Chapter Twelve
In which a few People learn something of the Threat to the Planet, Hateguise gets its Ass handed to it, and Mercas prepares for the Fulfillment of his Plan

Pandora, Reeve and Beatrix stood on the path that led directly to the giant stone temple in the center of the island. They stood and listened to the various noises of the island. Birds called, and off in the distance a large animal roared. Pandora nodded toward it. "Another reason this island didn't rise from the sea." The three explorers began to advance towards the center of the island.

Pandora pulled her sketchpad out and sketched the general shape of the island as she saw it from the boat, then detailed their trek inwards. It was rather uneventful. She was just wishing for something to enliven it when the path veered around a rock outcropping and stopped. The path stopped at a great chasm that blocked their advance. The cleft stretched down into darkness. Two rotting wooden posts on each side indicated that a bridge had stretched across the gap at one time, but had since fallen into disrepair and collapsed. Lower down, great tree roots crossed the abyss at intervals. A roar sounded from the depths. Reeve crouched and examined the chasm.

"We need some way to get across..." He stood and pulled a rope out of his backpack. "This rope looks long enough, but how to get it over there?"

Beatrix looked across. "Could you not use your telekinetics to tie it around yon tree?"

Reeve shrugged. "Unfortunately, my powers are geared more toward violent thrusts and throws. I could tie it to a dagger and fling that into the tree, but there's no guarantee it would hold..."

Pandora stepped to the edge of the canyon and looked down into the depths. "I guess climbing down and back up is out..." She turned. "Hand me the rope." She tied one end of the rope to a tree on their side of the canyon, then tied the rope around her waist and stepped to the edge. She raised a hand and sighted at the opposite edge of the chasm.

"Vault Beam!" A golden beam leapt from her hand and landed on the rim of the abyss. She leaped into the air and was drawn forward by the beam. She landed safely on the opposite side, pulled the rope taut, and tied it to a tree. She turned and looked at the other two, who stood and gaped at her. "Come on! We don't have all day!"

Beatrix made sure the Save The Queen was securely fastened in its sheath, and then began to crawl across the rope. She paused for a moment in the center to catch her breath, hanging onto the rope with arms and legs. She soon reached the opposite side, and stood to wait for Reeve.

Reeve looked down into the chasm and gulped. He had never been all that good with heights. He carefully gripped the rope and began crawling across. His knuckles tightened on the rope as another roar came from the depths. He swallowed hard and continued inching his way across. His palms were growing slick with sweat. One hand slipped off the rope, and he tightened his legs on the rope. He gradually returned his hand to the rope and resumed his slow journey. His heart beat loudly in his ears, drowning out a roar from the depths. After what seemed like an eternity, he reached the opposite side. Beatrix and Pandora helped him onto the bank, where he lay for a moment, gasping.

"There… that… wasn't… so hard…"

Pandora looked into the depths. "But what is making those roaring noises?"

Beatrix shook her head. "Whatever it is, I am unsure of whether we wish to encounter it at this point."

Reeve stood and looked up at the temple that loomed through the trees. "Let's hope we don't run into it. Right now, we need to be concerned with the temple. Let's go."

The three arrived at the temple without further mishap, although Reeve had pinned a Mu to a tree with a dagger when it squeaked suddenly. The entire island seemed to promote an air of unease, causing the three to grip their weapons more tightly and spend more time looking warily about.

The three stood at the base of the massive stone temple. Great granite steps, partially overgrown with vines and moss, stretched up to an opening roughly in the middle of the face. Large, ivy-covered humps stood at intervals along the stairs. Pandora cleared the ivy from one, revealing another of the ugly stone creatures. Another one farther up revealed itself to be a rather beautiful stone fish. A third lump turned into a bird, wings outstretched in flight. The fourth and final lump, near the top of the stair, was obviously a turtle. The three stood on the landing, looking up at the entrance to the temple. A cracked and worn carving over the door showed five indiscernable figures arrayed around a larger central figure.

