PeRFecT
Warning: This story is now rated R for violence, language and sex. All blatant.
Chapter 18
"Quistis. Quistis wake up."
It felt like the earth was shaking.
"Trepe! Get up. . ."
She was being trampled, attacked, wrenched from solace.
"Oh for Hyne's sakes. . ."
She was being. . .kicked."
"Ow!" Quistis hollered and opened her eyes. "Shit that hurt! I. . .oh. Hi Xu." Clutching her stomach, she tried to stand to address her commander, but Irvine, in his lazy stupor, refused to move his heavy arm from around her waist. Quistis smiled sheepishly. "Umm. . ."
"Wake him up." Xu offered patiently. "And I want you both to meet me at the hangar in half an hour, in full Seed/Cadet regalia and packed for the weekend. Gods, you two are lucky Martine and Caraway decided to park in the back this morning- if your relationship wasn't obvious enough before this morning, it would've been painfully evident had they used the regular highway. Now- wake up sleeping beauty and get moving. We head out at seven oh five- if you miss your ride he'll be suspended and your SeeD rank will go down three levels. I'm not kidding, this is serious. I'll see you in a half hour."
"Twenty eight minutes and fifty two seconds." Quistis groaned as Xu disappeared from earshot. She tried in vain to escape Irvine's clutches, but he simply pulled her closer and mutter a few adorable, sleepy noises.
'I hate to wake him. He looks so peaceful and handsome. I love the way dawn and dusk highlight his skin and reflect off his hair- It's so romantic. . .'
'wAkE hIm Up- yOu'Ll bE LaTE. . .'
'Would you give me a minute? Hyne. . .'
Quistis gave herself a moment of rebellious leeway and caressed Irvine's flushed cheeks. He grumbled incoherently tossed his head back and forth, unconsciously saying no to the idea of a reveille. Giggling, Quistis slid up to meet him face to face and began to lay a sheet of delicate kisses atop his morning-dewed skin. His arms constricted around her torso, pulling her tight and plane against his front. He was awake.
"Get up." She ordered, planting a rather harsh and sloppy kiss on his mouth. Groaning and laughing heartily, he shook his head and shut his eyes fiercely.
"No no no no no no no. . ."
"Yes yes yes yes. . .let go of me. You're hurting me. . ." She pushed at his chest in a vain attempt to escape his clutches. He stopped chuckling and growled.
"You're turnin' me on."
"Oh, Irvine- everything turns you on! You're such slut."
"What?" He gasped, feigning hurt. Then he resumed his laughter. "Tease."
"Asshole."
"Bitch."
"Sod."
"Hah hah- you better hope ta Hyne not!" He cackled and cracked open one eye to see her blush. The laughter died quickly as he noticed the seriousness lurking behind the mirth.
"We have to get up. We're leaving in. . .twenty seven minutes."
"We're both goin'?" Irvine asked, his dark eyebrows arching awkwardly. She nodded.
"Apparently."
"Then I don't care." He murmured and gave her a peck on the nose. "I'll bring down the whole of Esthar if it means you by my side, crackin' that dirty whip and ouch! Don't pinch!" He rubbed his chest "You bad girl. But I mean it- Give me my gun and my girl and I'll tackle the world- It's pretty simple. I'd rather kill than leave ya."
Quistis couldn't respond to that- it was one of those statements that left you drained and full up all at once. She'd never met anyone with Irvine's emotional sincerity- for someone who had never been loved, he sure knew how to love.
They made their way back to garden and gathered their essentials. They spent the time together- a handful of SeeDs and a couple 'faculty' members were the only other beings alive at this hour. They leapt in the shower (together) and ran the water on cold (much to Irvine's delight.) Like the stereotypical, adolescent lovers they should've been, they giggled as they toweled off and crawled into their uniforms Packing quickly and efficiently left them five minutes and thirty two seconds to fondle and molest each other in Quistis' apartment.
Quistis smoothed down her rumpled clothing and Irvine's tousled hair as they met the rest of faction outside the hangar.
The hummers were already loaded with the espionage and full-out, martial war essentials. Just in front of the vehicles stood Martine with his mouth contorted in mid yawn. To his left stood a tall, rather imposing looking middle-aged man, in full military uniform with slightly graying hair.
'General Caraway, I presume. . .'
To Martine's left a short, rather stout man of about Caraway's age was heavily involved in a conversation with Xu. Quistis could tell that he was slick and slippery just by the way his shoulders gracefully jerked up and down as he gestured. His hair was dark and gelled and his green suit was imported, Dolletian silk, for there was a subtle sheen drawn out from the early-morning sun. Quistis could feel a rush of fire through her esophagus.
'And that would be Vice President Deling. . .'
"Put on yer best smile, sweetheart and don't forget ta curtsey for the prince a darkness, eh?. . ." Irvine muttered, as he took both their packs and loaded them onto the vehicle.
"Shuddup, Kinneas. Get in the truck." Evana materialized beside them with an armful of weaponry. Quistis smiled at her friend.
"Are you coming too, Evana?"
"Me? Hell no- what the hell do you think this is- a donut run? Fuckin' Hyne, girl. I'm an old woman. I have no business doin' this shit anymore. I like my cushy position and the total lack of respect I'm given- heroics are for fools and young people. . .so, really, heroics are just for fools. And I like to think I've grown outta that stage of my life. I saved the world once- don't need ta do it again."
"Are you preaching again, Evana?" Martine hollered, upsetting every conversation at hand. "If so- can you preach about the sock-thing? I don't want any more hospitals calling in to complain about my SeeD's bio-hazard feet. Maybe, can you stick a couple extra pairs in there. . .so they don't have any excuses. . ."
Caraway and Deling both chuckled, amused by Martine's antics. Evana was clearly not and slapped Irvine in the chest as he began to snicker.
"Hey- he's talking about you, Chuckles." She turned on the sniper, who beamed. "That FH hospital really wasn't impressed with your hygiene- they said your socks smelled like sewage. . ."
"Well- I was tramplin' through the sewer that day. Not fer fun, mind ya- Martine made me. But boy- who-wee! Did I ever need a bath!"
"I hope you burned those boots. . ."
"What? These ones?" He asked innocently, lifting his right foot to the girl's eye level.
'Damn. He's flexible.'
"No, Kinneas. Those are new boots." Evana huffed and threw a pair of socks at him. "Don't be stupid. Xu'll kick your ass."
"Xu's coming?" Quistis piped up, a little more excited. Her powers were surging through her nervous system. "Is this a contract commissioned through Balamb?"
"Something like that. . ."Evana didn't offer much- much to Quistis' dismay. "And yeah- Xu's going. And Samah and Dunkan, Wesmut and Clarion are all goin' too. Six SeeDs and Two senior cadets- that's a big deal. Don't know what kinda psycho shit's goin' down in Winhill, but somethin' big enough to merit a group of SeeDs able to wipe out an army."
"Winhill? Where's that?" Quistis asked. Winhill had never even come up in geography. Irvine leaned against the truck and began fidgeting with the guns.
"Southeast- edge a the mountains. It's just a lil' village- really neutral." He offered, stroking one of the foreign gun's barrels. He paused and glanced at Evana. "Hey- who's the other cadet. I mean- there's nobody else here but. . .Oh, shit."
"Perfect timing, cowboy. Just teaches you not to ask fucking retarded questions. . ."
Seifer waltzed up, leaning one arm on Evana's shoulder and one on Quistis'.
"So. . .what's this all about?"
"Well. . .It's all about you shutting up and behaving yourself, for start." Evana growled and tossed the tall cadet to the ground. Quistis inhaled quickly- that would get the Almasy pride going.
But he took it well- simply standing and brushing himself off. There was a dangerous smirk dancing over his strong mouth and in his eyes. The same look that was plastered all over Botchaskya's face.
'Maybe it's a gunblade thing. . .'
"Well well well, Seifer Almasy- aren't you a sore sight for eyes."
Xu approached the small company, stopping before Seifer. Even before a six foot tall cadet, Xu managed to project an aura of power and respect. And because of this, Xu was one of the people Seifer hated most. And maybe he dreamed of hurting her and overpowering her, but he never did anything more than glare and whisper.
"Hi Xu. I hear you got laid last night."
'Shit!'
Quistis gasped; Evana gaped; Irvine groaned and Xu. . .Xu simply smiled and patted Seifer roughly on the cheek.
"Well- you're right. I did. And, judging from the obvious tension in your neck and arms, the lag in your step, and the way your cock bounced up in your pants at the sight of me, I think I can safely say that you were not so lucky last night."
Everyone's mouths dropped, save Evana, who fell back against the hummer in hysterics. Irvine soon joined her and Quistis- now very traumatized by her friend's hidden personality- watched Seifer, whose only rebuttal was the popping veins in his neck. Xu coughed.
"Alright- Almasy, Samah and Westmut will be riding with me in the Vehicle A. Quistis, gather up Kinneas, Clarion and Dunkan and get them loaded into Vehicle B. Remember to check with your Headmaster before you leave. Dunkan will be driving- he knows the way, though there is a map in the dossiers, located underneath the front seat, in case he reverts to regular manly behavior and forgets where the fuck he's going. We'll meet up just outside of Winhill. Oh, and if Dunkan gives you a hard time, kick him in the balls and say 'that's four'- do it for me. Alright? Let's move out." Xu shouted the last expression to the whole platoon, who, presently, was scattered around the lawn. With one last sneer in Irvine's general direction, Seifer nodded to Evana and jumped into his respective vehicle. The massive red-headed SeeD Westmut followed him, and quickly began to pick on the smaller cadet. Lukan Samah, after taking his leave of Martine and the political powers, climbed into the front beside Xu. Quistis noticed a shared glance.
"Those two are pathetic." Evana grinned, thumping Quistis on the back. The blonde instructor could only smile and nod. Her mentor continued. " They remind me of another pair of stupid, sappy kids."
"Do you have something to say about that?" Quistis sighed. Evana shook her head.
"No- not really. Just don't get pregnant. I don't want to be a surrogate grandmother at the age of thirty eight. That's not fair to me."
"You don't have to worry about that, Evana. Have a good day- I'll see you whenever we get back." A hearty handshake and a murmured good bye passed between them. Then Quistis turned away and found herself face to face with the 'prince of darkness' himself.
