Nightmares
by TacomaSquall
Part 6: Delta Stage
Neptune appeared in the
cabin. The two companions gazed in
surprise at their first glimpse of a Guardian outside of a crisis situation.
Neptune stood eight feet
tall, and wore the guise of a powerfully muscled old man. His eyes were the piercing blue-green of the
sea, flecked with the white of sea-foam from breakers upon the shore. His skin was deeply tanned and callused from
hard labor. Tightly held in one massive
fist, the Guardian bore a ten-foot-long trident with blades that seemed to sway
with the motion of the waves outside the assault craft. His mantle was deep green, with ripples of
darkness that eddied and moved. Zell
felt an unbidden sense of nausea well up as he stared at the garment, and with
a wrench, he pulled his gaze back to the Guardian's black-bearded face.
I greet you,
Fated Children. The Guardian's voice seemed tangible to
senses other than merely Zell's hearing. Contained in the Guardian's words, he felt the tang of the salt of
crashing waves near Timber, and the smell of the coast's edge. Confused, Zell shook his head to clear the impression
he felt that he were standing upon some deserted island, listening to the
Guardian speak.
Beside the martial
artist, Seifer Almasy was struggling with a sensation that was alien to him –
utter awe. Seifer fought the desire to
prostrate himself before this potent extradimensional being. In some way, this Guardian was more fully in
the world than he had ever seen one appear before. Seifer sneered at himself. If you cannot face this ally, how in Hyne's name do you expect to
oppose Ultimecia?
Seifer nodded at Neptune
and coughed softly. "Neptune, when
Selphie Drew you from that Plesiosaur, you had been Junctioned to it?"
That is correct.
Seifer pressed
onwards. "How did that happen?"
I sensed the
return of the Queen of Heaven. When
that took place, I knew it would be necessary to warn the Fated Children that
their task was not yet complete. I
called to my side one of the most potent of those beings that once served me.
"Wait a minute – that
saurian used to serve you?" Zell was
incredulous.
When I was less
than I am now, yes. However, Fist, that
was many of your millennia ago. To my
shock, I discovered that the one I summoned was one of the last of its kind –
called from the depths where they had gone to hide since the catastrophic Lunar
Cry that wiped out saurians across the globe.
Seifer cut in, "Then why
did it attack us?"
I am not as
powerful in the mortal realm as I once was. A younger, more active Guardian had assumed power and influence in my
stead. When I called the Plesiosaur, it
came to me, and permitted my Junctioning. However, it resisted my commands, and chose to fulfill the task I gave
it in as circuitous a manner as possible.
"You said that the Queen
of Heaven had returned. Who is
that?" Seifer's brow was furrowed in
thought.
"Does that mean that
Hyne has returned?" Zell chimed in.
The Queen of
Heaven is your enemy, Fated Children. You know her by another name – Ultimecia.
"What do you know of her
plans?" Seifer fought to disguise the
rising fear he felt. Squall was
right…
* * * * * *
Bitter cold. Selphie was surrounded in darkness. The only concrete sensation she could define
was the chilling numbness that flowed into her from all sides. She was being held immobile by some force
that was as thorough as Dr. Odine was in the middle of an experiment. Her skin tried to crawl at that thought, but
the grip she was in prevented even that sensation.
If this is what the
Guardians' realm is like – then I feel sorry for them. This is waaaaaay too boring for me.
Deprived of input from her
senses beyond the darkness and chill, Selphie's mind roamed. Each moment of forced inactivity was a
torment to the young woman.
* * * * * *
Neptune shook his head
sadly. I do not know why she is
seeking to achieve her aim. She is
attempting to reach back from the future to alter the flow of time.
Zell interjected, "She
tried to achieve something called 'time compression' when we stopped her a year
ago."
The Guardian
nodded. It is a rather overstated
way to do it, but one could alter time's passage by achieving such a
state. It would be similar to using a
Guardian to kill a solitary Bite Bug, however.
"But how is she going to
do it? Ultimecia was only able to
affect our time through a sorceress, and the only known sorceress is …" Seifer's voice trailed off in horror, as he
realized some of the danger that Squall foresaw.
