THE FOURTH UNIVERSE
CHAPTER 9
"Glass. Just glass. Why can't I feel a damn thing?
"Numb. Just numb. No feeling, except glass. Warm glass. Hot glass.
"How badly am I hurt? Why can't I feel a thing? Nothing but glass...
"Wait a minute. I can feel the glass. I can feel the freakin' glass on my face. I'm alright. Just need time to let the blood flow. Come on, let's go baby."
He didn't know how long he was out. Overcome by a tingling sensation indicative of life-giving blood flowing back to his strained blood vessels, Zell slowly lifted himself up from the black obsidian surface. He looked around, and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing his teammates likewise gradually coming to. He closed his eyes. What the hell happened? The last thing Zell remembered was a wall of bright light rampaging towards the Ragnarok.
The Ragnarok? They were airborne when the blast struck them. Where's the Ragnarok? And where the hell is Selphie???
"Here, let me help you." Squall offered while pulling him up by the left arm. "Is everyone alright?"
"Man! Not to sound ungrateful, but how the hell did we get out of that one?" Irvine responded, bending down to run his fingers across the polished contour of the heat-fused silica. "Now we have the biggest dance floor the world has ever seen."
"Must be the Phoenix." Rinoa replied. "There's no way we could have survived that blast."
"Oh yeah?" Selphie approached, looking as puzzled as everyone else. "Then how do you explain that?" she furthered while pointing her soot-covered left arm on the Ragnarok, which was sturdily resting on the blanket of black glass and showing no signs whatsoever of damage. "I don't know about you guys, but I strongly doubt the Rebirth Flame can also resurrect a machine."
"Holy crap, guys." Irvine exclaimed. "Will you look at that!" A few hundred feet away, the lifeless body of the nihilistic Hades Sentinel lay sprawled on the jet-black ground. Approaching the gruesome carcass cautiously, the SeeDs were astounded to notice that the upper, human-shaped part of its body had been severed from the lower, horse-like half. After extracting the Lionheart from its neck, Squall curiously examined the body more closely.
"Strange. Sliced in half. And the severed parts show signs that it got burned. Someone... or something did this. And it's definitely not us."
"I'll say." Selphie concurred. "But... brrrr! Even attacking in full force, we hardly made a dent on its hide. Geez, imagine the kind of power possessed by whoever did this."
"This is serious, guys. What if it's not on our side?" Zell anxiously remarked. Squall's face remained emotionless, though he knows he shares his comrade's apprehension.
"Point noted, Zell. But let's worry about that later. For now, we have to see to our wounded." He echoed, turning his attention to Quistis while she silently cradled Siegfried's filth-riddled head. Not knowing what to say, the SeeD commander approached his deputy and kneeled beside her, softly pressing two fingers on top of the fallen warrior's carotid arteries.
"He's still breathing, but barely."
Quistis didn't answer. But her heart-rending gaze screams unmatched grief as she stared back at Squall. He felt her desperation, her plea for him to help the injured Siegfried. After pulling off the black glove covering his right hand, Squall slowly brought it on her face, gently caressing it in silent assurance that he will do everything in his power to help their fallen ally.
"Selphie," the SeeD commander echoed. "Call Kiros and ask him to get a hospital room ready."
Not exactly pleased with the recently transpired events, Vesta nevertheless found reason to relax her fatigued nerves. Closing her eyes, her mind pondered on what might have happened had she not intervened in that colossal battle. The power of this Hades Sentinel was surprisingly immense, it likewise cast strong doubts on her abilities to defeat it in a fair fight. And these pathetic young warriors, they would surely have perished had she not used an exhausting temporal discorporation spell to protect them. Contrary to what Rinoa believed, the resurrecting essence of the Phoenix did not show up to do its job. It was Vesta herself, the malicious aspirant for the divine state who opted to come to their aid to save the most precious life of her 'third target'.
