Chapter 6 – That Damned Ultimecia
A/N: I do not own FF8, and any of its cast for e.g. Zell (sob), Seifer, Quistis, Squall, any other I haven't mentioned yet. But I do own ZA, SA, the Great Lord, and a tower-high pile of textbooks thrown in some dusty corner. No value whatsoever. Thank you (bows).
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Place: Zell's Dorm at Balamb Garden
Time: At night, when the only sounds heard were the snores of sleeping people and nocturnal insects chirping.
I stare at my Master silently, my eyes lingering over his handsome features. How peaceful he looked in his sleep. And how it tugs at my heart as I watch his muscular chest rise and fall with every breath taken and exhaled. I could hardly resist the urge to touch his hair, his cheek, and his lips. A strangled sob caught in my throat and I quickly knelt down on the floor, putting a hand to my chest in an attempt to smother it away.
As if sensing my presence, my Master tossed in his bed, the springs of his mattress creaking at the weight. Then he mumbled incoherently. I could only make out the words hotdog and Ma.
Well, that at least saved me for a little while from experiencing yet more forbidden feelings. I could only smile at his obsession with hotdogs and sigh at his filialness to his Ma. (Cos it only serves to tell me how good he is.)
Then, sitting down next to his bed, I started brushing and cleaning my feathers. SA was right. I look a mess. I can't really reach the peak of my powers if I looked in such a way, could I? And tomorrow looms a huge battle. One of the final battles, I believe.
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Fast forward again to the heroes' and heroines' final battle with Ultimecia. The battle party consisted of Zell, Quistis and Squall (in MY order of preference, hah). They had just finished off Ultimecia Griever without so much as breaking out in a sweat, due to the very strong statistics of the party and a rather brilliant attacking strategy. (Imagine 255 Spr Stats for EVERY person… I was smirking all the way.)
This is Chicken-feed. I remember thinking smugly to myself as I continued shielding Zell. One never knows when Ultimecia might plan a sneak attack and force herself into Zell. I know that she's been harbouring that thought for a while, as she keeps eyeing me and the mockery in her eyes just angers me to no end. And then I started harbouring plans for that revenge I had planned a while ago.
Following soon after that was the starlit background as Ultimecia began Time Compression. Kompression, she had said. Hyne, can't even spell and she wants to take over the World? Dream on.
The trio fully healed themselves just after the last attack. The impact on them was so little that I've even forgotten what it was…
The true form of the evil Sorceress appeared. They started bombarding the hideous one with their limit breaks.
Meanwhile, I kept thinking of how to sneak an attack at the ugly hag. I had completely forgotten how powerful she was, and how serious the penalty for breaking the rule would be.
Seifer's Angel, or rather, Quistis' Angel, still keeping an eye on his Lady, spoke in a chilling tone.
"Thou shalt not interfere in thy Master's battles."
"Alright, Alright, I hear you, Quistis' Angel. For crying out loud! Isn't it enough that you became her Angel just to guard me like some kind of hound dog? You HAD to interfere in my intentions as well!"
"Of course I had to. That was one of the reasons I threw myself at this unwelcome job. Do you know how hard it is to guard over a new Lady? I have hardly gotten myself acquainted with her character and mannerisms… and a big battle like this comes up."
"Speaking of Lady… it's a wonder that Quistis never had an Angel. She's so beautiful, and her heart is kinder than many others I can think of… those Angels must be blind."
"Hey, you guys! Concentrate on the battle! Can't you be more serious about it?"
That was Squall's Angel talking. Might have been jealous of my chumminess with QA, but she was probably right.
Then, my spine turned cold. Was that a smirk I saw from the supposedly dead shell of Ultimecia? Oh Hyne… I have a VERY bad feeling.
An Angel's instincts were always accurate, even if from a bad one such as myself.
Immediately after I saw the smirk, Ultimecia started to attack with "Hell's Judgement", where everyone's HP turned to 1.
Anxious that they were all in critical status, I kept praying that they had enough time to heal.
Quistis prepared to use a Megalixir, while Squall and Zell got ready for the next round of Limit Break Attacks.
Something totally unexpected happened. Based on past experience, Ultimecia would have taken quite a while to recover before she could attack again. But my bad feeling was right.
Without releasing a single breath, she began to cast Apocalypse.
The thought of my Master dying was something I could not live with. My reflexes, or rather, my wings acting before my brain could, I flew in front and shielded him from the Magic Attack. Something that had never been done before, but I was not about to hesitate just because of that.
Mercifully… Zell was spared, but only him. He quickly used a Mega-Phoenix, and his team-mates got up from their temporary death. Squall attacked viciously with LionHeart, while Quistis used the Megalixir she had planned to use before.
