I might be wrong, by Mintaka
A most needed rescue
Just before…
As they added through the underground tunnels, with Squall and Zell just a bit ahead, Quistis felt her whole body shudder. It was if there had been a sudden gust of cold wind that blew her from all directions. Her lungs were feeling constricted and she clutched at her chest. She froze on the spot and flung out an arm and let out a screech to her comrades in alarm. They both turned to face her just as her legs gave out and she fell to her knee. Hastily they ran over to her aid.
But she was oblivious to them now. Her whole head was spinning and her vision was nothing but thick smog. Everything in her head convulsed and she could hear an almost static noise, at an immensely high pitch and so loud and frightening it made her eyes water. Even her teeth ached.
She thought she could faintly make out a voice but she wasn't sure. "…Qui…hy…he..l…p…" 'Seifer?'…ple..it…re…y….hu…..r…hel…me…ahh…!…" 'What the hell is this? Seifer? Is that Seifer?' "Seifer, can you hear me? Where are you, what's going on?" She tried to call out to him, but was followed by the static noise and blinding pain. She screamed in agony inside her head. 'What the hell is happening to me? Why am I hearing his voice?' "…Qui…here….?…whe…he…lp…" 'His voice, he heard me too?' "Seifer, tell me where you are." The pain settled in again, which was becoming less excruciating and Seifer's voice was a bit clearer. "…Under…groun…temple…" The pain subsided and she could hear is voice properly now. "I'm in some temple, please Quistis, help me. I'm going to die." It was like talking to him face to face, yet she felt blind. There was a sense of something in his voice that made Quistis wonder whether it was Seifer or not. He sounded like a little boy lost. Vulnerable and afraid and it wasn't like him at all. It made her worried. "Seifer no don't say that, you won't die. Just wait a little longer ok? We'll be here soon to get you." She reassured.
"No, you don't understand, I'm dying Quistis. I feel my soul, it's dying too. You can't help me now, please go back, I don't want you to get hurt." His voice was trembling. He was scared, and she knew that he didn't want her to go anywhere. "No I'm not leaving you behind, I can't do that. Just wait for a little while. But you have to help me. I need you to break this physical connection so I can find you. Then I want you to keep talking to me, tell me where to go." Her voice sounded confident and she really hoped that he would see that and trust her. And hearing silence, she wondered if he was pondering the idea. After noticing him sigh, maybe in relief she thought, there was a cold airy sensation. Her eyes came into focus and she had never felt so happy to see dirt on the ground.
"Quistis! Wake up man, just open your eyes!" Zell's concerned yet irritated voice brought her fully back into reality. Rubbing her eyes, she tried to move into a sitting position with one arm. She was finding it useless. "Damn it, help me up." She commanded. They complied immediently and helped her to her feet. "What the hell was that?! Hyne damn it woman you scared us to death!" Yelled Zell, pointing a finger at her. She took no proper notice. "It doesn't matter right now, just follow me I know where to go."
"…Just ahead…the corridor…"Her head moved at its own accord, making her turn to what she saw to be a shadow. Heading toward it, she saw it to be a small corridor. The ceiling was low and the walls narrow. "Come on, this way." Both Zell and Squall looked at her blankly at first, but noticing she wasn't stopping for their confused questions, they obediently followed. The three SeeDs had to bend slightly and pass through sideways, before they reached the end, which was a dimly lighted space with a high ceiling. The wall ahead looked slightly curved, as if the two adjacent walls were built around it. Looking closer, she could see faint markings engraved onto the stone, although there were too faint to see.
"…Left…staircase…"It was Seifer's voice again, and it seemed closer somehow. Again, her head turned in its own direction, this time to her left. Her eyes squinted, and she moved closer. Cobwebs so it seemed. Reaching out to touch it with her finger, she realised it wasn't at all cobweb, but man made nylon made to the thickness of spider silk. She thought there was unnatural sheen to it. 'How clever,' she thought.
She pulled the web to one side and it swept in one wave with her hand like a curtain, revealing a spiral of wooden steps. At first glance, it looked as though it would collapse under the weight of a feather, though when she planted her feet upon them they held her without even a creak. With no hesitation she climbed, hr friends following idly behind her.
Reaching the top, she established that this was an attic of some sort. In the centre was a brightly coloured dome of glass. The picture painted onto it appeared to be Ultimecia sitting gracefully upon her lavish throne in her castle. Her violent eyes looked back at them in warning. Quistis scowled back at her. 'You're dead now, we killed you. Try and stop us now.' She thought looking at the painting.