Pandora quickly sketched the four stone animals and the carving. Warily the three approached the portal and peered into the gloom. Pandora formed her blade and held it up, the light from it allowing them to see a little way in. No danger seemed imminent. The three crept into the temple, weapons at the ready. Turning, Pandora spotted a large stone face on one wall. A relief was carved into the wall on one side of the face. Pandora held her blade close and read:

"Take heed, who enter unto this place,
For here is laid the curse of Peace.
Who raises hand against a man,
Shall find it returned to him apiece."

She straightened up and looked at the face and carving. She looked at the other two. "I'm stumped here. I've never seen anything about any curse of Peace..."

Beatrix stooped and examined the face and carving. "I might have heard something about it from one of the librarians at Alexandria Castle... Something about physical blows being returned to the instigator..." She was interrupted when a snake slithered out of the mouth of the stone face. She scurried backwards, letting out a cry of shock. Reeve stepped forward.

"I... hate... snakes!" He kicked at the snake, then yelped in pain, hopping on one foot. "Ow! Felt like someone kicked me in the shins..."

Pandora scooped up the snake and carried it outside. She returned a minute later, sans snake. "Weren't you listening, Reeve? Beatrix said physical blows would just hurt you." She turned to the darker depths of the temple. "We'll need some better light..." She left again, returning with three large sticks, which she lit with Fire spells. She chuckled, and handed one to each of the others. "Possibly the first recorded instance of a spell targeted on a piece of wood..."

The three ventured deeper into the gloom. A narrow passageway led off from the entrance hall. The three ventured along it until it widened into a large circular chamber. Four waist-high pedestals were arranged around the walls at equal distances. Another pedestal stood in the center of the room.

Pandora stepped into the room and stopped. A feeling of deja vu washed over her, and she dropped to one knee. Reeve rushed up to her.

"Are you all right?"

Pandora shrugged off his hand and stood. "Yes. Yes, I'm fine. I just... I feel like I've been here before..." She crouched again, wiping dust off the floor with a hand. Carved into the floor was more writing in the strange, poetic ancient language. She held her torch close and read.

"Now the path's been found and won,
Yet your journey's just begun.
To save the Planet, it is shown,
Bring the crystals to their home.
Five crystals lost, Five separate deeds,
To save the Planet when in need.
If you find you've gone astray,
Let these poems light your way."

She stood and looked about. "Crystals..."

Beatrix moved about, examining the pedestals. "There's writing on these, too. Pyro... Hydro... Aero... Terra... Umbra..."

Pandora moved to the nearest one.

"Fire Crystal-
Under magma, hot and surly,
Lies the Fire Crystal, surely.
You'll find it, it is spoken,
In the cave where pathways open."

The next:

"Water Crystal-
The Water Crystal, it is said,
Lies on the bottom of sea's bed.
To those who'll find it, let us say,
You'll find it once you're underway."

The next:

"Wind Crystal-
To find the Wind Crystal, so you know,
Look where icy winds can blow.
Find the peoples with no hair,
Then, my friend, you're halfway there."

The last one on the wall:

"Earth Crystal-
The fourth crystal yet to find,
Has a leafy state of mind.
In the midst of great dark green,
The Earthen Crystal can soon be seen."

She then moved to the one in the center. "Mmm? This one's a bit longer...

Shadow Crystal-
This lonely land awaits for you,
Heavily burdened with hearts untrue.
Darker than night can ever be,
This crystal good hearts can only see.
To touch this crystal you may detest,
But it's more powerful than all the rest."

She turned to the other two. "Well, this is interesting."

Beatrix looked at the tops of the pedestals. "There are indentations in the top of these pedestals... Could it be we need to find these crystals by deciphering these clues, and put them here?"

Pandora walked around the pedestal Reeve stood at, holding her chin in thought. "Possibly... If so, we'll need to figure these out..." She crouched. "Under magma, hot and surly..."

Reeve crouched next to her. "Hmm, only one place I know of has magma in it..."

"Right, the Balamb Fire Cavern. As for the rest... Well, let's not worry about them until we know if the Fire Crystal is where it says."