Recalling the moments that had just passed, Vesta wondered deeply on the wisdom behind her course of action. The thought of aiding her enemies had always repulsed her, even to the time of her first war with Hyne. She's done it quite a few times before, of course, but she never liked doing it. Yet still, the ultimate realization of her end-goal had always outweighed her own petty, personal considerations. If there's one thing that makes this demigod such a threat, is her ability to forget her revulsion in favor of a sound tactical maneuver. She had just saved the lives of those who intend to oppose her. If she had any choice, she would never have done that. But even someone who possesses the power of a godling has her limits. And the arcane potency of the life-preserving discorporation spell that renders a combatant ethereal is not something that even her hated enemy, Hyne, had managed to master. It was all or nothing. Save the life of her 'third target' and her friends, or see them all die outright.
It was a no contest. Vesta thought intently, she can always crush them at a later time, after she had secured the full godhood that she so desperately craved. And preserving the life of her objective is far more important than premature victory, which isn't really a true measure of victory in any manner of speaking.
She closed her eyes and smiled. Though her schedule had been slightly delayed due to what she believes as the incompetence of her Ogre-Bat assistant, Vesta nevertheless was on her way to her ultimate goal of regaining her godhood. Of course, her annoying adversaries are still alive, and they will certainly attempt to thwart her grand designs. She laughed, bringing to mind the series of crimson images her mystical monitor orb projected - the mind-blowing scene of these warriors' decisive battle against the contemptuous sorceress from the future.
"Ultimecia... you were such a fool to have relied solely on your vaunted powers." She tauntingly echoed to insult the deceased sorceress. "Such raw strength, and yet you failed to squash this small pack of insignificant bugs. Instead, they killed you! And all because of your stupidly intractable arrogance and insolence. You certainly deserve what befell you, my dear progeny."
Waving her hand anew to the glowing red sphere, Vesta glared with jeering eyes at the ghastly image of a disintegrating Ultimecia.
"I will not make the same mistake that you did, miserable whore."
It's not everyday that Rinoa witnesses a scene like this one. The usually calm and composed Quistis, sitting quietly across the hall of Esthar Hospital's highly advanced Trauma Care Center. Though standing not closer than twenty yards, Rinoa can easily discern that her resolute comrade and friend was gripped by heavy anxiety, judging from the pale hue on her sullen face. She sighed, deliberating what to do next. Should she try and comfort her teammate? Should she let her be? Opting to give way to her more natural and compassionate bearing, the raven-haired lass slowly made her way towards her grief-stricken comrade. Quistis looked at her and attempted to force a smile through her lips.
"Hey..." Rinoa softly opened. "the doctors said he's gonna be fine." Quistis just nodded, clutching Rinoa's hand in a gentle clasp as if thanking her for the thought.
She didn't merely issue a false assurance just to cheer up her teammate. The attending physicians did say that Siegfried had managed to get past the most crucial point of his injuries, and was presently on the way to a sure albeit long process of recovery. In essence, there really wasn't anything that Quistis should be worrying about anymore. But in the back of her mind, Rinoa knew that Quistis' foreboding disposition was being caused by far more than just a mere concern of Siegfried's safety. She knew that the instructor felt responsible for getting him involved in the fray. She knew that her blonde-haired teammate was blaming herself for the tragedy that befell the pacifist.
Training her gaze back to the former instructor, the recently inducted SeeD pondered at the unusual situation she found herself in.
They had been working together for more than a year now, though it was only during the past week that their relationship has assumed an official state. Nevertheless, the fact that she has dwelled with this popular and intelligent SeeD for that long can never be denied. And yet, this is perhaps the first and only time that Rinoa actually took a second look at her relationship with Quistis. And she has to admit the fact that they never really became that close as friends, at least not like how she and Selphie did. It could be because Rinoa shared a lot more in common with Selphie than she ever did with Quistis. She'd readily accept this reason if only to hide a more unfavorable and admittedly uglier explanation. Because it might also be because of a deep-seated, subliminal resentment of the fact that Quistis harbors profound feelings for Squall.
