Ch 5 – Squall
On the tiny island of Balamb, just east of Galbadia and south of Trabia, there is an installation called Garden. Within this installation, children, from the ages of five to twenty, are trained in the use of paramagic – the ability to draw magical properties from monsters and use those properties in an elemental way.
This is also the place where Garden – a special, international mercenary agency, is run from. These children, the best of these children, are selected from the crowd and placed in the ranks of glory. SeeD, famous for their precision attacks, their skilful manoeuvres, their unabiding strength and determination.
One of the most famous of the SeeDs is also the most enigmatic. Known for his deadly gunblade abilities and his lone-wolf attitude, he has amazingly risen through the ranks of SeeD to become on eof the highest ranking officials in Garden. However, all his SeeD responsibilities mean nothing when it comes to his other, more higher responsibility…for this boy is also know as the Sorceresses Knight…
* * *
There is a boy. His handsome face is set like rock, always passive, always distant. Garbed in black leather pants and coat, he shook his wavy brown hair from his eyes, the sweat from his forehead causing it to stick. The long scar across the bridge of his nose, running horizontally between the cold grey eyes, had reopened, seeping the red liquid that coursed through his veins.
The gunblade in his hands shimmered with a bluish haze, the energy blade spattering and sparking as the foe before it raised long, mishapened arms, drawing all Time within itself.
The true form of Ultimaeica, the Sorceress from the future, stood before the boy. The sheer horror of her body was underlined by the act that she was causing what the boy had been fighting against for the past year – Time Compression. Time itself was being sucked into her, the dimension in which they had fought in for the past two hours beginning to collapse around them.
The boy looked to his left tiredly, spying his fallen friend, a shock of blond hair and a gloved hand the only remanets from the Meteor attack that had buried him. A small girl, dressed in a yellow dress, threw her Strange Vision nunchaku aside and ran to the pile of rocks, showing amazing strength and stamina as she began to grab and toss the rocks away.
A gunshot rang out, echoing into infinity, and the Sorceress's head snapped back, a great gout of Fire suddenly appearing from where the bullet had struck what passed as her face. The boy turned and watched as the cowboy quickly kneeled, trying desperately to reload his shotgun as a large volume of water suddenly appeared above him.
The boy quickly threw his hand out, the red bubble of the Shell forming around Irvine as the Water spell suddenly dropped, spraying all around them with great amounts of H20.
The cowboy looked up, his shotgun reloaded – to be smashed aside by a giant fist, the attack seeming to come out of nowhere, his body reeling away to skittle off in the distance, unconscious and out of the fight.
The boy turned his grey eyes to the other unconscious person – a beautiful girl with golden blond hair, her whip lying harmlessly out of her reach. She lay in a pool of her own blood, a great slash opening her stomach. Her hands were wrapped around the wound, the cries of agony cutting deep into the boy's soul – but he could not help her. Another girl, this one equally beautiful but with raven-dark hair, tossed aside her Shooting Star Blaster Edge to place her hands over the wound, her face full of concern as they began to glow a bright white…
Turning back to the Sorceress, he shook his head clear of any doubts, any regrets. "Ultimecia!" He screamed, slashing the shimmering gunblade left and right, loosening the muscles in his wrist. "Today your life ends!!"
* * *
Squall opened his eyes slowly, blinking as he looked up at the ceiling, the sheets of his bed comfortably wrapped around him.
Don't panic. You're not in the Time Compression anymore. You're back at Garden.
Shaking his head, he moved to get up – to feel a loose arm across his chest stop him. He looked down at the one thing that had helped him through the hell, the one thing that had kept him sane throughout the years.
"You were having another bad dream." Rinoa whispered dreamily, her raven-black hair strewn haphazardly around her head. He reached up with his free hand and brushed a lick of hair from her face, his face set within its impassiveness, before moving to get up. She didn't relinquish the hold on him, however. "Squall, talk to me." She asked, looking up at him.
He rolled his eyes and lay back on the mattress, sighing as he looked up at the ceiling once more. "I don't see why I need to. You know what it is. All you do is worry."
Rinoa rolled on top of him, straddling him as she traced a finger down his bare chest, following the trail of a scar that twisted down his torso. "I can't help but worry…it's been almost three years…and you still can't open up to people."
Squall placed a hand on hers, closing his fist around her fingers. "It's the way I am. I've lived my life shunning the people around me. I still have to work on it."
The girl nodded. "I know…but I wish you'd make it a little easier on people…and on me."
Squall snorted. "If anything I'm too easy on you. You see the other side of me, the side I don't usually show other people. What more do you want?"
"I want you to show that side to other people too!! You're a good person, Squall. You just need to show people that."
Squall shook his head, sighing again. "Move, please. I need to get to work."
