Re-Creating Hell
Chapter Fifteen: Blood Moon Sets
By PasifiKStar
Author's Note: For more background on the story and more Author's Thanks, check the part after this.
*All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy or it's characters.
Quistis looked up from where she had fallen and felt a trickle of warm liquid slide down the side of her face. She looked up and glared at Sephiroth, who was currently engaged in a sword fighting match with Seifer. Selphie was quickly trying to cast cure spells over Zell and Irvine as the two had fallen just before Quistis.
"He's too fast..." she murmured to herself. "He's too strong." She watched as Sephiroth and Seifer engaged in an death defying dance. Each flash of a blade, each movement of their bodies made her heart stop, fearing that Seifer would be the one who would fall.
Sephiroth was much too fast and strong for Seifer. All of them had taken their chances with the white haired vampire, trying to team up against him. Yet their efforts were in vain as he proved to be much too skilled. He as, after all, an ancient vampire with centuries behind him while they were merely two decades, if even, old.
"Quistis!" Selphie shouted. "Help my brother!" Quistis looked up and nodded. Jumping to her feet, she wiped the blood from her face and let her whip fly.
Irvine was breathing deeply as deep wounds in his arms had practically disabled him from shooting at Sephiroth. Zell was back on his feet and tried to distract the white haired vampire as best as he could. Their plan was to have Seifer decapitate the creature, but with each try, Seifer's sword strokes were easily countered.
Selphie had been hit in the stomach with the katana and had it not been for her quick lycan healing and Quistis' cure spells, she would've easily bled to death. She was walking behind the group, dragging her nunchuku on the ground as if it were to heavy for her to carry.
She kept her eyes on the group fighting. Seifer was being cut pretty badly as well and Zell had been throw back so many times, it amazed her that he was still walking. She stopped and dropped her nunchuku on the floor. Closing her eyes she began to chant.
Quistis and Seifer immediately picked up on the sound and turned to see Selphie standing there. Her hands were in a praying position as her chanting began. In the dirt, Selphie had created a circle with runic symbols written across it. Quistis smirked. "And you keep saying your sister is dumb."
Seifer raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "This has got to be a fluke." he snorted.
Irvine raised his gun as Sephiroth lifted his katana to slash at the currently side tracked Seifer. A gun shot rang out and that brought the others, save Selphie, who was deep in trance, back to reality. Sephiroth looked at the bullet hole through his hand and turned to look at Irvine.
As he did, the muscles and tendons in his hand seemed to regenerate automatically and he squeezed his hand around the katana handle. "Was that it?" Sephiroth asked. "You could've at least hit me in the head."
Irvine opened the gun and took out a large bullet from his shirt with a bloody hand, he slipped the bullet into the gun and smiled. "Zell," Irvine said. "You know what to do right after this!"
Zell looked at Irvine and grinned. "Sure do."
Irvine aimed the gun. "I hope you like this, vamp boy," Irvine grinned. "I call it Hyper Shot."
Arrogantly, Sephiroth held his hands wide open at his sides. Irvine pulled the trigger. A loud bang echoed through the island as Sephiroth was thrown backwards by the force of the bullet.
Taking his chance, Zell ran forward. He lifted his fist and let it fly. Sephiroth was thrown back further and stumbled into the symbol that Selphie had created on the floor of the dirt path. As soon as he was inside of it, it began to glow green and Selphie fell to the ground, breathing deeply.
Irvine ran to her side as Sephiroth laughed. "Oh...is she trying to seal me, too?" he mocked. "What did I tell you creatures? I'm not a demon!"
Quistis smirked and threw her whip. Sephiroth lifted his hand to catch it and his eyes went wide. His movements were now heavily restrained. "For an ancient, you really don't know your ancient script to do you!?" Quistis said as the edge of her Save the Queen sliced Sephiroth's hand, making him drop the sword to the ground. "That's not a seal! It's a restraining spell!"
"You're right, Sephiroth," Seifer said as he lifted up his gun blade. Quistis' whip wrapped around his arm, holding him back from trying any swift moves. "This wasn't fair...I mean, look at all the cuts and bruises you gave us."
