Chapter 22 – Sacrifice

Zelda til Rednaxelos

Terra's P.O.V.

Oh, Vamp Queen here… I'm so sorry about earlier, with the format. I just had it saved wrong and because of that, all the words kind of grouped together. Thanks for your patience and thank you marsbar15 and DreamShadow for saying something in the review. Otherwise, I would have never known. If you see something wrong, don't hesitate to say something in a review or an email. Thank you all!

     So much to worry about . . . is rehearsal going to be okay tomorrow? Is Ophelia upset that I didn't write to her? Is he going to notice me? So much, so much!

     Um . . . anyway.

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Terra's P.O.V.

     "Okay, you're kidding, right?" She wasn't going to just let somebody kill her without a fight. Not Raven.

     "No," Raven replied grimly. "I want you to kill me."

     "But . . . Raven, I can't!" I cried. "I can't let you do this! I won't!"

     "Why not? You hate me, Terra. Deep down, I know you do. Why not get rid of me when you have this perfect opportunity?"

     "Don't try to talk me into it! I won't just murder you like that. You have a baby inside you! A living baby, developing even as we speak. To kill you would be to kill the child!"

     "And you think I didn't try to get rid of it? I tried to do it already. I tried all sorts of spells and incantations, I took herbs, I even took the pill. Nothing worked."

     "Because Hecate wants the baby to live. She wants you to give birth to it."

     "And expose it to a world filled with pain and suffering?" Raven's tone was cold, as usual, but I could feel something else, something like desperation. "I can't do that, Terra. If the world chewed me up and spit me out, do you honestly think it'll want my offspring? Of course not. Don't you get it?"

     "What I don't get is why you have to be so selfish! You didn't try to abort the baby because of the world, you did it because you wanted the pain of it all to go away, just like you're doing now! You're asking me to kill you because you can't take the torture anymore, and you're not even giving the child a chance!"

     "I wanted to –"

     "No, you didn't! That baby could have a wonderful life, growing in the Mother Hecate's ways and becoming a great sorceress. But you didn't think about that, did you? No, all you want is for the pain to go away!"

     "Stop it, Terra!" Raven shouted. I could feel the anger and extreme anxiety in her voice, and it sent chills down my spine. "If they hated me, they'll hate my child. And I just – aaaahhh!" Pain shot through her as she tried to speak again. With all her might, she cried, "Just say a quick spell. Do it. I caused you so much pain . . . and it'll be over. Please, I beg you, get your vengeance!"

     "It's not about my personal feelings for you, Raven. You're still my enemy. I think you're a bitch just as much as the next person. I just can't believe you're being so selfish – though it really isn't out of character for you. I was a fool to believe you had the capacity to care about your own baby, much less anyone else but your miserable self."

     "You already promised me –" Raven began, but I wouldn't hear any word of it.

     "Forget my promise! No telling Seifer anything, and certainly no death for you. I'm beginning to think that maybe you deserve the torture – it suits you well. Cid was going to send a rescue party, but I guess now I can tell him that he won't be needing to, since you don't want it. As for death, you would die either way. I'll leave it to the sorceresses to take care of you, and then may Hecate deal with you, be it ever so severely, for the misery you caused."

     With that, I closed the line of communication, despite and maybe because of Raven's screams.

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     Later on, I decided to take a walk around, to get my mind off a few things. Like Raven, for instance, and the fact that she was being such a bitch even while staring death in the face. Just like her. Even so, though, I couldn't stop thinking about her.

     It was unexpected, at first, for her to chicken out on life like that, but then I realized it was all a part of her selfish nature to do such a thing. And while she was with child, too.

     Despicable. Just despicable.

     She misjudged me. I was definitely not stupid enough to let my personal feelings get in the way of things. I hated Raven, sure, but why take that out on her child? It was wrong, and she knew it. But she didn't care. She just wanted to be rid of the pain she was going through. Maybe death by torture was the best thing for her.

     It was funny, almost; even while close to dying, she was preoccupied with feeling sorry for herself and bringing others into the murky waters of her self-pity. "Oh, the world didn't like me, so they won't want my daughter, and this and that . . ." Bullshit. A complete load of bullshit. Someone bring a shovel.

     Well, no amount of crying, no amount of pleading would bring me to murder. Then I would be falling into her trap – she escapes the pain of this life, while I would have Hecate on my case for killing in cold blood. She would win twice. That would be her revenge, and I wasn't about to satisfy that. Did she take me for a fool?

