DISCLAIMER: Final Fantasy Eight and all associated characters are property
of Squaresoft. I own none of them and in any case legal action would serve
no purpose: I am an university student and, therefore, a poor man.
A/N: Sorry 'bout the long delay between chapters. Various things to deal with, including a LOVELY trip to Ottawa and Montreal for reading week. Shorter chapter this time 'round, and I promise, the NEXT one will be more action packed. I've decided to shorten future chapters as best as I can.I realise that long chapters can be daunting.
Cheers
***
CHAPTER FIVE
Eleven p.m.
Rinoa stared up at the ceiling, as she had done for the last half-hour. She sighed, shifted in bed in yet another vain attempt to get comfortable and forced her eyes shut, almost desperate for sleep's arms to enfold her. But, as had been the case for the last half-hour, said sleep eluded her. She was tired enough to sleep, certainly, especially after an entire day of crafting new spells, but her mind was too active, both from the effort of casting them and from all the while considering the implications of the powerful new energies coursing through her body.
Her eyes fluttered open again of her own accord, and she frowned in the darkness as she gathered the covers more tightly around herself. It had taken hours for Matron to teach her exactly how to prepare and cast the new spell, designed to dispel whatever force it was that was controlling Seifer's actions and although the gruelling casting session was ended, still she felt agitated. Not at Edea. No, no---she had been nothing if not supportive and understanding, not to mention patient. Perhaps she remembered those days when she herself was still feeling her way through her powers.
But Squall---
She'd told him, right then and there on the beach at the orphanage, when he'd come to check up on Matron and herself, just how powerful the spell was. How it would most likely kill Seifer if it were ever used against him. But Squall had just nodded grimly and turned away, walking back to the hovercraft in silence.
It was that coldness, that callous disregard for the life of a man who may still be redeemable, which had shaken her, and only a few more hours of throwing herself into her magical projects with Edea had been sufficient to keep her from dwelling upon it to an unhealthy degree. What was he becoming? Was he reverting back to his original, reclusive self, cutting himself off from emotion and returning to the bleak life he lead before they found each other?
The hiss of her dormitory door as it slid open startled her even further into wakefulness. She was certain she'd locked it behind her when she turned in for the night, and she had the only key. Well, her and---
"Squall?" she whispered, softly, and strained her ears for an answer. She received none.
At once annoyed and titillated by his intrusion, she slipped out of bed and padded, barefoot, out of her bedroom and into the small living area of her quarters. By rights, she should have had to bunk with a roommate, as she was still technically only a SeeD cadet, but having the Garden commander for a boyfriend came with certain perks attached.
She paused at the threshold, leaning against the doorframe with her arms drawn across her breasts and squinted into the darkness. Nothing, although she hadn't imagined the sound.her front door was still slightly open, leading out into a darkened corridor.
"Squall," she called out again, carefully measuring the warning in her voice. She loved him dearly, but if he thought she was in the mood for games after a day as long as hers had been and with him acting as he'd been for the past few days, then he was sorely mistaken. "This isn't funny. Stop acting so creepy and just---"
But her sentence remained unfinished, as strong, swift arms deftly snaked out from the darkness to her right and caught her in their tight, businesslike grip. Reflexively, she opened her mouth to utter some word of power, but her spell was stillborn, and she felt her power flee as a gloved, inexorable hand snapped a collar of some sort around her neck before she could even complete the thought behind the attempt. She knew instantly: Odine choker. She tried the same tactic on Edea six months previously. Yet another of Hyne's little jokes.
"No," a grim voice, dripping menace, whispered by her ear. Her eyes widened in shock at the touch of the cool, cruel edge of the intruder's gunblade to her throat. "I'm afraid not. Sorry."
~*~*~
The T-Rexaur noticed nothing. Not until it was too late.