She rolled off him and allowed him space to get up off the bed. She had moved into his room ages ago, almost three years ago, and it hadn't been long before people began to refer to it as 'Squall and Rinoa's place'. It was more then spacious enough for the SeeD and his Sorceress – Squall had always led a Spartan lifestyle, managing to keep everything simple and in order. Having Rinoa staying didn't dent his usual living arrangement – it just meant he needed to make a little more space for his everyday life.
She watched him as he dressed, opening the small wardrobe built into the wall and removing his black leather pants and big black coat with the furry white collar. He dressed quickly and methodically – the pants pulled on and zipped almost in one shot, the coat being thrown over the white shirt he had pulled from a little pigeon hole within the wardrobe. You could almost time him in every aspect – it took him exactly five seconds to put on and re-adjust his Gunblade webbing, and it took him ten seconds to lace and tie each boot.
Rinoa giggled as he stood, clipping his Lionheart to one side whilst pulling his Shear Trigger from it's carry-case and sheathing it within it's holster. "What?" he asked with a shrug.
"Nothing."
He shook his head and rolled his eyes, before stepping over to the bed. "I'll be working up till lunchtime. I'll meet you in the cafeteria?"
"Okay."
He quickly kissed her on the cheek before turning to go.
"Oh, Squall?" she asked hurriedly.
He turned back to his Sorceress, a knowing smile on his face. "I know. 'Try to be more…happy?'" He mimicked.
She gave him a thumb up. "Right!"
He shook his head as he walked out of the room.
* * *
Squall was quietly going through some reports when there was a knock on his door. He looked up from the paperwork. "Come in." He called.
A large man with military-style cut hair walked n, his flowing white coat billowing around him as he shut the door behind him. Squall tensed slightly out of habit. Even though Seifer had gone through stringent psyche evaluations to get back into Garden, Squall still felt the embers of their old arguments flare within him whenever he saw the blond gunblade specialist.
Squall had, however, noted Seifer's remarkable increase in experience with his prodigal return, especially noting his devotion and patriotism when it came to the Gardens. He had, after all, followed through with an order that had destroyed Trabia. The sheer fact that he still felt guilt for his actions, even after returning to Garden two years ago after a one-year sabbatical, had been reason enough to allow him to return, and to place him as the head of the Garden Security Division within Balamb.
"Commander…" Seifer said, walking up to the desk and stand at attention.
Squall hated being reminded that he was in charge of everything. It made him feel…responsible. "Please, Seifer…don't call me that. Sit."
Seifer smirked as he took a chair, placing his feet on the desk and crossing them. "Not much has been happening security wise as of late, Commander…I've been getting a few complaints from the students of Instructor Quistis that she's been trying to kill them with their training. Also, she's been visiting the compu-psyche a lot as of late…"
Squall rolled his eyes. "Quistis is more then capable of taking care of herself."
Seifer narrowed his eyes. "…Maybe it was a bad idea to reinstate her Instructor title." It was like Seifer hadn't heard him. Squall shook his head, watching as Seifer took his feet off his desk and leaned forward, his tone hushed, as if the walls had ears. "Squall, she's been running herself into the ground. Sooner or later she's going to hurt herself or someone else, most likely a student."
Squall raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair in surprise. "Seifer…are you worried about her?"
"I'm worried about the damage that might result from this if it's left unchecked." Seifer said instantly, his tone turning cold. "It would be wise to look into it."
Squall shook his head, half in disbelief, half in annoyance. Quistis had been on the Instructor scene before, and as far as her records went, she had never been any better within the Garden then when she was teaching her students. He highly doubted anything bad might result from it…but he shrugged anyways. "I'll talk to her."
Seifer nodded, leaning back in his chair.
"Anything else of importance?"
"There is the matter of the Dincht Incident."
Squall frowned, looking up at Seifer. "It would be nice if you used his first name every now and then."
Seifer simply smirked again, placing his hands behind his head. Zell had been training the day before and had gotten into a scrape, the end result being the complete annihilation of two sides of the Training Centre as well as numerous properties around the world. Squall had been contacted by Trabia, Esthar and Galbadian officials, as well as having been sent irrefutable proof that it had been Zell.
Photographs from the Esthar Space Station showed a great blue light screaming around the world as speeds unimaginable. One of the pictures, enhanced several times, showed a blurry image of a man with blond hair and a tattoo on the left side of his face.
Unmistakeably Zell. And besides, Zell had admitted to using My Final Heaven when he had been carried to the infirmary, smoking from the wattage of power used to launch the massive Limit Break, his leg broken and an arm dislocated as a result.
"What's Esthar been saying?" Seifer asked.
"They've been…persistent."
"I wonder why?" Seifer asked sarcastically.