     All the pride, all the selfishness, all the hostility she had before was getting paid back to her in full. Back home, she was constantly complaining how "idiotic and selfish and bitchy and terrible" Rinoa supposedly was, while being all those things and more herself. Didn't she get what was happening to her?  She deserved everything she was getting . . .

     And yet, something told me that maybe . . . maybe she didn't. I could feel Hecate pulling gently at my heartstrings, playing them like a harp. And I had to wonder: was it Raven's fault, really, that she was the way she was? After all, her family life hadn't been so great. Her mother died, and the guys never did pay attention to her. And then there was the whole Zach incident.

     But that was no excuse to be acting the way she always did. She needed to get over herself, pretending that she was the only one with problems. At least she wasn't going to have to swallow four pills every night for the rest of her life, and a fifth if she wanted a decent night's rest. She didn't have an abusive mother, or a hectic businessman for a father. She accused me of needing a reality check, since everything was always so "easy" for me. Hadn't she ever heard that money can't buy happiness? My mother was in the whole thing for the money; I was just an accident that came along. Raven's parents loved and wanted her, and to top it all off, they were still together, too, at least up until her mother's death. She had this perfect little family – like I used to have. Meanwhile, I had gone through my entire life feeling like a mere trophy to be passed around from person to person. No one really wanted me, and it wasn't until Squall that I actually felt truly loved. Not only that, but friendships constantly fell apart; I had so many, yet none that I could really be close in. She, on the other hand, had at least a few close friends that were stupid enough to let her walk all over them for a long time. She was able to delude them into believing she cared about them, and even when she alienated them, she made them stay. And guys? I became nothing more than a prize to be won. Raven, on the other hand, had a couple of boyfriends who really cared about her, with the exception of Zach. Not that it mattered, since she ended up ripping out their hearts through their throats anyway. It was weird, then, when she got possessive of them when someone else started dating them, because then she would do everything she could to break up the relationship. She had this weird notion that if she couldn't be happy, no one could be.

     So there it was. This wasn't a video game, this was reality. Raven knew nothing about reality. She had the ability to make things better for herself, no matter how much she denied it, and I didn't. Now life was coming back around and slapping her in the face, and she deserved every bit of it. Now she didn't have me or Luna or a knight to hide behind, and she couldn't go crying to her folks. No one was around to protect her from the storms coming her way.

     But still . . .

     I could hear Hecate whispering in my ear. "My child, my precious child, why do you hate your sister so?"

     "You know why, Mother Goddess," I replied. "She deserves what she's getting."

     "Maybe she does. Still, I want her to live."

     "Live?" I asked. "Why? It's clear that she would rather give up on everything than try to make things better for herself. If I went and saved her, she would be just as miserable to herself and others. And even if I did, even if I decided it was best to go and get her out, I couldn't defeat the sorceresses. They are so much more powerful than I."

     "But I am the mother of sorceresses. I can give power and strength to you, if you only trust me."

     "Even then, why should I go? Why should I risk my neck to save Raven? She wanted death, and that's what she's getting."

     "And what of the child? That baby is mine, and I want her spared. She has such power flowing in her tiny veins. What a loss it would be to let that go to waste." I just looked away as she continued. "I can see how much you care for that child, if not for your sister. Therefore, I urge you to go."

     I thought about this for a moment. Hecate was right; the baby needed me. And the sorceresses were about to conquer the realm.

     "If you do not, the wicked sorceresses will take over and defile the world with their presence. You will never be safe then. Please, Terra – if only for the child."

     I sighed. I had to go. The baby's fate – and that of the world – was in my hands.

     "Alright, Mother Goddess," I said. "I'll go."

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     "You're what?"

     I just nodded as Cid looked at me in disbelief.

     "You heard me, Headmaster," I said firmly. "I'm going to go rescue Raven."

     "But . . . but I thought you said she didn't want it! And the sorceresses – Terra, it's too dangerous!"

     "You beat Adel before," I reminded him. "You can do it again."

     "That was when she was operating largely by herself," Cid corrected me. "Now she has her sister with her. The two combined are quite a force to be reckoned with –"

     "And so am I," I interrupted. "As long as I have a knight with me, I can't be easily destroyed, no matter who I'm up against."

     Cid sighed at this. "That is true," he acknowledged. "Knights do have a large impact."

     "Therefore, I need to assemble a team of fighters, with one of them as my knight."

     "Well . . ." He could only shake his head and say, "Who do you want?"

     "Squall, Irvine, Seifer, Zell, Quistis, and Selphie."