I believe she
plans to seize control of the Wishing Angel.
Zell asked, "But who is
the Wishing Angel?" Incomprehension was
clear to see on his face.
Seifer snapped at the
younger man, "Chicken-wuss, Rinoa is the Wishing Angel." Gone from the blond instructor's voice was
any trace of the camaraderie he had displayed earlier to the martial artist. "Sometimes you are too stupid for words,
Zell."
Zell was taken aback by
Seifer's vehemence. "Oh."
* * * * * *
Was it her imagination,
or was the chill she felt beginning to finally fade? Selphie was not sure how long she had been in this strange realm,
but it seemed like it had been forever since she first summoned Neptune to talk
to the guys.
The nothingness that
surrounded her was driving Selphie up the wall. The brown-haired girl was used to having someone, anyone, to see
what she was doing. This void, with
nothing to do and minimal sensation except the crawling passage of time, was a
supreme test of her scant supply of patience. The gregarious young woman was forced to look inside herself for
entertainment and a means of passing the time. Step by step, she was losing a battle against the boredom she fought to
hold back.
Desperately seeking a
diversion, Selphie tried to move her limbs for the umpteenth time. For the umpteenth time, she met with
absolute failure. She felt her anger
grow, and she felt herself surrounded by the glowing energies of her Limit
Break. Selphie would have smiled if she
had been able to. Let's see what
happens when I unleash the power of "The End" upon this prison…
Selphie drew upon
seldom-used reserves of power and unleashed it all into the void surrounding
her. Nothing. She screamed in frustration, and was shocked
to hear a faint sound.
She looked in her
limited field of view for anything, and noticed that there had been a slight
lessening of the gloom. At the same
time, she realized that the chill was indeed less than it had been. Without thinking about it, she moved her
hands slowly together and then rubbed them to create some warmth. Surprised, she stopped. I can move!
She realized that the
darkness was becoming less and less overpowering, with shades of color starting
to bleed through its veil. The colors
were short-lived ribbons of incandescent brilliance, burning their images on
her retinas. The teenager discovered
snippets of sounds around her, just on the verge of what she could hear. There were phrases of an indescribable music
that made the best efforts of Esthar's grand orchestra seem infantile by
comparison.
An aroma surrounded
Selphie. It was strong and piquant,
conveying a biting sense that reminded the young woman of the tartest lemon she
had ever tasted. Underlying that aroma,
she sensed faint odors of sulfur, brine, and sickly-sweet decay. The cloying combination was heady, and
Selphie felt giddy from breathing it in.
The colors became more and
more solid, as the area around Selphie swam into her vision. Hulking in front of her was a gigantic,
horned form. The infernal form of the
Guardian, Diablos.
* * * * * *
Neptune looked away from
Zell and Seifer. The Mistress of
Doom is in danger. I must leave!
Neptune vanished.
* * * * * *
In the realm of the
Guardians, Diablos reached out with one clawed hand and touched Selphie's face
softly. The demonic visage of the
Guardian leered at the Trabian girl. So
brave, to break the stasis set upon you. So foolish, to be wholly in our realm without someone to protect you.
Diablos reached out with
the power of the Earth's core, increasing the pull of gravity downwards upon
her. Slowly, Selphie felt her limbs
give way beneath the ever-increasing weight of her body. She fell to the ground at Diablos' feet,
lying face-up. Her legs were pulled in
two different directions, forcing them open…
Neptune appeared before
Selphie could scream. He barked at
Diablos, Remember who she is, and our pledge to her and her companions! He slapped the demonic Guardian with one
meaty hand, and the demon fell backwards.
Selphie felt gravity
return to normal around her. As she
regained her freedom, she realized what was the likely intent of Diablos. She rolled into a ball, whimpering in fear
and relief.
Selphie felt the world
of the Guardians begin to fade from view, as Neptune glared at Diablos. As she left the realm of the Guardians, she
heard Diablos speak.
Sooner or later,
Mistress of Doom, you will be mine. I
have marked you for all of eternity.
To be continued…