Chapter 13 The Red Carpet Unrolled
Rinoa looked up to see the familiar peaks of Mordred Plains looming before her. Cody had been carrying her for almost three days, occasionally stopping to eat and sleep. He seemed totally oblivious to the fact that he did not have the slightest inkling of what they were going to do at Eshtar.
"Cody?"
"Yes?"
"We're in Mordred Plains," She said blankly. In three days, they had traversed almost half of Trabia, avoiding the Shumi Village and Trabia Garden... and not once did she see Cody complain. She must really be light.
"I imagine so," He said lightly. "that means we'll reach Eshtar soon."
Rinoa sighed. She noticed something else Cody didn't - "Cody, I think it's gonna rain."
Cody frowned and looked at the sky. "What do you mean? Mordred Plains don't have - " His words were cut short by a mild shower. His expression was priceless. Rinoa erupted into a giggle. "Now... better find us some shelter, come on!" She playfully pulled his hair. "Gee-up!"
"Women..." He muttered as he ran for shelter. Luckily he found a small cave at the foot of the mountains, and thankfully deserted. Rinoa couldn't stand it if they had to sleep in an occupied cave, like the last Snow Lion den; it stank to the heavens!
Cody set her down and began to light fire, but unfortunately there was nothing to light it with. And it was beginning to pour outside. Rinoa shivered as she watched Cody scrounge around the cave. It was small, but big enough to be roomy. Actually she had recovered enough to walk on her own, but she didn't tell Cody that, and he didn't seem to mind carrying her, she thought gleefully. She never could boss Squall around - he won't pamper her if he could help it. She sobered when she thought of him.. How long has it been since she last saw him? What is he doing now? She mentally kicked herself for asking. He's not the kind of man who'd sit around knowing his friends are in danger! She had seen the Ragnarok a few times, but it had been too far, and Cody had kept them well hidden. Even Selphie's magnificent piloting skills couldn't match his stealth.
She leaned back against the rocky wall and pulled Cody's coat tighter around her body. After the freezing climate of Trabia, she had come to appreciate the pleasure of warmth.
"Guess we'll have to make do without a fire tonight, Rinoa." Cody said reluctantly. Rinoa just nodded. She was so sleepy... but still she couldn't help wonder at his strength - he'd been carrying her all day and still, he will keep watch over her. Is it Tiamat's will?
"You should sleep too," she reproached carefully. Cody simply smiled. "No.. you're the one who needs to rest. You're still weak."
His comment made her go red. "Um... Cody?"
"Yes."
"I... I can walk, you know. You don't have to carry me any more."
A laugh. "It doesn't matter. I was afraid if you were going to collapse... then it would be worse."
So he knew. Yet he still carried her. What else has he hidden from her?
"I promised to keep you safe." He said quietly after a moment. "So I'm going to do just that."
She shifted uncomfortably. She needed to change the subject, fast. "What does it feel like to have a GF in your mind?"
He gave her a surprised look. "Don't tell me you don't know? Then how did you defeat the Sorceress without a GF?"
She blushed deeply. "I told you... my presence there didn't mean a thing... It was Squall and Quistis who fought hard. I was knocked out when I tried to help - I'm just not strong enough." Her voice trailed off as tears began to blur her vision. "I was a hindrance..."
A snort, and then Cody hugged her. "You were of more help than you thought you were." He announced dramatically. He grinned at her stunned face. "I was a cadet at Balamb Garden up till the moment Ultimecia was defeated, and I overheard some things." He grinned and stretched his legs. "You weren't much help physically, sure, but... think of what might have happened if you weren't there to give the Commander strength. It was his desire to save you that made him strong enough to defeat the Sorceress."
She blinked at him. She had heard how determined he was when she was possessed... and he himself had said how much she meant to him. But... "Things changed, Cody." She said at last. He gave her an odd look. "What's that?"
She dug in the dirt with the point of her boot. "He's a Commander... he's got a lot of responsibilities. I know that..."
"So you're lacking attention." He nodded sagely. Rinoa tried to shake her head. That wasn't it. He never abandoned her, but there was something... something she couldn't grasp. Her relationship with Squall had gone for a whopping three years up to date, but... in all those three years, she could sense that something was not right. It wasn't that he overprotected her - maybe that was it, but he had always been a caring, sensitive man who wouldn't do a thing to make her mad.
"Guess the female mind works in strange ways," Cody sighed. "Look here, I can't interfere in whatever you and the Commander - "
"No." Her voice was low, so sad that it made him stop. "I'm sorry, Cody, I'm just tired." She turned around the other way and listened as Cody settled down next to her.