"I'm going to be aching for weeks..." Zell grinned as he stood to the side, breathing deeply.
"I think it's time we evened it up." Seifer said. The blond lifted up the black gun blade.
Sephiroth's eyes went wide as the heavy metal sliced through his neck in one heated stroke. His body turned stiff as his head, along with long white hair, tumbled to the floor, soaking the earth with dark blood. Quistis recoiled her whip and stepped aside.
"Burn him..." Quistis gasped as she swallowed hard and turned her head away from the still standing body.
Seifer cast a fire spell and aimed it at the Selphie's symbol. Immediately, a ring of fire was created around the vampire and soon the entire area within the circle was engulfed in roaring orange flames.
In the shadows in the center of the fire, a body seemed to stumble, as if still alive, and fell to it's knees. Green eyes glowed through the flames as they rose higher and higher, finally taking the haunting eyes into it's depths.
"Rinoa!" Selphie gasped as she struggled to stand up. Irvine picked her up in his claws.
"Let's go!" Zell shouted. Bruised, bleeding, and weakened, the group ran up the rest of the path, leaving a completely burned body behind them.
Drops of dark red blood fell over the silver ring, locked in it's place underneath Squall, as he slowly looked down at the crystal lance lodged in his chest. Rinoa's eyes went wide as her entire body paled. Suddenly, the ruins were the coldest place on earth as her heart stopped.
Adel began to laugh, maniacally chanting about how it was too late. Rinoa's eyes met blue ones, who looked at her with confusion and worry. "Squall..." she whispered quietly. Her eyes began to water. "Squall...?"
Reaching up to his chest, he felt the ice cold crystal and slowly stumbled forward. *Rinoa...*
"SQUALL!!" She ran forward, throwing her all her might into reaching him as she completely forgot about Adel or the Blood Moon or Hell's Gates. All that her vision saw as her heart broke in her chest was Squall.
She fell to his side, catching him before he fell against the cold marble floor. As he fell, the black lance dematerialized, leaving a gaping hole in his body only covered by his clothes. Blood stained hands reached up to touch Rinoa's face as she pulled him up against her body.
"For eternity..." he whispered. "No matter..." His breathing was shallow and he closed his eyes tightly as he tried to breath. He opened them and bloody blue eyes looked up at her warmly. "No matter what..."
Rinoa couldn't speak. All she could do was breath. Her shaking body bent over his as her pale fingers soaked in the dark red liquid that was pooling all around them. As it poured over Griever, the ring multiplied the amount of spilled blood, pumping it from the center to fill the entire pentagram and it's surrounding circle.
"Hyne!" a voice cried from the edge of the pentagram. Selphie's eyes were wide as she looked down at the glowing sign on the floor.
"No!" Quistis screamed. Her eyes focused to the center where Squall's blood covered the area around him and Rinoa.
"Quistis, the pentagram!" Zell gasped. "It's turning into blood!!"
Everyone looked down. The dim glowing was being covered by oozy dark red blood. The blood of a vampire. "But as long as Rinoa doesn't bleed into it, it should be okay, right!?" Selphie piped up nervously.
"Selphie..." Irvine mumbled. "Squall's blood HAS some of Rinoa's blood...he needed to drink from her to turn her..."
"Shit! Irvine, Zell!" Seifer shouted. They were by the outer ring of the circle. "Watch where you're dripping!"
Immediately, Quistis' words from the day before echoed in their ears, having completely forgotten about it when they saw the two immortals in the center of the ring. Irvine swore and pulled back, as did Zell, but it was too late. A small pool of blood had collected on the ground by their arm.
Unable to stop it, the blood seemed to be pulled into the grooves of the carved insignia. Immediately, the blood turned black. Adel's eyes went wide as the blood pentagram was complete. An explosion of white light flew from the black blood, sending a pillar of white light into the sky.
All across the island, it was seen. From their fighting, warriors on both sides looked into the sky as the pillar of light could be seen. Cloud's blue eyes went wide as he saw the pillar of light seem to cut through the Blood Moon in the sky. Above it, clouds began to gather and swirl around the light as it reached into the heavens.
