Chapter 26
(continued)
She was greeted with a cold marble vestibule, exquisitely crafted. There was thick red carpeting on the floor and flickering flames in pewter torches mounted on the walls.
But none of that mattered.
She strode through the corridor, sure of every movement. She was feeling feverish, like the night before, and needed to sate her hungering magic. It, in turn, needed blood.
And it would glut itself on that particular delicacy before the ordeal came to a close.
A rolling wail reverberated through the corridor.
'The alarm. . .'
She continued to walk through the darkening hall, toward the door on the final wall.
Suddenly, the door opened and a man stepped out.
He was a young man, slightly handsome in an average way, with dark hair and greenish eyes. He stood a head above her and four feet before her. He was average. . .but he was beautiful to her.
The gray uniform was just what she'd been searching for.
"H. . .hey, miss- how'd you get in here? This is a restricted area. Didn't the guards tell you that. . ."
"I'm sorry. I killed the guards before they could." Her voice sounded especially cold.
" Y. .you? huh? Why would you kill the guards? Hey- Who are you?" He fell into a standard defensive stance with ease.
Her magic ached for his spilled blood and open flesh.
'Hyne, Quistis- calm yourself. The mission. Find out about the attacks. . .' She breathed deeply and disregarded his questions.
"Tell my why your faction has decided to open war on the Trabian and Galbadian Gardens."
Her magic was not pleased with her pacific stance. It violently surged through her system and threw her off balance. Luckily, her natural grace saved her front, for the average man didn't even blink. But his eyes widened and mouth fell open.
"War with Garden? What the hell are you talking about? Why would we contest Garden? Who the hell are you?"
"You attacked Trabia Garden only days ago. You kidnapped two of their SeeDs and fatally wounded several cadets."
"Excuse me? Is this a joke?!?" The average man demanded, drawing the cutlass from it's sheath. "I don't know who the fuck you are, but you best get out of my way. We're under attack and I have to join my troops and defend this establishment. Now- you're pretty cute, so I feel that it would be a waste to slice your head off, but unless you move and find your way out of here really quickly, you will give me no choice but to. . ."
"Ray bomb."
Quistis stared in horror at the body. It wasn't your average body- it was smoldering and reeked of burned flesh and hair. His arm had been ripped from it's socket and fell to the ground at her feet with strings of muscle and ligament leaking behind like flagella.
'I. . .didn't do that. . .'
Had she honestly said the words? She wasn't sure. She hadn't meant to kill the young man. Sure- he was misogynistic and daft, but that was no reason for her to blow him up, especially when he had granted her supposed freedom.
'Hyne, what is wrong with me? Why can't I control this?'
She could hear footsteps approaching from behind. Without any thought, magical words filled her mind and she spun around to meet her adversaries.
"Shockwave. .. "
"Instructor!"
Had Seifer not called out to her, her company would've been dead. She stuffed her mighty spell back into her easily accessible short-term memory.
"Sorry-we encountered a couple difficulties on the way in." Hunter uttered. Suddenly noticing the charred corpse littering the floor he put his hand over Astrid's pretty eyes and grimaced. "Though. . .I guess you did too, huh?"
She didn't dignify the comment with a response, but turned her attention to another cadet.
"Irvine? Are you alright?"
". . .yeah. Got my gun and my girl and an opportunity kill some nasty critters. What more can a man hope for?"
He grinned and winked. Quistis remained cold.
'. . .he didn't just say that in front of Martine and half the Galbadian SeeD corps. . .' She was shocked. Raising and eyebrow, he strode toward her and, before she could move or protest and knee him in the groin, he planted a wet kiss on her shock-opened lips. Flipping his ponytail over his shoulder and stepping over the pile of charred tissue, he entered the next room.
'. . .holy hyne. . .'
Most of the soldiers looked uncomfortable. Martine raised an eyebrow. Hunter still had his hand over Astrid's eyes. Seifer scratched his head and shrugged.
"Sorry, Instructor Trepe. Kinneas is doped up on Elixir. After we get out of here, I suggest that someone talks to him about his philandering. It was funny, but very disrespectful."
Quistis gawked at Seifer, who smirked and shrugged lightly.
'. . .did he just save my ass?'
