No Mercy
Part Three
Squall paced back and forth, looking out over the water that Balamb smoothly floated over. The beautiful blue sea that he had always loved so much. But it wasn't the same without Rinoa to watch with him. He wished she was back there with him, to console him and help him find out what was going on. Things had gotten so strange, he just didn't know what to do anymore. Xu was dead, he had recieved some sort of message that he wouldn't be able to see anymore. Something was happening to Fujin that scared the living hell out of him. Nothing made sense at all, but somehow it all fit together. It just felt like pieces of a puzzle that fit together in a weird dark sort of way.
"Squall!" Quistis cried from his office. "Squall are you up there?" Her voice was frantic, and Squall dreaded the sound. He quickly activated the lift, and lowered himself to her distressed face.
"What's going on?" He asked tiredly. The agitation on her face showed him no mercy as she parted her perfectly painted lips to speak.
"Rinoa... she's missing." Quistis sounded hesitant, as if she were afraid to tell Squall such news. It hit him like wildfire, and she took a step back. His eyes burned with an anger she had never seen concealed in his raging heart.
"That's it." He hissed, clenching his jaw, his fists, anything that could make his body tense as a board. "(I won't sit back anymore.) I'm going to Deling. (It's not everyone else's responsibility, it's mine.) I have to find Rinoa, and Fujin, and get to the bottom of everything. (I can't hide behind anyone anymore. This is my job, my love.) Prepare the Ragnarok." He walked briskly out of the office, leaving Quistis staring open mouthed at him, surprised at his sudden change of direction. She had expected him to break down, maybe even show a little emotion. But it was worse than she had thought. He showed the wrong emotion. And now, all hell was going to break loose in Deling City.
"You don't understand me?" Fujin rasped, slamming her fist down onto the counter. She ran her fingers over the blades of her weapon lovingly, as if a mother to a child. "I need you to refine this. Now."
"Miss, I don't have access to the items needed for this, no matter how much you pay me." The clerk broke out in a cold sweat, his heart pounding so terribly he was sure she could hear it. Maybe even see his ribs pulsating with each heave.
Fujin narrowed her eyes, a look of sheer annoyance framing her features. Her attitude had increased, and so had her tolerance. If she hadn't any control at all, she would have killed the man right on the spot. Yet she needed him, needed him to remodel her baby into the fierce weapon that she needed it to be. She knew the place, the underground black market of weapon refining, and this store was a direct link to that. The clerk was playing dumb, not wanting to reveal himself in case she was with the authorities, but she knew his game. And she wanted in on it.
"Excuse me." She leaned forward, lowering her voice to a whisper. "One, I don't care how much you deny it, I know you can turn my pinwheel into a devastating piece of metal. Two, I know you have links to special illegal items needed to do so. And three... who the hell said I was paying YOU?!"
Rinoa rolled her neck, letting consciousness take her to the real world again. Her head had a light throb, not from being hit but from a powerful sleep spell that had been cast by an equally powerful man. Fear overtook her, and she wished to the heavens that she had gone straight home with Colton. She could just imagine the things that could be done to her, after what had happened to Xu...
"Don't be so tense, I'm not going to kill you." A familiar voice said, firm as a rock. Rinoa clenched up even more at the sound, and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to awaken from a horrid dream. She struggled a little, finally noticing that her hands were bound above her head to a pipe, while she sat with her legs folded on the cement floor. She had no idea where she was, but wanted out. Especially with that man, that evil man that had shrouded her mind that summer ago.
"Why are you here?" Rinoa asked, trying to keep her voice steady and clear. He laughed at her effort, throwing his head back in that arrogant way of his.
"I need you, dear Rinoa." The way he emphasized the word dear made her cringe. She had heard that line too many times.
"Did you kill Xu?" She inquired deeply, forcing herself not to look at him. One glance into those steel quicksilver eyes would cause her to melt once again, regardless of the fact that he had her tied to an overhead pipe. He had ever ceased to captivate her, those lucious features... that belonged to a murderer. "(He must have done it. God Rinoa, stop it. Stop torturing yourself.)"
"Yes." He bluntly replied, and Rinoa let out a sob. "Don't cry. I'm not going to kill you." He repeated, but she couldn't stop. The tears weren't from that, however. It was beccause something had suddenly clicked in her brain of what was happening to her. He was going to use her for something terrible, she could feel it in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't good, it wasn't good at all. How she ached for Squall. She wanted him to embrace her, to kiss it all away.
"Please, Seifer... please just let me be..."
"(Finally...)" Fujin thought as the nervous clerk brought her around into his office in the back. Pulling a few books from a high shelf, he yanked on a hidden chain and the floor opened a hidden staircase right before her feet. He led her down winding stairways, through passages, as if in a maze. She tried to keep a mental note of where they were headed, but it was impossible. Nothing unfamiliar could find it's way out, unless it had a photographical memory.
The clerk had eventually given in to her when she threatened him enough. Her brutal strength had shown through, she let him see the power lying within her feminine physique. Sure, up close Fujin didn't look like much, but ultimately, she was the stronger person. The clerk saw that once she had argued and motioned enough, and led her down to the hugest stock of black market refining items she had ever seen. There were things everywhere, insane dangerous illegal things that Fujin had only dreamed of.
"Wh, what do you want?" The clerk bit his lip, nervous as hell that he may be found out. The woman was so strange, he couldn't tell whether she really wanted things or wanted to bust him. She was so dangerous, acted as if he was a futile creature in her presence. And, in a way, she was.
"I want fire... and electricity..." Fujin pointed at a few elementals, while also looking at an Ultima-Induced blade. "Hmm..." She rubbed her temple, peering around at the vast selection. She knew certain combinations, but her knowledge only went so far. "I want all the elements, I think. And some Ultima for my limit break..." She continued, piecing together something that the clerk had never even dreamed of creating before. The weapon might very well have been the most dangerous equipped blades to ever be. Ultimate weapons had been created before, but usually ended up confiscated, destroyed, or under military control. Fujin had something within her, something burning with desire to destroy, and she wanted the best of the best. And because he feared her so much, he gave her exactly what she wanted.
