Re-Creating Hell
Chapter Eleven: Target
By PasifiKStar
*All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy or it's characters.
The car stopped and Squall turned off the engine. Next to him in the passenger's seat, Rinoa looked out the window to find that they were parked by the Loveless.
"I'm hungry," he stated simply, recognizing the confused look on her face. "What about you?
"I'm still stuffed from all the hot dogs Zell and Raijin made," she admitted and gently patted her stomach. "But I'll go with you."
He nodded and they got out of the car. Squall checked his watch and put his arm around Rinoa's waist, casually opening the door to the corner bar and walking inside.
Upon entering, Tifa looked up and smiled. "Hey, kid," she greeted. Her eyes settled on Rinoa and her smile widened. "Oh! And you must be Rinoa - Squall's girlfriend!"
"Uh-"
"Yeah." Squall nodded. His eyes were scanning the room as they stood by the bar. Tifa wiped her hand on one of the towels and extended her hand.
"Hi, I'm Tifa Lockeheart! Squall's cousin," she said, smiling and unconsciously showing her pointed fangs. Rinoa smiled back and shook Tifa's hand. "I was beginning to think that Squall was never going to get a girlfriend! He's always brooding and anti-social. And you're so cute! I'm surprised he was about to get such a cute girlfri-"
"Tifa!" Squall snapped, cutting her off and glaring at her. "Just get us some drinks!" He took Rinoa's hand and dragged her to a corner booth, past a small stage to their left.
Rinoa giggled. "She's really nice." she commented.
*I swear, all the women from my mom's side of the family have it out for me...* he thought to himself. *First Ellone and now Tifa...*
They sat close together in the center of the booth. She looked around the dimly lit room and looked up at the small stage. "What's going on there?"
"Sometimes vampires come to perform here..." Squall explained as his eyes kept looking around the room, as if searching for someone. His eyes went past Rinoa and stopped.
Noticing the concentrated look on Squall's face, she turned around and followed his gaze. Her eyes went wide and she ducked deeper in the booth. *Oh, Hyne! It's them!* Right behind her was a circular table fitting several people. Three females and three males, one who was in a big blue were cat form.
"Shh..." Squall said. Tifa passed them and put some drinks on the table.
Squall took his and drank from it without another thought and Rinoa lifted her own cup to her nose, smelling it first before drinking it. When she was positive, there was no blood her drink, she took a sip and winced. *Holy Hyne...what is this!? It burns!!*
He glanced over at her and tried to hide his smirk. *I guess she can't even handle plain alcohol that well...* Rinoa's face was turning red and she pushed the drink away.
In the table right behind Rinoa, the group was going over some notes and discussing their plan. Rinoa could barely hear them, but Squall was able to understand each and every word.
"Two of Adel's factories have been destroyed," the blond and object of Tifa's affections told the rest of the group. "By the previous group on the mission."
"I've done some research," said the sorceress of the group. "And I've found six other factory and labs where she could be hiding."
"The Blood Moon is approaching soon," said the woman with the low cut black dress. "We should start immediately and begin destroying them."
"Flush them out, huh?" the middle aged looking blond man grinned. He held his thumb up. "Sounds good to me."
"The question is where should we start." Cloud mumbled.
To the side of them, against the wall, was a huge sword and a blue staff with a gold symbol at the top. They leaned against the wall and Squall figured that they were their weapons.
The young sorceress mulled over the situation as the others looked over the map placed on the table. There were circles around certain areas, probably indicating where the labs were. Two of them had a large 'x' over them - the lab in Esthar and the lab in Trabia.
"Perhaps I should go to a temple and pray for guidance?" Yuna suggested quietly.
"Temple?" an energetic female voice gasped. "That's a waste of time! We should go directly to the one closest to us and start there!"
"But then we'd be wasting our time destroying those labs while Adel is finding another place to hide," Lulu stated simply. "And then there is always the possibility that she is not even IN a lab or factory."
"Lulu is right," Kimahri agreed. "We need guidance."
"Not if we work fast enough!" said the energetic girl with the short dark hair. "Then she won't have time to think."
"If she's as good a sorceress as they say she is, then she could've already mastered travel magic," Lulu argued. "We need to know where she is so we can get her at one time."
"She's right...it'll be fast and clean and we'll get rid of her before she even opens those gates." Cloud agreed.
Yuffie pouted. "Fine..."
"We shall go to a temple and seek guidance then," Yuna said. She looked around. "I'll ask the hostess where the nearest temple is."
As Yuna turned around, she caught a glimpse of a familiar young woman and her multicolored eyes went wide. Rinoa was practically leaning against Squall, trying to hide from the other sorceress' view. *Please don't let her see me, please don't let her see me, please don't let her see-*
"Rinoa!"
