Chapter 6-The Mission
Squall and his friends walked down the bloody sidewalk that led to the entrance of Galbadia Garden. All stood with their weapons out, each ready to cast a spell at a moment's notice. Rinoa and Selphie were stocked with mostly Life and Cure spells, while Quistis and Irvine had many status changing spells like Break, Poison, and Silence.
Squall had outfitted himself with the strongest spells that could be found in the world: Ultima, Flare, Quake, Aura, Full-Life, Triple, Double, and Curaga. He knew they would lose this battle and that they would all be hurt to the point of being near lifeless. He knew this, but they were not going to simply give up. They would fight as they normally would.
Irvine and Selphie stayed close together, like Squall and Rinoa. Irvine had his Exeter rifle shouldered in a ready position, his tan trenchcoat whipping in the harsh spring wind that was bringing with it a thunderstorm. He had his mind only on the battle that was before them inside the building he had grown up in. He had fought one battle inside Galbadia Garden, his home, and he did not wish to fight another. But, there was no other way, that he knew.
Selphie's mind was a tangle of worries and determination. Her usually light and cheery face had been covered with a blanket of seriousness. Ultimecia was going to be nothing compared to this new threat. Edea and Cid had said so and she believed them. She didn't know if she was prepared for *anything* he might throw at them, but she knew only what she had been told. She knew not what happened in Zell's vision, and she didn't want to know.
Quistis held onto the handle of her Save the Queen whip for dear life. She gritted her teeth, ready for the battle of her life. She focused on an Ultima spell in her mind, ready to cast it if she needed to. There was nothing she wasn't ready for. She kept telling herself this for reassurance, but she knew she would fall this day. If not for good, for a long time.
Rinoa stayed close to Squall with her Angel Wing pinwheel ready in the launcher on her arm. Squall looked down at her, as if to say 'don't worry. Everything'll be fine. Just stick with me.'
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Zell paced around his room, popping his knuckles. He breathed deep in frustration. He stopped popping his knuckles and started pulling his hair. "I can't *stand* this anymore!!!"
{Calm down, Zell,} Bahamut said to him. The GF could only tell him this. Whatever decision Zell made, Bahamut could not stop him. It was not his place.
Zell picked up his Ehrgeiz fighting gloves from his bedside table. "That's it," he said, putting them on. "I can't wait anymore. Prophecy or not, I can't sit here and do nothing!!!"
{Understandable,} the GF said to him.
{Carbuncle!} the green, kangaroo-like GF said. It had a diamond shaped ruby stone set in its forehead. It was the first time Carbunkle had said anything to Zell. {Carbuncle. Car. Buncle. Carbuncle! Carbunc. Le.} The little GF sounded like it agreed with Zell about going to check on the others. It favored Selphie when it was junctioned to anyone. It seemed to hate Squall, however. Selphie had to plead with it whenever she tried to give the GF to Squall to use on a mission. The green Guardian Force did as Selphie asked, but it could have tried a little harder when Squall needed it. One time, it came up out of its hole and waited 5 minutes before it finally cast Reflect on Squall, Quistis, and Zell.
Bahamut sighed. {Why did you have to junction me in here with that kangaroo rat-thing? It's annoying,} he said.
"Please be quiet, Carbuncle," Zell said. He didn't want to make the little GF mad. It was very picky about who it obeyed. If he needed Carbunkle in an upcoming fight, he wanted to be on the GF's good side.
{Carbuncle....} the GF said. It sounded like it was sorry.
{Thank you,} the dragon GF said to it.
Zell threw open his closet door and moved his Seed uniform and his other clothes aside. He wouldn't need to take any clothes with him; he left enough in his bunk in the Ragnarok to last him. In the back of his closet was dirty-brown colored knapsack packed to the top with all manner of Potions, Elixirs, X-Potions, and various remedies for whatever might ail you. This was something not even Squall knew about. Zell had and knew a lot of things Squall didn't know about.
It was his emergency pack.
Whenever he had gotten a little extra money, he went and bought rare items from a ring of dealers that stayed close to the regular shops. You had to have connections in order to buy from them. He was Zell, however; everyone in Balamb knew him. Zell knew one person in Balamb who knew dealers in every city on the map, including Esthar. He knew people in high and low places. He had bought most of the items in the knapsack from a dealer who sold them for three quarters of the price at a regular store. Other items you couldn't buy anywhere, like Heroes and the different colored magic stones, he had saved from the mission to defeat Ultimecia. He swiped a few of each from Squall's bag when he wasn't looking and stuck them in his pocket. Squall wasn't going to miss them; it wasn't like he counted them and he had too many to keep track of. Zell wasn't going to call it stealing, just....borrowing in case of an emergency. He had a small arsenal and a make-shift hospital, all down inside an deceivingly innocent brown bag.
He checked the bag to make sure nothing was missing, and when he was satisfied, he threw it over his shoulder and walked out his door. He didn't want to attract attention to himself, he just wanted to get out to the Ragnarok as quickly as he could. He made his way down the hall at a normal pace.
He saw the library girl, Dani, coming down the hall toward him. Zell had always had a crush on her. It made him blush just to be around Dani. As she came closer, he felt his ears turn red.
"Hi, Zell," she said. His cheeks were bright pink. "Where are you going?"
Zell hesitated. "......out," he said in a small voice. Dani smiled and laughed.
"I can see *that*, bright eyes," she said to him. "I mean where to?"
She called him 'bright eyes'. Dani, the girl he had had a crush on ever since he came to Balamb Garden, had called him 'bright eyes'! He was so light in the head you could knock him over with a feather.
"You still there, Zell or did you fall in?" she asked. Zell blushed and scratched the back of his neck. He had zoned out completely.
"I can't tell you where I'm going...." he said to her. She cocked her head to the side.
"Why not? You've always told me everything, Zell," she said.
"Until I became a SeeD, Dani. I..." He looked behind him down the hall for prying eyes and ears. He sighed and lowered his voice. "There's a new mission. Galbadia Garden's been taken over and Squall made me stay here. I won't get into anymore detail than that, it's too complicated. I'm not supposed to leave Garden, but....I have to. I have to make sure everyone's alright. I can't stand not knowing."
"Who's taken over?" she whispered. "Is there a new threat? Like Ultimecia?"
"More like a male Ultimecia on steroids. We're dealing with a sorcerer this time. I haven't heard anything about a sorcerer until a day or so ago," he replied quietly.
"How are you going to beat him?"
