt of his gunblade he struck Squall on the back of the head, causing him to stagger forwards.
With Squall off-balance, Seifer clenched his fist and summoned Fire into his hand. A fireball formed around his fist, and when he punched out the ball flew from his hand and headed for Squall.
Seeing the light of the flames in the corner of his eye, Squall stamped one foot onto the ground and spun himself around. He raised his sword as he moved, swinging it in a large arc.
The blade sliced through the fireball, and when it was partway through Squall pulled on the gunblade's trigger. The fireball burst and split wide open, emitting bright rays of blinding light. Seifer raised his arm to shield his eyes, and when he lowered his arm he saw Squall running towards him through the dissipating flames. The swordsman swung his sword and Seifer barely had time to raise his weapon before Squall's gunblade clashed against his own.
The moments that followed were almost a blur, as the gateway was filled with the sounds of battle. Sparks flew from the two gunblades as they sliced against each other time and again, as Squall and Seifer struck and blocked, casting magic and dodging blows. The two swordsmen fought on equal ground, each as strong as the other, and each as determined to win.
Sorceress Edea was watching the fight from the parade vehicle. Her face, cold and beautiful, remained blank. She showed no emotion at all as she watched the two men fight. There was not a flicker of feeling in her eyes. Her eyes were like glass, seeing but not really watching, as though her thoughts were elsewhere.
Edea watched as Seifer cast another fireball at Squall, who knocked it aside with his sword. The fireball flew past Edea and struck the back of the parade vehicle, setting it alight. The sorceress did not even flinch. Smoke drifted past her, and the light of the flames illuminated her face, yet it provided no warmth.
Below her, Squall ducked down and kicked out with his feet. He knocked the swordsman off his feet. Seifer dropped his sword and fell onto the ground. Seeing his chance to finish it, Squall stood over him and raised his sword over his head. Seifer rolled over as the blade came down, and got back onto his feet.
Squall was upon him before Seifer could have a chance to strike. The swordsman brought his sword in an upwards arc. Seifer blocked it, but the force behind the strike was so powerful that it forced Seifer's gunblade up into the air, leaving him exposed. Squall punched and struck Seifer in the jaw, sending him reeling.
Squall unleashed a flurry of strikes and swings. He left no room for Seifer to retaliate, focusing only on driving him back. It worked. With each strike Seifer found himself being forced to back away, keeping out of reach of Squall's sword.
When he was near the parade vehicle, Squall stopped attacking and jumped back. He called Blizzard into his fist, and even as the ice crystals started to form Squall clenched his fist and slammed it into the ground. On contact, a number of icy stalagmites burst out of the ground, heading towards Seifer. Seifer saw them coming and leapt further back to avoid being impaled on the rising ice.
Switching elements, Squall now called Fire into his gunblade. Flames swept across the blade. Squall raised it over his head and brought it down on the ice. The flames shot from the blade to the ice. The intense heat caused the ice to crack and then explode, one by one in rapid succession. The explosion hit Seifer, picked him up off the ground and threw him backwards. He flew over the parade vehicle. Squall waved his hand. Seifer landed on top of the vehicle, landing at the sorceress' feet. Sorceress Edea did not even blink.
Squall walked through the dying flames and climbed up onto the parade vehicle. He stood in front of Seifer, who was struggling to his feet. Squall looked down at him as he raised his gunblade again, ready to continue the fight.
Slowly, Seifer got back onto his feet. His coat was black with soot from the flames. His face, cut from the shards of ice, was bleeding and sore. One shard had cut his lip, and blood trickled down his chin. Seifer coughed and staggered. Thrusting the tip of his sword into the car's roof, he pushed himself upright. The sound of the explosion still rang in his ears, sending his senses reeling.
When he felt he was steady enough, Seifer withdrew his sword and walked forward. As soon as he moved, a sharp spasm shot through his body. His muscles contracted sharply. His legs crumpled, and Seifer was forced to lean against his sword again. He coughed again, and his vision blurred. He tried to move, but his muscles were so tight he could hardly move.
"I… lost…!" he asked himself, his voice hoarse. He forced his head up and looked at Squall.
The swordsman stood before him, his sword up and ready. Around Squall's right hand, Thunder crackled. So that was it… As the explosion sent him flying, Squall had switched elements again and sent a small charge of Thunder through Seifer's body. The shock was delayed, and he only noticed it when he tried to move. Now he was helpless, barely able to move or defend himself. Seifer's hand slipped from the sword and sank to his knees. His eyes narrowed, angry.