"We'll worry about all that later." Martine cut in, slightly annoyed. 'That tone of voice. . .he must be really angry. I've never heard him sound so. . .dark and gruff. " What happened to that soldier?"
". . .He denied his company's involvement in the attacks. Then. . .he lunged at me and my limit went off and. . .that happened." She pointed to the mess with a bland expression. The corps accepted her explanation and took off after Irvine.
They were greeted with a fork in the road and a troop of gray-clad soldiers running toward them from the right corridor.
"So, like, I think these guys need to learn how to welcome their guests. Shootin' at us- I'm gonna return their hospitality. . ." Irvine raised Valiant and shot one of the sword-wielding soldiers straight through the head.
'Dammit, Irvine hopped up on elixir is both charming and suicidal. . .'
"Hyne, Martine- what do we do?" 'Am I supposed to give the orders or him?'
". . .Eliminate them all." Martine answered coldly. She turned to him and gawked.
"S. . .sir?"
"You heard me, Trepe. They will not cooperate and they're trying to kill us. Eliminate them." Glancing down the left corridor, he drew his gun. "Trepe, Kinneas and Squad B, follow me down this corridor. The rest of you- take down as many soldiers as you can and try to meet up with Dunkan and his corps."
"But Martine, I can't just leave them without a commanding officer. . ." She snapped her whip out at an oncoming soldier. It broke his neck.
"Well. . ."Martine stopped and pointed. "You there- what's your name?"
"Um. . .m. .me?"
"Yes you." He snapped impatiently and fired at a gray-suited adversary.
'What the fuck is with Martine? And what the hell is wrong with that Soldier?"
"Um. . .Private Watts, sir."
"Private Watts, you're in charge. Squad B, let's go."
Martine took off down the left hallway with Quistis jogging alongside him and Irvine striding lazily alongside her. Squad B was a small group that consisted of a few physically fit soldiers, one big old soldier and the fattest, slowest one. Quistis was a little surprised at the selection. She was glad she couldn't see their faces behind the masks, because she'd be ashamed to see just how old Deling's troupes were. Behind them, swords clanked and war ensued.
It all made her blood boil.
"Martine. . .what are we doing?"
He didn't answer her.
"Martine?"
"Just shut up and do as you're told- I heard you were good at that- What the hell happened?"
She stopped, stunned. Irvine stopped beside her. Martine paid them no heed as he met with another bifurcation and turned left with the troops.
"Quisty?"
". . .Who is that?"
"Who is who? Whaddaya mean?"
She met his blissful, oblivious gaze.
"Irvine. . .Martine is acting. . ."
". . .Hey- I know that girl!" Irvine interrupted her and ran off, leaving Quistis dumbfounded. Whirling around, she started to reprimand her inebriated beau, when she realized that she knew the girl too.
'. ..sis?'
Ellone came running down the hall toward them with Irvine meeting her part way. Her large doe eyes were wild with fright and surprise.
"Hiya Sis." Irvine waved and grabbed her in a bear hug. Ellone stared.
"Irvine?"
"Ellone." Quistis ran up to meet them. Ellone turned her shocked stare on the blonde instructor. "What are you doing here? Are you all right?"
". . .Quistis, I could say the same for you." After planting a kiss on Irvine's dirty cheek, Ellone broke from his embrace. Grabbing Quistis' arm, she pulled her close. "Quistis. ..what are you two doing here?"
". . .We're on a mission to kill the sorceress-guys. .." Irvine slurred. Ellone glanced at him bewildered. Quistis explained.
"The Sorceritology cult has been attacking Trabia Garden. We gave them an ultimatum- stop or we stop you, and they have denied their obvious involvement, so we've been forced to take action."
"You just missed Martine- he ran thattaway." Irvine gesticulated. The perplexed look that graced her face remained unchecked.
". . .Sorceritology? I don't understand. . ."
"Sis, what are you doing here?" Quistis grabbed her shoulders. Upon touching the girl, Quistis' magic surged and climbed to new heights. Ellone obviously felt her power, as the girls eyes bugged out and she gasped. "I thought you were taking Lukan to see Odine. Was the ship attacked? Is Kiros here?"
"Is the President here too?" Irvine asked excitedly. Quistis ignored his stupidity.