"We don't know. I got something I need you to do for me." He looked around again. "In the back corner of the library, there's a secret room underneath a loose tile. You'll be able to tell where it is. Drop a book on the tile and there'll be a hollow sound. I've got a book in my room that's written in High Centauran. I want you to get that and you try and translate as much of it as you can, alright? You know more of that language than anyone I know. Heck, there might be a book that translates High Centauran to our language. Can you do that for me? And not tell anyone?"
Dani looked up at him, running her fingers through her ponytail. "I'll try. Go and get out of here. Go check on them. Squall will probably give you hell for disobeying his orders, though....."
Zell took his room key out of his pocket. "I don't really care *what* Squall says at the moment. I didn't particularly care for what he said to me earlier. Here. That's the key to my room. The Book's under my bed." Dani took the key from him and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Go on. But, you take care of yourself, you hear? Don't you go an' get killed on me," she said. Zell looked down at Dani and wondered now, if she felt the same about him as he did about her. They were closer to each other's bodies than they had ever been before. Zell put his arms around her and he took a chance; he kissed her.
Dani pulled away from him. "You don't need to be messing around with me while you've got your friends to see about. You can kiss me later," she said. Zell looked down at her.
"You mean you....."
"Yes, silly. I've always loved you. I just wasn't sure about how *you* felt until now. *Go*," she said. "I'll be waiting for you." Zell smiled and took off down the hallway, filled with a new energy.
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As they neared the gate to Galbadia Garden, they could see two Garden students, one male and one female, blocking their path. The boy had jet black hair and two sidearms at his belt. The girl was a brunette who had a pair of sais at her waist.
The female took out her sais and took up a fighting stance as Squall's group approached the gate. The boy held up his hand, silently telling them to stop.
"No one enters this Garden. Orders of Master Danda."
Squall looked at the boy. He was no younger than Squall was and the look on his face was dead serious. Squall matched the boy's expression with a glare of his own.
"Let us by," he ordered softly. The two stared each other down for a few moments, while Irvine watched from his side. There was just something about Squall Leonhart then, an air about him that demanded respect and compliance. Demands, however, are not always met.
"*No one* enters this Garden. Orders of Master Danda," the boy repeated stiffly. He held his head high and his expression didn't waver the slightest. Squall threw his arms open wide, indicating his fellow teenagers that stood beside him.
"You're outnumbered, cadet. You two can't win. What do you suppose to do against the five of us?" Squall asked him. The boy stood stiffly in front of Squall, not moving an inch. He did not answer.
"*Move* or we'll *move* you," Irvine said, pointing his Exeter rifle at the cadet's chest. Selphie snapped the chain of her nunchaku for emphasis on his statement. Quistis cracked her whip on the ground, the sound like a gunshot echoing for miles. Rinoa lifted her left arm, ready to launch her pinwheel.
The boy looked at them uneasily and swallowed, but held his ground. "No one enters."
Squall lifted an eyebrow. "You're willing to die for this guy, this 'Master' of yours? Why? What has he promised you or are you just practicing blind loyalty?"
"Master Danda is going to open Tear's Point in Esthar," the boy said.
"What are you talking about? Tear's Point brings down the Lunar Cry, along with Lunatic Pandora. What do you mean 'open' it?" Squall asked him. The boy said nothing. Squall lifted his sky blue Lionheart gunblade angrily to the boy's neck, gritting his teeth. "*Tell* me what you're talking about, cadet. What does 'open Tear's Point' mean?"
"Go ahead. Kill me. You'll have to get what you want from Master Danda, *if* you can get it. I won't talk anymore than that," the cadet said, holding his head high still in a haughty position. Squall held the tip of his gunblade to the cadet's neck, making a small indention in his skin. "Go on. Kill me. You'll get nothing from me."
"I don't want to *kill* you! I never *did*. But, I'll do what I have to to get past you and your friend there," Squall said, gesturing toward the girl who stood about five feet away with her sais ready. "Which won't be much, I'm afraid. Last chance, cadet. Join us or join the casualties. Which'll it be?"
The boy calculated in his head his chances of defeating the five people in front of him. Not very likely. The magic he had junctioned was sparse at the most and he only had two Guardian Forces, like his friend. She didn't look concerned, though. She looked ready to fight to the death if she needed to. The boy looked around at each face and then back to Squall. He swallowed.
"No one enters."
Squall took his gunblade from the boy's neck and backed away, motioning for the others to spread out. They backed away in a semicircle. "Your choice," he said. The girl ran at Selphie with her sais, trying to stab her. Selphie held up her nunchaku in defense, but this action was superfluous, as Irvine cracked the girl in the back of the head with the butt of his rifle. Hard. She fell to the ground, the sais slipping from her fingers.
The boy took out his pistols at the same time and lifted them to shoot randomly at anything his bullets could snag, but Squall was a step ahead of him.
"Thundaga!!" Squall shouted, pointing at him. Lightning came down from the sky, coming together in one large bolt, slamming into the boy's chest. His body quavered, but he didn't fall. (I don't believe that didn't get him....) Squall thought. (He must have Thunder on his magic defense....)
"Scan!" Quistis called to the boy. His weakness came to her instantly in her mind. (Quake.) "Squall! Earth magic!" the blonde girl called to him. "He's weak against earth magic!" The boy looked at Squall, a pleading expression on his face.
"You had your chance. Quake," Squall said simply, pointing at the boy. The ground split and erupted beneath the cadet's feet, throwing him straight into the air and he landed, only to be catapulted into the air again. It was like being on a living trampoline, except this hurt. Badly. He was landing on concrete; more accurately the concrete was coming up to hit him in midair. Squall heard some of the cadet's bones break as the quake ceased, leaving the cadet broken and bleeding on the ground, unconscious. Squall looked around at his friends. They were all okay. There was no reason they shouldn't have been.
Rinoa looked down at the boy, blood coming from abrasions on his cheeks and hands. She glanced up at Squall. "Do you want me to...?"
"Go ahead. Cure him and the girl. No more than one spell apiece, though. For one, they had their chance to join us. For another, we have to save those cure spells. We're gonna need them," Squall said. He looked over at Irvine. "Check the girl while I check the boy. See what kind of items she has on her. Elixirs, X-Potions, whatever she's got take it." He glanced down at the boy and then looked at his pistols that were on the ground nearly 20 feet away from his body. "Take those, Selphie. You might need them. Rinoa and Irvine are the only ones with long range weapons. It's too risky not to have as many as we can in case we run out of magic. Irvine, you got any ammunition that'll fit those pistols?"
"I brought some standard issue SeeD pistols and I have plenty of all kinds of ammo in all my pouches and pockets," Irvine said, opening up his jacket to reveal two sidearms identical to those that were on the ground. He had the inside pockets of his jacket packed with small and large boxes of ammunition, and several pouches on his belt. Selphie picked up the pistols by the barrels.
