Kyle and Quistis whipped their heads toward the source of the spell. He
shouted, "PROTECT!" and cast the spell on Quistis, then himself. The Firaga
spell dissolved as it touched them. As the sparks dissipated, she was
shocked to see Seifer next to an overturned table, Hyperion in hand, arm
still extended toward Kyle. Emerald fires of rage burned in his eyes, aimed
at the man who tried to take his only source of happiness.
Quistis was even more shocked to see that Kyle had unsheathed a set of deadly sharp Katal, the same weapons that Kiros had used so long ago. His black feathery eyebrows were creased into a frown; his almond shaped eyes were narrowed into slits. Determination soiled his face.
The two men stood with weapons unsheathed, sizing each other up. Unfortunately, Quistis was right between the two furious males. She took a deep breath and backed away from the two of them, toward the door of the restaurant. The last thing she wanted was to be between two men with deadly weapons. But before she could leave, Kyle shouted, "BLIZZAGA!" to freeze the door shut, trapping them inside. "You're not going anywhere, Quinlan," he said, never taking his eyes from Seifer.
This enraged Seifer even more, and he lunged to attack with his gunblade. He pulled the trigger, as it seemed to slice through his opponent. He looked back in dismay as he saw it did no damage. Kyle had narrowly escaped the attack.
Kyle said, "I don't know who you are, a jealous ex or something, but you need to mind your own business!" Seifer growled through his teeth, "Never!" In response, he lunged again with his Hyperion. Only the attack was cut short when he saw Kyle take Quistis close to him. He held a Katal blade to her throat and said, "You'll have to kill her to get to me." Then he kissed her pallid cheek, magnifying Seifer's resentment.
Quistis' breath now came in short spurts, and her ice blue eyes darted frantically around. They welled up with tears, and overflowed. The wet drops fell quickly down her pale face.
Seifer was torn. He couldn't possibly injure Quistis, but he couldn't let that maniac leave with her. 'I might not ever see her again, if he leaves with her' he thought. 'What do I do?!' he anxiously thought. But time was wasting, as Kyle was inching toward the exit, with Quistis in his arms. Blood rushed through his head, pounding at his temples. Uncertainty screamed through his head. Thoughts raced frantically throughout every corner of his mind. He suddenly blurted, "SLOW!" and aimed the spell at his opponent. Kyle simply held up his spare Katal, and the spell reflected off. "If that's all you've got, then you're not a worthy rival for me. See ya!"
To everyone's alarm, he dissipated before their eyes, still holding Quistis captive. She uttered one final yelp of terror, then disappeared. Seifer's pupils widened, and he ran to the spot she had just stood in. "QUISTIS!!" he screamed out loud. Anger, disappointment, dread, and grief resonated in his cry. He was devastated at the loss of his only love. Nobody noticed that he used her real name; no one cared. Quistis was gone, to Hyne-knows- where, and they didn't know how to get her back.
Selphie knelt on the floor with Zell. She looked to Seifer, then Zell, and let one solitary tear trickle its way down her face.
~*~
"Mmph…" Quistis regained consciousness and realized that she was bound and gagged. She opened her eyes and looked around. She recognized the place. 'So familiar…' The cement floor was cracked with age, and the walls of the tunnel-like place were old as well. A wrought iron door was next to her, and a waterwheel was on her other side. Then she did a double-take and realized where she was. 'We're in the Deling City sewers!' she thought. 'I know this place like the back of my hand! If I can get free, it'll be cake to find the exit…'
"So you're awake, Quinlan. Or should I say Quistis Trepe?"
~*~
Seifer still stood in the place Quistis was taken from. 'Hyne, no!' he thought. 'It's all my fault that she's gone…' he thought. Then he heard another voice inside his head, one he had never heard before. ~Don't despair, Seifer. You've been good to me, and I shall reward you.~
Seifer's blood ran cold and whispered out loud, "Who are you?"
The voice came back and said, ~I am your Guardian Force, Bahamut. I am here to guide you to your love.~
In disbelief, Seifer whispered, "How come you didn't talk to me before?"
He heard a sigh, and Bahamut replied, ~Look, I'll make it short and sweet. You have full compatibility with me, so I've become part of your mind. A subconscious, if you will. Now, I know where your enemy has taken your love. Are you prepared to take on the challenge to get her back?~
Seifer answered, "You know it. Lead me to the jackass."