The three nodded and moved towards the entrance. Reeve looked out over the jungle. "It's getting dark. Maybe we should stay here for the night..." Pandora and Beatrix agreed and began setting up to camp inside the temple. Beatrix set up a tent, Reeve went to gather wood for a fire, and Pandora went hunting for food. Soon, the three sat roasting Wendigo steaks over a crackling fire on the forecourt of the temple. Reeve looked up at the moon, then down at the two ladies he was lucky enough to be sharing a tent with. A thought struck him. "Pandora?"

Pandora looked up from the meat she was cooking. "Mmm? What is it, Reeve?"

"Uh..." He scratched his head. "You seem to have... er... some rather special..."

"Oh, my powers. I was wondering when someone was going to ask that. I wasn't trying to hide it or anything..." She sat back and fell into her story-telling voice. "You see, I am... Well, maybe it would be better to start with Esthar. I was born in Esthar during the First Sorceress War. I was taken as part of the search for Adel's successor. I don't even know my real name or who my parents were, they took me so early. While they were running the standard Sorceress tests on me, they found I had a special power." She held up a hand. "Crystalline structures inside my tissues and blood could absorb and store energy. They are also capable of releasing the stored energy in bursts or a sustained form." Her blade formed in one hand. "My weapon is a construct of pure energy. It takes very little effort to form and use, plus I can imbue it with several elemental properties." She dissipated her blade and pulled her sleeve back. A number was tattooed in the crook of her elbow. "They used me as a test subject to try and find more people like me. They planned on using us as a special attack force to combat some of the secret weapons that Galbadia was supposedly developing. They dubbed us 'Crystal Knights'. The Crystal Knights. Hyne, how I hate that name. The mention of it causes my gorge to rise in my throat."

She pulled her Wendigo steak off the fire. "When I think of the test subjects who lost their lives because Esthar's scientists didn't know what they were dealing with..." She shuddered.

Beatrix looked at her. "Are... these powers... dangerous?"

Pandora arched an eyebrow. "Dangerous? Not to us. But the crystals inside us are very... temperamental. The scientists were looking for a way to transfer the power between people. They tried blood transfusions..." She shuddered and bit into her meat. She looked up again. "Have either of you witnessed spontaneous combustion?" Beatrix and Reeve both shook their heads. "It's not pretty... or quick." She pointed into the fire. "Better take those steaks out, or they'll burn."

They ate in silence. When they finished, Beatrix yawned and stretched. Pandora stood. "Let's get some sleep. No telling what the morrow will bring..." The two headed into the temple, leaving Reeve outside. He looked up at the stars.

"Crystal Knights? Huh." He shrugged, kicked dirt over the fire, and headed inside. The two ladies were already snuggled deep under blankets. Reeve pulled his own blanket over himself and fell asleep, only waking twice: When Beatrix started snoring, and when Pandora got up to roll Beatrix onto her side.

* * *

Pandora sat up and looked around. She was sitting in the tent, her companions asleep beside her. She rose slowly and exited the tent. She moved deeper into the temple. An eldritch light filled the temple as she walked deeper inward. She entered the room with the five pedestals. A column of light hovered over each one. Red. Blue. Yellow. Green. Black. She walked on, into a hall beyond. A sheet of fire roared up ahead of her, then died. She passed it to be confronted by a barrier of bubbling water. It, too, parted to let her pass. A blast of wind crossed the hall in front of her, dying as she approached. Her pace did not slacken as a wall of greenery appeared in the hall ahead. Its leaves shrivelled and the vines wound out of her way. A sheet of inky blackness stretched across her path. She stepped toward it. The barrier bulged away from her as she approached, giving way grudgingly. It bulged and bulged, finally splitting and falling away to either side of her. She stepped through into the chamber beyond.

Chime.

"Here I am."

Chime.

"What? More?"

Chime.

"Heroes? You mean...?"

Chime. Chime.

"Really? A... new evil?"

Chime.

"Who?"

Chime.

"You don't know? But aren't you..."

Chime. Chime. Chime.

"Ohhh..."