Seifer clutched the bottle of Gyashal Scotch as he leaned over the railing of the second floor observatory deck. The combination of the Scotch and the water rushing by was making his head spin. He peered intently at the water, making out the shining rings that whirred below the surface. He was feeling decidedly sick. "Dammed..."
It was nearly midnight and he was tired after a long training session. Unable to find any source of entertainment on a mobile Garden, he had retreated to the observatory deck with a drink, hoping to drown in obviation. But just after a bottle? This was ridiculous!
He turned his back to the railing and was about to stagger back inside when a wave of dizziness hit him. He fell to his knees and clutched his head as the world exploded in a myriad of color. "I'm drunk already...?" he groaned, trying desperately to assimilate his surroundings. He dimly heard the bottle roll... and then came another wave, this time drowning him in a sense of peacefulness...
Find her...
Another part of his mind awoke. No!
Always resisting aren't you, Knight? Find her! The voice was becoming harsh, but Seifer wouldn't give in. it was instinct - something born out of living in danger all this while. I'm not listening to you!
Very well... you're only making this harder for yourself... Seifer cried out as the searing hot pain shot through his body, and then all went black.
Irvine yawned as he opened the door of Zell's room. It was midnight, and he had just finished a session of movie marathons with the martial artist. It was very tiring. He carefully shut the door behind him, making sure not to wake the snoring blonde. As her trudged back to his room, he saw a strange sight.
Seifer was walking towards him - or at least he thought it was Seifer. He was walking with mechanical, jerky movements, like he was some marionette being controlled by an unseen puppeteer. His gaze was slacked and unfocused, but as he neared, Irvine detected a faint smell of alcohol. "Hyne, Seifer, have you been drinking?" Irvine asked amusedly as he touched the blonde's shoulder. Seifer's reaction was spontaneous, and totally unexpected. He lunged out and swung his Hyperion at the cowboy, who only managed to evade in time so the tip of the blade caught his hat, sending it flying. "Whoa!!!"
He crouched, tense, bewildered. "Seifer?!" What a bad time, to be caught without a weapon!
"Quistis..." Seifer was muttering. He had turned and was walking again, this time heading to Quistis' room. The Six were all housed in the same corridor, and Quistis' room was about two doors away, while Irvine's was further down... "Seifer!" Irvine yelled, leapt and tacked the man to the ground, but Seifer was far stronger. Irvine was slammed to the wall of Zell's room, yelling in pain. In an instant Zell had flew outside, still wearing his boxers and looking hell irritated. "What in frickin' - " He couldn't finish because he saw that what Seifer was carrying. "Shit!" He ducked as Seifer swung the Hyperion, running a deep gouge on the wall across his doorway, right at the level where his nect was just a moment ago. "Where the hell are the others?!"
"Sleep!" A voice cried and Seifer was hit with the Sleep spell, but he seemed immune. Selphie cried out in frustration and lunged out with her Strange Vision, but was deftly twisted aside. "Out-of-my-way..." He slurred, and then stopped, face scrunched in pain. With a groan he dropped Hyperion and sank to the floor, convulsed in pain. "No... No - I can't - "
"What's going on here?!" Quistis' sharp voice snapped suddenly, and there she stood, Save the Queen unfurled. "Seifer?!"
Seifer heard her voice and looked up from his position, and instantly his expression changed. His eyes became glazed once more and with a speed that surprised everybody, grabbed Hyperion and lunged for Quistis, who dodged just in time. 'Esh-tar..." He mumbled, seemingly crazy as he continued to swing at her. Quistis winced as she avoided a narrow one - her body was still not ready for combat. Selphie and Zell were attacking for all's worth, but it seemed futile. Quistis was caught unguarded and screamed as the blade tore into her arm as a torrent of blood gushed through. "Quistis!" Selphie screamed and hurriedly threw her a Curaga spell. "Oh Hyne, Oh Hyne... where's Squall?!" She screeched, jumping up and down.
"Don't hurt him!" Quistis managed to cry out despite the haze of pain. "He's... not himself!"
"Well duh." Zell snorted. "How the hell do we get him out of it?!"
As if an answer to his question, Seifer doubled up, screaming in pain. "No! Leave me alone!!!" As if possessed with maniac energy, he suddenly gripped the blade and slashed himself across the chest.
Everything seemed to happen at once. Zell shouted in panic, Selphie was torn between Irvine and Seifer, and Quistis was leaning against the wall, her clothes totally soaked in blood. Great. I should have made a blood donation bank with the amount I've been shedding... She cast Recover on herself, lessening the pain. But the wound remained open and blood continued to trickle...
Zell had rushed inside his room and Quistis heard him yell to someone - his transmitter probably, she thought weakly.
That's what happens when people disobey my commands...
