AND HERE IT IS!!! The conclusion to part one of this story is finally
here! WOOT! I really hope you enjoy it, and part two should be started
after the first of the year. Please review and let me know what you think.
Thanks to everyone for their reviews and support. = )
I do not own final fantasy eight or anything to do with it.
Last Chapter of Part 1: This Time
Life was it's prettiest when Rinoa used her powers. She often compared it to walking in a misty haze of blues and pinks, as though she was looking through tinted glasses and all sounds were slightly muffled. She was completely aware of everything around her and yet blissfully oblivious at the same time. Smells were pungent and crisp yet distant, and all was right with the world. Balance, she called it. And Squall could tell, from thirty feet away, that she was in that foggy hazy world of colored vision. Her eyes and face were turned toward the heavens as a serene smile tugged at her lips. Her body was almost limp as she stood staring at the bright morning sun, a strange out of place sight amidst the chaos and screeching of dragons all around them. Racing to reach the woman who had ruined part of him, Squall could feel his blood boiling within him, a mixture of rage and hatred brimming over his very being. Laguna could almost sense the tension around his son as the two sprinted across the vast stretch of green toward Rinoa. The occasional ring of gunfire from his weapon was at least keeping the few creatures that weren't after the school off of the two men, but Laguna was no longer concerned about the dragons.
Squall was almost as oblivious as the woman in front of them, feeling nothing but his feet pounding on the ground and his heart racing as anger built inside him at an alarming rate. His own vision wanted to cloud over as his mind raced with a million thoughts. Where was Junior? Was Selphie okay? What was Rinoa doing? And worst of all.was Seifer with her? He could handle Seifer on his own, but with Rinoa on hand he didn't want to call his cards too early. Gritting his teeth, he looked at the woman he had loved more than life itself, his grip tightening on the hilt of his gunblade.
"Rinoa!"
The sound seemed to echo within her head and Rinoa turned her wide, demented eyes toward the sound. The grin on her face looked twisted as her eyes met Squall's, and she lashed out with her power suddenly and without warning. The force knocked Squall completely off of his feet and sent him reeling backward a good fifteen feet, with Laguna trailing not far behind. Squall felt his body slam into the ground, wincing aloud as his entire frame shook with the force of her attack. Laguna moaned from somewhere behind him, apparently unprepared for such an attack. Squall sat up, reinforcing his grip on the gunblade and using it to help him stand. Rinoa's eyes still seemed faraway and distant, but the disgusting grin on her face and the slight tilt of her head suggested a madness that went deeper than her psyche. Squall narrowed his eyes as he looked her over.
"Sssssquall." she hissed, the sound trailing into a demented little laugh that shook her shoulders. Her voice echoed along with one that was not her own. "Sssilly of me to c-come here." Squall knew better than to move or advance on her at this point. He swallowed nervously, shoving the mix of emotions into some unreachable part of his body. His voice was cold as steel.
"Rinoa, state your purpose," he said with authority, something that at the very least came easily, "or I'll have no choice but to call SeeD."
She smiled at that thought, her head rolling to the other side. "Ooooh," she said mockingly, " SeeD? Little SeeD?" She licked her lips. "Let them come. I can easily ha-a-andle them." Her voice staggered slightly and she blinked, the smile disappearing. Her eyes focused on him for a moment as tears came suddenly. "You.stopped calling..why?"
Squall froze. Shaking his head slightly, he kept his gaze on her body but averted them just enough that he didn't have to stare into her own eyes. "Rinoa.don't."
She whimpered and began shaking slightly, one hand reaching out for him though he was standing some distance from her. Laguna managed to lean up on his elbows, his body aching as he watched. He thought for a moment he would vomit.
"Squall," she said through her tears, scowling. "You.abandoned me!" Squall blinked at that comment, feeling his anger surge again.
"You backed out on ME," he said with a slightly raised voice, swallowing. "Think it through before you start throwing insults around."
Rinoa's head tilted again, her eyes slipping from the momentary lapse of sanity. "..Squall." her voice was a whisper, "..help me."
Laguna watched as his son stood there watching this woman who had very obviously lost her control. It was a delicate situation any way you looked at it. Strike her and she'd bring the entire continent crashing down into the oceans. Strike him and he'd snap, years of suppressed questions resurfacing and ready to barrage the unstable girl. He stood shakily, sick with worry and panic. He whispered his son's name shakily.