In Esthar, Ward motioned for Laguna and Kiros to step out into the balcony of Laguna's office. As the two other vampires reached him, he pointed out to the direction of the Island Closest to Hell, where a thin pillar of light could be seen shooting upwards into the dark sky. Laguna's eyes went open. *Hyne...*
In Balamb, Edea and Cid watched from the balcony of the Garden as the white light, barely a sliver of what it was to Rinoa and the others, cut through the thick darkness and over the face of the Blood Moon. Cid's eyes squinted and he squeezed his wife's hand. "It has begun..."
The white light surrounded the top of the volcano as Rinoa continued to sit in the pool of blood, a dying immortal in her arms. Soon his blood covered her as she felt his breath weakening against her neck. *Blood...* she thought to herself as she only saw red around her. *Blood...* she began to hyperventilate. "Blood..." she gasped out. Memories flashed through her mind as she slowly put Squall's body down. "Blood...!" Her breath was ragged as her eyes darted around her frantically. "BLOOD!!"
She heard the screaming. It seemed to be close by. Not thinking anything of it, she walked towards the door of her family's house. She froze. The screaming was foreign, yet familiar. She reached up and put her hand on the iron door knob, unlocking it with her tiny fingers and opening it.
The night was dark as the depths of the sea and the far reaches of the sky. Few stars decorated the night sky as thick clouds began to gather over her head. She walked down the steps of her house. The screaming was getting louder. Not knowing why, she ran towards the gates of her family's front yard and opened it. She stepped outside.
"Rinny! Rinny! Get back inside! Go BACK!" a voice was screaming desperately.
She turned to her left and saw several figures looming over a fallen one. She tilted her head, confused. She saw a bloody hand reaching for her and deep brown eyes filled with terror beckoned for her to leave. "Mommy?" she asked quietly.
"GO BACK!!" She saw a long nailed hand go into the air and dive into her mother's chest. Twisting, it pulled out something.
Bloody and still pumping, Rinoa laid eyes on her mother's heart. Slowly, the pale creature lifted her mother's still beating heart to her mouth and punctured it with two white fangs. Blood. Blood was everywhere. The last thing and only thing she could see was her mother's blood as they tore her apart.
Rinoa's body began to glow as she arched her body back. Two mounds formed at her shoulder blades, pushing against the material of her jacket as she tilted her head back and opened her mouth to let out a mournful scream.
Glistening white fangs protruded from her mouth as her jacket burst behind her. Feathers, each one glowing white, flew into the sky in a flurry as long, elegant wings stretched out behind Rinoa. As she screamed her eyes bled tears of blood that fell and mingled with the blood of her fallen beloved.
At the drops of her tears, the ring began to glow. Quistis gasped. The realization hit her. "It's not ADEL that's opening the gates!" Quistis screamed in horror. "It's RINOA!!!"
"She didn't want to kill Rinoa up here," Selphie realized as she stood next to her friends. "She wanted to get Rinoa to open the gates for her." It suddenly made complete sense. Why would Adel, who was the weaker of the two, open the gates? It would be fast for Rinoa to do it for her. The black haired female's body seemed to frozen in time as her wings stretched out behind her.
White energy crackled around Rinoa and Squall's bodies, as if lightning once again flooded her body. Transfixed by the light, no one was able to move as the ring turned to gold and a yellow ring of golden light appeared on the floor. Slowly, the gold light began to spread, stretching further and further out.
In the midst of the light, brighter than that of the day, to figures could barely be seen crawling out of the blood pool that surrounded Squall and the entranced Rinoa.
"What is that!?" Zell asked. "Are they demons!?"
They looked closer and tried to see through the blinding light. A beautiful woman dragged herself out of the pool of blood, her white robes flowing around her were not stained by blood. Long, flowing blond hair swirled around her body as gold jewelry adorned her elegant figure. She wore many bangles and thick necklaces around her neck as she waited for a man to follow her.
Dressed in what looked like dark armor, a man with dark blue-black hair pulled himself from blood. He had pale skin and gently took the hand of the woman who had appeared before him.
