THE FOURTH UNIVERSE
CHAPTER 11
Edea Kramer can't seem to shake off the penetrating anxiety overwhelming her. It's been close to two hours now since her brave protégés embarked on a mission to rescue their abducted comrade, and close to that much time when their unexpected guest followed their tracks. The kindhearted Matron has very little doubt - if any - on these young warriors' fighting capabilities. She knows that they can easily prevail over most combat situations.
But this one is not 'most combat situations'. Edea almost regretted why she ever spent all those times studying the planet's history in conjunction with her extensive research on magic, in her effort to find a way to rid herself of the curse of being a sorceress. She wields huge amounts of knowledge about Vesta, the vile and nearly all-powerful entity who vainly waged war against Hyne in seeking to gain absolute control of the universe. Unlike the overbearing and impertinent Ultimecia, Vesta is a craftier and more calculating combatant, whose dogged pursuit for the dramatics is surpassed only by her insidious penchant to undermine her opponents' prowess and nibble through their capabilities prior to staging an up-close and personal encounter. And her cunning has already exacted heavy losses among the ranks of the youthful gladiators: Xu, Nida, and especially the GFs. To make matters worse, an unexpected twist of fate likewise removed their reinforcement from the picture. Siegfried, with his mastery of the mythical Soul Hunter, would have been a most formidable ally.
It's like deja vu. As with the struggle against the future-based sorceress, it's again down to the six of them. Possibly ten, if the additional personnel could make it to the battlefield on time. But frankly, Edea is scared. She's fearful of the SeeDs' chances of prevailing over this greater threat. Chances that she's not even sure if it exists at all. Of course, Squall and his crew are not the same as before. They're now more mature and vastly more experienced. But they will not be fighting a sorceress this time around. They'll be up against a spiteful yet tactically adept demigod whose hellish powers can just as effortlessly wipe them all out.
The benevolent Matron's musing was interrupted when Cid walked in the office.
"Just got off the phone with President Loire." Her husband wearily remarked. "He's asking about Siegfried in the off-chance that he went here."
"'Went here'?" Edea retorted with a puzzled look. "Why? What happened?"
"Seems he escaped from the hospital and stole a VX class space shuttle. Three guesses on what he intends to do."
Squall cautiously touched one foot on the slab of stone wedged between the two platforms. It didn't budge. More than a year ago when he stepped on this same slab, it levitated, in the process denying him entrance to the heavy wooden door right in front of it. He wondered what exactly was behind those doors. Now, it seems someone wants him to find out.
"I have a feeling we'll find what we're looking for inside there."
"So what are we waiting for?" a pensive Irvine voiced out. "Let's get in there and give 'em hell!"
The door exploded with a deafening blast after the gunslinger unloaded a round of Demolition Ammo. Through the razed portal, five intrepid gladiators cautiously made their way into the dank and spacious chamber. The stale air was immensely heavy and reeked with the smell of decaying matter. But that hardly mattered at all for the adamant SeeDs, especially after they caught sight of the radiant yellow death-beam shining down on the stage where two helpless figures were chained on a pair of fissure-riddled rock pillars.
"Selphie!!!" Irvine yelled as he rushed toward his shackled teammate. He was nevertheless stunned when an invisible wall of force suddenly repelled him. "Shit! A barrier!"
"She's my toy now. You wish to take her back? You'd have to go through me first." A contemptuous voice echoed within the vast chamber. The young warriors abruptly turned to the sight of the lofty Vesta and her equally baneful associate, Tengu. "Of course, it's not like your meager abilities would be enough to defeat me. Prepare to meet oblivion."
"What? No speech? And to think I came prepared with a pen and a scrapbook." Zell remarked condescendingly.
"Do not liken me to that arrogant witch you conquered." Vesta snidely retorted. "She was a fool, thinking she can easily wipe you out just like that. I, on the other hand, have already defeated you. And you don't even have the slightest cognizance that you're already vanquished."
