Chapter Twenty-Two
Squall looked at Gilgamesh worriedly. The Knight was just standing there, poleaxed. "Gilgamesh?"
Gilgamesh, voice numb with shock, said distantly, "Squall, this is Natoli. My sorceress. Natoli, this is Squall Leonhart…"
"Thank you Gilgamesh, but myself, Knight Squall and Knight Seifer have already met, long ago."
Seifer frowned, struggling to wrest one of his memories from the Guardian Forces in his mind. "The orphanage…you'd come from…Galbadia…to see Matron. You stormed out?"
A ripple of anger spoiled Natoli's composure, but she recovered quickly. "She wasn't willing to give up her powers. So I had to wait, till the time I prophesied. The time when the combined power of Savil's gift came to you three children. I do hope you'll have the good grace to give it up."
As the power of her voice swept out over him, Squall hears the sense in her words. He could see how it would be, almost as if he was just watching a film. He'd give his power to this beautiful woman, he, Seifer and Rinoa, and they'd sacrifice themselves. The world would be free again, free of the taint that was in them all. Everyone would be free…
"Not…bloody…likely." Seifer's voice seemed to come from far away, but it broke the spell Natoli had cast over Squall. His mind clouded by the remnants of the spell, his instincts took hold.
The Lionheart came up, and he charged toward Natoli, aiming for the neck. His finger tightened on the trigger. He judged the slash, aiming for the neck…
He was flung across the room. He felt the wall against his back, and the cold stone of his floor against his legs. He saw a shape across the other side of the room, white and red…Seifer. 'Well, at least he got it as well,' was his last thought as he slid into unconsciousness.
***
"Natoli…."
Natoli looked up from the two Knights laid sprawled on the floor. "Yes Gilgamesh?"
"Natoli…" the Knight seemed to be struggling with something. "Natoli, don't do this"
Natoli looked at him, confused. "But I have to Gilgamesh. Don't you see that?"
"Natoli, please. I hate to see you like this…"
"Like what?"
"I thought you were stronger than this. I didn't think…I never thought the power would corrupt you…"
"But that's why I've got to be rid of it, don't you see? So it doesn't corrupt anyone."
"Natoli…" Gilgamesh drew the Masamune slowly "Don't make me do this. Please."
"Do what?"
"Natoli…I've always kept my oath, and I never regretted it. But I can't do this. I can't sheathe when you say sheathe. My oaths as a knight…I can't let you do this." Gilgamesh charged, bought his sword up.
[b]CLANG![/b]
The Masamune met a great black broadsword.
"You've already killed one of my sorceresses Gilgamesh. I'll not let you kill another."
"Your sorceress?"
The Masamune came up again and Seoman flicked it aside. Gilgamesh ducked, bringing the long sword in at knee height. Seoman parried again, and Gilgamesh leapt back.
"Well, Seoman. Call yourself a knight? One sorceress dead, the other mad."
Seoman snarled and rushed toward Gilgamesh, bringing his broadsword up. Gilgamesh parried and answered with a slash of his own, grazing Seoman.
"Dead because of you Gilgamesh. Mad because of Hyne. And soon both of you will be dead."
Seoman circled, but stumbled. Gilgamesh leapt upon him, and bought the Masamune down on his neck. There was a sickening crunching of steel against bone.
"Seoman…I'm sorry friend."
Gilgamesh looked up to see Natoli staring at the sky, a rapturous look on her beautiful face. "It's time. The time of change. The time of ending. It's nearly over.
Squall looked at Gilgamesh worriedly. The Knight was just standing there, poleaxed. "Gilgamesh?"
Gilgamesh, voice numb with shock, said distantly, "Squall, this is Natoli. My sorceress. Natoli, this is Squall Leonhart…"
"Thank you Gilgamesh, but myself, Knight Squall and Knight Seifer have already met, long ago."
Seifer frowned, struggling to wrest one of his memories from the Guardian Forces in his mind. "The orphanage…you'd come from…Galbadia…to see Matron. You stormed out?"
A ripple of anger spoiled Natoli's composure, but she recovered quickly. "She wasn't willing to give up her powers. So I had to wait, till the time I prophesied. The time when the combined power of Savil's gift came to you three children. I do hope you'll have the good grace to give it up."
As the power of her voice swept out over him, Squall hears the sense in her words. He could see how it would be, almost as if he was just watching a film. He'd give his power to this beautiful woman, he, Seifer and Rinoa, and they'd sacrifice themselves. The world would be free again, free of the taint that was in them all. Everyone would be free…
"Not…bloody…likely." Seifer's voice seemed to come from far away, but it broke the spell Natoli had cast over Squall. His mind clouded by the remnants of the spell, his instincts took hold.
The Lionheart came up, and he charged toward Natoli, aiming for the neck. His finger tightened on the trigger. He judged the slash, aiming for the neck…
He was flung across the room. He felt the wall against his back, and the cold stone of his floor against his legs. He saw a shape across the other side of the room, white and red…Seifer. 'Well, at least he got it as well,' was his last thought as he slid into unconsciousness.
***
"Natoli…."
Natoli looked up from the two Knights laid sprawled on the floor. "Yes Gilgamesh?"
"Natoli…" the Knight seemed to be struggling with something. "Natoli, don't do this"
Natoli looked at him, confused. "But I have to Gilgamesh. Don't you see that?"
"Natoli, please. I hate to see you like this…"
"Like what?"
"I thought you were stronger than this. I didn't think…I never thought the power would corrupt you…"
"But that's why I've got to be rid of it, don't you see? So it doesn't corrupt anyone."
"Natoli…" Gilgamesh drew the Masamune slowly "Don't make me do this. Please."
"Do what?"
"Natoli…I've always kept my oath, and I never regretted it. But I can't do this. I can't sheathe when you say sheathe. My oaths as a knight…I can't let you do this." Gilgamesh charged, bought his sword up.
[b]CLANG![/b]
The Masamune met a great black broadsword.
"You've already killed one of my sorceresses Gilgamesh. I'll not let you kill another."
"Your sorceress?"
The Masamune came up again and Seoman flicked it aside. Gilgamesh ducked, bringing the long sword in at knee height. Seoman parried again, and Gilgamesh leapt back.
"Well, Seoman. Call yourself a knight? One sorceress dead, the other mad."
Seoman snarled and rushed toward Gilgamesh, bringing his broadsword up. Gilgamesh parried and answered with a slash of his own, grazing Seoman.
"Dead because of you Gilgamesh. Mad because of Hyne. And soon both of you will be dead."
Seoman circled, but stumbled. Gilgamesh leapt upon him, and bought the Masamune down on his neck. There was a sickening crunching of steel against bone.
"Seoman…I'm sorry friend."
Gilgamesh looked up to see Natoli staring at the sky, a rapturous look on her beautiful face. "It's time. The time of change. The time of ending. It's nearly over.