"I hope I can remember how to shoot these. I only took the class because it was required," she said. Irvine kneeled down to search the unconcious girl while Squall checked the boy. Selphie gave Irvine a warning glance. "If I catch you *smiling*, Kinneas, you're in trouble."
"Just a routine search, honeybun. *You're* the only one for me," he said, smiling at her. He took what few curative and magic items she had and put them in the pockets in his jacket. She had a few Elixirs, Hi-Potions, Ethers, and Flare Stones. Not very much, considering the side that she was on. After he was done, Rinoa knelt down and healed the girl with a weak Cure spell. Not enough to wake her up, but enough to keep her brain from swelling from the blow Irvine had so graciously bestowed upon her.
Squall finished taking what items the boy had and put them in his pack that he had brought. With the boy, they had gotten lucky: three Ultima Stones, one Aura Stone, five Remedies, and, amazingly, one Hero. He hadn't many curative items: only two Hi-Potions. He had probably decided he was better off using his magic to cure himself than items. Squall knew that was a bad idea. He always came prepared with plenty of curative items in case he were to run out of Cure magic. But, there was no time for him to ponder these thoughts. They had to move on.
Rinoa knelt down and Cured the boy with a stronger spell, controlling the flow of the magic. Like with the girl, just enough to keep him from waking, but enough to heal his wounds. She watched as the abrasions on his cheeks and hands sealed up, the bleeding stopped. She stood up. "Let's go."
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Zell reached the Ragnarok on the other side of the forest without much trouble, except for Caterchipillars and Bite Bugs. God, those things were annoying. Especially since he had gotten his ultimate weapon, Ehrgeiz. He never went anywhere without his fighting gloves. But, he never wore them around people, because he lost his temper so easily. If he were to punch a person with them, he would end up breaking their jaw bone and possibly disfiguring their face. He had come close to doing that very thing one time, when he had only had his Metal Knuckle gloves on. Him and another boy his age were arguing over a game of Triple Triad, because the boy had had cards up his sleeve. Zell just barely caught himself before he nearly punched him. He took his gloves off and *then* punched the kid.
(Not as smart as you think you are, huh, Squall?) Zell thought, grinning to himself as he reached in his pocket. He pulled out a spare key for the ship. (Yep, ol' Zell beat ya this time.....)
He had talked Laguna into giving it to him, just for such an emergency. Knowing the President of Esthar had its perks. Squall was the only other one with a key to the Ragnarok, that which he had taken with him to prevent Zell from following them. Zell chuckled as the engine roared to life. He strapped himself into the seat, throwing his emergency pack into the co-pilot's seat and pushed the throttle forward. There was no time for a preflight inspection. The Ragnarok was always kept in top condition for such missions when they were leaving immediately.
The ship lifted into the air slowly and he looked out the window to the ground below as he flew over Balamb Garden. He saw what looked like Xu and Nida come out of the entrance. They obviously knew who was piloting the great red ship. "Sorry, Xu. Nida," he said aloud as he passed over their heads. "A Chickenwuss's gotta do what a chickenwuss's gotta do."
{Carbuncle!!!}
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Squall entered Galbadia Garden's main hall. (This is it,) he thought. He looked around. It was the same Garden he had fought in once before. Or it looked the same.
"Who are you?"
Each of their eyes darted around the room, looking for the source of the voice. A blue light seemed to spring from the second floor, fading to reveal a man in a black robe, and next to him another Garden student. He wore his nearly white hair long, hanging past his shoulders. He did not look as old as his hair would have a person believe. Squall wondered how old he was, now that he saw him. He had new doubts about how difficult this mission would be since he had actually seen his opponent. (Don't be so quick to judge, Squall,) he corrected himself. (Letting your guard down can be fatal.)
The boy and his accomplice floated down to the first floor level and stood in front of Squall. "Who are you?" he repeated. The student next to him stepped up from behind him.
"Answer Master Danda."
"Quiet, Michael. I know who they are and what they want. I merely want to give them the chance to introduce themselves," he said. "Before I kill them."
"Big talk," Irvine scoffed, from under his cowboy hat. "You don't look no older than us. You can't be that much smarter." Danda laughed.
"And you can't be much dumber. I was old before you were born," he said. "I'm the only sorcerer on this planet." He needed not fear the five teenagers who stood before him. They were no threat; he could take his time.
"What are you doing here?" Squall asked. He didn't want to attack without getting things straight, prophecy or none.
"Fulfilling my destiny, child. There is nothing you can do to stop me," Danda said. "I'm the most powerful person in the world, with the exception of two other people. The ones with stones like this," he said, showing Squall his ring. The royal blue stone glowed on his hand. "The other two people have stones like my Stone of Dreams. However, they are my equals, not my superiors. The Stone of the Heart and the Stone of Tears. When I have all three, I may open Tear's Point. Once that is done, there will be none who may oppose my rule."
"What are you talking about 'open' Tear's Point?" Squall asked. He was tired of playing word games.
"Calling down monsters from the moon is not the purpose of Tear's Point. Tear's Point was a shrine where the Stone of Tears was kept until 1000 years ago. There was a Lunar Cry in the northern part of the continent. Following that devastation, the monks at the shrine determined that it would be safer for the Stone to be cast into the world, than to keep it in one place. And so it was with the Stone of the Heart, kept in the shrine far to the west. My Stone was kept in a shrine to the south. No Shrine but Tear's Point still stands. They were torn down by the monks so the world would forget what was ever kept there. There are no records or traces of ruin indicating there ever were any such places. No one knows that these Stones even exist, let alone what they can do."
"So that Stone makes you a sorcerer?" Rinoa asked him. He laughed.
"No, I was born with this gift. The Stone grants me just what its name implies. It gave me what I dreamed of: youth and longevity," he said.
"So, you're what-150 years old or something?" Selphie said to him. He continued to laugh.
"Dear child, I will turn 763 this year," he answered her. Squall's eyes widened slightly, while the other's mouths dropped open.
(763...????) Irvine thought incredulously. (This is....that can't be right, this is.........This guy is *763* years of age??!!! That's it. We're screwed.)
"So what happens when you--wait a minute--why haven't you killed us yet, if you're so almighty?" Selphie asked him curiously.
"You have a right to know why you're going to die. I'm not so evil as to kill you without telling you what's going on," he replied. He chuckled. "It's not like you're going to tell anyone. As for what happens when I open Tear's Point, I'll get one wish granted to me."
"One wish?" Rinoa said, confused. "Why?"