Seeing that Seifer was unable to continue, Squall lowered his sword. "You're losing it, Seifer," he commented.
Seifer's head snapped up. He scowled, his blue eyes blazing. His teeth ground together. He could not believe it. He had lost… to Squall!
His fight with Seifer done, Squall turned his gaze to the sorceress. Sorceress Edea was looking at him now. Her blank face was turned towards him and her empty eyes were fixed upon him. She did not even look at Seifer. The sorceress looked Squall up and down, taking him in.
"…A SeeD…" she said. Squall could hear the disgust in her voice as she said the word. "Planted in a rundown Garden."
As she spoke, the blank mask that covered Edea's face melted away. Her eyes hardened, her brows drew together, and her lips twisted into a dark and terrible scowl. She walked forward. She passed by Seifer, who was still trying to drag himself to his feet. Edea waved her hand at him. Seifer saw the gesture and nodded. Forcing himself to stand, he retreated back to the throne.
The sorceress stopped and looked to her left as Irvine and Rinoa ran around the side of the vehicle. They climbed up and stood on either side of Squall. Their weapons were already drawn, ready to back Squall up as instructed.
"I can fight if I'm with you!" Rinoa said to Squall. "That's why I'm here."
Irvine clicked his gun-barrel shut. "…I have to redeem myself," he said.
Squall looked at Rinoa, to his left, and at Irvine, to his right. He then turned back to the sorceress and raised his sword.
Edea looked back at him. Her gaze drifted to Irvine and then Rinoa, before turning her eyes back to Squall. Her scowl deepened. "…The accursed SeeD."
Edea extended her hand and held it out to the side. The flames on the back of the vehicle flickered as they were pulled away, drawn to Edea's hand. They swirled around her hand and her fingers, spinning faster and growing larger.
Seeing this, Seifer moved himself as quickly as possible around to the rear of the sorceress' throne. There he stopped and peered around the side. His gaze fell on Squall and then on Rinoa. Seifer stared at her. So, Rinoa was here, as well.
The flames around Edea's hand darkened and grew larger still, becoming more powerful. She turned her palm towards them, and the flames were drawn to the centre of her hand. They condensed, transforming from Fire to Fira and then into Firaga, the most powerful form of Fire magic.
Squall, Irvine and Rinoa braced themselves. This was it. The battle with the sorceress was about to begin.
When the magic transformation was complete, Sorceress Edea swept out her hand and released the Firaga fireball, sending it flying towards Squall. The swordsman did not dodge but swung his sword and cut the fireball in two. The two halves flew past and hit the gateway gates behind him. The gates shook, and the bars glowed red with the heat. Smoke sifted out from between the gates and drifted up to the night sky.
The sorceress swept her hand back and a second fireball flew from her fingertips. This one was aimed at Rinoa. She dropped to the ground, and the fireball flew over her. It struck the fall wall, causing the whole gateway to shudder.
Rinoa was still on the ground. She raised her arm and released her Pinwheel. The projectile zipped through the air towards the sorceress. Edea thrust out her hand and a Protect barrier flashed up in front of her. The Pinwheel struck the barrier, leaving nothing but a ripple on the barrier's surface. Rinoa flicked her wrist and the Pinwheel came swerving back to her.
On Edea's other side, Irvine opened fire. Without turning her head, Edea raised her other arm and a second barrier rose in front of her. The bullets hit the barrier and bounced off, also leaving no marks on its surface. When Irvine paused to reload his gun the sorceress lowered her barrier and waved her hand. A third fireball formed and flew from her fingertips. Like Rinoa, Irvine also dropped and rolled out of the way, and the fireball smashed into the wall behind.
With the sorceress' attention on his comrades, Squall ran at her from the front. Sorceress Edea's head snapped around to face him and she thrust out her hand. Squall swung his sword even as her Protect barrier rose. His sword hit the barrier and was flung back, carrying Squall with it. The swordsman hit the ground, climbed back onto his feet, and ran at the sorceress again.
He brought his sword down on the barrier. Again the sword bounced, and again Squall was flung away. He got back onto his feet and raised his sword, ready to try again to break through her barrier.
Sorceress Edea brought her palms together and then raised one hand into the air. Lightning started to crackle around her feet, moving up past her legs, her waist, her chest and then finally to her arm. The sparks were drawn to her hand, collecting around her fingertips. They intensified, and their light became blinding. Like the Firaga magic, the lightning grew in strength, changing from Thunder to Thundara and then to Thundaga.
