(When the Dust Settles: Balance of Power - cont.........)
"Five minutes to landing," Meg shouted from the cockpit. Meg fixed her long black hair into a ponytail and put the controls on autopilot. She stood and went to get suited up. She slipped on a black sweater and took off her sweatpants, revealing a pair of black shorts. She also put on a pair of black combat boots and one combat glove on her right hand.
"That's Shumi Village," Squall pointed out. "If we should ever get separated, that's our rendez-vous point. Everyone meets there when this is all over."
"Let's get this over with." Seifer slipped on his combat gloves.
"Looks like they made it." Aurora smiled as she stared into the monitor.
"We'll make it through this, all of us. We are pure and chosen to be masters of such great powers. So nobody worry. I'll take care of all of you," said Guile, the Tamer of Winds. He held Aurora's hand.
"Lord Guile, shall I send my men to bring them to the arena?" Pyre, Master of Fire, asked.
"Yes, and Dorian...why don't you accompany them and seal off the entrance." Guile ordered.
"This way." Meg held her torch out in front of her. The cave was dark and the walls and floor were jagged. She and Zell proceeded with most caution as to not scratch up their legs.
"What was that?" Zell felt a slight rumble.
"...probably just the wind from outside." Seifer kept moving.
"No, I felt it too." Meg stopped.
"Keep moving." Squall ordered. Meg turned around and held the torch up. The ground shook.
"Move." Squall whispered as he pulled Meg back around. "MOVE!"
Meg bolted down the darkness. They all followed her as the tunnel they had just passed through caved in. She dropped her torch as they all tumbled into a safe new room. The shaking stopped. Their eyes adjusted to the complete blackness of the tiny room. Meg searched for a lighter in her pocket and held the tiny flame up. It was enough to at least be used to find an exit. But the fluid wouldn't last long.
"Great." Meg looked around. They were completely sealed in.
"Don't worry, they'll come for us." Squall sat down.
"We just...wait." Seifer leaned against one of the walls. Meg checked each wall for any weakness. When she turned back around to the others, a strange face surprised her.
"Hello." The man said.
"Hi." Seifer held his gunblade to the man's throat from behind. The man began to sweat.
"I...have orders."
"You have one minute." Meg held the lighter to his face. It made the man sweat more.
"P-p-p-lease.....follow....me," the man stuttered from fear.
"Zell, keep an eye on him and lead the way," ordered Squall.
"Gladly." Zell grabbed the man and pushed him forward. The man revealed a hidden door and a new pathway.
"Let me go!" Rinoa yelled at Pyre as he took her by the hands and led her into the arena chamber where the other three had already gathered.
"You don't know who you're dealing with!" Rinoa kept ranting.
"Miss, I assure you no harm will come to you. Your friends are here. You'll be free to go any moment now," said Pyre. Rinoa stopped wriggling at the sincere assurance that Pyre's voice brought to her.
"...Why are you doing this?" Rinoa asked. Pyre stopped moving. He let his hold on her go. "Why are you insisting on fighting a battle that isn't worth anything?" Rinoa spoke again.
"It is worth everything. It's the only reason for our life. We were born for this day. It is what is written and what is written is the truth. What is written is what is." Pyre said.
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! You can turn away from all this. You can....work together with SeeD....with Garden."
"You don't understand. We were born to fight them. We have nothing to lose."
"But they have everything to lose. You know NOTHING about them. How can you be so cruel?"
"We've watched you and your friends for a long time now, well...I have. I know you mean everything to Squall and it was my idea to use you to get your friends to come here. Don't worry nothing will happen to you. Meg is a beautiful and skilled young lady. Seifer is in love with her. Zell...is strong in spirit and body."
"What else do you know?"
"Anything that anyone can see from observation."
"Then let me tell you something. Squall dreams of a nice cozy home where we can raise our kids and grow old. Seifer wants to see everything....the whole world. Meg is looking for her past and her future at the same time. Zell just wants to have fun. He loves SeeD and is going to dedicate his entire life to it. And all four of them want to live one more day." Rinoa stared into Pyre's eyes. Pyre was silent.
"So, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying if you go through with this you all won't stand a chance. My friends have a reason to live. That's one thing you and your comrades are lacking. They are stronger because they are fighting for something. And you...you are fighting with nothing."
They arrived in a large chamber. They let go of the carrier and he ran away quickly. Squall looked up. At the top of the wide stair case stood four white warriors. Starting from the left stood Guile, Aurora, Pyre, and Dorian. The SeeDs walked up the steps in the order of their opponents. As soon as they got half way, the stairs parted four ways as did their destination. They were separated by an open space and a bottomless pit beneath them. They could only go up.
Rinoa stood at the top with Guile. When Squall made it up to her, Rinoa was let free. Rinoa gave Squall a hug and was safely flown to the bottom, by Guile, so that the battles can begin.
***The following four chapters describe the battles from different perspectives. For quick reading choose one of the four and skip the rest when you finish to move on. You can read all four point of views as well.