"Hyne isn't necessarily the most powerful being in this world. Even *I* have a Master I must serve," Danda explained. "My Master was sealed inside Tear's Point by Hyne, in the netherrealm, a place that has no matter. Only empty, black space. I will release him and he will reward me handsomely. I have searched the world over for the three Stones for the past seven centuries and I am no closer than when I obtained this Stone of Dreams those centuries ago. I have mastered my powers as a sorcerer; do what you will. It will not deliver you."
Danda stepped back from the group, prepared for anything the teenagers might do. Michael cowered behind him, afraid. He had not the powers his Master had. Danda looked over his shoulder at him. "I will protect you, child. Stay loyal to The Cause and I will protect you."
Squall gritted his teeth. He would lose, but forfeit he would not. He made the first attack, drawing his Lionheart and running at the robed man. He swung his sky blue gunblade as hard as his muscles would allow, aiming for Danda's neck. Danda held out his hand as Squall's blade got less than half an inch from his jugular. The blade stopped, sending shockwave through Squall's body. He screamed.
It was like touching a lightning bolt.
Pain went searing through his arms, traveling up to his shoulders, then channelling down to every nerve in his body. His gunblade clattered onto the floor as he collapsed, bringing his knees to his chest. His whole body shuddered, his nerves still in shock. His limbs had a painful tingling sensation that wouldn't go away. His teeth chattered.
Rinoa pushed her way past Irvine and Selphie and knelt down beside him. She lifted him up into her arms and held him tight. She looked away from him and up at Danda, her eyes overflowing with hatred.
"B****rd!!! What did you do to him??!!" she screamed.
"Absolutely nothing. What I did to myself was put a protective forcefield around my and my diciple's body, preventing any physical attack. Technically, I did nothing to *him*," he said, looking at Squall. Irvine cocked his rifle.
"Let's see what that forcefield of yours can do," Irvine said, aiming at Danda's chest. He fired several times, sending Demolition ammo through the air to its target. There was a green light as the bullets hit the forcefield. They were reshaped into flat circles on impact and fell to the floor. Danda seemed to be enjoying the whole thing. Rinoa and Quistis pulled Squall well away from the horrible man. Quistis stood over him and Rinoa protectively. She knew not what good it would do, but she had to try.
"Flare!!!" Selphie called, pointing her nunchaku at Danda. Red light and intense heat surrounded him, all coming in to engulf him in flames so thick, he could hardly be seen. The inferno disappeared, leaving Danda unscathed. The floor beneath his feet had turned black, the tiles completely gone.
"Very nice. I actually felt that," Danda chuckled. "Now, are you going to get serious anytime soon?"
Quistis fumed. If they were going to lose, they were going to at least do some damage to this fruitcake. If this didn't work, nothing would. "ULTIMA!!!!" she screamed. Irvine fired his rifle at him while he was surrounded in a dark green globe. It exploded, the globe expanding rapidly, turning yellow near the floor. The green haze began to clear. Quistis's mouth dropped open.
Danda stood in the same position, each of his hands gripping the wrist in the opposite sleeve. His smile turned to a sour frown. "Enough games." He took his hands from the sleeves, and lifted them toward the ceiling. The teenagers got ready for the punishment of their lives. They knew that this was going to be the only attack he would need.
They were all lifted from the floor and high into the air in the great hall. The sorcerer forced Rinoa and Squall to separate, spawning a howl of anguish from the black haired girl. Irvine looked over at Selphie and mouthed an 'I love you'. She returned his gesture by blowing a kiss to him. If she was going to die, she was at least going to die with her love.
He sent their bodies spiraling through the air, his hands not moving. They went around and around the room and finally they hit the second floor railing. They were raked along the barrier at blinding speeds, each of them crashing through the glass railing of the second floor until there was no glass left to break, only shards left inside their supports.
Selphie managed to look down at her legs, now bleeding profusely. Her outfit had been split up the side by a shard of glass still stuck to the brass frame that was left of the railing. Danda let her and her friends drop on the second floor. Selphie lay on her side, forcing herself to breathe deep. She could hardly feel her legs anymore. She clung fiercely to her nunchaku, holding it to her chest. She whimpered as she was lifted into the air again after only seconds of being on the ground. He was toying with them. He had made them think his onslaught was over.
He continued his attack, this time raking them along the walls, hitting whatever they happened to run into: a door frame, a bench. He couldn't see what was hitting them, and he didn't care. They wanted to stop him from freeing his Master and getting his reward. He cared not what happened to them.
Minutes later, after he was satisfied they would give him no more trouble, he brought them away from the safety of the second story and let them fall to the first floor. Irvine landed at Selphie's feet, his body weak. He could barely move. He stretched his fingers for his rifle, that lie inches from his hand, but failing. He whispered a curse as he realized it was useless.
Quistis landed on her stomach; she did not rise. Rinoa and Squall landed close to each other. Rinoa started to crawl to him, but he was lifted into the air and brought close to Danda. Rinoa screamed fearfully for Danda to put him down.
Squall's lips bled, the liquid dropping from his chin onto the fur collar of his jacket. The sleeves were ripped, and so were his gloves, blood dripping from his fingers. While they had been punished to no end, Danda had not moved an inch from where he was. He smiled as Squall was brought closer to him. He got less than an inch from the Commander's face and grinned mercilessly.
"Say 'hello' to your mother for me, Squall," he whispered. Squall's eyes lit up with rage and he screamed a curse at the man, only to be lifted higher into the air and thrown against the wall. He collapsed to the floor again, and Rinoa crawled to him. He opened his arms weakly and held her tight.
"I love you...." Rinoa whispered.
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Zell ran down the sidewalk that led to Galbadia Garden, hoping he wasn't too late. Upon entering the main hall, he was filled with trepidation. It was his vision, exactly as he had seen it. Irvine was at Selphie's feet, Quistis was on her stomach, Squall and Rinoa embracing each other. Danda stood in the middle of the room, his diciple hiding behind him. The Garden student was irrelevant.
The stone around Zell's neck glowed bright red as he looked around the room at his friends. Suddenly the light expanded around him, engulfing him within it. His friends began to glow red.
An expression of concern took over Danda's face. "Who are you??!!!"
Zell didn't answer. He didn't have time. His legs were fading into the light, leaving him to panic. "What the--?!!"
He looked around and noticed his friends' bodies were fading as well. When they disappeared, each of the red lights lifted from the ground and combined where Zell had been standing. The ball of red hovered for a moment and then shot out the door into the sky and was gone.
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Alright, everyone, aside from End of Days, I have an announcement to make. I'm in the process of writing another ending for One Day at a Time. The ending that I originally planned, the one where he lives. Hallelujah!! Now, isn't everyone happy? The first part should be up soon, however I don't really know when. Anyway, chapter 7 of End of Days will be up within the week hopefully!