"This isn't even en route. What happened?"
"Quistis. . .I just stopped in here to consult with the council. I. . ." She put her hand to her head. "My god-a mission? Here? Cid really doesn't know about this, does he?"
"He had to go to the hospital with Xu, so Rand contacted Martine. . .Ellone, tell my why you're here!" Quistis demanded.
"Quistis- I don't know what Garden thinks they're doing, but this isn't about any cult. This is the seali. . ."
A shot rang out.
Ellone's eyes widened then rolled back in her head. She slumped to the floor.
"Holy fuck. . ."Irvine swore.
"Sis!" Quistis screamed and clutched at the girl.
'No. ..no. . .this is not happening. . .'
"Elle. . ."
". . .She's not dead, y'know."
That voice.
Quistis jerked her head up.
"Xu."
"Holy fuck." Irvine repeated.
"Get up, both of you. And pick her up. Bring her along." Xu turned on her heel.
"Xu. . .why did you. . ." Quistis began, but couldn't finish. 'Sis. . .'
"She's a traitor, Quistis. She's a sorceress. I. . .I've been following her for years, but, because of my relationship with Lukan, I haven't been strong enough to bring about the end of her faction. She inherited Adel's powers, so now she has a grudge against Cid Kramer and Laguna Loire. I mean. . .even against you. Your mother was one of the knights who fought against Adel. That's why she sent that assassin after you. And, now, she's planning on releasing Sorceress Edea, so the sorceresses can reunite and oppress the planet. That's why she sent that gerogero after Wynston- to get his key." Xu paused and took in a breath. Irvine whistled quietly. "We actually sent out the mission to Rand who sent it to Galbadia- I knew we'd need you, Quistis, and I was hoping that, if word got out that I was in the hospital, that they would potentially loosen their guard." Quistis shook her head.
'Sis is. . .no. I can't believe it.'
"So there you have it. Now. . .bring her. It's just a flesh wound- she'll recover in prison. Martine and his troupes have cleared out the soldiers in this section, and Watts and his crew have established communications with Dunkan's corps on the outside." With that, Xu ran down the corridor and hung a right.
"Quisty. . .I'm not so sure 'bout. .."
"Xu is my mentor and she's never steered me wrong."
Quistis lifted Ellone with ease and followed Xu down the tunnel, with Irvine tagging along behind.
"Xu? Where are we going?" Quistis asked.
". . .There's an old Sealing unit in this facility- Adel confiscated it before she died. We're going to Seal her in there until we decide what to do with her."
". . dunno. . .she seems kinda harmless to me." Irvine shrugged. Xu glowered.
"Everything is harmless to you- you're high on elixir." With that, she led them toward a large door made of dense, white plastic with metal edges. Solid and practically impenetrable.
". . .how'd she know I was high on elixir?"
Xu approached the door with mild trepidation. Quistis watched her- there was something so odd about the situation. The commander pressed a couple buttons and suddenly a slot opened up. Xu then produced from her pocket a holder that almost resembled a jewelry box. Lifting the lid, she produced a small computer chip attached to a key. She inserted the key into the slot, which promptly manifested a shiny black screen.
After a moment of study, Xu leaned forward and pushed her face to the screen that was most probably a sensor.
A light flickered and pulsated. A hollow robotic voice spoke.
"Retina scan accepted. Identity confirmed- Serenya Laurentide-Viator, codename Xu. Enter."
'Serenya Laurentide-Viator. . .so the one-named commander actually has three names. . .'
Quistis and Irvine followed Xu into the next room which differed dramatically from the hallways. It was similar to a checkup room- cold and sterile, with a tray of needles laying on a desk. On the far wall was another sensor.
"Wow. . .all this just to seal a silly sorceress." Irvine snorted. Xu smiled strangely.
"Why can you pass the sensors Xu?" Quistis asked curiously. It was all mind-boggling.
". . .I was programmed into them as a child, because everyone knew I would be a SeeD commander and that I would have to take it upon myself to carry this burden. But. . .this sensor. I. . .hate it. It's a blood sensor. Fuck I hate needles."
"Well. . .Xu. . .don't you need to do it?"
"Nah- Actually, I was hoping Irvine could do it. He has the same blood type as Samah, and that's all that matters. Could you?"
