Shared Feelings
Written by Terra Trepe

Chapter 20: Mission Rescue!

The room, where she was right now, was so silent. The woman with waist long black hair was resting on a light coloured sofa on the middle of this quite large room, her kneels lifted almost against her chest and her hands squeezed gently together under her head as a pillow.

Her eyelids fluttered gently, causing the sweet expressions on her face to cease away as they were now replaced with utter look of anxiety, as she started to move restlessly on this sofa, muffling something softly under her suddenly unsteady breath. The soft cushions under her body, squeezed under her weight that started to move around, her body changing its position restlessly as her breath started to get faster and more out of control.

The grey haired man, who was sitting on another chair right next to hers, looked down to the strangely unsettling picture his wife was making on the sofa, as she muffled these words louder time after time.

The grey haired man, not bearing to just look her when she was obviously stressed up, went right next to her and kneeled down to the floor on his one knee so his face was on the same level as hers, the mix of pain and deep frustration creating tight webs over her.

Wake up With these soothing words, but with a clear voice, Cid tried to wake up the stressed beauty as he gently caressed her face with his hand, wiping few of the tangled strains of black hair away from the sides of her face.

The cool touch of his hand against her almost burning cheek, seemed to heal her panic, as she now stopped completely, her breath stopping for awhile. Cid's fair green eyes rested on her still face and he almost felt his own breathing sealing up, when he saw her chest unmoving, refusing to take another breath in. His face started to become as pale as a white sheet, as he gently continued to stroke her face with his now trembling hand, silently pleading that she would breath up.

And then with a very deep inhale of air, Edea's upper body suddenly lifted up from the sofa and scared the hell out of Cid, who now almost fell back down to the floor, but somehow managed to keep his heart from not jumping out of his throat. Her eyes opened up at the same time and her breathing was wild, unordered inhales and exhales mixing up together, but still to Cid's joy, she was breathing.

Her legs were still straddled up on the sofa and she was sitting on top of them, starting to calm down a little as she started to take in the sight of the room she was in. Cid repositioned himself on his other knee on the floor and approached little closer up to her, trying to lock his gaze with hers.

Her eyes moved around the room, before she finally locked her eyes with his. She took a long breath in, her face loosing some of its tense away as she seemed to relax up a bit from the loving gaze he held on her, almost promising her that nothing would hurt her.

Whispering this with almost tearful eyes, Edea slid her legs down from the sofa to meet the red-carpeted floor and then wrapped her arms slowly around Cid's fuzzy neck, the moment filled with something so sacred. Cid, returning her gentle and needing embrace, enveloped her waist with his arms as he squeezed her closer, landing only one gentle kiss on her neck, closing his eyes slowly up.

Q-Quistis, is there, Cid She---

It's alright Seeing her inability to speak clearly right now, Cid hushed her with a soft voice and just kept on holding her softly in his embrace. Not needing anything else to calm down, Edea closed her eyes softly, only one tear escaping from her eyes, rolling silently down on her cheek.

My children Be aware, the darkness has only begun its hunt

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Rubbing her forehead softly with the back of her palm, Quistis tried to make some kind of sense from this. Her head was aching painfully and she felt her every muscle tensing up from every move she dared to take, no matter how small it was.

Still she was sitting on the cold and hard floor and stared up to the dark pair of eyes, which stared down to her from few metres back. Quistis recognised the woman's exterior being Rinoa, but she knew that glow on her eyes that couldn't belong to anyone else than Ultimecia. The dark glow was too strong and it totally overcame the softness that Rinoa's eyes usually had.