*Crap,* Squall looked down at her with a raised eyebrow, as if asking how they knew her. Slowly Rinoa sat straight up again and put a smile on her face as she turned around. "Yuna!" she gasped cheerfully *What the hell are you doing here?* "What brings you to Esthar?"
"Oh, you didn't hear then?" Yuna asked, genuinely innocent. "We were assigned the Adel mission."
"Adel mission?" Rinoa asked. Part of her had refused to believe it at first, that they were really off the assignment. But to hear those words come from Yuna's mouth made the reality all too clear. "Oh...we weren't informed."
"You and another team were working on it earlier, right?" Yuna asked cheerfully.
Rinoa felt herself swell with pride. *Yeah! We were the first choice!* "Yes...I'm afraid a few technicalities set us back."
"Were you guys able to find out anything else about Adel?" Yuna asked.
Cloud looked over at the group from behind her. "I know they said that you guys didn't find anything, but there must've been something you found out. I mean, you were able to destroy two of her labs."
Squall shook his head. "Sorry." he shrugged.
Rinoa still had a smile plastered to her face. "We didn't find out anything new." *Oh, except that Adel is Ultimecia's sister and that's she's more vampire than sorceress. Not to mention that she will be using Squall's ring to open Hell's Gates.*
"Oh..." Yuna looked disappointed as Lulu looked them over. Yuffie gave them a disbelieving look.
"Are you SURE you don't know?" Yuffie asked.
Rinoa opened her mouth to answer, but Squall cut her off. "Are you saying we're lying?" he growled. Yuffie shut her mouth and looked down at the table.
Rinoa sighed heavily. "Good luck on the mission," she told them genuinely. "And be careful."
"Thank you, Rinoa." Yuna stood up and bowed slightly. She walked to the wall and took her staff while Cloud picked up the massive sword with ease. The rest of the group stood up and followed them out of the bar.
Rinoa let out a heavy breath and leaned back against the booth. She tilted her head back over the edge and closed her eyes. "How do you know her?" she heard Squall asked.
"She went to the same finishing school as Quistis, Selphie, and I," Rinoa explained. She looked over at Squall. "Her father, Braska, was the head of the summoning department."
He tilted his head. "What's wrong?"
Rinoa shook her head. "I just didn't believe it until now..." Rinoa told him quietly. "I didn't believe we were really off the mission until Yuna said that THEY were it. I guess I'm barely coming to terms with it."
"We're off the mission, Rinoa, but we're not going to stop just because someone tells us to," Squall asserted. "We're as much on this mission as they are."
"Should we have told them about what we found out?" Rinoa asked quietly. She leaned forward and put her hands on her lap. "What if they need to know that?"
"They'll be fine," Squall assured her. "She has good warriors around her. And they wouldn't have chosen them if they couldn't handle the job."
Rinoa nodded. "That's true..." She swallowed hard and put her arms on the table, burying her head in it. Slowly, her breath began to shallow and Squall took notice. He moved closer to her and put an arm over her shoulders.
"Rinoa...Rinoa, what is it now?" he asked intently.
Rinoa shook her head, she tilted her head to the side to look up at him and he saw tears rimming her large brown eyes. "I feel like I'm putting everyone in danger!" she exclaimed in a shaking voice. "First it was us and now Yuna and them! They shouldn't have to face this if it could be helped!"
"The decision is already made," Squall told her. "We didn't put them up to this. They were given a choice, just like we were, and they decided to do it."
"But WHAT if they do get hurt?" Rinoa asked, almost frantic. "Adel is a very strong adversary!"
"Rinoa, calm down," Squall told her sternly. "No one is going to get hurt if we get to her first."
"But what if we don't?"
"Do you really believe that?" Squall asked. "After all of this, do you really believe that we couldn't do it? Didn't they tell you what Quistis said?
Rinoa nodded slowly. "We are it," she repeated Selphie's words when the petite lycan had quoted Quistis. "No one else can do it but us."
"Quistis will finish reading that book soon," Squall said as he caressed the side of her face gently to reassure her. "We'll put everything together and find Adel and stop her from opening Hell's Gates."
Rinoa nodded slowly and cupped her face in her hands. "Hyne, I hope so..."
Tifa walked up to the front of the bar, where a small stage covered in dark red carpet was. The whole time they had been there, a small band had been playing quietly. They died down and the vampiress began to speak.
"Welcome to the Loveless, we hope you're enjoying the drinks tonight!" Tifa said. A few people clapped and Rinoa looked up. She noticed that there weren't as many single vampires this time. There were mostly couples scattered amongst the crowd.
"Weekend nights are usually made up of couples," Squall explained quietly as he watched Rinoa's eyes go around the room. "Mostly young vampires with impure blood."