When the spell was complete Edea lowered her hand and pointed at the party. The Thundaga magic shot from her fingers and headed straight towards them. Squall raised his sword to shield himself from the blast.
The lightning storm struck. The gateway shuddered, and the air became charged with electrical energy. The bolts spread, striking the walls and the ground, and the gates. One bolt hit the doorway leading into the gateway and fused the lock. Quistis, Zell and Selphie, still inside, were unable to escape. More bolts struck the gates, still glowing hot from the Firaga magic. More than one bar snapped in two and fell away from the gate, and more smoke billowed out of the gateway.
Despite all the damage that was being done to the gateway, not a single bolt hit Squall or the others. Squall opened his eyes and looked ahead.
There was a shield in front of him, which formed the instant the Thundaga magic struck. Bolts of lightning struck the shield but did not penetrate. Instead the bolts were reflected, bouncing off the shield and thrown back at the sorceress.
Sorceress Edea only just managed to raise her defences in time. Instead of a Protect barrier, she called up a Shell barrier to minimise the reflected magic's effects. When the bolts struck the barrier flashed bright, blocking the sorceress from their sight.
Squall looked around. The shield in front of him was still up. What had caused it?
He looked over at Rinoa. She was kneeling on the ground close to him. There was another shield in front of her, which had risen at the same time as Squall's. Rinoa's eyes were wide as she stared at the shield, just as confused as he was.
Squall then turned to Irvine. Like himself and Rinoa, Irvine also had a reflective shield in front of him, and something else as well.
Hovering behind the shield was the GF Carbuncle, whom they had drawn from the Iguion. A giant, red ruby on the GF's forehead sparkled as he cast his reflective magic upon the party. Squall stared in amazement. He had drawn the GF from the Iguion, but there had not been time to share that pact with Irvine or Rinoa. Was it possible that Carbuncle had chosen to share its bond with Irvine and Rinoa of its own accord on the moment of drawing?
The ruby's shimmering light faded, and the barriers protecting the three fighters faded. Carbuncle, his task complete, dived into a hole that had opened up in the roof of the car and disappeared.
The bolts of lightning striking the sorceress' own barrier flickered and died out. The sorceress lowered her barrier and swept her hand through the air in Irvine's direction. Something, much like a slap, struck Irvine across the face. It sent a shocking, numbing cold through his cheek and jaw, and the gunman staggered. He clutched at his cheek, and when he brought his hand away he saw that there were traces of blood on his glove. It was an astral-like strike. The sorceress could do damage without ever coming into contact with them.
Sorceress Edea lowered her hand. Her eyes turned right and she swept out her other hand. Rinoa, who was on her feet again and about to release her Pinwheel, was flung backwards. Her Pinwheel fired and swerved off-course, missing the sorceress entirely.
Rinoa staggered back to the edge of the roof. Her feet slipped off the edge and she started to fall back.
"Rinoa!" called Squall, and he ran towards her.
A Fira ball, cast by the sorceress, flew towards him. The swordsman did not slow but swerved out of the way of the ball. He reached out and grabbed Rinoa's hand. She held onto him as he pulled her back onto the vehicle. When she was safe Squall stood in front of her and turned back to the sorceress.
Sorceress Edea was watching them. Her eyes met Squall's, and the swordsman had to suppress a shudder. Her eyes were like glass, with no feeling at all behind them. It was like Squall was looking into an endless void, as though all feeling and time stopped at those eyes. Meanwhile, Edea was able to see through those eyes and look right through him, as though he was not even there. It was an unnerving and chilling sensation.
The sorceress raised her hand. Flames started to move around her fingers.
"Brace yourself!" Squall warned Rinoa. She nodded and raised her fists.
The flames intensified. Irvine fired a shot to distract her, but Edea just raised her other hand and raised her Protect barrier. The bullet bounced off. The flames gave a roar as they grew larger and became Firaga. With a wave of her hand the flames shot out, heading towards Squall and Rinoa.
The moment he realised what was happening, Squall cast Blizzard. The ground froze over and a wall of ice burst up from the ground in front of him and Rinoa. The flames hit, and the ice gave a groan. Cracks formed in its surface and the centre started to glow as the heat of the flames started to melt the wall away.
Rinoa placed her hand over Squall's. She also cast Blizzard, and the two energies merged to form into Blizzara, mid-level Blizzard magic. More ice rose from the ground and covered the wall, making it thicker and stronger. The ice continued to crack but it held firm. Squall and Rinoa worked together to keep the ice going—replenishing the ice as quickly as it was being melted by the fire.
