The Return of Ultimecia

Author: SoulOfFlame

Chapter 13: I hope you aren't superstitious...

~*~Soul~*~: Well, here's another chapter for you all. It is late due to computer errors and my own laziness (At least I am honest ... right?) so I am sorry for the delay.

Disclaimer: Same as previous chapters.

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Ellone stormed through the darkness, in search of Rinoa. She had to strike while the girl was defenseless, lest she should be able to strike back. Defeat was not something that she handled well. In a blind rage, she searched for the fallen sorceress. If only she had known where to go before she stormed off, that had been her first mistake. Still, Ellone never admitted when she made a mistake, only sought to correct them before anyone discovered she had made one in the first place. After all, mistakes showed weakness, and if you were weak you would be disposed of.

If I show weakness then I shall fail, and failure is not an option.

Lying ahead of her no more than thirty paced lay a still form of a young woman. She grinned and quickened her pace in anticipation. She smiled cruelly and raised her arm to strike the girl when a voice stopped her.

"Do not strike that girl, unless you wish to seal your fate." Ellone whirled around, dark robes billowing around her, and faced a woman standing before her with her hands folded calmly in front of her. Ellone eyed this stranger warily, for there was something strange about this woman. She was dressed in robes similar to her own in many shades of black and gray. Her long black hair whisked around her tanned face, and her dark smoky eyes held a look of condescension for this younger girl. The woman held in her hand a staff of darkened wood with a black crystal atop held in the clutch of the branches that wove around it. The crystal gave off an eerie glow that seemed to lighten the shadows surrounding the three figures. Ellone cast a scathing look to the old woman and turned to finish her task.

"You will die if you kill this girl." The woman repeated in an icy tone. Ellone was beginning to find this woman a nuisance, and turned around to blast her with her magic. The dark blast was aimed directly at the woman's heart and as the magic collided, a cloud rose from where the old woman had been standing.

"Disgraceful old hag." Ellone muttered to herself. She turned to finish off the girl before any other untimely distractions came about, and raised her hand to let of another blast of magic.

"It would do you well to mind your tongue." Ellone turned to see the woman come forward out of the shadows from the opposite side she had been. Ellone felt her eyes go wide. What on earth was going on here? She had just destroyed this irritant a moment ago, hadn't she?

"And it would do you well not to forget your place when speaking to your elders young lady." The old woman replied. She smiled as she walked up and touched Ellone's cheek. "You are so like your mother." She said.

"My Mother?" Ellone faltered, taken aback by the mention of her dead mother, and momentarily let down her shield of distrust and hatred. She stared at the woman in utter disbelief. Could she really know anything about her parents?

"I can see her spirit in your eyes. Much like I could with your sister." The woman observed. Ellone was confounded. Her sister? She didn't have any sisters, did she?

"I don't know what you're talking about." Said Ellone as she turned from the woman. She didn't like this odd feeling that had come over her. This feeling of uncertainty and fear.

"Of course you don't fully understand, I wouldn't expect you to." The woman said in a warm tone that betrayed her dark appearance. "You were so young when it all happened." She said. Ellone stepped back and eyed the woman curiously.

"Leave me alone." Ellone demanded. "I have other things to do and you are wasting my time."

"As you wish, but take this warning: What you seek is not always what you find." The woman riposted. With that simple sentence, she vanished and left Ellone alone in the darkness. Ellone turned and knelt next to the fallen girl. She brushed the dark hair and smiled cruelly. She stood and kicked the girl, causing her to roll over and face Ellone. She let her arrogant gaze, triumphant and dominant, gaze down on her victim. But as she saw the girl's face she suddenly paled and staggered backwards.

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Seifer stalked off towards Garden, Hyperion in hand, and thought about the events that had occurred. The past five days had been no easy trip for Seifer Almasy, and he would get revenge as soon as he was done with his task here. He gently fingered the pendant given to him by Tempest. What did it do? What purpose did it serve? Unfortunately there was no time to stop and consider. He trudged on, thinking of how he had gotten into this mess.

Five days ago he had been out walking with Fujin and Rajin. The three friends had been headed to Balamb Town to get a few items when they had been attacked by three strange creatures. The looked like shadows, but something told Seifer that they were far more dangerous ...