"Quistis..." Seifer whispered. "Who are they?" Beside him, Quistis was lost in the moment, unable to believe she was witnessing this.
"She is Princess Sara," Quistis whispered, her eyes glazed over as she watched the couple stand right behind Rinoa and Squall. "And he is Leon. He is the vampire who sealed Hell's Gate. And Princess Sara is his mate...the sorceress princess who came down from heaven. The sorceress who sealed the gate."
Sara stood behind Rinoa and gently put her transparent hands on the young sorceress' shoulder. Leon knelt down in front of Squall and seemed to study him. Without another word, the two seemed to vanish into Rinoa and Squall's bodies and a flash of light flew across the world.
They looked around. Everything around them was so different, yet the same. The pillars that had once been fallen rubble on the ground now stood up and enclosed a patch of land where a pentagram had been engraved within a circle on it's marble floor.
Standing before them were Rinoa and Squall. Rinoa wore a white flowing robe and gold jewelry while Squall wore the dark armor of a knight. They stood in front of each other and Rinoa lifted up her left hand. Taking it in his, Squall put his fingers around the ring and pulled it off her finger.
"Maria," Squall said. The on lookers looked surprised. That voice did not belong to Squall. "Dear sister, I have a favor to ask of you."
From the sidelines, a beautiful woman with long dark hair and wearing dark clothing like Squall stepped forward. "Brother Leon, what is it that you ask of me?"
"When the ceremony is over, take this ring and keep it safe within our blood line." Squall, or Leon rather, said.
Maria nodded and stepped back. There were two other men there, a big, strong man also wearing dark clothing stood to one side of the pentagram and a thinner man with pale hair and tan and brown colored clothes stood across from him.
"We have spoken to our children," Rinoa said. Once again, her voice did not belong to her either. She was now Sara. "Ultimecia swears to protect her sister."
"Sara, Leon," the thin man with the pale hair said. "Are you sure about this?"
"Firion," Leon stated with a warm smile. "Only the combined powers of two of heaven's fallen can serve as the seal of Hell's Gates."
"But why you two?" the larger man argued.
Sara giggled. "Gus...must you worry?" she said. "We will not die...we will exist together and serve as the seal of Hell's Gates."
"Sara has been chosen by Hyne because only she has the blood of a pure sorceress and the blood of a pure vampire within her veins," Leon explained to them. "When I turned her and made her my mate, we promised Hyne that we would secure this world for our families' future."
"Regardless," Firion stated. "You shall be missed."
"Cecil," Leon said to the lone human standing at the top of the pendent. He nodded. "You may begin."
The white haired woman nodded and raised his hands. "Place the ring into the pentagram and bleed the immortal blood to form an immortal seal." Cecil instructed. Leon knelt down and placed the ring into the small groove.
Lifting his wrist to his teeth, Leon slit his wrist and began to put his blood over the ring. Immediately, the ring multiplied the amount of blood put over it and covered the entire engraved insignia with blood. Maria walked to Gus and used her fangs to slit his palm and repeated that motion on Firion. The pentagram turned black as lycan and shape shifter blood reached it.
"Now, Sara...it's your turn." Cecil said.
The blond nodded and closed her eyes. She thought of her two daughters who would be left without parents. She thought of Adel's sobbing face and Ultimecia's stern one, trying to be strong as their mother let them out of her embrace. Tears slid down her tears and fell down her cheeks. A single drop landed above the ring.
The insignia turned into a glowing white pillar of light that flew into the night sky. Cecil looked at the others. "We must leave now. Else the gates will consume as well."
Nodding, they began to walk down the path. Maria took on last look at her brother and closed her eyes. "Good-bye my brother...and my now sister."
Alone on the platform, over the glowing insignia, Leon looked at Sara and smiled softly. His hand was still bleeding, creating a pool of blood at their feet. The ring began to glow gold. Sara looked into Leon's eyes and smiled back. "I love you..." she whispered.
"We'll be together...for eternity." he promised softly. As he leaned down to kiss her, the blood at their feet turned into liquid gold and shot up like a wave of water. It covered their bodies in a heated glow and brought them down into the glowing ring of gold. Into hell.