Of course, though they both haven't reached their twentieth years yet, that is by no means an excuse for Rinoa to act so childishly as to actually hold it against Quistis. Besides, she thought, Quistis and Squall had been friends long before she came into the picture. She had no right in any conceivable way to resent the instructor because of some feelings of amour that she never even tried to pursue in the first place.
And now, staring intently at her unsuspecting rival, Rinoa came to an enlightening realization that all her petty considerations about Quistis and Squall are totally irrelevant. It doesn't matter if she knows how much Squall loves her and that given any situation, he'd readily choose her over Quistis. It doesn't matter that during the past few days the golden-locked SeeD has developed a close relationship with another man, therefore rendering their rivalry moot and obsolete. All it matters now is how she feels about Quistis, especially at this point when her beleaguered teammate needs a friendly shoulder to lean on in her hour of need. Rinoa was quite surprised to realize just how much she really cared about Quistis.
Wrapping her right arm around her distraught teammate's shoulders, Rinoa echoed a curt yet sincere offer. "Would you like to talk about it?"
"That was an incredible job you and your friends did back there, Squall. Sorry we weren't able to mobilize any support for you guys. We're not exactly prepared for this kind of situation."
"Yeah..." Squall reluctantly replied as he looked back at Laguna. "Also sorry that we failed to save the Lunatic Pandora lab and Lunar Gate..."
"Oh hell, that's perfectly okay." The beloved president of Esthar smilingly returned. "I was really planning on shutting down those two facilities anyway. They were just standing there, sucking in taxpayer's money without doing one bit of useful thing."
Squall didn't bother to answer, walking instead to the porch overlooking the panoramic view of downtown Esthar City. Laguna stared intently at the SeeD commander before nonchalantly carrying on with the conversation. "So how are your friends doing?"
"I sent Selphie and Irvine back to Balamb to report to the Headmaster." Squall retorted with a persistently bland tone. "Rinoa and Quistis are at the hospital looking after that technician from FH..."
"Yeah, Siegfried." Laguna interrupted. "I knew the guy quite well. One hell of a soldier that Siegfried is. And I really felt sorry when he requested for honorable discharge."
"I'll bet." Squall maintained his dry tone. "... and Zell is... come to think of it, where is that guy anyway?"
Though he had been deaf to the more essential callings for the most part of his life, Laguna was by no means insufferably numb to the cold treatment being regarded him by Squall. The president of the most powerful country knew exactly where this frigid disposition is coming from but he cannot dare pursue it due to the fear that had been stopping him from doing so for the past year.
Deciding it best to act indifferently, he continued on, ignoring Squall's coldness.
"So, I understand Rinoa will be staying with us for the time being?"
"Uhh, yeah, if you don't mind, that is." The head SeeD sheepishly answered. "I'm just concerned about her safety... with the enemy looking to abduct her and all..."
"Ahh, don't be silly! I'd be glad to take care of Rinoa. Don't worry. That Vesta witch will be really sorry if she decides to go after her here." Laguna enthused. His ebullience quickly dissipated, however, when Squall once again fell to a silent reverie. Not knowing what to say anymore in light of this awkward predicament, Laguna nevertheless tried to continue the small talk.
"Ellone said you haven't been calling her latel..."
"Why didn't you come back?" Squall suddenly blurted out, which elicited a startled look from Laguna. "What kept you from coming back?"
Totally caught off guard, the confused Laguna groped for a sensible answer. But however he tried, all he could think of are explanations that he feared Squall might shoot down as lame and nonsensical. Instead, the Esthar president just looked at his estranged son with eyes desperately begging for forgiveness.
"Laguna... father... dad... I don't know what to call you." Squall exclaimed, his voice starting to crack. "I'm not really mad at you, okay. I just want to know why you never returned to Raine."
