You're the reason I live... You're the reason I'll die....
You're the reason I'll give... When I break down and cry...
Don't need no reason why... Baby baby baby...
------
Rinoa stumbled on her way back to Squall's room. She leaned against the wall for support, trying to catch her breath. Although it had not been a far walk back, she felt as though she had been running for miles. She felt someone place a hand on her shoulder, and glanced up, trying to focus on the face before her. All she saw was concern in green eyes before fainting.
Matron turned as Seifer entered the room, Rinoa in his arms, Quistis right behind him. "She passed out in the hallway..." He trailed off as he saw Irvine. The sharpshooter was leaning against the wall, paler then any ghost Seifer had ever seen. He followed his gaze to Squall, nearly dropping Rinoa when he figured out the reason why Irvine was so pale.
"Matron... is he..." Quistis stumbled for words. Edea held up a hand.
"No, although he seems to be. Quick, place Rinoa on that bed." She pointed to the one next to Squall. As Seifer and Quistis laid Rinoa down, Matron gently pried Ellone away from Squall.
"We must do this quickly. Seifer, wheel the bed next to Squall's. Quistis, get Irvine off the floor, we need him for this. Ellone..."
The young woman looked up at up, eyes bloodshot and puffy.
"I know this is going to be hard, but you need to go into Squall's mind. I need you to link Irvine to them. Rinoa and Squall. Not to go into the past, but to fight in the present."
"But... I..."
"I have faith in Ellone, and I'll be here to help. If we don't hurry. Squall could very well die for real."
Ellone nodded, then turned to help Quistis with Irvine.
"Selphie..." Zell frowned at the crystal. He had just set in the bracelet, when the crystal had gone from a light blue to a near black. She turned, eyes widening slightly at the color of the crystal. "Oh my God..." Zell's eyes moved up to meet hers. "What, what is it?" He sounded worried. Barely anything could shock her, although he had seen disappoint, despair, and fear on her face before. But this... "Squall..."
"What do you mean, Squall?" Pause. "Oh shit. Selphie, what the hell is going on??!"
"I can't explain. C'mon.. We have to get up there!"
She grabbed his hand, dragging him out of the room. Zell was too shocked to do anything but follow; however, he managed not to drop the half-finished bangle.
Irvine was seated between Rinoa and Squall, his left hand in Squall's, Rinoa's in his right. "Irvine, are you sure you want to do this?"
Edea asked. He had to be sure, or...
Irvine nodded, eyes dark as dusk. "I told Selphie I'd fight for him. Even if meant my life. Or in this case, perhaps our love. But, he's gotta come back. 'Cause even if I can't have 'im, I can't live without him."
Edea nodded, glancing at Ellone. The girl bowed her head, eyes closing as she focused on Irvine. In a few moments, his head dropped, but his fingers never lost their grip on either of their hands.
Rinoa had been easy to find. She was lying in hallway, outside a set of iron doors. As he drew closer, he noticed that she was laying face down, curled in the fetal position. 'What 'da hell...?' He was in her mind, wasn't he? She should be the master of this domain. He knelt down, softly shaking her shoulder. Even though she had nearly killed Squall, he knew it hadn't been just her attacking him.
Rinoa lifted her head, letting out a soft moan as a wave of pain hit her. Irvine frowned, brushing back her hair, and then gasped. Half of her face was swollen, her left eye black. It looked as though someone had clawed that side of her face, and then had flung her against the wall.
"Rinoa..."
She winced, as a cough escaped her body. "I think... my ribs..." She paused, trying to breathe in without causing herself more pain. "The bond... between us... She's trying to sever it..."
He kept his hand on her shoulder, whispering curaga. Even though they weren't in the physical realm, he hoped the spell would work. It seemed to, though the power was only that of a cure.
"I was only able to keep him alive... because he still cared for me."
Irvine closed his eyes, removing his hand from her shoulder. "As a sister... Irvine. He loves you. But they.. The other's within me hate him... Because he failed me as a Knight, as did theirs. Our bond..."
She trailed off, and he opened his eyes again. "It must go to you, Irvine... Your love can save his life..."
"Rinoa, what are you..."
She held out her hand, and he took it... Wondering what she was going to do. "You'll need my powers for this, Irvine. While I don't know if I'll die out there, in here.. I must. The bond must be... must be yours..."
He felt the tingle first in his fingertips, as though it was static electricity. Then, his hand and arm started to go numb then dance as though a current was running through it. The tremor worked its way throughout his body, as Rinoa's eyes started to close. "Tell him, ...Tell him I love him...."
"Rinoa..." It was too late. She was gone.
Selphie and Zell burst into the room, causing Seifer and Quistis to turn. "Are we..." Ellone and Irvine did not stir, nor did the two figures on the bed. "Shhh." Seifer hissed, eyes narrowed slightly. Selphie gripped Zell's hand painfully hard, and he bit his lower lip in order not to complain. In his other hand, the crystal was now a dull black color.
