A Sequel to ReCreating Hell
Chapter Eight: Bleeding For You
By PasifikStar
Author's Note: Some RJxHunter fluff at the end.
* All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy or it's characters."It's gone!" Rinoa screamed. She whirled around, her usually pale face an even paler shade as panic stricken eyes looked into Quistis' blue ones. "It was here yesterday!"
"Do you think she took it?" Quistis asked. Rinoa nodded her head quickly.
"She must've!" Rinoa whirled back around and began to scan all the boxes. "I can't see it anywhere!"
"It's got to be here!" Quistis said. She side stepped the brunette and began to look for the box. She knew how it looked like. It had been in their closet years ago, right next to Selphie's board game collection and her antique chess set.
"Hyne, what if she took it, Quistis?" Rinoa nearly shrieked as she looked around frantically. She was moving boxes, crates, and assorted other containers that held her large collection of spells.
"Are you sure it was here?" Quistis asked. Rinoa nodded repeatedly.
"Hunter was standing right next to it!" Rinoa said.
"Well, keep looking, it must be here-"
"No, I have to go check on RJ!" Rinoa gasped. She whirled around and began to head up the stairs.
"Rinoa, wait! What if she doesn't have it!?" Quistis gasped.
"If she didn't have it, it would've been there!" the brunette shouted back. Quistis looked around once more before she ran up after Rinoa.
"I'll come with you!" Quistis said as they reached the main floor.
Rinoa shook her head as she ran through the dimly lit halls of the palace. "No!" she said. "Go get the others!"
"Rinoa, he was after you before-" Quistis began, but Rinoa shook her head as she stopped and turned around.
"And now he's after RJ," Rinoa whispered. She took a deep breath. "Quistis, you're a mother, too. If you had a chance to save Seraphim or Hunter at your own risk...?"
Quistis' blue eyes narrowed before she turned away and nodded. "I'd go..."
"Just tell them to hurry up," Rinoa stated. "Even if he's dead, Sephiroth is strong."
"I know." Quistis said. As they reached the end of the hall, Rinoa turned right and Quistis turned left. The blond hurried down the hall, her blond pony tail bouncing behind her as she skidded to a stop and quickly turned the corner.
She could hear their voices approaching her and vague thoughts every now and then. She tore down the hall, passing by some maids and even Ellone, who was heading to the kitchen. "Quistis?" the brown haired vampire asked in question as the blond ran past her.
Quistis didn't have time to reply as she nearly ran past the door way to the tea room. She grabbed on to the door frame, pulling her to a stop, as she entered the room.
Everyone turned to look at her as her blue eyes locked on to theirs. "The box is missing."
*How could she do this?* Rinoa thought to herself as she ran up the stairs. *She KNOWS the consequences of the spell and yet she steals my things and performs it!* As questions raced through her mind, they kept being countered with her own thoughts. RJ was, after all, Rinoa's daughter. *You would've think she would've inherited some of her father's sensibility to counter act MY impulsiveness.*
She rounded the corner of the hall where RJ and Hunter's room was located. Her booted feet stomped against the blood red carpet over the dark wood floor. She took a deep breath and smelled blood. She paled as she recognized who it belonged, too.
Their door was approaching and Rinoa extended her hand. She grabbed the handle and turned it, only to find it was locked. She let out a growl as she twisted it harder, breaking it off it's place in the oak door as she shoved the door open. "NO!!"
"WHAT!?" Squall growled, his eyes flashing red. "Dammit!" He jumped out of his seat, rushing out the door with amazing speed.
"Where is it then!?" Selphie gasped. "Don't tell me...?"
Quistis nodded. "We think RJ has all she needs for the Black Summon Spell."
Rinoa's eyes went wide as she saw her daughter sitting by the window, surrounded by a wall of blood red flames, rising from the candles and holding themselves up against the wind blowing from the opened window.
RJ's sun flower pajamas fluttered around her body as her thick brown hair whipped around her face. The moon cast it's glow across the young vampiress' body was paralyzed by the spell. Rinoa's eyes darted to the bed where she found Hunter, sleeping contently under a thick comforter.
*Why isn't he stopping her!?* Rinoa thought as she looked back at RJ. Her daughter was now being covered by smoke. *No...* Her heart was racing as she rushed towards RJ. As soon as she neared the blood flame barrier, she was recoiled by a powerful shielding spell and thrown back several feet.