     "Alright. Xu, send them in."

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     "Alright, listen up!" Cid said as we all assembled in his office. I stood beside him and his wife, Edea, as he proceeded to go over the details of the assignment. "We have learned that Raven is being held captive over in a cave in the nearby mountains. You are all familiar with the sorceress Adel? Turns out she has a sister by the name of Aris. Now, Raven has been there for days now, and my wife tells me that she cannot hold on much longer. That is why I am sending you six along with Terra to find and destroy these sorceresses, for they are on the brink of conquest."

     "Us?" Zell asked. "Why us?"

     "Because I trust you," Cid replied. "I know you are more than capable of defeating them. Ultimecia wasn't too hard –"

     "Headmaster, do you have any idea how hard that was?" Quistis inquired. "And she was only one sorceress. Two of them together . . . I don't know. Are you sure about this?"

     "And I thought we had all decided that we hated Raven, anyway," Seifer continued, leaning against a wall. "We sheltered her, we loved her, and she swatted us away like flies. Why should we die for her now? We gave her love, love she would just shrug off. This is the price she pays. Leave her there. Then Terra can have her life back – as if she never loved her at all."

     "Unfortunately, Seifer, that is not an option," Cid replied. "If we just sit by and do nothing, Aris and Adel will soon be strong enough to take over the world. All they need to do is to steal Raven's power from her, and they will have all they need to wreak havoc over our realm – including everything and everyone in it."

     "This isn't about our opinion of her, guys," I spoke up. "As SeeD soldiers, it's your duty to protect the realm at all costs, no matter what. Not only that . . . but Raven is pregnant."

     This came as a shock to some of them. "She's what?" Selphie asked in disbelief.

     "Yes. Seifer and Squall already knew, but since the rest of you don't seem to have any other incentive to get moving . . ."

     Everyone immediately turned to Seifer. "You did that, didn't you?" Quistis demanded.

     "I was that upset at her, yeah," Seifer replied unsympathetically. "She proved just how small her heart was back when Luna died –"

     "And you just proved that your heart was just as small," Irvine said to him. "I don't like her much, either, but to violate her like that is just sick."

     "Come on, guys, quit acting so surprised," Zell said. "That's just like Seifer, to get women drunk and screw them for all they're –"

     "You need to shut your trap, Chicken Wuss!" Seifer shouted.

     "What did you call me?"

     "That's enough!" Cid bellowed, loud enough to get everyone to keep quiet. Once everyone had shut up, he continued, "This is no time to be getting on everyone's case. We have a realm to save! Now, are you going or not?"

     There was a silence as everyone thought about this. After a long while, Quistis spoke up. "We have to," she said. "What choice do we have?"

     "We save our own lives by saving Raven's," Squall pointed out.

     "And let her plague the world with her presence?" Seifer asked.

     "If we don't defeat Adel and Aris, there won't be a world for her to plague," Irvine replied.

     "Then it's decided," Selphie piped up. "We're all going – like it or not." This was said with a dirty look towards Seifer.

     "So when do we go?" Zell asked. "I'm getting ready to kick some magic ass –"

     "Wait just a moment!" I interrupted him. "There's one more thing. I need a knight."

     Seifer just sighed. "Oh, great. Not this deal again."

     "We'll never be able to defeat them without a knight," I told him. "It's largely my deal, and I'll get killed off before the fight even starts if I don't have protection."

     "I'll do it!" Irvine exclaimed. "I'll be Terra's knight. I can do it – I've got experience with the sword, you know, and . . ." He stopped when he met Squall's hard gaze. The look made him submit. "Oh, yeah. Sorry 'bout that."

     "Sorry, but it only works when the person is someone you have already given your heart and soul to," I told him. "And we all know who that is."

     With that, everyone's eyes turned to Squall, whose stony face softened when he looked into mine. I walked towards him slowly, chanting the lovely spell that would soon make him eternally mine.

     "Air from the moonlit sky, waters of the endless sea, every creature turn their gaze here upon my love and me. With this verse I call to you, binding us for all time; now my life is forever yours, and you, my precious knight, are mine."

     As I stood before him, I could feel the blue aura surrounding us, making our two spirits one. Wrapping my arms around him, the spell finished, and we were bound together for the rest of eternity.

     "Wow," Selphie marveled softly.

     "Got that right," Irvine added.

     Edea smiled. "Now you are truly ready," she said. "You know where you're going, don't you?" I nodded, and she continued, "Very well. I wish you good luck."