"So, this is Lieutenant Trepe. . .or should I say 'Captain Trepe.'" Vice President Deling gushed, extending his hand. Quistis dutifully took it.
"Actually- my promotion hasn't been finalized yet, so Lieutenant Trepe is fine, Sir."
"Or Quistis. We call her Quistis." Martine added.
"Quistis." Vinzer Deling tasted the name and apparently found it to his liking. "Well, Quistis, I would like to extend my appreciation and gratitude for your heroics last month in the Missile Base Accident. Galbadia would have been severely crippled had your 'special abilities' not surfaced."
'I don't like the way he said my special abilities. . .'
'QuIeT. hE iS a StUpID mAn- He kNoWS nOthIng. . .'
" I would like to talk to you more about this, Quistis, if you have. . ."
"Sir- ahem." Martine coughed rather loudly. "Actually, Beta team needs to leave for Winhill or else we'll be behind schedule."
"Oh, I see." The oily man conceded, smiling politely. "Headmaster- what business does East Garden have in Winhill?"
"This is a Balamb issue, sir- That information is classified." The quick retort came from Xu as she climbed into the drivers seat and started the engine. It gunned and rumbled as the Balamb Field Commander controlled the machine with a firm and sturdy hand. As Alpha team drove out into the great, Galbadian landscape, the politician and his guard dogs watched Xu with sinister eyes.
"What a bitch- she's just like her mother." Deling commented with a sneer. His grunts nodded in accordance. Martine shuffled back and forth and, upon catching Quistis' eye, motioned to the vehicle with his eyeballs. Quistis nodded slightly.
"If you please, sirs- I must join my team. General, Mr. Vice President- please have a good day."
General Caraway nodded, while Vinzer Deling took Quistis' hand in his and kissed it.
"You honor Galbadia, Miss Trepe. Please, take care."
She saluted and acknowledged Martine with a curt nod. Behind her, the familiar sound of the military motor cut through the quiet of the insincere display. The boys were ready to go.
"Good luck, Trepe." Martine grunted, then loudly yawned.
'He's such a clown. . .'
'mOrON. . .'
Quistis joined Irvine in the back seat. Dunkan laughed heartily as he revved the engine. They quickly pulled out of Galbadia's- and Deling's- sight.
"How. . .quaint."
"Yes- sickeningly so." Xu replied to Quistis' remark, as both parties met on the outskirts of the southern village. Set against a picturesque scene of field, mountain and sky, the old-world village was littered with rustic, though artistic, architecture and the gardens were lined with crocuses, orchids and a myriad of native and exotic flora. The villagers themselves were attired simply and modestly, and strolled down their dirt roads in pairs, chatting gaily about simple, everyday events. They eyed the SeeDs with a little suspicion, but shrugged it off quickly.
"Villages like this always stoke the commander's paranoia." Samah chuckled, hopping out of the all terrain vehicle. "She's too jaded to believe in utopia."
"Nothing so beautiful and innocent can be sincere." Xu scoffed, "There is always a hidden agenda. . ."
"You would know- you're the commander of the greatest hidden agenda on the planet."
Quistis hoped to Hyne she was the only one to hear Irvine's mumbled comment, but the way Xu's lips curved into a subtle sneer dashed those hopes.
"Well- we all know Winhill is not what it seems, so let's do this shit." SeeD Dunkan grunted, pulling his field pack onto his muscular back. The rest of the company nodded in agreement.
"Alright- collect any field equipment you need and leave the rest in the trucks. Those of you with Guardians, don't forget to junction. Those of you without- well, pack a couple extra cura pills. I have a feeling this'll turn out less than picnic-happy." As Xu instructed, Quistis handed out the various equipment and checked her own packs. Her whip lay tucked at her belt and she readied a few of her spells- those she knew she could manage. Just in case. She joined Xu at the front of their brigade and felt closer to her friend and commander than she had ever before. There was a dangerous gleam in Xu's eye as she affixed sundry potions to her belt and unsheathed her iniquitous-looking stiletto blade. Quistis chuckled- The 'Castrator' was at least as infamous as the Trepe chain whip.
'Aren't we the naughty pair. . .'
The males in the party remained a few steps behind as they entered the town premises. Suddenly, two young men burst onto the scene from down and behind the hill. Huffing and gasping, they held out their hands in a blatant attempt to stop the mini-SeeD army. Irritated, Xu and Quistis paused, which caused their male counterparts to halt as well. After regaining his breath, one of the men spoke.
"Stop! You may not pass until we have inspected your authorization to enter these territories. Kindly display your papers."
"I'm sorry, sirs." Samah, a born mediator, addressed the two soldiers. "Our business here is classified and has been pre-sanctioned by the Winhill/Garden treaty, formed and signed in 992, A.C. between High Councilor Soraan and Balamb Headmaster Cid Kramer. Our business does not directly concern Winhill or any of it's legal citizens, so if you would allow us passage through. . .."
"Move or I'll arrest you for desertion."
The two men stared for a moment.
"Oh, shit."
"Commander Xu! We didn't recognize you! We're so. . ."
"Sorry?" She offered with a sneer. The babbling cadets nodded profusely and threw themselves to the ground in a pool of groveling ignominy.
"Yes! Yes!" The taller one answered in between sobs- the other couldn't even formulate a coherent phrase. Quistis glanced at her friend, whose eyes were rolled up to the sky and whose jaw was set as marble. She heard Seifer laugh behind them, but Quistis really felt bad for these two deserters. She couldn't remember their names, but they were balamb boys and. . .well, Xu could be down-right terrifying when she wanted to be. Obviously, they knew that as well.
"Just let them go." Quistis whispered to Xu. "They made a decision- we can't punish them for making their own choices. We've all been forced into this- some can't handle it. They were strong enough to leave on their own- they deserve a little credit."
Xu glanced from one to the other.
"God's you're lucky Lieutenant Trepe was here- she just saved your asses. Now- tell me where Captain Wynston is and don't bullshit me- I'm sure you've seen him and I'm sure he's reprimanded you and, I hope, punished you. Now- direct me to him."
Slightly shaken, but thankful to be uninjured, the boys responded with great zest.
"Oh, we can direct you to him, Field Commander. Just follow us. He lives just down here-down the hill." Jumping to their feet, the two turned about face and scurried down the hill with the flock of SeeDs in tow.
Stopping in front of a small, wood-paneled bungalow, the ex-cadets gestured toward the door.
"This is the place, commander. He lives here. Would you like us to fetch him?" The smaller one answered in a grating, piping voice. Xu shuddered and shook her head.
"No- that won't be necessary. Now leave."
They didn't need to be asked twice. Quistis shook her head an sighed, glancing back to exchange a bemused look with Irvine. 'Scary' he mouthed to her, chuckling. She rolled her eyes and mouthed 'you have no idea.' Their exchange was interrupted- Xu pounded on the door.
It opened seamlessly, without aid. The room was black as pitch and smelled of old blood. Xu stepped through the doorway without hesitation and Quistis followed directly behind, with the rest of the crew pursuing.
"Pass me a torch."
SeeD Clarion quickly handed his commander an unlit torch. Grasping it's base, Xu murmured softly.
"Fire." She ended her incantation, and flames burst from her hand and flickered onto the wick. The warm light cast sinister shadows across the walls and floor, but the group paid no heed and followed their fearless commander as she traipsed through the cozy cabin parlor, into the kitchen, and halted at a door. She pounded thrice, then paused for five seconds and struck the door four more times. Then she opened the door and they descended into the bowels of the secret SeeD lair.
"Thank Hyne, Xu. You made it. . ."
Three men were hidden away in the basement armory/shelter. Two of them were young SeeDs- Quistis recognized them as new graduates of the program. The older of the three, a short, husky, sandy-haired officer, wore the uniform of an original SeeD. One of Xu and Lukan's classmates. He sat in a large, ratty velour armchair with a pistol in his lap. The younger two were stationed to his sides and wielded nunchakus and projectiles. Xu offered her hand in a hearty handshake.
"Wynston-I hope there wasn't any doubt bout that. . ." She answered. He chuckled and kissed her hand roughly.
"No- just paranoia. Things are pretty fucked up around here and I was just getting a little worried for a second there. . ."
"So I was told." Xu answered, trailing off. She shifted to the side so to display her resources to her comrade.
"You think you have enough manpower there, commander?"
"I don't know, Captain- you tell me." She retorted. He thought about it.
"I'm not sure. I don't recognize all of them. Though there are some old wankers here and there that I wish I could forget. Gentlemen- I wish this reunion was under happier circumstances. I had hoped to meet you all at the sealing in three weeks, but this just gives us a little more time. . ."
"Only if we live through this." Samah said abruptly. " Wynston- you know everyone. A few of them are just a little taller than you remember. A lot taller in some cases." Samah eyed Seifer with a wary look. "But this meeting isn't about orphanage nostalgia- what's going on? What happened to you?" The martial artist asked, motioning to the bindings around the Captain's forearm and torso. The wounded SeeD looked a bit nervous.
"Is everyone here. . .?"
"Everyone present was hand selected by Headmaster Cid, though discretion in such delicate circumstances is always in order." Xu read his mind and answered his question. Quistis found herself a little pissed off by all the cryptic, double-meaning bullshit, but she didn't questions Xu's motives- she had no reason to.
"Alright, then. Yesterday, I was scoping out the provision shack on the other side of town when I was assaulted by a man dressed as an assassin in dark gray. He roughed me up pretty good and began to drill me with questions. These questions were informed, Xu- really informed. He asked me about Project Aede and about the date and anti-sealing procedure. I didn't tell him anything, but he. . .knew about the key- exactly where and what it was. He stole it from me. Xu. . . I'm sor. . ."
"Continue. Then what happened." Xu's face was stone cold.
"He started to beat me again, but we were interrupted when those two ex- cadet boneheads showed up to steal from our provision stash- I could've killed them or promoted them, but. . .anyway, they found us down there and, with natural SeeD instinct, pulled out their weapons. Then came the miraculous part- the assassin transformed right before our eyes and took on my form. He looked exactly like me- save the clothes. I managed to get out of his hold, and we went after him. But he was impressive- those bozos got in some really clean and some really gruesome shots. And then. . ." Wynston paused to catch his breath. "He drew from me and used it against us. All within a moment. We barely escaped with our lives. Those idiots brought me back here, and my lieutenants doped me up on curagas for the night."