Their arms were wrapped around each other as their bodies disappeared. The white pillar of light flickered and vanished. After a few moments, footsteps were heard on the marble floor once more. It seemed as if all the blood had been cleaned away.
Pale hands reached down as she arrived at the center of the pentagram and picked up a silver band with a lion engraved around it. "Griever...protector of the heaven's fallen children..." Maria whispered. "Will forever stay within the hands of my family - the Leonhearts."
Quistis, Seifer, Selphie, Irvine, and Zell stood there, staring as their surroundings changed back into that of the fallen ruins. There, Rinoa was standing, enveloped in Squall's arms in the same position that Leon and Sara had been in. Slowly Rinoa stepped back and with her movements, the others could see that spirit of Sara vaguely residing in her.
Rinoa opened her arms towards Adel. "Adel...do you want to come with mommy and daddy?"
"I'm alone now..." Adel whispered quietly as she looked at the couple. It seemed that all she could see were her parents standing before her. "Why did everyone leave me alone?"
"We're sorry, angel," Leon's voice said from Squall's body. "But if you want to come with us, you're welcomed to."
Adel looked at her parents with large eyes and nodded. She stumbled forward and entered the blinding white light of the pentagram. As soon as she stepped in, Adel turned into a child...about ten years old. She ran towards the couple with her arms open and was quickly enveloped within their arms.
"I missed you, mommy...I missed you, too, daddy..." Adel said, her voice now that of a child.
"We missed you, too, angel..." Leon murmured. Sara gently caressed her daughter's hair.
"Don't leave me again..." Adel told them tearfully. Amazingly, the child's tears were clear.
Leon nodded. "We won't."
"We promise," Sara added intently. She looked past her daughter at the five people standing and watching them, and smiled. "Look, angel," Sara said. "The dawn is breaking..."
As Adel turned her head towards the five people, thick gold light covered them and slowly they melted back into the insignia once more to remain as Hell's Gates. Just like in the vision, the pillar of light began to flicker as it's energy ran out and soon the ruins were the same as they had been for the past hundred thousand years.
As they stood there, shadows caressed the white marble at their feet as birds could be heard in the distance. Hell's Gates had remained closed. And from the sounds of the cheering in the valley of the island below, they had won.
Quistis turned around and blinked at the sight of the rising sun. Selphie looked up. The moon had returned to it's normal pale color and Irvine was back in his human form. She ran into his arms and clung on to him as tears streamed down her cheeks. He smiled and hugged her back as he raised other arm and brought Zell into a hug as well. The three of them were sad, but smiles caressed their faces thoughtfully.
Quistis felt Seifer's arms go around her shoulders as she allowed the warm drops of water to go down her face. "The dawn will break...and a fate is sealed," she swallowed hard and closed her eyes. "The past relived...and then revealed..."
Solemn piano music played in the background as Esthar's Sorceress Memorial was busy with the sounds of hundreds of clan members as they walked around the large open garden space in the middle of the night. At the piano, a white haired woman with red eyes ran her fingers across the piano keys. Underworlders dressed in their finest formal wear danced across the an open space by the fountain.
A woman wearing a long black dress with thick straps was by the bar, over seeing the other bartenders. A man with very fair, spiky blond hair walked up behind her and put his arms around her waist. "Hey...how are you doing?"
"Cloud!?" she gasped. Tifa turned around, her eyes large as she saw him standing there with a smile on his face. "What are you doing here?"
"I was invited..." he said, shrugging in his black tuxedo with the dark blue bow tie. "Are you watching the bar?"
"Oh...I volunteered to do it," Tifa explained. She looked down sadly. "I've been making the drink that Squall likes best..." she closed her eyes. "I can't help but miss him, you know? He was a good kid."
"He was a loyal friend and a great warrior," Cloud agreed. "You must be very proud to have him as your cousin."
Tifa nodded. "More than proud," Tifa said. She looked back at him and smiled. "But I'm sure he wouldn't want me to mope around. He'd probably say it'd make too look ugly or something."
Cloud chuckled. "I don't think you can ever look ugly," he said. Tifa blushed and his hand took hers. "Do you want to dance?"