Quistis jerked up. Thorpe? "Where are you?!" She cried out as loud as she could, only to hear a chuckle in reply. Only you can hear me... Edea's powers are good...
What have you done to her?! Quistis felt the anger bubble up in her, and she concentrated on directing the anger to her unseen aggravator so he knew she was angry.
She consented... Thorpe said calmly. Listen to the Knight, Quistis... come to Eshtar.
There you will find all the answers you're looking for...
"Seifer!"
"Omigosh.. Squall, Quistis' hurt real bad...!" Selphie squeaked, but Squall did not listen. He bent down and examined Seifer. "Dr. Kadowaki can't treat this. Selphie, take him to the nearest hospital. Step on it!"
Quistis struggled to keep herself awake. Her vision was becoming awfully dim, but her mind was still clear. Eshtar... that's where Rinoa is headed. That's where Matron is...
That's where I have to go.
What does he still want from me? My powers? Why endanger everyone around me? Is he afraid I would decline?
A refreshing feeling seeped through from her wound, and she opened her eyes a bit. Squall was crouched next to her, doing a Curaga spell. "The wound is bad, but it'll heal in time," he said quietly. "You need to rest."
"That must be the umpteenth time you said that to me," She groaned. "Am I really this weak?"
"Quisty, you okay?" Zell was looking over Squall's shoulder. She smiled at the anxious blonde. "I'm alright... help me up, will you?" She grinned at Zell, who came over to her other side and helped her up. "I'll stand guard outside your door," Zell promised as he helped her to her room. Squall was shaking the cowboy awake, and Irvine was irritated of the events that had just happened, not to mention the nice slash in his hat.
Quistis sat on the bed, examining the wound. Squall was right; she had been hit by worse, but it hurt because she was hit by someone she had trusted... and it hurt more because she knew it wasn't his fault, and he's in pain because of it.
How many more must get hurt before this ends?
She lay back on the covers and stared at the ceiling. Eshtar...
Edea sat in the glass cylinder, feeling her head throb. She had seen what Thorpe did to Seifer... he was a strange and dangerous man. She had felt her heart break when she saw Seifer resisting, and then attempting to kill himself to rid Vincent from his mind. And what did the monster think? Nothing!
"You're truly cold-hearted," She said icily. "Why don't you just request her to come? She would have complied without going through all this trouble."
Vincent looked at her amusedly. "Trouble? Not at all, Sorceress. This is necessary. You see, I have suffered... all these years. Suffered the rejection of having an incomplete research. People scoffed my work, Sorceress. They said it has been a failure, and I should just go back home and pick the beans." His eyes took on a deadly gleam. "I bid my time, waiting, waiting for the perfect moment to reclaim what is mine. And I'm not going to let her get away so easily! Not after what she has done to me. She's mine!" He roared, and in that instant, Edea blanched, because she felt the pressure building in him.
"I'll have her here, on her knees, begging for me to be her master." He said softly. "I can make or break you, Quistis Trepe..."
A soldier entered the laboratory. "Sorceress Rinoa has been sighted, Mr. Thorpe."
"Good." He said curtly. "Bring her here, and the dispose of the escort."
"Yes sir."
Edea's heart skipped a beat. Rinoa? "What do you want with her?!"
"I thought I had made my mission quite clear." He tapped his foot impatiently. He gestured to an empty cylinder next to the one Edea was imprisoned in. "Once the other Sorceress gets here, we will wait for Quistis to come. Or... shall I say, Subject Number Seven? She will be one again once the transfer is complete."
Realization dawned on her. "You're going to transfer our powers to her? But she's a normal human! She won't be able to withstand the power!"
"Honestly, you can be so dense." Vincent rolled his eyes. "Oh well, since you do not know. She is my project, my research. I know what she can and cannot do, Sorceress."
Edea grit her teeth. "And what are you going to do? Use her power to destroy the world? World domination? Be a single monarch?"
"Interesting prospect, but no. I have no desire to rule... I only want what is mine. Why do you think we're in Eshtar, Sorceress? In Odine's Laboratory at that. I'm working for Eshtar now. Quistis will be a one man army. Or shall I say a one-woman army?"
He's just as crazy as Odine, Edea thought. They care nothing else but their research. But who's the benefactor? It can't be Laguna. Laguna's with them at Balamb Garden... then it must be someone else.
General Caraway looked around his mansion. It was so silent... so dismal since Rinoa deserted him. How many years has it been? First he had lost Julia, and then, his daughter left him to rebel, and follow that SeeD boy.