Sergeant Phoenix
Squall and his friends walked down the bloody sidewalk that led to the entrance of Galbadia Garden. All stood with their weapons out, each ready to cast a spell at a moment's notice. Rinoa and Selphie were stocked with mostly Life and Cure spells, while Quistis and Irvine had many status changing spells like Break, Poison, and Silence.
Squall had outfitted himself with the strongest spells that could be found in the world: Ultima, Flare, Quake, Aura, Full-Life, Triple, Double, and Curaga. He knew they would lose this battle and that they would all be hurt to the point of being near lifeless. He knew this, but they were not going to simply give up. They would fight as they normally would.
Irvine and Selphie stayed close together, like Squall and Rinoa. Irvine had his Exeter rifle shouldered in a ready position, his tan trenchcoat whipping in the harsh spring wind that was bringing with it a thunderstorm. He had his mind only on the battle that was before them inside the building he had grown up in. He had fought one battle inside Galbadia Garden, his home, and he did not wish to fight another. But, there was no other way, that he knew.
Selphie's mind was a tangle of worries and determination. Her usually light and cheery face had been covered with a blanket of seriousness. Ultimecia was going to be nothing compared to this new threat. Edea and Cid had said so and she believed them. She didn't know if she was prepared for *anything* he might throw at them, but she knew only what she had been told. She knew not what happened in Zell's vision, and she didn't want to know.
Quistis held onto the handle of her Save the Queen whip for dear life. She gritted her teeth, ready for the battle of her life. She focused on an Ultima spell in her mind, ready to cast it if she needed to. There was nothing she wasn't ready for. She kept telling herself this for reassurance, but she knew she would fall this day. If not for good, for a long time.
Rinoa stayed close to Squall with her Angel Wing pinwheel ready in the launcher on her arm. Squall looked down at her, as if to say 'don't worry. Everything'll be fine. Just stick with me.'
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Zell paced around his room, popping his knuckles. He breathed deep in frustration. He stopped popping his knuckles and started pulling his hair. "I can't *stand* this anymore!!!"
{Calm down, Zell,} Bahamut said to him. The GF could only tell him this. Whatever decision Zell made, Bahamut could not stop him. It was not his place.
Zell picked up his Ehrgeiz fighting gloves from his bedside table. "That's it," he said, putting them on. "I can't wait anymore. Prophecy or not, I can't sit here and do nothing!!!"
{Understandable,} the GF said to him.
{Carbuncle!} the green, kangaroo-like GF said. It had a diamond shaped ruby stone set in its forehead. It was the first time Carbunkle had said anything to Zell. {Carbuncle. Car. Buncle. Carbuncle! Carbunc. Le.} The little GF sounded like it agreed with Zell about going to check on the others. It favored Selphie when it was junctioned to anyone. It seemed to hate Squall, however. Selphie had to plead with it whenever she tried to give the GF to Squall to use on a mission. The green Guardian Force did as Selphie asked, but it could have tried a little harder when Squall needed it. One time, it came up out of its hole and waited 5 minutes before it finally cast Reflect on Squall, Quistis, and Zell.
Bahamut sighed. {Why did you have to junction me in here with that kangaroo rat-thing? It's annoying,} he said.
"Please be quiet, Carbuncle," Zell said. He didn't want to make the little GF mad. It was very picky about who it obeyed. If he needed Carbunkle in an upcoming fight, he wanted to be on the GF's good side.
{Carbuncle....} the GF said. It sounded like it was sorry.
{Thank you,} the dragon GF said to it.
Zell threw open his closet door and moved his Seed uniform and his other clothes aside. He wouldn't need to take any clothes with him; he left enough in his bunk in the Ragnarok to last him. In the back of his closet was dirty-brown colored knapsack packed to the top with all manner of Potions, Elixirs, X-Potions, and various remedies for whatever might ail you. This was something not even Squall knew about. Zell had and knew a lot of things Squall didn't know about.
It was his emergency pack.
Whenever he had gotten a little extra money, he went and bought rare items from a ring of dealers that stayed close to the regular shops. You had to have connections in order to buy from them. He was Zell, however; everyone in Balamb knew him. Zell knew one person in Balamb who knew dealers in every city on the map, including Esthar. He knew people in high and low places. He had bought most of the items in the knapsack from a dealer who sold them for three quarters of the price at a regular store. Other items you couldn't buy anywhere, like Heroes and the different colored magic stones, he had saved from the mission to defeat Ultimecia. He swiped a few of each from Squall's bag when he wasn't looking and stuck them in his pocket. Squall wasn't going to miss them; it wasn't like he counted them and he had too many to keep track of. Zell wasn't going to call it stealing, just....borrowing in case of an emergency. He had a small arsenal and a make-shift hospital, all down inside an deceivingly innocent brown bag.
He checked the bag to make sure nothing was missing, and when he was satisfied, he threw it over his shoulder and walked out his door. He didn't want to attract attention to himself, he just wanted to get out to the Ragnarok as quickly as he could. He made his way down the hall at a normal pace.
He saw the library girl, Dani, coming down the hall toward him. Zell had always had a crush on her. It made him blush just to be around Dani. As she came closer, he felt his ears turn red.
"Hi, Zell," she said. His cheeks were bright pink. "Where are you going?"
Zell hesitated. "......out," he said in a small voice. Dani smiled and laughed.
"I can see *that*, bright eyes," she said to him. "I mean where to?"
She called him 'bright eyes'. Dani, the girl he had had a crush on ever since he came to Balamb Garden, had called him 'bright eyes'! He was so light in the head you could knock him over with a feather.
"You still there, Zell or did you fall in?" she asked. Zell blushed and scratched the back of his neck. He had zoned out completely.
"I can't tell you where I'm going...." he said to her. She cocked her head to the side.
"Why not? You've always told me everything, Zell," she said.
"Until I became a SeeD, Dani. I..." He looked behind him down the hall for prying eyes and ears. He sighed and lowered his voice. "There's a new mission. Galbadia Garden's been taken over and Squall made me stay here. I won't get into anymore detail than that, it's too complicated. I'm not supposed to leave Garden, but....I have to. I have to make sure everyone's alright. I can't stand not knowing."
"Who's taken over?" she whispered. "Is there a new threat? Like Ultimecia?"
"More like a male Ultimecia on steroids. We're dealing with a sorcerer this time. I haven't heard anything about a sorcerer until a day or so ago," he replied quietly.
"How are you going to beat him?"
"We don't know. I got something I need you to do for me." He looked around again. "In the back corner of the library, there's a secret room underneath a loose tile. You'll be able to tell where it is. Drop a book on the tile and there'll be a hollow sound. I've got a book in my room that's written in High Centauran. I want you to get that and you try and translate as much of it as you can, alright? You know more of that language than anyone I know. Heck, there might be a book that translates High Centauran to our language. Can you do that for me? And not tell anyone?"