'What a strange request. . .Xu's never been squeamish before. . .she couldn't afford to be. . .maybe she's really not feeling well. . .'
"Me? We have the same blood type? Oh, well, sure I can do it if you don't feel comfortable. Do ya think the elixir in my blood will affect it at all?"
"This isn't a drug test, Irvine- just do it. It shouldn't matter. . ."
Shrugging, Irvine cheerfully set about drawing his own blood for the test. Quistis watched him warily, a little unsure about giving the boy a needle.
"Here you are." He offered the syringe to Xu, who made her way over to the sensor. Quistis and Irvine stood back and watched. Irvine rubbed his arm and bit his lip.
". ..don't know about this." He murmured.
Xu pressed a couple buttons, received a couple angry beeps, then a tray slid out from the wall with an integrated petri dish. The Balamb commander squirted some of Irvine's blood onto the dish then pressed a couple more buttons until the tray was retracted.
". ..dunno if she knows how ta work it. . ."Irvine whispered in Quistis ear. Quistis stifled her giggle and nodded. If Xu noticed, she didn't indicate anything.
Suddenly a door opened and the robotic voice spoke again.
" Blood code 0947SLV confirmed. You may enter."
Xu entered without a word. Quistis meant to follow her, but was restrained.
"Irvine. ..hyne. . ."
"Quisty-shhh. . ."He whispered. He no longer appeared sick or inebriated. His expression was very serious.
"What's wrong?"
". . .dunno." He answered simply. "But there's somethin' goin' on. Xu. . .just lied to us. I know she did."
"About the blood type? You and Samah don't have the same blood type?"
". . .s'not just that." He whispered softly. ". . .no one has the same blood type, save him and Elle. Even if the computer just wanted to get a male reading as opposed to a female reading. Samah and I don't have the same blood type 'cause. . .well, stuff. I mean. . .we're both male but. . .There's somethin' fishy going on. . .We need ta keep our guard up. . .speaking of guards. . ." He motioned with his head and Quistis suddenly noticed Squad B standing at attention at the doorway. Quistis frowned.
"You two, get in here and bring her with you." Xu barked from the subsequent room. Exchanging a glance, Quistis and Irvine followed. Quistis noted that the soldiers followed them through.
The next room was plain and dull save for two sensors lining the wall. Xu stood beside the one on the right.
"Quistis, bring Ellone toward the scanner and on my count put her left hand on the screen."
Quistis transported the incapacitated Ellone and positioned her near the scanner. The closer she moved to the next door, the more her magic sang.
She suddenly had a very strong feeling about the situation, though, she didn't know if it was a negative or positive sensation.
"Go."
Quistis pressed Ellone's limp hand against the scanner and watched as the lights flicked on and off and the computers whirred within the walls.
'Why Ellone? Does it need a fingerprint scan of a sorceress or something?'
The lights dimmed and Xu pulled away. Quistis stared at Xu for a moment and caught something strange in her peripheral vision.
Her hands. . .looked strange. Long fingers. Masculine almost. . .
"Xu?" Quistis asked curiously.
"Quistis?"
The blonde instructor glanced down again and saw nothing out of the ordinary.
'I'm going nuts. Trick of the light.
"Nothing. . .sorry. Just had a thought- Why did you need Ellone for this scan? It doesn't really make any sense if she's the one that's going to be sealed."
". . .don't worry about it?" Xu growled.
The Computer voice spoke.
"Fingerprint scans accepted. Identities confirmed. Ellone Leonhart-Loire and Lukan Samah Leonhart. Proceed to Lunarimanum."
"Lukan? Wha?" Irvine looked around. The door opened.
"Come on in." Xu whispered. "And leave her there." She motioned to Ellone's body that was presently propped up against the wall in a seated position.
"Xu. . .no. What's going on?" Quistis asked. She suddenly felt a sharp pain in the small of her back.
"Get in there. . ."A rough voice hissed in her ear. Squad B. There was something vaguely familiar about that voice. There was also a knife pressed against her skin.
"What the hell?!?" Irvine hollered. He received a sharp blow to the head for his insolence.
"Both of you get in here." Xu announced.
Quistis and Irvine marched into the dark room.
But it wasn't a room at all.