He scowled. Squall Leonhart. He knew who he was, that child of Laguna Loire. In the last moments of her life, Julia had confessed something, and till today, it hurt. Up to the last moments of her life, she had loved only one man. What did he mean to her then? Shelter? A good life? What did Rinoa mean, if she wasn't a child of love? He sometimes felt guilty of treating her so harshly, but every time he looked at her, so like her mother, he was consumed with a bitterness that threatened his very core.
He sighed. Wheyern Rye's plan was beautiful... who would ever suspect two small countries to revolt and overthrow the great forces of the world? And that the plan involved one of the greatest living GFs... and one of the Six themselves. It was beautiful. He could see no wrong in it. He would finally be able to crush Eshtar, and Laguna with it. The thought gave him some satisfaction.
Selphie paced uncomfortably. What Squall told her was truly bizarre. Quistis, an experiment? Even Irvine was having a hard time to swallow it. Who would have thought it was possible? But considering her astonishing powers, it might be true, and since none of them remembered anything before coming to the orphanage, that's probably the story of her life.
"Seffie, will you stop pacing? She might hear you." Irvine hissed, his eyes focused on the small window that opened to the haul. Selphie ignored him and continued to pace, feeling agitated.
Squall sat in one of the chairs, thinking deeply. Zell was sleeping - snoring; sprawled on two seats.
They were in the lounge of the Ragnarok, in the darkness, waiting. Squall had predicted that Quistis would try to sneak to Eshtar using the Ragnarok, and no matter what the others thought, he was sure that was her intention. Besides, Rinoa was heading there, why not hitch a ride?
"She's coming!" Irvine ducked and Selphie froze as they heard her familiar boots clicking on the metal floor. It was softer, and more cautious, like she was not sure. But the elevator to the bridge buzzed, and they knew she was up there. "Bingo!"
"We wait." Squall sighed and closed his eyes as the familiar drone of the engines drowned out all sound.
"We made it," Cody sighed as they boarded the elevator to Inner Eshtar. He was pleased that there weren't too many monsters that blocked their path. Rinoa's heart sank. Now that they're here, what's going to happen? She wondered if she could sneak to the Presidential Palace - she could find help there.
"Sorceress Rinoa?"
The voice made her jump. Cody turned around and saw an elderly man, dressed in a white lab coat and a small platoon of Eshtar soldiers lining up behind them. "Please come this way."
Cody gently let her down from his back and motioned for her to follow the man. But the old man held him back. "You're not following her." Abruptly he stopped and nodded to Rinoa. "Go ahead."
"Cody!" She grew desperate. She could tell this was not a good sign. So this was the man that can control Cody? A wild idea struck her and she suddenly screamed as one soldier grabbed her wrists. "He's hurting me!!"
Cody's eyes grew hard. "Let her go."
So the original directive was still working. Rinoa mentally jumped in triumph. "Cody, these men are going to kill me!!!"
"Shut up, you stupid girl!" The elder man roared and slapped her face. That did it.
"Tiamat!!!"
The GF burst forward in a rush of wind, knocking everybody to the ground. 'Rinoa!" he held out his hand and Rinoa caught it as they sprinted in the opposite direction. "The Presidential Palace," She gasped. "We can hide there!"
Already there was a commotion and Rinoa caught sight of Eshtar soldiers coming their way. This is gonna be hard.
They ran down one of the many skyways that crisscrossed the city and soon came to the front of the palace. "The elevator!" They knocked aside the guard and jumped on it. The elevator instantly moved through the tunnel leading into the palace. At the end of the tunnel, they jumped off the elevator and nearly knocked down a pompous looking man. 'Who are you?!" He exclaimed. Rinoa clutched his hand. "Please, I need to see the President."
"The president is not here." He said crisply. "I must ask you to leave..." then his eyes widened in recognition. "Sorceress Rinoa?!"
"Yes, is Kiros or Ward here?"
"Er... yes, I'll take you right away!" He stammered and walked down the corridor, into a room. "Please wait here."
"We can't wait, we're in a hurry!" Cody growled. Bu the man shook his head. "They are very important people! You must wait here." He left and shut the door. And Rinoa heard a distinct 'beep'. Her heart stopped. "Oh no..." She ran to the door, but it won't budge. "We're trapped!"
Kiros looked up from his paperwork and frowned at the platoon of soldiers running round the city. He impatiently pressed the intercom. "Guard!"
The Head of Guard's face came on the screen. 'Yes, Minister!"
"What's all this racket going on?!"
"My apologies, Minister! There is a bandit running loose and I have employed a full platoon to capture him."
"Well make it fast. The citizens will be worried if you keep it up." He snapped and switched the intercom off. He looked at Ward, who was playing online cards. "Such a lot of noise for one bandit, don't you think so?"
"...."
"Yes... Makes me think differently... maybe it's just the age, eh friend?"