What do you think you're doing, Ultimecia Finally she ventured this softly, looking daringly up to Rinoa's eyes, almost as she was threatening to her. Oh, my little sorceress So puny human unaware of hers great powers Rinoa's voice cracked in the middle of her cold going sentence as she chuckled mockingly. You amuse me

Why are you calling me a sorceress Quistis hit her fist down to the floor with angry expressions, demanding for an answer. If this is a one of your schemes, I don't want a part in it

Oh, but you're in it already

What do you mean

Rinoa stopped for a while, the evil grin spreading across her face yet again, before she raised her pale hand up to her chest. Only now Quistis saw her nails being much longer than before, those black claws ready to strike itself under your skin and into your flesh. It gave her more shills down her spine. You're a sorceress, Quistis And one great you are

No, that's impossible--- Before Quistis could even add anything else, Rinoa stopped her, sighing with a shrug: Quistis didn't say anything, as she already knew that Ultimecia was going to continue after that remark that sounded very patronising.

Tell me, Quistis Rinoa crossed her arms across her chest and this time she stared down to the floor as she took a step closer to Quistis, the end of her long dress sliding on the floor after her steps. What do you remember your childhood

She was taken back on that one, now stumbling with her words that didn't just come out of her tightening throat. I just--- But before she could even start her explanation, Rinoa chuckled sharply, her voice filled with something close to contempt. Edea didn't tell you anything, did she

There was a moment of silence fallen over them then, as Quistis kept on staring up to Rinoa, not even daring to say anything.

You're a sorceress, Quistis, and your powers Well, they are greater than everyone else's That's why, you are going to help me

? Me Quistis lifted her hand up to her chest as a tight fist and she looked down to the floor, still petrified. Ultimecia was lying right? There was no way she could be a sorceress Because if she was, then why didn't she know about her powers before? But I can't use even magic without functioning myself with a GF

Quistis looked up to Rinoa's hand when she lifted it up before her, turning its palm up. A sudden magical like ball appeared up to her palm and it floated there on the air, glowing a gleam of holy light blue.

Then suddenly she felt something floating through her own chest. Quistis stared slowly down to her own palm that was still resting on her chest, a wave of light floating out from her chest like a beautiful wings of a bird. She sighed, feeling the warmness overcoming her body, and she retreated her hand away from its glow so she could admire it. But then the wave shrunk down, and then finally it died and she felt powerless again.

In this pure confused state, Quistis lifted her bewildered gaze up to meet Rinoa's staring eyes, and she saw her smile fading away, her face having the look of sternness now. I'm the only one who can extract that power from you, Quistis That's why you never knew about your powers before

Quistis kept staring her with her blue cool eyes, before she swept her gaze back down to the floor, thinking about her life and how she never knew about being a sorceress. Suddenly Ultimecia's words had sense on them. Quistis was now sure that she had powers But what kind of powers they were, she didn't know?

A sudden grimace of pain caught Quistis attention then. She gazed up to Rinoa and the sight she saw made her confused. Rinoa kept her hand up on her forehead and she was biting her lips hardly almost like fighting back the pain that started to grow unbearable inside her head. No Rinoa opened her eyes up now, but this time the darkness was all gone. Quistis almost jumped up from the floor, when she recognised her friend being back, even when it was only for a moment.

H-help me I--- She struggled, struggled against the pain and struggled against Ultimecia. A tear slip down from her eye, and then again she was gone, her eyes opening up with the same darkness than before. Quistis lowered herself back down to the floor, when she understood that Rinoa was gone again.

It took some time for Ultimecia to regain her grasp over Rinoa's body, before she again stared down to Quistis' questioning eyes. She was worried about Rinoa What was happening to her?

And then, Ultimecia answered to her, but Quistis hoped that it wouldn't be true.

Rinoa's body is dying She can't take this much longer My powers are too great for her Quistis Join me That's the only way to save her Only way to save yourself

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She lowered her head down to the marble drinking spot, wanting to drink some of the clear and refreshing water that started to pour from the little tiny silver spray that was embedded on the sink. Just when she was about to take a sip from the pouring water, her long black hair slid down to the sink before her, making it harder, and messier, for her to drink up. She sighed almost frustratingly, when she started to gather her hair up to her grasp so she could shove them away from her face.

But then the helpful hands of the grey haired man behind her, took the task, as he gathered her hair gently on to his hand and held them away.