Irvine finished reloading his shotgun and fired at the sorceress. His bullets, a combination of ordinary and magic-enhanced ones, bounced off the sorceress' shields without leaving any damage. Both the Shell and Protect barriers worked in unison to keep his shots from reaching the sorceress. Edea did not even seem to pay attention to what he was doing; her attention was only on Squall and Rinoa.
Firaga magic continued to flow from Sorceress Edea's fingers. It started to overwhelm the ice wall shielding Squall and Rinoa. The number of cracks in the wall's surface increased, and the glow from the flames was growing brighter as it forced its way through.
Realising that their ice shield was failing, Rinoa turned to Squall and shouted: "Keep it up! I'll summon Shiva!"
Squall could barely hear her over the roar of the flames, but he nodded anyway. Rinoa pulled back, and Squall sheathed his sword before holding out his other hand. He poured more energy into the barrier, trying his best to keep it going.
Stepping back away from Squall, Rinoa summoned Shiva. An ice-cloud swirled around her before gathering in front of her. The cloud compacted, forming into the body of Shiva. The clouds then parted, leaving Shiva in its place. The GF raised her hands over her head and arched her back.
"Squall!" yelled Rinoa. "Move out of the way, now!"
The swordsman jumped back, just as Shiva threw down her arms and cast her magic into the barrier. A rising ride of ice burst from beneath her feet and swept across the roof of the vehicle. It shattered the ice wall and cut through the flames, making its way towards the sorceress.
Sorceress Edea lowered her arm, and the swirling flames around her hand flickered and died out. She raised her barriers. The ice struck, slamming into the barriers with an audible thud. The ice encircled her and then grew up and over her, sealing her inside. Shiva stood up straight and clenched her fist. The ice condensed, drawn sharply inwards, forming a compact dome over the sorceress.
Squall lowered his sword, watching the ice barrier. The ice was thick; all he could see of Edea was a faint shadow. Rinoa came to stand beside him, and Irvine also ran over to join his two comrades. The three stood together and waited.
A light flashed inside of the ice. A second flash followed it, and a crack appeared in the dome's surface. More flashes followed, and with each flash more cracks appeared in the ice. A loud rumble of thunder sounded from within the ice. Squall and the others braced themselves.
The ice exploded, and a storm of lightning erupted from within. At the storm's centre stood the sorceress, her arms spread and her body cloaked in a coat of lightning that seemed to come from every part of her body. The thick ruffle of fur that framed her shoulders moved about as the static energy emanating from the lightning bolts passed over Edea's body. They flickered and flashed and then drew back towards her, gathering in her open hands.
The sorceress' eyes were ablaze with fury. "Thundaga!" she said in a bellowing voice. She thrust out her hands and unleashed the storm in all its fury.
Squall and the others cried out as the lightning bolts struck. There was no reflective barrier to protect them this time, so they took the attack full-on. The bolts hit Shiva, who screamed as her body was electrified by the lightning. Her body shattered, breaking up into shards of ice. The bolts hit them and then spread out to strike the rest of the gateway. The entire structure shook, and the gateway filled with blinding light.
Smoke drifted through the gates. The air of Deling City was thick with the scent of smoke, as the riots in the streets grew more and more intense. The soldiers had lost control of the crowds, and everything had descended into disorder. The blinding light faded, and the gateway plunged into darkness.
Inside the gateway, Squall opened his eyes. He breathed, and he could still taste the static energy on his tongue. The swordsman struggled to his feet. His muscles were tight, making it difficult to move, and sparks still flickered across his body.
On either side of him, Rinoa and Irvine were also fighting to stand. Charges of electricity also flickered over their bodies, but like Squall, they refused to give up. The sorceress was powerful, her magic immeasurable. Even a GF could not contain this sorceress. Her reflexes were sharp; she could switch between attack and defence in the blink of an eye. She was also merciless, and did not hold back. She stood before them, her body also still flickering with traces of lightning. The blazing fury in her eyes was gone now, and gazed at them blankly.
Squall managed to get back onto his feet. Though his body fought against him, he raised his sword and charged at Edea.
The sorceress swept out her hand. An astral strike hit Squall across the face. He stumbled, then spun on his heel and charged at her again. The sorceress, not expecting this, did not have time to raise her Protect barrier in time.