"Oh..." Rinoa said. *That explains the lack of drunk old vampires...*
"We're pleased to welcome back Len, who has performed here on previous occasions," Tifa said cheerfully. "So let's all give a big welcome to her!"
She began to clap as she walked off the stage and the people, including Rinoa and excluding Squall, clapped. A young vampiress walked up on stage with long, straight brown hair and tanned skin. She had beads in her hair and wore a short black skirt with a blue top and brown leather boots.
"This song is dedicated to my special someone," she began, smiling softly. "He couldn't be here with me tonight...so I'm singing for anyone who at one time couldn't be with the one they loved. I hope you enjoy."
Behind her, the band began to play the soft ballad of the song. She began singing, and a rich warm voice filled the room. Slowly, couples began to get up and head towards the bottom of the stage, hand in hand. Rinoa was captivated by the words of the song, her eyes staring up wondrously at the stage.
Suddenly, she felt a tug at her hand and she snapped out of her daze. "Are you coming?" Squall asked, standing to her side.
*We're leaving already?* "But I want to hear the rest of the song..." she murmured.
"Come on, you need to take your mind off of things." Squall told her. Reluctantly, the brunette sighed and scooted out of the booth. Frowning, she stood up and followed behind Squall.
The singer who was under the glow of soft yellow lights called the man she loved a cheater, but the song expressed her sadness because she was left alone. Rinoa wondered if that would be how she would feel had Squall really died. She didn't even realize that Squall had stopped until she ran into his side.
Shaking her head, she looked up and rather than find them close to the door or even outside, they were standing amongst the group of dancing couples. Her eyes went wide and looked up at him questioningly. He merely looked back at her in question, as if asking if she was going to start dancing with him any time soon.
Rinoa blushed and put her arms around his neck and felt his arms go around her waist. Crushed up against his body, she rested her head against his shoulder as they danced in a circle. "I thought we were leaving..." she whispered quietly.
*Yeah, so did I...* Squall thought to himself. Truth be told, he had no idea what possessed him to dance with her. Perhaps it was looking at her thoughtful face as she looked up at the stage, lost in the words and it's meaning. He let out a breath and leaned his head against her. "I thought you could use something to relax you."
Rinoa smiled and closed her eyes as she leaned against him. On the stage, Len sang out, "Dakishimeru..."
Squall agreed completely. Rinoa did as well. *I want to hold you...*
Quistis was back in the dark room lab, sitting at her station with her computer and laptop on as she read through the thick clan history of Ultimecia's family. She was seventy five percent done with the book, having been concentrating on speed reading it since she got the message.
Seifer had gone to wake up Raijin and Fujin. Raijin had been asleep on the couch and Fujin had been asleep in Rinoa's room. Quistis looked at the clock on her lap top screen. *Fifty minutes...ONLY!?*
"We've been trying to get their cell phones," Seifer said as he walked in. "But no one's answering."
"Where did they go? Did they leave any messages?" Quistis grilled him.
"No messages," Seifer said. He looked over the book and was surprised to find that she was close to finishing. "I have no idea where they could be."
"Ask Raijin or Fujin!" Quistis ordered as she returned to the clan book. "Maybe they know!"
Seifer merely nodded and left the blond alone to continue her research. He walked back out into the living room and found the other two sitting on the couch, a phone in Fujin's hand.
"Do you know where they went?" Seifer asked as he jerked his chin up.
"Palace." Fujin said.
"Call them!" Seifer said. "Did all of them go there?"
As Fujin dialed the numbers, Seifer looked back to Raijin who shook his head. "Selphie and Irvine went on a date, ya know."
"WHAT!?" Seifer growled furiously. He grabbed Hyperion from where it had been resting against the wall, by a book shelf. "Where?!"
"Didn't say, ya know!" Raijin told him, panicking slightly.
Growling, Seifer nearly threw his gun blade back as his green eyes blazed with fury. He was about to go sit on the arm chair when he heard a low growl and looked down. Angelo had been taking a nap there and didn't want to be moved.
"Dammit, mutt, just get out of the way!" Seifer said, frustrated.
"Grr..." Angelo snapped at him and Seifer jumped back.
"Fine!" he grumbled. "See if I buy you doggy treats again! Stupid dog..."
"Hello," Fujin said. "Rinoa?" The two males looked at her as she listened to what someone else was saying on the phone. "Gone?" Her eye looked over to Seifer.
"Where?" the blond mouthed.
"Where?" Fujin asked. The voice on the other line said something. "Okay..."
"What did they say, ya know?" Raijin asked.
"Shh!" Fujin hissed. Another voice answered the phone. "Zell?"