"Squall, you don't even know how to FLY the Ragnarok!" Selphie protested, but Squall kept his arm outstretched. The worried look on the thin girl's face gave a little comfort to his aching heart, but not enough to give in and let her come with him.
"I can learn." Was his simple reply, and Selphie was forced to oblige.
"You know, you're going to get yourself killed one of these days." She slapped the ignition keys into his hand and crossed her arms, cocking her head to the left.
"Not in this lifetime." Squall turned on his heel, and stalked up the ramp into the monstrous ship. He remembered a little bit of the flight instructions from the time he and Rinoa had been in the cockpit together. It wasn't that hard, and the worst that could happen would be that he'd crash the damn thing. In that case, he'd just take Garden to Deling. It might not be as fast, but it would beat waiting for the train. He sighed heavily, wondering what had become of him. A year ago, he would never have gone running away from his duties to look for a woman, let alone a woman like Rinoa. He had let himself get wrapped up in her charms, and the walls of ice around his heart melted. He cared for the girl thoroughly, but at what cost? He hoped that Quistis would be as good as Xu was at her new job. Quistis was the only other person he figured he could trust with the position, although the former instructor wouldn't be as inclined to run errands for Miss Heartilly.
Squall started up the engine, letting the ramp close up, and let out a deep breath. He could do it. He could fix everything, find Rinoa and Fujin, have a funeral for Xu, and forget about the Sorceresses for once. He needed down time, as Quistis had said. Xu needed down time too, and he saw what happened to her.
"(Alright, let's see what we're made of.)" Squall lifted off, shooting up into the sky full speed, pressing him back against the seat.
"(I'll get you, I promise.)" Seifer leaned his head back against the wall of the windowsill he was perched on, staring out at the desolate alley he had so suddenly taken Rinoa from. He wasn't even planning on taking her that early, but she just popped up, and it was too good a chance to miss. He took a long drag of his cigarette, crystal eyes glinting in the moonlight. Things weren't happening as smoothly as he'd have liked. Being obliged to travel to Deling right away, he had to bring Xu's body with him to make sure that the transformation had become complete. After her mark disappeared, he knew that the fated essence had left her completely. Dumping her in the hotel wasn't the least conspicuous thing he could have done, but it would drag the attention away from Rinoa for a time. It would be smart to leave Deling with her, but the newest contaminant was in the City. He had to find her, and quickly. "(Why can't I feel you? Usually I can sense where you are at one exact moment. I know you're here, but it's jumbled.)"
Seifer heard a soft moan, and saw Rinoa moving in her sleep. Her raven hair shifted and revealed her troubled expression. She didn't look to be having a very pleasant dream.
"Squall..." She murmured, and Seifer furrowed his brow. He stared at her, eyes running over her distressed features and down to her mature figure that had been his that summer so long ago. Now it was for the 'valiant hero'.
"It's always Leonhart." He hissed, quietly jumping down and crossing the secluded room to her. He knelt, and stared at her head on. "This time, it won't be about Squall. (It's about me.) You used to love me, Rinoa. And though you don't now, you'll still have to pass her into me." He reached out, stroking her cheek. "You're the virgin sorceress."
Fujin had named it Abolisher. A fitting name for what she was going to do with it. No, not Fujin. The soul leveling up inside of her. The evil etched upon her very being that was slowly controlling her, and it was hard to keep battling it. And now it had created an ultimate weapon, something that would devastate the hearts of many. It's many elemental blades whooshed through the air, as if cutting existence itself. After spending many hours with the store clerk, it was finally done. With her last shred of Fujin, she had paid him a hefty amount of gil for it, and walked out of the store with dread in her heart. It was the only part of her still pure.
'Sweet Fuu, don't frown so. This will be for the good of humanity...' The voice of that evil woman echoed in the silver haired warrior's head. 'Abolisher suits you well, you know.'
"Don't speak to me." Fujin shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut and leaning against a tree standing near the General's house.
'Take a good look at the sky, Fujin.' The voice wafted, with no hint of amusement left. 'It's the last time it will be this colour. Next time you rest your eyes on it, the sunset shades will turn a blood red. An omen of the coming darkness, the torture that shall befall the human race.'
"Why do you want this?" Fujin's lip quivered, in a way she had always called weak. It disgusted her, the show of her inner softness that she would never admit to having.
'I don't, Fuu.' The mocking tone was back in the splitting voice. 'You do. Don't you ever wonder why you seek the Knight? You think it's lust, but it is far deeper than that. Your fate draws you to him... because you will kill him.' Fujin stepped back, nearly slipping and falling down behind the tree. The words cut into her deeply, and she shook her head.
"I... I'd never kill Seifer." She rubbed her temples harshly, allowing Abolisher to sound a clear thunk in the grass. Her own voice sounded far away, and it frightened her.
'Yes, you will.' The voice began to laugh, and Fujin shook her head, trying to rid herself of the voice. She wanted to scream, cry, and hurt someone all at the same time, but did none. She fell to her knees, and finally let sobs overtake her. In all her hopelessness, Fujin cried tears of blood. No Mercy
Part Four
Squall's hands gripped the steering so tightly his knuckles were white. He concentrated on the nearing horizon, the land before him that belonged to Galbadia. To get into Deling as soon as possible, he'd have to set down illegally on the plains instead of going through the normal checks on the way into the country. And on another note, Squall was not a pilot.
It was a bumpy landing, but he managed enough not to kill himself or damage the aircraft. Deling was just over the hill he used for cover, and as soon as he departed the ramp, Squall took off full speed towards it through the grass. He could see Rinoa's face, hear her voice, she was so close to him. Yet so far, and he didn't even know where to start looking. All that he was driving on was love, determination, and the iron will of the Lion Heart within him.