Dani looked up at him, running her fingers through her ponytail. "I'll try. Go and get out of here. Go check on them. Squall will probably give you hell for disobeying his orders, though....."
Zell took his room key out of his pocket. "I don't really care *what* Squall says at the moment. I didn't particularly care for what he said to me earlier. Here. That's the key to my room. The Book's under my bed." Dani took the key from him and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Go on. But, you take care of yourself, you hear? Don't you go an' get killed on me," she said. Zell looked down at Dani and wondered now, if she felt the same about him as he did about her. They were closer to each other's bodies than they had ever been before. Zell put his arms around her and he took a chance; he kissed her.
Dani pulled away from him. "You don't need to be messing around with me while you've got your friends to see about. You can kiss me later," she said. Zell looked down at her.
"You mean you....."
"Yes, silly. I've always loved you. I just wasn't sure about how *you* felt until now. *Go*," she said. "I'll be waiting for you." Zell smiled and took off down the hallway, filled with a new energy.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
As they neared the gate to Galbadia Garden, they could see two Garden students, one male and one female, blocking their path. The boy had jet black hair and two sidearms at his belt. The girl was a brunette who had a pair of sais at her waist.
The female took out her sais and took up a fighting stance as Squall's group approached the gate. The boy held up his hand, silently telling them to stop.
"No one enters this Garden. Orders of Master Danda."
Squall looked at the boy. He was no younger than Squall was and the look on his face was dead serious. Squall matched the boy's expression with a glare of his own.
"Let us by," he ordered softly. The two stared each other down for a few moments, while Irvine watched from his side. There was just something about Squall Leonhart then, an air about him that demanded respect and compliance. Demands, however, are not always met.
"*No one* enters this Garden. Orders of Master Danda," the boy repeated stiffly. He held his head high and his expression didn't waver the slightest. Squall threw his arms open wide, indicating his fellow teenagers that stood beside him.
"You're outnumbered, cadet. You two can't win. What do you suppose to do against the five of us?" Squall asked him. The boy stood stiffly in front of Squall, not moving an inch. He did not answer.
"*Move* or we'll *move* you," Irvine said, pointing his Exeter rifle at the cadet's chest. Selphie snapped the chain of her nunchaku for emphasis on his statement. Quistis cracked her whip on the ground, the sound like a gunshot echoing for miles. Rinoa lifted her left arm, ready to launch her pinwheel.
The boy looked at them uneasily and swallowed, but held his ground. "No one enters."
Squall lifted an eyebrow. "You're willing to die for this guy, this 'Master' of yours? Why? What has he promised you or are you just practicing blind loyalty?"
"Master Danda is going to open Tear's Point in Esthar," the boy said.
"What are you talking about? Tear's Point brings down the Lunar Cry, along with Lunatic Pandora. What do you mean 'open' it?" Squall asked him. The boy said nothing. Squall lifted his sky blue Lionheart gunblade angrily to the boy's neck, gritting his teeth. "*Tell* me what you're talking about, cadet. What does 'open Tear's Point' mean?"
"Go ahead. Kill me. You'll have to get what you want from Master Danda, *if* you can get it. I won't talk anymore than that," the cadet said, holding his head high still in a haughty position. Squall held the tip of his gunblade to the cadet's neck, making a small indention in his skin. "Go on. Kill me. You'll get nothing from me."
"I don't want to *kill* you! I never *did*. But, I'll do what I have to to get past you and your friend there," Squall said, gesturing toward the girl who stood about five feet away with her sais ready. "Which won't be much, I'm afraid. Last chance, cadet. Join us or join the casualties. Which'll it be?"
The boy calculated in his head his chances of defeating the five people in front of him. Not very likely. The magic he had junctioned was sparse at the most and he only had two Guardian Forces, like his friend. She didn't look concerned, though. She looked ready to fight to the death if she needed to. The boy looked around at each face and then back to Squall. He swallowed.
"No one enters."
Squall took his gunblade from the boy's neck and backed away, motioning for the others to spread out. They backed away in a semicircle. "Your choice," he said. The girl ran at Selphie with her sais, trying to stab her. Selphie held up her nunchaku in defense, but this action was superfluous, as Irvine cracked the girl in the back of the head with the butt of his rifle. Hard. She fell to the ground, the sais slipping from her fingers.
The boy took out his pistols at the same time and lifted them to shoot randomly at anything his bullets could snag, but Squall was a step ahead of him.
"Thundaga!!" Squall shouted, pointing at him. Lightning came down from the sky, coming together in one large bolt, slamming into the boy's chest. His body quavered, but he didn't fall. (I don't believe that didn't get him....) Squall thought. (He must have Thunder on his magic defense....)
"Scan!" Quistis called to the boy. His weakness came to her instantly in her mind. (Quake.) "Squall! Earth magic!" the blonde girl called to him. "He's weak against earth magic!" The boy looked at Squall, a pleading expression on his face.
"You had your chance. Quake," Squall said simply, pointing at the boy. The ground split and erupted beneath the cadet's feet, throwing him straight into the air and he landed, only to be catapulted into the air again. It was like being on a living trampoline, except this hurt. Badly. He was landing on concrete; more accurately the concrete was coming up to hit him in midair. Squall heard some of the cadet's bones break as the quake ceased, leaving the cadet broken and bleeding on the ground, unconscious. Squall looked around at his friends. They were all okay. There was no reason they shouldn't have been.
Rinoa looked down at the boy, blood coming from abrasions on his cheeks and hands. She glanced up at Squall. "Do you want me to...?"
"Go ahead. Cure him and the girl. No more than one spell apiece, though. For one, they had their chance to join us. For another, we have to save those cure spells. We're gonna need them," Squall said. He looked over at Irvine. "Check the girl while I check the boy. See what kind of items she has on her. Elixirs, X-Potions, whatever she's got take it." He glanced down at the boy and then looked at his pistols that were on the ground nearly 20 feet away from his body. "Take those, Selphie. You might need them. Rinoa and Irvine are the only ones with long range weapons. It's too risky not to have as many as we can in case we run out of magic. Irvine, you got any ammunition that'll fit those pistols?"
"I brought some standard issue SeeD pistols and I have plenty of all kinds of ammo in all my pouches and pockets," Irvine said, opening up his jacket to reveal two sidearms identical to those that were on the ground. He had the inside pockets of his jacket packed with small and large boxes of ammunition, and several pouches on his belt. Selphie picked up the pistols by the barrels.