Chime.

"I- I'll try..."

Chime. Tinkle. SQUEAK!

A dark splotch appeared at one edge of the crystal, and Pandora's vision faded out, to be replaced by an image of the face from her first dream. A sound intruded, sounding like someone passing a saw across a sheet of metal. She sat up...

And realized it was Beatrix snoring. She stood up, rolled Beatrix onto her side, and went back to sleep.

* * *

Mercas grinned and slapped his throne maker on the back. "Well done! This is truly a worthy throne for the Emperor of The Dark!" He surveyed his new seat of power.

The throne was constructed from the bones and flesh of the slaves that had huddled in fear in the corner of his throne room. Their bones formed the main framework, with eyeless, skin-covered skulls forming a headrest and decoration. The seat, back and arms were well padded with muscles and skin. Spikes and bones protruded from the back, forming a gruesome decoration. A dark crystal was gripped in a crown of hands, as if the bodies within the chair were striving upwards, hoping the dark crystal would give them salvation. To top it off, the throne itself was alive, bent to the horrific will and magic of the throne maker. It would obey the will of Mercas, Lord and Master.

Mercas climbed the steps to his dais and lowered his weight onto his macabre throne. The muscles twitched and set up a steady massage. Mercas laughed. "Ah, yes... You have done well, servant. Allow me to reward you."

The throne maker gulped. Lord Mercas' rewards were often worse than his punishments. At least when he punished you, you died eventually. He bowed his head and waited for Lord Mercas' judgement.

Lord Mercas drew the sword that hung at his side. The sword was named Caustic Flame, the evil blade of the dark warrior Golbez. Mercas pointed his sword at the throne maker. "Turn around. Face the door."

The throne maker turned slowly. Mercas laughed and unleashed a beam of vile green energy at the hapless throne maker. The man was pushed forward into the door. The beam never let up its unyielding pressure, forcing the matter of the doors to part around the body. A scream echoed through the halls of the Castle of Despair.

Mercas raised his sword. Ice-cold green steam dripped from it. Mercas had given his throne maker an indescribable honor. The man was now a guardian of his castle for all eternity. His screaming face protruded from the doors on the other side, and his hands, clutching at air, extended out in the same manner. Mercas smiled as the man trapped in the doors struggled. "Relax! You'll have plenty of time to settle in. You shall be a new guardian for my throne room in case those pesky Heroes come here. Consider yourself honored." The man was indeed honored. His form was reinforced with the black metal of the doors. His strength was such that he could crush a man in a moment.

Mercas laughed. He liked to recycle. He had garnered that particular design from an ancient temple in one of his conquered worlds. He looked up as a fresh batch of slaves was herded into his throne room for his entertainment. A birdlike figure followed them. Mercas grinned. "At last, the captain of my fighters is here! Slaves! Bring my war table!" Five slaves struggled in under the weight of an immense bone table. Two chairs came with it, and a map of this world was unfurled across the tabletop. Mercas and his captain sat on either side of the table.

Mercas studied his captain carefully. He was dressed all in black with red accents. A ragged black cape flowed down his back, with slits through which his ebon-feathered wings extended. Beady yellow eyes stood above a sharp beak on a tight, yellow-skinned face. The creature was a tengu, a strange hybrid of bird and man. They had evolved into a fierce warrior culture on one of the conquered worlds, which Mercas noticed and used to his advantage. He had assimilated the tengu into his ranks, and they now headed his invasion forces. Tengu were trained with a sword from hatching until adulthood. Those tengu who could not defend themselves died early. On all-human worlds, the tengu inspired fear in their targets. On mixed-species worlds, they were odd enough to cause a freeze reaction in most instead of the normal flight or fight.

The captain of Mercas' troops was a tengu named Enkido. Enkido had learned that the fastest way to rise in the ranks was to follow Lord Mercas' orders to the letter. He did as Mercas ordered out of respect, not fear. His kind rarely felt fear. Now Enkido studied the map with his Lord.

Mercas studied the map and addressed Enkido. "Are all your arriors assembled and ready?"