"I... have told you. The job... my word..." Laguna stuttered. His confused state nevertheless gave way to a resolute yet repentant demeanor. "You know... I can never really offer any good excuse. Forget about the fact that I gave my word to the resistance group who helped me save Ellone, or that I didn't even know that Raine was pregnant. I... I don't know." He paused for a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry... ... ... son..."
"Don't call me that!!!" Squall yelled vehemently as his reddening eyes start to well up. He then lowered his head, breathing hard in an effort to clear his seemingly obstructed chest. When Squall spoke again, his voice was calm, tranquil. Though the heaviness in his heart cannot be denied.
"I... I've been alone for so long. Hearing you call me that... hurts. So please, at least... not now..."
Laguna smiled. 'Not now'. Perhaps there is still a chance to retake what he lost eighteen years ago. It may take some time, but he can wait.
The SeeD communicator ruined the moment when it once again beeped to herald Zell's voice.
"Squall. Zell here. Come over to Dr. Odine's lab. I think you need to hear what he has to say."
Marcus Derlini has yet to do something substantial to prove his mettle as a new member of the illustrious SeeD corps. And since the inauguration, he eagerly sought ways to show all and sundry that he deserves his well-earned post among the ranks of the elite combat specialists.
And in his reckless enthusiasm, he performed an act that he only now begins to discern as somewhat rash and heedless. 'What have I done?' he repeatedly nagged himself after giving his unqualified cooperation to 'him'. Now, with the knowledge that his secret conspirator is about to make his presence known, Marcus starts to feel that he's career as a SeeD may just be over even before it began. He looked around, and spotted Selphie and Irvine together with Headmaster Cid. He muttered, "Will I ever be like them?"
"Damn, what if he's just taking me for a ride? What if he really didn't mean anything he said?" the rookie SeeD anxiously echoed in his mind. Whether he did the right thing or not, he will know for sure within the next few moments.
The quad suddenly became dark. Marcus looked up. Something huge is blocking the sun.
"Zis iz really strange. I see a pattern, but zis iz still strange."
"What is, doc?" Zell curiously inquired while watching Squall walk into the room. "And could you speak a little clearer? I'm having a friggin' headache listening to your Z' defect."
"I vill talk however I vant!" Odine shot back.
"Freakin' hell. I forgot about the V' defect. Anyway, you we're saying..?"
"Errgghh, I vas saying zat iz strange. I know Vesta, and she vas ze enemy of ze great Hyne. Vesta can't beat Hyne using her own power, so she pairs with ze Tengu creature."
"Yeah, tell me something I don't know. Come on, doc. Get to the point." Zell snapped at the scientist while looking at Squall as he maintained his silence.
"Okay, I vill get ze point. Vhy iz Vesta fighting Hyne in ze first place? Zat iz because Vesta iz looking for ze power of ze Quadrum Aura. And Hyne knows zat Quadrum Aura iz very dangerous, so she can never allow Vesta to possess it."
"Quadrum Aura? What the hell is that?" Squall finally voiced out.
"Zat is a very powerful magic, more powerful zan ze Ultimecia's Time Compression. BUT unlike Time Compression, it will not bring about ze end of ze universe. No. But it can do something more terrible." Odine pauses while noting the two SeeDs' perplexed expressions. He then continued on with his explanation. "Vhen used correctly, ze Quadrum Aura will open a door to bring in ze Fourth Universe."
"Man, more out-of-this-world babble." Zell shot back. "Okay, I give up. What is zis... freakin' hell... THIS friggin' Fourth Universe?"
"Ze Fourth Universe iz technically a parallel dimension I detected before vhen I discovered ze existence of ze Guardian Forces. Most Guardian Forces inhabit a ghost plane called ze dimensional interval. It iz a narrow gap zat separates our universe from ze Fourth Universe. And ze GFs inhabiting it are in essence protecting us from ze Fourth Universe. It iz one of Hyne's last legacies before he vanished."