Squall shook his head again, before standing. "I believe that he destroyed many properties. I told them what he told us. They want to know what we're going to do to him as a punishment."
Seifer's smirk turned into a toothy grin. "Just gimme five minutes alone with him."
Squall frowned. "No. You're not to touch him. I'll explain his excuse to the Garden Committee. Hopefully they'll be lenient."
Seifer raised his eyebrows and sighed. "That's the problem with you, Commander…you're becoming too soft."
Squall smiled. "Well…some people think I should stay this way…" He walked around the desk, moving to the door. "But now I've got to inspect the damage."
* * *
Turning back to the Sorceress, he shook his head clear of any doubts, any regrets. "Ultimecia!" He screamed, slashing the shimmering gunblade left and right, loosening the muscles in his wrist. "Today your life ends!!"
They had gotten so far…infiltrating the Castle of Chain…dispatching the creatures within, regaining their locked powers one by one…finally finding the Sorceress…the long and prolonged battle as she changed form again, and again, and again…
Until when they had finally dealt the finishing blow, all of them collapsing with fatigue, their bodies pushed to their limits…she rose once more. More powerful then ever. The Time Compression coming to a close, even as they fought. Time dissolving for them.
The boy skidding forward suddenly, pushing the memories from his mind as he began to swing the shimmering blue blade up, slashing through the dissipating atmosphere to cleave straight into the Sorceresses flesh, cutting a gigantic slab from her misshapen belly.
The warped face leaned back, bellowing a cry of pain unheard of. It's distorted hand lifted and lowered, smashing the gunblade specialist aside, swatted as if he was a fly. The boy went careening to the left, tumbling and rolling with the blow – to come to his feet, launching from the balls of his feet, dragging the blade along behind him as if it was the heaviest thing he had ever carried.
Jumping high, his voice bellowing out as he swung the blade up high, he slashed it down, the blade's edge cutting the air in twain as the attack neared the pulsing light within the head – before it was caught by Ultimecia's hand!!
They were locked in a battle of wills then, his blade seeming to be caught within an invisible force field, quivering in mid air as Ultimecia struggled with continuing the Time Compression and defending herself.
He felt a psychic pulse smash into his body as his fingers tightened around the gunblade's shaft, his teeth gritting as he called upon all the power within himself. Electricity began to lance up and down his body as his voice began to growl, his blade trembling slightly. A bright blue light radiated from his body as he suddenly threw his head back and screamed, his strength, stamina and agility peaking with a brilliant boom.
"RENZOKUKEN!!" He suddenly bellowed, the blade punching through the invisible barrier…to slash the hand in two!
Landing on the ground, the two halves of the giant hand landing either side of him, great purple gushes of Sorceress blood flowing over him, he suddenly bolted up off the grounds, his blade hacking and slashing, the blue light making the air around the Sorceress's body a haze. The blade rang out again and again as it tried desperately to pierce the tough hide of the Sorceresses body armour.
Shockingly there was a resounding shockwave, and the boy was thrown clear as a shimmered barrier suddenly surrounded the giant monster's body, the bluish-green orb pulsing with Protective magic.
This didn't daunt the boy however, as he skittled off to the side to roll to his feet once more, the blue light still emanating from him, the electricity lancing off his body, lacing over his arms and legs. He shifted his sight to the right, spying the girl with raven-black hair.
"Rinoa!" He growled through gritted teeth, the need to speak and hold still almost unbearable. "I need you to cast Dispel! You're the only one that even comes close to meeting her power level magically!"
The girl turned to him, her hands covered in the blond girl's blood. "I can't use my Sorceress powers yet, Squall! I'm too weak!"
His eyes were full of fire as he suddenly turned towards her. "Do it! Unless you want the world to be destroyed!!"
She started at his sudden viciousness, but before she could reply he was off, his black boots carving into the ground as he set off for the Sorceress once more, his eyes full of fire as his energy began to peak once more.
* * *
"Amazing…" Squall muttered to himself.
"It is sir…he had no idea he had this kind of power."
"Well…he's always been energetic, Xu…and please don't call me that."
"Sorry…Squall."
The two sides of the Garden were completely demolished, a large crater just a few meters from the northern-most opening. Large amounts of blood and meat were still strewn about the area, and several students walked about the centre with bags and poles with hooks on the ends, cleaning as they went.
Seifer shook his head, chuckling softly.
Squall turned to his head of security. "What's so funny, Seifer?"
"Oh nothing. I just never expected the Chicken-Wuss to get so good, that's all."
"I suppose that's you're way to compliment someone?" Xu asked, hands on hips, frowning up at the larger man. "He was in trouble, you know. I'm pretty sure Squall would have needed medical attention after having to perform a manoeuvre like that."
Squall said nothing.
