Warrior Soul

Warrior Soul

Part I: Chosen one

By Tanthalas Fierolobo

"I want to die by your side, Irvine. No matter when, no matter how, but by your side. Promise me you won't let it happen in other way."

- Selphie Tilmitt, to Irvine.

CHAPTER THREE: Where nightmares come true. Kristyne. A promise.

8. Pleasant loneliness

            The sun rose, and a new day began. Squall opened his eyes and sat on the sleeping bag, rubbing his eyes with his hand. He suddenly heard something to his left; he was not alone. Standing up hastily, he glanced around ready to cast a sleep spell. He saw how some bushes in front of him moved, and the shadow of a horrible monster appeared behind it. He was not certain of what was it exactly; he could only see its shadow. He silent, carefully approached, considering more destructive spells. The shadow moved, slowly getting out of the bush, revealing the horrible shape of… a dog. Squall sighed in relief, shook his head and smiled to himself: "I almost burnt a little doggy!" He thought. The dog was all black, with the exception of the tip of its tail and paws, which were white. Squall placed his hand on the dog's head and stroke its tiny ears. The dog moved its tail and barked: it was still a puppy. Smiling, he turned around and began to pack his things. The dog followed him and playfully bit the end of his pants.

            - Hey! - Squall took the puppy in his hands and looked directly in its innocent eyes. It licked his nose. Squall was considering that having company wasn't that bad when he heard a childish voice.

            - Barky, where are you? Barky! - Squall saw a little girl calling for her lost pet. She looked very worried. He left the dog on the ground.

            - Go. Your place is here, with her. - He said. He saw the dog run through the grass to the girl, and she happily embraced her puppy. Squall took his backpack and turned around to leave, wondering why he suddenly felt so sad.

9. Selphie, the soul of the shooter

At midday, Balamb garden was "parked" a few kilometres away from Trabia Garden, in front of the mountain pass that led to it. An hour or so after lunchtime, the Commander, three SeeDs and a Sorceress went out of the flying garden, and headed to the rebuilt one on foot. They had many time until night, when Trabia Garden would be officially reopened, so Quistis decided that they would enjoy the landscape with a short walk instead of going by car, leaving Xu, the (officially) second in command and Garden Finances Administrator, in charge during her absence. Despite Irvine and Zell's best efforts, Selphie was more and more excited (She was beginning to seriously annoy Rinoa, something almost impossible); she had waited for this since the very first day it had been destroyed, and simply couldn't wait any more for being in her newly remade home Garden and begin the party.

            - Hey, Rin, when will we arrive? - She asked by fourth time.

            - I've told you, in about fifteen minutes. - Rinoa replied, irritated. - And my name is Rinoa.

            - I know, Rin, but that's too much time. Can't you teleport us, or something? - Rinoa said nothing, a glint of anger in her dark brown eyes. Quistis decided to take part before this could go worse.

            - Come on Selphie, relax. Enjoy this beautiful sight. - She made a gesture with her arms, covering all the amazing view. Selphie made a grimace and remained silent for a few minutes. Then, she suddenly began to run.

            - I can't wait! - She happily yelled, as she ran directly to Trabia garden.

            - Selphie! - Irvine tried to stop her, but to no avail.

            - Let her be, Irvine… - Quistis said, grinning. - She can't help it. Besides, she was making me mad! - She laughed. Selphie disappeared behind a couple of rocks.

            - I guess she'll meet Seifer and Kristyne at the entrance, so don't worry. - Zell said.

- Yeah… maybe you are right… - Irvine smiled to himself. "At the bottom, she's still a child. I wish there were more people like her." He thought. A while after, Rinoa suddenly tensed, glancing all around her, and then to the sky. Quistis noticed this immediately.

            - What is it, Rinoa?

            - Shush! - Rinoa raised her index finger, her eyes half-closed. - Can't you hear it? There's something in the air… - a few seconds passed, and they could sense it too. Zell swung from foot to foot, uneasy. It was like a quiet buzz, and was rapidly approaching. "I've heard that before…" She thought. Rinoa saw a sudden glint in the skies, like a sun reflection on a metallic surface. She focused better, and noticed lots of narrow trails slicing through the air, like… she wasn't sure yet. Irvine looked to the sky and gasped; he had been trained as a sharpshooter, so his skilled eyesight could perceive many things others couldn't. The buzz was now clearly audible, turning into a piercing roar. Rinoa finally recognized it, and so did Irvine. - EVERYBODY TO THE GROUND!! - Rinoa shouted. Quistis and Zell quickly obeyed, finally realizing.

            - Selphie! - Irvine screamed over the ear-splitting sound.

            - NOW!!! - Rinoa tried to push Irvine to the ground.