Read and Review please, everyone! What should happen next?
Rinoa looked up to see the familiar peaks of Mordred Plains looming before her. Cody had been carrying her for almost three days, occasionally stopping to eat and sleep. He seemed totally oblivious to the fact that he did not have the slightest inkling of what they were going to do at Eshtar.
"Cody?"
"Yes?"
"We're in Mordred Plains," She said blankly. In three days, they had traversed almost half of Trabia, avoiding the Shumi Village and Trabia Garden... and not once did she see Cody complain. She must really be light.
"I imagine so," He said lightly. "that means we'll reach Eshtar soon."
Rinoa sighed. She noticed something else Cody didn't - "Cody, I think it's gonna rain."
Cody frowned and looked at the sky. "What do you mean? Mordred Plains don't have - " His words were cut short by a mild shower. His expression was priceless. Rinoa erupted into a giggle. "Now... better find us some shelter, come on!" She playfully pulled his hair. "Gee-up!"
"Women..." He muttered as he ran for shelter. Luckily he found a small cave at the foot of the mountains, and thankfully deserted. Rinoa couldn't stand it if they had to sleep in an occupied cave, like the last Snow Lion den; it stank to the heavens!
Cody set her down and began to light fire, but unfortunately there was nothing to light it with. And it was beginning to pour outside. Rinoa shivered as she watched Cody scrounge around the cave. It was small, but big enough to be roomy. Actually she had recovered enough to walk on her own, but she didn't tell Cody that, and he didn't seem to mind carrying her, she thought gleefully. She never could boss Squall around - he won't pamper her if he could help it. She sobered when she thought of him.. How long has it been since she last saw him? What is he doing now? She mentally kicked herself for asking. He's not the kind of man who'd sit around knowing his friends are in danger! She had seen the Ragnarok a few times, but it had been too far, and Cody had kept them well hidden. Even Selphie's magnificent piloting skills couldn't match his stealth.
She leaned back against the rocky wall and pulled Cody's coat tighter around her body. After the freezing climate of Trabia, she had come to appreciate the pleasure of warmth.
"Guess we'll have to make do without a fire tonight, Rinoa." Cody said reluctantly. Rinoa just nodded. She was so sleepy... but still she couldn't help wonder at his strength - he'd been carrying her all day and still, he will keep watch over her. Is it Tiamat's will?
"You should sleep too," she reproached carefully. Cody simply smiled. "No.. you're the one who needs to rest. You're still weak."
His comment made her go red. "Um... Cody?"
"Yes."
"I... I can walk, you know. You don't have to carry me any more."
A laugh. "It doesn't matter. I was afraid if you were going to collapse... then it would be worse."
So he knew. Yet he still carried her. What else has he hidden from her?
"I promised to keep you safe." He said quietly after a moment. "So I'm going to do just that."
She shifted uncomfortably. She needed to change the subject, fast. "What does it feel like to have a GF in your mind?"
He gave her a surprised look. "Don't tell me you don't know? Then how did you defeat the Sorceress without a GF?"
She blushed deeply. "I told you... my presence there didn't mean a thing... It was Squall and Quistis who fought hard. I was knocked out when I tried to help - I'm just not strong enough." Her voice trailed off as tears began to blur her vision. "I was a hindrance..."
A snort, and then Cody hugged her. "You were of more help than you thought you were." He announced dramatically. He grinned at her stunned face. "I was a cadet at Balamb Garden up till the moment Ultimecia was defeated, and I overheard some things." He grinned and stretched his legs. "You weren't much help physically, sure, but... think of what might have happened if you weren't there to give the Commander strength. It was his desire to save you that made him strong enough to defeat the Sorceress."
She blinked at him. She had heard how determined he was when she was possessed... and he himself had said how much she meant to him. But... "Things changed, Cody." She said at last. He gave her an odd look. "What's that?"
She dug in the dirt with the point of her boot. "He's a Commander... he's got a lot of responsibilities. I know that..."
"So you're lacking attention." He nodded sagely. Rinoa tried to shake her head. That wasn't it. He never abandoned her, but there was something... something she couldn't grasp. Her relationship with Squall had gone for a whopping three years up to date, but... in all those three years, she could sense that something was not right. It wasn't that he overprotected her - maybe that was it, but he had always been a caring, sensitive man who wouldn't do a thing to make her mad.
"Guess the female mind works in strange ways," Cody sighed. "Look here, I can't interfere in whatever you and the Commander - "
"No." Her voice was low, so sad that it made him stop. "I'm sorry, Cody, I'm just tired." She turned around the other way and listened as Cody settled down next to her.