"Whatever." Seifer grunted, shaking his head. "I'm going to go see where he is. He ought to still be in the infirmary, but knowing him he could be anywhere by now."
Squall watched as the larger man stalked out of the Training Centre door, glaring at a Grat as he passed it. The monster scuttled off into the bushes as soon as the man's eyes passed onto it, and Squall smirked. I suppose we'll have to finish what we started, all those years ago…
"So, what are you going to do with Zell, Squall?" Xu asked, breaking Squall's train of thought.
He looked down at the Instructor and shrugged. "It's not for me to decide. The Council will deliver a punishment that will be suitable."
A loud crash echoed around the Garden, followed by a massive explosion. "What the hell was that?" Xu asked, her body ready for anything.
"It wasn't Zell, that's for sure." Squall muttered, looking around, narrowing his eyes. What the hell was that? "I think I'll go and find out where he is, just to make sure. Xu, you're in charge here. Make sure that the area is cordoned off and that we get to FH in time for repairs. Also, the Training Centre is out-of-bounds until we repair the holes. Don't want anybody falling out while we're in mid-flight."
"Yes, sir!" Xu said sharply, saluting him, before walking towards one of the SeeDs in charge.
* * *
Where the hell could he be? Squall asked himself as he walked out of the dorms. A messy as Zell's room was, Squall couldn't find any sign of him returning to it.
He could have been in the infirmary, like Seifer said…although, knowing Zell, he's probably up and about already…and hungry. Which leaves the only possible place he could be…
Squall began to make a beeline to the cafeteria.
He quickly side-stepped a blond girl, sobbing uncontrollably, as she brushed past him, running towards the Training Centre with tears streaming down her face. A boy with red hair ran after her, calling her name and asking her to wait for him. He faintly recognised the boy as a struggler within Quistis's Blue class, and noted to himself to talk to her about it once he met up with her…
Speak of the devil…Squall mused to himself as he saw Quistis standing, arms crossed over her chest, staring into space just before the bench between the Dorms and the elevator. She began to walk forwards, coming towards him, her head bowed.
"Quistis." He called. She continued to walk slowly
Strange. She must've heard him. "Quistis." He said more clearly.
She looked up suddenly, her beautiful face shocked at the mention of her name. He frowned. She looks tired…maybe Seifer has a point? He walked forward, nodding to a student from within his gunblade class as he passed, and walked up to the whips specialist. "I've been trying to find you for weeks. You seem to be avoiding our conferences."
He watched her as she blustered uncharacteristically. "Um…well…I've been very busy, you see…as have you, obviously…"
He smiled down at her, hoping to ease her obvious nervousness. "Not really. I've managed to finish off most of my work, at least for a couple of days." It was a bit of a miracle, actually. All his paperwork seemed to solve itself, even with Zell's incident.
He couldn't help but smile a little more as she looked up at him with shock. "B-but how I that possible?! You have…Commander duties, Fire Cavern Exams, Gunblade classes, as well as the basic Magic classes…"
He frowned slowly, watching as she talked. She seemed to lose all her…glow? Energy? When she spoke his duties, all completed and filed safely away. Seifer is right…you need rest. He placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping the contact would help her to wake up. "We're not here to talk about me, Quistis. We're here to talk about you."
She looked down at his hand on her shoulder with a start, and pulled herself away from it suddenly. "Umm…sorry, Squall, but I have a lot of work to catch up on, and I'd better get onto it, you know, so…"
Awkwardly she brushed past him, her quick stride suddenly breaking into a run as she bolted for the Dorms, as if she wanted to escape from him. He tried shouting her name, but she didn't stop, either not hearing him like before, or not wanting to hear him.
He ran after her, before stopping just before the entrance to the Dorms. What's the point? He mused. She's got her own problems. Let her deal with them.
He turned to walk to the cafeterias, before stopping mid-stride. But isn't this what Rinoa's been talking about? How open can you be by helping a friend through a time of need?
He shook his head, walking forward once more. No. I think I'd only scare her more. I'll send Seifer. He'll get her to talk…albeit not by her own free will.
Walking up to the entrance of the cafeteria, he saw that it was packed. Lunchtime rush. Damn…well, at least it'll be easier to find Zell in this crowd. How many people will be getting around on crutches?
He suddenly spied Seifer walking up from the entrance, and walked over to meet him. "Seifer, can you do me a favour?"
Seifer paused. "What, getting buddy-buddy now?"
Squall rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
The blond gunblader smirked. "Alright. What do you need?"
"Can you check on Quistis for me? I talked to her a minute ago, and she seemed pretty…"
"I'm on it."
Squall blinked, surprised. "That was fast. I thought I'd have to bend you backwards to do it."
