¸.·´¯`·»Sinking Dirge«·´¯`·.¸
There was an eerie silence that surrounded them when they stepped off the Ragnarok onto the broken landing pad of the Deep Sea Research center. Seifer took a deep breath and led the way up the path to the cracked building.
Selphie and Zell talked behind him about their previous adventures here, and finding Bahamut. Seifer only half listened to them, paying more attention to his footing. The place was so quiet, it shook him to the core. The gaping maw of the broken metal doors, beckoned to him. The promised him success, SeeD, and a golden haired Instructor. He took a deep breath shaking off the thoughts of at last becoming SeeD.
He glanced behind him quickly at the bubbly brunette and the energetic blond before stepping into the blackness inside. There was glass all over the floor from a towering light that had been located in the center of the room. A circular staircase sat in the center of what was once a light, leading down into the depths.
"There are quiet a few levels below" Zell said walking up behind him. Seifer glanced over his shoulder and nodded in response. He had a bad feeling about this.
They headed down the rickety staircase onto the first level. Water moved around them, a bright school of fish passing by. Selphie clomped over to the window and pressed her hands against the cold glass staring into the awe-inspiring ocean scene. Zell walked over and began to tinker with some equipment near by, trying to get the hatch to lead them into the lower level open.
Selphie turned and looked at Seifer, inspecting his creased brow. He was worried, he tried to hide it of course. But Selphie was beginning to see through his hard façade. Seifer had proved himself to her the day he had saved the Cadets life on his SeeD exam.
"You'll make a great SeeD, Seifer" she whispered under her breath so Zell couldn't hear her. Seifer looked at her slowly, lips tightening at her words.
"I wasn't only thinking of myself. I just hope we can get Trepe outta here" Seifer responded to her his voice a fierce whisper. Selphie couldn't help but have a small smile. Even as children Seifer had always had a chivalrous side. It always came from reading those dime store novels, and watching movies of sorceress knights. Selphie cringed at the thought, he had failed at his one dream.
She sighed out loud, matching the tone of the grinding gears as the door opened to below. As usual Selphie always wanted to make people happy, and when she couldn't it brought her down just a little. Everyone deserved a little sunshine in his or her life. All Seifer had ever wanted to be was a Knight, there was no chance of that since Rinoa was the last sorceress. Selphie shook her head and followed the two boys onto the level.
At last the three of them reached the bottom of the deep sea research center. Cool white stone surrounded them as they followed its weaving path. It eventually led them to a platform, where the remnants of a great battle lay.
"This is where we fought the Ultimate Weapon" Selphie said with a tiny smile. Zell nodded in agreement and began to search around the area Seifer kicked a rock out of his way and started across the marble whiteness searching for any clue at all.
"Over here!" Zell yelled suddenly pulling up a great trap door in the marble. Seifer rushed over trench coat flaps fluttering around his legs. Selphie beat him there peering down yet another circular stairway.
"Lead the way, Selph" Zell said giving Seifer a look. The spunky girl nodded and led the way down to huge stairway. It ended in a long metal corridor with a metal door at the end.
The door was very plain, rivets around the outside of it. A green light blinked over it, casting a strange shadow across the three of them.
"No handle" Selphie said frowning.
"Watch out" Seifer said, Selphie obediently moved aside making way for Seifer's black Hyperion. Magic roiled down they blade as he pulled the trigger. The gunblade magic burst the door inward lying it flat. An alarm sounded a great ringing echoing through the hall.
Suddenly monsters were all around them, cutting and slashing at them with their talons. Gunblade, Gloves, and Nunchuku worked as one fending them off. Seifer pushed into the mob of them spilling into the door. Still fighting them off he tried to look around the room.
One side was encased by glass, two cells split by a metal wall. Across the way was multiple machines, and another door. Zell arrived beside him kicking at a monster about to jump onto his back.
"There's way too many, we gotta get out of here" Selphie said on the other side of him flailing out with her Strange Vision.
"We are not leaving with out Quistis" Seifer said steadfastly. Selphie nodded from beside him and pushed him towards the glass cells leaving her and Zell to fend off the monsters. Seifer peered into the glass seeing a very familiar looking brown haired woman attached to wire and machines all around her.
"Ellone" Seifer gasped slamming his fist into the glass, sending a splintering crack across it. It splintered open allowing access inside. He rushed in and to Ellone's tableside.
She was so pale, and so very naked. He shuddered as he ripped the cords from her arms, and the tiny pads from her temples. Her eyes shot open and she took a shuddering breath.
"Here" Seifer said pulling his trench coat off and laying it over her. She tried to sit up, gasping for air. Seifer rushed out into the main room.
"Zell, get Ellone out of here!!" Seifer shouted rushing to the next cell. Zell looked up from his fighting and leapt across the room leaving Selphie alone.
The next cell contained a distraught Quistis banging on the glass. Seifer couldn't help but smile at seeing her. At last they had found her. Seifer motioned for her to step back slicing into the glass with his gunblade. Glass splintered sending a shower of tinkling light around them. Quistis tumbled forward into his arms. He paused a moment allowing her to get her footing.
"This will stop" a deep rich voice echoed over the room. Seifer turned to look at a statuesque woman in a purple dress stride into the room. He heard Quistis' heavy breathing behind him as all combat in the room stopped. Selphie stopped in mad attack, Zell a few steps from the glass cell with Ellone in his arms was paused in mid step.
"We are leaving now. And you aren't going to stop us" Seifer said a smirk spreading across his face. The woman laughed tossing her head back sending curls bouncing around her shoulders. Seifer silently exchanged a look with Zell, nodding his head slowly.
Seifer rushed forward lashing out with his gunblade as suddenly everyone behind him leapt into to action heading for the door. The woman in purple smiled at him and raised her hand instantly casting a shimmering wall around her.
"Your friends may get away, but you will not" she growled reaching out for him with her long lacquered black fingernails. He lurched amazed as fire blazed across his arm. She laughed again and grabbed his gunblade with her bare hand.
The woman in purple lurched back, with a hiss staring at his gunblade. She looked up her depthless pools staring into his eyes searching.
"It's you" she whispered taking a step back her face registering sock. Seifer frowned and took that opportunity to release a deadly spell.
"Quake" he whispered running from her. The building began to shake around him, its stability minimal from the rumbling ocean floor. He ran leaving her and her terrible prison behind him.
The building shook windows rattled, his feet pounding on the metal stair. Heart pounding hear in his chest, he kept moving. At last he broke free of the sinking building the Ragnarok hovering before him.
"Seifer" Selphie screaming reaching out for him. He glanced behind him watching the water spray up through the door of the building. He jumped fingers curling around the open hatch of the flying ship.
Whoever was flying pulled away as the building of massive rock was sucked under the water with a loud sound. He pulled himself unto the ship, and looked down at the swirling maelstrom below.
"We got away!" Selphie exclaimed throwing her arms around Seifer.
"They let us go" Seifer growled shoving her off of him. She frowned and shook her head marching away into the Ragnarok. Seifer stood there alone with a very silent sick looking Quistis.
"Who was she?" Seifer asked Quistis turning to look at her.
"She said her name was Medarra. I have a feeling we haven't heard the last of her" Quistis said. Seifer nodded, trying hard to remember if he had met her before. She looked familiar, lost in a sea of faces he had known over his lifetime
"You okay?" he asked frowning at her. Quistis nodded and then swayed a bit, before she fell forward into his arms for the second time that day.
A/N: Omg. Sorry it took me so long to update this. I had a tiny bit of writer's block. Along with school and some personal things I havent had a lot of time for you all. I am very sorry and an trying to update more often. Forgive me, please?