"And what does Vesta have to do with it?" Squall asked back.
"Listen closely! Vesta believed herself to be a goddess. Zerefore she vants to rule our world. But in order to do so, she must subjugate ze world under her power, but Hyne prevented her from doing so. Now, Hyne iz gone, but Vesta has returned. Her return has already created reverberations across zis plane zat penetrated ze dimensional interval, creating irregularities in zat ghost plane."
"That explains why Quezacotl was able to appear without before summoned." Squall thought to himself before turning his attention back to Dr. Odine.
"Ve are already in danger vhen Vesta returned. I don't know how she did it, but zat iz not important. Vhat iz important iz what she plans to do next." Odine paused for a sip of water before carrying on. "Like I said, she vants to possess ze Quadrum Aura. With Quadrum Aura, she can easily cut through ze dimensional interval to open ze portals to ze Fourth Universe. If she becomes successful, ze energy of ze Fourth Universe will pour into our dimension and cancel out ze magic forces of our world. No magic, no one can do battle. And Vesta vill reign supreme."
"How is that possible?" Zell voice out while scratching his head.
"You see, ze Fourth Universe iz a dimension made of anti-matter energy. Ze anti-matter works like a neutralizer zat renders our laws of physics ineffective and obsolete. And what iz our magic anyway but merely mystical manipulations of physical laws? Ze elementals, ze non-elementals, zey are all but supernatural mimicries of various physical principles inherent to our universe. Vith anti-matter, zey become useless. And Vesta vill become ze only one vith ze power. Ve will not stand a chance against her."
"Wait" the SeeD leader interrupted. "If all magic becomes useless, how can Vesta retain her powers? Wouldn't she also lose hers as well?"
"Ahh, but zat iz another facet of ze Quadrum Aura. Zat magic's components guarantee zat it vill not be affected by ze anti-matter."
"Components?"
"Quadrum Aura iz a combination of four of ze most powerful manifestations of magic forces in zis universe. Ze first is ze Sorceress Spirit which iz taken from ze life forces of sorceresses. Ze second iz a fusing of ze mightiest elemental forms. Think of it as an Ultima spell except zat it iz totally controllable."
"Hmm, so that explains why Vesta is after the sorceresses. And it takes three sorceresses to create one Sorceress Spirit, right?" Squall curiously inquired with emphasis on his personal involvement to the subject.
"Wrong! One sorceress iz enough to create ze Sorceress Spirit."
"Huhh??? Then why is Vesta going after three sorceresses?" a more baffled SeeD commander snapped.
"Uhh I don't know. Are you sure it iz three she iz after?" Odine replied.
"Anyway, what about the elementals?" Zell intermitted.
"Vat is ze most powerful elemental forms in ze universe?" Odine issued a thought -provoking question.
"Uhh the elemental GFs?" Zell hesitantly replied.
"Correct! You guys are really smart. Okay, it iz ze GFs. Specifically, your elemental GFs."
"Huh??? Are you suggesting that Vesta captured our GFs, and didn't destroy them like we thought?"
"Zat iz a very strong possibility. But I am merely speaking for ze elementals, not ze non-elementals." Odine retorted, evoking a sullen reaction from the two SeeDs. Though trying hard to focus on the business at hand, Squall still can't deny the fact that he's heartbroken due to the apparent death of their Guardian Forces.
"Okay," He returned. "Assuming you are correct, she already has two of the four components. What are the other two?"
"Ze third iz a mysterious energy form zat I call ze Cosmic X." Odine continued. "Spawned by ze fiery battlefields of Hyne's war against Vesta, it vas uncovered by a group of scientists experimenting vith alternative methods to extract natural magic sources in a place famously known as ze Battleship Island."
"Eden." Zell muttered. "So than explains why Vesta ripped it off Nida."
"Cosmic X iz a malevolent form of energy. In ze wrong hands, it can cause unpredictable effects on ze functions of elemental energies. However, using ze right method, it amplifies elemental magic. It iz a double-bladed sword in ze hands of ze wise user."
