by NightsDawne
Chapter 4: Like Deja VĂș I Feel Like I've Been Here
Seifer dropped the kickstand of the bike, feeling it bounce as Selphie jumped off of it, shaking her hair out as she slid her helmet off. He swung himself off and pulled off his own helmet, looking at the white-haired woman who strode toward the pair "SeeD?"
"Yup! I'm Selphie Tilmett and this is Seifer Almasy. Where's the Ochu?"
The woman held her hand out to them, Selphie shaking it, then Seifer. "I'm Mayor Cantagleone. Thanks for coming so quickly. It's in the village square, this way." She turned, leading them past stonework shops and neatly cared for Victorian houses.
"It's so cute! The village I mean, Mayor. Oh, Seifer, let's spend the night after we finish?"
Seifer ruffled Selphie's hair from behind. "Let's get the job done, first, babe."
"You're welcome to stay in the hotel. I'll pay for it." The Mayor stepped out to the edge of the deserted flower-filled village square, gesturing with her hand to one enormous bloom, towering as high as the shops, waving gently on its thick stalk-like body. "There it is."
"BOOYA!" Selphie whipped out her nunchukas. "No problem, Mayor, consider yourself about to be Ochu free!"
Seifer drew his gunblade, furrowing his brow at the hypnotic weave of the plant monster, then ran to catch up to Selphie as she skipped around planters, nunchukas coming back for a swing. "Selphie, wait!" He lunged, grabbing the chain as she pulled her weapon over her shoulder, causing her to dance in a circle around him to keep from falling.
She looked up at him, blinking. "What? It hasn't even attacked yet, Seifer, we can take it out easy."
He nodded toward the towering bloom. "It's not going to attack right now. See how dark the edges of the petals are? It's full of ripe spores."
"Huh?" Selphie looked, raising both brows as she dropped her nunchukas down. "Ut oh."
"Yeah, we knock it now and we're going to send them everywhere. Come next spring this village is going to be facing a hundred Ochus."
"No blow it to smithereens?" Selphie sighed in disappointment. "Well, what are we going to do about it? We can't just leave it here, it'll reproduce anyway if we do."
"Chaunticleir. We've got to turn it to stone, keep it from releasing them." He shook his wrist, looking down at the charms on his GF chain.
Selphie stepped back, waving cheerfully to the mayor. "Little change of plans! Um, do you have a truck here? Or you could always add a nice Ochu statue to the square. That might be pretty!"
The mayor bit her lip. "I'll go call Breck. He has a flatbed." She hurried to one of the buildings.
"Oh well, I think a big statue might have been a dramatic addition." Selphie turned back to Seifer.
Seifer lifted his hand in front of him. "Ready?"
"Ready!"
"CHAUNTICLEIR!" Seifer vanished, replaced by a beaked and feathered lizard. Selphie kept her eyes on the Ochu and away from the basilisk as it hissed, turning a baleful stare on the weaving plant. The stalk began to take on a grayish tinge, creaking as it became less pliable. Chaunticlier flicked his tail, continuing to stare as the gray moved upwards, the pink and purple fading from the bloom. The Ochu's petals began to spread, a frustrated keen coming from its center. Selphie bit her lip, hoping the stone spell would finish before the Ochu could spread its spores. Pops and cracks resounded off of the shops as the plant monster struggled to move its granite body, then slowly stopped with a last futile grind. Chaunticleir crowed, then disappeared to return to its void, Seifer standing in its place once more.
"You did it!" Selphie threw her arms around Seifer's neck. "You're so brilliant, Seify!"
Seifer laughed, swinging her around. "Nah. I spent a summer in Galbadia, that's all. The forests around there are loaded with Ochus." He looked over his shoulder as the mayor walked out, smiling.
"Breck is on his way. Quite impressive, I'm glad I called SeeD instead of trying to deal with this with just the villagers." She looked up at the Ochu statue. "That thing has to weigh tons. How are we going to move it? We don't have a crane."
"No problem, Mayor." Selphie grinned, crinkles around her eyes. "We'll load it up for you." She giggled at the mayor's puzzled expression.
"You may want to burn down the garden and replant," advised Seifer. "There's always the chance that some spores fell out."
"We'll do that." She nodded toward Breck's truck as it pulled up, the three moving out of the way so it could back up to the base of the stone Ochu. "I really don't see how the two of you will move that thing. Should I call in more men?"
"Nope," chirped Selphie, waving cheerfully to the middle aged man in overalls who climbed out of the truck. "Seifer and Breck should be able to handle it."
Seifer waved Breck to follow him around to the other side of the statue. "Go for it, babe."
Selphie threw her hand out, skipping up onto one boot. "Float!" Tiny balls of multicolored light danced from her fingertips, swirling around the Ochu and lifting it slowly off the ground. Seifer and Breck leaned their weight into it, pushing it forward and upward a bit until it rested on the back of the truck, worn shocks protesting the load.