Its headlong rush slowed to a trot, then to a crawl, every step a titanic effort, as the cold seized first its muscles, then spread outward until its mottled, leathery skin glistened as the air moisture frozen upon contact with it. It managed one last step forward, accompanied by a deafening roar of final defiance before it could move no longer, every water molecule in its body freezing from within, inescapably. Its bloodshot, reptilian eyes still glared, though, frozen in their sockets as they were. Even now, at the hour of its death, its tiny brain still thought of nothing beyond death and killing.
Selphie gazed up at its grotesque, open jaws impassively for a moment before drawing back her nunchuku and swinging it forward with a grunt. Its edge landed a smart blow on its lower torso, with such GF enhanced force behind it that the violent disintegration of the congealed creature lasted just a few seconds, with numerous chunks of ice skittering along the ground or flying into the air.
She let out a breath and idly tapped the organic debris with the toe of her boot. That had been her third encounter with a T-Rexaur since that morning, and also the one that had lasted the shortest, from moment of contact to death by Blizzaga. But then, she'd seen this one coming. She hadn't been quite so quick with the others.
The landscape swayed around her suddenly, prompting her to squeeze her eyes shut and press her thumbs to her temples until it ceased to do so. At once, the realisation hit her that she'd been at it for just about twelve hours, without a break, but once she'd recovered her composure, she didn't dwell on that fact. Her body ached, but her mind was clear, or at least focussed. But still.she'd been supremely lucky in this last encounter. Even in her present state of mind, she knew full well that without a break and a meal of some sort, her performance really would begin to lag behind her usual standard and, with it, her luck.
Although, she supposed, after the events of the last few days, an unfavourable encounter would be par for the course and, on some deep, chilling level, welcome.
She shook her head furiously, dispelling the thought and replacing it with anger at herself for even entertaining such a notion. With one last glance at her handiwork, already beginning to melt in the tropical, controlled climate within the Training Area, she turned on her heels and made her way to the exit. This late at night, the cafeteria was, of course, closed, but she certainly still had strength sufficient to press a button or two, those on the microwave she kept in her quarters. After a snack and a shower, who knew? Maybe she could pluck up the nerve to---
to---
She stopped for a moment, then set her jaw and strode off once again to the exit.
Say it, Selph, she thought. To check up on Quistis. To see how your best friend is doing and maybe---just maybe---tell her you're sorry you screwed up---and SHE had to pay for it.
~*~*~
Garden's central atrium, around which was clustered every major facility from sickbay to cafeteria, was very noticeably devoid of its usual cheerfulness, dim as its lights were at this hour of the night. Most of the students were in bed, long ahead of the ten-thirty curfew imposed by Garden since its foundation, a reminder that it was, despite the trappings of a military base, still a school. And what little staff were still up were to be found either in sickbay or on the bridge. And through this deserted academy, quite unaware that it had been invaded, Seifer and his captive moved like ghosts, furtively from shadow to shadow.
During the day, the walk to the elevator would be a task of minutes. But Seifer, so desperately anxious that his dark business not be discovered and the entire Garden alerted to his presence, spent the journey from the dorms ducking furtively from shadow to shadow, not taking a step unless he was certain there was no watcher to mark his progress, or else the occasional security camera had swung its gaze away from his planned trajectory. Rinoa would have found this infuriating had she not been dragged along with him with her powers gone and a gunblade at her throat throughout.
"Seifer, why are you-" she hissed at her captor for the fourth time since being 'escorted' from her quarters in her PJs in the middle of the night, but only received a tightening of the grip around her waist and a blade being pressed even closer to her throat.
Within her, she raged at her fear for her own life, and at the strange, frightening air about her former friend and at the Odine choker around her neck. The only place he could be taking her was the hangar below and once they'd stepped into the elevator she'd be completely beyond aid. She would have yelled out for help, or attempted to run, as futile as that would have been, anything to get the attention of anyone who could alert Squall and the others.
But she'd taken a look into Seifer's face when he'd bundled her out of her quarters. And what she had seen there was enough to convince her that Seifer would make any and all of his threats good. Up until now, she had been fighting terror with every step.
And it was right about then that the gods saw fit to have Selphie round the corner, on the other side of the elevator, and stop dead in her tracks a few feet away from them.