"I'll tell him for you. But you'll be coming back, 'cause you can't quit on your friends." He whispered, squeezing her hand one last time before rising. He turned to face the doors, and they flew open of their own accord.
Squall looked over, eyes widening as he saw the figure that approached them. "Irvine..." Those dusky eyes were not on him, however; they were on the woman that towered over him.
"You'd think that after we beat you the first time - you'd learn."
Ultimetica sneered, eyes still on Squall. "Stay of out this, child. You do not know what you're messing with."
"Oh? Coulda sworn I was one of the last ones standing... One of the ones to see you fade into nothingness..."
She scowled, turning to face him, then she blinked. "Impossible."
"Oh, noticed something new?" Irvine drawled, stepping closer into view. Instead of his usual tan leather, he was clad in white. His hair was loose, falling about his shoulders in amber-shot waves.
And... A pair of grey tipped wings adorned his back.
"Rinoa transferred her powers to me. Her love for him, to me."
He paused, that old familiar smirk sliding across his lips. He held up his left arm, letting it slowly lower as he pointed his index finger at her. "Between us, you're nothing."
"I refuse to let it end this way..." She hissed out the words, a black ball of mist weaving itself around her fingers.
"It's too late for you." He smiled, imaging that his hand was Exeter. And what he was about to fire at her was more powerful then pulse ammo and an Ultima spell combined. A quick little jerk of the wrist and ....
"Bang."
Even Laguna was waiting, as Irvine slowly lifted his head. Ellone smiled, breaking out in tears again as the boy blinked, trying to place where he was. "Irvine..." He barely saw a blur of yellow, before he was knocked back, Selphie wrapping her arms around him. "Thank Hyne you're ok!"
"Feh. Took you long enough.." Zell remarked, coming up to pry Selphie off him. Not that he was worried, but he figured he'd like to be able to breathe.
"And... And Squall..." Irvine whispered, voice horse. Selphie and Zell shared a quick look, then helped Irvine sit up again. He was on a bed, as were Rinoa and Squall. He looked to his left, fingers crossed.
You're my angel come and save me tonight...
You're my angel come and make it alright...
You're my angel come and save me tonight...
----
A/N - One more chapter to go, as long as you reviewers want it. What will happen to Squall ... and Rinoa?
Disclaimer: Square owns them, Aersomith - "Angel"
You're the reason I'll give... When I break down and cry...
Don't need no reason why... Baby baby baby...
------
Rinoa stumbled on her way back to Squall's room. She leaned against the wall for support, trying to catch her breath. Although it had not been a far walk back, she felt as though she had been running for miles. She felt someone place a hand on her shoulder, and glanced up, trying to focus on the face before her. All she saw was concern in green eyes before fainting.
Matron turned as Seifer entered the room, Rinoa in his arms, Quistis right behind him. "She passed out in the hallway..." He trailed off as he saw Irvine. The sharpshooter was leaning against the wall, paler then any ghost Seifer had ever seen. He followed his gaze to Squall, nearly dropping Rinoa when he figured out the reason why Irvine was so pale.
"Matron... is he..." Quistis stumbled for words. Edea held up a hand.
"No, although he seems to be. Quick, place Rinoa on that bed." She pointed to the one next to Squall. As Seifer and Quistis laid Rinoa down, Matron gently pried Ellone away from Squall.
"We must do this quickly. Seifer, wheel the bed next to Squall's. Quistis, get Irvine off the floor, we need him for this. Ellone..."
The young woman looked up at up, eyes bloodshot and puffy.
"I know this is going to be hard, but you need to go into Squall's mind. I need you to link Irvine to them. Rinoa and Squall. Not to go into the past, but to fight in the present."
"But... I..."
"I have faith in Ellone, and I'll be here to help. If we don't hurry. Squall could very well die for real."
Ellone nodded, then turned to help Quistis with Irvine.
"Selphie..." Zell frowned at the crystal. He had just set in the bracelet, when the crystal had gone from a light blue to a near black. She turned, eyes widening slightly at the color of the crystal. "Oh my God..." Zell's eyes moved up to meet hers. "What, what is it?" He sounded worried. Barely anything could shock her, although he had seen disappoint, despair, and fear on her face before. But this... "Squall..."
"What do you mean, Squall?" Pause. "Oh shit. Selphie, what the hell is going on??!"
"I can't explain. C'mon.. We have to get up there!"
She grabbed his hand, dragging him out of the room. Zell was too shocked to do anything but follow; however, he managed not to drop the half-finished bangle.
Irvine was seated between Rinoa and Squall, his left hand in Squall's, Rinoa's in his right. "Irvine, are you sure you want to do this?"
Edea asked. He had to be sure, or...