Seifer clutched the bottle of Gyashal Scotch as he leaned over the railing of the second floor observatory deck. The combination of the Scotch and the water rushing by was making his head spin. He peered intently at the water, making out the shining rings that whirred below the surface. He was feeling decidedly sick. "Dammed..."
It was nearly midnight and he was tired after a long training session. Unable to find any source of entertainment on a mobile Garden, he had retreated to the observatory deck with a drink, hoping to drown in obviation. But just after a bottle? This was ridiculous!
He turned his back to the railing and was about to stagger back inside when a wave of dizziness hit him. He fell to his knees and clutched his head as the world exploded in a myriad of color. "I'm drunk already...?" he groaned, trying desperately to assimilate his surroundings. He dimly heard the bottle roll... and then came another wave, this time drowning him in a sense of peacefulness...
Find her...
Another part of his mind awoke. No!
Always resisting aren't you, Knight? Find her! The voice was becoming harsh, but Seifer wouldn't give in. it was instinct - something born out of living in danger all this while. I'm not listening to you!
Very well... you're only making this harder for yourself... Seifer cried out as the searing hot pain shot through his body, and then all went black.
Irvine yawned as he opened the door of Zell's room. It was midnight, and he had just finished a session of movie marathons with the martial artist. It was very tiring. He carefully shut the door behind him, making sure not to wake the snoring blonde. As her trudged back to his room, he saw a strange sight.
Seifer was walking towards him - or at least he thought it was Seifer. He was walking with mechanical, jerky movements, like he was some marionette being controlled by an unseen puppeteer. His gaze was slacked and unfocused, but as he neared, Irvine detected a faint smell of alcohol. "Hyne, Seifer, have you been drinking?" Irvine asked amusedly as he touched the blonde's shoulder. Seifer's reaction was spontaneous, and totally unexpected. He lunged out and swung his Hyperion at the cowboy, who only managed to evade in time so the tip of the blade caught his hat, sending it flying. "Whoa!!!"
He crouched, tense, bewildered. "Seifer?!" What a bad time, to be caught without a weapon!
"Quistis..." Seifer was muttering. He had turned and was walking again, this time heading to Quistis' room. The Six were all housed in the same corridor, and Quistis' room was about two doors away, while Irvine's was further down... "Seifer!" Irvine yelled, leapt and tacked the man to the ground, but Seifer was far stronger. Irvine was slammed to the wall of Zell's room, yelling in pain. In an instant Zell had flew outside, still wearing his boxers and looking hell irritated. "What in frickin' - " He couldn't finish because he saw that what Seifer was carrying. "Shit!" He ducked as Seifer swung the Hyperion, running a deep gouge on the wall across his doorway, right at the level where his nect was just a moment ago. "Where the hell are the others?!"
"Sleep!" A voice cried and Seifer was hit with the Sleep spell, but he seemed immune. Selphie cried out in frustration and lunged out with her Strange Vision, but was deftly twisted aside. "Out-of-my-way..." He slurred, and then stopped, face scrunched in pain. With a groan he dropped Hyperion and sank to the floor, convulsed in pain. "No... No - I can't - "
"What's going on here?!" Quistis' sharp voice snapped suddenly, and there she stood, Save the Queen unfurled. "Seifer?!"
Seifer heard her voice and looked up from his position, and instantly his expression changed. His eyes became glazed once more and with a speed that surprised everybody, grabbed Hyperion and lunged for Quistis, who dodged just in time. 'Esh-tar..." He mumbled, seemingly crazy as he continued to swing at her. Quistis winced as she avoided a narrow one - her body was still not ready for combat. Selphie and Zell were attacking for all's worth, but it seemed futile. Quistis was caught unguarded and screamed as the blade tore into her arm as a torrent of blood gushed through. "Quistis!" Selphie screamed and hurriedly threw her a Curaga spell. "Oh Hyne, Oh Hyne... where's Squall?!" She screeched, jumping up and down.
"Don't hurt him!" Quistis managed to cry out despite the haze of pain. "He's... not himself!"
"Well duh." Zell snorted. "How the hell do we get him out of it?!"
As if an answer to his question, Seifer doubled up, screaming in pain. "No! Leave me alone!!!" As if possessed with maniac energy, he suddenly gripped the blade and slashed himself across the chest.
Everything seemed to happen at once. Zell shouted in panic, Selphie was torn between Irvine and Seifer, and Quistis was leaning against the wall, her clothes totally soaked in blood. Great. I should have made a blood donation bank with the amount I've been shedding... She cast Recover on herself, lessening the pain. But the wound remained open and blood continued to trickle...
Zell had rushed inside his room and Quistis heard him yell to someone - his transmitter probably, she thought weakly.
That's what happens when people disobey my commands...