"Yeah...just hold on a second," she said. She turned to a blond boy behind the counter. "Tidus, do you think you can manage?"
"Sure can, boss lady!" Tidus said, dressed in a black and white bartender's uniform. Tifa rolled her eyes and headed off with Cloud.
Behind Tidus, another blond with blue eyes, wearing an identical bartender's uniform chuckled. "I thought she said not to call her that."
"Oh yeah..." Tidus mumbled. He looked over at his friend. "So Shuin...yet another night alone, huh? I thought, for sure, that you'd be out with your girlfriend."
Shuin merely grinned. "Who said I wasn't?"
As if on cue, a beautiful young woman walked by the bar and leaned over to Shuin. She had long, straight brown hair and had parts of her hair beaded and over her shoulder. She wore a short blue dress. "Hey, Shuin," she said in a sultry voice. She leaned over and kissed his lips lightly. "I'll see you later, okay? Just tell me when you get off."
"I'll get off as soon as you're done, Len." Shuin grinned. He kissed her once more before letting her walk past him towards the stage.
Shuin looked at Tidus who had his mouth wide open. "Are you...is that...? Damn, Shuin!"
"Don't stare, it's rude." Shuin grinned.
"Yo!" a voice shouted to their side. The two blonds grinned as yet another blond joined them.
"Hey, Rikku," Tidus said. Shuin waved and went to make a drink for someone on the other side of the bar. "What are you doing here? I thought you had the night off."
"My cousin brought me," Rikku grinned. She winked at Tidus as Len began to sing on the stage. "Hey, want to meet her?"
"Uh-"
"Yuna!" Rikku called. She jumped up in her skimpy red and yellow dress and waved her hand in the air. "Yuna, over here!" Tidus followed her gaze to a group standing on the corner. A young woman with short, layered brown hair with one long lock of tail heavily wrapped in navy blue cloth, walked over. She wore a knee length dark blue dress.
"Yes, Rikku?" Her voice was soft and friendly and Tidus noticed that she had one green eye and one blue eye.
Rikku grinned, almost like she was a predator. "Yuna, this is Tidus. He works with me at Alexandria's. Tidus, this is my cousin...YUNA."
Tidus blushed as Yuna took his hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Tidus."
Tidus grinned stupidly. *I think I'm in love.*
"Oh dear...who is HE?" Lulu asked. She narrowed her eyes at the blond boy leaning over and winking at Yuna at the bar. She shook her head.
"Ah, let him be, ya," Wakka said as he stood next to her. "You're only young once, ya?"
"Wakka, what are you doing here?" Lulu asked.
"Oh...I just dropped off Almasy family, ya," Wakka said. He directed her over to the entry way where two tall blondes were shaking hands with high ranking clan members. "I have the rest of the night off, Lulu..." He winked and Lulu shook her head.
"Nice try..." She walked past him and he grinned. He looked up at Kimahri.
"She wants me, ya?" Kimahri merely rolled his eyes as a woman with upturned brown hair speedily walked past them, despite the bulge on her stomach. She was followed closely behind by a tall man dressed in a tuxedo, but still wearing a cowboy hat.
"There you are," Selphie said as she walked towards the two blonds who had entered. "What took you so long?"
Quistis sighed. Her long blond hair was up in an up do as she wore a long red dress that reached her feet. She had a slight bulge in her stomach as well. "Hunter couldn't find the toy that Eiko let him borrow so he insisted we stay until he found it." Quistis explained.
"I told Quisty not to tell him that they'd be here," Seifer said as he shook his head. He was dressed in a black tux with dark red silk tie and vest. "But she did."
Irvine, who was next to the eight month pregnant Selphie, smiled brightly. "So, where is the little hell raiser anyway?"
"As soon as we set foot here, he exclaimed 'mommy, daddy, I'm going to look for Eiko and Vivi!'" Quistis sighed. "It scares me to think that he seems to be taking after his aunt..."
She eyed Selphie who giggled. "Come on, I'll show you are table," Selphie lead the taller woman towards a table where Fujin, Raijin, and Zell were sitting with a pretty young shape shifter with long brown hair braided on either side of her head. Selphie leaned forward. "It's their third date..."