Rinoa shivered, feeling a chill run down her frail spine. It wasn't cold, on the contrary, it was sweltering in the small dark room. She nearly jumped out of her skin as Seifer came thundering into the room, slamming the door harshly behind him.
"FUCK!" He cursed loudly, causing Rinoa to curl up in fear. Seifer was known to be abusive when angry, and she didn't want to be at the receiving end of any more pain, physical or emotional. "No matter WHAT I do... why can't I FIND you?!" He reeled back and rammed his clenched fist into the wall, causing a few bricks to crack. However, his knuckles were in worse shape, and began to bleed profusely in rivulets of warm moistness on his skin. Yet in his own Seifer like way, he ignored the pain and let out a deep breath. "This isn't easy." The soft comment was directed at Rinoa, who relaxed a little at his more gentle tone.
"You're not the only one feeling that way." She chanced telling him. "I don't even know what's going on." It was true. She felt lost, and confused, and afraid of what Seifer was going to do to her when he found whomever he was looking for. He shifted his weight, and his eyes fluttered open, revealing two deep blue irises that had captured her so long ago. Uttering a deep growl, his whole expression became one of hatred, and Rinoa nearly recoiled from the electricity in his sharp stare.
"I'm going to kill Ultimecia." The blunt statement caused Rinoa to start quaintly.
"What?!" The word flew from her lips in all her shock. "But isn't she-"
"Dead?" Seifer threw back his head and laughed. "Only in the physical sense, Miss Heartilly. Ultimecia has been leaping around into people, all women, since Time Compression. Her soul is still very much alive, and I am tracking her down to kill her." His brow furrowed and his face became hard again.
"Then Xu..." Rinoa trailed off in disbelief.
"Yes. You see, every time I kill the host, she simply jumps to another person. And because she once controlled me, her essence is still there. She is able to contact me, and I am able to know exactly where she is." He crossed his arms in a very Squall like manner.
"So you've just been killing all these people..." Rinoa found herself unable to finish any of her thoughts, due to her mind swirling around all over the place.
"It's necessary, trust me." Seifer sighed. He looked off to the far wall, and his eyes showed he was thinking deeply about something unknown to Rinoa.
"What about me?" She finally worked up the courage to ask, and he hesitated before answering her.
"To actually kill Ultimecia's spirit, I need to battle her in my mind. But she only leaps into women for the sole reason of accidentally leaping into me. I can't rightly go and kill every woman on the planet, now can I?" He chuckled, but Rinoa didn't find it the least bit amusing. "To pass her into myself, I need to force her in. The only way to do that is through intercourse." Rinoa paled tremendously, and it seemed as if her heart had completely stopped beating. Seifer didn't notice, or he was simply ignoring it, because he continued. "There is only one person that can withstand that kind of deep magic without dying and allowing Ultimecia to leap to another woman." Tears had begun to flow down Rinoa's fair cheeks silently.
"... Me?" She breathed, the word barely a whisper. Seifer nodded solemnly.
"A virgin sorceress."
"I need to see the General." Squall was out of breath, and the guard standing at the entrance eyed him suspiciously. "It's important." He ran a shaky hand through his silky hair once, trying to regain his calm, collected stature for Rinoa's father.
"You have to receive a pin number from-" The guard began.
"No, I don't have time for that." Squall furrowed his brow. "I know you're just doing your job, but this is urgent and I need to speak with him right away."
"I'm sorry, but the pin number-"
"FUCK the pin number!" Squall unsheathed his gunblade, and in a swift movement, the guard was left standing there with his pants around his ankles. His face reddened, but he took one look at Lionheart and then paled lighter than Rinoa's fair shade of soft skin.
"You-you..." He stammered, and then edged aside. "Enter... sir." More than a little frustrated, his own fear for his beloved driving him, Squall didn't even bother resheathing his weapon as he entered the mansion. Storming into the study, he saw General Caraway nearly jump out of his skin at the angered young man storming his home.
"What the-" Caraway narrowed his eyes at the gunblade that was still in Squall's hand.
"Why aren't you doing anything to find Rinoa?!" The disheveled SeeD clenched his free fist, staring sharply at Rinoa's father.
"H, how can you say that?" Caraway sat down in a huff, blankly staring upwards as his eyes became soft. "My daughter... she means the world to me..."
"You're simply here all alone, doing absolutely NOTHING." Squall didn't back down, and the harsh words flew from his mouth before he could stop them. "I flew a ship that I don't even know how to fly and illegally landed here so I could look for her. Why are you just SITTING here?!" Drawing in deep breaths from exasperation, Squall stopped, letting Lionheart fall to the carpet. He took his temples in his fingers, rotating them slowly to create a short massage that soothed his aching mind for a moment. When he opened his eyes, Caraway was still staring at the ceiling in remorse.
"What can I do?" He inquired softly. "I have men searching for her... but it seems as if she's disappeared... my dearest daughter..." Then his eyes slid closed and he leaned forward, bending down over his knees. This was completely unlike the General that Squall had argued with long ago. He was now a broken man, having lost his wife and potentially his daughter. Squall felt a pang of pity strike his heart, which was unlike him. Rinoa had obviously had a softening effect on both of them.
"I'm going to find her." Squall bent down and recovered his beloved weapon, sliding it into his sheath with a metallic gliding noise. "I promise."
Fujin sat, her stomach rumbling in anger at her. She refused to eat or drink, only to sit and wait. The evil inside her couldn't possibly win, she just couldn't. Fujin felt as if she was losing control, but with the little control she had left, she wanted to destroy the bitch that was trying to rule her body.
'Naïve girl, you are.' The voice was still with her. It's mocking tone was a little weaker than last time, because Fujin herself had grown weaker. She still sat atop the hill, watching the sky as it's shades grew a deeper crimson by the minute.
