Final Fantasy: Scarlet Eyes.
Author's rants: Hi readers. A thousand pardons on the ridiculous amount of time it's taken me to update the story, forgive me. Welcome to chapter eight of the story. In this one, you finally get to see Scarlet loosen up a little and see how Squall is fairing on his escape from Crimson's castle. I don't own Final Fantasy, it characters, locations etc. However I do own my original characters so don't steal then.
Chapter 8. Wounded Lion And The Angel Who Loves Him.
Squall staggered across the white shores of Centra, sweat falling from his fore head to the ground and then quickly absorbed into thirsty sands. His limp became worse and he tried crawling for a while but the sand kept on scolding his now raw hands, so he would just have to bear it for now.
He limped through the white sea until the crystal blue of the cool ocean came into view. Picking up pace, he managed to run to the water and dive into it. The cool waves washed against his red face and aching muscles. He went further into the ocean until he could sit on the ocean bed with only his head sticking out from above the clear water.
He figured it to be before noon, he would still have to bear the full extent of the cruel sun's rays, hopefully his method of splashing water on his face would keep him cool, as least till a vessel passes by him.
His current predicament reminded him of somewhere else he'd been, this place also with white sands. During the final stages of Time Compression, he had been transported to a vast desert. He wondered aimlessly through it's dry heat until he could walk no further. Collapsing on the scorching sand, he knew that he would die in this place, fortunately he was wrong. A blinding light coming from the sky and two angel's wings where all Squall could remember of what happened between being in the time compressed desert and waking up in his Rinoa's arms.
He stopped remembering past events as the pain of his current one set ion. He felt the sun rise to it's apex and with it the rays of heat grew stronger and burned the back of the lion's neck. He removed his jacket and covered his neck and head, sacrificing his vision but keeping him from burning up in the intense heat.
He felt something trudging across the sand, it's vibration rattled through the white heated grains and into the water where he sat. He pulled away his covering, he saw something in the distance moving toward him, a dust cloud following whatever it was. He clutched on to his sword and began to steady himself to his feet. Using his sword as a crutch he painfully rose to his feet. He felt his leg wound open again and blood trickle down his leg into the now vampiric water. The object drew closer and closer, Squall now saw it's full body in all it's enormity, it was a Ruby Dragon. It's black, outspread wings flapped up and down creating the cloud of dust which shadowed it. It's jaw widened revealing it's numerous bone white fangs. Squall staggered out of the water and held his blade high in the air, the beast flew faster and faster. A few seconds later in what should have been the end of Squall Leonhart, he fell to the sand and curled up in shock. The dragon had flown right through his body and disappeared. A mirage.
Squall was now weakened further from his shock, he crawled on his belly trying desperately to reach the cool water. Thrusting the tips of his fingers into the scorching sand he pulled himself forward, edging himself closer to the ocean's cool, clear waters.
He felt himself loosing his vision, the sand and water in front of him became a haze of white and blue. The tips of his fingers where now raw with burns, not that he could see them. Eventually he lost consciousness and lay still on the hot Centra sands. The frequency and strength of his breaths slowly weakened, until it wasn't clear if he was drawing breath at all.
***
Rinoa sat in her chair in her freshly cleaned living room. Usually looking on a her house work gave her some sense of achievement, but not today, not for a few days now. She stared around her house with the same vacant expression that had occupied her face since Squall had left for Centra. She sat alone with a half read book lying on the floor beside her. Her nightmares of the death of Edea had stopped but were replaced with the horrifying images of her husband dying at the hands of a shadowy figure. She hadn't been at work for two days now and it looked as if her colleagues were getting worried. The doorbell rand and the door slid open.
"You O.K Rinoa." Said a famillar voice.
Quistis walked through into the living room and took a seat on the sofa next to the chair Rinoa was sitting at. The instructor was wearing her red velvet cat suit. Her hair had been curled with tongs and bouced up and down as she glided across the room. She watched Rinoa stare into space.
"I'm O.K I guess" She lied, trying not to break down. "It's just…."
"The dreams." Quistis interrupted. "Squall told me about them before he left."
Rinoa's expression lowered with the mention of her husband's name. She didn't even know if she'd lost her Matron and now her husband was missing, when would this nightmare end.
"Yeah it's the dreams." Rinoa sighed, breaking the long silence between the two women.
"You know," Quistis said with a little smile forming on her face. "maybe it would be better if you talked about them."
"Thanks Quitsis, but I think this something I need to deal with on my own."
Quistis sighed as she studied the face of friend. Rinoa again resumed her vacantness as she stared out the open window in the living room. At least Quistis thought it was vacantness.
Rinoa squirmed in her chair as a flurry of colours entered her mind. She was spinning around and around. The colors grew more intense as span in a daze. Finally stopping, the colours hazed and she saw a masculine figure laying down before her. It was Squall. She knelt down beside him and looked over him, his face was red with sun burn, he looked like he been like this for day. Rinoa was just about to touch the side of his face, when….
"Rinoa! Rinoa!" Quistis stood shaking her body.
Rinoa was somehow on the floor. She held her aching head with her arm and used the other to steady herself to her feet. She felt the back of neck, it was hot as if she'd been out in the sun.
"Squall." She gasped.
"What is it Rinoa."
"I think he's dying." She said with tears welling in her eyes.