Irvine nodded, eyes dark as dusk. "I told Selphie I'd fight for him. Even if meant my life. Or in this case, perhaps our love. But, he's gotta come back. 'Cause even if I can't have 'im, I can't live without him."
Edea nodded, glancing at Ellone. The girl bowed her head, eyes closing as she focused on Irvine. In a few moments, his head dropped, but his fingers never lost their grip on either of their hands.
Rinoa had been easy to find. She was lying in hallway, outside a set of iron doors. As he drew closer, he noticed that she was laying face down, curled in the fetal position. 'What 'da hell...?' He was in her mind, wasn't he? She should be the master of this domain. He knelt down, softly shaking her shoulder. Even though she had nearly killed Squall, he knew it hadn't been just her attacking him.
Rinoa lifted her head, letting out a soft moan as a wave of pain hit her. Irvine frowned, brushing back her hair, and then gasped. Half of her face was swollen, her left eye black. It looked as though someone had clawed that side of her face, and then had flung her against the wall.
"Rinoa..."
She winced, as a cough escaped her body. "I think... my ribs..." She paused, trying to breathe in without causing herself more pain. "The bond... between us... She's trying to sever it..."
He kept his hand on her shoulder, whispering curaga. Even though they weren't in the physical realm, he hoped the spell would work. It seemed to, though the power was only that of a cure.
"I was only able to keep him alive... because he still cared for me."
Irvine closed his eyes, removing his hand from her shoulder. "As a sister... Irvine. He loves you. But they.. The other's within me hate him... Because he failed me as a Knight, as did theirs. Our bond..."
She trailed off, and he opened his eyes again. "It must go to you, Irvine... Your love can save his life..."
"Rinoa, what are you..."
She held out her hand, and he took it... Wondering what she was going to do. "You'll need my powers for this, Irvine. While I don't know if I'll die out there, in here.. I must. The bond must be... must be yours..."
He felt the tingle first in his fingertips, as though it was static electricity. Then, his hand and arm started to go numb then dance as though a current was running through it. The tremor worked its way throughout his body, as Rinoa's eyes started to close. "Tell him, ...Tell him I love him...."
"Rinoa..." It was too late. She was gone.
Selphie and Zell burst into the room, causing Seifer and Quistis to turn. "Are we..." Ellone and Irvine did not stir, nor did the two figures on the bed. "Shhh." Seifer hissed, eyes narrowed slightly. Selphie gripped Zell's hand painfully hard, and he bit his lower lip in order not to complain. In his other hand, the crystal was now a dull black color.
"I'll tell him for you. But you'll be coming back, 'cause you can't quit on your friends." He whispered, squeezing her hand one last time before rising. He turned to face the doors, and they flew open of their own accord.
Squall looked over, eyes widening as he saw the figure that approached them. "Irvine..." Those dusky eyes were not on him, however; they were on the woman that towered over him.
"You'd think that after we beat you the first time - you'd learn."
Ultimetica sneered, eyes still on Squall. "Stay of out this, child. You do not know what you're messing with."
"Oh? Coulda sworn I was one of the last ones standing... One of the ones to see you fade into nothingness..."
She scowled, turning to face him, then she blinked. "Impossible."
"Oh, noticed something new?" Irvine drawled, stepping closer into view. Instead of his usual tan leather, he was clad in white. His hair was loose, falling about his shoulders in amber-shot waves.
And... A pair of grey tipped wings adorned his back.
"Rinoa transferred her powers to me. Her love for him, to me."
He paused, that old familiar smirk sliding across his lips. He held up his left arm, letting it slowly lower as he pointed his index finger at her. "Between us, you're nothing."
"I refuse to let it end this way..." She hissed out the words, a black ball of mist weaving itself around her fingers.
"It's too late for you." He smiled, imaging that his hand was Exeter. And what he was about to fire at her was more powerful then pulse ammo and an Ultima spell combined. A quick little jerk of the wrist and ....
"Bang."
Even Laguna was waiting, as Irvine slowly lifted his head. Ellone smiled, breaking out in tears again as the boy blinked, trying to place where he was. "Irvine..." He barely saw a blur of yellow, before he was knocked back, Selphie wrapping her arms around him. "Thank Hyne you're ok!"
"Feh. Took you long enough.." Zell remarked, coming up to pry Selphie off him. Not that he was worried, but he figured he'd like to be able to breathe.
"And... And Squall..." Irvine whispered, voice horse. Selphie and Zell shared a quick look, then helped Irvine sit up again. He was on a bed, as were Rinoa and Squall. He looked to his left, fingers crossed.
You're my angel come and save me tonight...
You're my angel come and make it alright...
You're my angel come and save me tonight...
----
A/N - One more chapter to go, as long as you reviewers want it. What will happen to Squall ... and Rinoa?
Disclaimer: Square owns them, Aersomith - "Angel"
