Chapter 4 : The Sacrifice of One

            The sun has disapeared over the horrizon when the Ragnarok finally landed behind Balamb Garden. Everyone was exhausted. Because of the world travel and of the recent events that occured. They felt a little too involved in this. Especially Coran. With Rinoa, they were girls who never asked for their powers… Except when Coran's dark side was taking her over. Not much Sorceresses asked for their powers… When they did, even fewer didn't encounter trouble related to it… Like Edea took Ultimecia's powers, later was possessed by her.

            Eager to go to bed, no one said a single word as they disembarked from the Ragnarok and entered Garden. Each went different ways once they entered the dormitory. Rinoa first wanted to stay in Deling when they made a stop there to drop someone, but Squall insisted to keep her with him. Hyne might have said she wanted Coran, but who says it wasn't a trick? They're all so busy protecting her they leave their defenses down and the other Sorceress free to be taken over.

            He said that but in fact he didn't mean it. Hyne wanted Coran, she would go after Coran… Not if he could help it.

            Squall went ot his room with Rinoa, taking a peek of Coran leaving for her room with Seifer. Even though they were exhausted, their faces were marked with concern. Squall's mind was a bit foggy so he just went to bed with Rinoa.

            In her room, Coran wasn't that calm. When would Hyne come back for her? Would she become a zombie one more time? Hurt her friends? Hurt Seifer? Two arms were wrapped around her shoulders from behind.

            "For now, you're yourself so let's just sleep for now. If you're too tired, you'll be weak and then she'll be able to take you over."

            She turned to him with fear on her face. Seifer wished he could tell her everything would be just fine but he couldn't. He didn't know if he would be strong enough to protect her from Hyne... He couldn't even save himself from being manipulated by Ultimecia how could he stand a chance against a god?!

            He hugged her tight and closed his eyes.

            "I...I'm scared," she said.

            "I know... don't worry, I'll never let anything bad happen to you... If Hyne wants you, she'll have to get through me first..."

            He took her head up and kissed her before dragging her to the inviting bed.

            The night has halfway gone by when the door of Coran's room was opened wothout a single sound. The rooms in Garden were always maintened pretty handedly. Doors often oiled, windows changed for harder weathers, everything for the students' comfort.

            But that it didn't make a sound at that time wasn't a very good thing. A shadow appeared in the door frame and took a look in. Seeing Seifer tightly holding Coran with a frown of concern on his face brought a smile to Squall's face. Hyne would have had a hard time to take Coran out of Seifer's grip.

            He looked around, scanning the room looking for something. He has received a special training for his eyes to nearly see perfectly in the dark so he was doing just fine in the dark room. He saw what he was looking for on his sister's desk, by her clothes. He walked to the desk and took what has been his for so long he couldn't remember when he got it: the Griever ring. He placed on his left middle finger then raised his hand over his face to look at it. It really belonged there, on his hand, not on Coran's.

            He turned back and looked at Seifer and Coran. He closened in on them and stared at the worried face of his twin. She also looked comforted with Seifer's presence while he looked concerned and protective of his Sorceress.

            Squall bent over and gently placed a hand on her cheek. She didn't flinch.

            "Don't worry," he whispered in a soft and gentle brotherly tone. "You will not become a host to Hyne..."

            He stood back and looked at her for what he thought would be the last time then he spun around and left, closing the door behind him just as silently as he opened it.

            He went out with the Ragnarok and flew it to the Centra ruins. Taking off without any notification to Garden would have started the alarms but as the Commander, Squall had a private password to bypass it. It was in case of an emergency where he wouldn't have time to request authorization.

            The crimson red spaceship flew acrosse the night sky and landed silently out of the ruins. On this far continent, day was staring to show it's face.

Squall came out of the Ragnarok and walked his way in the ruins to the statue. In front of it, he looked up as if Hyne was there.

            "Hyne!" he called. "Show yourself! You must have plenty of energy for that!"

            He didn't have to wait long. He saw her figure appear over the statue. In the early day, she almost seemed human... Almost...

            She smiled at him.

            "You came alone? Why did you disturb me?"

            Without answering, Squall raised his left hand, palm facing his face.

            "Recognize this? I have the ring so I should be your knight. If a man wears the ring that brings grief by the time Hyne comes back, he shall be her knight... But if it's a girl, she will become her host..."

            Squall expected her to look mad because he changed things but she seemed rather pleased.

            "You're offering yourself as my knight?" she asked with a smile.

            "Under one condition: that you leave my sister alone! Okay? Promise me you'll do nothing AT ALL to her and I'll be your... Knight..."

            "That prophecy was my doing so the people would always remember I would come back... It changed over time but it's still mine. I will respect it."

            She oustreched a hand toward her Knight that she expected would be taken by him. Understanding that would make the deal. He brought his hand up to hers, climbing part of the statue to reach her. This scenery looked like the statue in fact. The Sorceress showing her hand to her Knight and him desperately trying to reach it.

            When Squall's hand touched her ghostly , but still real fingers, his body felt cold, like pierced with a thousand of sharp cold needles. When it reached his brain, his eyes turned blank. Holding him firmly, Hyne smiled seducively.

