The Return Of Ultimecia

Author: SoulOfFlame

Chapter 14: Where is Soul going with this?

~*~Soul~*~: I hope you don't mind the chapter title, for some reason they are extremely hard to come up with. I never think they are any good so I put weird things that don't relate at all. Like now... anyway thanks for reading as usual! Here's another chapter!

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Ellone paled at the sight of the young woman's face. The green eyes were glazed and widened in pain and terror. Her brown hair was lying lifeless and dull, draped over fair shoulders. The woman looked transfixed in fear of whatever had attacked her in her final moments. A large gash tore down the young woman's side and the dark blood spilled on to the ground. Ellone saw a pool collecting underneath the girl's body that had been concealed until she had been moved. Now is was plain for all to see that this girl had suffered from her brutal murder. But what moved Ellone to fear was not one of the details of this girl's body. It was her identity. Ellone was staring at herself, lying dead on the ground before her, and it struck her with fear down to her very core.

She stumbled backwards and swore she could hear the old woman's taunting laughter ringing unbidden in her ears. She stared in horror at the girl, her mind spinning in wild panic and question. This couldn't be real, she couldn't be seeing this, it must all be in her mind. What other explanation did she have?

The explanation could be that this is an omen of things that will be. Her mind told her. She wanted to believe that this was a mere illusion set up by the old woman but her mind knew better than that. She knew deep inside of her that this was something of an important meaning. Something that she needed to know.

Perhaps to show you that you still fear certain things, and that you are still weak. She reasoned. Ellone thought this and became enraged. She would never allow herself to be weak! How dare that old woman come here and show her this to try and make her seem weak! Of all the foul things to do! Ellone's eyes narrowed and she turned, scarlet cloaks whirling around her in a raging mass of robes. She vanished from the scene without a trace, leaving the fallen version of herself behind.

When she reappeared she was on the steps of the large castle that Tempest and her sisters were talking. She paused to make sure she looked presentable and then went inside. When she walked into the main room she found the sisters arguing at the long table in the center of the room. She rolled her eyes and wondered why she even bothered to trust the four bickering goddesses.

"Well I don't care what you think Akane! You always treat us like we are beneath you! Maybe you aren't all that powerful yourself!" Callisto said angrily. The younger woman glared icily at her sister.

"Perhaps you have forgotten that I am the oldest among us and it is up to me to make sure that you all do what you are told. What would mother say if she knew that her daughter was disobeying the orders given to her to help protect this world?" Akane replied angrily. Callisto's eyes went wide and then narrowed into indigo orbs.

"As usual, I see that I cannot leave the four of you alone to accomplish a task without returning to find you all arguing." Ellone said making her presence known.

"Queen Ellone!" The four sisters stared in both surprise and fear at the Sorceress. They immediately stopped the quarrel and took their seats as Ellone moved to the head of the long table.

"Well, when I left here after our last meeting I assigned you each a task. I believe the time has come for them to be completed, as per our agreement. Have you all done what I asked of you?" Ellone said looking to Akane.

"Nearly Your Highness. Tempest and I have but Kirishiin and Callisto have yet to have the opportunity." Akane explained hastily.

"I realize that Callisto has been unable to do her task, but the girl is somewhere in the realm now, unable to fight or defend herself. I will allow that to pass but what of your task?" Ellone glared menacingly at Kirishiin.

"She went to accomplish her task but there was a miscommunication between us and she was delayed." Tempest tried to help their youngest sister. Ellone silenced Tempest with a glare.

"I asked your sister. She can speak for herself." Ellone said coldly. Tempest apologized meekly and looked down at her hands folded in her lap.

"I went to do it this morning when the boy was alone but Akane told me to wait for Tempest and send her inside when she returned, and she only just did." Kirishiin said simply. Ellone looked at Akane in question but Akane simply dropped her gaze and remained silent.

"Very well. I will give you both one more day to accomplish your assignments as I requested. If you fail this time, I will not hesitate to destroy both this mountain and the four nuisances that inhabit it!" Ellone said angrily. She rose and swept out of the room, leaving the four sisters in a state of fear and unnerve.

"You heard her!" Akane said rising and trying to regain her composure. "Get to work or she'll destroy all of us! Then how will the world survive?" She bellowed. At this Kirishiin and Callisto both rose and vanished from the room. A trail of leaves where one had stood, and a slight chill left by the other.

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Quistis ran in the direction of the Headmaster's office, desperate to tell him what Seifer had told her when she had found him. As she ran, she thought about what she had told Seifer in the realm. She had confessed to loving him, and she didn't know why. It wasn't that she didn't love Seifer, she didn't know what her feelings were, but she didn't understand why she had admitted it so openly. Putting the thought form her mind, Quistis got onto the elevator and began to ascend to Cid's office. Stepping out she began to run for his office only to collide with someone trying to get onto the elevator.

"Are you all right Quistis?" Looking up, Quistis saw Squall extending a hand to help her to her feet. She thanked him and then apologized for running into him.

"Yes, I'm fine." She replied with a slight smile. "Excuse me but I really don't have any time to talk." Quistis began to head for Cid's office when she felt Squall grab her arm. Turning back she looked at him in question and raised an eyebrow.

"Quisty you've been acting really strange today and I'm worried about you. I am going to trust that you know what you're doing but just ... take care of yourself okay?" Quistis was speechless. Squall had never cared before about how she acted. If he had, he'd certainly never shown it. But looking into his eyes Quistis knew he was being sincere. It was odd, but then again nothing was really that normal today and so she decided to just go with it. Maybe Rinoa really was getting through to him, or maybe the injuries she had were worse than she thought. Whichever it was, she thanked Squall before heading into Cid's office.

"Oh good Quistis you're here. We've been waiting." Quistis saluted to Cid before taking the chair offered to her. "We have a few things to discuss with you."

"Sir with all due respect, I have some very important news and it has placed one of our students in possible danger." Quistis interjected politely. She had to tell Cid before any more time passed. Things had become awkward enough already.

"What's wrong Quistis?" Asked Edea as the older woman walked into view and took her place beside her husband. Quistis looked at the two and took a deep breath. This was going to be very hard to explain, and if they didn't believe her, she knew she would be alone in trying to help Seifer.