Squall's eyes moved to the ground for a moment as those words sunk in. Help her.it seemed so ludicrous. Why help? Yet.why did a part of him want to? But he knew, logically, there was no chance of that. Rinoa had been without her true knight for so long that the emotional and physical burden of carrying the sorceress powers had become too much for her. He knew she was a shell of her former self, merely a pawn to the power that had consumed so many. It had driven her mad, and all because she was afraid of commitment. In a way, the irony was funny.
"Rin," he said with unusual calm, "I can't." She seemed shocked and stood there frozen in time, tears cascading down her cheeks as a familiar voice called out to Squall from near the school gates.
"Squall!!" Selphie was running forward, Junior close at hand, an almost excited look on his face. Laguna gasped, readying his gun just in case one of the dragons decided to make a quick snack of the young woman and her child. But to his surprise, the dragons were all perched atop the school calmly, watching the goings on almost as if though amused by the scene. He growled somewhere deep in his throat at the creatures, wondering what the hell was going on. Selphie, however, had caught sight of Rinoa and was now stopped just behind Squall, her arms wrapping protectively around her son. Rinoa's head rolled again, this time accompanied by another twist of dark laughter. Her chin came to rest on her chest and she looked up at Selphie from behind a mass of tangled dark hair as her body lifted slightly from the ground, hanging there weightlessly.
"Sssselphie..sssssuch a p---pretty little b-boy." Rinoa eyed Junior hungrily, licking her lips. ".would b-be sssssssuch a ssshame if ssssomething.happened."
Squall could literally feel his patience slip away all at once and without thinking, he took a step forward, pointing the tip of Lionhart fiercely at Rinoa. "You STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM!" His voice echoed around them, making several of the dragons perched above shift their weight in anticipation, as though waiting for a word to move.
Junior blinked in confusion, lost in the words of this strange lady. But Laguna was the first to see what has really happening. This wasn't a standoff...It was a trap! His eyes trailed from his grandson back to where Rinoa had been standing only seconds before. Squall stood there, confused and ready to attack when he noticed she was gone. But Laguna knew exactly what going on, and when he turned again to examine his grandson and daughter-in-law, the sinking feeling in his stomach was enough to make him want to shriek in terror.
Selphie stood there much in the same stance Rinoa had been in, her eyes glazed and empty. In one hand she held a sharp dagger up to the child's neck, the other draped lazily over the boy's chest. Junior looked terrified, his green eyes betraying him. But he had been well trained, and stood there obediently, not wanting to make a wrong move and endanger anyone.
"Sssqall.." the voice was Selphie's, but an echo of Rinoa's own voice trailed over it. "I have a puppet. What sssay we give your pretty little wife one and the three of us can kill you together?"
Squall shook his head in panic, lowering his blade to the ground as his eyes widened. "..no!" But when the man made a move toward his son, Laguna quickly put out a hand to stop him.
"Don't move!" cautioned the older man. "She's toying with us."
Junior's frightened eyes landed on his father's, desperate, begging. Squall wanted to scream, wanted to kill the bitch that now held his son's life in her hands. And that was scary.a SeeD should never enjoy killing. But none of that protocol mattered. He glared at Rinoa, his voice hard and loud through clenched teeth.
"Tell me what the hell you want!" he spat. Selphie's grin twisted as Rinoa continued to toy with her marionette.
"Oh, that's easy. I want you dead." She pressed the dagger slightly into the boy's neck, smirking when he winced as the metal bit his flesh. The child did not fuss, merely whimpered and looked at his father.
"Dad." it was such a helpless sound that Squall could practically feel his heart breaking.
"Let them go! Please!" Squall pleaded desperately, something that greatly surprised Laguna. "You can do what you want with me but please don't hurt them!"
The possessed puppet grinned, sending a shiver down both men's spines. "Squall, silly boy, that would take all the fun out of it." She sighed mockingly, playing with the child's hair and softening her voice as she looked down at the boy. "What's the matter little one? Are you scared?"
Junior visibly shook, but swallowed it back and shook his head as calmly as he could. "No," he said simply.
The girl blinked in confusion. "Why not?"
He did not make a move, just stared forward, swallowing his fear. "Because you're not my mom," he said simply. Squall stared at his son breathlessly, amazed at his display of courage and terrified for the child all at once. Selphie blinked a few times and seemingly came back to herself, her eyes searching Squall's.
"Junior," she said calmly, dropping the dagger, "go to your father." She gave her husband a small, reassuring smile as her eyes brimmed with tears.