Edea turned her loving eyes toward him, before she started to drink up. Her rosy lips parted from each other as she opened her mouth slightly open just so she could sip from the tiny flow of clear water. She closed her eyes softly, when she tasted the first touch of the water inside her mouth, and started to drink up slowly, feeling some of her strength coming back to her.

When she finally had enough, she turned the shower of, and straightened up as she turned to meet Cid behind her. Cid let her hair fall away from his hand as she turned to him, and he wrapped his other hand around her shoulders as he moved to her side and started to lead her back to sit down to one of the couches.

She sat down to the soft cushions slowly and Cid sat himself just beside her, their sides against each other. Edea's hands were on her laps and she moved her fingers around each other, clasping and unclasping her hands in that nervous way he had always found somehow cute. Edea was staring down to her hands silently and Cid moved his other hand to take her other hand gently in to his. She squeezed him back as she moved her stare to meet his gaze, and she finally smiled a little, her lips seeming to be tired to stretch itself into any sort of a smile.

Is there something wrong with Quistis Cid's voice quivered with worry as he asked this from Edea who still gazed at him. She could see he was genuinely worried about her, his eyes having a soft glimmer of concern and a feeling that could be something close to the love parents feel to their children. Even when Quistis and the others weren't their children, they loved them deeply and cared about their lives and doings.

Her smile faded away meekly and it got replaced with the same look of concern that Cid also had on his features. Edea sighed again, remembering carefully about her dream filled with darkness and aching voices that still haunt her in these episodes of dreams that had started to come more frequently these past days. But this time she had also seen something else Something that bothered her very much.

Ultimecia has Quistis with her now, just like she had threaten to us earlier

? Are you sure His features and voice filled with something close to the mix of panic and concern, as his eyes widened up considerably, he changed his gaze back to her, hoping that he had heard her wrong.

She changed her gaze to him too, answering his worried expressions with her own ones, and she tightened her grasp from his hand as she sighed weakly, being sure that things were just like she had said. Quistis was under Ultimecia's dangerously sharp claws and there was nothing they could do.

I can sense that something really horrible is going to happen, Cid

They were silenced, their eyes muffled with emotions that crawled up their shivering spines, as they tried to ready themselves for anything that could happen to them now. Searching each other eyes from support and save, they tried desperately to cling in the last ounce of hope they got, but found out quickly that it wasn't enough.

The wide and sturdy silver doors, which used to be locked up, slid open on the room and scared the two out of their moment of silent thinking. Cid jumped up quickly from the sofa, when he saw three soldiers of Galbadian entering the room with a racket and starting to approach them aggressively, their swords still sheathed up on to their weapon covers.

You two come with us now! One of them, the one who seemed to be in charge there, shouted this as soon as they all had entered the room.

As the two other men were already only few steps away from them, Cid stepped before Edea's form still sitting on the couch, almost like to protect her, shouting at the same time forcefully, the soldiers almost stopping on their steps, but only almost.

Edea looked up to him, the sight of him fighting up with no resource and trying to protect her, brought up the dear memories when they both had been younger, she the sorceress and he as her knight in a shining armour.

She held those days close to her heart and this time it also warmed her heart a little bit to see him protecting her even after all years they had gone through. He was still her knight, just like before Except this time his hair was more greyer and his face had more signs of an old man than the young man in their past And a little more stomach too, but it didn't matter to her even a one bit

Come on old man, we have no time to waste The other soldier grab Cid from his arm and started to drag him against his will, and the other man lifted Edea up from her arm and started to follow them.

They could barely take even a few steps away from the couch, when Cid already stumbled with his feet, as his old knee failed under him, dropping him down to the ground and stopping the soldiers from going further.

Edea forced her arm away from the soldier's tight grip and dropped herself on her knees next to her husband's crouched form, concerned about his state. Are you alright She touched his hand that was supporting his balance on the floor and closer up her face to his pained expressions as she asked this with a soothing tone. Cid just nod, but the way he was gritting his teeth told Edea that he was just trying not to worry her.