"He took on your form, eh?" Irvine cut in, scratching his head. "It was probably a gerogero- those suckers can transmutate into anythin', though they're not usually that powerful. . ."
"This one was an exception." Wynston sighed. "And now. . .he's virtually unstoppable."
"What did he draw from you?" Quistis asked suddenly. The man's face turned ashen.
"He drew my Guardian. He stole Tiamat."
"Ah fuck." Xu swore. All of the elder SeeDs' faces paled.
"I was wondering why Cid issued an army." Dunkan hissed. "Fuck- that bloody Guardian gets us into more trouble- shit! And the damn thing'll think it hilarious that we have to beat it again, so it won't accept you until we kill that fuckin' gero-thing."
"Tiamat always was problematic. . ." Samah agreed, which garnered groans of acceptance from Westmut and Clarion. Seifer snorted.
"Whatever- let's just go kick the hell out of this thing and get that key back. I don't know why everybody's acting all chicken-shit now- there's nine of us here, and just one monster. I think we can handle it."
"I can't fight- all I have is this hand-gun and no junction magic. I can't leave- can't run on this bum leg. . ." Captain Wynston revealed, gesturing.
"You're right." Xu agreed, studying his injury. "And the problem is this: that thing will probably come back for you because, without understanding the functioning mechanism of the key it's useless. So we'll split into two teams: Alpha team will stay here and wait for the creature to hunt out Wynston, while Beta team will search the perimeter."
'BeTa teAm wIlL nEeD yOu, QuIsTy. YoU, aNd IrVy anD tHe kUrSeD SeEdS. . .'
'Xu and Samah?'
" Dunkan- you're in charge of Alpha team. Stay here with Clarion. Almasy, Westmut- you two are on the lookout on the first level. Dunkan, get Shiva junctioned to Almasy and get him some spells. Kinneas, Samah, Trepe, follow me." She withdrew Castrator, which sent a shudder wave through the male throng. After a quick salute, Beta Team left the covert base and began to scour the countryside.
"I don't want to knock on doors, but I'm afraid for the citizens." Samah announced, after an hour of searching. Quistis nodded.
"Unfortunately- if it was a gerogero, it could adopt anyone's form. . ."
"Hey- maybe it adopted Xu's form and that's why she's so hostile!" Irvine beamed and commented. He received a pinch in his arm for his effort.
"Maybe it turned itself into the snake that's winding itself around your boot, Kinneas. . ." Xu murmurred nonchalantly, passing by the cadet. Irvine gulped and proceeded to delicately remove the highly venomous, Winhill Snapper from around his foot. Finally, he just got pissed off and kicked it across the field. Xu tsked.
"Blatant disregard for life. That deserves some demerit points. . ."
"Preserver of life." He corrected. "That fella coulda wandered inta Winhill and snapped at some kids. 'sides, he's not dead- them guys are fighters and mold to the environment. If he's hurt, he'll just curl up and wait for his dinner ta come ta him. They're patient."
"Hyne- the gerogero!" Quistis had an epiphany.
"Quisty-hun. I don't think the snake is actually the gerogero. . .that snake's more ferocious. . ."
"No- I mean like the gerogero! Didn't Wynston tell us that the joker twins really nailed it before he cast Tiamat? Then they had to escape- but they didn't say anything about the gerogero escaping. It's probably still there recuperating! And even if anyone came down into the provision hold, it could just turn into a bug or something. I bet it's still down there."
"Dammit, Quisty. You're so smart."
"No. The rest of us are just idiots. We should've gone there first." Xu growled. "C'mon- it's not far. 'bout a half kilometer from here. Let's go."
Beta team followed their commander to the provision hold. It was a broad, silver silo, just north of the village. The wind was calm and the sun was beaming ginger and vermilion rays into the hordes of holy, cumulus clouds that hung in the sky. It's beauty was religious. Which meant Xu would be on the edge.
"Here's the plan." Xu thought and spoke quickly. "I'll go in first, speaking as though I'm searching for Wynston. I'm going to mention project Aede in hopes of tempting him to show himself. Have your arms or spells ready, because he may attack without hesitation. If he doesn't, I'll continue to goad him. Alright?"
"Sounds fine. We're ready, commander." Irvine agreed, cocking Valiant. Quistis nodded, and Samah bit his lip in consternation.
Xu found the key on her master ring and opened the door. She entered. Quistis, Irvine and Lukan all surveyed the con from the doorway. They kept the door ajar not only to watch Xu's back, but to give her some light- it was midnight inside.
"Wynston? Wynston. . .it's Xu." Xu employed her 'friendly' voice-it was one she rarely used. "Wynston- you have to be here. It's the last place I've looked. C'mon- I'm here to discuss Project Aede- remember? Wynston. . ." She huffed and growled. "You dumb sod- get out here. I don't have all night. . ."
"Xu."
There was a strangled sound.
"Wynston?" Xu held her long stiletto before her. The others heard a wheeze and a cough. "Is that you?"
"It is if that's you, Xu. . ."
"Where are you?" She asked, sword still drawn.
"Far end- near the dry foods. There's a torch near your foot- light it to see."
Never changing her position, Xu held her sword steady while she put her foot underneath the torch and flipped it up, catching it with her right hand. She lit it.
Even Xu couldn't help but gasp.
Before them lie a clone of Wynston, dressed all in gray, bleeding profusely from the leg and shoulder. There was a gruesome smile plastered all over his face. Xu moved back a second. Using the wall as a support, he clutched and dragged himself to a standing position, holding a bloodied dagger in his hand.
"Xu, huh?" He laughed maniacally. "Right." He shook his head. "Here to discuss Aede, huh? I'd like to know what you know. Why don't you tell me." Xu fell into a fighting position. As did the doppelganger "You will not escape this time. . ." He sneered and, closing his eyes, began to chant. The SeeD commander took a step back.
"Ah, Hyne. Move move move. . ." Xu pirouetted and threw herself out the door. Grabbing Irvine and Quistis' arms, Xu pushed them all out into the field.
"He's casting it. Shit- run! Run!" Xu hollered, but it was too late. The sky turned dark- the clouds collapsed into a purple haze and eclipsed the sun. The group fell back in horror as a low, metallic whimper came from the silo, accompanied by the scraping of sheet metal on sheet metal. For a moment, the breeze fell flat.
"NO!" Samah yelled.
Suddenly, the silo erupted in a burst of pulsating energy and anti-light. Throaty screams ripped through the air as the sleek, draconian form of Tiamat rose from the fiery wreckage. He arched his thorny back and spread wide his silver-blue wings. The elegant head rose in defiance and observed his enemies with disdain.
"Lukan- get out of here." Xu hissed. They all looked at her. She continued. "If we fall, you need to bring us back. You have full cure, you are the fastest and you have Vigil if it comes to that. Get now- we'll take the brunt of the blow. Go- now." He opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it. He bolted. Grinning bitterly, Xu patted Quistis on the back.
"You ever seen a flare spell, Trepe?"
"No. Never."
"Well- this'll be even better. You get to see AND feel what we named Tiamat's dark Flare. I like to think of it as a little taste of hell before death. Enjoy."
"Fuck'en Hyne."
"You said it, cowboy." Quistis agreed. Her blood was boiling and her spell Ray Bomb was on her lips- but there was no time to cast it. "Damn. Xu- you're like the big sister I needed to be stuck with. Irvy. . .I. . ."
"Shut up, Quistis." Xu interjected, gritting her teeth. " We'll be back alive in five minutes as long as Lukan gets his ass back here before Tiamat decides to gorge himself on our incapacitated bodies. . ."
"Quisty. . ."
"Here it comes. . ." Xu prepared for impact. Quistis and Irvine followed suit.
"Don't worry." Irvine whispered.
'dOn'T wOrRy- MamA'lL tAkE of'er BabIes. . .'
The dragon arched back, drawing the dark power of flare from the life- sustaining power of the universe. All Quistis could see was the dark, mesmerizing waves of the anti-photon flare spots as they surged towards them. All three were frozen in their spots- too afraid to move, to scream. To become enraged and limit. The darkness came upon them.
'stUpiD GirL- taKe iT iN. . .cArEsS tHe pOwER. AbSorB the PoWer. . .LovE tHaT pOwEr. . .'
'How?' Even her mental voice was quivering.
'no hOw. dO. . .'
The power of the Dark Flare fell upon them. The power was tangible- it pushed against them, like a wall of life-absorbing matter. Quistis focused her thoughts just as Samah had taught her- she found her focus, though her heart shook- she could hear her companion's screams all around her.
'Irvine, Xu. . .'
'fEel tHe PowER joIn wItH yOuR fORm. . .cArEsS tHe PoWEr. . .'
Quistis let the power caress her. She imagined it stroking her skin- the heat was rousing and sexual. She felt it invade her body. It dipped into every empty crack of her being and surged toward her center. It fuelled the mitochondria of every cell and short-circuited her nervous system; her body spasming and twitching with deeply-rooted pain and true, orgasmic bliss. She was blind and deaf and she screamed soundlessly, but her higher senses were buzzing and over-stimulated. The wave of power was perceptible and, before her, Quistis swore her sensations became corporeal. Colors that could not be processed by the human mind were manifested before her. The sound of grass moving could be heard. Suddenly, she heard her own scream and felt said grass underneath her palms.
She opened her eyes.
She was alive, in the plain. To her left was her commander- bleeding and bruised, but breathing. To her right was her lover, unconscious and burned, but still slightly twitching. Before her was the doppelganger, already recasting the spell. She knew what she had to do.
She began to chant.
"Quistis!" It was Samah. She continued to ready her spell. " Quistis, how? Oh, never mind. I'm going to cast life on Xu. Get Kinneas."
But she was too far in.
"Quistis, what are you. . .No!"
She muttered the last few words of her spell.
"Ray Bomb."