Squall moved forward quickly to gather his son in his arms, dropping his weapon and sweeping Junior into a tight, relieved hug. He looked at Selphie, feeling his eyes sting slightly. "Selph, I-"
"There's nothing you can do Squall," she said sadly, her body shaking with the effort to keep out her angry puppet master. "She's.she's gonna try to kill you!" Dropping to her knees, Selphie cried out in pain as the flesh on her back began to rip. Junior gasped as blood began to flow from her back around to the front, seeping through her shirt and down her arms in a steady flow.
"NO! MOMMY!" He reached out but Squall tugged the child back, holding him tightly as he watched.
"Selphie!" shouted Squall. Laguna swallowed back the bile rising in his throat, nearly dropping his gun in shock.
"S-she's." he stuttered, his hands helplessly at his sides, "She's taking over!"
Selphie cried out as the two solid forms emerged from her back, slicing through the tissue under her shoulder blades like razors. It seemed as though it would never stop, rising above her, dripping her own crimson blood all over her form as though she was being christened. Her pupils dilated as a snarl of a voice emerged from her mouth.
"Stupid little BITCH!" screamed Rinoa's voice. A swirl of bluish light began to emerge as the two sharp shapes on Selphie's back began to unfold, a mass of wet, bloody feathers rustling in the motion of the transformation. Her body was lifted in mid air and she screamed, her back arcing in pain and her voice hoarse. Squall could feel the tears slipping now, more out of horror than anything else.
"..No!."NO!" Squall held Junior's head against his shoulder, shielding his son from the ghastly image that no doubt would never let him sleep again. Selphie's form righted itself as the wings unfurled behind her in their entirety, and the young woman gave her husband a pitiful look.
"S-squall," she said weakly, shivering, "d-don't let her.g-get ah.away w- with this-s." Looking at her husband's pained face as the last of the light slipped from her eyes, Selphie smiled, a sweet sad smile that spoke more about her feelings than she could have possibly ever put into words. Squall's voice caught in his throat as he tried to call out her name. Junior kept his face buried in his father's shoulder, determined not to cry or look as the stubborn Leonhart blood pounded quickly through his veins.
Laguna moved closer to his son, the look on his face one of anger and determination. ".Give the boy to me, Squall." The older man reached out and slipped Junior into his arms, then paused to take a breath of his own in relief. He tucked Junior's face gently against his shoulder, keeping the child's back to his mother. He looked at his son then, knowing what the options were. He had dreamt of this for many a night. His dreams were quite possibly coming true, though he had no idea why, and he knew what the stakes were.
"Squall," he said gently, his face still controlled, "You have to end it."
Squall stood staring at Selphie's mangled form as it hovered above the ground and shivered. Never in his life had he felt rage like this. Never in all the battles and bloodiness, never in combat, never in his brutal training days. This wasn't strategic, and it wasn't war. It was disgusting manipulation and violation of the woman he loved. This was no longer Selphie, though somewhere inside her soul existed. His only shot at freeing her from a possible lifetime of misery was lying on the floor at his feet, already dampened with the blood of the battle.
Taking up his gunblade, he bit his lip so hard blood trickled as his vision blurred in rage. His grip tightened on the hilt of the weapon so hard that his knuckles were white under the gloves he always wore. Staring at the monster that had claimed his love, his voice was rough and shaky and loud.
"You..arrogant..BITCH!" He launched himself at the body, swinging roughly with the blade in a graceful upward arc that should have slashed her open from her hip to her throat. But she danced out of the way as though something otherworldly was controlling her. Laughter emitted from her throat, laced with the voices of the three women that mingled inside of his wife. She held out one hand and sent a powerful blast toward Squall as he turned in mid air to face her shoulder. The blast sent him to the ground easily, and should have thrown him backwards, but the expert swordsman dug his blade into the ground to aid his footing, and he quickly regained his position.
Sprinting toward Selphie's possessed body, he raised the gunblade above his head and charged with all the fury of a dragon. So angered was he that he completely failed to see her swing her arm around violently and catch his wrists in her clutches and twist, snapping them easily. He screamed in pain, the shrill sound filling the air as she yanked the weapon from him and held him there like a rag doll by his broken wrists.
"And here it ends," she said silkily in Selphie's voice. "The perfect fitting end for you. In the arms of the bitch that stole you from me." She leaned in and licked the blood from his lips with a smirk, yanking on his wrists to add insult to injury. He yelped in pain, his eyes watering and opening slightly.