Seifer shrugged, his eyes darting left. "I…just want to make sure that nothing bad happens…nip it in the bud, y'know?"
"Yeah…" Squall said suspiciously as Seifer brushed past him, diving into the crowd and moving towards the drink dispensers. Interesting…
Making his way through the crowd, Squall had to literally jump to see where the fighter was seated. He saw that he was munching away on a hotdog, his body wrapped in bandages as he spoke to Irvine.
Squall narrowed his eyes. Irvine had his shotgun with him. It was fine with his Vincents – nobody could see them, and the safeties were always on – but the shotgun could really do some damage if it accidentally discharged.
He walked up to the gunner, watching as he stood from his seat and scooping the large rifle up, twirling it on his finger and resting it on his shoulder dangerously. He seemed to be speaking about his next girlfriend. "…walk in there, acting all serene and things, and say 'Hey baby, put away the books and have some fun for a change'." He did a little spin. "Then I'll whisk her away for a day of fun and a night of foolin' around!"
Squall placed his hand on the gunner's shoulder. "Irvine, I've told you…"
The shotgun suddenly discharged, both barrels blasting a hole in the roof, the flares from the barrels making Squall's hair jump as the buckshot whistled past his ear.
The sound was unbearable, but Squall had to retain a look of leadership before everybody, who had ducked, screaming. At least, he thought they were screaming. Holy shit, I'm freaking deaf!! His mind screamed at him as he calmly removed the gun from Irvine's trembling hand and pressed the unload stud, the breech opening and ejecting the spent shells. "That…" Squall said quietly, catching the smoking shells in his hand. "…Is why we don't allow weapons in the cafeteria."
I'm deaf! I can barely hear what's going on!! His mind screamed, but he simply placed the empty weapons and shells in Irvine's hands who, it seemed, was equally deaf, and gave him a gentle push in the direction of the door.
Turning towards Zell, he saw that the fighter was smiling. He had read everything, watching as it unfolded like a scenario in some fiction. Sitting down a little heavily in Irvine's chair, he placed both hands on his ears and growled to himself. It's ok…its coming back now… He looked up at Zell, seeing that he was more badly bandaged then he first thought. "You look like a Marlboro gave you a hug." He muttered.
Zell took a bite of his hotdog confidently. "At least I don't look you when Rinoa walked in on you naked." He smiled, before tossing the remnants of the hotdog up and catching it in his mouth, swallowing with the motion. "You're face was almost as pale as it is now."
Squall's face took a one way trip to shock mix with embarrassment. He had agreed to go to the moved with Rinoa, Zell and Selphie, and had been changing when Rinoa had walked in on him. It had been early times then, she had been sleeping in one of the empty dorms, and Squall had simply told her to get out. It still haunted him, the way she looked at his scarred body… "She didn't…I mean, it didn't happen that way…I mean…" He regained some dignity and composure, before leaning close and whispering conspiritivly in Zells ear. "If you tell…"
Zell's smile grew larger – if possible – and wiped his mouth before raising two fingers clenched together. "Hey, no word from me, Scouts honour."
Squall leaned back in his chair. One thing about Zell was that he could defiantly keep a secret – if he had to. "Hard to believe you were in the Balamb Scouts…"
Zell snorted. "Hard to believe you weren't." Squall watched, slightly amused, as Zell leant back in his chair, allowing the two hotdogs to settle in his stomach before devouring the third and final one. "So how's it going with Rinoa, anyways?"
Squall suddenly felt his head pound, a repeat of the shotgun blast, and he leaned back and groaned. "It's like a nightmare that I can't wake up from. It's like one of those assignments that you have to complete but you know it's going to be awful. It's like taking on the whole Galbadian army with nothing but a chocobo leg."
Zell frowned. "Not very good, huh?"
Squall frowned. Didn't he understand? "Not at all. It's…great, in fact. It's like I have a whole new experience whenever I see her next. Good or bad, it doesn't really matter that much anymore." He sighed, remembering her face, the way she made everything fresh and interesting, the way she made people smile when she was around them…
Zell nodded sagely. "Ah. You like being surprised."
"Exactly."
Squall watched as Zell suddenly picked up his plate off the table – before someone crash tackled him to the ground, taking the table with them. Rolling over onto his back, ready to verbally insult whomever it was, he was kissed several times in rapid succession. Oh. It's Rinoa. That's right. I was supposed to meet her here for lunch.
"Miss me?" Rinoa asked, his smile as warm and bright as ever. Squall bit down a reply that would embarrass himself immensely, and stood upright, watching as Zell took a bite from his hotdog. You knew, you creep…
Rinoa bounced up alongside Squall, looking down at Zell with amazement. "Hiya Zell! Gee, it looks like you've just tangled with four T-rexaurs in a row!" she said sweetly.