"How am I naïve?" Fujin swallowed audibly, even though it ached her dry throat.
'If you die, I will just move on. Where did you think I came from, dearest Fujin? Thin air?' A small cackle. 'You can't destroy me. There is only one who can. But you will destroy him first.' Seifer. The name slipped through Fujin's mind like melting ice, and she felt her heart wrench at her vision of him.
"I'd never... destroy... Seifer." She protested, blinking softly.
'You STUPID little girl!' The voice suddenly became full of rage. 'Why can't you see what's been staring you in the face this entire time? Why do you think I can overtake you, Fujin? You're not like other people.' The last sentence was soft, almost melancholy. It sent a chill through Fujin, as she pondered what it could possibly mean. Then it hit her. Like a tidal wave, the memory came to her of the burning power she had felt white hot inside of her after Squall and his crew had gone through Time Compression.
"That means..." She trailed off, unable to voice the words. The sky seemed to flash burgundy at her sudden realization, as if mirroring her own emotions.
'Yes, Fujin.' The voice was pleased. 'You are a sorceress.'
"B, but how?" Fujin stumbled over her words, tearing a handful of grass out of the soil and squeezing it in her hand violently. "Whose powers did I... acquire?" She hesitated, biting her lip.
'Mine, of course.' A pause. 'My soul may still be living, but the sorceress powers don't grasp that. Now that I've found them again, I can spawn inside of you.' A pert laugh.
"No. No, I won't let you." Fujin licked her lips, attempting to put even a little moisture back, but to no avail. She hadn't consumed any liquid in a long while, and her mouth was desiccated.
'There's nothing you can do, dear Fujin.' The voice had it's mocking tone back, and it chilled her to the bone. 'Nothing but wait.'
"There is something." Fujin laid back in the grass, and concentrated on that burning fire that was still within her. Ignoring the agonizing cries of her stomach, and the dryness that overwhelmed her senses, she cast her mind to that red flame of eternal power that had been passed to her so long ago. "There is something."
Seifer woke with a start. He felt her. Ultimecia. He sensed her inside, but this time something was different. Something was protecting her. He looked up to Rinoa's innocent stare, and then bolted over to her, grasping her face in his hands. She shrieked, fear overtaking her as his expression became that of a rabid animal ready to attack.
"Have you been harboring her?!" He yelled, causing her to wince in a panicked frenzy. "Why did you hide her from me?!" His voice was so loud, and so piercing, that tears started to cascade down Rinoa's fair cheeks.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" She pathetically squeaked.
"You're lying!" Seifer slammed her against the wall once. Twice. She cried out in pain as his strength bruised her fragile body. "She's inside of you and you've been hiding it!" His antagonism blazed, and Rinoa shook with fright.
"I don't know!" She shrieked, in a rapid attempt to save herself. "I... I don't know anything..." The sobs prevented her from speaking, and suddenly Seifer sat back, breathing heavily.
"She's inside a sorceress... hiding... but now I can sense her..." A sudden expression of realization came over his face as he felt another wave. His eyes closed in surprise as Fujin came to his mind, speaking so rapidly he couldn't understand her. Her voice came out as pure mumbles, it sounded so alien he didn't know how to respond. The power emanating from her was real, however, and he understood enough. "Fuu..." Seifer's eyes opened, and he looked up at the ceiling in regret. Rinoa was still sobbing, less violently but it still shook her. He turned, feeling no pity but not wanting to hurt her without reason, and untied her wrists. They were raw from her struggles, but that was her own fault. She curled up her knees, and hugged them, burying her face and letting her tears soak her battered clothing. Fujin's figure was gone from Seifer's mind, but he felt her essence melded with Ultimecia's. That meant that Fujin was a sorceress, and Ultimecia was maturing inside of her. "Oh Fuu... I... I never thought I'd have to do this to you..."
Squall ran, in more of a frenzy than before. His guts were twisting this way and that, giving him the deep premonition that something terrible was going to happen. And Rinoa was involved. For some unknown reason, he knew that, and it drove him to the peak of town where a park lay. He stared to the left where a large hill thrust up to the sky, a lone tree standing, protecting a silver haired woman with her arms spread like an eagle. Her head thrown back, and her expression agonized, as the sky changed deep colours of burgundy and blood. He was frozen in place and his jaw dropped as he witnessed Fujin calling out to the sky, the wind, the earth, everything, to conjure something that felt so horrible in the pit of Squall's stomach. But he knew he was powerless to stop it, and it frightened even the Lion heart.
Within moments, Seifer was out on the street, dragging a shaky Rinoa behind him. His walk was brisk, and she could barely stagger after him as he dragged her along by the back of her blue sweater. She was confused, but praying with all her soul that someone would find her while they were wandering, someone to help her. She was unable to scream, the crying had dulled her voice and she couldn't even speak. Seifer purposefully stalked through the streets, every now and again stopping to sense which way to go. They made it out of the dense town and towards a more natural area of dark plain. Looking up to the top of the hill where the lone tree stood, and Fujin offered herself to the heavens. To his left, he saw the dark figure of a man, but ignored it. There was no threat greater than the beautiful one spread before him. Dropping a panting Rinoa, Seifer began up the hill.
"Rinoa!" The darkened man came out, nearly crushing Rinoa as he grabbed her, clutching her to his chest. It was Squall, the Headmaster himself, and Rinoa began to cry once again, surprised that there was enough moisture left in her eyes. He hushed her, cooing soothing things in her ears as he praised the gods for allowing her to be safe. Seifer ignored them both, and focused all of his attention on the sorceresses themselves. They were battling each other, battling for control and survival.
When he was just behind her, Fujin lowered her arms, and turned to look at him, an award winning smirk on her face.
"Seifer, you have been very naughty, betraying me." The voice was husky, unlike Fujin at all. It had the air of dread that Seifer had been waiting to hear in person for a very long time. He was facing her finally. "Now is the time."