Enkido nodded. "Aye, Lord. All but Goble. He has not returned." Goble was a young tengu who had not yet learned the wisdom to keep silent. His hand had been severed when he dared to talk back to a Venerable Master. He had used his handicap to his advantage by having a hook grafted onto his arm, which he used in combination with his blade to slip through his enemies' guard and disembowel them.

Mercas looked thoughtful. "Indeed? Kill him when you see him next." He ran his hand across the map. He drew a dagger and stabbed downward. The tip of the blade pierced a dot on the map. "There is our first target. A centrally located harbor town. It shall be excellent practice for warfare in this world." He stood and moved back to his throne. "Go prepare your warriors and await The Signal."

Enkido bowed and moved off a short way. "If it is not too much trouble, Lord... What is The Signal?"

Mercas laughed. "Enkido, your curiosity will be your death one day. I shall know The Signal when I see it."

Enkido bowed again and left the throne room. His Lord was most definitely insane. Hopefully he would not take the worlds with him when he destroyed himself.

Mercas grinned and looked at the map as his captain exited. The dagger pierced the point of the town like a sword through a body. He smiled. With one gesture, he had issued the death warrant for an entire town. He looked at the name of the town. Balamb.

* * *

Hateguise glared balefully at the six puny humans that arrayed themselves in front of it. Feline demi-human, man armed with sword, and man armed with baseball bat on its right, girl with gunarm, martial artist, and Quistis-clone on its left.

Its basic programming went like this:

1) Destroy All Opposition.

It began to act on this program. Its arms raised in front of it, palms of hands pointing at the group. Energy crackled between the hands, forming a large sphere of energy. A beam leaped from the center of the sphere, cutting a swathe of destruction across the ground. The beam annhilated the bonds holding earth and snow together, blasting the party with energy, dust, and steam. The explosion lifted the group into the air and threw them backwards.

The six picked themselves up. Marlene grunted and dashed towards Hateguise, delivering a punch-punch-kick combo to the left leg. She leaped back and followed it with a burst of Plasma Rounds from her gunarm. Small spheres of energy slammed into Hateguise, blowing small holes in the armor plating of its chest. Heteguise grunted and swung its foot towards Marlene. Marlene leapt nimbly aside, allowing the foot to pass by harmlessly. Boris and Vincenzo leapt forward as one, delivering simultaneous chains of blows to each leg. Cloud activated his Deathblow Materia, leaping into the air and bringing his sword down into Hateguise. Hateguise stumbled back, a glowing fissure showing in its chest where Cloud's sword had hit. With a roar, energy gathered around the chest wound and the edges folded inward, sealing the wound. Helva swung her whip around her head and stung Hateguise on the arm.

August leaped forward, swinging his sword with all his strength into the right leg of Hateguise. The sword sank in... and stuck. August struggled to free the blade. Darkly glowing blood oozed from the cut. Hateguise looked down at the pitiful creature that had wounded it. With one hand, it reached down and plucked August off its leg. The hand tightened into a fist, bringing August up to face level with the awesome creature. August struggled against the fist, trying to get some leverage under the armor plates with his claws. Hateguise's mouth opened, and blue energy began gathering. The energy grew to a large disc, then released a beam. August screamed as the beam washed over him, burning fur and skin. Hateguise threw August's body back to the ground.

August stood, fur smoldering. Hateguise shook the sword free of its leg. August dashed forward, scooped up his blade, and faced Hateguise. "Rrrraaahhh!! KASAI-KIRI!" August drew back his arm and flung his sword like a Frisbee. The sword arced through the air, slashing into one of Hateguises' eyes, and slicing through the armor plate in the left shoulder. Half-blinded, Hateguise roared and kicked at August. August managed to dodge the first and second swings of the foot, but the third caught him in the ribs and sent him flying. He picked himself up off the snow and dashed back into position. Cloud glanced over at August. He was visibly sagging, and some of the burns from the beam he took were starting to ooze. The Restore Materia flared in Cloud's Enhance Sword, and August was surrounded by multi-colored sparkles. August felt his flesh knit back together under the influence of Cure3.