The crackling energy pulsated in her body- The Tiamat's strength fuelled her sadistic need. It lifted her into the air, humming and buzzing in her head. Quistis opened her eyes to stare her foe in the face.
Then she fell. Her energy fizzled and dissipated into the air.
She slammed into the ground- fully paralyzed. There was no power, only the looming sensation of a potentially-painful death. With her eyes open, she gazed upon the love of her young life- unconscious with his hair streaming out along the grass like an auburn brook. All she wanted in the whole of the universe was to hold him and stroke that hair. And she wanted to tell him she loved him.
"Lukan, do it now!" Xu's voice sounded like a distant echo.
'anything you regret' A true echo.
"Unjunction! I can't do it if you're in my head. . ." Samah was like a glimpse of the past.
'dying a virgin'
". . .There. I've unjuctioned. Summon him." Xu was fading fast. . .
'should'a got Kinneas ta take care a that last night'
"Xu. . .But Quistis. . .what'll happen to. . ." 'What'll happen to us?'
"Lukan, do it. Look at them. . .Do it for them. . ."
'Yes'
"I regret everything but loving you." She whispered. A glossy tear dripped down her cheek.
Tiamat sprung from the darkness once more. Quistis could feel the power rising- she couldn't take any more- it only hurt her. She sighed and lay back, waiting to watch the awesome beauty of the dark flare as it came upon them. It would be a divine way to die.
Tiamat reared back, beginning his rapid countdown. To her left, Quistis heard a rustle. But she paid it no heed. She heard Samah mumbling- he wouldn't make it. There was no time. No Time.
Suddenly, everything stopped- the growl of the wind, the shriek of the dragon and the buzzing in her own head. Everything save the soft incantation that fell from Lukan Samah's lips. The final words of his summon spell reverberated in her skull. . .
"Chrono-tyranny. . ."
The jet sky opened up and the darkness gathered and funneled, falling towards the ground. Quistis watched in awed rapture as the darkness crept closer, revealing a wondrous and blasphemous sight. Clouds of mangled souls and tortured spirits clung to the spiral of darkness that descended from the heavens- their screams echoed deeply in her mind. She screamed and vainly tried to cover her ears, but her entire body was plastered to the ground by the sheer magnitude of the incoming force- as though even gravity was influenced by the host.
The spirit swarm dipped and swerved then began to coil itself around the Tiamat. It began to encircle quickly and Quistis watched in horror as she beheld the power of the Guardian Vigil.
The Tiamat began to age, and Quistis beheld the process of dying at an alarming rate. This immortal GF, in all it's glory, began to wither- the scaly flesh began to hang like empty sacks, and teeth suddenly fell out of it's mouth and bones snapped. The skin began to melt off the body to reveal the skeleton itself.
Then the host stopped.
And reversed the pattern.
The great dragon grew younger- the flesh rejoined the skeleton and the teeth returned to the great mouth. It became child-like and more vibrant.
And the host continued.
The Tiamat relived some sort of adolescence, and reverted to an infantile state. It shrunk and curled into a tiny, shrimp-like creature. Folding it's miniature wings, the Tiamat became a ball, then, finally, enclosed itself in a shimmering, silver-blue egg. The egg fell to the ground with a thud. Screaming and cursing, the host ascended toward heaven and disappeared behind the white cumulous clouds that slightly masked dusky sky. Quistis' body suddenly let lose one last spasm and released. She instantly felt amazing.
"Hyne. . ."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure mantled in an aura of pulsating blue light. It moved past her toward the silver egg. Groaning, she sat up and peered after the creature.
She gasped.
It had been Lukan Samah. But she could no longer affix that name to this beast. Samah's body was mutated and contorted- barely recognizable. The creature itself was almost seven feet tall and clad in only the remnants of Samah's uniform, which had been ripped to shreds throughout whatever transformation had taken place. While Samah's facial structure remained relatively unchanged, his eyes had turned the color of quicksilver and his face was devoid of emotion or personality- any lines that Lukan had developed through his young life were gone. He was devoid of human character. The curly chestnut hair that had graced his head before had grown long and sleek, down to the ground, and, while starting black, grew to a snow white through a perfectly gauged gradient. But the most horrifying was the silver bat's wings that had ripped through Samah's broad back. Strings of bloody flesh clung to the leathery hide- Samah's own flesh, torn from his back by the transformation.
'ViGiL- sAdiStiC GuArDiAn-GoD. . .'
'He's amazing. . .'
'He'S bEaUtIfUL. mAmA wAnTS hIm. . .dOn'T You?'
'Hyne. . .'
Vigil-in-Samah bent down and collected the silver egg from the ground- the large sphere sat neatly in his hands. Slowly, it lost its luster and it's delicate hue grew to an midnight black. The Tiamat was dead.
"Fuck me." Quistis heard Xu mutter beside her. Apparently so did Vigil, for he turned his head toward his ex-companions. Without a blink, he tossed the stone near Quistis. It landed with an earth tremor, and deeply indented the earth.
"FoR DiaDeM." He spoke. At the voice, Quistis was instantly reminded of her mental parasite- two voices- bound, but distinct. Each voice dominant at varying times throughout the phrase, causing an undulating tone. Samah's voice was still full of warmth, while Vigil's voice, though painstakingly beautiful and melodious, was frigid and lacked any semblance of human emotion.
Quistis stared at him.
"Take it, Quistis. You don't turn down gifts from Gods." Xu commanded, crossing her arms.
Quistis approached it hesitantly.
Her core power responded with joyful humming. The power was familiar- as familiar as coral fragments and spiderwebs were. This was a link to Diadem's long forgotten powers that were embedded deep in Quistis' own person. Quistis gently stroked the egg-shaped rock.
"Dark matter." She whispered lovingly. Without realizing it, she'd been waiting for this for her entire life. This was the power she wanted and the key to unleashing Diadem's greatest spell, Shockwave Pulsar.
"tAkE. . ." Vigil beckoned. Quistis nodded, greedily. Fondling the great stone fervently, she embraced the familiar act of Inanimate-Drawing.
Death. Sex. Ambrosia. Hate. Love. Fear. Sadness. Bliss.
Perfection. She was complete.
She was alive in full. The evolution of perfection.
Shockwave Pulsar.
The force of the power had sent her flying through the air. She landed in the grass, close to Xu, who rushed to her and held the younger instructor in her arms.
"Quistis. . ."
Quistis couldn't say anything. She reveled in her sensations. Xu stroked her hair and murmurred reassuring words. Somewhere, in sometime, Xu had done this before. Quistis couldn't remember for the life of her when, though.
Through her daze, Quistis could make out Vigil's form as he bent down to pick up something else.
"Irvine." Xu muttered.
Alarm bells suddenly went off in her head. Quistis pushed herself into a seated position.
"Vigil. . ." Xu spoke quietly and stood, helping Quistis with her. Vigil had lifted unconscious Irvine off the ground and was now holding him high in the air by the neck. Quistis screamed, but Xu held onto her tightly. "What are you doing?"
"Xu. . ." The voices spoke her name in exactly the same way. " hE mUsT dIe. . ."
"What?!?!? No! You monster!" Quistis cried, beating at Xu. But the Commander's grip was a vice.
"Why, Vigil?" Xu spoke simply, devoid of emotion. Tears began to stream down Quistis' face.
"hE wIlL kIlL uS aLl." The creature ominously replied. "hE hOlDs iT iNsIDe oF hIm. sHe wAntS iT- ShE usEs hIm. tHeRe iS nO thReAt iF hE dIeS nOw. . ."
"Xu! No!" Quistis began to weep and struggle. Xu paid no heed.
"What does he hold, Vigil?"
"tHe DeaTh oF TiMe. sHe lIveS wiTh HiM- In hIm- tO reTrieVe tHe SpeLl oF cOmPrEsSiOn. It iS HyNe'S wIlL tHaT tHE bOy bE sAcRiFICeD. . ."
"No. . ."
"hUsH, DiAdEM. YoUr cRiES wIlL nOt PeRsUaDe ME."
Vigil raised his hand to the sky- it darkened and opened again. The Spiral of Souls shot down from the heavens. Quistis began to scream.
'SaVe hIm, QuIsTY. FoR lOvE. . .'
'For love. Yes. . .'
With unnatural speed, Quistis took Xu by surprise as she drew the stiletto from the commander's own scabbard and stabbed her friend in the thigh. Gold-green eyes widened in horror as the commander fell to her knees, grabbing at her wound. Half mad with blood-lust, half with duty, Quistis threw herself at Vigil's colossal figure. He ignored her and waited for the host to devour his prey. Quistis screamed and stabbed at him with Xu's sword- but the blade simply ricocheted off his impenetrable skin. Sobbing and begging, she grabbed his arms.
"Vigil, no. . .Lukan. . .please. . ."
"DiAdEm. . .qUisTis. . ."
'tAke hIm. . .noW!' The voice in her head screamed at her and the power of Vigil abruptly rushed into her mind. His strength was that of immortality and time- the power of the ages. The voice in her head cackled maniacally.
'dRain hIm, mY bLuE sOrCeReSs. . .TiMe wiLl bE oU. . YoUrs. . ."
Quistis satiated herself on Vigil's awesome power. Above her, the ring of spirits scattered and the sky cleared fully to it's natural radiance. Vigil shrunk before her and, finally, the great energy that had permeated from the body waned. She withdrew- high and sick on magic. She couldn't feel her toes and she was hallucinating. Vigil-now-Samah, fell to the ground, unconscious beside Irvine. Quistis tried to move, but her body refused to listen- it moved by itself. Her senses were failing her- she heard the sound of children's sing-song and tasted cotton candy. Trying to focus her eyes, she saw two Xu's, swinging swords of opposing hues, surrounded by never-ending twilight.
"I'm sorry Quistis."
Quistis was wrong- she wasn't hallucinating. Xu was using her limit.
"Xu."
"Quistis. Forgive me." The parallel Xus chanted their short, limit incantation.
"Xu-Bye."
"Antithesis."
The twin swords punctured Quistis' flesh and met at her heart, ripping her soul from her body. The pain would be well worth it. It was all too much.
And she wanted to be free.
A.N.:. . . . um.R and R. ( Exam ---- time -----make -----me -------slow----- to ----write.---- Sorry.