"You.are nothing..to me.." he smirked through the pain, a wicked expression that was a perfect outward reflection of what he was trained to be-a killer. Her head tilted to one side as her eyes opened wide, and she dropped him.
"What.what the hell?" asked Rinoa in her own voice as the arm that wielded the weapon backed up and pointed the massive blade at Selphie's chest. For a moment, and nothing more, Selphie appeared herself, grinning as though this was the final payback. The blade sank into her stomach easily, striking all the way through with massive force. Laguna wretched where he stood, and Squall could do nothing more than watch in his weakened state.
"No!" screamed Rinoa as Selphie's body tossed and turned in mid air. With a simple bright flash, Selphie dropped to the ground near her husband, her massive bloodied wings folding over her body as she gasped for air. The blood was seeping out of her body quickly. Rinoa stood on the ground, also bleeding, and in shock. Tears streaked down her face as she stared at the half conscious Squall.
"Why?" she asked wearily. "Why? How could you-"
"Stay the hell away from them!"
Rinoa's miserable form turned to Laguna, who was now holding Junior in one arm and pointing his machine gun at her with the other. He scowled, keeping his grandson's vision away from the sight. She didn't have time to react before the bullets hit, one after the other, and for the first time in his life Laguna took sheer delight in killing. It felt good, to have the power in his hands to take her away, after all she had done to Selphie. Rinoa fell over with a sickening thud, nothing more than human now. She had made a mistake in fusing, giving her powers to Selphie. She knew that, and it was her last thought before life left her form for good. Rinoa Heartilly was dead, and Laguna was damn happy about it. Clutching Junior, he ran to Squall and Selphie, kneeling beside his son. He could feel that familiar sting in his eyes.
"Squall?" he tried not to sob audibly "Squall, please look at me!" The younger man rolled over weakly, his eyes coming into focus as his wife smiled at him, her eyes glazed and her face white.
She shivered and coughed, blood spurting from her lips. "W-we sure.showed.her.huh, baby?"
Squall shook his head, panic spreading through his body as he got up shakily, reaching out. The small effort of reaching for her was agonizing, but he managed to touch her cheek as he bent over her protectively. "No! Selphie.Selphie?" He looked into her normally bright eyes with dismay, feeling the wetness on his face again. She did not move, but smiled a bit more, closing her eyes.
"You'll be safe..back then."
Squall shook his head, gulping through his tears. "No! No-baby we'll get you to Kadawaki. You're gonna be fine!" The lie didn't convince him of that fact, no matter how much he wanted to believe it. Selphie shuddered as a rush of blood escaped through her wound once more, oozing a solid pool of red liquid. Laguna muttered something under his breath as he watched, feeling Junior's body go limp from the effects of the sleep spell. He watched, his heart wrenching and pounding all at once.
"Squall." she looked at him calmly through her agony. "C-close your eyes..must..be safe." Squall shook his head in panic.
"No! NO! Selphie TALK to me!" the ground underneath him seemed to cave and give way, the sky around them all phasing to a strange shade of gray. With one single look, he knew what she was doing, and Squall felt his heart stop.
"NO!" he screamed through the emptiness, the pain in his wrists no longer even apparent. Selphie was gone, and he was alone. Time.she was doing it this time. He turned and looked behind him, then forward, then back where he had started.or so it seemed. Where was she sending him? Vaguely he could sense Junior and Laguna nearby. But it was her voice that stopped him.
"You know where you need to go, don't you?"
He turned, suddenly calmed as he looked at Selphie's smiling face. She was back to herself, though her eyes looked pained. He shook his head, his breath catching.
"..no."
She smiled and moved toward him, reaching out and cupping his face with her left hand. He closed his eyes, emotion getting the best of him. She wiped away at the tear that streamed down his perfect face. "I need you now.more than ever." Squall nodded, looking at her with a soft, sad expression.
"I want you to take Junior," she said choking on the words through her tears. "Watch him as he grows. I.need him. And I need you." She leaned in, grateful when his arms slid around her. She kissed him deeply, lingering, not wanting this to end. Not now.not when she needed him. But time was a strange thing; so much of it in the world and yet not enough to keep him near. She could feel her strength waning, and she pulled away with a sad grin.
"Keep him safe," she said, fading in an instant. Squall closed his eyes, feeling himself falling through nothingness. His son, his life, and his love depended on his ability to find them.