"Seifer, I can sense him, he must be in there." She pressed her face to the glass peering through it. She saw beings set into a semi circle, twenty of them, maybe more. In the middle, lay two lone figures, placed next to each other, surrounded in a blue aura. 'Oh Hyne.' "Seifer's in there, I can see him. We must get in. Stand back, I'll summon Quezacotl to break the glass and hopefully loosen the defence down there too." Squall and Zell both nodded acknowledgement and backed away. Quistis stood in her familiar stance, ready for another summoning.
~*~
Meanwhile…
The electric bird had continued to dive toward the floor of the temple, leaving a constant pulse of electricity around it. It killed all in its path, splintering the walls and making pillars and statues crumble to powder. When he was satisfied, he swerved gracefully, and perched on a high ledge, overlooking the outcome.
Meanwhile, Seifer lay in a heap, breathing shallow with his focus on nothing besides what lay in his line of vision. He felt hollow, yet relieved that the pain of having his soul, his strength, torn from his body in slow motion, had finally ended. He felt a different power during it though. Something had made sense, and he felt it surface when his soul was being taken apart. It arose from the very depths and it clicked in him somehow like a decade old equation that had just been solved. He had found part of his power. 'Could it of enabled me to contact Quistis? But how, I've learnt nothing about telepathy. Yet it didn't feel new to me. Almost routine, easy…but why Quistis? Was there some kind of special connection?' He pondered. It wasn't that long ago when I saw her trying to take her own life. Her discontent face when she awoke the next morning. The words she said to him during that stupid argument that stung him like nettles. When he walked out on her. He remembered being happy to leave that room and not to see her, but what he wouldn't give to see her now. In fact, that would be the only way to make him satisfied. To be able to see the emotions in her eyes, her presence, even her smell. Then he'd feel safe. Only then and only her. 'Hyne I'm so tired,' he thought. Taking another shallow breath, he closed his heavy eyes and all was black.
~*~
The three SeeDs descended to the ground, gripping onto Quezacotl's back. He had done a good job with all beings on sight dead, except a few that were still twitching because of the electrical current.
Without any other care, Quistis ran over to the lifeless form of Seifer Almasy. Even before she got there she feared he was dead, and when she was kneeling over him she was somehow convinced. Unwanted tears began to trickle down her face in a steady flow down her face onto his chin. He reached a hand to his face and stroked his cheek, running it gently under his chin to wipe away her own tears. "I…I'm sorry, I failed you again."
A short breath left his mouth at her touch. Opening his eyes, although blurred a little, he saw Quistis hunched over him, weeping, her eyes closed, with a sombre expression on her beautiful face. Just looking at her, made a great surge of emotion pass rush through him and it crashed over him in waves. Two tears formed in either eye, and proceeded to slide down his face in a symmetrical pattern until they disappeared into his hair. For the first time since early childhood, Seifer cried freely. 'She's here, she really is. She came to rescue me, my knight. I'm safe now.' He thought happily. If he had the strength, he would have sat up and kissed her, held her in his arms and just keep that moment as long as possible. But he couldn't even smile. "Quistis." He croaked, almost inaudible. Her eyes shot open and their tear glazed eyes met in a gripping stare. She smiled down at him and wiped her eyes with her dusty sleeve. "I really thought you were dead. Don't ever do that to me again." She said. Sitting up, she hovered both hands over his chest, "curaga," she chanted. The white and blue magic spread over Seifer's body and glowed as if he were covered in a mass of fireflies. "Do you feel any better." She said, helping him up in to a sitting position. "Yeah just a bit. Thanks." She looked directly at her, and smiled genuinely.
Both Zell and Squall looked on at the spectacle. Zell with amusement, and Squall with a small understanding. He had nearly lost Rinoa so many times, and he knew the welcome feeling of relief that they were surely experiencing. 'I think they care about each other a little more than they realise themselves.' He thought.
"Quistis, that woman, she has my strength. In that damn crystal." She looked at him in confusion. "What woman?" She questioned. Seifer pointed over to a figure lying on the ground. She was on her side in a rather uncomfortable angle, with her black hair spilled over her face and pooled around her like treacle. "Ultimecia's daughter, Lanea." She looked at him in surprise. 'But how did she get into this time? Ultimecia, she lived in the future and used Edea as- oh of course, this is her host.' "This woman needs to get to Esthar quickly, to Dr. Odine."
Seifer stiffened "Why the hell for? She needs to be killed, not contained in some science lab for crying out loud." He exclaimed.