Part Three
Squall paced back and forth, looking out over the water that Balamb smoothly floated over. The beautiful blue sea that he had always loved so much. But it wasn't the same without Rinoa to watch with him. He wished she was back there with him, to console him and help him find out what was going on. Things had gotten so strange, he just didn't know what to do anymore. Xu was dead, he had recieved some sort of message that he wouldn't be able to see anymore. Something was happening to Fujin that scared the living hell out of him. Nothing made sense at all, but somehow it all fit together. It just felt like pieces of a puzzle that fit together in a weird dark sort of way.
"Squall!" Quistis cried from his office. "Squall are you up there?" Her voice was frantic, and Squall dreaded the sound. He quickly activated the lift, and lowered himself to her distressed face.
"What's going on?" He asked tiredly. The agitation on her face showed him no mercy as she parted her perfectly painted lips to speak.
"Rinoa... she's missing." Quistis sounded hesitant, as if she were afraid to tell Squall such news. It hit him like wildfire, and she took a step back. His eyes burned with an anger she had never seen concealed in his raging heart.
"That's it." He hissed, clenching his jaw, his fists, anything that could make his body tense as a board. "(I won't sit back anymore.) I'm going to Deling. (It's not everyone else's responsibility, it's mine.) I have to find Rinoa, and Fujin, and get to the bottom of everything. (I can't hide behind anyone anymore. This is my job, my love.) Prepare the Ragnarok." He walked briskly out of the office, leaving Quistis staring open mouthed at him, surprised at his sudden change of direction. She had expected him to break down, maybe even show a little emotion. But it was worse than she had thought. He showed the wrong emotion. And now, all hell was going to break loose in Deling City.
"You don't understand me?" Fujin rasped, slamming her fist down onto the counter. She ran her fingers over the blades of her weapon lovingly, as if a mother to a child. "I need you to refine this. Now."
"Miss, I don't have access to the items needed for this, no matter how much you pay me." The clerk broke out in a cold sweat, his heart pounding so terribly he was sure she could hear it. Maybe even see his ribs pulsating with each heave.
Fujin narrowed her eyes, a look of sheer annoyance framing her features. Her attitude had increased, and so had her tolerance. If she hadn't any control at all, she would have killed the man right on the spot. Yet she needed him, needed him to remodel her baby into the fierce weapon that she needed it to be. She knew the place, the underground black market of weapon refining, and this store was a direct link to that. The clerk was playing dumb, not wanting to reveal himself in case she was with the authorities, but she knew his game. And she wanted in on it.
"Excuse me." She leaned forward, lowering her voice to a whisper. "One, I don't care how much you deny it, I know you can turn my pinwheel into a devastating piece of metal. Two, I know you have links to special illegal items needed to do so. And three... who the hell said I was paying YOU?!"
Rinoa rolled her neck, letting consciousness take her to the real world again. Her head had a light throb, not from being hit but from a powerful sleep spell that had been cast by an equally powerful man. Fear overtook her, and she wished to the heavens that she had gone straight home with Colton. She could just imagine the things that could be done to her, after what had happened to Xu...
"Don't be so tense, I'm not going to kill you." A familiar voice said, firm as a rock. Rinoa clenched up even more at the sound, and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to awaken from a horrid dream. She struggled a little, finally noticing that her hands were bound above her head to a pipe, while she sat with her legs folded on the cement floor. She had no idea where she was, but wanted out. Especially with that man, that evil man that had shrouded her mind that summer ago.
"Why are you here?" Rinoa asked, trying to keep her voice steady and clear. He laughed at her effort, throwing his head back in that arrogant way of his.
"I need you, dear Rinoa." The way he emphasized the word dear made her cringe. She had heard that line too many times.
"Did you kill Xu?" She inquired deeply, forcing herself not to look at him. One glance into those steel quicksilver eyes would cause her to melt once again, regardless of the fact that he had her tied to an overhead pipe. He had ever ceased to captivate her, those lucious features... that belonged to a murderer. "(He must have done it. God Rinoa, stop it. Stop torturing yourself.)"
"Yes." He bluntly replied, and Rinoa let out a sob. "Don't cry. I'm not going to kill you." He repeated, but she couldn't stop. The tears weren't from that, however. It was beccause something had suddenly clicked in her brain of what was happening to her. He was going to use her for something terrible, she could feel it in the pit of her stomach. It wasn't good, it wasn't good at all. How she ached for Squall. She wanted him to embrace her, to kiss it all away.
"Please, Seifer... please just let me be..."
"(Finally...)" Fujin thought as the nervous clerk brought her around into his office in the back. Pulling a few books from a high shelf, he yanked on a hidden chain and the floor opened a hidden staircase right before her feet. He led her down winding stairways, through passages, as if in a maze. She tried to keep a mental note of where they were headed, but it was impossible. Nothing unfamiliar could find it's way out, unless it had a photographical memory.
The clerk had eventually given in to her when she threatened him enough. Her brutal strength had shown through, she let him see the power lying within her feminine physique. Sure, up close Fujin didn't look like much, but ultimately, she was the stronger person. The clerk saw that once she had argued and motioned enough, and led her down to the hugest stock of black market refining items she had ever seen. There were things everywhere, insane dangerous illegal things that Fujin had only dreamed of.
"Wh, what do you want?" The clerk bit his lip, nervous as hell that he may be found out. The woman was so strange, he couldn't tell whether she really wanted things or wanted to bust him. She was so dangerous, acted as if he was a futile creature in her presence. And, in a way, she was.
"I want fire... and electricity..." Fujin pointed at a few elementals, while also looking at an Ultima-Induced blade. "Hmm..." She rubbed her temple, peering around at the vast selection. She knew certain combinations, but her knowledge only went so far. "I want all the elements, I think. And some Ultima for my limit break..." She continued, piecing together something that the clerk had never even dreamed of creating before. The weapon might very well have been the most dangerous equipped blades to ever be. Ultimate weapons had been created before, but usually ended up confiscated, destroyed, or under military control. Fujin had something within her, something burning with desire to destroy, and she wanted the best of the best. And because he feared her so much, he gave her exactly what she wanted.