"Oh..." Quistis grinned. "I wonder if she's impressed that Zell has connections like this."
"I'M surprised that Zell as connections like this!" Selphie giggled. As they reached the table Zell stood up and greeted the new couple and introduced them to his 'girlfriend' who worked at the main library there in Esthar.
Fujin smiled. "Boy?" she asked, looking at Quistis' stomach.
"Fujin, I swear if I have another boy..." Quistis laughed as she shook her head and sat next to the white haired woman. "I think I'd like a girl this time."
"Name?" Fujin asked.
"I think we both know..." Quistis winked. Fujin, Quistis, and Selphie all giggled. They had made a deal when Quistis was pregnant with Hunter, which had been right after Hell's Gates. Whoever had a daughter first would get the honor of naming her after Rinoa. However, when Quistis had her and Seifer's son, they had suggested naming him Squall, which was completely against Seifer, who ended up naming their first born Hunter.
"Quistis, how far along are you?" Zell asked as he noticed the bulge on her stomach.
Quistis beamed a happy smile. "Just a few months...I'm not ready to pop like Selphie."
Seifer sat down next to his mate and sister. Irvine looked at him and grinned. "Hey, Seifer, MY BROTHER." Irvine grinned. Seifer winced at the name that Irvine had labeled him just to get on his nerves.
*Five years...they've been together five years...it's too early to kill him and not be suspected of it...* Seifer thought to himself. "Please don't call me that..." he said behind gritted teeth.
"Why not, MY BROTHER?"
"Irvine," Quistis scolded. "Don't make me be sorry that I made him leave Hyperion at home."
Irvine chuckled and leaned back against his chair as he put his arm around Selphie's. "Five years, guys," he said solemnly. "Can you believe it?"
"A lot has happened..." Selphie whispered.
By the time that Fujin and Raijin had reached them, they were already reaching the bottom of the volcano. Immediately they noticed that the Rinoa and Squall were missing and the story was retold once more. Hell's Gates had been sealed, this time strengthened. However, it's cost was very high.
They returned to Esthar and broke the news to Laguna. Everyone expected him to have a break down, but instead, the emotional vampiric leader gave a sad smile and said that Rinoa had promised him that as long as she was with Squall, she would take care of him. And he took comfort in that.
Within five years, the Underworld was fast returning to it's glory days before Ultimecia's wars. A high council tribunal had been created where three people who represent each race, including three to represent the hybrids. The clan elders were to report to the council members. So far, it had been working out well.
Selphie, Quistis, a half magic user and shape shifter, and Seifer had been chosen to represent the hybrids. Irvine and Zell had resolved to teach at a military school at Esthar while Raijin and Fujin taught at the military school they had attended. Fujin had been the first female instructor and had opened new doors for female cadets. She was encouraged greatly by Selphie and Quistis, who were often guest lecturers in her class.
As they sat there, reminiscing about the last few years, Laguna appeared with Ellone, Kiros, and Ward, as usual. "I'm glad you all could make it." he said warmly. Ellone had arranged the entire event to honor her brother and her brother's mate.
"Good evening, Laguna." the group chorused. Ellone smiled as she looked at Quistis and Selphie.
"So...does the bet still stand?" she asked.
"It's so going to be mine!" Selphie announced proudly. She looked at her stomach. "Isn't that right, Rinoa Jr.!?"
Quistis rolled her eyes. "Selphie, you don't call a girl 'junior'."
"Why not!?" Selphie asked. She grinned and thought about the name. "I think it has a certain ring to it...'Rinoa Junior'..."
"Oh, Hyne..." Quistis sighed. She shook her head.
"Will any of you name your son after Squall?" Laguna asked eagerly.
"I will!" Zell said. "I've already called dibs on it!"
"You can't call dibs on a name to name a kid you don't even have!" Irvine exclaimed.
"Can so!" Zell said.
"Just eat your hot dogs, ya know." Raijin chuckled. He shook his head.
"How are you doing, sir?" Quistis asked.