"Well, I guess SeeD takes care of everything." The mayor smiled, then turned to Breck. "Take it somewhere, anywhere. Just way out of town."
"Sure thing, Mayor." Breck climbed into the truck, getting it started after a few tries and slowly pulling out of the square, being careful not to let the heavy load shift.
"Now, I don't suppose you two would be interested in lunch." The mayor tucked a strand of white hair behind her ear.
Seifer draped his arm around Selphie's shoulders. "I think we could work that in, Mayor."
The mayor beckoned for them to follow as she headed for a small restaurant tucked into the shops. "I hear SeeDs love hot dogs. You ever tried bratwurst?"
Selphie's hair bounced as she and Seifer followed. "BOOYA! Bring it on!"
"How are you feeling, Ellone?" Rinoa crouched in front of her, looking up at her with a worried expression.
"I'm fine. Rested at least. This is going to be more dangerous." She looked up to Irvine, who was silently wearing a tread in her carpet.
"I'll be right here. We have to find out what made Seifer crazy." Rinoa bit her lip. "What if it happened again?"
Ellone sighed. "Alright. But I have a bad feeling about this. Are you ready, Irvine?"
Irvine nodded, walking to the bed and laying down. "Don't worry about it, Sis. Didn't have no problems gettin' me out before."
"We weren't dealing with time compression before. Close your eyes and relax."
Irvine closed his eyes, feeling himself slipping, drifting into the dream.
"I'm not a little boy." The idea incensed Seifer. Wind blew at his hair, scented with Galbadian pine. He stood with his back to the vista of Deling City behind him, his hand clenched around the grip of his gunblade, eyes on the enchanting woman before him. She was swathed in a violet dress that fell the the floor and clung to every inch of her exquisite body, a plunging neckline revealing the inner halves of her perfect breasts, her skin so fair it seemed white against the dark fabric next to it. Her hair was hidden under an elaborate headdress, tendrils of gold extending forward from it to cling to her cheeks. It was her eyes that held him, though. So pale they looked like crystals, like mirrors. It was hard not to lose yourself in them. The dead Galbadian president at his feet seemed nothing more than a broken doll.
"Then come with me, Seifer." She extended a gloved hand, her fingers long and slender, beckoning him closer. "Fulfill your dreams if you're a man." Her voice was like water, cold clear water that numbed his skin. She was a sorceress, a powerful one. He'd seen her power. It had killed a president. It was holding down four SeeDs at this very moment, all of them on their knees, paralyzed by the merest flick of her wrist. She was choosing him to be her knight. A sorceress knight, the unspoken champion of the most powerful force of magic. He wanted to look to Squall, to savor a gloating moment of victory that it was him who was being chosen, but he couldn't tear his eyes from the sorceress and her beauty. He stepped forward, laying his hand in hers, feeling the tingle of magic in her fingertips as she turned, the wall before them melting away as if it wasn't real.
He followed her through the portal, dazed by what was happening to him. Since childhood he'd dreamt of being a sorceress knight, since he was young he'd dreamt of this very face that turned to smile serenely at him. He forced himself to look away as the sounds of Deling City vanished with the portal, casting his gaze around the chamber they stood in. Black and white marble stood in stark contrast to each other in a circular room, rich tapestries splashing the walls with the elegant colors of power and wealth. He'd seen it in pictures before. It was one of the rooms in the palace of the Galbadian president. He wouldn't be needing it anymore. His eyes fell on a table of white marble in the center of the room. He didn't remember that from the pictures. Wait, it wasn't a table, it was an altar. Black candles dripped wax onto the four corners of the top slab, intricate and indecipherable carvings twitched from the side surfaces. He could sense the power eminating from it. His attention was brought back to the sorceress by her lifting his finger to her lips, biting the tip gently. He watched his finger as she slowly traced it down her chest between her breasts, then looked back to her eyes, hungry and lustful.
"Prove to me you're a man, Seifer. Prove to me that you're worthy to be my knight."
He felt the gunblade sliding from his hand, heard it clatter to the floor as he pulled her to him, tasting her hungry lips as she conformed her body to his. He drew his head back quickly as her sharp teeth bit into his lower lip.
"What's wrong? Not man enough?"
He wiped at his lip, tasting blood. "... I wasn't expecting it, that's all." He closed his eyes, kissing her again, refusing to even flinch at the pain of her bites. Her slender fingers tingled against his skin as she undressed him, the chill air in the room causing him to shiver. His hands roamed her back, trying to find a clasp or any way to relieve her of her dress.