Suddenly, a mighty tremor shook the sturdy foundation where the five headstrong SeeDs stood. The ground then gave way to the earthquake, cracking open violently as the warriors lost their footings and fell into the wide fissures. Just as quickly as it opened, the fissures began to close, trapping the hapless SeeDs inside its hungry crevices. Vesta smugly crossed her arms when the ground completely consumed her adversaries.
But then, the concrete embankment again began to shake and split open through Rinoa's sheer force of will, as she exerted tremendous effort in telekinetically forcing the fissures to open, freeing herself and her friends. Ignoring the horrendous near-death experience, the obstinate warriors once again assumed their battle stance in front of the despicable witch.
"Hmm, impressive. I almost forgot about the sorceress among your ranks." Vesta echoed before gesturing to the Ogre-Bat. "I grow bored of these proceedings. Tengu, would you be so kind as to exterminate these insects."
Tengu immediately showed his obedience by unleashing a Fire Breath attack against the five fighters. But not before they managed to cast Protect spells upon themselves, which consequently reduced the brunt of the raging attack. A fierce exchange then ensued between the quintet and the Ogre-Bat, turning the enclosed anteroom into a hellish battlefield battered by a flurry of powerful attack magic that pummeled both sides. Though unwilling to yield, Squall and his comrades where nevertheless easily outgunned by Tengu's superior power and stamina, even though Quistis managed to slightly tip the odds with a timely Mighty Guard summon.
"My next move shall be my last, accursed bugs." The Ogre-Bat yelled before levitating. Thin beams of dark-orange light blasted from the Demon Rod and painted a winding pattern on the smoldering ground. But before it unleashed the deathly Megido Flame, the concrete floor reversed with a sudden volcanic eruption which spewed red-hot magma on the hovering monster and sent his fiery form ricocheting against the ceiling before crashing violently on the fissured pavement. Startled by the unexpected reversal, the SeeDs caught sight of the one responsible. Behind them, the wounded Siegfried Waller stood, visibly weak but ready to fight as he clutched the mystical Soul Hunter with both hands.
"You're late!" Quistis shot out, her face flashing a mix of exhaustion and relief.
"Sorry, back pains." He quipped back with a weary smile before turning serious once again. "You guys rescue Selphie and leave this overgrown fruit bat to me."
"Hrrr! You dare challenge me, human? Are you really that tired of living?" Growled the indignant Tengu, furious after being humiliated by Siegfried's surprise attack."
"What are you, a villain from a cheap action movie? Cut the chatter and let's get on with it!"
Enraged, Tengu quickly got up and charged headlong toward the enigmatic warrior. But another elemental summons by Siegfried pummeled the Ogre-Bat anew with a forceful blast of wind that knocked him violently against a pile of rock columns. Siegfried didn't waste any time and quickly rushed toward the fallen monster. Battle staff whirling in his hands, the former Esthar soldier leapt mightily into the air - a soaring maneuver that ended with a lightning-quick strike on the beast's lateral nerve cluster that instantly incapacitated the helpless Ogre-Bat.
"AWESOME!!!" Zell reacted as he watched Tengu's limp body crashing face-first on the floor. It has always been a fascination for him, but he never thought the experience to be this overwhelming upon seeing the debilitating Soul Crush maneuver in action.
Meanwhile, a displeased Vesta momentarily gazed irately on the fallen Ogre-Bat before turning her wrathful glare on the six warriors. The crimson-garbed witch then raised her right hand to strike Selphie with a Fira spell. The defenseless girl can't do anything but writhe in a mix of pain and frustration.
"Selphie!!!" the SeeDs simultaneously hollered. Irvine angrily flipped on the semi-auto switch of the Exeter and aimed straight on Vesta's face. "Touch her again and I swear...!"