***
NEXT: Discovered, Seifer attempts to escape with Rinoa, but Selphie's in his way---
A/N: Sorry 'bout the long delay between chapters. Various things to deal with, including a LOVELY trip to Ottawa and Montreal for reading week. Shorter chapter this time 'round, and I promise, the NEXT one will be more action packed. I've decided to shorten future chapters as best as I can.I realise that long chapters can be daunting.
Cheers
***
CHAPTER FIVE
Eleven p.m.
Rinoa stared up at the ceiling, as she had done for the last half-hour. She sighed, shifted in bed in yet another vain attempt to get comfortable and forced her eyes shut, almost desperate for sleep's arms to enfold her. But, as had been the case for the last half-hour, said sleep eluded her. She was tired enough to sleep, certainly, especially after an entire day of crafting new spells, but her mind was too active, both from the effort of casting them and from all the while considering the implications of the powerful new energies coursing through her body.
Her eyes fluttered open again of her own accord, and she frowned in the darkness as she gathered the covers more tightly around herself. It had taken hours for Matron to teach her exactly how to prepare and cast the new spell, designed to dispel whatever force it was that was controlling Seifer's actions and although the gruelling casting session was ended, still she felt agitated. Not at Edea. No, no---she had been nothing if not supportive and understanding, not to mention patient. Perhaps she remembered those days when she herself was still feeling her way through her powers.
But Squall---
She'd told him, right then and there on the beach at the orphanage, when he'd come to check up on Matron and herself, just how powerful the spell was. How it would most likely kill Seifer if it were ever used against him. But Squall had just nodded grimly and turned away, walking back to the hovercraft in silence.
It was that coldness, that callous disregard for the life of a man who may still be redeemable, which had shaken her, and only a few more hours of throwing herself into her magical projects with Edea had been sufficient to keep her from dwelling upon it to an unhealthy degree. What was he becoming? Was he reverting back to his original, reclusive self, cutting himself off from emotion and returning to the bleak life he lead before they found each other?
The hiss of her dormitory door as it slid open startled her even further into wakefulness. She was certain she'd locked it behind her when she turned in for the night, and she had the only key. Well, her and---
"Squall?" she whispered, softly, and strained her ears for an answer. She received none.
At once annoyed and titillated by his intrusion, she slipped out of bed and padded, barefoot, out of her bedroom and into the small living area of her quarters. By rights, she should have had to bunk with a roommate, as she was still technically only a SeeD cadet, but having the Garden commander for a boyfriend came with certain perks attached.
She paused at the threshold, leaning against the doorframe with her arms drawn across her breasts and squinted into the darkness. Nothing, although she hadn't imagined the sound.her front door was still slightly open, leading out into a darkened corridor.
"Squall," she called out again, carefully measuring the warning in her voice. She loved him dearly, but if he thought she was in the mood for games after a day as long as hers had been and with him acting as he'd been for the past few days, then he was sorely mistaken. "This isn't funny. Stop acting so creepy and just---"
But her sentence remained unfinished, as strong, swift arms deftly snaked out from the darkness to her right and caught her in their tight, businesslike grip. Reflexively, she opened her mouth to utter some word of power, but her spell was stillborn, and she felt her power flee as a gloved, inexorable hand snapped a collar of some sort around her neck before she could even complete the thought behind the attempt. She knew instantly: Odine choker. She tried the same tactic on Edea six months previously. Yet another of Hyne's little jokes.
"No," a grim voice, dripping menace, whispered by her ear. Her eyes widened in shock at the touch of the cool, cruel edge of the intruder's gunblade to her throat. "I'm afraid not. Sorry."
~*~*~
The T-Rexaur noticed nothing. Not until it was too late.
Its headlong rush slowed to a trot, then to a crawl, every step a titanic effort, as the cold seized first its muscles, then spread outward until its mottled, leathery skin glistened as the air moisture frozen upon contact with it. It managed one last step forward, accompanied by a deafening roar of final defiance before it could move no longer, every water molecule in its body freezing from within, inescapably. Its bloodshot, reptilian eyes still glared, though, frozen in their sockets as they were. Even now, at the hour of its death, its tiny brain still thought of nothing beyond death and killing.