"Squall, you don't even know how to FLY the Ragnarok!" Selphie protested, but Squall kept his arm outstretched. The worried look on the thin girl's face gave a little comfort to his aching heart, but not enough to give in and let her come with him.
"I can learn." Was his simple reply, and Selphie was forced to oblige.
"You know, you're going to get yourself killed one of these days." She slapped the ignition keys into his hand and crossed her arms, cocking her head to the left.
"Not in this lifetime." Squall turned on his heel, and stalked up the ramp into the monstrous ship. He remembered a little bit of the flight instructions from the time he and Rinoa had been in the cockpit together. It wasn't that hard, and the worst that could happen would be that he'd crash the damn thing. In that case, he'd just take Garden to Deling. It might not be as fast, but it would beat waiting for the train. He sighed heavily, wondering what had become of him. A year ago, he would never have gone running away from his duties to look for a woman, let alone a woman like Rinoa. He had let himself get wrapped up in her charms, and the walls of ice around his heart melted. He cared for the girl thoroughly, but at what cost? He hoped that Quistis would be as good as Xu was at her new job. Quistis was the only other person he figured he could trust with the position, although the former instructor wouldn't be as inclined to run errands for Miss Heartilly.
Squall started up the engine, letting the ramp close up, and let out a deep breath. He could do it. He could fix everything, find Rinoa and Fujin, have a funeral for Xu, and forget about the Sorceresses for once. He needed down time, as Quistis had said. Xu needed down time too, and he saw what happened to her.
"(Alright, let's see what we're made of.)" Squall lifted off, shooting up into the sky full speed, pressing him back against the seat.
"(I'll get you, I promise.)" Seifer leaned his head back against the wall of the windowsill he was perched on, staring out at the desolate alley he had so suddenly taken Rinoa from. He wasn't even planning on taking her that early, but she just popped up, and it was too good a chance to miss. He took a long drag of his cigarette, crystal eyes glinting in the moonlight. Things weren't happening as smoothly as he'd have liked. Being obliged to travel to Deling right away, he had to bring Xu's body with him to make sure that the transformation had become complete. After her mark disappeared, he knew that the fated essence had left her completely. Dumping her in the hotel wasn't the least conspicuous thing he could have done, but it would drag the attention away from Rinoa for a time. It would be smart to leave Deling with her, but the newest contaminant was in the City. He had to find her, and quickly. "(Why can't I feel you? Usually I can sense where you are at one exact moment. I know you're here, but it's jumbled.)"
Seifer heard a soft moan, and saw Rinoa moving in her sleep. Her raven hair shifted and revealed her troubled expression. She didn't look to be having a very pleasant dream.
"Squall..." She murmured, and Seifer furrowed his brow. He stared at her, eyes running over her distressed features and down to her mature figure that had been his that summer so long ago. Now it was for the 'valiant hero'.
"It's always Leonhart." He hissed, quietly jumping down and crossing the secluded room to her. He knelt, and stared at her head on. "This time, it won't be about Squall. (It's about me.) You used to love me, Rinoa. And though you don't now, you'll still have to pass her into me." He reached out, stroking her cheek. "You're the virgin sorceress."
Fujin had named it Abolisher. A fitting name for what she was going to do with it. No, not Fujin. The soul leveling up inside of her. The evil etched upon her very being that was slowly controlling her, and it was hard to keep battling it. And now it had created an ultimate weapon, something that would devastate the hearts of many. It's many elemental blades whooshed through the air, as if cutting existence itself. After spending many hours with the store clerk, it was finally done. With her last shred of Fujin, she had paid him a hefty amount of gil for it, and walked out of the store with dread in her heart. It was the only part of her still pure.
'Sweet Fuu, don't frown so. This will be for the good of humanity...' The voice of that evil woman echoed in the silver haired warrior's head. 'Abolisher suits you well, you know.'
"Don't speak to me." Fujin shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut and leaning against a tree standing near the General's house.
'Take a good look at the sky, Fujin.' The voice wafted, with no hint of amusement left. 'It's the last time it will be this colour. Next time you rest your eyes on it, the sunset shades will turn a blood red. An omen of the coming darkness, the torture that shall befall the human race.'
"Why do you want this?" Fujin's lip quivered, in a way she had always called weak. It disgusted her, the show of her inner softness that she would never admit to having.
'I don't, Fuu.' The mocking tone was back in the splitting voice. 'You do. Don't you ever wonder why you seek the Knight? You think it's lust, but it is far deeper than that. Your fate draws you to him... because you will kill him.' Fujin stepped back, nearly slipping and falling down behind the tree. The words cut into her deeply, and she shook her head.
"I... I'd never kill Seifer." She rubbed her temples harshly, allowing Abolisher to sound a clear thunk in the grass. Her own voice sounded far away, and it frightened her.
'Yes, you will.' The voice began to laugh, and Fujin shook her head, trying to rid herself of the voice. She wanted to scream, cry, and hurt someone all at the same time, but did none. She fell to her knees, and finally let sobs overtake her. In all her hopelessness, Fujin cried tears of blood. No Mercy
Part Four
Squall's hands gripped the steering so tightly his knuckles were white. He concentrated on the nearing horizon, the land before him that belonged to Galbadia. To get into Deling as soon as possible, he'd have to set down illegally on the plains instead of going through the normal checks on the way into the country. And on another note, Squall was not a pilot.
It was a bumpy landing, but he managed enough not to kill himself or damage the aircraft. Deling was just over the hill he used for cover, and as soon as he departed the ramp, Squall took off full speed towards it through the grass. He could see Rinoa's face, hear her voice, she was so close to him. Yet so far, and he didn't even know where to start looking. All that he was driving on was love, determination, and the iron will of the Lion Heart within him.
