Chapter 18 We've Missed One...
Author' note: Here goes, any questions can be asked in your reviews, I'll post my own to answer them!
Quistis collapsed as Tiamat gave one final scream. Her movements were restricted due to Shiva inside her - the Guardian couldn't fit with her and hampered her concentration. But it was over now.
"What about the others?" Squall asked as he drove the blade into the ground and drew it out again, purified. Quistis drew out a small pouch and handed it to Squall. "I've run out of Cure spells," She said plainly and stopped to listen. "There is still some noise to the east," She said finally. Squall nodded. "Let's go."
Zidane and Zell smiled in satisfaction as the demolished Trauma and Dromas lay at their feet. "We're good," Zell said smugly. Zidane twirled his weapon and looked around. He nearly jumped when he saw a huge lightning bolt appear from nowhere and strike something on the ground. Lightning?!
"Something's up!" Zidane pointed in that direction. "Maybe someone needs help."
Irvine fell to the ground, slumped against the wall. Almost immediately Selphie flew at him, hugging and crying at the same time. Irvine winced. "Oh-ow... you're hurting me!"
Selphie quickly pulled back, feeling sheepish. "Sorry..."
Irvine grinned despite the pain. 'Well, you could do it, but gently, please?"
"Pervert!" Selphie grumbled but hugged him anyway.
"What is THAT?!" Squall breathed as they arrived at the scene. Beatrix was slashing with her sword, and Xu was throwing spells, but Gargantua seemed to be immune.
"Are you people gentlemen or not?!" Xu shrieked when she caught sight of the two crouching on the roof. "Come down and help us!"
"Gee... you looked fine without us," Quistis grinned at her display of humor but decided to help when a Firaga spell whizzed by her ear. "Hyne, how come she has spells to spare at us?!" Squall grumbled as they leapt down from the roof and lunged at Gargantua.
Zidane screeched to a halt when a lightning bolt struck just in front of him. "Whoa!!!"
"Don't come near!" King Loire boomed. He was drenched in sweat, but it wasn't because of the physical excretion - Lightining was everywhere as the huge bird hovered, striking anything that moved. The Red Giant lay short- circuited in a heap at Seifer's feet.
"What's happening?!" Zell yelled over the roar of the bolts. King Loire could only shake his head. Seifer cannot control the Guardian, he thought. He's still in a trance...
"We have to snap him out of it!" Zidane grit his teeth. An idea struck him, but it was a foolhardy plan... but it was a plan. "Here goes," He took a deep breath and sprinted towards Seifer, dodging the lightning bolts. He felt one singe the tip of his tail but there's no time to worry about that! With a leap he swung his weapon and hit Seifer with the flat side of his blade. Much as he detested the blonde, he wasn't one to stab in the back.
Zell shielded his eyes as a bright light surrounded the prince, and the bird faded from view.
King Loire dropped his sword and hurried to Seifer, who was unconscious. Zidane sat on the ground, looking dazed but alive. "Whoa."
"I'd give that to you anytime, brother," Zell grinned.
"Ow!" Xu yelped when Squall stumbled into her. The latter did not think this was the right time to apologize.
Gargantua was getting weaker, but yet still showed no sign of giving up any time soon. This was one tough bastard. Tiamat was just plain cocky.
"Isn't it ever going to die?!" Xu hissed as she dodged a furious swipe from her opponent.
"Damn it!" Squall was quickly losing his temper. Quistis sensed it immediately. "Squall no! You've just finished a battle! You can't use it again!"
"Try me." He growled and prepared to swing his gunblade, but Quistis quickly stopped him. As much as she wanted to end this, she didn't want to risk physical strain. "You can't - ugh?!" She gasped as pain shot through her body. Squall's anger turned to alarm. "Quistis?!"
She sank to the ground, clutching her chest. Something was fighting to get out - and she knew - Shiva couldn't hold her impatience any longer. But for some reason, it hurt...
Just let go! She screamed, but Shiva didn't seem to listen. The spirit was writhing inside, as if chained. What's wrong?!
"Don't turn away from me..." Gargantua snarled and lunged for Squall, but Xu was quicker. She intervened, face set. "Push off, ugly!"
Beatrix swung her sword and brought it crashing down on Gargantua's head. "Climhazzard!!"