Quistis jerked up. Thorpe? "Where are you?!" She cried out as loud as she could, only to hear a chuckle in reply. Only you can hear me... Edea's powers are good...
What have you done to her?! Quistis felt the anger bubble up in her, and she concentrated on directing the anger to her unseen aggravator so he knew she was angry.
She consented... Thorpe said calmly. Listen to the Knight, Quistis... come to Eshtar.
There you will find all the answers you're looking for...
"Seifer!"
"Omigosh.. Squall, Quistis' hurt real bad...!" Selphie squeaked, but Squall did not listen. He bent down and examined Seifer. "Dr. Kadowaki can't treat this. Selphie, take him to the nearest hospital. Step on it!"
Quistis struggled to keep herself awake. Her vision was becoming awfully dim, but her mind was still clear. Eshtar... that's where Rinoa is headed. That's where Matron is...
That's where I have to go.
What does he still want from me? My powers? Why endanger everyone around me? Is he afraid I would decline?
A refreshing feeling seeped through from her wound, and she opened her eyes a bit. Squall was crouched next to her, doing a Curaga spell. "The wound is bad, but it'll heal in time," he said quietly. "You need to rest."
"That must be the umpteenth time you said that to me," She groaned. "Am I really this weak?"
"Quisty, you okay?" Zell was looking over Squall's shoulder. She smiled at the anxious blonde. "I'm alright... help me up, will you?" She grinned at Zell, who came over to her other side and helped her up. "I'll stand guard outside your door," Zell promised as he helped her to her room. Squall was shaking the cowboy awake, and Irvine was irritated of the events that had just happened, not to mention the nice slash in his hat.
Quistis sat on the bed, examining the wound. Squall was right; she had been hit by worse, but it hurt because she was hit by someone she had trusted... and it hurt more because she knew it wasn't his fault, and he's in pain because of it.
How many more must get hurt before this ends?
She lay back on the covers and stared at the ceiling. Eshtar...
Edea sat in the glass cylinder, feeling her head throb. She had seen what Thorpe did to Seifer... he was a strange and dangerous man. She had felt her heart break when she saw Seifer resisting, and then attempting to kill himself to rid Vincent from his mind. And what did the monster think? Nothing!
"You're truly cold-hearted," She said icily. "Why don't you just request her to come? She would have complied without going through all this trouble."
Vincent looked at her amusedly. "Trouble? Not at all, Sorceress. This is necessary. You see, I have suffered... all these years. Suffered the rejection of having an incomplete research. People scoffed my work, Sorceress. They said it has been a failure, and I should just go back home and pick the beans." His eyes took on a deadly gleam. "I bid my time, waiting, waiting for the perfect moment to reclaim what is mine. And I'm not going to let her get away so easily! Not after what she has done to me. She's mine!" He roared, and in that instant, Edea blanched, because she felt the pressure building in him.
"I'll have her here, on her knees, begging for me to be her master." He said softly. "I can make or break you, Quistis Trepe..."
A soldier entered the laboratory. "Sorceress Rinoa has been sighted, Mr. Thorpe."
"Good." He said curtly. "Bring her here, and the dispose of the escort."
"Yes sir."
Edea's heart skipped a beat. Rinoa? "What do you want with her?!"
"I thought I had made my mission quite clear." He tapped his foot impatiently. He gestured to an empty cylinder next to the one Edea was imprisoned in. "Once the other Sorceress gets here, we will wait for Quistis to come. Or... shall I say, Subject Number Seven? She will be one again once the transfer is complete."
Realization dawned on her. "You're going to transfer our powers to her? But she's a normal human! She won't be able to withstand the power!"
"Honestly, you can be so dense." Vincent rolled his eyes. "Oh well, since you do not know. She is my project, my research. I know what she can and cannot do, Sorceress."
Edea grit her teeth. "And what are you going to do? Use her power to destroy the world? World domination? Be a single monarch?"
"Interesting prospect, but no. I have no desire to rule... I only want what is mine. Why do you think we're in Eshtar, Sorceress? In Odine's Laboratory at that. I'm working for Eshtar now. Quistis will be a one man army. Or shall I say a one-woman army?"
He's just as crazy as Odine, Edea thought. They care nothing else but their research. But who's the benefactor? It can't be Laguna. Laguna's with them at Balamb Garden... then it must be someone else.
General Caraway looked around his mansion. It was so silent... so dismal since Rinoa deserted him. How many years has it been? First he had lost Julia, and then, his daughter left him to rebel, and follow that SeeD boy.