Selphie gazed up at its grotesque, open jaws impassively for a moment before drawing back her nunchuku and swinging it forward with a grunt. Its edge landed a smart blow on its lower torso, with such GF enhanced force behind it that the violent disintegration of the congealed creature lasted just a few seconds, with numerous chunks of ice skittering along the ground or flying into the air.
She let out a breath and idly tapped the organic debris with the toe of her boot. That had been her third encounter with a T-Rexaur since that morning, and also the one that had lasted the shortest, from moment of contact to death by Blizzaga. But then, she'd seen this one coming. She hadn't been quite so quick with the others.
The landscape swayed around her suddenly, prompting her to squeeze her eyes shut and press her thumbs to her temples until it ceased to do so. At once, the realisation hit her that she'd been at it for just about twelve hours, without a break, but once she'd recovered her composure, she didn't dwell on that fact. Her body ached, but her mind was clear, or at least focussed. But still.she'd been supremely lucky in this last encounter. Even in her present state of mind, she knew full well that without a break and a meal of some sort, her performance really would begin to lag behind her usual standard and, with it, her luck.
Although, she supposed, after the events of the last few days, an unfavourable encounter would be par for the course and, on some deep, chilling level, welcome.
She shook her head furiously, dispelling the thought and replacing it with anger at herself for even entertaining such a notion. With one last glance at her handiwork, already beginning to melt in the tropical, controlled climate within the Training Area, she turned on her heels and made her way to the exit. This late at night, the cafeteria was, of course, closed, but she certainly still had strength sufficient to press a button or two, those on the microwave she kept in her quarters. After a snack and a shower, who knew? Maybe she could pluck up the nerve to---
to---
She stopped for a moment, then set her jaw and strode off once again to the exit.
Say it, Selph, she thought. To check up on Quistis. To see how your best friend is doing and maybe---just maybe---tell her you're sorry you screwed up---and SHE had to pay for it.
~*~*~
Garden's central atrium, around which was clustered every major facility from sickbay to cafeteria, was very noticeably devoid of its usual cheerfulness, dim as its lights were at this hour of the night. Most of the students were in bed, long ahead of the ten-thirty curfew imposed by Garden since its foundation, a reminder that it was, despite the trappings of a military base, still a school. And what little staff were still up were to be found either in sickbay or on the bridge. And through this deserted academy, quite unaware that it had been invaded, Seifer and his captive moved like ghosts, furtively from shadow to shadow.
During the day, the walk to the elevator would be a task of minutes. But Seifer, so desperately anxious that his dark business not be discovered and the entire Garden alerted to his presence, spent the journey from the dorms ducking furtively from shadow to shadow, not taking a step unless he was certain there was no watcher to mark his progress, or else the occasional security camera had swung its gaze away from his planned trajectory. Rinoa would have found this infuriating had she not been dragged along with him with her powers gone and a gunblade at her throat throughout.
"Seifer, why are you-" she hissed at her captor for the fourth time since being 'escorted' from her quarters in her PJs in the middle of the night, but only received a tightening of the grip around her waist and a blade being pressed even closer to her throat.
Within her, she raged at her fear for her own life, and at the strange, frightening air about her former friend and at the Odine choker around her neck. The only place he could be taking her was the hangar below and once they'd stepped into the elevator she'd be completely beyond aid. She would have yelled out for help, or attempted to run, as futile as that would have been, anything to get the attention of anyone who could alert Squall and the others.
But she'd taken a look into Seifer's face when he'd bundled her out of her quarters. And what she had seen there was enough to convince her that Seifer would make any and all of his threats good. Up until now, she had been fighting terror with every step.
And it was right about then that the gods saw fit to have Selphie round the corner, on the other side of the elevator, and stop dead in her tracks a few feet away from them.
***
NEXT: Discovered, Seifer attempts to escape with Rinoa, but Selphie's in his way---