            "Welcome home, my dear Knight..."

            When the morning reached Balamb, Coran woke up early. There was a light knock on her door she answered to.

            Rinoa half-opened it and placed her head in.

            "Sorry," she whispered. "I guess you haven't seen Squall? He wasn't there when I woke up..."

Facing her desk, she placed her eyes on it. Still half asleep, she didn't notice anything at first but after a minute, she widened her eyes in horror: the ring was missing! She freed herself from Seifer's grip with force moving pushing, waking him up.

            "Wha's wrong?" he asked half asleep himself.

            She got up, looked all around the floor, all over the room. It was obvious to Seifer and Rinoa she was in a panic. The he also noticed what made her like this as he remembered she took off the ring before placing it on the desk next to her clothes. She fell on her knees with tears in her eyes.

            "NOOOOO!!!!" she yelled out with despair.

            Just a few minutes later, the whole gang was in her room, alerted by her scream.

            No one was dressed. Guys in boxers, girls in t-shirts and in Selphie's case, short t-shirt. Their hair was a real mess! Even Quistis'. Usually always ready, she wasn't the same at all just out of the bed. It could have been funny wouldn't it have been from Coran's face. Rinoa also had tears in her eyes.

            "He took it... He took it...!" Coran kept repeating hysterically.

            "Who took what?" Irvine asked.

            Coran seemed unable to move an inch so Seifer kneeled down to take her in his arms in an attempt to comfort her.

            "Don't you see? Squall took the ring!"

            "Huh?" Selphie said not understanding. "Why would he take it?"

            Coran was unable to speak clearly as the tears were altering the sound of her voice  so Seifer did it for her.

            "Isn't it obvious? 'If a man wears the ring that brings grief by the time Hyne comes back, he shall be her knight... But if it's a girl, she will become her host...' He's gone to be Hyne's knight..."

            "No way!" Selphie exclaimed.

            "You don't really think he did that?!" Quistis asked unable to believe it.

            Rinoa's eyes were shining with tears. Yes he did... She knew he did. He did it...

            "Hell!" Zell exclaimed feeling mad. "What a selfish jerk! Only him will survive once Hyne destroys the world!"

            Coran's head was brought up so fast Seifer was nearly knocked by it. The frown she granted Zell brought a cold chill up everyone's spine. They were burning with raging fire. She got at incredible speed and faced Zell. From closer, her frown was deadly, her eyes turned red and Zell didn't like this at all... These eyes seemed familiar to him...

            "HE'S NOT SELFISH!!!!!!" she yelled. "If you ever bad mouth my brother again, I'll make you remember I'm stronger than Ultimecia!! Remember the feeling of electricity running through your body?? I can help you!!"

            Zell shivered as he remebered those eyes: they flashed in his mind when she captured him under her dark self's control... The feeling came back. But he wasn't gonna show her he was scared. He frowned back.

            "Now you threaten me? Ha! You're really a Sorceress... You know what, Coran? You're no better than Ultimecia or Hyne!!"
            And he ran out the room.

            "Zell!" Quistis called.

            But he was gone and not coming back.

            Suddenly realizing what she just did, Coran's eyes filled with sorry tears as she dropped back on her knees.

            "He's right... (sob) I'm no better than them..."

            "No!" Selphie exclaimed. "It's just normal you want to protect your twin."

            But she was also scared by Coran's behavior just now.

            Coran wanted to give a reason why her brother wasn't selfish but she couldn't find any... Everyone wanted to hear a reason why Squall left with the ring to become Hyne's knight but even though Zell was the one to asy it outloud, they almost all thought he was right.

            "She's right," Seifer said. "It was not for himself that Squall left.."

            But he couldn't say why either. He wanted to trust his old rival... But could he? He had to for Squall trusted him with his sister's well-being.

            "It was for her," Rinoa said to cut the silence.

            Everyone looked at her including Coran. Through her own tears, Rinoa explained.

            "He did it in an attempt to protect Coran. Becoming Hyne's knight, he can be close enough to her and think of a plan to defeat her."

            "But since she's not material, how can she be defeated?" Quistis asked.

            "Would Coran have become her host, she would have become material. I'm sure Squall prefered to try his luck with Hyne unmaterial than have to fight Coran... It was to protect her from Hyne and from himself in the same time."

            From all the people standing in that room, friends, family, it was his girlfriend who understood his motives. She knew he did it for his sister but she also knew that he would have done it for her as well. She trusted him.

            Coran was shaking her head as though she refused to believe Squall was gone. She was afraid for him. She felt her heart squeeze in her chest. Seifer hugged her.

            "I just hope Hyne will not feel like control him or we'll have him as our enemy as well...."

            And everyone thought that it wouldn't be good at all.

            So?? Hanging?? Hehehe...

            What fo YOU think? Agree with Zell Squall's selfish and only want to save his skin from the end of the world or you think Rinoa's right? Review me please? Is this story messing with your mind or is it good? Tell me, I love reviews!! Good or bad, it tells me at least someone reads my stories! I've got plenty to read!