She let out a scream as she flew through the air and landed with a thud. She slid across the smooth wooden floor on her back. Rinoa, groggy, shook her head and looked back up. The smoke was slowly swirling in front of RJ, creating the portal to hell in which Sephiroth would be summoned.
"Rinoa, what's going on!?" a voice shouted behind her. She felt two hands under her arms and hoist her up.
"Wake up, Hunter!" Rinoa ordered as she pulled away from Squall. She looked towards RJ, who was now trapped in the summoning.
"Why isn't he awake?" Squall growled as he headed towards the bed.
"Just wake up him up!" Rinoa growled. She cautiously walked towards RJ. Through the flames, she could see the obsidian handled dagger that RJ used to shed her blood for the summoning. Dark blood stained the floor and white candles as a heavy leather book sat in front of RJ.
"He's not awake!" Squall shouted from the bed. "I think it's a sleep spell!"
*RJ...!* Rinoa thought to herself furiously as she ran across the room and jumped on to the bed. "Potent sleep spell...dammit, RJ!" Rinoa growled as she looked over the young blonde's face.
"Whoa!" a voice said from the door way. "She didn't!"
Rinoa whirled her head around and saw that her friends had congregated at the door. "Squall, keep them away from RJ!"
"What? Why? We need to get her out of there!" he argued.
Rinoa's fangs were blared as glowing red eyes faced him. "If someone with inexperienced magic skills gets anywhere NEAR that ring of fire, they'll be sucked IN and TRAPPED!" Rinoa growled.
Squall looked back at his daughter and nodded before running off to the door way, where Quistis and Selphie were telling everyone to get back. They were having an especially hard time with one particular member.
"Raine Julia!" a tearful Laguna cried out as he struggled to get through the door.
"Sir Laguna, NO!" Selphie screamed. "You'll get sucked into the spell!"
"I don't care!" Laguna cried out. "She's my child!"
Squall walked up to him and pushed him back. "Selphie, Quistis! Sleep spell!" he shouted.
"No!" Laguna shouted as the two half witches turned on him. They raised their hands and Laguna fell backwards, knocked out by the immediate onset of the sleep spell.
"Ward! Kiros! Get him back to his room and make sure he doesn't come out!" Squall said. The two older vampires who had just arrived a few moments before, looked at each other hesitantly. "NOW!!" Squall growled animalistically.
Without a word, Kiros helped Ward put Laguna over his shoulder and head up the hallway. "What should we do!?" Zell yelled as thunder sounded in the distance. The unnatural weather mirrored the chaos before them.
"Stay back!" Squall said. "If we get anywhere NEAR that thing, you'll get sucked in, too!"
"Where's Hunter!?" Quistis shouted fearfully.
"RJ put a sleep spell on him!" Squall replied. *It's bad enough when RJ has her mother's impulsiveness...she also has to have MY planning skills.*
Back on the bed, Hunter shifted as the sleep spell was lifted. He looked up and saw Rinoa. He narrowed his eyes slightly, as he was still half awake. "RJ...?" he murmured. "Since when were your eyes brown?"
Rinoa rolled her eyes and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him to a sitting position. "It's MRS. LEONHEART to you, Hunter," she said sternly as she made him face RJ's summoning area. "And RJ is there!"
"Hyne!" Hunter gasped as he jumped back. "What the hell's going on!? What is that!?"
"She knocked you out with a sleep spell and is now performing the Black Summoning," Rinoa told him. "Hunter, you're her knight...you might be able to help."
"But we can't get anywhere NEAR that spell...how do we get her out!?" Hunter gasped, his heart racing as he watched something. "Oh, Hyne..."
"You see him, don't you?" Rinoa said, staring at the open window that RJ was facing. "You see Sephiroth."
"No, I can't let him touch her!" Hunter growled, lunging forward.
"Hunter, hold on!" Rinoa said as she grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. "Keep him occupied and at bay. You're HER knight, your connection should be strong enough to disable the effect of the spell on you."
"And then what?" Hunter breathed as he reached for his gunblade, which was resting on the side of the blade.
"Then, when I say so, get RJ out of there." she said behind gritted teeth. She jumped off the bed and stood a few feet from RJ.
"Rinoa! What are you doing!?" Selphie screamed from the door way.
"Selphie, Quistis!" Rinoa said as she looked over her shoulder at them. "Whatever happens...whatever I do..." She took a deep breath and looked reluctant. "Keep Squall at bay."