~Flashback....~

Drawing his Hyperion, he checked to make sure her had some magic junctioned. Then, he prepared for the fight. Fujin quickly cast Scan on the creature to see it's weaknesses and level, but she found that no data could be found on these foreign creatures. Quickly, one of the monsters lashed out and hit Fujin square in the chest. The petite silver haired woman was knocked onto her back, unconscious. A second creature had lashed out at Rajin, and the heavy-set man met a similar fate.

"Rajin!" Seifer called to his friend and then dodged as the third creature came swiftly up and tried to attack him. Moving sideways, he managed to avoid the majority of the attack, but the creature quickly countered and Seifer winced as a long, sharp, blackened claw tore through his shoulder like paper. He fell to his knees in pain, instantly weakened by the blow. He had been poisoned, and he could feel his HP rapidly beginning to decline. He glanced up and looked at the creatures. The phantom that had attacked Fujin seeped into her body, and she sat up wearily, a devilish smirk on her face. The one that had attacked Rajin did the same, and the large man sat up with a malicious grin as he scanned the area.

Seifer's vision began to blur and he struggled to stay conscious. He saw the third phantom approach and braced himself for what would come next. Instead of entering his body, the shadow morphed and when Seifer looked again a moment later, he saw a copy of himself standing before him. He blinked and then saw a figure dressed in crimson materialize behind his clone. It was a Sorceress, and she was here for Seifer.

~End Flashback~

Seifer shook the thought from his head. He knew now what was going on and he wasn't about to sit back and watch his home be destroyed by some Sorceress. He had come to loath to trust anyone who used magic other than was considered normal. He used magic in battle, but only when necessary. Rinoa was a sorceress now and he hated it. He had loved her or at least he thought he had. He didn't merely despise her for choosing Squall over him. That was just how things turned out. Maybe he didn't deserve to be happy or have someone.

Then what about Quistis? He thought.

He hadn't been able to get past her confession in the Antediluvian Realm. She had said that she had cared about him all of these years. She cared about him. Whether it was love or friendship Seifer didn't know, but she cared. That was more than most people would have thought even once about doing. It made him feel like he might finally be able to start fixing the problems he had caused during the second Sorceress' War. It would take a long time to win back the trust of anyone, but he knew that he could do it. After all, time heals all, doesn't it?

You had better hope so Almasy, you had better hope so.

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"Irvy!" Selphie's shrill voice pierced the thoughts of everyone sitting in the formerly peaceful cafeteria. A few students cringed and then went back to their tasks, while others sighed and left the cafeteria immediately. A few even ran to escape her wrath should she go on some sort of rampage. The petite brunette placed her small hands on her hips, green eyes blazing, and glared at her fiancee.

"Oh hi Selphie." The cowboy replied with a wink. He smiled at his bride to be and then noticed the glare in her eyes. She was angry and that was NEVER a good thing.

"Irvine Kinneas you cheating bag of scum!" Selphie accused poking Irvine with an angry finger. Irvine raised an eyebrow and looked at Selphie.

"What do you mean Selph?" Irvine asked in puzzlement. He hadn't cheated on her! Not that he could think of anyway. He hadn't been drunk lately either so he was pretty sure. Oh hell, he would remember! Wouldn't he?

"I mean that you slept with Mara! She told me about it today an d apologized that we weren't together anymore!" Selphie said with tears forming in her eyes. How could he have done this to her? She loved and trusted him! She was supposed to marry him!

"Slept with Mara? You mean that cute little blonde in your class?" Irvine said without stopping to consider his words. Selphie bit her lower lip and slapped Irvine across the face. She threw something at Irvine that hit him on the head and ran off in tears. The entire scene had drawn a rather large crowd and a few people were muttering disapproval at Irvine's supposed actions. Irvine looked over and saw Selphie's engagement ring lying on the ground and realized she had thrown it at him. He felt horrible and couldn't even remember having done anything wrong!

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~*~Soul~*~: Okay well here is the next chapter I apologize for the delay I swear to myself that I will be more dedicated to it. The scene with Irvine and Selphie is leading into the next chapter, which is why it is kind of short. Thank you for reading as usual, you guys are awesome!