"Give me that!" Seifer grumbled. He reached over and grabbed the phone from Fujin's hands. "Chicken-wuss!" he began.
"Seifer!? That's it, I'm hanging up-"
"Is Rinoa there!?" Seifer growled into the phone.
Zell had stopped half way to hanging up the phone. "No...I think they left earlier."
"Where did they go?"
"Didn't say, I was asleep," Zell said. His eyebrows furrowed. "Is something wrong?"
"Get out there and try to find them!" Seifer ordered.
"What?" Zell asked. He frowned. "Why the hell should I do what you tell me to!?"
"Just do it!"
"Screw you, Seifer-"
"Ten sorcerers have been killed in Galbadia," Seifer hissed angrily. "Rinoa could be a target. GO FIND THEM!!" He slammed the phone on the couch.
"Hello?" a voice was saying. "Hello...?"
Fujin rolled her eye and lifted up the cordless phone, pressing the 'end' button. Seifer nodded his head to give her thanks and then ran a hand through his slicked back hair. "Keep trying to get a hold of Selphie," he said. "I'm going to check up on Quistis."
He stood up and headed back down the hall. In the dark room lab, Quistis was still going over the book, but this time she had another book, just as thick, right next to her.
"Seifer, give this list to Fujin and Raijin," she said. Without turning around, she held out a slip of paper. "Tell them to get into the library and bring these books back."
"The library isn't open this late." he stated as he took the list from her hands. All the books were on the seal on Hell's Gates.
"I don't have time for technicalities!" she exclaimed as she whirled around in her seat and glared at him. "We NEED this books, Seifer! Now GO!"
*Must be that time of the month...* he thought to himself as he walked out silently. "Fu, Raijin!" Seifer said. "Can you get these for Quisty?"
"Not opened." Fujin told him after she looked over the list.
"That's what I told her, but she says that we need them."
"Okay." Fujin nodded and stood up.
"We'll be back before morning, ya know!" Raijin said. The two of them headed out the door, the list of books shoved in Fujin's back pocket.
"Shuin!" Tidus said as he ran into to the kitchen. The other blonde with blue eyes looked over at the other waiter. "Let me hand!"
"Whoa..." Shuin mumbled, his eyes wide as Tidus' arms were filled with plates. "Table seventeen?"
"Table seventeen."
"Damn...lycans, right?" Shuin asked. Tidus nodded his head.
"They just left," Tidus said. "There are still some dishes out there."
"I'll come help you." Shuin said. He placed the dishes on the table and then headed out after Tidus. As the other blond had told him, there was still a stack of dishes on the now vacant table.
"They're pretty cool," Tidus said as he took the wad of gil that was wedged between the candle holder and salt. He folded it over once and shoved it in his back pocket. "Man, that guy really knew how to sweet talk her."
Shuin laughed. "Sweet talk her, huh? Maybe he meant it."
"He seemed really sincere," Tidus agreed, piling plates in his arms. "Hey, Shuin, what about you?"
"What about me?"
"You have a girlfriend?" They headed back towards the kitchen, plates in their arms.
Shuin blushed slightly. "Yeah..."
"No shit!? Who? Is she hot?" Tidus asked. Shuin laughed.
"None of your business..."
At the bottom floor of the sky scraper where Alexandria was located atop, Selphie walked out with Irvine next to her. Their arms were linked together as she leaned against him, smiling brightly.
Irvine walked over to the valet as Selphie put her hands in her pocket. She felt a small device and lifted it up. *Opps...left it off.* She pressed the power button of her phone. Her mobile phone showcased a series of multicolored lights under the key pad as the screen lit up.
Irvine walked back over and looked over her shoulder. "Got a message?"
"Looks like it..." Selphie said. She smiled. "Maybe it's from Rin and Quisty!" She began to check her voice mail as they waited for Irvine's car to return.
"You have 23 messages."
"Wow..." Selphie mumbled. She listened to the first one as Irvine's car rolled up. The cowboy tipped the valet and opened the passenger's side door for Selphie.
The young female's eyes went wide as she listened to the next message, not moving from where she stood. "Selphie-"
"Wait!" she gasped as she finished the message. She hung up her phone and got into the car. "We have to head back to the pent house!"
Irvine got into the driver's seat. "Why? What's the problem?" he asked. They moved away from the building and began to head back to Selphie's home.
"I got a message from them," she said loudly as she fastened her seat belt. He turned to him with large green eyes. "Ten sorcerers were killed in Galbadia...their hearts were torn out."
"What!? Adel?" he gasped.
Selphie nodded. "It has to be! She's consuming their powers!"
"Is it because we blew up her lab with the...er...heart clones?" Irvine asked.