"Oh shit..." Quistis swore as she realized what Rinoa was about to do. She looked up and saw Hunter stand next to Rinoa. He was wearing draw string cotton pants and held his gunblade tightly in his hands. "Hunter!"
"I'll be fine, mom!" he shouted. "I'm not a baby!"
"That's not what I'm worried about..." Quistis whispered.
"Rinoa!" Squall said as Rinoa reached behind her duster and pulled out a small knife. His blue eyes went wide. "Rinoa!"
"Squall, I'm sorry," Selphie said as she held her hand up. "I can't let you interfere."
"Interfere...Selphie, what-" he froze in mid sentence as he took a step forward. His eyes went wide as he turned to them. They took a step back, out of his reach, knowing he couldn't move from his place.
"If you interfere before Rinoa can join RJ," Quistis explained. "Hunter, Rinoa, AND RJ will be trapped in Hell."
"No..." Squall said, his eyes glowing with anger as he turned back to Rinoa. "RINOA!!"
The white smoke was heavy as it made a vague figure of a man. Glowing green eyes were shining through their haze as it's open, dark mouth, revealed fangs. It's arms reached towards RJ, whose expression couldn't be seen.
"Hunter," Rinoa said. "Get his attention NOW!"
Hunter cocked his gun loudly and sent a shot right past the ghost's smoky head. Green eyes flew up and went wide as they laid eyes Hunter. They had gone unnoticed to him, as his focus was on the summoner.
"I thought I told you," Hunter hissed as he narrowed his emerald eyes. "To LEAVE HER ALONE!"
His attention was off of RJ long enough for Rinoa to act. She grabbed the knife and held it against her wrist. With a quick motion, she sliced through her pale, tender flesh, revealing a gush of dark red blood. She jumped into the air, using her vampiric agility to the best of her knowledge and jumped over the wall around RJ.
From where she sat, RJ felt warm drops fall around her and against her skin. She looked down and saw dark red drops fall from the ceiling, going in a circle around her body and mingling with her already spilled blood. She caught the scent quickly.
"Mom..." RJ whispered tearfully.
Through the palace's halls, Rinoa's voice rang with the ancient words of sorcerers long past. She repeated the words from the book, without even once glancing down at it. RJ silently marveled her mother's skill and grace as she sensed someone's presence behind her.
RJ's heart froze in her chest as suddenly, she was being pulled away. In front of her, the image of Sephiroth began to skew, turning hazy as he cursed Hunter. He looked down at his hands, realizing that he was being sent back to hell and reached out for RJ. Her mouth opened wide.
"RJ!" Squall shouted as he recognized his daughter's scream cut through the darkness of the bedroom.
The ghost seemed to have been sucked back into the port hole it had emerged from, leaving a still RJ within the flames. Hunter ran to the front of the circle, to where Sephiroth had been standing and looked around. Outside, the clouds had lessened that the near full moon shone on his body.
He turned back to RJ. Her face was etched with worry as her wide open eyes stared back at him with a soulless, glassy look. Blood tears streamed down her pale cheeks as Rinoa was on her knees behind her daughter.
The elder vampiress' eyes were closed as her bloody wrist dripped dark, thick liquid on to the floor. Her eyes were closed as her body grew still. Hunter couldn't sense their magic signatures anymore. Meaning, their souls were not in their bodies.
"Do you think I'll let you go!?" Sephiroth growled as he held on to RJ's throat. "I will TAKE your blood and life in exchange for mine. MY purpose is not yet complete!"
RJ's face was contorted in anger as she kicked and grabbed his hand. "I'm not supposed to die!" RJ growled. "NOT FOR A LONG TIME!"
All around her, fire surrounded them. Flames leapt up from the abyss that circled Sephiroth's prison. "What were you trying to accomplish, SORCERESS?" he hissed as he narrowed his green eyes. "Did you think that you could appease my tormented soul?" He asked, amused. "Did you think that you could solve your little problem?"
"It was worth a try!" RJ retorted.
"And look where your attempt has gotten you," Sephiroth said coolly. "Trapped in Hell. No one could bring you back now. Your blood got you in here...but it will not get you out."
"If you kill me now, you'll NEVER get your chance to live again!" RJ shouted.
"You're such a child," he smirked. "Is that what you think? You are a sorceress as well as a vampire. For a vampire, their blood is their life, for a sorceress, it is their magic. I can kill you here or in the world of the living, it does not matter."