He scowled. Squall Leonhart. He knew who he was, that child of Laguna Loire. In the last moments of her life, Julia had confessed something, and till today, it hurt. Up to the last moments of her life, she had loved only one man. What did he mean to her then? Shelter? A good life? What did Rinoa mean, if she wasn't a child of love? He sometimes felt guilty of treating her so harshly, but every time he looked at her, so like her mother, he was consumed with a bitterness that threatened his very core.
He sighed. Wheyern Rye's plan was beautiful... who would ever suspect two small countries to revolt and overthrow the great forces of the world? And that the plan involved one of the greatest living GFs... and one of the Six themselves. It was beautiful. He could see no wrong in it. He would finally be able to crush Eshtar, and Laguna with it. The thought gave him some satisfaction.
Selphie paced uncomfortably. What Squall told her was truly bizarre. Quistis, an experiment? Even Irvine was having a hard time to swallow it. Who would have thought it was possible? But considering her astonishing powers, it might be true, and since none of them remembered anything before coming to the orphanage, that's probably the story of her life.
"Seffie, will you stop pacing? She might hear you." Irvine hissed, his eyes focused on the small window that opened to the haul. Selphie ignored him and continued to pace, feeling agitated.
Squall sat in one of the chairs, thinking deeply. Zell was sleeping - snoring; sprawled on two seats.
They were in the lounge of the Ragnarok, in the darkness, waiting. Squall had predicted that Quistis would try to sneak to Eshtar using the Ragnarok, and no matter what the others thought, he was sure that was her intention. Besides, Rinoa was heading there, why not hitch a ride?
"She's coming!" Irvine ducked and Selphie froze as they heard her familiar boots clicking on the metal floor. It was softer, and more cautious, like she was not sure. But the elevator to the bridge buzzed, and they knew she was up there. "Bingo!"
"We wait." Squall sighed and closed his eyes as the familiar drone of the engines drowned out all sound.
"We made it," Cody sighed as they boarded the elevator to Inner Eshtar. He was pleased that there weren't too many monsters that blocked their path. Rinoa's heart sank. Now that they're here, what's going to happen? She wondered if she could sneak to the Presidential Palace - she could find help there.
"Sorceress Rinoa?"
The voice made her jump. Cody turned around and saw an elderly man, dressed in a white lab coat and a small platoon of Eshtar soldiers lining up behind them. "Please come this way."
Cody gently let her down from his back and motioned for her to follow the man. But the old man held him back. "You're not following her." Abruptly he stopped and nodded to Rinoa. "Go ahead."
"Cody!" She grew desperate. She could tell this was not a good sign. So this was the man that can control Cody? A wild idea struck her and she suddenly screamed as one soldier grabbed her wrists. "He's hurting me!!"
Cody's eyes grew hard. "Let her go."
So the original directive was still working. Rinoa mentally jumped in triumph. "Cody, these men are going to kill me!!!"
"Shut up, you stupid girl!" The elder man roared and slapped her face. That did it.
"Tiamat!!!"
The GF burst forward in a rush of wind, knocking everybody to the ground. 'Rinoa!" he held out his hand and Rinoa caught it as they sprinted in the opposite direction. "The Presidential Palace," She gasped. "We can hide there!"
Already there was a commotion and Rinoa caught sight of Eshtar soldiers coming their way. This is gonna be hard.
They ran down one of the many skyways that crisscrossed the city and soon came to the front of the palace. "The elevator!" They knocked aside the guard and jumped on it. The elevator instantly moved through the tunnel leading into the palace. At the end of the tunnel, they jumped off the elevator and nearly knocked down a pompous looking man. 'Who are you?!" He exclaimed. Rinoa clutched his hand. "Please, I need to see the President."
"The president is not here." He said crisply. "I must ask you to leave..." then his eyes widened in recognition. "Sorceress Rinoa?!"
"Yes, is Kiros or Ward here?"
"Er... yes, I'll take you right away!" He stammered and walked down the corridor, into a room. "Please wait here."
"We can't wait, we're in a hurry!" Cody growled. Bu the man shook his head. "They are very important people! You must wait here." He left and shut the door. And Rinoa heard a distinct 'beep'. Her heart stopped. "Oh no..." She ran to the door, but it won't budge. "We're trapped!"
Kiros looked up from his paperwork and frowned at the platoon of soldiers running round the city. He impatiently pressed the intercom. "Guard!"
The Head of Guard's face came on the screen. 'Yes, Minister!"
"What's all this racket going on?!"
"My apologies, Minister! There is a bandit running loose and I have employed a full platoon to capture him."
"Well make it fast. The citizens will be worried if you keep it up." He snapped and switched the intercom off. He looked at Ward, who was playing online cards. "Such a lot of noise for one bandit, don't you think so?"
"...."
"Yes... Makes me think differently... maybe it's just the age, eh friend?"
Read and Review please, everyone! What should happen next?