Aura was cast again, and they bombarded Ultimecia with their Limit Breaks, ending with Zell's Final Heaven, while she muttered her gibberish about "Reflect on your childhood blah blah blah blah……" I couldn't really recall her exact words, my concentration being centred on the well-being of my Master.
So what had happened to yours truly? Well, not much, except for a broken wing. Anyway, since the battle had ended, it didn't matter at all.
Hence began the Time Compression again, this time to return all and sundry to their respective places. I was totally lost, having not been separated from my Master for a very long time since that cell confinement. I wandered around, opening the wrong doors and finally reached a familiar place.
I found myself standing in the middle of the flower field at the Lighthouse Orphanage… but I could not see my Master. Frantic, I searched and searched for some sign of him.
A small version of myself flew by. I looked at the direction she was going towards, and whom should I see, but my Master? Only he was just a kid, not the full-blown teenager he had grown into.
Oh, so I've returned to the first time I saw him. Figures… this must surely be the most important event of my life.
Looking at my little self choose him as Master, I smiled and nodded in approval at her. She threw a confused look at me, and proceeded to follow him inside the orphanage.
"Zell's Angel? Where are you? Don't you get lost in some time warp! Return to our time right now!" The familiar voice of Quistis' Angel sounded in my head.
Damn it's getting confusing. For the longest time, I've finally gotten used to his choice of Master, and now he changes to Quistis. Oh well, it's not in my position to criticise his actions, being the cause of it.
"Okay! I'm coming right now! Quit hollering like I'm deaf or something! My brain hurts." I followed the source of his voice, and sure enough, we were back to the proper place and time.
"Are you feeling alright? I saw what you did just before the battle ended. You gave me the shock of my life, for Hyne's sake!" He placed a hand on my shoulder, while peering at my face to ensure that I wasn't fatally injured or something.
"Sure I am. Do you really think I'm THAT weak, unable to withstand an Apocalypse attack? C'mon, have more faith in me!" I laughed and punched his shoulder.
"Looks to me that way. Let's go." He flies towards Quistis and resumed his protection.
I nodded with a small smile dancing on my lips, and went to my Master.
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"Order in the Court. The rule breaker will now stand before the Great Lord." A poker-faced official announced in the big hall that deals with rule breakers. I'm a regular in this hall, as you would have guessed.
"Celestine… what do you have to say for yourself?" The Great Lord asked in a tired and annoyed voice. Maybe he was seriously contemplating whether to kick me out of Angel Land. (In Angel Land, we were no longer addressed as whoever's Angel, but by our real names.)
"I'm sorry, my Lord. I am willing to accept any punishment you think appropriate." I knelt before him and bowed my head, awaiting his verdict.
"Do you not wish to explain why you broke the rule? I might consider giving a lighter sentence, or maybe even lifting it if that is what seems fair." He asked again, this time with concern lacing his voice.
I knew that the Great Lord takes special care of me, the reason of which I do not know. But I shook my head. I actually shook my head at a chance of defending myself!
"Fine, if that's what you want. I shall sentence you to one month of solitary confinement in the cell."
"Thank you, my Lord." I bowed again and performed a gesture of acceptance of the sentence.
"Wait, my Lord! Hear me out! I have something to say about this particular incident!" A voice echoed around the hall before I could even take a step towards the exit.
"Ah. Damien. I was hoping you would appear and give me a different side of the story. This stubborn girl here……" he paused, pointing his staff at me, "…just refuses to tell me."
"May I begin? My Lord?"
The Great Lord nods, gesturing for Damien to continue.
"Celestine had broken the rule of interfering with her Master's battle only because he was very close to dying in the hands of Ultimecia. If I recall correctly, concessions could be made to the rules if they were broken for the sole purpose of protection."
"Ah. Just as I suspected." The Great Lord looked at me quizzically. "Why did you not tell me about this, then? Did you want to be punished? Anyway, I am lifting your sentence, or it would have seemed that the Court rules without seeing the impartial truth. Dismissed."
"But…" I started to protest, only to be cut off by a look on the Great Lord's face that seemed to forbid any disobedience of his orders.
I glared at Damien.
"Wait until we're outside, and I'll let you face my wrath! You meddlesome Angel!" I whispered fiercely.
"Say what? I couldn't quite catch your words. Do you mind running it by me again?"
I shook my head and flew out of Angel Land in a great hurry, thinking that I did not want to see him ever again. But that's a bit tough, cos his Lady was my Master's good friend and battle companion!
What have I done to deserve this?
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A/N: Good… at last, a chapter of respectable length.