"I don't know," Selphie answered nervously. "But I'm worried about Rinoa!"
"Is she there?"
"I don't know," Selphie mumbled. She took a deep breath. "I hope she's safe."
"What about that one?" Rinoa asked.
"That's also a plane."
"Oh..." On the roof of Loveless was an old picnic table and some potted plants, remnants of Raine Leonheart's days owning the bar. She had once turned the roof of the bar into a little get away for her.
Very few people still knew it existed and Squall was one of them. Tifa had lent him the key to the roof, where he and Rinoa were now laying on a picnic table covered by a white table cloth from the bar below.
They were staring up at the sky, trying to catch any shooting stars. Every time Rinoa pointed out to something moving, Squall had assured her it was not a shooting star.
"As nice an idea as this is, Rinoa," Squall said. His arms were behind his head, gently cradling it as he laid next to Rinoa. Her head was cradled over one his bent arms. One of her arms were lazily draped over his stomach as the other one was up the air, pointing out suspected shooting stars. "I don't think shooting stars can be seen by waiting for them."
"Let's just give it a while longer," she suggested. "I'm sure one will come."
He merely smiled. "Sure."
"What? Are you tired of me already?" Rinoa asked playfully.
"Yes."
"What!?" The brunette turned to glare at him as his arm went around her body. He bent over her and pressed his lips against hers.
Her eyes were wide with surprise as he let her go, a slight smirk on his face as she blushed. "Are you tired of me?" he asked.
"Not if you're going to do that," Rinoa felt her face heat up at her words. *Where did that come from? "I mean... what was that for?"
He merely shrugged and laid back down in his spot. Rinoa sat up and looked down at him with a frown. *She's so cute even when she frowns...* he thought to himself. He pretended to ignore her and look at the sky.
"So you randomly go up and kiss girls for no reason, now?" she asked, slightly annoyed at the thought.
"Why not?" he shrugged.
"Squall, you meany!" She punched him in the stomach gently.
"Whatever."
"Whatever this!" She lifted her hand to punch his stomach a little harder when his hands clamped on her shoulders and pulled her down. She gave a yelp as she fell down against him. "Squall!!"
Behind her, the door to the stairs that lead to the bar swung open. "SQUALL!" another voice shouted.
*Not again...* Squall thought to himself. Rinoa was frozen on top of him. Her eyes were wide and straight ahead of her.
"Oh damn! Sorry!" A voice at the door way stammered.
Squall sat up, gently maneuvering Rinoa so she sat next to him rather than laid on top of him. "Zell, what are you doing here?" Squall asked, frowning with displeasure.
The blond was still standing at the door way, looking incredibly embarrassed for having barged into the situation. "I...uh...um..."
"Just tell us." Squall growled, frustrated. Next to him, Rinoa still sat stiffly. She seemed to have a concentrated look on her face.
*That's twice. TWICE tonight that someone's walked in on us! We have to start locking doors!!* she was thinking to herself.
"Seifer called and said to find you," Zell told them. "It's an emergency."
"What is it?" Rinoa asked, finally snapping out of her daze. "What's wrong? Is everything okay?"
Zell took a deep breath. "I don't know the details," Zell told her. "But Seifer said that ten sorcerers have been killed in Galbadia."
"Ten sorcerers!?" Rinoa said. She jumped off her seat and looked at Squall. "Take me home NOW!"
Squall had a serious look on his face as he nodded. He took Rinoa's hand and lead her back down the stairs with Zell following behind him. "I need to get my gun blade." he stated.
"I already have it in the trunk of the car," Zell said. He frowned. "Do you know how heavy that thing is?"
Squall didn't pay attention, but Rinoa did. She turned to look at Zell. "You drove here by yourself?"
"Um..." Zell looked away nervously. "Yeah...Uh...since you left your car keys back at the palace..."
Rinoa nodded, completely understanding. As they passed the bar, Squall tossed Tifa her keys with a brief mumble of thanks as they rushed out the door, leaving behind the small band playing on the stage.
Tifa barely had time to catch her keys as her cousin swept past her. The vampire at the bar turned his head towards the door, his pale blond hair falling part way over his face. He looked at Tifa as she sighed and put her keys away. "So that's your cousin?" he asked.
Tifa turned to the blond haired man and nodded. "Distantly related. Why, Cloud?"
"What do you know about him?" Cloud asked casually.
Outside, they heard a lot of yelling and the sound of someone apologizing. Tifa looked from the door to Cloud. "He's an excellent swordsman."
"And his companion?"
"The girl?" Tifa asked. "His girlfriend. She's a sorceress."
Cloud nodded and drank the rest of the liquid in his cup. "What about the other guy with them?"
"That's Zell," Tifa informed him. "He's Squall's best friend. Well, him and that lycan cowboy."