"Well, it was actually two…I needed the x-p."
Squall blinked. Two?! Nobody said anything about it being two T-Reaxurs!! He looked down at Rinoa, who was looking up at him determinedly. Oh boy…
"How come you can't take on two T-rexaurs?"
"At the same time." Zell interjected, enjoying the show of emotion that drained onto Squalls face.
"Well…I …I could…" Squall muttered, thoroughly cowed.
"All by myself, too." Zell interjected once more. He smiled as the daggers conveyed by Squalls eyes were diffused by Rinoa's cry of jealousy.
"Ooo, no way! At the same time, all by yourself?!" Squall was suddenly yanked away from the over turned table by a determined Rinoa. "Come on, you! You've got some training to do!"
"But…but…" Squall protested meekly, realising that there wasn't much he could really do about it. He turned to looked at Zell for help, anything, but Rinoa yanked him out of the cafeteria before he could do anything.
* * *
She started at his sudden viciousness, but before she could reply he was off, his black boots carving into the ground as he set off for the Sorceress once more, his eyes full of fire as his energy began to peak once more.
Dashing forward, he suddenly strafed to the right, the ground around him blasting to smithereens as the Firagas from Ultimecia's remaining hand reduced the floor around him to rubble. Flipping over a pool of fire, he suddenly stabbed his blade into the Protect, the energy device whining as the magical barrier began to repel it.
The boy didn't let up, however, pushing further, faster, all his wounds seeming to gush blood as his body tensed for the effort, the blade beginning to cut through the barrier, bright red sparks beginning to fly as the blade pushed deeper within the greenish-blue haze, stabbing deeper, his face sweating profusely with the effort as his screams began to echo around the empty landscape around them…
And then he was blasted, his body frying with the effects of a Flare, Ultimecia simply placing a hand over where the blade had been cutting and unleashing hell. His entire body was engulfed with flame, the remaining SeeDs screaming out as he disappeared from view…
…to reappear, smoking, but still alive. He had taken a Flare dead on, with no protection, and he still lived!!
"Ultimecia!!" The boy screamed, blood pouring from his scar, sweat dripping off his face, the sparks from his blade burning his eyes, "You're mine!!!"
Suddenly the barrier was dropped, and the gunblader leaped forward, the blade smashing the great Sorceress up, high into the sky.
"Lion Heart!!"
Setting his stance, he leapt up to meet the monster, his blade hacking and cutting deep, the shimmering blue sword slicing through meat and bone, dicing organs and skin, reducing Ultimecia to nothing more then messy slush.
Landing on his feet, he quickly twirled and blasted the remnants of the monster away, the Flare erupting from his fingertips reducing the remains to nothing more but ashes.
She was finally dead. She was finally gone. Pitching forward, the boy let everything go, allowing nothing to keep him from the healing sleep…
Before a voice suddenly rang in his mind. "Squall!!"
He opened his eyes. Looking around, he saw that he was back at the orphanage. But…it wasn't his orphanage.
"Squall! Where are you?"
Sitting up, he watched as Matron, Edea, walked down the steps of the Orphanage doors. She started as she saw him. "Oh! Where did you come from…" Her voice trailed off as she saw his wounds. "My Hyne! What happened to you?"
"Matron…" the gunblader sighed, falling backward, falling to the lush greenery that he used to sit in when he was but a child, watching the flowers on the hills move with the wind…
A hand passed over his face, and he felt his pain recede, his wounds closing, his fatigue disappearing. Opening his eyes, he watched as Matron looked down on him, her eyes glowing a smoky white – before she blinked, the white light now gone.
He sat up, still looking at him. "I'm a Sorceress…please don't tell the children…" she asked, looking down at her lap.
He shook his head. "It's alright." He said, standing up, placing his hand on her shoulders and standing her up as well. "Although I think I ought to be going soon. I don't think this is my right time."
"What?" She asked, confused, before a smoking red light appeared behind her.
Squall quickly pushed her behind him. "Watch out, Matron! She's evil!!" He shouted, quickly scooping up his LionHeart from the ground and flicking it on, the blue light-blade shimmering to life. "You still want some, Ultimecia!!"
"No Squall!!" Matron suddenly cried, jumping in front of him, blocking his advance with her body. "Don't you see that she's dying? She just needs to release her energy…that's all."
Turning to the dying Sorceress, Edea placed a hand on her bleeding chest. Almost immediately there was a powerful shockwave, and the smoke that was emanating from Ultimecia's body flowed into Edea's body, her arms and legs trembling with the power that was passed…
Before Ultimecia smiled, her eyes turning to Squall. Nodding knowingly he stepped forward quickly, the blade slashing through the air – to decapitate the Sorceress, her head sailing through the air with a look of peace – before it simply disintegrated, turning to dust as it tumbled through the air.