"I hope I can remember how to shoot these. I only took the class because it was required," she said. Irvine kneeled down to search the unconcious girl while Squall checked the boy. Selphie gave Irvine a warning glance. "If I catch you *smiling*, Kinneas, you're in trouble."
"Just a routine search, honeybun. *You're* the only one for me," he said, smiling at her. He took what few curative and magic items she had and put them in the pockets in his jacket. She had a few Elixirs, Hi-Potions, Ethers, and Flare Stones. Not very much, considering the side that she was on. After he was done, Rinoa knelt down and healed the girl with a weak Cure spell. Not enough to wake her up, but enough to keep her brain from swelling from the blow Irvine had so graciously bestowed upon her.
Squall finished taking what items the boy had and put them in his pack that he had brought. With the boy, they had gotten lucky: three Ultima Stones, one Aura Stone, five Remedies, and, amazingly, one Hero. He hadn't many curative items: only two Hi-Potions. He had probably decided he was better off using his magic to cure himself than items. Squall knew that was a bad idea. He always came prepared with plenty of curative items in case he were to run out of Cure magic. But, there was no time for him to ponder these thoughts. They had to move on.
Rinoa knelt down and Cured the boy with a stronger spell, controlling the flow of the magic. Like with the girl, just enough to keep him from waking, but enough to heal his wounds. She watched as the abrasions on his cheeks and hands sealed up, the bleeding stopped. She stood up. "Let's go."
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Zell reached the Ragnarok on the other side of the forest without much trouble, except for Caterchipillars and Bite Bugs. God, those things were annoying. Especially since he had gotten his ultimate weapon, Ehrgeiz. He never went anywhere without his fighting gloves. But, he never wore them around people, because he lost his temper so easily. If he were to punch a person with them, he would end up breaking their jaw bone and possibly disfiguring their face. He had come close to doing that very thing one time, when he had only had his Metal Knuckle gloves on. Him and another boy his age were arguing over a game of Triple Triad, because the boy had had cards up his sleeve. Zell just barely caught himself before he nearly punched him. He took his gloves off and *then* punched the kid.
(Not as smart as you think you are, huh, Squall?) Zell thought, grinning to himself as he reached in his pocket. He pulled out a spare key for the ship. (Yep, ol' Zell beat ya this time.....)
He had talked Laguna into giving it to him, just for such an emergency. Knowing the President of Esthar had its perks. Squall was the only other one with a key to the Ragnarok, that which he had taken with him to prevent Zell from following them. Zell chuckled as the engine roared to life. He strapped himself into the seat, throwing his emergency pack into the co-pilot's seat and pushed the throttle forward. There was no time for a preflight inspection. The Ragnarok was always kept in top condition for such missions when they were leaving immediately.
The ship lifted into the air slowly and he looked out the window to the ground below as he flew over Balamb Garden. He saw what looked like Xu and Nida come out of the entrance. They obviously knew who was piloting the great red ship. "Sorry, Xu. Nida," he said aloud as he passed over their heads. "A Chickenwuss's gotta do what a chickenwuss's gotta do."
{Carbuncle!!!}
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Squall entered Galbadia Garden's main hall. (This is it,) he thought. He looked around. It was the same Garden he had fought in once before. Or it looked the same.
"Who are you?"
Each of their eyes darted around the room, looking for the source of the voice. A blue light seemed to spring from the second floor, fading to reveal a man in a black robe, and next to him another Garden student. He wore his nearly white hair long, hanging past his shoulders. He did not look as old as his hair would have a person believe. Squall wondered how old he was, now that he saw him. He had new doubts about how difficult this mission would be since he had actually seen his opponent. (Don't be so quick to judge, Squall,) he corrected himself. (Letting your guard down can be fatal.)
The boy and his accomplice floated down to the first floor level and stood in front of Squall. "Who are you?" he repeated. The student next to him stepped up from behind him.
"Answer Master Danda."
"Quiet, Michael. I know who they are and what they want. I merely want to give them the chance to introduce themselves," he said. "Before I kill them."
"Big talk," Irvine scoffed, from under his cowboy hat. "You don't look no older than us. You can't be that much smarter." Danda laughed.
"And you can't be much dumber. I was old before you were born," he said. "I'm the only sorcerer on this planet." He needed not fear the five teenagers who stood before him. They were no threat; he could take his time.
"What are you doing here?" Squall asked. He didn't want to attack without getting things straight, prophecy or none.
"Fulfilling my destiny, child. There is nothing you can do to stop me," Danda said. "I'm the most powerful person in the world, with the exception of two other people. The ones with stones like this," he said, showing Squall his ring. The royal blue stone glowed on his hand. "The other two people have stones like my Stone of Dreams. However, they are my equals, not my superiors. The Stone of the Heart and the Stone of Tears. When I have all three, I may open Tear's Point. Once that is done, there will be none who may oppose my rule."
"What are you talking about 'open' Tear's Point?" Squall asked. He was tired of playing word games.
"Calling down monsters from the moon is not the purpose of Tear's Point. Tear's Point was a shrine where the Stone of Tears was kept until 1000 years ago. There was a Lunar Cry in the northern part of the continent. Following that devastation, the monks at the shrine determined that it would be safer for the Stone to be cast into the world, than to keep it in one place. And so it was with the Stone of the Heart, kept in the shrine far to the west. My Stone was kept in a shrine to the south. No Shrine but Tear's Point still stands. They were torn down by the monks so the world would forget what was ever kept there. There are no records or traces of ruin indicating there ever were any such places. No one knows that these Stones even exist, let alone what they can do."
"So that Stone makes you a sorcerer?" Rinoa asked him. He laughed.
"No, I was born with this gift. The Stone grants me just what its name implies. It gave me what I dreamed of: youth and longevity," he said.
"So, you're what-150 years old or something?" Selphie said to him. He continued to laugh.
"Dear child, I will turn 763 this year," he answered her. Squall's eyes widened slightly, while the other's mouths dropped open.
(763...????) Irvine thought incredulously. (This is....that can't be right, this is.........This guy is *763* years of age??!!! That's it. We're screwed.)
"So what happens when you--wait a minute--why haven't you killed us yet, if you're so almighty?" Selphie asked him curiously.
"You have a right to know why you're going to die. I'm not so evil as to kill you without telling you what's going on," he replied. He chuckled. "It's not like you're going to tell anyone. As for what happens when I open Tear's Point, I'll get one wish granted to me."
"One wish?" Rinoa said, confused. "Why?"