"Who else have they been here with?" Cloud asked.
"Hmm..." Tifa thought back to the day when Rinoa arrived with some people. She never got their names, but knew that one had cast an explosive spell in her back room. "I'm not sure of their names...but there were two lycan witches, two shape shifters, and another full blooded lycan. Why do you ask?"
Cloud shook his head. "No reason," he said. He offered Tifa a smile. "Can I have another, Tifa?"
"Sure thing." the brunette nodded and took his glass.
Cloud looked back at the door. *I don't understand...with that kind of man power and magic, they couldn't possibly have failed so easily...* Tifa placed a full cup in front of him. "Thanks."
She nodded and went back to work.
Selphie and Irvine burst into the pent house, looking around frantically. Everyone else, save Quistis and Rinoa, were sitting in the living room silently. "Where's Rinoa!?" Selphie cried out. "RINOA!!"
"We saw her car!" Irvine said. "What the hell happened?! There's no glass on her wind shield and it's covered with scratches!"
Zell cowered in the corner of the couch and Squall rolled his eyes. "That wasn't Rinoa..." Following his gaze, Irvine's eyes landed on the avoiding blue eyes of Zell.
"Again, Zell? See, this is why I won't let you drive my car." Irvine said, shaking his head.
"Rinoa!!" Selphie kept yelling frantically.
"Selphie, quiet down!" Rinoa said. She turned the corner from the dark room lab, with Quistis behind her. "I'm right here."
"Oh, thank Hyne!" the petite brunette said. She rammed into Rinoa and hugged the girl tightly.
"Selphie, have a seat," Quistis said. "You, too, Irvine..." She went and stood in front of the television and put several large books on the coffee table in front of her.
Selphie took a seat on the love seat with Irvine and Rinoa, while Zell, Raijin, Fujin, and Seifer sat on the couch with Squall on the arm chair, Angelo next to his feet sleeping.
"So is this it?" Selphie asked. She looked around the room nervously. The air seemed to be heavy as everyone waited with baited breath for Quistis to start.
"First of all, I finished this book," Quistis said, pointing to Ultimecia's clan book on the table. "I still have a stack of books in there that Raijin and Fujin managed to get for me. We'll have another meeting after I finish with those."
"Just get to the point, Quisty." Seifer snorted from his chair. She shot him an annoyed glare.
"We already know that Adel is Ultimecia's sister and that she's more vampire than sorceress," Quistis explained. "This book only goes so far as to mention Adel and Ultimecia when they were children. I'm going to lay out the pieces now...Rinoa..."
"Yes?"
"Remember how we talked about the mixing of vampire and sorcerer blood?" Quistis asked. Rinoa nodded.
"Sorcerers who are turned die from blood poisoning." Rinoa explained.
"That's right...the only vampiric sorcerers are those who are hybrids," Quistis said. "Adel is one. Ultimecia was one. Their father was a vampire and their mother was a sorceress. Both were full blooded. However, Adel and Ultimecia were the first recorded hybrids."
"I knew they were old..." Irvine said. "But THAT old? Are you sure?"
"I'm not done yet, Irvine," Quistis said. She opened the book to a spot that she had book marked. "They say that sorcerers were from heaven and vampires were from hell, that's why their blood could not mix. That's a lie. According to this book, which contains an amazing amount of history, it says that both races were from heaven. Vampires came first. They were banished from heaven because they sought more power through the blood of others.
"Then, sorcerers fell from heaven because they sought to have more power from Hyne. They were not happy with the powers they were already gifted with and wanted more, so as punishment, they were banished to earth. Lycanthropes and shape shifters were born naturally from the earth, as were humans. That's why it's easier for them to be turned.
"The reason that vampires can't turn sorcerers ISN'T because they have different origins, it's because they have the SAME origins. They were created so by Hyne in order to prevent too much power in the hands of one side. It's all a matter of keeping the balance."
"But what does this have to do with the Blood Moon?" Zell said. "Sure, that explains a lot, but what about that whole seal thing?"
Quistis flipped through another part of the thick book and ran her finger over the words. She stopped half way down one page. "The seal was created to prevent hell from sending any of it's forsaken creatures to earth. If it did, it would create havoc and break the balance. Therefore, a representative of each race helped create a blood seal to prevent Hell's Gates from opening."
"What's a blood seal?" Irvine asked.
"It's an ancient spell where the blood of it's casters are used to draw a pentagram to be used as a seal," Seifer said. Irvine looked at him curiously. "I'm half witch, dumbass, don't forget."
"Touchy..."
"So a human, lycan, shape shifter, vampire, and sorcerer all gave blood to create the seal?" Zell said. "Then what happened?"
