Chapter Ten – Tempus Fugit
(NO relation to The Omega!)
The two months passed quickly, and Sarah was satisfied with the speed at which the SeeDs and students were learning. She hadn't seen or heard from Clifford since she had confronted him in the quad. Not that she cared, the fewer humans that came after her the better. Eve, on the other hand, remained quiet and introverted toward everybody, including her. Sarah knew why, but somehow guessed that Eve would not want to talk about her family, now or ever. She was in the cafeteria having lunch, when Eve came in and ordered lunch. Sarah looked up and noticed that she had chosen the farthest place from everybody to sit, almost as if she wanted nothing to do with anybody. Sarah sighed, some people were like that; cold towards others, quiet, secretive… Sarah's head shot up at the sky. She had just sensed a power similar to Eve's, yet this one was much more powerful. She jumped to her feet, ran to the cafeteria entrance, grabbed her sword and quickly used the astral plains to get to the source of the power signature.
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Tempest landed in the
Grandidi Forest and looked around. It hadn't changed at all, not that it
surprised him. This world never seemed to change; monsters still roamed around
freely and demons still hid amongst the shadows. He sighed, Marrin, Rebecca and
Celythia should be somewhere on this world, but he knew exactly where he had to
go: Balamb Garden. He brushed off his black tunic and began to walk through the
dense greenery of the forest, but a young silver-haired girl in a turquoise
cloak stopped him by pointing a sword at his throat. Grumbling, Tempest jumped
back and drew his swords. His sea-blue eyes flashed, he had seen this girl and
her sword somewhere before, but where?
"Who are you?" the girl
demanded. "And why do you have the same kind of power as Eve?"
Tempest lowered his blades.
"You know my daughter?" he asked. "Where is she? Is she safe?"
The girl looked puzzled, but
her sword remained where it was. "I heard that her family was dead," she said.
"She said so herself."
Tempest sighed. "So, Ranka
managed to poison Eve's mind with lies," he said. "Damn that she-demon, I'm
going to kill her!"
The silver-haired girl
lowered her sword and looked at him in shock. "Ranka?" she asked. "How do you
know about Ranka?"
"Easy, she led her demons
and ravaged my world. She even had the gall to say that she had won, and leave
behind a small army of demons to kill us! HA! I killed the last of that group
last night!"
"You managed to kill a
Shadow Claw demon? How? With what weapon?"
Tempest smirked. "My swords
and some powerful magical attacks," he said. "I doubt that you would understand
my power though, you're only human."
The girl's eyes flashed
white, and Tempest's swords were again raised for battle. "What the hell are
you?!" he said.
"A hybrid," the girl
replied. "My father was a Shadow Claw demon, and my mother was human. I have
been alive for centuries, but I cannot age a day over 18."
"But you're not evil," he
said. "Or else that sword you're holding would burn you. Is that
sword…Destiny?"
The girl nodded. "Eve knew
that too," she said. "She's a nice person, but she needs to work on her people
skills."
Tempest sighed. "She's usually
so sociable," he said. "She must've changed after my 'death' though. Wait, you
can sense different power signals?"
She nodded. "That's how I
found you," she said. "I also knew when Eve arrived here, her power signature
was unlike anything that I had ever seen. That is, until I sensed your power.
What are you, exactly? A new kind of human?"
Tempest laughed. "I only
wish that I could tell you that, but I'd be lying if I did," he said. "Nope, I'm
human, but with the same old problems: war-like nature, tends to kill when
angered."
"But if you're human, then
why do I sense that power?" the girl said. "You LOOK human, but something about
you seems to be…different."
Again, Tempest laughed. "I
might as well show you, although when I do it'll attract monsters like a
magnet," he said. He closed his eyes and clenched his fists, allowing his
powers to manifest themselves again. Grey wings flashed on his back and the
girl could feel the power flowing through his veins.
Tempest took on his
Arch-Angel form and spread his grey wings so that she could see them properly.
She stared in awe.
He sighed.
"I am an Arch-Angel," he said.
"A being of great power, and Eve is one too, although she hides her powers
because she fears them."
The girl fainted.
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Sarah woke up a few hours
later in the Garden infirmary. She got up and realised what had happened.
"Heh, I NEVER faint," she
said quietly. "I wonder why I fainted when he showed me what he and his
daughter are…?"
Sarah shrugged and went to
find Eve.
Author's Notes: NOW things'll get
interesting! In the next chapter: we meet Ranka and her Shadow Claw demons for
the first time!