"You'll swear what?" she snapped back provokingly. "What? You'll kill me? You'll punish me for my bad deeds? You know, why not do just that? I'm being bad. I'm being naughty! Punish me! Smite me with your righteous wrath, mighty enemies. That is... if you can."
Squall knew that Vesta was trying to provoke them to attack her head-on, most possibly to lure them into a trap the same way she did their GFs. But the SeeD commander likewise realized that further hesitations just might cost Selphie her life. The muscle on his jaws tensed in a mixture of apprehension and fury as he decided to rally his crew to one final assault.
"Don't hold back, guys! It's now or never!"
The chamber illuminated with aurum brilliance as the warriors concurrently cast Aura on themselves. However, the golden glow became tainted with crimson impurity when Squall's Aura spell emanated a weird, bright red radiance. Hardly noticing the anomaly, Irvine immediately aimed for the enemy while switching his rifle to armor-piercing mode. But before he could pull the trigger, the verdant glow of the Lionheart obscured his aim when it struck the platinum barrel of the Exeter.
"What the... what do you think you're doing, Squall?!?" Irvine furiously turned on their commander, only to be astonished when he noticed Squall's wickedly squinting eyes: it's glazed, a hellish red hue covering the whole of his eyes as if a furnace is burning right inside his head. The gunslinger reeled back in confused horror while his teammates consequently took notice of the anomaly.
"Squall... what's happening to you?" a terrified Rinoa echoed.
Tucking the gunblade aside, the SeeD commander flashed a grin that bordered on the diabolical while staring disdainfully at his dumbfounded teammates one by one before bellowing a sinister guffaw.
"You're all so pitiful." He began. "We all are. Pretending to be the righteous protectors of the world, we never realized that the demons plaguing this planet are in fact coming from inside our selfish and self-centered hearts."
"What... what are you talking about..?" Quistis reluctantly retorted.
"Stop feigning that pathetic look of naiveté, Quistis! You know damn well what I'm talking about. Or... perhaps you're vaunted intelligence had been seriously dulled by all the times you vainly basked on the falsely blissful moments of your trysts with that hypocrite!" Squall snarled back, throwing a scornful look at the grim-faced Siegfried. "Do we really believe that we're doing all these to defend those who cannot defend themselves? Do we all seriously and sincerely subscribe to that pretentious precept?"
"Squall... you're not exactly yourself right n..."
"OF COURSE I'm not myself!" the visibly enthralled squad leader shot back at Irvine. "If I were I wouldn't pretend to be happy and content in the company of 'friends' such as yourselves. Especially YOU, Irvine!"
"What..?"
"Do you really believe that just because we all came from the same orphanage, we all belong with each other? That we're all fated to band together?" Squall then stepped closer to the gunslinger, which made the latter take a couple of steps back in anxious perplexity. "Do you really believe that together, we can take on anyone and anything? How is that possible when you don't even believe in yourself?... ... ... Remember? You can't even accomplish the simplest task of pulling the trigger of that sniper rifle."
"But... I told you... I knew she was Matron... that's why I can't do it."
"Of course you do. Only goes to show that you don't deserve to be a SeeD. If ordered, a SeeD is expected to kill even his own mother. But I'm not telling you something you don't already know."
"Now that's just a crock of sh..."
"Sounds horrible, doesn't it, Zell. We can't choose our enemies. How about you? How'd it feel like if you were given an order to murder your own family?"
"Leave my family out of this, Squall." Zell's face began to grow dark with disdain. He was nevertheless reminded of their commander's unusual condition when Rinoa held him tight by the arms.
"Oh, of course. I forgot about my gorgeous girlfriend." Squall chuckled. "The extremely attractive and irresistible Rinoa Heartilly."
"Squall..." Rinoa trailed off, wary of what her hexed lover will utter next.
"You sorry wench! Don't even think that I can't see through your mask... ... ... You're taking me for a fool if you think I don't know that you still yearn to be wrapped around that bastard's arms!"