Warning: This story is now rated R for violence, language and sex. All blatant.
Chapter 18
"Quistis. Quistis wake up."
It felt like the earth was shaking.
"Trepe! Get up. . ."
She was being trampled, attacked, wrenched from solace.
"Oh for Hyne's sakes. . ."
She was being. . .kicked."
"Ow!" Quistis hollered and opened her eyes. "Shit that hurt! I. . .oh. Hi Xu." Clutching her stomach, she tried to stand to address her commander, but Irvine, in his lazy stupor, refused to move his heavy arm from around her waist. Quistis smiled sheepishly. "Umm. . ."
"Wake him up." Xu offered patiently. "And I want you both to meet me at the hangar in half an hour, in full Seed/Cadet regalia and packed for the weekend. Gods, you two are lucky Martine and Caraway decided to park in the back this morning- if your relationship wasn't obvious enough before this morning, it would've been painfully evident had they used the regular highway. Now- wake up sleeping beauty and get moving. We head out at seven oh five- if you miss your ride he'll be suspended and your SeeD rank will go down three levels. I'm not kidding, this is serious. I'll see you in a half hour."
"Twenty eight minutes and fifty two seconds." Quistis groaned as Xu disappeared from earshot. She tried in vain to escape Irvine's clutches, but he simply pulled her closer and mutter a few adorable, sleepy noises.
'I hate to wake him. He looks so peaceful and handsome. I love the way dawn and dusk highlight his skin and reflect off his hair- It's so romantic. . .'
'wAkE hIm Up- yOu'Ll bE LaTE. . .'
'Would you give me a minute? Hyne. . .'
Quistis gave herself a moment of rebellious leeway and caressed Irvine's flushed cheeks. He grumbled incoherently tossed his head back and forth, unconsciously saying no to the idea of a reveille. Giggling, Quistis slid up to meet him face to face and began to lay a sheet of delicate kisses atop his morning-dewed skin. His arms constricted around her torso, pulling her tight and plane against his front. He was awake.
"Get up." She ordered, planting a rather harsh and sloppy kiss on his mouth. Groaning and laughing heartily, he shook his head and shut his eyes fiercely.
"No no no no no no no. . ."
"Yes yes yes yes. . .let go of me. You're hurting me. . ." She pushed at his chest in a vain attempt to escape his clutches. He stopped chuckling and growled.
"You're turnin' me on."
"Oh, Irvine- everything turns you on! You're such slut."
"What?" He gasped, feigning hurt. Then he resumed his laughter. "Tease."
"Asshole."
"Bitch."
"Sod."
"Hah hah- you better hope ta Hyne not!" He cackled and cracked open one eye to see her blush. The laughter died quickly as he noticed the seriousness lurking behind the mirth.
"We have to get up. We're leaving in. . .twenty seven minutes."
"We're both goin'?" Irvine asked, his dark eyebrows arching awkwardly. She nodded.
"Apparently."
"Then I don't care." He murmured and gave her a peck on the nose. "I'll bring down the whole of Esthar if it means you by my side, crackin' that dirty whip and ouch! Don't pinch!" He rubbed his chest "You bad girl. But I mean it- Give me my gun and my girl and I'll tackle the world- It's pretty simple. I'd rather kill than leave ya."
Quistis couldn't respond to that- it was one of those statements that left you drained and full up all at once. She'd never met anyone with Irvine's emotional sincerity- for someone who had never been loved, he sure knew how to love.
They made their way back to garden and gathered their essentials. They spent the time together- a handful of SeeDs and a couple 'faculty' members were the only other beings alive at this hour. They leapt in the shower (together) and ran the water on cold (much to Irvine's delight.) Like the stereotypical, adolescent lovers they should've been, they giggled as they toweled off and crawled into their uniforms Packing quickly and efficiently left them five minutes and thirty two seconds to fondle and molest each other in Quistis' apartment.
Quistis smoothed down her rumpled clothing and Irvine's tousled hair as they met the rest of faction outside the hangar.
The hummers were already loaded with the espionage and full-out, martial war essentials. Just in front of the vehicles stood Martine with his mouth contorted in mid yawn. To his left stood a tall, rather imposing looking middle-aged man, in full military uniform with slightly graying hair.
'General Caraway, I presume. . .'
To Martine's left a short, rather stout man of about Caraway's age was heavily involved in a conversation with Xu. Quistis could tell that he was slick and slippery just by the way his shoulders gracefully jerked up and down as he gestured. His hair was dark and gelled and his green suit was imported, Dolletian silk, for there was a subtle sheen drawn out from the early-morning sun. Quistis could feel a rush of fire through her esophagus.
'And that would be Vice President Deling. . .'
"Put on yer best smile, sweetheart and don't forget ta curtsey for the prince a darkness, eh?. . ." Irvine muttered, as he took both their packs and loaded them onto the vehicle.
"Shuddup, Kinneas. Get in the truck." Evana materialized beside them with an armful of weaponry. Quistis smiled at her friend.
"Are you coming too, Evana?"
"Me? Hell no- what the hell do you think this is- a donut run? Fuckin' Hyne, girl. I'm an old woman. I have no business doin' this shit anymore. I like my cushy position and the total lack of respect I'm given- heroics are for fools and young people. . .so, really, heroics are just for fools. And I like to think I've grown outta that stage of my life. I saved the world once- don't need ta do it again."
"Are you preaching again, Evana?" Martine hollered, upsetting every conversation at hand. "If so- can you preach about the sock-thing? I don't want any more hospitals calling in to complain about my SeeD's bio-hazard feet. Maybe, can you stick a couple extra pairs in there. . .so they don't have any excuses. . ."
Caraway and Deling both chuckled, amused by Martine's antics. Evana was clearly not and slapped Irvine in the chest as he began to snicker.
"Hey- he's talking about you, Chuckles." She turned on the sniper, who beamed. "That FH hospital really wasn't impressed with your hygiene- they said your socks smelled like sewage. . ."
"Well- I was tramplin' through the sewer that day. Not fer fun, mind ya- Martine made me. But boy- who-wee! Did I ever need a bath!"
"I hope you burned those boots. . ."
"What? These ones?" He asked innocently, lifting his right foot to the girl's eye level.
'Damn. He's flexible.'
"No, Kinneas. Those are new boots." Evana huffed and threw a pair of socks at him. "Don't be stupid. Xu'll kick your ass."
"Xu's coming?" Quistis piped up, a little more excited. Her powers were surging through her nervous system. "Is this a contract commissioned through Balamb?"
"Something like that. . ."Evana didn't offer much- much to Quistis' dismay. "And yeah- Xu's going. And Samah and Dunkan, Wesmut and Clarion are all goin' too. Six SeeDs and Two senior cadets- that's a big deal. Don't know what kinda psycho shit's goin' down in Winhill, but somethin' big enough to merit a group of SeeDs able to wipe out an army."
"Winhill? Where's that?" Quistis asked. Winhill had never even come up in geography. Irvine leaned against the truck and began fidgeting with the guns.
"Southeast- edge a the mountains. It's just a lil' village- really neutral." He offered, stroking one of the foreign gun's barrels. He paused and glanced at Evana. "Hey- who's the other cadet. I mean- there's nobody else here but. . .Oh, shit."
"Perfect timing, cowboy. Just teaches you not to ask fucking retarded questions. . ."
Seifer waltzed up, leaning one arm on Evana's shoulder and one on Quistis'.
"So. . .what's this all about?"
"Well. . .It's all about you shutting up and behaving yourself, for start." Evana growled and tossed the tall cadet to the ground. Quistis inhaled quickly- that would get the Almasy pride going.
But he took it well- simply standing and brushing himself off. There was a dangerous smirk dancing over his strong mouth and in his eyes. The same look that was plastered all over Botchaskya's face.
'Maybe it's a gunblade thing. . .'
"Well well well, Seifer Almasy- aren't you a sore sight for eyes."
Xu approached the small company, stopping before Seifer. Even before a six foot tall cadet, Xu managed to project an aura of power and respect. And because of this, Xu was one of the people Seifer hated most. And maybe he dreamed of hurting her and overpowering her, but he never did anything more than glare and whisper.
"Hi Xu. I hear you got laid last night."
'Shit!'
Quistis gasped; Evana gaped; Irvine groaned and Xu. . .Xu simply smiled and patted Seifer roughly on the cheek.
"Well- you're right. I did. And, judging from the obvious tension in your neck and arms, the lag in your step, and the way your cock bounced up in your pants at the sight of me, I think I can safely say that you were not so lucky last night."
Everyone's mouths dropped, save Evana, who fell back against the hummer in hysterics. Irvine soon joined her and Quistis- now very traumatized by her friend's hidden personality- watched Seifer, whose only rebuttal was the popping veins in his neck. Xu coughed.
"Alright- Almasy, Samah and Westmut will be riding with me in the Vehicle A. Quistis, gather up Kinneas, Clarion and Dunkan and get them loaded into Vehicle B. Remember to check with your Headmaster before you leave. Dunkan will be driving- he knows the way, though there is a map in the dossiers, located underneath the front seat, in case he reverts to regular manly behavior and forgets where the fuck he's going. We'll meet up just outside of Winhill. Oh, and if Dunkan gives you a hard time, kick him in the balls and say 'that's four'- do it for me. Alright? Let's move out." Xu shouted the last expression to the whole platoon, who, presently, was scattered around the lawn. With one last sneer in Irvine's general direction, Seifer nodded to Evana and jumped into his respective vehicle. The massive red-headed SeeD Westmut followed him, and quickly began to pick on the smaller cadet. Lukan Samah, after taking his leave of Martine and the political powers, climbed into the front beside Xu. Quistis noticed a shared glance.
"Those two are pathetic." Evana grinned, thumping Quistis on the back. The blonde instructor could only smile and nod. Her mentor continued. " They remind me of another pair of stupid, sappy kids."
"Do you have something to say about that?" Quistis sighed. Evana shook her head.
"No- not really. Just don't get pregnant. I don't want to be a surrogate grandmother at the age of thirty eight. That's not fair to me."
"You don't have to worry about that, Evana. Have a good day- I'll see you whenever we get back." A hearty handshake and a murmured good bye passed between them. Then Quistis turned away and found herself face to face with the 'prince of darkness' himself.