And this time, nothing was going to stand in his way.
END PART ONE
I do not own final fantasy eight or anything to do with it.
Last Chapter of Part 1: This Time
Life was it's prettiest when Rinoa used her powers. She often compared it to walking in a misty haze of blues and pinks, as though she was looking through tinted glasses and all sounds were slightly muffled. She was completely aware of everything around her and yet blissfully oblivious at the same time. Smells were pungent and crisp yet distant, and all was right with the world. Balance, she called it. And Squall could tell, from thirty feet away, that she was in that foggy hazy world of colored vision. Her eyes and face were turned toward the heavens as a serene smile tugged at her lips. Her body was almost limp as she stood staring at the bright morning sun, a strange out of place sight amidst the chaos and screeching of dragons all around them. Racing to reach the woman who had ruined part of him, Squall could feel his blood boiling within him, a mixture of rage and hatred brimming over his very being. Laguna could almost sense the tension around his son as the two sprinted across the vast stretch of green toward Rinoa. The occasional ring of gunfire from his weapon was at least keeping the few creatures that weren't after the school off of the two men, but Laguna was no longer concerned about the dragons.
Squall was almost as oblivious as the woman in front of them, feeling nothing but his feet pounding on the ground and his heart racing as anger built inside him at an alarming rate. His own vision wanted to cloud over as his mind raced with a million thoughts. Where was Junior? Was Selphie okay? What was Rinoa doing? And worst of all.was Seifer with her? He could handle Seifer on his own, but with Rinoa on hand he didn't want to call his cards too early. Gritting his teeth, he looked at the woman he had loved more than life itself, his grip tightening on the hilt of his gunblade.
"Rinoa!"
The sound seemed to echo within her head and Rinoa turned her wide, demented eyes toward the sound. The grin on her face looked twisted as her eyes met Squall's, and she lashed out with her power suddenly and without warning. The force knocked Squall completely off of his feet and sent him reeling backward a good fifteen feet, with Laguna trailing not far behind. Squall felt his body slam into the ground, wincing aloud as his entire frame shook with the force of her attack. Laguna moaned from somewhere behind him, apparently unprepared for such an attack. Squall sat up, reinforcing his grip on the gunblade and using it to help him stand. Rinoa's eyes still seemed faraway and distant, but the disgusting grin on her face and the slight tilt of her head suggested a madness that went deeper than her psyche. Squall narrowed his eyes as he looked her over.
"Sssssquall." she hissed, the sound trailing into a demented little laugh that shook her shoulders. Her voice echoed along with one that was not her own. "Sssilly of me to c-come here." Squall knew better than to move or advance on her at this point. He swallowed nervously, shoving the mix of emotions into some unreachable part of his body. His voice was cold as steel.
"Rinoa, state your purpose," he said with authority, something that at the very least came easily, "or I'll have no choice but to call SeeD."
She smiled at that thought, her head rolling to the other side. "Ooooh," she said mockingly, " SeeD? Little SeeD?" She licked her lips. "Let them come. I can easily ha-a-andle them." Her voice staggered slightly and she blinked, the smile disappearing. Her eyes focused on him for a moment as tears came suddenly. "You.stopped calling..why?"
Squall froze. Shaking his head slightly, he kept his gaze on her body but averted them just enough that he didn't have to stare into her own eyes. "Rinoa.don't."
She whimpered and began shaking slightly, one hand reaching out for him though he was standing some distance from her. Laguna managed to lean up on his elbows, his body aching as he watched. He thought for a moment he would vomit.
"Squall," she said through her tears, scowling. "You.abandoned me!" Squall blinked at that comment, feeling his anger surge again.
"You backed out on ME," he said with a slightly raised voice, swallowing. "Think it through before you start throwing insults around."
Rinoa's head tilted again, her eyes slipping from the momentary lapse of sanity. "..Squall." her voice was a whisper, "..help me."
Laguna watched as his son stood there watching this woman who had very obviously lost her control. It was a delicate situation any way you looked at it. Strike her and she'd bring the entire continent crashing down into the oceans. Strike him and he'd snap, years of suppressed questions resurfacing and ready to barrage the unstable girl. He stood shakily, sick with worry and panic. He whispered his son's name shakily.