Lunarimanum. . .
What they walked into was a neverending sea of pitch, save for stars twinkling far and not so far away. There was a crystal floor, but no walls. The light from the luminous suns bounced off the facets of the surface and sprayed out into the void in visible streams of luminosity. Quistis looked around, absolutely mystified, glancing below then above.
Hovering above her head was what looked like a burnt out star, glowing red like an ember and pulsating black in the middle. From the sun sprayed three golden streams of light, two of which shot out into the dark void while the last attached itself to their doorway. In the dying light, Quistis could just barely make out Xu's form as she walked toward the nearest and brightest star.
"So beautiful. . ."She whispered and meant it. Her magic was whirling and flipping inside her. True joy spread through her body. She was excited and elated and enraptured. "Lunarimanum. . ."
"Lunarimanum. . ."Irvine repeated weakly. Quistis turned and took his hand.
He was violently shaking.
"Irvy?" She asked. He looked at her and stopped walked. "Are you okay?"
"I. . .don't want to be here, Quisty. I. . .don't like it here. Something is in here. Something dark. . .I know it. I can feel it. . .Don't make me, hun. . ."
"Move. .."The guard behind them grabbed Irvine by the neck and pushed him along. He struggled feebly, but he still had relatively little strength left due to the previous night. Quistis' concern diminished, or was forced aside by her heightening excitement.
They moved toward the light.
And then Quistis realized why Irvine was so frightened.
"Vigil. . ." She gasped.
And it was.
The God of Time and Space sat atop a throne of crystal and dark matter. This was not Vigil-in-Samah, but Vigil himself in pure form. He was frightening in his perfection- the symmetry, the colorlessness, the features crafted exquisitely by Hyne's own hand. The creature's silver eyes were large and focused.
But they were also dead.
And he was shackled to the throne.
He did not stir.
"Don't worry, boy- he can't hurt you. It's just his shell. His spirit/mind/whatever is, thankfully, imprisoned in that Estharian bastard Samah."
Vigil's shell.
"Some guardian." The stout soldier scoffed and came to stand beside Xu. In between Xu and Vigil's throne existed a crystal box, long and high, which, in Quistis' point of view, greatly resembled a coffin.
"W. ..what is that, Xu?" Quistis asked. Her mentor turned back to her.
"Come and see, Quistis."
Quistis approached Xu and gasped.
It was a coffin.
And it held someone very precious, very beautiful and very familiar.
"Matron. . ." Quistis gasped.
Xu nodded.
"Edea Kramer. My mother. C'mon Quistis, help me set her free. "
"NO!"
Irvine hollered and pushed Xu away from the sarcophagus. If there had been walls, the cock-gun sound would've echoed through Lunarimanum. Everyone stared at Irvine.
". . .I may be partially off my rocker, but you are not Xu. I don't know who you are, but you're definitely not the commander I know. The one who told me she'd castrate me before I interfered with the sealing. The one who calls her own mother 'matron'. Quisty get away from there. . ."
"Irvine, what do you mean?" Quistis asked, but was interrupted by the fat soldier.
"So. . .I guess you're more than a horny gunslinger, eh? Well then, that just means you'll have an even longer service in Galbadia. Once you're too old or crippled for sharpshooting, I can give you a nice cozy position in the missile base intelligence unit. You're just full of surprises Cadet Kinneas. . ."
"Vinzer Deling." Irvine sneered. "What the hell is going on?"
"What the hell is going on?" Xu laughed. Suddenly her body began to contort and she exploded momentarily before transforming into Martine, then Captain Wynston. Quistis looked at her horrified.
"Xu?"
"The gerogero!" Irvine exclaimed. "you're dead!"
"Wrong." Deling exclaimed. "You, in fact, killed the real SeeD Wynston and brought us back the key. I followed you to Trabia at my master's request and, after locking that clown Martine in the furnace chamber, I took on his form, then that bitch Xu's. It's been so easy to manipulate you children. .."
"Bastard!" Irvine exclaimed, throwing himself at Deling. The Gerogero transformed again and sent Irvine toppling with a blow to the chest. Irvine scurried to get his gun but found himself paralyzed with fear.