Laguna smiled sadly. "I still miss him...but I know he's all right."
The all nodded understandingly. "You know," Zell said as he ate a hot dog and chewed on it. "We never did find Griever again..."
"Maybe it wasn't meant to be found." Kiros suggested.
"That's true...maybe it's meant for the gates to be closed forever, ya know." Raijin nodded.
"Agreed." Fujin said. She raised her glass and the others at the table also lifted theirs.
"Mommy! Mommy!" a voice called. Quistis turned her head and smiled warmly. A little boy was running towards her. He had creamy pale skin and blond hair, like his parents, but with his father's green eyes.
"Yes, Hunter?" Quistis said. Seifer raised an eyebrow as he drank from his glass.
"Mommy, I want you to meet someone!" the four year old exclaimed. Quistis giggled.
"Who?" Quistis asked. Everyone turned to look at the little blond boy with the hyper active exterior, so reminiscent of his Aunt Selphie. He held his hand up and ran back into the crowd.
"Hold on!" he disappeared for a moment and everyone grinned.
"Hey, maybe it's his girlfriend." Irvine suggested.
"Oh, please, he's not YOU." Seifer snorted. He watched as his son emerged from the crowd holding the hand of a little girl, around his age. She was dressed in a dark blue dress and had shoulder length dark brown hair with golden high lights on her bangs. Her eyes were a icy shade of blue, so hauntingly familiar.
"Mommy, daddy...aunties...uncles," Hunter began, trying to sound formal. "This is RJ. She's going to be my girlfriend." He announced
At that, Seifer nearly spit out his wine as Irvine, Selphie, Zell, and Raijin burst into laughter. The little girl behind Hunter blushed slightly and did a little curtsy.
"Good evening." she said. She smiled, showing a hint of fangs.
Ellone smiled. "Oh, a little vampiress..." she cooed. "She's so cute!"
RJ blushed some more and began to nervously play with her dress as Hunter took one of her hands. "She's Eiko and Vivi's new friend, too! And since Eiko and Vivi are always together, now I have someone, too!"
"Oh yeah..." Quistis grinned. "SO much like his aunt..."
Selphie gave a little pout. "Hey..."
RJ pulled on a silver chain around her neck and began to play with it. Laguna narrowed his eyes and bent down next to the little girl. "RJ..." Laguna said, in an almost shaking voice. "Where did you get that?"
"This?" RJ asked, blinking her large blue eyes. She lifted up her chain to show off a silver band hanging on it. "It was my mommy's. My daddy gave it to her and she gave it to me."
"Is that...?" Irvine began, his eyes locked on the ring.
"It can't be..."
Just before Laguna could ask who her parents were, a familiar song reached his ears. He paused and stood up, looking around. The room went silent for a moment. Seifer closed his eyes. "The last time we heard this..." He began. "Was the night that Rinoa and Squall met."
The clan members who had been there that night all remembered the dancing couple on the floor. They remembered the stumbling efforts of a clumsy vampire and the persistent and graceful movements of an elegant sorceress. Across the sky, a shooting star cut through the darkness.
"That's my grandma's song!" RJ shouted excitedly. Her voice rang out through the crowds as she ran towards the piano, where the white haired woman was playing a piece of sheet music she had found placed on the piano. "Mommy!!" RJ yelled loudly. She looked around wildly, her dark hair swimming around face. "Mommy, LISTEN!! They're playing Grandma's SONG!!!"
Deep within the crowds someone let out an amused chuckle. The crowds began gasp as two figures made their way through the mess of people, arm in arm. She was dressed in a short white, sleeveless dress and heels, and he wore a handsome dark suit.
Selphie dropped her glass on the table as Quistis and the other stood up to get a better look. The woman looked down at RJ. "It's a nice song, isn't it, baby?"
"Play the song and sing, mommy!!" the little girl said excitedly. "It's 'Eyes on Me'!!!"
The man at her side looked at her with a warm smile and blue eyes that matched their daughter's. "Why don't you play?" he asked gently. A hand lifted up to gently sweep aside the stray locks of dark hair around her face. "I'm afraid that I missed it..." he said softly. "The first time you played."