She pushed him away, smirking. "So eager, my knight." She pushed him backwards until his hips hit the cold marble of the altar. His breath caught in his chest as he pulled himself up to sit on it, then laid down on his back. The sorceress walked around the altar slowly, taking his left hand and pulling it up toward the candle above and to the left of his shoulder. It seemed to hiss like a living thing, then became a snake, wrapping itself around his wrist, binding him. It was all so surreal, he half wondered if he wasn't just having the strangest wet dream of his life. He swallowed, pulling against the snake, but it only wrapped itself tighter, his fingers starting to turn red. He felt his right hand pulled up, looked to the other side in time to see his wrist bound as tightly as the other one. He lifted his head up, the sorceress watching him for any sign of resistance or fear as she pushed his feet apart, black snakes constricting his ankles. He laughed softly. This was a dream, right? A hallucination, something. Who cared? So she was kinky. She was a sorceress and he was going to be her knight. He sucked in his breath as her dress simply melted away, drifting around her body like purple mist before vanishing. Every curve of her body was that of the perfect woman, soft, but defined. Her fingers slid over his calves as she smiled at him, a cold, beautiful, possessive smile.
"Now it's time to become mine." She stepped back, raising her arms to the domed roof above, tilting her head back. He looked up as the room darkened around them, only a pale silver glow surrounding the altar. "Griever!" His eyes strained as something dropped from the center of the dome, something black, huge, serpentine, massive bat-like wings thrown out to either side. What was going on here? A Guardian Force? This was getting a little too kinky. His breath stopped in cold fear as it landed on the altar, clawed feet gripping the corners. He strained against his bonds but he couldn't break them.
"Wait. This isn't what's supposed to--" He was interrupted by her cold, cruel laughter.
"Foolish boy. Your body pleases me, but your soul is too independant. Stop resisting. It won't matter anyhow." She walked around to slide her hands into his, leaning over to bite his shoulder. He gasped, shaking his head as he looked up into the demonic face of the GF.
"No. Oh shit. No, you're not going to do this." He struggled, crying out as the snakes sank their fangs into his limbs, burning like fire. He felt his arms and legs begin to freeze, leaving him helpless. He opened his mouth to call for his GFs in desperation, but Griever's head dropped, a tongue shooting out and pushing through his mouth to his throat, gagging him. He started shaking as the GF entered him, physically and mentally, pushing itself into his mind, shock and fear leaving him unable to resist the powerful invasion. He could hear the sorceress laughing, hollow, sharp, like shattering glass. Reality started to slip away. He could feel his body, but he was no longer controlling it, Griever's claws sinking into his chest, the GF melting into his flesh. The chamber warped, twisted in front of him as his will, his mind were imprisoned in darkness. He watched his own rape, horrified, as if he were looking into a reflection in a mirror. He could hear his own scream echoing in his head. A crack formed along the surface of the mirror, then shattered it, the scene of reality multiplied in the shards.
"IRVY! OH GOD, IRVY, WAKE UP!"
Irvine felt hands on his shoulders, shaking him, then felt himself falling, darkness engulfing him. He heard her laugh, like shattering glass.
Laguna, President of Esthar, looked to his assistant and best friend Kiros as he heard a scream from his stepdaughter's room. Kiros gave him the barest nod before both of them sprinted for Ellone's room. Kiros's long legs helped him reach the door first. He slammed his shoulder into it as he threw it open. Ellone was pressed back against the wall by her bed, shaking her head, her face white with horror. Rinoa was bent over the bed, shaking Irvine's shoulders, screaming his name. Irvine was limp, pale, clearly unconscious. Laguna pushed past him, limping a bit as he rushed to his stepdaughter and took her in his arms, Ellone dropping her head against his shoulder and sobbing. Kiros reached the bed in two quick strides, pushing Rinoa away gently as he felt Irvine's neck for a pulse.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Rinoa sobbed into her hands. "It's all my fault! They wouldn't have tried it if it hadn't been for me!"
Kiros felt a tiny wave of comfort at the faint throb under his fingertips. "He's alive. I'll go call the Garden."
Laguna nodded, rocking Ellone against his chest as Kiros hurried out. "What happened, Rinoa? Where the hell did she send him?"
Seifer sat up in the hotel bed, grabbing Selphie's shoulders tightly. "No... not again."
Selphie blinked at him in shock. "You usually like it when I do that to you."
He looked at her, shaking his head, gasping for breath. The room was swimming around him. He felt himself falling, his fingers sliding from her skin. She grabbed him, a hint of fear in her voice as she called his name, then darkness surrounded him.
Selphie screamed. The look of terror she'd seen in Seifer's eyes scared her more than his passing out. She rolled away from him, running to the door and opening it. "Somebody! Help!" She looked back at Seifer's motionless body in the bed, sinking against the wall and sobbing as footsteps answered her call. "Seify... my Seify..."