Marlene spared a glance at Cloud, August, and Vincenzo as she emptied a clip into Hateguise. Things seemed to be going well enough on their side, although she had freaked when Hateguise picked August up and blasted him. Boris slammed his fists into Hateguise, dodging a counter-kick. Helva fell back a little bit. She held her whip out in front of her like a barrier. A field of energy gathered in front of her, then blasted out at Hateguise in a blast of Meltdown. Hateguise roared again as its armor wore away partially.

Vincenzo held his bat out in front of him in a direct line to Hateguise. Fira roared from it, surrounding the beast in a cone of flame. Hateguise once again lifted its arms. This time, energy gathered in the hands and mouth before sending jags of energy to connect the three. A triangular beam blasted the party, throwing them backwards. All six sagged.

Marlene, Boris and Helva stood. Marlene raised her gunarm. "For Mack! Triple Limit Skill 'VENGEANCE SQUAD!' GO!"

Helva swung her whip overhead, filling the air with thunderous cracks. "Mack, you were, like such a jerk! But you were cool! DEMI SHOCK!" The tip of the Save The Queen began to glow black with the power of a Demi spell. The whip whirled around Helva's head, and plunged into the left shoulder of Hateguise. The armor plates of the shoulder began to vibrate under the powerful gravity waves.

Boris pulled the razor disc off his belt. "Mack Sinclair, let the body ov zis monster mark your grave! ANTIPODE!" Fire and Ice whirled around Boris' body, focusing on the disc he held in his hand. The disc began to glow alternately red and blue with the force of the elements. His arm drew back and he hurled the disc into Hateguise's shoulder just below the point where the whip struck. The two weapons pulsed with energy, breaking down the armor plating of the arm.

Marlene flipped open a hatch on her gunarm and fiddled with a few switches. She closed the panel and brought her arm to bear on Hateguise. "Mack, I hardly knew thee. Still, your sacrifice shall not go unforgotten! PLASMA FLARE!" Steam boiled from the pressure release ports on her gunarm. The barrel grew red-hot. A low-pitched hum was heard, growing steadily in pitch. When it reached its peak, an enormous burst of plasma was discharged from the barrel of the gun. The blast impacted Hateguise at the point where the other two weapons had struck. The armor, already weakened from the power of Gravity, Fire, and Ice, succumbed to the immense pressure of the plasma burst. The internal structure of the arm began to break down. With a colossal boom, Hateguise's arm was blown clean off.

August struggled up next. He bared his claws. "Vincenzo! Cloud! Be ready to follow up! GEKIRYUU!" August blurred and dashed towards Hateguise's right leg. He dashed around and around the leg, claws flashing. Hateguise appeared to have one leg surrounded by an orange halo. August finally slowed and returned to position, panting.

"GRAND SLAM!" Vincenzo spun his bat in a circle and leapt forward, battering the same leg again and again. Then he drew back a moment, energy gathering around his bat. He then slammed the bat into the leg. With a shudder and a crack, the armored carapace on the leg split into hundreds of pieces. The leg was left defenseless for Cloud's Limit Break.

Cloud felt his power rise as he was surrounded in a swirl of wind. "OMNISLASH!" Cloud held his sword up, light radiating from it in all directions. He leapt forward, driving his sword into Hateguise's right leg again and again and again and again. Cloud leapt into the air one final time, energy radiating from his blade, before bringing the Enhance Sword down in a colossal explosion of energy.

Hateguise roared. Its leg crumpled under it, bringing it crashing to the ground. It struggled to rise, but with only one arm, it only succeeded in rolling onto its side. It let out a weak roar. Cloud slid his sword onto his back. "Abyss, I hope this is a good Materia..." He muttered as he focused on it. All six fighters faded. A hole appeared in the air over the battlefield. A dark horse came striding through, bearing a rider. In the rider's hand was gripped a colossal sword. The horse reared and charged forward, the rider burying its sword in Hateguise's body. Waves of energy pulsed down the sword. Hateguise shuddered as each wave of energy passed into it. Then, the two figures froze in a silent tableau. Neither one moved. Suddenly, an enormous wave of energy blasted down the blade of the sword, blowing a giant hole in Hateguise. The Rider of the Apocalypse reared its steed and disappeared in a swirl of energy.