Quickly dropping the LionHeart, Squall turned and caught Edea as she fell, the power too much for her. Resting against him, she looked up at him, her eyes full of wonder. "You…you're not supposed to be here, Squall…"
"You know me? You know about SeeD?" Squall asked, lowering her to the floor gradually, allowing her to sit.
"SeeD?"
"SeeD is a mercenary group, made up of children around the world. It was created to kill the Sorceress…the Sorceress Ultimeica…we've finally accomplished it…"
"No more. Do not tell me anymore. It might upset the time flow." Edea said, taking a deep breath and standing. "You must go now. You cannot stay."
A small boy suddenly emerged from the bushes, his greyish-brown hair flowing around his sharply featured face. He couldn't be anymore then five or six. "Are you awright Matwon?" the boy asked, clutching the woman's long skirt as he looked up at the boy with his cold eyes. "Did this man hurt you?"
"No Squall, he helped me. Now go inside, the others were waiting for you."
The boy nodded, throwing another vehenemous glance at the gunblader, before running for the door. Edea turned back to Squall and smiled. "It's good to see that you turn out so strong…so mature."
The boy nodded as she raised her hand, placing it on his head. "Think of your friends, Squall…think of where they are…"
A flash – blinding light – doubts
* * *
He opened his eyes, looking around himself.
He was back at the battle site. Looking down at his body, he saw that his wounds had returned, the stabbing pain enveloping him with a vengeance.
He couldn't die here, however. He needed to live. Picking himself up, he looked left and right, seeing that the landscape seemed to go on forever.
"Nothing goes forever…" He mumbled, walking forward slowly, a blood trail beginning to follow him as he trudged wearily into the NetherWorld of Time…
* * *
Squall scratched the back of his neck. How did I get into this? He asked himself as he looked up at the T-Rexaur. I agreed to join the Garden Festival, but then Selphie walked off! She didn't help me at all!! Oh, how did I get into this?
"Come on Squall!! Just one more!!" Rinoa cried from behind her rock.
Somehow a small crowd had gathered behind her, and Squall nodded at them, remembering that he had asked Xu to cordon off the Training Centre earlier that morning. His sides already ached from jumping and flipping past the last dinosaurs attacks. He wasn't so sure on wether or not he'd be able to take down another.
"Yeah! Go Squall!!" Someone else cried.
"Go for it Squall!" Someone else shouted.
"You can do it! Cut off his balls!!" Someone else screamed.
…That's a little too much… Squall thought – before skidding to the side, the giant dinosaur's jaws chomping down on empty air.
He shifted his weight to the right, holding his arm out, palm out and fingers splayed – before Rinoa clucked tongue. "Uh-uh! No magic!"
When did love get so hard?! Squall's mind screamed at him as the monster's thick tail suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Thinking with instinct only, the shimmering blue blade of the LionHeart slashed the tail off, the dinosaur's roar of pain only overcome by the shouts of encouragement and joy by the spectating students and SeeDs.
Flipping to the front of the roaring dinosaur, his blade slashed out once more, the shimmering blue blade seeming to pass from the left of the right of the dinosaur's belly in an instant – before it's gut spilled open, organs and liquids flowing out of the belly of the massive beast.
There were groans from the men and squeals from the woman and Squall quickly jumped out of the way of the wave of body parts, the monster now falling forward. Wanting to finish its pain, Squall jumped up, his sword held high – before he passed the head, landing on the balls of his feet. He casually pressed the deactivation button on his LionHeart, the blue blade dissipating, and he clipped it to his belt.
"Oh, that was so cool!!" Rinoa squealed, jumping off her rock and ploughing into Squall, smothering him with kisses before he could recognise what was going on.
There were a sudden mass of students and SeeDs around them, patting Squall's back and shouting compliments. He couldn't help but smile and shake some hands. Sure, killing two T-rexaurs barehanded and with a broken arm was cool – but taking out four in a manner of minutes with a gunblade was cooler. Wait until Zell hears about this…he'll go ballistic… Squall thought to himself, revelling in the praise that people were giving him.
"Ok, ok, this place has been made a out-of –bounds area for a reason!" Xu said suddenly, pushing her way to move in front of Squall and raising her hands. "Go back to whatever you were doing, please!"
The crowd began to dissipate, and Rinoa beamed up at Squall. "See? Didn't that feel good?"
"Yeah…it kinda did…" Squall said, smiling back down at her.
"You'd get more of that if you opened up more." She said, moving forward to run a finger down his chest.
"That again…" He muttered, his smile growing wider as he bent down to the inviting red lips…
"Squall!!"
Squall looked up to see Seifer walking towards them. "I need to talk to you Squall. Now."