            - SELPHIE!! - He went on shouting, starting to run in her direction. The roar was unbearable; the earth trembled all around them.

            - You can't save her! - Rinoa resolved to use her magic to save him, making Irvine fall to the ground beside them just in the instant that dozens of missiles hit the Garden. The explosion was monstrous, and a whirlwind of torrid air passed over their heads, almost scalding them. Strangely, Irvine clearly heard Selphie's words over the thunderous pandemonium; heart-piercing words he would never forget.

"No… not again…"

10. Lost one

            The roar finally ceased, the air was breathable again, and they stood up. Irvine ran as fast as he could directly to the enormous column of dark smoke that had been a Garden, and so did the others. "She is okay, she must be okay!" he desperately thought while running. They approached to the impact zone, and Irvine noticed a dark form lying on the ground, at about two hundred metres away from the explosion. "Selphie! Please, be okay…" He fastened even more the pace, leaving the others slightly behind. He could see now the form was a human body; an extremely deformed body. "Maybe that's not her… maybe she found a place to hide…" He came closer. At three metres of the body he stopped. "That's not her… that can't be her…" The corpse was totally burnt. The legs were an amorphous mass of charred flesh; the chest was burst, the vital organs exposed; the skin was shattered, Irvine able to see the white bone in some parts of the body. "No! It's not her! It can't…" His anguish was overwhelming. "It can't be… it can't be…" He heard how his friends approached, how Zell couldn't prevent vomiting, but he didn't care. He couldn't be sure if it was really she, although he knew already. There was something that was not burnt. He saw a glint in the body's right hand; a shining green object was in it. He came closer, and immediately, with the most piercing of pains, he recognized it. "The amulet… the amulet I gave her…" It was a little but perfect emerald set in the middle of a triangular golden plate he had given her. "A symbol for our immortal love" was engraved on it. "No… this... this can't be true…" he covered his face with his hands, and knelt beside her dead body, crying. He couldn't believe it; this was too much for him. Something died within Irvine. "Selphie…" He bent forward and tried to kiss her forehead and close her eyes, but it was impossible. He barely heard the others coming closer. "Selphie… I… I broke my promise…" He took a decision then; he pulled out his gun. "I can't bear it." He aimed to his head, and pulled the trigger.

            - Irvine! - Quistis acted just in time. She was standing the closest to him, and with her hand pulled his head out of the way of the bullet, receiving the shoot instead of him. - Shit! - She said, trying to ignore the tearing pain, blood pouring profusely from her hand. - What the hell you think you are doing!? - Rinoa rapidly took her hand between hers and, surrounded by a pale blue aura, sweating in concentration, magically cured the horrible wound. The bullet fell, making a deaf noise when it reached the ground.

            - Life has no meaning without her. - He managed to whisper.

            - Of course it has! - Zell exclaimed,  tears beginning to fill his eyes.

            - Let me. - Rinoa intervened. She stood beside Irvine, and placed her hand on his forehead. She bent forward and muttered something in his ear. The expression on Irvine's face completely changed, from utter desperation to absolute determination.

            - Of course. - He stood up and without hesitation took Selphie's body from the ground, ignoring the dark blood that instantly soaked his hands and clothes. They silent, sadly saw him walking, in his way to what was left of the devastated Garden, until he disappeared behind the smoke.

            - Did you… did you use your magic to control him? - Quistis asked. Rinoa gave her a disdainful glance.

            - I would never do that to him. - She said. - He won't try it again. Let's find out where did those damned missiles come from. - Without looking at her best friend, she began to walk back to Balamb Garden. Zell and Quistis stood there for a while, unable to speak.

- Selphie… is dead… - Zell finally mumbled. He still couldn't believe his dear friend had definitely gone.

- We will find the culprit. - Anger burnt in Quistis eyes, making her voice tremble, the flames of hatred consuming her soul. - And then, we will make him pay.

- And so are Seifer… and Kristyne… and all the people of Trabia Garden… - Zell was now realizing the magnitude of the catastrophe. He had a blank look in his eyes, his voice a mere whisper.

- We will make the culprit pay. For every single life the criminal has put an end to, I assure you we will make him pay in blood. - They started to walk to Balamb garden, leaving Irvine alone with his agony.

           

Irvine was walking to the ruins of Trabia Garden; they would be her graveyard, as she had told him. He could barely breath with the smoke, but it didn't matter to him; he did not even notice at all. What Rinoa had said him boomed inside his head; he was unable to think in any other thing: just a word. A simple, delicious word, a word his life would be dedicated to from now on. A word he would serve to death.

            Revenge.