The tremors began again, this time she felt like her body was splitting in two. Still, Shiva couldn't cut free. Summon me, Shiva whispered urgently. Call my name and release me!!!
"I..." Quistis was gasping now, trying to quell the pain. "Shiva!!!"
Squall was temporarily blinded by a bright light bursting from Quistis. A pale-blue figure shot out, semi transparent but eerily real. And for a moment, Squall thought he saw the figure smile at Quistis. Without a word, it raised its arms and shards of ice appeared out of nowhere, slicing through Gargantua.
Squall turned to look at the others. Beatrix and Xu nodded. "We'll finish it off."
King Loire bent down and examined his son. "Knocked out cold," He muttered. Zidane shook his head. "I hoped as much. Can't say anything if he didn't, can I?"
"What about the rest?" Zell was standing now, face wreathed in concern. "Do you think...?"
"Nah... I'd bet my tail they're fine," Zidane grinned as he too stood up and dusted off his trousers. They turned to the King, who looked much calmer now. "Can you handle it on your own, your highness?"
King Loire nodded and the two youths disappeared into the shadows.
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"That," Xu stated matter-of-factly; "Was one son of a gun."
Beatrix nodded wearily and wiped her brow. The Gargantua was now nothing more than an unpleasant memory. Or as Xu put it; an ugly memory.
"What about the others? Do you think they're okay?"
Squall helped Quistis up. After the release, Shiva had disappeared, probably to find a new host, or perhaps live it out as a free spirit.
"I think we've saved the city," Beatrix said calmly. She looked around and seemed to be thinking.
"Oi!"
They looked up to see Zidane and Zell sliding down the roof towards them. "You guys alright?"
"A few scratches and bruises, but otherwise we're intact," Xu shrugged and eyes Zidane, who was carefully keeping his tail from any rough surfaces. "Cat got your tail, monkey?"
"I thought lightning favored frogs," Zidane grumbled as he protectively wrapped his tail around his waist. "Guess that's the end of the Ortagons."
That's it, Beatrix thought with a jolt. Apparently Quistis was thinking of the same thing. She turned to Squall, fear written all over her face. "Where's the other one?!"
Author' note: Here goes, any questions can be asked in your reviews, I'll post my own to answer them!
Quistis collapsed as Tiamat gave one final scream. Her movements were restricted due to Shiva inside her - the Guardian couldn't fit with her and hampered her concentration. But it was over now.
"What about the others?" Squall asked as he drove the blade into the ground and drew it out again, purified. Quistis drew out a small pouch and handed it to Squall. "I've run out of Cure spells," She said plainly and stopped to listen. "There is still some noise to the east," She said finally. Squall nodded. "Let's go."
Zidane and Zell smiled in satisfaction as the demolished Trauma and Dromas lay at their feet. "We're good," Zell said smugly. Zidane twirled his weapon and looked around. He nearly jumped when he saw a huge lightning bolt appear from nowhere and strike something on the ground. Lightning?!
"Something's up!" Zidane pointed in that direction. "Maybe someone needs help."
Irvine fell to the ground, slumped against the wall. Almost immediately Selphie flew at him, hugging and crying at the same time. Irvine winced. "Oh-ow... you're hurting me!"
Selphie quickly pulled back, feeling sheepish. "Sorry..."
Irvine grinned despite the pain. 'Well, you could do it, but gently, please?"
"Pervert!" Selphie grumbled but hugged him anyway.
"What is THAT?!" Squall breathed as they arrived at the scene. Beatrix was slashing with her sword, and Xu was throwing spells, but Gargantua seemed to be immune.
"Are you people gentlemen or not?!" Xu shrieked when she caught sight of the two crouching on the roof. "Come down and help us!"
"Gee... you looked fine without us," Quistis grinned at her display of humor but decided to help when a Firaga spell whizzed by her ear. "Hyne, how come she has spells to spare at us?!" Squall grumbled as they leapt down from the roof and lunged at Gargantua.
Zidane screeched to a halt when a lightning bolt struck just in front of him. "Whoa!!!"
"Don't come near!" King Loire boomed. He was drenched in sweat, but it wasn't because of the physical excretion - Lightining was everywhere as the huge bird hovered, striking anything that moved. The Red Giant lay short- circuited in a heap at Seifer's feet.