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     The black mountains surrounding us that night loomed over us threateningly as the clouds began to cover the stars. The vehicle we drove in moved across the grasses almost silently, cloaked by an invisibility shield. No monsters were out tonight, thankfully. We were packed tightly into the car, with Selphie sitting in Quistis's lap and Zell squeezed in between them and Seifer. I had to sit on Squall in the passenger's seat. Cozy, if a bit crowded.

     "God, it's cold out here," Zell muttered.

     "Yeah," Selphie agreed.

     "Now, if my senses are correct, we should be going west right about now," I told Irvine, who was driving the vehicle.

     "Got it," he replied as he turned to the left.

     "Look!" Selphie exclaimed, pointing ahead. "There!"

     Ahead was a dark cave about half a mile away, straight ahead. I couldn't see very well in, but I knew that was where Raven was.

     "That's it," I told them. "Irvine, we need to park a little off to the side."

     "Will do."

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Raven's P.O.V.

     It wasn't long before I was knocked unconscious. I found myself in Balamb's infirmary, by a hospital bed. I looked down, and there I saw a girl, with long, flowing blonde hair, lightly bronzed skin . . . and the symbol of the child hanging around her neck.

     Luna!

     Her chocolate eyes snapped open, causing me to stumble backwards in surprise. She sat up and looked at me, her eyes blazing. She smiled sweetly yet eerily, sending chills down my spine.

     "Hi, Raven," she greeted me, rising and walking towards me. "Miss me much?"

     Then –

     Faster than lightening, she grabbed me by the shirt collar and held me up against the wall, so that I was struggling to breathe. I fought to release myself, but she was stronger than I, and there was no way I could win.

     "What are you doing?" I asked her, half-choked. "How did you –"

     "You didn't think I would let you get away with all the misery you've caused, did you? Did you think you were rid of me for good?" She laughed at that, and continued, "Foolish Raven. Your arrogant heart has once again deceived you. I will never be truly gone, nor will anyone else you've cruelly slaughtered, physically and emotionally."

     She let go of my shirt, letting me drop to the floor. But strangely, just as I was about to hit the ground, it disappeared underneath me, and I fell into a deep, dark pit. Finally I hit the ground, and I was in a room, cozy and pleasant. I recognized it as Quistis's dorm, but it was no longer a pleasurable place once I saw the trail of blood leading to the bathroom. Shaking, I followed the trail, in fear of what I might find.

     There were people strewn all over the vast room, moaning and crying out, bleeding profusely. I recognized all of them; some of them were people I had killed. I saw my cousin William, my first victim; some people off the streets of home who had tried to harass me one night; and then Zach, the one who had taken away my innocence so violently, though I hadn't truly been very innocent to begin with.

     But what was puzzling was that there were many people there who were still alive in my world. There was my family, a troubled bunch to begin with, but even more so after I was born. Old friends and boyfriends were scattered about.

     I walked among them, trying my best not to step on anyone, but it was hard not to, there were so many people. I left footprints in the blood of all my victims – there was that much blood.

     Suddenly I tripped over something, sending me right down to the floor, getting blood all over my clothes. When I got up to see whom I had tripped over, I saw Seifer's face glaring up at me.

     "Have a nice trip?" he asked, strained but sarcastic as ever.

     All I could do was walk past, until I reached a light from above, like a spotlight. I looked, and there, lying in the light, was Terra. Her delicate arms had been slashed too many times to count, her hair drenched in a strange mixture of blood and tears. Beside her lay a butcher knife, splattered with crimson.

     I picked up the knife, and a wave of emotions washed over me: fear, hatred, sorrow, anger . . .

     "These are the emotions you killed her with," I heard Luna say.

     "But . . . but I don't understand," I stammered. "These people are still alive. Why are they dying? What's happening?"

     "You just don't get it, do you? How many times have you insulted her, Raven? How many times have you made her feel worthless and unappreciated? Or messed with her head, or shrugged her off, or shown her up, or made her feel guilty about things that were beyond her control? Huh, Raven?"

     "I . . . I just –"

     "You just what? You just didn't have time to be concerned about her? Of course you didn't, because you were too wrapped up in yourself. You just had too many problems to deal with, too many headaches. 'Oh, look at me, everybody hates me, my family is so terrible, my friends are such bitches, I'm in such pain . . .' Pitiful. Just pitiful!"

     "Please!"