11. Kristyne Lynn Tearless

            Rinoa saw a small white assault shuttle landing beside Garden. Sometimes they were used as transport for SeeDs on a mission, just like this time. The door of the ship slid open and a woman dressed in black and dark green steeped out of it an ran directly to Rinoa, followed by an extremely upset blond man in blue and grey clothes. "So he has not died." The Sorceress thought as Seifer came closer, a little disappointed. The woman who was approaching was wearing a fine, ethereal, light green silk blouse, covering her body down to her hips and below; a dark emerald top, her pierced navel uncovered; black comfortable trousers, and thin-sole footwear. Her wavy, neck-length hair was of a metallic colour, a mixture between brown, orange and dark red, like copper. It swung from side to side when running, and so did her necklace: a black marble stone with the shape of a cat, two minuscule emeralds as its eyes, the most priced possession she had. The hilt of several short blades, daggers and throwing knives were perceptible over and under her clothes, dispersed all around her body: two short blades in her hips (her hand-to-hand weapons), five or six throwing knives in her belt, one dagger in each ankle, and some more, carefully hidden. Her skin, tanned by the sun, shone under the afternoon light. Tiny mouth with perfect but strangely sharp teeth, well-shaped nose, big dark grey penetrating eyes, athletic body, soft voice. She had a bright smile in her lips, her dark eyes shining with happiness. She finally reached Rinoa, and embraced her whether she liked it or not.

            - Oh, I'm so glad to see you are okay… - she said, her heart in her voice. - I expected the worse.

            - I'm happy too to see you are alive, Kristyne. - Rinoa said, in genuine relief. "Now release me." She added to herself. Danielle Kristyne Lynn Tearless, a twenty-six year old SeeD native from Timber. She had come into Balamb Garden when she was nine; her now dead parents sent her there, almost throwing her out of her home, for "learning the meaning of the word 'discipline'", as they had said. Although rebel at first, she rapidly got used to Garden laws, and with time finished liking it very much; she was now very grateful to her parents for sending her to Garden. She was there fighting for the headmaster before the missile attack, and was there fighting for her partners' lives when Galbadia Garden attacked. SeeD at sixteen, a year or two after the 'Ultimecia War', she was the most advanced pupil in her promotion, the best one in many years indeed. She had specialised herself in short blades and throwing knives, a very uncommon discipline she had mastered to perfection, and was an expert on Thunder magic: GF Quetzacotl had been Rinoa's gift to her when she reached eighteen years old. She was Rinoa's number one fan, apart of a friend of hers and the other 'Ultimecia Heroes', as people called them. If Zell was the best combat SeeD in Garden, Kristyne was the best stealth one. A master in any thieving skill (or, as SeeDs called them, "Subterfuge techniques"), she was a feline; a silent cat when moving from shade to shade, a fierce (but still silent) panther when fighting, her anger the thunder that goes before the storm. And she was as friendly and outgoing as an innocent kitty.

            - Are the others… well, too? - She looked over Rinoa's shoulder. - Oh, there they come.

            - They all are fine except for Selphie. She's dead, and Trabia Garden is utterly destroyed. - Rinoa tried to hide the trembling of her voice and, ignoring her astonished reaction, passed beside the not less shocked Seifer and continued her way to the garden. She was much more affected by Selphie's death than she let the others see. Now she cared just for one only thing: know who the hell sent the missiles, and then exterminate him like the cockroach he was; Garden radars would have the location already. "I can't wait any longer." She thought. She closed her suddenly golden eyes and, with a gesture of her hand, tracing a complex symbol in the air, she disappeared.*

            - C… Commander… is that true? - Quistis silently approached her, took Kristyne's hands and nodded. She remained silent for a while, a perplexed look in her eyes, unable to think in a world without Selphie Tilmitt. - But… but… why? - She couldn't hold it any more; she threw herself into Quistis' arms and silently cried. This was even more shocking; it was the first time any of them saw her cry. She never, ever cried, for any reason, not even when her parents died in a train crash. "I can't believe Selphie has gone forever." Quistis thought, tapping her back. She wanted to cry too, and blame to the wind with all the power of her lungs, blame destiny for its cruel desires. But she wouldn't. At least not there, not in public.

            - We will know soon, Kristyne, don't worry. We will know right now who did this. - They headed to Balamb Garden, unable to wait any longer. While walking, the Commander sensed a strange feeling inside her brain, like soft tickles. She knew well this sensation. "Quistis." Rinoa was telepathically contacting her. However, Quistis couldn't reply to her, only receive her information. "Come quickly. Radars tell us the missiles came from a secret missile base within the very city of Esthar."

            Quistis opened wide her eyes, and began to run.

End of chapter three.

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*Explanation: while learning to use her powers, Edea told Rinoa that there was other kind of magic only available for Sorceresses, a magic that could not be extracted from others, a magic Sorceresses have within and all around them. It is much more difficult to use this magic, it takes years of hard training but, when mastered, it's much more powerful than conventional magic.

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