"I can see why you feel that way, but really this woman is innocent. It isn't actually Lanea. It is just her mind that has been possessed, not her body. Lanea has used her physical body as a bridge to this time, like Ultimecia did to Edea, and you Seifer." She knew it was a mistake the moment it came out of her mouth. She could see the frown in his face and the malice in his eyes as her very existence was mentioned.
"…I see." He said, his voice emotionless. "I'm sorry, that was unnecessary."
"No, it's okay. I just need the crystal. It should still be in her hand." Quistis rushed over to the woman and kneeled over her. There were two crystals enclosed tightly in her hand, and Quistis had to prise it away. 'Why is there two?' Lanea stirred and Quistis shot up abruptly. "Sleep." The simple status magic worked on her and any sound or movement was now erased. She was sound asleep again.
"Hey, guys, come here." Called Zell, how was waving his hands around from his position behind a fallen pillar. The three rushed over to him, Seifer being a little slower, still feeling weak. Quistis noticed, and went to steady him. He nodded in thanks. "She out's out cold, and taken a pretty big beating, but she's alive." Squall sat next to Zell and checked her wounds, seeing a red stain on her side. "There's a pretty big cut on her left side. It's deep so magic won't fully heal it but it should buy us some time." Squall held his hands just above her, and cast a full-life spell. The glittering magic took affect almost immediently and she seemed to have a little more life in her. She inhaled a large gulp of air, and opened her eyes gingerly. "What the-?" Seifer crouched by her side, taking her hand in his. "It's okay Felicity, you're safe now." Quistis felt a pang of jealousy toward this woman, Felicity or whoever she was. Seifer was being affectionate toward her and it annoyed her for some reason. She pouted unconsciously. "…You know her Seifer?" She asked. He looked up and smirked. "She's my sister. Don't even think about asking me about it, it's all too new to me, and it'll take time for me to even understand. It's a long story." She opened her mouth in a silent 'oh' feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Seriously, this place I creeping me out man, lets leave." Zell said, an uneasy tone in his voice. "Definitely agreed chicken-wuss. I think that's the most intelligent thing I've ever heard you say." The tint of sarcasm in Seifer's voice has re-emerged and for once, Quistis was happy to hear it. It brought a sense of normality into the situation. "Yes, lets go, we don't have long until others come. We'll get Selphie to bomb this place, I don't want to know about it again."
With Zell and Seifer supporting a dazed Felicity, Squall had picked up the sleeping Lanea. As quickly as they could, they traced the route back outside, where Selphie was waiting for them impatiently in the Ragnarock.
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haHA! Yay to me! I'm so relieved I got this done. I would have uploaded it last week, but because of my STUPID COMPUTER, it had erased itself, just before I saved it and *POOF*, it was gone. I very nearly cried. God bless flapjacks, they saved me from burning down my own house in rage. And ya know what, my loser step dad banned FF.net…?????? I can unblock it but I can't log in, urgh, what a loser. Anywayz, I'm okay with this chapter, I hope you are too…REVIEW! Hee Hee…. I have some shout outs to some of you, But don't blame me if I haven't included you, I love you all!
Aloura: I hope you did read my all my fic in the end. I hope you're not bored with it yet. Hope you update yours veeeerrrryyy soon, k?
Alonia: Well, I hope you didn't mind me using your stuff, I did give credit to your name I assure you. I used a couple of your poems from 'Twisted~Butterfly.' 'This shroud' and 'garbage.' I had to look for a modern author, looking at how you portray human emotion using language and other boring english terms. My teacher was quite impressed I have to say. Praise goes to you though, you're a great writer. Ohh and I registered to your messageboard. I'm on as my fff.net pen name and I'll be on there soon I hope, as sometimes it doesn't let me in.
Angelus: Alternate forms…mmmm, good idea that is. I was thinking of 'Devil may cry' at the time actually, but I'll have to get some feed back on what form he could take. Dante rules…but don't mention those damn witched with scissors, EEEK!
Kiana Kyoka: I may add a bit of Quall in there. Maybe as a scandal, not major romance, leave that to the Seiftis part. But that was my primary idea.
Dark fire angel: Hey, where is your fic? Are you re editing it? Hope so cause I was starting to like it. L
…Who else? I don't actually know. I can't log in. I promise to mention you next time k? Thanx a lot everyone. J
One last thing, please read and review a fic by 'Sumeragi Kousei,' called 'Elemancer.' She is a good friend of mine, and this is her first fic. And I'm not being biased when I say that it's good cos it really is, she's a good writer even if she thinks she isn't. I'm trying to get her to put Seiftis in there too. J
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