     She appeared behind me and forced me to face her, as she stared into my very soul and continued. "Arrogant fool! You think that you are all that matters, you are the beginning and the end, you don't deserve any of this. Oh, poor baby, having that bad old reality come and hit you so hard." She then lunged forward and shoved me backwards as the room of people faded around us. "You know nothing about love or life. You hear that? Nothing!"

     "Leave me alone!" I shouted at her. "What do you want from me?"

     She relaxed for a bit, and looked long and hard at me before answering. "What do I want?" she asked. "What I want is my revenge!"

     Luna dashed towards me, and before I had a chance to react, she had landed a hard blow to my stomach, sending me reeling backward. I had barely gotten off the floor, though, before I was hoisted up in the air and shoved high against an invisible wall. I hung there for a moment as sweat trickled down my forehead, then was forced around to hit another wall. I was tossed from wall to wall, all the while accompanied by Luna's maniacal laughter.

     She finally brought me over to her, making me float down to the ground beside her. I didn't bother to get up, but watched as Luna made her way towards me. "Well, well, well," she said with a grin. "The mother is now at the mercy of the child. How odd that is. How odd."

     "Go away!" I shouted up at her defiantly. "I want nothing to do with you!"

     "Really? Oh, that's too bad. I was just starting to have fun!"

     Before I knew it, the butcher knife from before was flung at me, landing just inches away from my head. Once again, I felt the pain, but this time, it was the compiled emotions of all I had mistreated, all I had slain.

     Luna kneeled down next to me and spoke quietly, yet sinisterly. "Now you know what it's like to have your spirit destroyed over and over again, just like you did to everyone else. There's no escape from it now, Raven . . . and there is no escape from me."

     With that, she vanished. Then – crying. It came from behind me, and when I was strong enough to stand and look for the source, I saw something a few feet away . . . a baby.

     She screamed loudly, and each howl stung me, until I almost couldn't bear the aching. "With each blow you take, the child can feel it as well. She is a part of you, and how thoughtless you are, you selfish woman, for wishing to harm her in any way. If she dies, Hecate will not spare you of her wrath. You think I was bad? She is worse, much worse." Luna appeared again, floating above me, and a ball of energy began to form in her hands. "You will learn what humility means if it's the last thing you are ever taught! I will teach you a lesson, one you will never forget!"

     She hurled the energy ball towards me, and no matter how much I screamed, she did not and would not stop.

     "Noooooooooooooooooooooo!"

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Terra's P.O.V.

     "Noooooooooooooooooooooo!"

     Our heads snapped around to the entrance of the cave as we got out of our car. It was Raven's shriek. She was in here.

     "What was that?" Selphie squeaked.

     "Raven," Seifer said darkly. "That's her, alright."

     "We need to get in there as soon as possible," I told them. "Come on, let's go."

     We began to make our way into the chilly cave. It was dark, but we could see well enough. I was getting the worst signals from this place; the walls were caked with enough negative residue to build an astral house. Rats and bugs scuttled about, and there were even a couple of bats.

     "Eww," Selphie whispered. "This place is so gross."

     "So unsanitary," Quistis added.

     "Don't worry, gals, I'm here," Irvine replied, trying to sound as brave as possible. "I'll protect you – I think."

     "That's nice, Irvine," I said, rolling my eyes. "Real encouraging."

     Finally the cave's passageway widened, and there, up against the wall, was Raven, chained and unconscious. Her clothes were in shreds, her skin was bloody and bruised, and her breathing was rigid and cold.

     Seeing that the sorceresses were gone, I rushed across the room to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She squirmed a bit at my touch, and her eyes fluttered open as she slowly floated back into consciousness. She saw me, and just barely managed to whisper, "You . . . what are you doing here?"

     "What do you think, Birdie? You think I would come all this way just to see you get beaten up? Come on, we need to get you down."

     "What? Terra, what in Hecate's name are you doing? I told you I didn't want –"

     She was cut off as I put a hand to her mouth to keep her quiet. "Shut up!" I hissed. "You want them to come back and fry you again? Keep talking."

     "I told you to just let me die," Raven continued as I worked furiously at her chains. "Everything would be better that way. Why didn't you listen?"

     "I take orders from the Mother Goddess, not you," I replied. "Hecate wants you to live, you're going to live. You have a daughter to protect."

     She just sighed. "Why do I try? Trying to stop you is like trying to stop a flood. You just don't seem to ever –"

     "Shut up? Good idea. You first."

     The others made their way over and began to help unshackling Raven. She chuckled when she saw Seifer working at the chains, and said, "I thought I was only good for a one-night stand. What changed your mind?"