Squall's eyes moved to the ground for a moment as those words sunk in. Help her.it seemed so ludicrous. Why help? Yet.why did a part of him want to? But he knew, logically, there was no chance of that. Rinoa had been without her true knight for so long that the emotional and physical burden of carrying the sorceress powers had become too much for her. He knew she was a shell of her former self, merely a pawn to the power that had consumed so many. It had driven her mad, and all because she was afraid of commitment. In a way, the irony was funny.
"Rin," he said with unusual calm, "I can't." She seemed shocked and stood there frozen in time, tears cascading down her cheeks as a familiar voice called out to Squall from near the school gates.
"Squall!!" Selphie was running forward, Junior close at hand, an almost excited look on his face. Laguna gasped, readying his gun just in case one of the dragons decided to make a quick snack of the young woman and her child. But to his surprise, the dragons were all perched atop the school calmly, watching the goings on almost as if though amused by the scene. He growled somewhere deep in his throat at the creatures, wondering what the hell was going on. Selphie, however, had caught sight of Rinoa and was now stopped just behind Squall, her arms wrapping protectively around her son. Rinoa's head rolled again, this time accompanied by another twist of dark laughter. Her chin came to rest on her chest and she looked up at Selphie from behind a mass of tangled dark hair as her body lifted slightly from the ground, hanging there weightlessly.
"Sssselphie..sssssuch a p---pretty little b-boy." Rinoa eyed Junior hungrily, licking her lips. ".would b-be sssssssuch a ssshame if ssssomething.happened."
Squall could literally feel his patience slip away all at once and without thinking, he took a step forward, pointing the tip of Lionhart fiercely at Rinoa. "You STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM!" His voice echoed around them, making several of the dragons perched above shift their weight in anticipation, as though waiting for a word to move.
Junior blinked in confusion, lost in the words of this strange lady. But Laguna was the first to see what has really happening. This wasn't a standoff...It was a trap! His eyes trailed from his grandson back to where Rinoa had been standing only seconds before. Squall stood there, confused and ready to attack when he noticed she was gone. But Laguna knew exactly what going on, and when he turned again to examine his grandson and daughter-in-law, the sinking feeling in his stomach was enough to make him want to shriek in terror.
Selphie stood there much in the same stance Rinoa had been in, her eyes glazed and empty. In one hand she held a sharp dagger up to the child's neck, the other draped lazily over the boy's chest. Junior looked terrified, his green eyes betraying him. But he had been well trained, and stood there obediently, not wanting to make a wrong move and endanger anyone.
"Sssqall.." the voice was Selphie's, but an echo of Rinoa's own voice trailed over it. "I have a puppet. What sssay we give your pretty little wife one and the three of us can kill you together?"
Squall shook his head in panic, lowering his blade to the ground as his eyes widened. "..no!" But when the man made a move toward his son, Laguna quickly put out a hand to stop him.
"Don't move!" cautioned the older man. "She's toying with us."
Junior's frightened eyes landed on his father's, desperate, begging. Squall wanted to scream, wanted to kill the bitch that now held his son's life in her hands. And that was scary.a SeeD should never enjoy killing. But none of that protocol mattered. He glared at Rinoa, his voice hard and loud through clenched teeth.
"Tell me what the hell you want!" he spat. Selphie's grin twisted as Rinoa continued to toy with her marionette.
"Oh, that's easy. I want you dead." She pressed the dagger slightly into the boy's neck, smirking when he winced as the metal bit his flesh. The child did not fuss, merely whimpered and looked at his father.
"Dad." it was such a helpless sound that Squall could practically feel his heart breaking.
"Let them go! Please!" Squall pleaded desperately, something that greatly surprised Laguna. "You can do what you want with me but please don't hurt them!"
The possessed puppet grinned, sending a shiver down both men's spines. "Squall, silly boy, that would take all the fun out of it." She sighed mockingly, playing with the child's hair and softening her voice as she looked down at the boy. "What's the matter little one? Are you scared?"
Junior visibly shook, but swallowed it back and shook his head as calmly as he could. "No," he said simply.
The girl blinked in confusion. "Why not?"
He did not make a move, just stared forward, swallowing his fear. "Because you're not my mom," he said simply. Squall stared at his son breathlessly, amazed at his display of courage and terrified for the child all at once. Selphie blinked a few times and seemingly came back to herself, her eyes searching Squall's.
"Junior," she said calmly, dropping the dagger, "go to your father." She gave her husband a small, reassuring smile as her eyes brimmed with tears.