"That... that's not true..."
"Oh sh'yeah! How far have you gone? How deep have you immersed yourself into Seifer's ridiculous visions? How adamant will you be in denying the fact that you only USED ME to get over some pathetic obsession after you were disenchanted by that deranged idiot's 'romantic dreams'?!?"
"Stop it! Just STOP IT!!!" Rinoa cried out with warm tears freely flowing down her anguished face. "You know damn well how many times I'd give my life for you! Don't you DARE accuse me of these baseless insinuations as if what happened between us meant nothing to you!"
"Easy, Rinoa." Quistis immediately interjected. "Squall's being controlled by Vesta."
"Maybe I am being controlled. But who cares? At least I got to see through all your... our hypocritical posturing, and therefore I now can do something about it." Squall shot back as he eyed the instructor intently. "Like, I finally realized, Quistis. I really should have chosen you over Rinoa. Can you ever find it in your heart to take me back?"
Without warning, Squall grabbed Quistis by the arm and forcibly pulled her toward him, smothering her with a fiery kiss on the lips that totally consumed the startled instructor. Quistis felt like melting, her whole being hopelessly enraptured by this single scene she had been picturing in her mind for as long as she can remember. Her arms flailed reluctantly, but not in an attempt to struggle. More like they were being torn between resisting her fleshly desires and welcoming the moment of passion. As Quistis' eyes gradually closed, Rinoa, on the other hand, turned her head away. Though aware that Squall is not in his right mind at the moment, she still can't bear to look at the figure of her lover engaged in a flaming moment with another woman.
Suddenly, the instructor's eyes opened after she was struck by an abrupt realization. "No... this is not Squall!!!" her mind screamed as she vehemently tried to push herself away from the bewitched SeeD commander. Deciding that he's seen enough, Siegfried finally decided to run to her aid.
"Let go of her!" the former pacifist hollered while trying to pry Squall's arms off Quistis. He was then met by a staggering impact on the head when Squall turned on him with a powerful blow from the Lionheart's handle.
"He's out of control! Grab him!" Irvine yelled. Together with Zell, he attempted to wrestle Squall to the ground. But even after Siegfried joined the fray, they found the task surprisingly difficult as the force possessing Squall's mind likewise seemed to have augmented his strength.
"Ha ha ha ha! Look at these wretched scoundrels. Doing my job for me by fighting amongst themselves. What an amusing sight!" Vesta ecstatically blurted. Her revelry was momentarily interrupted by a soft voice from behind her.
"Have I done well, my lady?"
Vesta turned at the sight of a curly-topped old woman, one whom Selphie recognized as the proprietor of the small pub in Winhill. Though bearing an outward appearance of utter gentleness, the aged hag flashed a sinister hue in her eyes as she adoringly paid tribute to her spiteful mistress.
"Yes, Lucresia. Very well indeed. Tainting the mightiest SeeD's Aura spell with your enthralling formula was a masterstroke. Rest assured, my loyal subject. For this deed, you shall be the highest of the high priestesses that will forever share in my glorious reign." The demigod echoed while turning her attention once more to her disheveled opponents.
"Argghh!!!" an embattled Zell cried out after Squall hit his Ehrgeiz-covered fists with his gunblade. "Squall! You gotta snap out of it!"
But the SeeD commander appeared to have totally abandoned his charge, landing a solid kick on his beleaguered comrade that sent him careening beyond the splintered doorway. Squall was about to lunge on the fallen Zell when Irvine came from behind to knock him down. As the two struggling SeeDs rolled away, a familiar voice reverberated from behind Zell.
"Never knew that idiot Squall to be a back-stabbing S.O.B."
Zell turned to the source of the voice, who grabbed him by the arm and helped him pick himself up.
"YOU?!? What in freakin' hell are you doing here?"
"What do you think? I'm here to save your rat-ass, Chicken-wuss!"