* * *
Squall ducked into the Dorms, heading for Irvine's room as the klaxon sounded again, grabbing everyone's attention, making them watch the screens that had lowered from the ceilings, the screens that he had thought had been a good time at the time.
"This particular Hero has hailed from not one, but two Gardens. I'm not talking about Selphie Tilmett – I'm talking about the Sorceress slayer himself. The one and only Irvine Kinnes."
Squall cursed himself for not being faster as he picked his way through the myriad of corridors, cursing himself for not making sure the security system on the screens weren't air-tight, cursing himself for everything that was happening around him, everyone who was gasping as the penny dropped.
"It seems, my dear Instructors and students, that Irvine Kinnes has been struck down by a most debilitating handicap. You see, Irvine is, in all manner of the words Magically Impotent. No magic can be cast from this man. He cannot junction. He cannot Draw. He cannot even cast the simplest of magic's, such as Fire, or Cure. He is so retarded, he has to use special ammunition in order to defeat his foes. This is the truth. You can ask him yourself."
Squall's spine turned to ice. Magically impotent. It was like walking up to a woman and asking her if she could take away your dignity.
Finally finding Irvine's room, he palmed the door.
It was locked.
"Shit!!" He gasped, ripping his LionHeart from his belt and pressing the button, the blade slashing out.
"So, you are a stinking, filthy spy! You don't even deserve my mercy!!" Irvine's voice screamed, Squall's ears ringing with the madness of it all. He could envision it all – Irvine blasting the kid's brains all over the place, having to be taken down in a blaze of Fire –
The blade licked over the palm-reader, the device spluttering and sparking before the door opened of it's own accord…
…to reveal Irvine, his shotgun placed on the boy's head, his eyes full of madness as he pulled the trigger.
"Irvine!!" Squall shouted – before his voice was cut off by the hollow click of the shotgun.
"Oh gods! Oh Hyne!!" the boy cried, looking up to the crazy gunman from the floor with horror in his eyes. "Oh gods!!"
Irvine looked down at his shotgun, his look turning from madness to confusion – before he cracked the gun open, ejecting the shells onto the floor.
They're already empty. Squall realised. He must've loaded the ones he fired in the cafeteria.
Irvine looked down at the boy, dropping his shotgun with a clatter. He looked down at the boy with empty eyes, his anger seeming to dissipate. "I hope you're happy. I'll spare your life. Only because I've figured out a better punishment then death for you." He reached down and gripped the boy's shirt, pushing his face into his. "Rotting in jail."
Squall walked forward slowly, flicking his LionHeart off. "Irvine? Are you alright?"
Irvine turned to Squall, looking at him with sadness in his eyes. "Yeah, Squall. I'm cool." He looked, however, up at the screen, the boy on the floor repeating what had been said for the last few seconds. "But I think my social life's gone bust."
Squall looked down at the boy, before looking at the empty weapon on the floor, before looking at his friend. "We'll forget about what happened in here. This didn't happen – see?"
"Yeah…yeah, I know."
"Bullshit it didn't happen!!" The boy on the floor screamed – before Irvine's Vincent suddenly flicked out, jamming into his eye-socket, forcing him down onto the ground.
"Irvine!!" Squall yelled, before the gunman raised a hand.
"I know, Squall. I ain't gonna to kill him. I'm over it now."
Squall nodded. "I'll go get Seifer. I'm sure he'll want to talk to this guy."
Turning and moving out of the room, he watched as many of the students looking up at the screens turned and began to move to the doorway. Irvine has to figure this out. His mind told him. Go get Seifer.
He had pushed through the crowd before the other voice began to speak in his head. Well, a great friend you are! First you ignore Quistis, now Irvine?! What kind of person are you?
"…A good person…" he muttered, halting his step – before turning and walking back.
He had almost reached the doorway before he heard the laughter. He stopped, frowning, and listened.
"No way!!" A student cried. "You've been going through all those missions, even fighting a Sorceress, all without magic?! That's just so cool!!"
"Yeah! I suppose I never thought of it that way!!" Irvine replied happily.
"You must be one badass!" Another said. "I wouldn't want to fight you!!"
Squall began to walk away then, placing his hands in his pockets. Reaching the main hallway, he bumped into Rinoa, who was looking very worried. "Squall!! What's happened? Is Irvine alright?"
She frowned suddenly. "Squall? What's wrong with you? Are you alright?"
"What's wrong, Rin? You've never seen a smile before?"
"Squall Leonheart!! Was that a joke?! What have you done with the real Squall, you impostor!!"
Squall's grin grew larger as he pulled the woman he loved into a deep kiss, savouring her taste, melting within her.
He pulled back, looking down at her dreamy expression. "Oh…" she said slowly, looking up at him with contented eyes. "…there you are…"