Squall moved forward quickly to gather his son in his arms, dropping his weapon and sweeping Junior into a tight, relieved hug. He looked at Selphie, feeling his eyes sting slightly. "Selph, I-"
"There's nothing you can do Squall," she said sadly, her body shaking with the effort to keep out her angry puppet master. "She's.she's gonna try to kill you!" Dropping to her knees, Selphie cried out in pain as the flesh on her back began to rip. Junior gasped as blood began to flow from her back around to the front, seeping through her shirt and down her arms in a steady flow.
"NO! MOMMY!" He reached out but Squall tugged the child back, holding him tightly as he watched.
"Selphie!" shouted Squall. Laguna swallowed back the bile rising in his throat, nearly dropping his gun in shock.
"S-she's." he stuttered, his hands helplessly at his sides, "She's taking over!"
Selphie cried out as the two solid forms emerged from her back, slicing through the tissue under her shoulder blades like razors. It seemed as though it would never stop, rising above her, dripping her own crimson blood all over her form as though she was being christened. Her pupils dilated as a snarl of a voice emerged from her mouth.
"Stupid little BITCH!" screamed Rinoa's voice. A swirl of bluish light began to emerge as the two sharp shapes on Selphie's back began to unfold, a mass of wet, bloody feathers rustling in the motion of the transformation. Her body was lifted in mid air and she screamed, her back arcing in pain and her voice hoarse. Squall could feel the tears slipping now, more out of horror than anything else.
"..No!."NO!" Squall held Junior's head against his shoulder, shielding his son from the ghastly image that no doubt would never let him sleep again. Selphie's form righted itself as the wings unfurled behind her in their entirety, and the young woman gave her husband a pitiful look.
"S-squall," she said weakly, shivering, "d-don't let her.g-get ah.away w- with this-s." Looking at her husband's pained face as the last of the light slipped from her eyes, Selphie smiled, a sweet sad smile that spoke more about her feelings than she could have possibly ever put into words. Squall's voice caught in his throat as he tried to call out her name. Junior kept his face buried in his father's shoulder, determined not to cry or look as the stubborn Leonhart blood pounded quickly through his veins.
Laguna moved closer to his son, the look on his face one of anger and determination. ".Give the boy to me, Squall." The older man reached out and slipped Junior into his arms, then paused to take a breath of his own in relief. He tucked Junior's face gently against his shoulder, keeping the child's back to his mother. He looked at his son then, knowing what the options were. He had dreamt of this for many a night. His dreams were quite possibly coming true, though he had no idea why, and he knew what the stakes were.
"Squall," he said gently, his face still controlled, "You have to end it."
Squall stood staring at Selphie's mangled form as it hovered above the ground and shivered. Never in his life had he felt rage like this. Never in all the battles and bloodiness, never in combat, never in his brutal training days. This wasn't strategic, and it wasn't war. It was disgusting manipulation and violation of the woman he loved. This was no longer Selphie, though somewhere inside her soul existed. His only shot at freeing her from a possible lifetime of misery was lying on the floor at his feet, already dampened with the blood of the battle.
Taking up his gunblade, he bit his lip so hard blood trickled as his vision blurred in rage. His grip tightened on the hilt of the weapon so hard that his knuckles were white under the gloves he always wore. Staring at the monster that had claimed his love, his voice was rough and shaky and loud.
"You..arrogant..BITCH!" He launched himself at the body, swinging roughly with the blade in a graceful upward arc that should have slashed her open from her hip to her throat. But she danced out of the way as though something otherworldly was controlling her. Laughter emitted from her throat, laced with the voices of the three women that mingled inside of his wife. She held out one hand and sent a powerful blast toward Squall as he turned in mid air to face her shoulder. The blast sent him to the ground easily, and should have thrown him backwards, but the expert swordsman dug his blade into the ground to aid his footing, and he quickly regained his position.
Sprinting toward Selphie's possessed body, he raised the gunblade above his head and charged with all the fury of a dragon. So angered was he that he completely failed to see her swing her arm around violently and catch his wrists in her clutches and twist, snapping them easily. He screamed in pain, the shrill sound filling the air as she yanked the weapon from him and held him there like a rag doll by his broken wrists.
"And here it ends," she said silkily in Selphie's voice. "The perfect fitting end for you. In the arms of the bitch that stole you from me." She leaned in and licked the blood from his lips with a smirk, yanking on his wrists to add insult to injury. He yelped in pain, his eyes watering and opening slightly.