"So, this is Lieutenant Trepe. . .or should I say 'Captain Trepe.'" Vice President Deling gushed, extending his hand. Quistis dutifully took it.
"Actually- my promotion hasn't been finalized yet, so Lieutenant Trepe is fine, Sir."
"Or Quistis. We call her Quistis." Martine added.
"Quistis." Vinzer Deling tasted the name and apparently found it to his liking. "Well, Quistis, I would like to extend my appreciation and gratitude for your heroics last month in the Missile Base Accident. Galbadia would have been severely crippled had your 'special abilities' not surfaced."
'I don't like the way he said my special abilities. . .'
'QuIeT. hE iS a StUpID mAn- He kNoWS nOthIng. . .'
" I would like to talk to you more about this, Quistis, if you have. . ."
"Sir- ahem." Martine coughed rather loudly. "Actually, Beta team needs to leave for Winhill or else we'll be behind schedule."
"Oh, I see." The oily man conceded, smiling politely. "Headmaster- what business does East Garden have in Winhill?"
"This is a Balamb issue, sir- That information is classified." The quick retort came from Xu as she climbed into the drivers seat and started the engine. It gunned and rumbled as the Balamb Field Commander controlled the machine with a firm and sturdy hand. As Alpha team drove out into the great, Galbadian landscape, the politician and his guard dogs watched Xu with sinister eyes.
"What a bitch- she's just like her mother." Deling commented with a sneer. His grunts nodded in accordance. Martine shuffled back and forth and, upon catching Quistis' eye, motioned to the vehicle with his eyeballs. Quistis nodded slightly.
"If you please, sirs- I must join my team. General, Mr. Vice President- please have a good day."
General Caraway nodded, while Vinzer Deling took Quistis' hand in his and kissed it.
"You honor Galbadia, Miss Trepe. Please, take care."
She saluted and acknowledged Martine with a curt nod. Behind her, the familiar sound of the military motor cut through the quiet of the insincere display. The boys were ready to go.
"Good luck, Trepe." Martine grunted, then loudly yawned.
'He's such a clown. . .'
'mOrON. . .'
Quistis joined Irvine in the back seat. Dunkan laughed heartily as he revved the engine. They quickly pulled out of Galbadia's- and Deling's- sight.
"How. . .quaint."
"Yes- sickeningly so." Xu replied to Quistis' remark, as both parties met on the outskirts of the southern village. Set against a picturesque scene of field, mountain and sky, the old-world village was littered with rustic, though artistic, architecture and the gardens were lined with crocuses, orchids and a myriad of native and exotic flora. The villagers themselves were attired simply and modestly, and strolled down their dirt roads in pairs, chatting gaily about simple, everyday events. They eyed the SeeDs with a little suspicion, but shrugged it off quickly.
"Villages like this always stoke the commander's paranoia." Samah chuckled, hopping out of the all terrain vehicle. "She's too jaded to believe in utopia."
"Nothing so beautiful and innocent can be sincere." Xu scoffed, "There is always a hidden agenda. . ."
"You would know- you're the commander of the greatest hidden agenda on the planet."
Quistis hoped to Hyne she was the only one to hear Irvine's mumbled comment, but the way Xu's lips curved into a subtle sneer dashed those hopes.
"Well- we all know Winhill is not what it seems, so let's do this shit." SeeD Dunkan grunted, pulling his field pack onto his muscular back. The rest of the company nodded in agreement.
"Alright- collect any field equipment you need and leave the rest in the trucks. Those of you with Guardians, don't forget to junction. Those of you without- well, pack a couple extra cura pills. I have a feeling this'll turn out less than picnic-happy." As Xu instructed, Quistis handed out the various equipment and checked her own packs. Her whip lay tucked at her belt and she readied a few of her spells- those she knew she could manage. Just in case. She joined Xu at the front of their brigade and felt closer to her friend and commander than she had ever before. There was a dangerous gleam in Xu's eye as she affixed sundry potions to her belt and unsheathed her iniquitous-looking stiletto blade. Quistis chuckled- The 'Castrator' was at least as infamous as the Trepe chain whip.
'Aren't we the naughty pair. . .'
The males in the party remained a few steps behind as they entered the town premises. Suddenly, two young men burst onto the scene from down and behind the hill. Huffing and gasping, they held out their hands in a blatant attempt to stop the mini-SeeD army. Irritated, Xu and Quistis paused, which caused their male counterparts to halt as well. After regaining his breath, one of the men spoke.
"Stop! You may not pass until we have inspected your authorization to enter these territories. Kindly display your papers."
"I'm sorry, sirs." Samah, a born mediator, addressed the two soldiers. "Our business here is classified and has been pre-sanctioned by the Winhill/Garden treaty, formed and signed in 992, A.C. between High Councilor Soraan and Balamb Headmaster Cid Kramer. Our business does not directly concern Winhill or any of it's legal citizens, so if you would allow us passage through. . .."
"Move or I'll arrest you for desertion."
The two men stared for a moment.
"Oh, shit."
"Commander Xu! We didn't recognize you! We're so. . ."
"Sorry?" She offered with a sneer. The babbling cadets nodded profusely and threw themselves to the ground in a pool of groveling ignominy.
"Yes! Yes!" The taller one answered in between sobs- the other couldn't even formulate a coherent phrase. Quistis glanced at her friend, whose eyes were rolled up to the sky and whose jaw was set as marble. She heard Seifer laugh behind them, but Quistis really felt bad for these two deserters. She couldn't remember their names, but they were balamb boys and. . .well, Xu could be down-right terrifying when she wanted to be. Obviously, they knew that as well.
"Just let them go." Quistis whispered to Xu. "They made a decision- we can't punish them for making their own choices. We've all been forced into this- some can't handle it. They were strong enough to leave on their own- they deserve a little credit."
Xu glanced from one to the other.
"God's you're lucky Lieutenant Trepe was here- she just saved your asses. Now- tell me where Captain Wynston is and don't bullshit me- I'm sure you've seen him and I'm sure he's reprimanded you and, I hope, punished you. Now- direct me to him."
Slightly shaken, but thankful to be uninjured, the boys responded with great zest.
"Oh, we can direct you to him, Field Commander. Just follow us. He lives just down here-down the hill." Jumping to their feet, the two turned about face and scurried down the hill with the flock of SeeDs in tow.
Stopping in front of a small, wood-paneled bungalow, the ex-cadets gestured toward the door.
"This is the place, commander. He lives here. Would you like us to fetch him?" The smaller one answered in a grating, piping voice. Xu shuddered and shook her head.
"No- that won't be necessary. Now leave."
They didn't need to be asked twice. Quistis shook her head an sighed, glancing back to exchange a bemused look with Irvine. 'Scary' he mouthed to her, chuckling. She rolled her eyes and mouthed 'you have no idea.' Their exchange was interrupted- Xu pounded on the door.
It opened seamlessly, without aid. The room was black as pitch and smelled of old blood. Xu stepped through the doorway without hesitation and Quistis followed directly behind, with the rest of the crew pursuing.
"Pass me a torch."
SeeD Clarion quickly handed his commander an unlit torch. Grasping it's base, Xu murmured softly.
"Fire." She ended her incantation, and flames burst from her hand and flickered onto the wick. The warm light cast sinister shadows across the walls and floor, but the group paid no heed and followed their fearless commander as she traipsed through the cozy cabin parlor, into the kitchen, and halted at a door. She pounded thrice, then paused for five seconds and struck the door four more times. Then she opened the door and they descended into the bowels of the secret SeeD lair.
"Thank Hyne, Xu. You made it. . ."
Three men were hidden away in the basement armory/shelter. Two of them were young SeeDs- Quistis recognized them as new graduates of the program. The older of the three, a short, husky, sandy-haired officer, wore the uniform of an original SeeD. One of Xu and Lukan's classmates. He sat in a large, ratty velour armchair with a pistol in his lap. The younger two were stationed to his sides and wielded nunchakus and projectiles. Xu offered her hand in a hearty handshake.
"Wynston-I hope there wasn't any doubt bout that. . ." She answered. He chuckled and kissed her hand roughly.
"No- just paranoia. Things are pretty fucked up around here and I was just getting a little worried for a second there. . ."
"So I was told." Xu answered, trailing off. She shifted to the side so to display her resources to her comrade.
"You think you have enough manpower there, commander?"
"I don't know, Captain- you tell me." She retorted. He thought about it.
"I'm not sure. I don't recognize all of them. Though there are some old wankers here and there that I wish I could forget. Gentlemen- I wish this reunion was under happier circumstances. I had hoped to meet you all at the sealing in three weeks, but this just gives us a little more time. . ."
"Only if we live through this." Samah said abruptly. " Wynston- you know everyone. A few of them are just a little taller than you remember. A lot taller in some cases." Samah eyed Seifer with a wary look. "But this meeting isn't about orphanage nostalgia- what's going on? What happened to you?" The martial artist asked, motioning to the bindings around the Captain's forearm and torso. The wounded SeeD looked a bit nervous.
"Is everyone here. . .?"
"Everyone present was hand selected by Headmaster Cid, though discretion in such delicate circumstances is always in order." Xu read his mind and answered his question. Quistis found herself a little pissed off by all the cryptic, double-meaning bullshit, but she didn't questions Xu's motives- she had no reason to.
"Alright, then. Yesterday, I was scoping out the provision shack on the other side of town when I was assaulted by a man dressed as an assassin in dark gray. He roughed me up pretty good and began to drill me with questions. These questions were informed, Xu- really informed. He asked me about Project Aede and about the date and anti-sealing procedure. I didn't tell him anything, but he. . .knew about the key- exactly where and what it was. He stole it from me. Xu. . . I'm sor. . ."
"Continue. Then what happened." Xu's face was stone cold.
"He started to beat me again, but we were interrupted when those two ex- cadet boneheads showed up to steal from our provision stash- I could've killed them or promoted them, but. . .anyway, they found us down there and, with natural SeeD instinct, pulled out their weapons. Then came the miraculous part- the assassin transformed right before our eyes and took on my form. He looked exactly like me- save the clothes. I managed to get out of his hold, and we went after him. But he was impressive- those bozos got in some really clean and some really gruesome shots. And then. . ." Wynston paused to catch his breath. "He drew from me and used it against us. All within a moment. We barely escaped with our lives. Those idiots brought me back here, and my lieutenants doped me up on curagas for the night."