     "It's not for you," Seifer answered crossly. "It's for the baby."

     Finally we were able to get her down. Irvine lifted her down and placed her on the ground. She only looked up at us and said, "You have to get out of here. If Adel and Aris catch you . . ."

     "We're trying to get caught," Zell told her. "That's the point. If we don't destroy her – boom-bada-boom-boom-boom."

     "First we have to heal you a bit," I added. "These wounds can't go untreated –"

     "Intruders!"

     Our heads snapped around in shock. Two towering figures approached from the shadows, and immediately I could feel the atmosphere change. One had long, platinum blonde hair, wrapping around its shoulders like one long string, while the other's brunette hair flowed freely around it. Long garments enveloped their bodies, opaque but not quite. Their blue eyes flashed from the darkness, and soon they stepped into the dim light for all of us to see.

     "It's them!" Selphie cried. "The sorceresses!"

     They floated towards us, not quite ready for battle, but making us all reach for our weapons just the same. "I see you have decided to pay us a little visit, my friends," the blonde said.

     "Adel," Squall addressed her with a scowl. "At least this time you're looking vaguely female."

     She just chuckled at that. "My, my, what rudeness. Where are your manners, Leonhart? Did you accidentally leave them behind?"

     "No time for greetings," Aris said angrily. "What are you doing here? You dare oppose us?"

     Her glare made me shiver, but I had to stand my ground. "You are sick creatures, you know that?" I told them. "Just where do you get off on this?"

     "It is just so fun," Adel replied. "Besides, once we have stolen the girl's power from her, we will be unstoppable. The world will be ours!"

     "Bitches!" Zell growled. "I oughta pummel you right now!"

     "Quiet down, Chicken Wuss!" Seifer commanded him, smacking him upside the head. "Not yet!"

     "Raven will not pass on here by your hands," I snapped at them. "You will die before she does."

     "Foolish girl! You think you can hold back death?"

     "Stay away!" I shouted.

     "You came much too late. This girl is mine – I am her dying breath!"

     "I won't let you have her!"

     "Sure as the grave, ignorant child, you must accept what is. Now her life is forever mine!"

     "Then take mine for hers!"

     Everyone was taken aback. Adel jerked back in surprise, while Aris just glared at me. Even I was astounded by what I had just proposed, but I couldn't let them see it.

     Aris was stunned. "What?"

     "You heard me," I said slowly, gritting my teeth. "Take my life . . . my soul for hers."

     "Terra, no!" Irvine cried. "You can't!"

     I looked back at them, into each of their shocked faces, finally resting on Raven. She looked up at me, staggered. "But . . . but why?" she asked weakly.

     "It's okay," I assured them. Turning back to the sorceresses, I said, "It's all I can offer. What do you say?"

     They exploded with laughter. "This is quite interesting," Adel observed. "Look at this, Aris – the girl gives herself up for her enemy! How amusing!"

     "You are willing to die for her?" Aris asked me. "Ridiculous thing! Killing Raven means killing her daughter, as well. It is two deaths in one. Do you think I would pass that up to kill a lithe little thing like you?"

     "But you must admit, it would be rather humorous," Adel said. "It is a rather odd situation, and we would be giving up two most delicious demises, but killing this one would be rather hilarious, too."

     "Sheesh, these two are homicidal maniacs," Zell whispered.

     "Hmm . . . what if we did?" Adel wondered. "Do you think so, Aris?"

     Aris pondered this for a moment. Slowly an eerie smile crept across her face. She turned back to me and said, "Perhaps it would not be so bad. Very well, then. I will spare Raven and the child . . . as soon as you give up your life to us."

     "How do I know you won't kill Raven after I'm gone?" I asked suspiciously.

     "No tricks this time. Look." With that, a glow began to radiate from Raven. Slowly, every cut and bruise disappeared. She was lifted up and placed on her feet, and soon she wasn't so frail anymore. She was completely healed.

     She came over to me and asked, "Why would you do this for me?"

     "Guess it's because I have a heart," I replied. "Even for you."

     "Please, Terra, don't do this!" Quistis pleaded. "You're both free now – you can –"

     "I made a deal," I answered, glancing over at Aris and Adel. "And I intend to keep my end of the bargain."

     Aris and Adel began to laugh maniacally. Before I knew it, both Raven and I were hoisted up into the air and flung against the hard wall. The cold stone was harsh on my body, ripping at my skin. Raven cried out in pain once more.

     "You really are naïve," Aris said. "I would never let you go. This is perfect – now both of you shall perish!"

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