"The seal was created and they needed a focal point," Quistis explained. "It's called Griever. It's some sort of ring."
Rinoa lifted her eyes to meet that of Squall's. "Ring?" Selphie piped. She sat up straight and looked at Rinoa. "You were saying something about that back at the lab."
"Griever..." Irvine mumbled. He and Zell looked at each other than looked at Squall. "YOUR Griever!?"
"They took it," Rinoa whispered quietly. "They ripped it from my chain and then someone appeared and took it."
"Oh Hyne..." Quistis sighed. "The ring was the focal point of the seal. When the seal surrounds it, it can be used to seal it or open it."
"How did they use it the first time?" Rinoa asked.
"It's kind of vague, but the ring was supposed to represent a union of all races..." Quistis looked at Rinoa. "Rin...Griever is a wedding ring."
Rinoa's eyes went wide. "But...why would they use Griever? Why not another ring?"
"The wedding ring belonged to the oldest vampire clan," Quistis said. "The one Adel and her sister belong to. It was carried down by the family patriarch and was crafted using unearthly materials. It is the guardian of the entire vampire race. When Adel and Ultimecia's father gave it to their mother, it represented a joining of all races. Including the protection of Griever."
"Why couldn't they use someone else's wedding ring?" Selphie asked. "Someone else must've had a mate of another race!"
"They used Griever because the sorceress who performed the ceremony with them was Adel and Ultimecia's MOTHER. That made the power behind the ring much stronger because it was a union between two of the seal's casters, thus making the seal stronger," Quistis stressed. "According to the book, it was their mother and father who sacrificed themselves to make sure Hell's Gates were sealed."
"Sacrificed?" Fujin asked.
"What do you mean...?" Rinoa asked quietly.
"To strengthen the seal," Quistis said as she closed the book. "They used their life energy."
"So what you're saying is that the gate isn't just a seal..." Seifer mumbled. "It's two people."
Quistis nodded. "Who are still alive..."
"Oh, Hyne..." Selphie gasped, covering her mouth in shock. "So Adel doesn't want to unleash hell..."
Quistis nodded. "She lost her only family when Ultimecia was defeated several years ago. Ultimecia was the only one who ever cared about Adel and took care of her. Since Adel cannot bring the dead back to life..."
Rinoa closed her eyes and leaned back against the couch. "She wants to bring the living back to earth."
"Precisely..." Quistis said. "Now we know the reason."
"It's not a good reason," Rinoa said with a shaking voice. "What gives her the right to take another child's mother away to bring back her own!? It's not fair!!"
Selphie reached over and hugged Rinoa. "I know, Rin...we'll get her for it."
"I hate her..." Rinoa stammered behind tears. "She didn't have to do this... she's a monster. All this needless pain and violence...is that supposed to make her parents happy!? Is it!?"
"Shh...Rinoa..." Quistis said. She looked at Selphie and Selphie nodded.
"The sun's going to rise soon," Selphie said quietly in Rinoa's ear as she hugged her. "Get some rest..."
Rinoa nodded slowly as she rubbed her eyes. "I'll take her." Squall said. Selphie looked up and nodded, slowly letting go of Rinoa as Squall stood up and walked over to her. Rinoa stood up and allowed him to put his arm around her as he escorted her up the stairs.
"I'm going to finish reading those books," Quistis said. "The rest of you get some sleep."
"Quisty," Selphie said, concerned, as she stood up. "Are you sure you'll be okay?"
"I had a few hours of sleep," Quistis assured her with a smile. "I'll be fine. Now get to bed."
Selphie nodded and turned to go up the stairs. "Come on, Selphie," Irvine said, standing up and walking behind her. "Let's go."
Immediately the threatening blade of Hyperion stood between him and Selphie. Seifer stood there, holding it up, a stern frown on his face as his eyes told Irvine to just TRY it and see what happens. The darkened metal shone in the dim light of the room and Irvine swallowed.
"You will sleep down here," Seifer hissed dangerously. "Fujin! Go share the room with Selphie."
"C'mon, Fujin..." Selphie yawned. "It's been a tiring night." Fujin followed behind the petite girl and Seifer finally lowered his gun blade.
Quistis shook her head and headed back into the dark room lab. It was going to be a long day.
"Rinny! Rinny! Get back inside! Go back!!"
"Mommy?"
"Go BACK!!!"
Rinoa's eyes flew open. She was breathing deeply, her heart pounding in her chest as she looked around her room. The light outside her window was a bright shade of orange and she looked at her clock on her night stand. It was sunset.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her eyes seemed to feel a little puffy from the crying she did before she went to bed. She ran a hand through her dark hair as she laid there, staring at her ceiling. Slowly, she heard the closet door open a bit. "Rinoa?" a deep, questioning voice asked from within. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah," she said. "Just a dream..." she mumbled. "I can't really remember it now, but it's gone..." She sat up slowly and swung her feet over the side of the bed. "Don't come out yet! The sun's still up!" she exclaimed.