"He took on your form, eh?" Irvine cut in, scratching his head. "It was probably a gerogero- those suckers can transmutate into anythin', though they're not usually that powerful. . ."
"This one was an exception." Wynston sighed. "And now. . .he's virtually unstoppable."
"What did he draw from you?" Quistis asked suddenly. The man's face turned ashen.
"He drew my Guardian. He stole Tiamat."
"Ah fuck." Xu swore. All of the elder SeeDs' faces paled.
"I was wondering why Cid issued an army." Dunkan hissed. "Fuck- that bloody Guardian gets us into more trouble- shit! And the damn thing'll think it hilarious that we have to beat it again, so it won't accept you until we kill that fuckin' gero-thing."
"Tiamat always was problematic. . ." Samah agreed, which garnered groans of acceptance from Westmut and Clarion. Seifer snorted.
"Whatever- let's just go kick the hell out of this thing and get that key back. I don't know why everybody's acting all chicken-shit now- there's nine of us here, and just one monster. I think we can handle it."
"I can't fight- all I have is this hand-gun and no junction magic. I can't leave- can't run on this bum leg. . ." Captain Wynston revealed, gesturing.
"You're right." Xu agreed, studying his injury. "And the problem is this: that thing will probably come back for you because, without understanding the functioning mechanism of the key it's useless. So we'll split into two teams: Alpha team will stay here and wait for the creature to hunt out Wynston, while Beta team will search the perimeter."
'BeTa teAm wIlL nEeD yOu, QuIsTy. YoU, aNd IrVy anD tHe kUrSeD SeEdS. . .'
'Xu and Samah?'
" Dunkan- you're in charge of Alpha team. Stay here with Clarion. Almasy, Westmut- you two are on the lookout on the first level. Dunkan, get Shiva junctioned to Almasy and get him some spells. Kinneas, Samah, Trepe, follow me." She withdrew Castrator, which sent a shudder wave through the male throng. After a quick salute, Beta Team left the covert base and began to scour the countryside.
"I don't want to knock on doors, but I'm afraid for the citizens." Samah announced, after an hour of searching. Quistis nodded.
"Unfortunately- if it was a gerogero, it could adopt anyone's form. . ."
"Hey- maybe it adopted Xu's form and that's why she's so hostile!" Irvine beamed and commented. He received a pinch in his arm for his effort.
"Maybe it turned itself into the snake that's winding itself around your boot, Kinneas. . ." Xu murmurred nonchalantly, passing by the cadet. Irvine gulped and proceeded to delicately remove the highly venomous, Winhill Snapper from around his foot. Finally, he just got pissed off and kicked it across the field. Xu tsked.
"Blatant disregard for life. That deserves some demerit points. . ."
"Preserver of life." He corrected. "That fella coulda wandered inta Winhill and snapped at some kids. 'sides, he's not dead- them guys are fighters and mold to the environment. If he's hurt, he'll just curl up and wait for his dinner ta come ta him. They're patient."
"Hyne- the gerogero!" Quistis had an epiphany.
"Quisty-hun. I don't think the snake is actually the gerogero. . .that snake's more ferocious. . ."
"No- I mean like the gerogero! Didn't Wynston tell us that the joker twins really nailed it before he cast Tiamat? Then they had to escape- but they didn't say anything about the gerogero escaping. It's probably still there recuperating! And even if anyone came down into the provision hold, it could just turn into a bug or something. I bet it's still down there."
"Dammit, Quisty. You're so smart."
"No. The rest of us are just idiots. We should've gone there first." Xu growled. "C'mon- it's not far. 'bout a half kilometer from here. Let's go."
Beta team followed their commander to the provision hold. It was a broad, silver silo, just north of the village. The wind was calm and the sun was beaming ginger and vermilion rays into the hordes of holy, cumulus clouds that hung in the sky. It's beauty was religious. Which meant Xu would be on the edge.
"Here's the plan." Xu thought and spoke quickly. "I'll go in first, speaking as though I'm searching for Wynston. I'm going to mention project Aede in hopes of tempting him to show himself. Have your arms or spells ready, because he may attack without hesitation. If he doesn't, I'll continue to goad him. Alright?"
"Sounds fine. We're ready, commander." Irvine agreed, cocking Valiant. Quistis nodded, and Samah bit his lip in consternation.
Xu found the key on her master ring and opened the door. She entered. Quistis, Irvine and Lukan all surveyed the con from the doorway. They kept the door ajar not only to watch Xu's back, but to give her some light- it was midnight inside.
"Wynston? Wynston. . .it's Xu." Xu employed her 'friendly' voice-it was one she rarely used. "Wynston- you have to be here. It's the last place I've looked. C'mon- I'm here to discuss Project Aede- remember? Wynston. . ." She huffed and growled. "You dumb sod- get out here. I don't have all night. . ."
"Xu."
There was a strangled sound.
"Wynston?" Xu held her long stiletto before her. The others heard a wheeze and a cough. "Is that you?"
"It is if that's you, Xu. . ."
"Where are you?" She asked, sword still drawn.
"Far end- near the dry foods. There's a torch near your foot- light it to see."
Never changing her position, Xu held her sword steady while she put her foot underneath the torch and flipped it up, catching it with her right hand. She lit it.
Even Xu couldn't help but gasp.
Before them lie a clone of Wynston, dressed all in gray, bleeding profusely from the leg and shoulder. There was a gruesome smile plastered all over his face. Xu moved back a second. Using the wall as a support, he clutched and dragged himself to a standing position, holding a bloodied dagger in his hand.
"Xu, huh?" He laughed maniacally. "Right." He shook his head. "Here to discuss Aede, huh? I'd like to know what you know. Why don't you tell me." Xu fell into a fighting position. As did the doppelganger "You will not escape this time. . ." He sneered and, closing his eyes, began to chant. The SeeD commander took a step back.
"Ah, Hyne. Move move move. . ." Xu pirouetted and threw herself out the door. Grabbing Irvine and Quistis' arms, Xu pushed them all out into the field.
"He's casting it. Shit- run! Run!" Xu hollered, but it was too late. The sky turned dark- the clouds collapsed into a purple haze and eclipsed the sun. The group fell back in horror as a low, metallic whimper came from the silo, accompanied by the scraping of sheet metal on sheet metal. For a moment, the breeze fell flat.
"NO!" Samah yelled.
Suddenly, the silo erupted in a burst of pulsating energy and anti-light. Throaty screams ripped through the air as the sleek, draconian form of Tiamat rose from the fiery wreckage. He arched his thorny back and spread wide his silver-blue wings. The elegant head rose in defiance and observed his enemies with disdain.
"Lukan- get out of here." Xu hissed. They all looked at her. She continued. "If we fall, you need to bring us back. You have full cure, you are the fastest and you have Vigil if it comes to that. Get now- we'll take the brunt of the blow. Go- now." He opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it. He bolted. Grinning bitterly, Xu patted Quistis on the back.
"You ever seen a flare spell, Trepe?"
"No. Never."
"Well- this'll be even better. You get to see AND feel what we named Tiamat's dark Flare. I like to think of it as a little taste of hell before death. Enjoy."
"Fuck'en Hyne."
"You said it, cowboy." Quistis agreed. Her blood was boiling and her spell Ray Bomb was on her lips- but there was no time to cast it. "Damn. Xu- you're like the big sister I needed to be stuck with. Irvy. . .I. . ."
"Shut up, Quistis." Xu interjected, gritting her teeth. " We'll be back alive in five minutes as long as Lukan gets his ass back here before Tiamat decides to gorge himself on our incapacitated bodies. . ."
"Quisty. . ."
"Here it comes. . ." Xu prepared for impact. Quistis and Irvine followed suit.
"Don't worry." Irvine whispered.
'dOn'T wOrRy- MamA'lL tAkE of'er BabIes. . .'
The dragon arched back, drawing the dark power of flare from the life- sustaining power of the universe. All Quistis could see was the dark, mesmerizing waves of the anti-photon flare spots as they surged towards them. All three were frozen in their spots- too afraid to move, to scream. To become enraged and limit. The darkness came upon them.
'stUpiD GirL- taKe iT iN. . .cArEsS tHe pOwER. AbSorB the PoWer. . .LovE tHaT pOwEr. . .'
'How?' Even her mental voice was quivering.
'no hOw. dO. . .'
The power of the Dark Flare fell upon them. The power was tangible- it pushed against them, like a wall of life-absorbing matter. Quistis focused her thoughts just as Samah had taught her- she found her focus, though her heart shook- she could hear her companion's screams all around her.
'Irvine, Xu. . .'
'fEel tHe PowER joIn wItH yOuR fORm. . .cArEsS tHe PoWEr. . .'
Quistis let the power caress her. She imagined it stroking her skin- the heat was rousing and sexual. She felt it invade her body. It dipped into every empty crack of her being and surged toward her center. It fuelled the mitochondria of every cell and short-circuited her nervous system; her body spasming and twitching with deeply-rooted pain and true, orgasmic bliss. She was blind and deaf and she screamed soundlessly, but her higher senses were buzzing and over-stimulated. The wave of power was perceptible and, before her, Quistis swore her sensations became corporeal. Colors that could not be processed by the human mind were manifested before her. The sound of grass moving could be heard. Suddenly, she heard her own scream and felt said grass underneath her palms.
She opened her eyes.
She was alive, in the plain. To her left was her commander- bleeding and bruised, but breathing. To her right was her lover, unconscious and burned, but still slightly twitching. Before her was the doppelganger, already recasting the spell. She knew what she had to do.
She began to chant.
"Quistis!" It was Samah. She continued to ready her spell. " Quistis, how? Oh, never mind. I'm going to cast life on Xu. Get Kinneas."
But she was too far in.
"Quistis, what are you. . .No!"
She muttered the last few words of her spell.
"Ray Bomb."