***
Scarlet sat on the grass outside the Cafeteria. A lot of students came out here to eat there lunch and talk to there friends on the grass. She looked up into the deep cloudless sky and nibbled at her freshly purchased hotdog. Scarlet Leonhart wasn't one for following the trends of the garden but she had to admit to herself that this was a nice place to eat. She saw Tyranis, Araina and Sonya sitting on the grass a few yards away from her. Looks like today would be the day she would finally attempt a conversation with them. She finished off her hot dog and slowly walked over to where the three were sitting. They were deep in conversation, it was Araina who noticed Scarlet standing behind them first.
"Is something wrong Scarlet." Araina mumbled.
"Oh no, you see I." She tried to calm down. "I was wondering if I could sit with you."
There was a long silence with seemed to extend throughout the entire Garden, the three students were now staring at Scarlet with dumbfounded expressions on their faces. It was Tyranis who finally broke the uncomfortable silence.
"Sure Scarlet." He said, forcing a smile. "You can sit with us."
Scarlet felt a strange sense of relief as she watched Tyranis clear away his bag to make some room for her between him and Sonya. Am I this afraid of rejection? Scarlet squatted on the cool grass with her legs crossed. Another uncomfortable silence as looks of confusion were passed around the group.
"So what did you think of the exams?" Sonya said, never able to stand along pauses in conversation.
Scarlet inhailed a deep breathe and prepared to tell the girl about how she was first finished and was sure she aced every question. She paused before opening her mouth and thought of a better sentence to speak.
"Oh, they were O.K I guess." She smiled. "I don't really want to say anything until I get my results."
Tyranis stared at the girl who he'd once thought was the devil incarnate. Not bad Scarlet. Tyranis wondered if the rest of the group would be as satified with her replied.
"You were the first finished though." Araina smirked. "You couldn't have found it that hard."
Scarlet tried her hardest to subdue her glare from being cast over Araina. She simply smiled and took a moment to think what Sonya would say.
"Only cause I missed out so many questions." Scarlet giggled, for the first time in her life.
The was a small burst of laughter between all four of the students that were sitting in that particular spot of grass. Followed by a feeling of acceptance for Scarlet. They started to form conversations about school, life, clothes and all was going well for scarlet until Sonya brought up the subject of dating.
"So Scarlet what boys do you like in our class." Sonya said, leaning forward closer to Scarlet as if her answer would erupt a scandle.
Scarlet's face reddened heavily, she tried to shrug her shoulders but a strange fear came over her. Tyranis watched this, shaking his head. She was going down. Scarlet began thinking about stupid she was being and knew exactly what to say, the truth.
"I don't really like any of the guys in our year." She stared, hoping the next words would be good ones. "I prefer a more mature man, maybe one the senior classmen." Now all she needed was a closing statement. "They're quite cute."
The group seemed to accept this answer at face value and moved on. The afternoon bell sounded and the students left the grass and filed into the various departments where their next class was held. As Scarlet entered her combat class she worn a small smile. She took her seat and pulled out her notebook without giving her classmates the usual glares they were accustomed to. Looks like I'm O.K at group dynamics. She laughed mentally.
***
Squall felt a painful nudge in his side, and then another, this time a little harder. He rolled over onto is back and looked up. He saw a figure standing above him, the rays of light disguised his identity. Squall tried to focus on the figure's face but was barely conscious so only ended up fainting again.
"You never could give up, could you." The figure said.
Squall heard these words, before drifting back into the shadowy state of sleep he'd been in for the last three days. When he came to, he in what looked like a small cottage. The walls were rot stone, some with little weeds growing through the shadowed cracks. Squall strained his aching head and a saw warm, glowing fire into the centre of the room. He watched the flickering flames dance across the burning wood. He heard the banging of wood on metal. A figure moved in front of the fire holding a bag. The figure moved to closer to the bed were Squall was laying.
"Finally you've got up." The figure laughed.
Squall sat silently, unsure of his location. His nausea prevented his eyes from focusing on the face before him. A blurred array of facial features hazed before him, with blonde hair.
"Who are you?" Squall groaned.
The face became more and more clearer to Squall. He watched a familiar grin grow across it's face, almost ear to ear. His focus returned and Squall looked upon a face he hadn't set eyes on for eighteen years. "Sefeir." He moaned trying to get to his feet. Sefeir's hand came to touch Squall's shoulder, pushing Squall back down. Squall was unsure if the gesture was that of a friend or a captor.
"Correct my friend." He grinned, putting particular emphasis on the final word. "Now what I'm I going to do with you?" He laughed.
***
"Rinoa!" Quistis screamed.
Rinoa had been unconscious for the last hour. Quistis' attempts at waking had failed. Her motionless body had lain on the floor in a perfect stasis, but now showed sighs of moved. Rinoa's eye lids opened and the two black gems beneath stared up at the ceiling.
"I'm O.K now." She said, noticing the tearful eyes of her friend.
Quistis helped Rinoa to her feet, she was still unsteady. The two staggered to the sofa and Rinoa crashed onto the soft cushions.
"Was it, Squall?" She inquired, hesitantly. "Is he all right?"
Rinoa thought about the question she was asked. She felt it strange that had to think on what she already knew. 'A Sorceresses powers linked her to the ones she loves.', that is what Edea used to say to her, it proved to be true. She gave a gentle nod to her friend sitting anxiously in the chair opposite to the sofa.
"I thought he was gone." She pondered for a moment. "But now, I think he's all right."
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So Sefeir's back, but is he friend or foe to Squall. Next chapter is in progress, sorry for the long wait. Also I know Rinoa_2003 will be happy with the appearance of Sefeir.
The Ever So Slightly Insane: Dark Eva.