Rinoa shivered, feeling a chill run down her frail spine. It wasn't cold, on the contrary, it was sweltering in the small dark room. She nearly jumped out of her skin as Seifer came thundering into the room, slamming the door harshly behind him.
"FUCK!" He cursed loudly, causing Rinoa to curl up in fear. Seifer was known to be abusive when angry, and she didn't want to be at the receiving end of any more pain, physical or emotional. "No matter WHAT I do... why can't I FIND you?!" He reeled back and rammed his clenched fist into the wall, causing a few bricks to crack. However, his knuckles were in worse shape, and began to bleed profusely in rivulets of warm moistness on his skin. Yet in his own Seifer like way, he ignored the pain and let out a deep breath. "This isn't easy." The soft comment was directed at Rinoa, who relaxed a little at his more gentle tone.
"You're not the only one feeling that way." She chanced telling him. "I don't even know what's going on." It was true. She felt lost, and confused, and afraid of what Seifer was going to do to her when he found whomever he was looking for. He shifted his weight, and his eyes fluttered open, revealing two deep blue irises that had captured her so long ago. Uttering a deep growl, his whole expression became one of hatred, and Rinoa nearly recoiled from the electricity in his sharp stare.
"I'm going to kill Ultimecia." The blunt statement caused Rinoa to start quaintly.
"What?!" The word flew from her lips in all her shock. "But isn't she-"
"Dead?" Seifer threw back his head and laughed. "Only in the physical sense, Miss Heartilly. Ultimecia has been leaping around into people, all women, since Time Compression. Her soul is still very much alive, and I am tracking her down to kill her." His brow furrowed and his face became hard again.
"Then Xu..." Rinoa trailed off in disbelief.
"Yes. You see, every time I kill the host, she simply jumps to another person. And because she once controlled me, her essence is still there. She is able to contact me, and I am able to know exactly where she is." He crossed his arms in a very Squall like manner.
"So you've just been killing all these people..." Rinoa found herself unable to finish any of her thoughts, due to her mind swirling around all over the place.
"It's necessary, trust me." Seifer sighed. He looked off to the far wall, and his eyes showed he was thinking deeply about something unknown to Rinoa.
"What about me?" She finally worked up the courage to ask, and he hesitated before answering her.
"To actually kill Ultimecia's spirit, I need to battle her in my mind. But she only leaps into women for the sole reason of accidentally leaping into me. I can't rightly go and kill every woman on the planet, now can I?" He chuckled, but Rinoa didn't find it the least bit amusing. "To pass her into myself, I need to force her in. The only way to do that is through intercourse." Rinoa paled tremendously, and it seemed as if her heart had completely stopped beating. Seifer didn't notice, or he was simply ignoring it, because he continued. "There is only one person that can withstand that kind of deep magic without dying and allowing Ultimecia to leap to another woman." Tears had begun to flow down Rinoa's fair cheeks silently.
"... Me?" She breathed, the word barely a whisper. Seifer nodded solemnly.
"A virgin sorceress."
"I need to see the General." Squall was out of breath, and the guard standing at the entrance eyed him suspiciously. "It's important." He ran a shaky hand through his silky hair once, trying to regain his calm, collected stature for Rinoa's father.
"You have to receive a pin number from-" The guard began.
"No, I don't have time for that." Squall furrowed his brow. "I know you're just doing your job, but this is urgent and I need to speak with him right away."
"I'm sorry, but the pin number-"
"FUCK the pin number!" Squall unsheathed his gunblade, and in a swift movement, the guard was left standing there with his pants around his ankles. His face reddened, but he took one look at Lionheart and then paled lighter than Rinoa's fair shade of soft skin.
"You-you..." He stammered, and then edged aside. "Enter... sir." More than a little frustrated, his own fear for his beloved driving him, Squall didn't even bother resheathing his weapon as he entered the mansion. Storming into the study, he saw General Caraway nearly jump out of his skin at the angered young man storming his home.
"What the-" Caraway narrowed his eyes at the gunblade that was still in Squall's hand.
"Why aren't you doing anything to find Rinoa?!" The disheveled SeeD clenched his free fist, staring sharply at Rinoa's father.
"H, how can you say that?" Caraway sat down in a huff, blankly staring upwards as his eyes became soft. "My daughter... she means the world to me..."
"You're simply here all alone, doing absolutely NOTHING." Squall didn't back down, and the harsh words flew from his mouth before he could stop them. "I flew a ship that I don't even know how to fly and illegally landed here so I could look for her. Why are you just SITTING here?!" Drawing in deep breaths from exasperation, Squall stopped, letting Lionheart fall to the carpet. He took his temples in his fingers, rotating them slowly to create a short massage that soothed his aching mind for a moment. When he opened his eyes, Caraway was still staring at the ceiling in remorse.
"What can I do?" He inquired softly. "I have men searching for her... but it seems as if she's disappeared... my dearest daughter..." Then his eyes slid closed and he leaned forward, bending down over his knees. This was completely unlike the General that Squall had argued with long ago. He was now a broken man, having lost his wife and potentially his daughter. Squall felt a pang of pity strike his heart, which was unlike him. Rinoa had obviously had a softening effect on both of them.
"I'm going to find her." Squall bent down and recovered his beloved weapon, sliding it into his sheath with a metallic gliding noise. "I promise."
Fujin sat, her stomach rumbling in anger at her. She refused to eat or drink, only to sit and wait. The evil inside her couldn't possibly win, she just couldn't. Fujin felt as if she was losing control, but with the little control she had left, she wanted to destroy the bitch that was trying to rule her body.
'Naïve girl, you are.' The voice was still with her. It's mocking tone was a little weaker than last time, because Fujin herself had grown weaker. She still sat atop the hill, watching the sky as it's shades grew a deeper crimson by the minute.
