AN: Extra warning - this chapter contains main character deaths.  I kinda wasn't intending to kill one of these characters, but without givin away too much, they have to die to make another character's character plausible - heck, you'll see what I mean by the end of this chapter.  Btw, the title isn't swearing, but if I explain here u'll know what happens, so I'll explain l8r

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

~Chapter Seventeen: Bloody Phoenix Rising~

Rinoa/Harena woke as someone entered the clearing.  She was horrified to discover two things, one that it was noon, and the other that Squall was nowhere to be felt.  It wasn't Squall who had entered the clearing, she could tell that immediately, nor was it anyone else she knew well.  Wait, she thought, I do know them.  She closed her eyes, thinking.  Kiros.  So they had been discovered.  She sneered at a mental image of Squall, taunting him for thinking that they would not be found here, under his father's nose.

But Squall was gone, she realised with a twinge of fear.  Squall was gone, and there was no one to defend her should the need arise.  Harena squashed Rinoa's fear with a formless snarl.  Only another day, one more day and she would be invincible.  Rinoa and her petty mortal fears would be destroyed forever, never to hold her back again, and anyone who tried to stand against her would be crushed.  Just for the day had she to maintain her facade.  Just for a day whilst she chafed against the mortal confines that held her captive, and grew furious as she wondered who had dared to steal Squall away from her.  He was hers, he was the best, better than Seifer, whom the other had chosen.  Squall had defeated the other, and that meant he was a worthy knight for her, a worthy mate.

Her fury rose, and she knew she would not be able to maintain the ruse of pregnant, passive Rinoa.  She contemplated forcing her way into the world too early, she would be weaker as a result, but the other was dead, and dead enemies were no threat.  Harena made her decision.

Slowly she felt the thin barrier between herself and life.  A single fingernail, already sharp as a knife, made the first tentative cut, followed by a swift slash and thrust which left Rinoa's vocal chords severed.  The lack of vocal sound would make this much less satisfying, but the mental agony was sheer, electrifying bliss.  Savouring the warm tingling that came with each new mental cry, but forced to take less time than she wished with Kiros lingering outside, Harena cut her way into being, leaving Rinoa voiceless and dying on the floor.

She stretched lazily, watching wisps of power curl like smoke from her extended arms.  Power crackled and flashed in red sparks as she wriggled her fingers.  Embracing her powers, smooth black material slid over her skin, hugging her lithe figure.  A mirror appeared in front of her, and she smiled slowly, seductively, the dress altering so that it covered as little of her flesh as possible, and what little it did cover wasn't hidden by the nearly transparent material.  There was just one final touch, for the moment, to add.

When she was finally satisfied with her looks, Harena headed to the door, to invite her, guest, into the spider's web.

***

As soon as Kiros entered the clearing his instincts began to scream danger at him.  He lingered outside the cabin, uneasy.  His instincts had never let him down before, yet he knew it was only Squall and Rinoa, and possibly Rinoa's child, who were in the cabin.  Still, every sense was screaming that evil beyond imagining lay beyond the door.  He waited outside, wondering why no one had come to investigate.  Rinoa would know he was here, being a sorceress and all, and surely she would have told Squall?  Maybe they were hoping, if they ignored him, that he would go away.

Kiros didn't know how long he had been staring into space, thinking, but he jumped as the door opened.  Fear overwhelmed him, but he was frozen in place.  His mouth dropped open as he took in the clothes, the headdress and the eyes, then he was being compelled forwards.  As the door closed behind him, Kiros knew he would never leave the cabin alive.

AN: I figured Harena would be too pissed at losing Squall to not vent her anger on Kiros - who was the one I didn't intend to kill btw - but I do have to admit to planning Rinoa's death, she doesn't deserve Squall - imo *grins*  The chapter title, as I pointed out, uses the word 'bloody' in a lit. sense - Harena arises from Rinoa's bleeding body etc.