"Hyne isn't necessarily the most powerful being in this world. Even *I* have a Master I must serve," Danda explained. "My Master was sealed inside Tear's Point by Hyne, in the netherrealm, a place that has no matter. Only empty, black space. I will release him and he will reward me handsomely. I have searched the world over for the three Stones for the past seven centuries and I am no closer than when I obtained this Stone of Dreams those centuries ago. I have mastered my powers as a sorcerer; do what you will. It will not deliver you."
Danda stepped back from the group, prepared for anything the teenagers might do. Michael cowered behind him, afraid. He had not the powers his Master had. Danda looked over his shoulder at him. "I will protect you, child. Stay loyal to The Cause and I will protect you."
Squall gritted his teeth. He would lose, but forfeit he would not. He made the first attack, drawing his Lionheart and running at the robed man. He swung his sky blue gunblade as hard as his muscles would allow, aiming for Danda's neck. Danda held out his hand as Squall's blade got less than half an inch from his jugular. The blade stopped, sending shockwave through Squall's body. He screamed.
It was like touching a lightning bolt.
Pain went searing through his arms, traveling up to his shoulders, then channelling down to every nerve in his body. His gunblade clattered onto the floor as he collapsed, bringing his knees to his chest. His whole body shuddered, his nerves still in shock. His limbs had a painful tingling sensation that wouldn't go away. His teeth chattered.
Rinoa pushed her way past Irvine and Selphie and knelt down beside him. She lifted him up into her arms and held him tight. She looked away from him and up at Danda, her eyes overflowing with hatred.
"B****rd!!! What did you do to him??!!" she screamed.
"Absolutely nothing. What I did to myself was put a protective forcefield around my and my diciple's body, preventing any physical attack. Technically, I did nothing to *him*," he said, looking at Squall. Irvine cocked his rifle.
"Let's see what that forcefield of yours can do," Irvine said, aiming at Danda's chest. He fired several times, sending Demolition ammo through the air to its target. There was a green light as the bullets hit the forcefield. They were reshaped into flat circles on impact and fell to the floor. Danda seemed to be enjoying the whole thing. Rinoa and Quistis pulled Squall well away from the horrible man. Quistis stood over him and Rinoa protectively. She knew not what good it would do, but she had to try.
"Flare!!!" Selphie called, pointing her nunchaku at Danda. Red light and intense heat surrounded him, all coming in to engulf him in flames so thick, he could hardly be seen. The inferno disappeared, leaving Danda unscathed. The floor beneath his feet had turned black, the tiles completely gone.
"Very nice. I actually felt that," Danda chuckled. "Now, are you going to get serious anytime soon?"
Quistis fumed. If they were going to lose, they were going to at least do some damage to this fruitcake. If this didn't work, nothing would. "ULTIMA!!!!" she screamed. Irvine fired his rifle at him while he was surrounded in a dark green globe. It exploded, the globe expanding rapidly, turning yellow near the floor. The green haze began to clear. Quistis's mouth dropped open.
Danda stood in the same position, each of his hands gripping the wrist in the opposite sleeve. His smile turned to a sour frown. "Enough games." He took his hands from the sleeves, and lifted them toward the ceiling. The teenagers got ready for the punishment of their lives. They knew that this was going to be the only attack he would need.
They were all lifted from the floor and high into the air in the great hall. The sorcerer forced Rinoa and Squall to separate, spawning a howl of anguish from the black haired girl. Irvine looked over at Selphie and mouthed an 'I love you'. She returned his gesture by blowing a kiss to him. If she was going to die, she was at least going to die with her love.
He sent their bodies spiraling through the air, his hands not moving. They went around and around the room and finally they hit the second floor railing. They were raked along the barrier at blinding speeds, each of them crashing through the glass railing of the second floor until there was no glass left to break, only shards left inside their supports.
Selphie managed to look down at her legs, now bleeding profusely. Her outfit had been split up the side by a shard of glass still stuck to the brass frame that was left of the railing. Danda let her and her friends drop on the second floor. Selphie lay on her side, forcing herself to breathe deep. She could hardly feel her legs anymore. She clung fiercely to her nunchaku, holding it to her chest. She whimpered as she was lifted into the air again after only seconds of being on the ground. He was toying with them. He had made them think his onslaught was over.
He continued his attack, this time raking them along the walls, hitting whatever they happened to run into: a door frame, a bench. He couldn't see what was hitting them, and he didn't care. They wanted to stop him from freeing his Master and getting his reward. He cared not what happened to them.
Minutes later, after he was satisfied they would give him no more trouble, he brought them away from the safety of the second story and let them fall to the first floor. Irvine landed at Selphie's feet, his body weak. He could barely move. He stretched his fingers for his rifle, that lie inches from his hand, but failing. He whispered a curse as he realized it was useless.
Quistis landed on her stomach; she did not rise. Rinoa and Squall landed close to each other. Rinoa started to crawl to him, but he was lifted into the air and brought close to Danda. Rinoa screamed fearfully for Danda to put him down.
Squall's lips bled, the liquid dropping from his chin onto the fur collar of his jacket. The sleeves were ripped, and so were his gloves, blood dripping from his fingers. While they had been punished to no end, Danda had not moved an inch from where he was. He smiled as Squall was brought closer to him. He got less than an inch from the Commander's face and grinned mercilessly.
"Say 'hello' to your mother for me, Squall," he whispered. Squall's eyes lit up with rage and he screamed a curse at the man, only to be lifted higher into the air and thrown against the wall. He collapsed to the floor again, and Rinoa crawled to him. He opened his arms weakly and held her tight.
"I love you...." Rinoa whispered.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Zell ran down the sidewalk that led to Galbadia Garden, hoping he wasn't too late. Upon entering the main hall, he was filled with trepidation. It was his vision, exactly as he had seen it. Irvine was at Selphie's feet, Quistis was on her stomach, Squall and Rinoa embracing each other. Danda stood in the middle of the room, his diciple hiding behind him. The Garden student was irrelevant.
The stone around Zell's neck glowed bright red as he looked around the room at his friends. Suddenly the light expanded around him, engulfing him within it. His friends began to glow red.
An expression of concern took over Danda's face. "Who are you??!!!"
Zell didn't answer. He didn't have time. His legs were fading into the light, leaving him to panic. "What the--?!!"
He looked around and noticed his friends' bodies were fading as well. When they disappeared, each of the red lights lifted from the ground and combined where Zell had been standing. The ball of red hovered for a moment and then shot out the door into the sky and was gone.
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Alright, everyone, aside from End of Days, I have an announcement to make. I'm in the process of writing another ending for One Day at a Time. The ending that I originally planned, the one where he lives. Hallelujah!! Now, isn't everyone happy? The first part should be up soon, however I don't really know when. Anyway, chapter 7 of End of Days will be up within the week hopefully!
Sergeant Phoenix