"I may not have the strength of a God, but your traumatized mind doesn't process that." The gerogero as Vigil cackled and unleashed Deling's sword from it's scabbard. "You're just scared shitless as it is." He thrust down into the sharpshooter's shoulder.
Quistis screamed.
The coffin began to vibrate.
Her magic shuddered.
"Don't kill him, but have fun with him. .."Deling oozed then chuckled as the gerogero stabbed into Irvine's right shoulder. "I can still use him, and sorceress Edea will be very upset if she doesn't get her little boy back. She was explicit in her demands." Deling slunk his way over to the coffin. Quistis stood before it protectively, unsure of the Galbadian's motivations. She wanted to help Irvine desperately, but she instinctively knew that she had to protect Matron.
"Deling. . ."She warned. "Tell that Gerogero to stop or else I'll blow us all up."
". . .Try it, my darling."
Deling fired a shot, puncturing the coffin. It made a clean hole straight through, without harming the sorceress.
"Deling. . ." She growled. Her magic pulsated deep in her being, waiting to explode. He chuckled. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. She tried to block out Irvine's screams and the gerogero's gleeful exclamations. She tried to ignore the presence of Vigil and what he did to her form. She tried to ignore the fact that she'd been manipulated for the last two months of her life and that it all now boiled down to this.
'dO iT. RelEaSe tHe MaGic QuiStY. . .iT iS YoUr DeSTinY. . .My PeRFecT QuIsTY. . .aNd hEr PeRFecT SpElL. . .'
She knew what she had to do.
"Shockwave Pulsar. . ."
The magic threw her body back against Vigil's throne. It flew from her body and hit a target.
But not the target she planned.
The coffin shattered and Edea fell to the ground.
"Shockwave pulsar." She screamed, recasting the spell. Her form spasmed and jerked against the base of the throne, but her spell wound around Deling and entered Edea. She screamed and cried.
'I'm so afraid. . .what is wrong with me?'
'qUisTy. . .MoRe. . .SenD mE mOrE. . .'
"Shockwave Pulsar!" Quistis gasped as the spell spewed from her mouth over and over again. It was forceful. It was rape.
She wasn't casting it.
"Shockwave pulsar. Shockwave pulsar. Shockwave pulsar. . ." She sobbed as the magic was ripped over and over from her body. She couldn't breathe and just kept screaming.
She was dying. This was how it felt when she'd fed off Irvine. Slow and torturous. . .
No control. . .
'No KonTroL? I hAvE kOnTroL. . .oVeR tIMe, oVeR KreAtiOn. WhaT wAs MinE wIlL rETuRn To Me. . .TiMe KoMpReSsIoN. FrOm mE to Him, FroM hIm to YoU and NoW It cAn ReturN to Me- mY bEautIfUl SpElL thAt He HaS kEpT fRoM mE. ThAnk You SoRcEresS Blue-YoU hAvE bEen SucH aN eAsY iNsTruMent. EveRY SteP oF mY PlAN hAs bEen eXecUtEd PeRFecTlY, sIncE tHe mOmeNT MeMorIus tOok mY pOwEr. NoW I wIlL tAkE ThE pOwEr Of vIgIl aNd mAkE tImE mIne. It WiLl onLy Be mE. . ..DiADeM. . .GiVe Me YoUr PoWeR. . .ThE pOwEr to DrIvE HeR fRoM mY NeW BoDY. ThE pOwEr Of InTerViGilIum aNd ThE pOWeR tO OvErkOmE hYnE. KoMe, BlUe SorCeReSs. . .lEt mE dRaIn YoU lIke YoU drAinEd My FaThEr aNd MeMoRiUs. LeT mE RelIeVe YoU. ReaLly. . .YoU'Ve bEeN a PeRFekT HoSt, DiAdEm. TeLl MemOrIuS tHat His 'MamA' lOves hIm aNd I wIlL kiLl hIm WhEN I RetUrn. I wiLl nOw dRaiN yOu tO deAtH YoU'Re lInE eNdS hErE, SoRcEReSS bLuE. . .'
Quistis screamed over and over. The only echos she heard were Irvine's screams and the gerogero's cackles.
Her light was fading. As she slowly expired, the last thing that she forgot was her position at the foot of the throne and the scene upon which Hyne kept a silent Vigil.