"You.are nothing..to me.." he smirked through the pain, a wicked expression that was a perfect outward reflection of what he was trained to be-a killer. Her head tilted to one side as her eyes opened wide, and she dropped him.
"What.what the hell?" asked Rinoa in her own voice as the arm that wielded the weapon backed up and pointed the massive blade at Selphie's chest. For a moment, and nothing more, Selphie appeared herself, grinning as though this was the final payback. The blade sank into her stomach easily, striking all the way through with massive force. Laguna wretched where he stood, and Squall could do nothing more than watch in his weakened state.
"No!" screamed Rinoa as Selphie's body tossed and turned in mid air. With a simple bright flash, Selphie dropped to the ground near her husband, her massive bloodied wings folding over her body as she gasped for air. The blood was seeping out of her body quickly. Rinoa stood on the ground, also bleeding, and in shock. Tears streaked down her face as she stared at the half conscious Squall.
"Why?" she asked wearily. "Why? How could you-"
"Stay the hell away from them!"
Rinoa's miserable form turned to Laguna, who was now holding Junior in one arm and pointing his machine gun at her with the other. He scowled, keeping his grandson's vision away from the sight. She didn't have time to react before the bullets hit, one after the other, and for the first time in his life Laguna took sheer delight in killing. It felt good, to have the power in his hands to take her away, after all she had done to Selphie. Rinoa fell over with a sickening thud, nothing more than human now. She had made a mistake in fusing, giving her powers to Selphie. She knew that, and it was her last thought before life left her form for good. Rinoa Heartilly was dead, and Laguna was damn happy about it. Clutching Junior, he ran to Squall and Selphie, kneeling beside his son. He could feel that familiar sting in his eyes.
"Squall?" he tried not to sob audibly "Squall, please look at me!" The younger man rolled over weakly, his eyes coming into focus as his wife smiled at him, her eyes glazed and her face white.
She shivered and coughed, blood spurting from her lips. "W-we sure.showed.her.huh, baby?"
Squall shook his head, panic spreading through his body as he got up shakily, reaching out. The small effort of reaching for her was agonizing, but he managed to touch her cheek as he bent over her protectively. "No! Selphie.Selphie?" He looked into her normally bright eyes with dismay, feeling the wetness on his face again. She did not move, but smiled a bit more, closing her eyes.
"You'll be safe..back then."
Squall shook his head, gulping through his tears. "No! No-baby we'll get you to Kadawaki. You're gonna be fine!" The lie didn't convince him of that fact, no matter how much he wanted to believe it. Selphie shuddered as a rush of blood escaped through her wound once more, oozing a solid pool of red liquid. Laguna muttered something under his breath as he watched, feeling Junior's body go limp from the effects of the sleep spell. He watched, his heart wrenching and pounding all at once.
"Squall." she looked at him calmly through her agony. "C-close your eyes..must..be safe." Squall shook his head in panic.
"No! NO! Selphie TALK to me!" the ground underneath him seemed to cave and give way, the sky around them all phasing to a strange shade of gray. With one single look, he knew what she was doing, and Squall felt his heart stop.
"NO!" he screamed through the emptiness, the pain in his wrists no longer even apparent. Selphie was gone, and he was alone. Time.she was doing it this time. He turned and looked behind him, then forward, then back where he had started.or so it seemed. Where was she sending him? Vaguely he could sense Junior and Laguna nearby. But it was her voice that stopped him.
"You know where you need to go, don't you?"
He turned, suddenly calmed as he looked at Selphie's smiling face. She was back to herself, though her eyes looked pained. He shook his head, his breath catching.
"..no."
She smiled and moved toward him, reaching out and cupping his face with her left hand. He closed his eyes, emotion getting the best of him. She wiped away at the tear that streamed down his perfect face. "I need you now.more than ever." Squall nodded, looking at her with a soft, sad expression.
"I want you to take Junior," she said choking on the words through her tears. "Watch him as he grows. I.need him. And I need you." She leaned in, grateful when his arms slid around her. She kissed him deeply, lingering, not wanting this to end. Not now.not when she needed him. But time was a strange thing; so much of it in the world and yet not enough to keep him near. She could feel her strength waning, and she pulled away with a sad grin.
"Keep him safe," she said, fading in an instant. Squall closed his eyes, feeling himself falling through nothingness. His son, his life, and his love depended on his ability to find them.
And this time, nothing was going to stand in his way.
END PART ONE