He heard a chuckle in his ear, and his Guardian Force answered, ~Quistis is far below the ground, in a city to the west. And hurry; she's in trouble. I will be here when you need me…~ and the voice faded into the back of Seifer's mind. He nodded, and turned to Zell and Selphie.
"We're gonna go get her back. Let's go."
~*~
Quistis was even more shocked to see that Kyle had unsheathed a set of deadly sharp Katal, the same weapons that Kiros had used so long ago. His black feathery eyebrows were creased into a frown; his almond shaped eyes were narrowed into slits. Determination soiled his face.
The two men stood with weapons unsheathed, sizing each other up. Unfortunately, Quistis was right between the two furious males. She took a deep breath and backed away from the two of them, toward the door of the restaurant. The last thing she wanted was to be between two men with deadly weapons. But before she could leave, Kyle shouted, "BLIZZAGA!" to freeze the door shut, trapping them inside. "You're not going anywhere, Quinlan," he said, never taking his eyes from Seifer.
This enraged Seifer even more, and he lunged to attack with his gunblade. He pulled the trigger, as it seemed to slice through his opponent. He looked back in dismay as he saw it did no damage. Kyle had narrowly escaped the attack.
Kyle said, "I don't know who you are, a jealous ex or something, but you need to mind your own business!" Seifer growled through his teeth, "Never!" In response, he lunged again with his Hyperion. Only the attack was cut short when he saw Kyle take Quistis close to him. He held a Katal blade to her throat and said, "You'll have to kill her to get to me." Then he kissed her pallid cheek, magnifying Seifer's resentment.
Quistis' breath now came in short spurts, and her ice blue eyes darted frantically around. They welled up with tears, and overflowed. The wet drops fell quickly down her pale face.
Seifer was torn. He couldn't possibly injure Quistis, but he couldn't let that maniac leave with her. 'I might not ever see her again, if he leaves with her' he thought. 'What do I do?!' he anxiously thought. But time was wasting, as Kyle was inching toward the exit, with Quistis in his arms. Blood rushed through his head, pounding at his temples. Uncertainty screamed through his head. Thoughts raced frantically throughout every corner of his mind. He suddenly blurted, "SLOW!" and aimed the spell at his opponent. Kyle simply held up his spare Katal, and the spell reflected off. "If that's all you've got, then you're not a worthy rival for me. See ya!"
To everyone's alarm, he dissipated before their eyes, still holding Quistis captive. She uttered one final yelp of terror, then disappeared. Seifer's pupils widened, and he ran to the spot she had just stood in. "QUISTIS!!" he screamed out loud. Anger, disappointment, dread, and grief resonated in his cry. He was devastated at the loss of his only love. Nobody noticed that he used her real name; no one cared. Quistis was gone, to Hyne-knows- where, and they didn't know how to get her back.
Selphie knelt on the floor with Zell. She looked to Seifer, then Zell, and let one solitary tear trickle its way down her face.
~*~
"Mmph…" Quistis regained consciousness and realized that she was bound and gagged. She opened her eyes and looked around. She recognized the place. 'So familiar…' The cement floor was cracked with age, and the walls of the tunnel-like place were old as well. A wrought iron door was next to her, and a waterwheel was on her other side. Then she did a double-take and realized where she was. 'We're in the Deling City sewers!' she thought. 'I know this place like the back of my hand! If I can get free, it'll be cake to find the exit…'
"So you're awake, Quinlan. Or should I say Quistis Trepe?"
~*~
Seifer still stood in the place Quistis was taken from. 'Hyne, no!' he thought. 'It's all my fault that she's gone…' he thought. Then he heard another voice inside his head, one he had never heard before. ~Don't despair, Seifer. You've been good to me, and I shall reward you.~
Seifer's blood ran cold and whispered out loud, "Who are you?"
The voice came back and said, ~I am your Guardian Force, Bahamut. I am here to guide you to your love.~
In disbelief, Seifer whispered, "How come you didn't talk to me before?"
He heard a sigh, and Bahamut replied, ~Look, I'll make it short and sweet. You have full compatibility with me, so I've become part of your mind. A subconscious, if you will. Now, I know where your enemy has taken your love. Are you prepared to take on the challenge to get her back?~
Seifer answered, "You know it. Lead me to the jackass."
He heard a chuckle in his ear, and his Guardian Force answered, ~Quistis is far below the ground, in a city to the west. And hurry; she's in trouble. I will be here when you need me…~ and the voice faded into the back of Seifer's mind. He nodded, and turned to Zell and Selphie.
"We're gonna go get her back. Let's go."
~*~