She heard Squall chuckle from her walk in closet. "May I suggest getting thicker, DARKER curtains?"
"Sorry..." she blushed. "Is that bad sleeping in my closet?"
"Not so much bad as demeaning." Squall commented.
Rinoa giggled. *He has that huge, elaborate bed back at the palace... I can see how sleeping in Quistis' old sleeping bag in my closet can be a step down,* "Are you hungry?"
"I can really use a drink..." Squall sighed.
"Sorry, we don't have any blood for that sort of thing," Rinoa said, rolling her eyes. "There might be some hot dogs left."
"I think I'll starve," he replied. Rinoa stood up and pulled down her curtains and closed her blinds, cutting off some of the light. "Thanks..." he said as he walked out. He ran a hand through his hair and kissed her forehead softly as he reached her.
"Did you sleep okay?" Rinoa asked. She was dressed in her pajamas while Squall was dressed in his pants and shirt, minus his belts and jacket, which was hanging over the back of her chair.
He nodded. "Let's get you something to eat." he said. They walked to the door and stepped out. Downstairs, they could already hear the sounds of those already awake.
"We're OUT of COCO-PUFFS!!" a terrified sounding voice shrieked.
"Selphie, I know you keep an extra box behind that empty box of oat meal." an unimpressed voice replied.
"Oh yeah..." Selphie mumbled. "Thanks, Quisty!"
Rinoa and Squall walked down the stairs. Selphie was digging through the pantry, searching for her spare box of coco-puffs as a bowl and carton of milk were waiting for her on the counter. Raijin was making, of all things, waffles and Irvine and Zell were at the breakfast bar, sitting on stools, and eating them like they were the last waffles on earth.
Squall shook his head as he saw them fighting over the syrup. Fujin was on the couch with an apple in her hand and a magazine in the other. On the kitchen table were Quistis and Seifer, eating waffles, but in a more civilized manner.
"Evening sleepy heads!" Selphie shouted cheerfully as she emerged from the pantry, coco-puffs in hand. She bounced all around the kitchen as she prepared her food.
"Good evening..." Rinoa yawned. "Raijin, are their any waffles left?"
"Sorry, but they ate 'em all, ya know..." Raijin sighed, pointing to Irvine and Zell as he ate his last waffle.
Rinoa shot an annoyed look at the two males who were stuffing their faces. They were still fighting over the syrup and trying to yell at each other to let go with their mouths filled. Squall finally reached over, grabbed the syrup and squeezed some on Irvine's plate then on Zell's and slammed the plastic container back on the counter.
His reward was muffled thank yous and a few chunks of waffle. "Quistis, can I have a bagel?"
"Go ahead, but we're out of cream cheese."
"Oh, just perfect..." Rinoa grumbled. She resorted to her last resort. Breakfast bars. She grabbed one and offered one to Squall, who shook his head and refused.
"Rinoa, a package came for you earlier," Selphie said as she joined her brother and friend at the table. "It's from your dad."
"Oh geez...what is it now...?" Rinoa mumbled. She looked at the breakfast bar in disgust and offered it to Angelo, who also refused it, before walking to the living room. She found the box on the coffee table and sat down on the arm chair as she picked it up.
"Fujin, turn on the television!" Seifer shouted from the table. "Let's see what's on the news!"
Fujin nodded and picked up the remote, turning on the television. The flat screen blinked alive and Fujin pressed the remote buttons in search of the local station.
Rinoa opened the box on her lap and found it filled with packing material. She frowned. *What is this, a joke?* she thought to herself as she dug through the white material. She stuck her hand inside and felt around.
"And after yesterday's ten homicides, yet ANOTHER body has been found, this time in Deling City." the newswoman said.
Rinoa felt something small and smooth at the bottom of the box and pulled it out. *Dad's wedding ring? But he never takes this off...* She began to study it when Fujin's voice cut through her thoughts.
Rinoa looked at the white haired woman and saw her staring at the television. She turned her head. "The body of General Caraway was found early this morning in Deling City's central park. Like all the other murders, Caraway's chest was cut open and his heart had been cut out. However, a message was carved on to the General's body. Whom the message is intended for is unknown. According to the coroner, the words said 'You are next'...Caraway leaves behind his only daughter..."
The rest of the words lost all meaning as Rinoa sat there. She lifted her hand to touch her cheeks slowly and felt warm tears sliding down her face. She looked down at the wedding ring in her hand and stared at it until it went black.