"How am I naïve?" Fujin swallowed audibly, even though it ached her dry throat.
'If you die, I will just move on. Where did you think I came from, dearest Fujin? Thin air?' A small cackle. 'You can't destroy me. There is only one who can. But you will destroy him first.' Seifer. The name slipped through Fujin's mind like melting ice, and she felt her heart wrench at her vision of him.
"I'd never... destroy... Seifer." She protested, blinking softly.
'You STUPID little girl!' The voice suddenly became full of rage. 'Why can't you see what's been staring you in the face this entire time? Why do you think I can overtake you, Fujin? You're not like other people.' The last sentence was soft, almost melancholy. It sent a chill through Fujin, as she pondered what it could possibly mean. Then it hit her. Like a tidal wave, the memory came to her of the burning power she had felt white hot inside of her after Squall and his crew had gone through Time Compression.
"That means..." She trailed off, unable to voice the words. The sky seemed to flash burgundy at her sudden realization, as if mirroring her own emotions.
'Yes, Fujin.' The voice was pleased. 'You are a sorceress.'
"B, but how?" Fujin stumbled over her words, tearing a handful of grass out of the soil and squeezing it in her hand violently. "Whose powers did I... acquire?" She hesitated, biting her lip.
'Mine, of course.' A pause. 'My soul may still be living, but the sorceress powers don't grasp that. Now that I've found them again, I can spawn inside of you.' A pert laugh.
"No. No, I won't let you." Fujin licked her lips, attempting to put even a little moisture back, but to no avail. She hadn't consumed any liquid in a long while, and her mouth was desiccated.
'There's nothing you can do, dear Fujin.' The voice had it's mocking tone back, and it chilled her to the bone. 'Nothing but wait.'
"There is something." Fujin laid back in the grass, and concentrated on that burning fire that was still within her. Ignoring the agonizing cries of her stomach, and the dryness that overwhelmed her senses, she cast her mind to that red flame of eternal power that had been passed to her so long ago. "There is something."
Seifer woke with a start. He felt her. Ultimecia. He sensed her inside, but this time something was different. Something was protecting her. He looked up to Rinoa's innocent stare, and then bolted over to her, grasping her face in his hands. She shrieked, fear overtaking her as his expression became that of a rabid animal ready to attack.
"Have you been harboring her?!" He yelled, causing her to wince in a panicked frenzy. "Why did you hide her from me?!" His voice was so loud, and so piercing, that tears started to cascade down Rinoa's fair cheeks.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" She pathetically squeaked.
"You're lying!" Seifer slammed her against the wall once. Twice. She cried out in pain as his strength bruised her fragile body. "She's inside of you and you've been hiding it!" His antagonism blazed, and Rinoa shook with fright.
"I don't know!" She shrieked, in a rapid attempt to save herself. "I... I don't know anything..." The sobs prevented her from speaking, and suddenly Seifer sat back, breathing heavily.
"She's inside a sorceress... hiding... but now I can sense her..." A sudden expression of realization came over his face as he felt another wave. His eyes closed in surprise as Fujin came to his mind, speaking so rapidly he couldn't understand her. Her voice came out as pure mumbles, it sounded so alien he didn't know how to respond. The power emanating from her was real, however, and he understood enough. "Fuu..." Seifer's eyes opened, and he looked up at the ceiling in regret. Rinoa was still sobbing, less violently but it still shook her. He turned, feeling no pity but not wanting to hurt her without reason, and untied her wrists. They were raw from her struggles, but that was her own fault. She curled up her knees, and hugged them, burying her face and letting her tears soak her battered clothing. Fujin's figure was gone from Seifer's mind, but he felt her essence melded with Ultimecia's. That meant that Fujin was a sorceress, and Ultimecia was maturing inside of her. "Oh Fuu... I... I never thought I'd have to do this to you..."
Squall ran, in more of a frenzy than before. His guts were twisting this way and that, giving him the deep premonition that something terrible was going to happen. And Rinoa was involved. For some unknown reason, he knew that, and it drove him to the peak of town where a park lay. He stared to the left where a large hill thrust up to the sky, a lone tree standing, protecting a silver haired woman with her arms spread like an eagle. Her head thrown back, and her expression agonized, as the sky changed deep colours of burgundy and blood. He was frozen in place and his jaw dropped as he witnessed Fujin calling out to the sky, the wind, the earth, everything, to conjure something that felt so horrible in the pit of Squall's stomach. But he knew he was powerless to stop it, and it frightened even the Lion heart.
Within moments, Seifer was out on the street, dragging a shaky Rinoa behind him. His walk was brisk, and she could barely stagger after him as he dragged her along by the back of her blue sweater. She was confused, but praying with all her soul that someone would find her while they were wandering, someone to help her. She was unable to scream, the crying had dulled her voice and she couldn't even speak. Seifer purposefully stalked through the streets, every now and again stopping to sense which way to go. They made it out of the dense town and towards a more natural area of dark plain. Looking up to the top of the hill where the lone tree stood, and Fujin offered herself to the heavens. To his left, he saw the dark figure of a man, but ignored it. There was no threat greater than the beautiful one spread before him. Dropping a panting Rinoa, Seifer began up the hill.
"Rinoa!" The darkened man came out, nearly crushing Rinoa as he grabbed her, clutching her to his chest. It was Squall, the Headmaster himself, and Rinoa began to cry once again, surprised that there was enough moisture left in her eyes. He hushed her, cooing soothing things in her ears as he praised the gods for allowing her to be safe. Seifer ignored them both, and focused all of his attention on the sorceresses themselves. They were battling each other, battling for control and survival.
When he was just behind her, Fujin lowered her arms, and turned to look at him, an award winning smirk on her face.
"Seifer, you have been very naughty, betraying me." The voice was husky, unlike Fujin at all. It had the air of dread that Seifer had been waiting to hear in person for a very long time. He was facing her finally. "Now is the time."