"Five minutes to landing," Meg shouted from the cockpit. Meg fixed her long black hair into a ponytail and put the controls on autopilot. She stood and went to get suited up. She slipped on a black sweater and took off her sweatpants, revealing a pair of black shorts. She also put on a pair of black combat boots and one combat glove on her right hand.
"That's Shumi Village," Squall pointed out. "If we should ever get separated, that's our rendez-vous point. Everyone meets there when this is all over."
"Let's get this over with." Seifer slipped on his combat gloves.
"Looks like they made it." Aurora smiled as she stared into the monitor.
"We'll make it through this, all of us. We are pure and chosen to be masters of such great powers. So nobody worry. I'll take care of all of you," said Guile, the Tamer of Winds. He held Aurora's hand.
"Lord Guile, shall I send my men to bring them to the arena?" Pyre, Master of Fire, asked.
"Yes, and Dorian...why don't you accompany them and seal off the entrance." Guile ordered.
"This way." Meg held her torch out in front of her. The cave was dark and the walls and floor were jagged. She and Zell proceeded with most caution as to not scratch up their legs.
"What was that?" Zell felt a slight rumble.
"...probably just the wind from outside." Seifer kept moving.
"No, I felt it too." Meg stopped.
"Keep moving." Squall ordered. Meg turned around and held the torch up. The ground shook.
"Move." Squall whispered as he pulled Meg back around. "MOVE!"
Meg bolted down the darkness. They all followed her as the tunnel they had just passed through caved in. She dropped her torch as they all tumbled into a safe new room. The shaking stopped. Their eyes adjusted to the complete blackness of the tiny room. Meg searched for a lighter in her pocket and held the tiny flame up. It was enough to at least be used to find an exit. But the fluid wouldn't last long.
"Great." Meg looked around. They were completely sealed in.
"Don't worry, they'll come for us." Squall sat down.
"We just...wait." Seifer leaned against one of the walls. Meg checked each wall for any weakness. When she turned back around to the others, a strange face surprised her.
"Hello." The man said.
"Hi." Seifer held his gunblade to the man's throat from behind. The man began to sweat.
"I...have orders."
"You have one minute." Meg held the lighter to his face. It made the man sweat more.
"P-p-p-lease.....follow....me," the man stuttered from fear.
"Zell, keep an eye on him and lead the way," ordered Squall.
"Gladly." Zell grabbed the man and pushed him forward. The man revealed a hidden door and a new pathway.
"Let me go!" Rinoa yelled at Pyre as he took her by the hands and led her into the arena chamber where the other three had already gathered.
"You don't know who you're dealing with!" Rinoa kept ranting.
"Miss, I assure you no harm will come to you. Your friends are here. You'll be free to go any moment now," said Pyre. Rinoa stopped wriggling at the sincere assurance that Pyre's voice brought to her.
"...Why are you doing this?" Rinoa asked. Pyre stopped moving. He let his hold on her go. "Why are you insisting on fighting a battle that isn't worth anything?" Rinoa spoke again.
"It is worth everything. It's the only reason for our life. We were born for this day. It is what is written and what is written is the truth. What is written is what is." Pyre said.
"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! You can turn away from all this. You can....work together with SeeD....with Garden."
"You don't understand. We were born to fight them. We have nothing to lose."
"But they have everything to lose. You know NOTHING about them. How can you be so cruel?"
"We've watched you and your friends for a long time now, well...I have. I know you mean everything to Squall and it was my idea to use you to get your friends to come here. Don't worry nothing will happen to you. Meg is a beautiful and skilled young lady. Seifer is in love with her. Zell...is strong in spirit and body."
"What else do you know?"
"Anything that anyone can see from observation."
"Then let me tell you something. Squall dreams of a nice cozy home where we can raise our kids and grow old. Seifer wants to see everything....the whole world. Meg is looking for her past and her future at the same time. Zell just wants to have fun. He loves SeeD and is going to dedicate his entire life to it. And all four of them want to live one more day." Rinoa stared into Pyre's eyes. Pyre was silent.
"So, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying if you go through with this you all won't stand a chance. My friends have a reason to live. That's one thing you and your comrades are lacking. They are stronger because they are fighting for something. And you...you are fighting with nothing."
They arrived in a large chamber. They let go of the carrier and he ran away quickly. Squall looked up. At the top of the wide stair case stood four white warriors. Starting from the left stood Guile, Aurora, Pyre, and Dorian. The SeeDs walked up the steps in the order of their opponents. As soon as they got half way, the stairs parted four ways as did their destination. They were separated by an open space and a bottomless pit beneath them. They could only go up.
Rinoa stood at the top with Guile. When Squall made it up to her, Rinoa was let free. Rinoa gave Squall a hug and was safely flown to the bottom, by Guile, so that the battles can begin.
***The following four chapters describe the battles from different perspectives. For quick reading choose one of the four and skip the rest when you finish to move on. You can read all four point of views as well.