The crackling energy pulsated in her body- The Tiamat's strength fuelled her sadistic need. It lifted her into the air, humming and buzzing in her head. Quistis opened her eyes to stare her foe in the face.
Then she fell. Her energy fizzled and dissipated into the air.
She slammed into the ground- fully paralyzed. There was no power, only the looming sensation of a potentially-painful death. With her eyes open, she gazed upon the love of her young life- unconscious with his hair streaming out along the grass like an auburn brook. All she wanted in the whole of the universe was to hold him and stroke that hair. And she wanted to tell him she loved him.
"Lukan, do it now!" Xu's voice sounded like a distant echo.
'anything you regret' A true echo.
"Unjunction! I can't do it if you're in my head. . ." Samah was like a glimpse of the past.
'dying a virgin'
". . .There. I've unjuctioned. Summon him." Xu was fading fast. . .
'should'a got Kinneas ta take care a that last night'
"Xu. . .But Quistis. . .what'll happen to. . ." 'What'll happen to us?'
"Lukan, do it. Look at them. . .Do it for them. . ."
'Yes'
"I regret everything but loving you." She whispered. A glossy tear dripped down her cheek.
Tiamat sprung from the darkness once more. Quistis could feel the power rising- she couldn't take any more- it only hurt her. She sighed and lay back, waiting to watch the awesome beauty of the dark flare as it came upon them. It would be a divine way to die.
Tiamat reared back, beginning his rapid countdown. To her left, Quistis heard a rustle. But she paid it no heed. She heard Samah mumbling- he wouldn't make it. There was no time. No Time.
Suddenly, everything stopped- the growl of the wind, the shriek of the dragon and the buzzing in her own head. Everything save the soft incantation that fell from Lukan Samah's lips. The final words of his summon spell reverberated in her skull. . .
"Chrono-tyranny. . ."
The jet sky opened up and the darkness gathered and funneled, falling towards the ground. Quistis watched in awed rapture as the darkness crept closer, revealing a wondrous and blasphemous sight. Clouds of mangled souls and tortured spirits clung to the spiral of darkness that descended from the heavens- their screams echoed deeply in her mind. She screamed and vainly tried to cover her ears, but her entire body was plastered to the ground by the sheer magnitude of the incoming force- as though even gravity was influenced by the host.
The spirit swarm dipped and swerved then began to coil itself around the Tiamat. It began to encircle quickly and Quistis watched in horror as she beheld the power of the Guardian Vigil.
The Tiamat began to age, and Quistis beheld the process of dying at an alarming rate. This immortal GF, in all it's glory, began to wither- the scaly flesh began to hang like empty sacks, and teeth suddenly fell out of it's mouth and bones snapped. The skin began to melt off the body to reveal the skeleton itself.
Then the host stopped.
And reversed the pattern.
The great dragon grew younger- the flesh rejoined the skeleton and the teeth returned to the great mouth. It became child-like and more vibrant.
And the host continued.
The Tiamat relived some sort of adolescence, and reverted to an infantile state. It shrunk and curled into a tiny, shrimp-like creature. Folding it's miniature wings, the Tiamat became a ball, then, finally, enclosed itself in a shimmering, silver-blue egg. The egg fell to the ground with a thud. Screaming and cursing, the host ascended toward heaven and disappeared behind the white cumulous clouds that slightly masked dusky sky. Quistis' body suddenly let lose one last spasm and released. She instantly felt amazing.
"Hyne. . ."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure mantled in an aura of pulsating blue light. It moved past her toward the silver egg. Groaning, she sat up and peered after the creature.
She gasped.
It had been Lukan Samah. But she could no longer affix that name to this beast. Samah's body was mutated and contorted- barely recognizable. The creature itself was almost seven feet tall and clad in only the remnants of Samah's uniform, which had been ripped to shreds throughout whatever transformation had taken place. While Samah's facial structure remained relatively unchanged, his eyes had turned the color of quicksilver and his face was devoid of emotion or personality- any lines that Lukan had developed through his young life were gone. He was devoid of human character. The curly chestnut hair that had graced his head before had grown long and sleek, down to the ground, and, while starting black, grew to a snow white through a perfectly gauged gradient. But the most horrifying was the silver bat's wings that had ripped through Samah's broad back. Strings of bloody flesh clung to the leathery hide- Samah's own flesh, torn from his back by the transformation.
'ViGiL- sAdiStiC GuArDiAn-GoD. . .'
'He's amazing. . .'
'He'S bEaUtIfUL. mAmA wAnTS hIm. . .dOn'T You?'
'Hyne. . .'
Vigil-in-Samah bent down and collected the silver egg from the ground- the large sphere sat neatly in his hands. Slowly, it lost its luster and it's delicate hue grew to an midnight black. The Tiamat was dead.
"Fuck me." Quistis heard Xu mutter beside her. Apparently so did Vigil, for he turned his head toward his ex-companions. Without a blink, he tossed the stone near Quistis. It landed with an earth tremor, and deeply indented the earth.
"FoR DiaDeM." He spoke. At the voice, Quistis was instantly reminded of her mental parasite- two voices- bound, but distinct. Each voice dominant at varying times throughout the phrase, causing an undulating tone. Samah's voice was still full of warmth, while Vigil's voice, though painstakingly beautiful and melodious, was frigid and lacked any semblance of human emotion.
Quistis stared at him.
"Take it, Quistis. You don't turn down gifts from Gods." Xu commanded, crossing her arms.
Quistis approached it hesitantly.
Her core power responded with joyful humming. The power was familiar- as familiar as coral fragments and spiderwebs were. This was a link to Diadem's long forgotten powers that were embedded deep in Quistis' own person. Quistis gently stroked the egg-shaped rock.
"Dark matter." She whispered lovingly. Without realizing it, she'd been waiting for this for her entire life. This was the power she wanted and the key to unleashing Diadem's greatest spell, Shockwave Pulsar.
"tAkE. . ." Vigil beckoned. Quistis nodded, greedily. Fondling the great stone fervently, she embraced the familiar act of Inanimate-Drawing.
Death. Sex. Ambrosia. Hate. Love. Fear. Sadness. Bliss.
Perfection. She was complete.
She was alive in full. The evolution of perfection.
Shockwave Pulsar.
The force of the power had sent her flying through the air. She landed in the grass, close to Xu, who rushed to her and held the younger instructor in her arms.
"Quistis. . ."
Quistis couldn't say anything. She reveled in her sensations. Xu stroked her hair and murmurred reassuring words. Somewhere, in sometime, Xu had done this before. Quistis couldn't remember for the life of her when, though.
Through her daze, Quistis could make out Vigil's form as he bent down to pick up something else.
"Irvine." Xu muttered.
Alarm bells suddenly went off in her head. Quistis pushed herself into a seated position.
"Vigil. . ." Xu spoke quietly and stood, helping Quistis with her. Vigil had lifted unconscious Irvine off the ground and was now holding him high in the air by the neck. Quistis screamed, but Xu held onto her tightly. "What are you doing?"
"Xu. . ." The voices spoke her name in exactly the same way. " hE mUsT dIe. . ."
"What?!?!? No! You monster!" Quistis cried, beating at Xu. But the Commander's grip was a vice.
"Why, Vigil?" Xu spoke simply, devoid of emotion. Tears began to stream down Quistis' face.
"hE wIlL kIlL uS aLl." The creature ominously replied. "hE hOlDs iT iNsIDe oF hIm. sHe wAntS iT- ShE usEs hIm. tHeRe iS nO thReAt iF hE dIeS nOw. . ."
"Xu! No!" Quistis began to weep and struggle. Xu paid no heed.
"What does he hold, Vigil?"
"tHe DeaTh oF TiMe. sHe lIveS wiTh HiM- In hIm- tO reTrieVe tHe SpeLl oF cOmPrEsSiOn. It iS HyNe'S wIlL tHaT tHE bOy bE sAcRiFICeD. . ."
"No. . ."
"hUsH, DiAdEM. YoUr cRiES wIlL nOt PeRsUaDe ME."
Vigil raised his hand to the sky- it darkened and opened again. The Spiral of Souls shot down from the heavens. Quistis began to scream.
'SaVe hIm, QuIsTY. FoR lOvE. . .'
'For love. Yes. . .'
With unnatural speed, Quistis took Xu by surprise as she drew the stiletto from the commander's own scabbard and stabbed her friend in the thigh. Gold-green eyes widened in horror as the commander fell to her knees, grabbing at her wound. Half mad with blood-lust, half with duty, Quistis threw herself at Vigil's colossal figure. He ignored her and waited for the host to devour his prey. Quistis screamed and stabbed at him with Xu's sword- but the blade simply ricocheted off his impenetrable skin. Sobbing and begging, she grabbed his arms.
"Vigil, no. . .Lukan. . .please. . ."
"DiAdEm. . .qUisTis. . ."
'tAke hIm. . .noW!' The voice in her head screamed at her and the power of Vigil abruptly rushed into her mind. His strength was that of immortality and time- the power of the ages. The voice in her head cackled maniacally.
'dRain hIm, mY bLuE sOrCeReSs. . .TiMe wiLl bE oU. . YoUrs. . ."
Quistis satiated herself on Vigil's awesome power. Above her, the ring of spirits scattered and the sky cleared fully to it's natural radiance. Vigil shrunk before her and, finally, the great energy that had permeated from the body waned. She withdrew- high and sick on magic. She couldn't feel her toes and she was hallucinating. Vigil-now-Samah, fell to the ground, unconscious beside Irvine. Quistis tried to move, but her body refused to listen- it moved by itself. Her senses were failing her- she heard the sound of children's sing-song and tasted cotton candy. Trying to focus her eyes, she saw two Xu's, swinging swords of opposing hues, surrounded by never-ending twilight.
"I'm sorry Quistis."
Quistis was wrong- she wasn't hallucinating. Xu was using her limit.
"Xu."
"Quistis. Forgive me." The parallel Xus chanted their short, limit incantation.
"Xu-Bye."
"Antithesis."
The twin swords punctured Quistis' flesh and met at her heart, ripping her soul from her body. The pain would be well worth it. It was all too much.
And she wanted to be free.
A.N.:. . . . um.R and R. ( Exam ---- time -----make -----me -------slow----- to ----write.---- Sorry.