Fire whooshed across Squall's gunblade as he thrust it into the barrier. The flames pierced it, and Squall's sword passed through the barrier. Sorceress Edea looked down at the blade as it stopped just inches from her chest. She looked at Squall and met his gaze. Squall frowned and pulled the gunblade's trigger.
A blast erupted from within the barrier, and it filled with flames. The barrier cracked and then shattered into shards of light, releasing the explosion within. Squall was picked up and thrown away by the blast. He hit the floor and skidded over to Rinoa and Irvine, who knelt down to catch him. They helped Squall to his feet, and turned back to the sorceress.
The flames started to disperse. They saw Sorceress Edea, standing at the heart of the flames, keeping over with her hand pressed against her side. It was a lucky blow. Squall's sudden strike, combined with the prolonged use of her magic, had weakened the sorceress' defences, causing them to shatter. For all her powerful magicks, Edea was still human. Like Squall and the others, she too was prone to fatigue and weakness. It was this that ultimately caused her defences to break.
Sorceress Edea took her hand away from her side and forced herself to stand upright. A single bead of sweat trickled down her forehead. The sorceress raised her eyes and narrowed them at Squall. Her lips twisted, turning into a scowl.
"Impudent SeeDs!" she hissed.
A faint blue light appeared in front of the sorceress. It shimmered for a moment before drifting down to her feet, spreading out around her like a cloud. There was a flash and the light was drawn back again as Sorceress Edea raised her hand. The light swirled around Edea as she raised her hand higher and higher. The light swirled across her arm until it reached her hand. The sorceress spread her fingertips and the light danced over them until it reached the top, where it suddenly disappeared.
Another speck of light appeared. In the centre of the light a tiny ice crystal formed. The ice crystal then grew rapidly and its shape stretched and twisted, transforming itself into a long spear of ice. When it reached half the length of Edea's arm the spear split itself into three, creating three spears. These grew longer still, until they were the full length of Edea's arm.
Sorceress Edea looked at the three standing before her. She then lowered her arm and cast the spears away. They whizzed through the air towards them.
Rinoa twisted her body aside. The left-side spear whistled as it passed her by. Irvine jumped out of the way, the right-side spear missing him by inches.
The third spear hit Squall in the right side of his chest. It ran through him, piercing his clothes and his flesh until it came through the other side and lodged there. The force of the impact dragged Squall back to the edge of the parade vehicle. An agonising cold, more painful than he could possibly have imagined, ran through his body.
Rinoa turned. When she saw Squall there, impaled by the ice spear, her eyes widened. She screamed out his name, but her voice was lost in the rising cries of the rioting crowds outside.
Sorceress Edea heard Rinoa's cry but did not acknowledge her. The look of anger that crossed her face was gone. In its place: that blank and emotionless mask. Even as she gazed at Squall, impaled by her own magic, she betrayed no feelings. Not a frown or a smile touched her lips. She just stared at him, her eyes empty, and her arm still stretched out in front of her.
Squall gasped and tried to breathe. His breath was short, pained with numbing cold. His vision blurred, and the sounds of the outside became muffled. His strength started to ebb away. His head dropped to his chest, and the last thing he felt was the breath leaving his body.
The swordsman fell from the parade vehicle, with the ice spear still embedded in his chest. Rinoa ran to the edge of the car, but she could not get to him in time. He fell away from her, falling to the ground below.
The last thing saw Squall before he slipped into unconsciousness was Rinoa's face. Her face was full of despair as she leaned far over the edge of the car. She reached out to him, but he could not reach out to her. Her lips moved, shouting his name, but he could no longer hear her. Then everything went dark, and he saw her no more.
All the while, Sorceress Edea watched them, her eyes unblinking.
[End of Part Three]
You have now reached the end of Final Fantasy 8: The Story. The story will continue in a separate story titled Final Fantasy 8: The Story 2nd Instalment.
Coming Soon:
Final Fantasy 8: The Story 2nd Instalment
[Part Four: The Galbadian Missile Base]
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORESS
This brings us to the end of the first instalment of this fic. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this story; it makes me so happy to know it's being read. I've noticed that I have readers from all across the globe. Thanks to you all!
Also, I know people were probably expecting an epic battle between Squall and Seifer, but I chose not to have one at this point. It didn't also help that those two were completely uncooperative.
Now, there is going to be a month's intermission before I begin work on the second instalment. I am going to spend that month doing some power-drafting on Crisis Core, and also some more planning to my original story: Masters of the Blade. We are almost in the middle of June, so I will aim to have the second instalment ongoing by the beginning of August.
I hope to see you all then!