When my heart is no longer in control
When thoughts of him fill my soul
My keeper can longer control me
I shall be free to follow my own destiny.
~*Renegade Seraph*~
Chapter 16 Liberation
Zell, Irvine and Mia sneaked into the castle, by the back bathroom window.
"Typical, of all the rooms in this place we chose the bathroom!" Zell moaned. Mia rolled her eyes.
"Shut up Zell!" Irvine replied.
"Ooh a rubber duckie!" Zell said, picking up the yellow toy and squeezing it. To Zell's delight it made a strangled squeaking sound.
"Zell put that down!" Mia commanded, taking the toy out of Zell's hand and throwing it back into the empty bathtub. "We have a job to do."
"Hey Zell, does she remind you of anyone?" Irvine asked teasingly. Zell smiled.
"Yeah, Squall on a bad day" Zell said laughing. Mia gave them both a 'be quiet' look and checked for people outside of the door. She made a waving sign with her hand to signal that the others should follow.
A couple of guards blocked the entrance to the dungeons. They sat focused so intensely in their game of cards, that it was almost too easy for Zell to break the nearest one's neck. The second barely had time to acknowledge what had happened before he received a hard kick to the face, rendering him unconscious. Irvine clapped him in a sarcastic way as Zell did a small bow in response.
"Mia, I want you to stay here. We will come back up this way for you after we have Squall." Irvine informed her.
"Why can't I go?" Mia asked.
"Because, we need a look out, ok" Irvine replied, pulling out his gun and checking that it was properly loaded.
"Oh" She knew it wasn't the real reason, but decided to obey them.
Zell and Irvine climbed down the stone steps that led to the cells. Every footstep echoed off of the walls. The candle flames cast suspicious shadows in the corners of the rooms. Two guards jumped out in front of them, they both raised their swords high, ready to strike. Zell skidded out of their way, as Irvine fired to perfectly bullets into their chests. No words were needed as Zell gave him a look of gratefulness.
"Come on" Irvine said, holding a hand out to help Zell back up from the floor. "Squall cannot be far away"
Zell kicked opened the heavy wooden cell door. Squall was laid face down on a marble slab, which stood out from the wall. Zell's eyes started to become tearful as he saw the blood on the floor.
"Squall?" Irvine called. The dark figure didn't move. Irvine carefully walked over to him. Placing his fingers on Squall's neck, he gently increased the pressure. "I can't find a pulse Zell!"
"No, please Squall!" Zell cried running over. "Oh please no!" Irvine put his arm around Zell.
"I'm so sorry Zell, if only there was a magic cure…" Irvine said, trying his best to comfort the upset boy.
"That's it!" Zell shouted, new hope filling his heart. "Magic!"
"But Zell, no one can use magic! It's unsafe, and it might not even work." Irvine exclaimed, trying to talk some reality into Zell. But Zell was already determined.
"Stand back!" Zell said calmly. Irvine moved a few steps back. He was worried about Zell. The poor boy had gone delusional.
Zell concentrated as hard as he could, he felt the world around him blurring and moving beneath his feet. Out of fear he quickly snapped himself out of his trance. Realising nothing was wrong he started it again. This time when the dizziness claimed him he fought it. Extending an arm he felt something hot rush into his blood, it pushed its way through his arm with a thousand pins and needles following behind it. Zell whimpered out of the strangeness of the feeling. His hand burned until the power was released out though the tips of his fingers by a silver light.
"Curaga" Zell cried, as the silver light hit Squall's motionless form. Zell brought his arm back to his side slowly; it still tingled with the hot sensation. Both waited in the silence of the room.
Squall felt himself falling away from the floating sensation he was feeling as a warm sliver light engulfed him. Suddenly he was back in control of his body, he carefully opened his eyes. Shapes started to become clear, until he recognised one that was welcome to him.
"Zell?" He whispered into the darkness. "I…I thought I was dead" Zell let the tears fall down his face, this time they were tears of joy.
"Nearly" He whispered. Irvine walked past Zell to help Squall up. Squall felt the image of the room go black, as his eyes struggled to focus again.
"Come on" Irvine said, putting Squall's arm around his neck.
"No, no I can walk" Squall said, taking his arm back. The drowsiness began to wear off, until he was feeling perfectly fine. Zell smiled, he had finally done something that Squall could be proud of him for. "Thank you Zell" Squall said, turning to Zell and smiling one of his smiles that were never before made for Zell.
"My Lord, we thought you might be needing this" Zell said, holding out Squall's Gunblade. Squall took it; unfortunately it brought back the memories of why he was here.
"Oh Shit Rinoa!" He shouted, rushing out of his cell door. Zell ran after him followed by Irvine. Squall made it up the steps without encountering any guards. But his luck had seemed to run out as he bumped into somebody. To his relief it turned out to be Mia.
"Oh Sir your ok!" She squealed. Squall shushed her as he listened. A female's scream reached his ears, as Zell and Irvine joined him at the top of the stairs. "Oh no, that's Rinoa!" Mia screamed. Squall looked at her, fear forming in his eyes.
"Mia get to somewhere safe, Zell Irvine mount up and get the hell out of here. I'm going to get Rinoa then I will follow. Make for the outskirts of the city." Squall ordered. Nobody dared disagree with him, for the mood he was in wasn't very friendly.
"But Squall, you'll never get out of here!" Mia shouted as he left them. The three looked at one another until the danger of the situation hit them and they ran to wherever Squall had told them to go.
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"Seifer let me go!" Rinoa screamed. "Squall help me!"
"He can't save you now!" Seifer said, laughing his menacing laugh. The laugh that drove fear deep into your heart because you knew he was right.
"Wanna bet?"
"What the?" Seifer said, puzzled at the entrance of a third voice.
"SQUALL!" Rinoa cried. More tears fell down her cheeks. Finally she was safe. Squall grabbed Seifer and threw him to the floor. Rinoa climbed off the bed and ran into Squall's arms. He saw that her petticoats were ripped and torn as he kissed her. Threatening Seifer with his Gunblade Squall and Rinoa backed out of the room into the large hallway. Squall held Rinoa's hand tight as they ran.
"GUARDS!" Seifer Screamed. "GUARDS!"
The few guards that got in their way had quick deaths, as Squall's blade cut though their fragile skin. Once outside Rinoa jumped onto Squall's black horse, Squall climbed on in front of her and they rode off as fast as the could.
"GUARDS!" Seifer screamed again, as few men ran into the room. "Follow them, and make sure that the army marches to attack Seadon tonight!"
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The wind rushed through Rinoa's hair. She felt free; finally she was with the one she loved.
"You rescued me." Rinoa said, resting her head on Squall's back.
"Of course I did" Squall replied, "You thought I would leave you there?"
"No, but you risked so much."
"I didn't have anything to lose. The only thing they could have taken from me that would of hurt, was the one thing they already had." Squall said. Rinoa closed her eyes, Squall's words meant so much to her.
"I love you," She whispered. Squall smiled, even the freezing rain that seeped into his clothes could drown his feeling of happiness.
"I love you too Rinoa."
Thanx to:
the-angel-of-the-lion, AngelWingsOfALion, Silver Shadow, Rinoa Leonhart73 and Phoenix Blade.
Sorry I left it in such a mean place last chapter!! O-o Please review.