"What's happening?!" Zell yelled over the roar of the bolts. King Loire could only shake his head. Seifer cannot control the Guardian, he thought. He's still in a trance...
"We have to snap him out of it!" Zidane grit his teeth. An idea struck him, but it was a foolhardy plan... but it was a plan. "Here goes," He took a deep breath and sprinted towards Seifer, dodging the lightning bolts. He felt one singe the tip of his tail but there's no time to worry about that! With a leap he swung his weapon and hit Seifer with the flat side of his blade. Much as he detested the blonde, he wasn't one to stab in the back.
Zell shielded his eyes as a bright light surrounded the prince, and the bird faded from view.
King Loire dropped his sword and hurried to Seifer, who was unconscious. Zidane sat on the ground, looking dazed but alive. "Whoa."
"I'd give that to you anytime, brother," Zell grinned.
"Ow!" Xu yelped when Squall stumbled into her. The latter did not think this was the right time to apologize.
Gargantua was getting weaker, but yet still showed no sign of giving up any time soon. This was one tough bastard. Tiamat was just plain cocky.
"Isn't it ever going to die?!" Xu hissed as she dodged a furious swipe from her opponent.
"Damn it!" Squall was quickly losing his temper. Quistis sensed it immediately. "Squall no! You've just finished a battle! You can't use it again!"
"Try me." He growled and prepared to swing his gunblade, but Quistis quickly stopped him. As much as she wanted to end this, she didn't want to risk physical strain. "You can't - ugh?!" She gasped as pain shot through her body. Squall's anger turned to alarm. "Quistis?!"
She sank to the ground, clutching her chest. Something was fighting to get out - and she knew - Shiva couldn't hold her impatience any longer. But for some reason, it hurt...
Just let go! She screamed, but Shiva didn't seem to listen. The spirit was writhing inside, as if chained. What's wrong?!
"Don't turn away from me..." Gargantua snarled and lunged for Squall, but Xu was quicker. She intervened, face set. "Push off, ugly!"
Beatrix swung her sword and brought it crashing down on Gargantua's head. "Climhazzard!!"
The tremors began again, this time she felt like her body was splitting in two. Still, Shiva couldn't cut free. Summon me, Shiva whispered urgently. Call my name and release me!!!
"I..." Quistis was gasping now, trying to quell the pain. "Shiva!!!"
Squall was temporarily blinded by a bright light bursting from Quistis. A pale-blue figure shot out, semi transparent but eerily real. And for a moment, Squall thought he saw the figure smile at Quistis. Without a word, it raised its arms and shards of ice appeared out of nowhere, slicing through Gargantua.
Squall turned to look at the others. Beatrix and Xu nodded. "We'll finish it off."
King Loire bent down and examined his son. "Knocked out cold," He muttered. Zidane shook his head. "I hoped as much. Can't say anything if he didn't, can I?"
"What about the rest?" Zell was standing now, face wreathed in concern. "Do you think...?"
"Nah... I'd bet my tail they're fine," Zidane grinned as he too stood up and dusted off his trousers. They turned to the King, who looked much calmer now. "Can you handle it on your own, your highness?"
King Loire nodded and the two youths disappeared into the shadows.
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"That," Xu stated matter-of-factly; "Was one son of a gun."
Beatrix nodded wearily and wiped her brow. The Gargantua was now nothing more than an unpleasant memory. Or as Xu put it; an ugly memory.
"What about the others? Do you think they're okay?"
Squall helped Quistis up. After the release, Shiva had disappeared, probably to find a new host, or perhaps live it out as a free spirit.
"I think we've saved the city," Beatrix said calmly. She looked around and seemed to be thinking.
"Oi!"
They looked up to see Zidane and Zell sliding down the roof towards them. "You guys alright?"
"A few scratches and bruises, but otherwise we're intact," Xu shrugged and eyes Zidane, who was carefully keeping his tail from any rough surfaces. "Cat got your tail, monkey?"
"I thought lightning favored frogs," Zidane grumbled as he protectively wrapped his tail around his waist. "Guess that's the end of the Ortagons."
That's it, Beatrix thought with a jolt. Apparently Quistis was thinking of the same thing. She turned to Squall, fear written all over her face. "Where's the other one?!"
