Chapter Twenty-One
A gust of wind disturbed the century of dust in the Temple of the Creation, as the knights stepped out of the interval. Squall couldn't help but remember the last time he had been here, in search of Odin, a powerful ally to aid him in the war against Ultimecia. Squall glanced at Seifer and grimaced in remembrance. Odin hadn't been powerful enough.
"Okay, we're here." Gilgamesh's voice broke into Squall's reverie. "It's too much to hope they don't know we're here…."
"You're right Gilgamesh, it is too much to hope." They looked up to see Seoman coming down the steps to the courtyard. The black armoured knight grinned slightly. "We've been expecting you."
***
Hyne moved through Time and Space, knowing only that somewhere there was a threat. The last time this had happened was when he felt his weapons killed, but this was different, somehow. This was personal.
He slowed down as he neared the place, and smiled grimly. Of course. It could only be her.
***
"What do you mean you've been expecting us? You knew we'd come after Rinoa?" Squall demanded.
Seoman smiled again, condescendingly, an ancient teacher speaking to a young and hasty pupil. "Rinoa was just…convenient. You would have been drawn here anyway. The time is at hand."
"What time?" Seifer asked, slowly drawing his Hyperion.
"Why, the time of change of course. But she will tell you more, as she understands it much better than I do. It was my idea, but she took it and ran with it." Seoman threw his head back and laughed maniacally at some great joke. "Yes, she ran with it alright. But the running is nearly over."
Gilgamesh shook his head slowly. "Poor Seoman. Quite mad, after all these years."
Seoman turned to look at Gilgamesh, and his calm exterior was gone now. His face was twisted into the face of an animal. "Mad?! Who could last all these years without going mad?! Who could lose a sorceress without going mad?! Only someone with a heart as cold as Hyne himself, eh Gilgamesh?! Of course I'm mad! Everything was taken away! Everything!" With a great effort, Seoman pulled himself back together. "Now, come with me. Otherwise, there may be…unpleasantness with the sorceress."
"If you've done anything to hurt Rinoa, by the gods…" Squall hissed.
Gilgamesh put a restraining hand on him. "Come on Squall. That's not going to help her."
Squall nodded and sheathed his gunblade. Seifer kept his bare. Seoman just shrugged. "If you would follow me."
***
"So…I wondered long ago what that vision meant. I never thought I would see it become flesh, or spend my life fighting against it." Natoli walked round the small room, her eyes fixed on Rinoa.
Rinoa struggled against her bond. "What…are you talking about?"
"You of course. You have a great destiny ahead of you." She smiled. "Or at least you would have done. You're the Angel."
Rinoa glared at her. "You're insane. Just another insane sorceress. SeeD will kill you, as well."
Natoli laughed, and Rinoa struggled again. "Ah, you have Savil's fire as well. Darling child, did it ever occur to you that the worst place to be a sorceress is to serve in an order dedicated to wiping them out?"
Rinoa said nothing.
"Ah, so it didn't. Well, your precious SeeD will soon be obsolete as well. I will do what they couldn't."
"They're here." Seoman's voice came, and Natoli turned to see the knights.
"Natoli?" Gilgamesh said hoarsely.
Natoli looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry Gilgamesh. I tried to spare you this. Seoman would have been much easier."
"Natoli…what are you doing?"
Natoli looked at him again, tear welling in her eyes. "I'm doing what we failed to do millenia ago. I will erase every last trace of Hyne from this world."
"But…."
"I am dying anyway Gilgamesh. No one can stand this much power. It burns me up inside every day, and I wish only to be rid of it. Seoman will sacrifice himself, and so, will they or nil they, will these." Her gesture took in Rinoa, Squall, and Seifer. "And so will you Gilgamesh, if you are still willing to sacrifice yourself to be with me."
Gilgamesh said nothing, as the moon shone down through the shattered towers.
A gust of wind disturbed the century of dust in the Temple of the Creation, as the knights stepped out of the interval. Squall couldn't help but remember the last time he had been here, in search of Odin, a powerful ally to aid him in the war against Ultimecia. Squall glanced at Seifer and grimaced in remembrance. Odin hadn't been powerful enough.
"Okay, we're here." Gilgamesh's voice broke into Squall's reverie. "It's too much to hope they don't know we're here…."
"You're right Gilgamesh, it is too much to hope." They looked up to see Seoman coming down the steps to the courtyard. The black armoured knight grinned slightly. "We've been expecting you."
***
Hyne moved through Time and Space, knowing only that somewhere there was a threat. The last time this had happened was when he felt his weapons killed, but this was different, somehow. This was personal.
He slowed down as he neared the place, and smiled grimly. Of course. It could only be her.
***
"What do you mean you've been expecting us? You knew we'd come after Rinoa?" Squall demanded.
Seoman smiled again, condescendingly, an ancient teacher speaking to a young and hasty pupil. "Rinoa was just…convenient. You would have been drawn here anyway. The time is at hand."
"What time?" Seifer asked, slowly drawing his Hyperion.
"Why, the time of change of course. But she will tell you more, as she understands it much better than I do. It was my idea, but she took it and ran with it." Seoman threw his head back and laughed maniacally at some great joke. "Yes, she ran with it alright. But the running is nearly over."
Gilgamesh shook his head slowly. "Poor Seoman. Quite mad, after all these years."
Seoman turned to look at Gilgamesh, and his calm exterior was gone now. His face was twisted into the face of an animal. "Mad?! Who could last all these years without going mad?! Who could lose a sorceress without going mad?! Only someone with a heart as cold as Hyne himself, eh Gilgamesh?! Of course I'm mad! Everything was taken away! Everything!" With a great effort, Seoman pulled himself back together. "Now, come with me. Otherwise, there may be…unpleasantness with the sorceress."
"If you've done anything to hurt Rinoa, by the gods…" Squall hissed.
Gilgamesh put a restraining hand on him. "Come on Squall. That's not going to help her."
Squall nodded and sheathed his gunblade. Seifer kept his bare. Seoman just shrugged. "If you would follow me."
***
"So…I wondered long ago what that vision meant. I never thought I would see it become flesh, or spend my life fighting against it." Natoli walked round the small room, her eyes fixed on Rinoa.
Rinoa struggled against her bond. "What…are you talking about?"
"You of course. You have a great destiny ahead of you." She smiled. "Or at least you would have done. You're the Angel."
Rinoa glared at her. "You're insane. Just another insane sorceress. SeeD will kill you, as well."
Natoli laughed, and Rinoa struggled again. "Ah, you have Savil's fire as well. Darling child, did it ever occur to you that the worst place to be a sorceress is to serve in an order dedicated to wiping them out?"
Rinoa said nothing.
"Ah, so it didn't. Well, your precious SeeD will soon be obsolete as well. I will do what they couldn't."
"They're here." Seoman's voice came, and Natoli turned to see the knights.
"Natoli?" Gilgamesh said hoarsely.
Natoli looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry Gilgamesh. I tried to spare you this. Seoman would have been much easier."
"Natoli…what are you doing?"
Natoli looked at him again, tear welling in her eyes. "I'm doing what we failed to do millenia ago. I will erase every last trace of Hyne from this world."
"But…."
"I am dying anyway Gilgamesh. No one can stand this much power. It burns me up inside every day, and I wish only to be rid of it. Seoman will sacrifice himself, and so, will they or nil they, will these." Her gesture took in Rinoa, Squall, and Seifer. "And so will you Gilgamesh, if you are still willing to sacrifice yourself to be with me."
Gilgamesh said nothing, as the moon shone down through the shattered towers.