"And the fourth?"
"Ze fourth iz what makes ze Quadrum Aura functional under anti-matter. Have you heard of ze Anti-Life magic?"
"No." Zell curtly replied.
"Errggh Ze Anti-Life magic iz a mystery unto itself. Very, very rare, It iz the only magic zat can cause true death. True death iz permanent and irreversible, as distinguished from your normal Death spell zat introduces death as merely a status effect, and therefore can be counteracted.
"No one alive can escape ze Anti-Life. It iz a very lethal magic. And vhat's more, ze Anti-Life iz said to assume ze mental state of its user. Vhen ze user iz good, ze Anti-Life iz pretty. Vhen otherwise, it becomes dark and ugly. But its effect iz always ze same: instant death."
"Oh, you mean like when a person using it is like, let's say Seifer, it will reflect his inner bitterness therefore making it look something like hell." Zell theorized. "But if someone like Rinoa uses it, it will look like spring afternoon or a beautiful flower field."
"Exicactly!"
"Hmm, something like Selphie's The End"
Zell's face turned pale white as it all suddenly became clear to him. He had always wondered behind the scenes about certain loopholes in their analysis of their enemy's schemes. An implicitly unsettling series of thoughts that started back in Siegfried Waller's farm when, after recovering from their crushing defeat, one of the first things they did was contact their SeeD agent stationed in Timber. After which they learned that the Card Queen was still safe in her hotel room, which suggested that Vesta never went after her even though they were already out of the way and unable to protect the Card Queen.
Then while they were powerlessly quarantined in Siegfried's farm, why didn't she go after Rinoa? Is it because of some idiosyncrasy that compels the demigod to avoid a confrontation without challenge? Is it an underlying ineptness in tactical maneuvers? Not likely, Zell thought. Vesta would never have stood her ground against Hyne that long if she had been strategically inadequate.
This can only mean one thing. The second target was a decoy. Vesta only needed one sorceress, and one other who possesses the Anti-Life magic. She went after the Card Queen to throw them off by making them believe that Rinoa was her 'third target'.
Zell can't believe just how easily they fell for that trick.
"Holy crap, Squall" He turned to the SeeD commander with a flushed face. Squall's skin was equally pasty, an ominous sign that he, too, had solved the sinister mystery.
"Damn!" Squall exclaimed. "All this time we've been trying to protect Rinoa, but THE THIRD TARGET' IS REALLY SELPHIE!!!"
"Vait! I vant to talk some more!" Odine yelled after the two SeeDs who hurriedly scampered for the exit.
"Excellent! Bravo, Tengu!" Vesta jubilantly commended her gruesome cohort. "Finally, you've done something right for a change."
"Hrr... you insult me once again, mistress. Why didn't you tell me from the start about your real plans? Why lead me to believe that we need three sorceresses? Is that how much you loathe my intelligence?"
"Tengu Tengu" Vesta retorted condescendingly. "My loyal and grisly thrall. It was all part of an utterly perfect plan to make our enemies erect their defenses at the wrong places. There is no element of insult whatsoever. On the contrary, you have served your role excellently in this grand design. And for that, I commend you with my highest degree of admiration for one as loathsome as you."
"Yes, of course." The Ogre-Bat retorted, not exactly unaware of his mistress' patronizing intent. "Never mind. So you have your precious 'third target' which isn't really one at all"
"Yes, yes..." Flashing a most evil smile, Vesta levitated slowly toward the unconscious, bleeding form of Selphie. Her excitement cannot be concealed anymore as the vile witch quivered wickedly and uncontrollably, raising the limp head of the helpless SeeD by her brown hair.
"You will be the exclamation mark of my glorious return to power, youthful wench. Consider it an honor. Elevate me to the pedestal with your frail and worthless life."
Outside, three wild bushes wither under the deathly assault of infernal laughter.