Come on, we are going Soldier, once again grabbing Edea by her arm and pulling her up to her feet with force, shouted this angrily as he rolled his eyes exasperatedly as he had gotten enough from their uncooperative attitude.

But before they could do anything else, a loud bang startled them right to that place they were on. Startled and confused gazes moving up one after another to the source of this horrible noise, some little bits of the main-structure of the roof above them, started to drop down slowly.

A tall man with a long coat continuing down to his legs, had appeared on to the doorway and he had an old, somehow rusty, steel piped rifle pointed towards the air, as he had just shot a bullet towards the roof.

A wicked and very victorious grin appeared to the corner of his lips when he lowered the weapon's pipe to point towards the boss of these soldiers, and said promptly, his voice and feature filled with coolness that this cowboy seemed never to lack from. At last Now, let go of the young lady

The soldier who was still holding Edea from her arm, looked carefully at his boss who was keeping his hands nervously on the air and was practically sweating up now. Come on you DIMWIT!!! Let go of her!!! Their boss lost his nerve now and shouted this with furious and nervous expressions and just like he was told to the soldier finally let go of Edea's arm.

Just when everything was starting to get under control, the horrible racket started again, but this time it came from the hallway. Two very hurrying youngsters appeared to the doorway next to the cowboy who was still pointing his gun towards one of the soldier, and the blond, who came from the hallway as the first one, looked the sight with awed eyes. The brunette spunky girl gazed behind Zell and sighed deeply, also awed but in the positive way. WOW!!! Irvine you're really something The comment made a little smile crawl up to the cowboy's face again, accepting her praise.

Zell, who wasn't as glad to hear Selphie say this, sent her a disappointed and slightly upset gaze, and she just gazed back at his green like mix of blue eyes, not understanding what his problem really was. What is it, Zell?

Shrugging this with a sigh, Zell walked further into the room and started gathering the three soldiers up into a same bunch, Selphie walking just behind him.

My children You are here Sighing this with relaxed expressions, Edea gazed around the three SeeDs whom she hadn't seen since the last SeeD graduation ball they had held on the Balamb Garden.

Selphie, who saw that Zell had things under control with tiding the soldiers up with a very long rope that Irvine handed to him just now, jumped few leaps on the air as she smiled wildly as ever, glad to see Edea and Cid to be all right. Yeah, we just couldn't leave here without our Matron and headmaster, could we

Zell made the last tight knot with the ending of the rope around the neat little packet of three Galbadian soldiers, causing them to take a deep breath, as their lungs were practically smashed under the rope.

It's a wrap Zell wiped his hands together as like he had just completed something up, when he turned to Edea.

The black haired woman kneeled down to lift her husband to get on to his feet and then finally they were both up, Edea trying to support Cid with standing.

Selphie, who wanted to do something too, walked up to the three packed up soldiers and smiled to them widely, almost scaring them with the grin that warned them from her next action. Let's see, this needs something Oh, now I know! She took some speed and pushed the three soldiers with her hand, causing them to stumble up and losing their balance as they now dropped down to the floor, complaining with muffled voices mixed with anger and even some pain. Ouch, get off my back

Selphie who seemed to be satisfied with her own input, started doing her winning move, few jump and leaps before she stopped to her pose, smiling enormously and then stretching her one arm towards the door, pointing the new direction with her finger.

And now we are off here TO BALAMB GARDEN!!!

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Author's note: YAY!!! GO SELPHIE!!! ^_^ Hey, this chapter was little longer than the few chapters before this, oh aren't I proud of myself, and quite a quick update you got to admit that, I mean, I just updated this story on the other day! But still there's something really wrong with this chapter, it just sounds stupid or something Well, I'm not going to rewrite it anymore so don't ask me to do that!!! Please!? #_#

And yeah, change of plants! This story is going to have 24 chapters now, but hey I'm the writer here so I can basically write as many chapters I want So I hope I don't bore you!