Hateguise keened and collapsed, unmoving. The six faded back into reality as the barrier effect of the Summon wore off. They stood, panting, energy drained. The body of Hateguise let out a hiss and began dissolving into a pool of dank liquid, which slowly evaporated. The six slumped, exhausted. They slowly moved together, weakly exchanging glances. Marlene opened the second Megalixir and passed it around. Everyone stood, refreshed, and began moving about, seeing what they could do to help the wounded.

Marlene turned and took in the destruction of Galbadia Garden. The Garden lay at an angle in the snow, chunks and shards of shrapnel and debris littered about. The central dome was in ruins, and light could be seen through many holes. She started towards the Garden. She knew the damage was probably very bad, but she had to see what she could do to help. At the very least she could ease some pain.

August watched as Marlene walked slowly towards the Garden. He looked up at the sky. Snow still swirled overhead, but the sky was visibly darkening with the onset of night. He looked around. Some SeeDs were driving the trucks that were still in working order out of the Garden and helping to load the injured onto them. August shrugged and hurried to catch up with Marlene.

Marlene climbed over a hunk of ceiling and stood in the ruined hallway near the Headmaster's office. A SeeD Cadet she knew hurried up to her. "Oh, Marlene! Come quick! The Headmaster's office is jammed shut and we don't know if he's alive in there..." August caught up to her at that moment. Marlene looked up at him and the two headed for the elevator. A small group of SeeDs and Cadets stood next to the elevator, looking at a crack between the doors. August did a quick survey of them, then turned to Marlene. "Think you can blast a hole in those doors?"

Marlene thought for a moment. "I don't think so, those doors are meant to be blastproof."

"Right, then we do it the hard way." He beckoned to a SeeD with a sword. August inserted his own sword into the crack in the doors and moved it all the way to the top. "Put your sword in the bottom. We'll try and lever the doors open." August shifted his feet, got a good grip on his sword, and gave the order to pull. After a few minutes, a gap had opened wide enough for a small person to get through. August gestured to a small SeeD, who squeezed through the gap. "There's a panel on the bottom left side of the control panel. Open it!"

"Got it! There's a wheel in here!"

"Turn it to the left!"

With a grinding and clashing of gears, the doors slid open a little further and stopped. "It won't turn anymore!"

"All right. Let's go!" He gestured to Marlene and another SeeD, who squeezed into the elevator. August followed them in, then climbed onto the handrail in the elevator and began pushing at panels in the ceiling. One came off, and he climbed up out of the elevator and helped the others up. A ladder led upwards a short distance, ending in another elevator door. August climbed up and hauled the door open. The four stepped into the Headmaster's office.

Smoke hung over the whole scene, and sparks flew from panels occasionally as the systems struggled manfully to stay active. A groan came from behind the desk, and August and Marlene hurried over. Sinnius Sinclair lay there, legs crushed by the heavy metal desk. He looked up into their eyes. "Thank Hyne..." He whispered, and fell back, unconscious. August beckoned to the two SeeDs. "Help me get this desk off him." The four struggled to lift the heavy desk, finally succeeding in moving it off the Headmaster's body. The young Cadet looked decidedly queasy as she looked at the Headmaster's broken legs. August examined them. "Totally crushed. I'm afraid there's nothing we can do for them. Our best choice is to amputate so gangrene doesn't set in..." He glanced up at Marlene, who nodded slowly. August held up his sword. "Could you heat this up for me?"

Marlene set August's sword glowing with a few careful blasts of a laser, and August set to work. The younger Cadet threw up as the stench of burning flesh filled the room, and Marlene and the older SeeD looked rather sick. August sat back, laying his hot sword carefully on the floor. "There." He looked over at the two. "Get him to a truck." He walked over to Marlene. "You okay?"

Marlene nodded. "Yeah. Why did this have to happen? Who is that man that did this to the Garden? Why? Why?!" She buried her face in August's chest, sobbing. "So many people lost their lives... I couldn't help them!"

August caressed Marlene's hair. "You did all you could. We beat that big monster. If we hadn't, more lives would have been lost."

Marlene shook her head, tears glistening in her eyes. "I want to kill him! I want to kill the man that ordered this breakout! I WANT HIM DEAD!!"

August gripped Marlene by the shoulders and looked her straight in the face. "Listen! Revenge is no way out. It can be a great motivator, but what do you do when you finally avenge the dead? When you finally kill the man that killed your friend, there's just an empty space in your heart, and the knowledge that there will always be others to die. And you realize that it wasn't revenge you wanted in the first place, it was your friend. Killing that man won't bring your friends back. Revenge never solves anything. All it does is get you in over your head. I've seen scores of men seek revenge. It's all they think about. They become obsessed. When they finally get the chance, they disregard all else to go after their chosen target. People get killed seeking revenge. If you find the man that did this, don't fight for your friends. Fight for yourself. It will be enough."

Marlene nodded and stepped away from August. "Thanks. You're one cold bastard, you know that?"

August chuckled. "Thanks. It's my job."

A sudden crackling caught his attention. A screen on a panel came to life, showing a woman's face through static. August walked over. The face spoke. "Heat signature confirmed. August Polo?"

August started. "Yes."

"Systems failing. Currently at 25% optimum function. How is the Headmaster?"

"He has been wounded. We are evacuating him and the wounded students."

"Good. I am Ada, the AI in charge of Galbadia Garden. Take this..." A disk slid out of a slot. "Please... Everything can be saved..." The face flickered, replaced by strings of numbers, then re-formed. "Systems shutting down. Please... The core... Systems now at 10% and failing... System shutdow..." With a hum, the face faded, the panel and room lights winked out, and the everpresent whir of the ventilation fans slowed and stopped. In the darkness and silence, August felt a tear trickle down the side of his face. August slipped the disk out of the slot and placed it carefully in a pocket. He turned.

"Marlene?"

A light flared as Marlene activated the pilot light on her gunarm's flamethrower. She looked over at August. "Let's go. There are others wounded."

August, Marlene, and Boris soon were helping load injured and uconscious SeeDs into the trucks. August suddenly reeled and sagged against the side of a truck. Marlene hurried over. "August! What's wrong?"

August grimaced and felt his ribs. "Ugh... Ribs... That fight... Must have been injured... worse than I thought... Marlene, please... Get to Deling City... Marlene?"

"Yes, August. We're going to Deling City."

"Marlene, I'm sorry..." August fell, unconscious. Marlene caught the last bit of what he was going to say. "I'm sorry... for lying to you..." She also caught a fragment of memory lying just under that statement, a memory covered in blood and darkness. She picked him up and moved him into a truck, noting as she did that he lay next to Sinnius Sinclair. She climbed into the truck next to August and sat there, waiting.

* * *

Cloud sat down on the snow and looked through the contents of his pack. All his Potions and such had been used to heal the wounds of some students. He dug through the remainder of his items. Grenades, Bolt Plumes, a few Tissues... There was the book Abyss had given him. He found a roll of bandages in the bottom of the pack. He shrugged and began binding the wounds of some SeeDs. He looked up suddenly, sensing a presence near. A dark shape moved among the dead and dying SeeDs, stopping here and there. Cloud stood and moved toward the shape.

As he approached, the shape looked up at him. It giggled, a high, nerve-grating giggle. "So, you have seen Goble... Now you can die." The shape straightened up, revealing its face. Cloud stepped back a moment, shocked at the cruel beak and evil, birdlike eyes. He pulled the Enhance Sword off his back and faced the tengu.

"I don't know who you are, but I don't let anyone kill me that easily."

Goble chuckled, drawing his own midnight-black sword. "So, you are brave. Goble likes brave men. They scream most beautifully."