"No..." RJ breathed out. Sephiroth's free hand went over her left breast, right over her heart.
"I killed your grandmother like this," he told her casually. "Beautiful woman, that Julia. I tore her heart right out of her chest. I've had plenty of practice, I can do it without you having to suffer much. And since you're giving me your life, I can do that at the very least. I am, after all, a gentlemen."
"Go to hell." RJ hissed.
"My dear," he chuckled as his hand tightened around her breast. She closed her eyes and winced. "We're already here."
"Put her down, Sephiroth!" a voice shouted behind him. He froze for a moment and sly smirk crossed his face.
"Sorceress..." Sephiroth said. Slowly he turned his head around, still holding RJ by her slim neck.
"Return my daughter to me," Rinoa stated loudly. "NOW!"
"Your magic won't work in hell," Sephiroth told her. "The powers bestowed by Hyne to your kind won't work in hell."
"Ass hole," Rinoa said as she lifted her hands. "You're forgetting. I'm a vampire now."
Sephiroth's smile slowly left his face as Rinoa's eyes glazed over and white wings ripped from her back. "Angel wing is a sorcerer's spell!" he scoffed.
"I know why you hate hybrids," Rinoa growled. "Because hybrids were are the legacy that Sara and Leon left behind! ANGEL WING!"
RJ's body lunged up for air as her eyes blinked rapid, re-moistening her blue eyes. Her upper body heaved as someone's arms caught her as she fell forward. "RJ?" a nervous voice gasped. "RJ!? Are you all right?"
"Mom..." RJ gasped. "Where's my mom!?" She whirled around and froze. "No..." Her blood soaked hand rose to her mouth as her eyes rimmed with blood tears.
Squall sat next them. Hunter was on his knees, RJ in his arms as he held her. Squall was on his knees, hunched over a blue and black clad body. Dried blood caked the black sleeves of Rinoa's sweater, right under her favorite blue duster.
Her head was tilted back across Squall's arms, her eyes closed. Her skin was pale. Squall's head was buried against his beloved mate's head. "She let out a large amount of energy earlier..." Hunter whispered against RJ's ear as she clung on to him, shaking. "I can't sense her signature..."
"No..." RJ whispered. "No...she's the best sorceress in the world! She couldn't have...!" she stammered. Her blue eyes went to her father, whose head was down cast. "Daddy..." she whispered quietly. "Daddy, I'm sorry..."
He looked up at his daughter as he clutched his wife close to him. RJ felt her heart break in her chest as she saw her father crying for the first time. It was so unfamiliar to see him, her strong, powerful, unmoving father, with tears in his eyes.
"RJ, are you all right?" Squall asked. RJ nodded slowly. He gave her a smile and nodded as he lifted his hand off of Rinoa's and took RJ's. "That's all we ever wanted."
"I'm sorry, daddy!" RJ cried out hysterically as she scrambled over to him and threw her arms around him. "It's all my fault! I just wanted to help! I couldn't stand always being the one in trouble! I just wanted to help out for once instead of standing by! Mommy, I'm sorry! Mommy, please come back! Mommy..."
RJ's sobs died down as she draped her body over her mother's and cried. She felt her father's hand sooth her hair. "Hunter," Squall said, without taking his eyes off of his daughter. "Can you take RJ and get her cleaned up? I'd like to spend some time with Rinoa..."
"I'm sorry..." RJ whispered as Hunter took her arms and pulled her away slowly. "Daddy, I'm sorry."
"RJ, just let him stay with her a moment," Hunter said as he pulled RJ away from the couple. "Come on..."
"But..." RJ began, but Hunter shook his head. She let out a deep breath and nodded as he escorted her away. His arm went around her shoulder and pulled her against him.
"I'm sorry, RJ."
As they passed through the door way, Zell, Irvine, Seifer, Selphie, and Quistis all stepped aside. Quistis' eyes were kept on Rinoa. They were narrowed and filled with concentration. As soon as Hunter and RJ passed, she looked at Selphie. "She's such a drama queen..."
"I know..." Selphie sighed.
"What are you girls talking about?" Zell sniffled as he wiped his eyes with his shirt sleeve.
"I know I do some really screwed up stuff to Hunter, but this is kind of going over board, isn't it?" Seifer sighed as he, Quistis, and Selphie headed into the room.
Irvine turned to them and frowned. "What's wrong with you guys?" he said as he wiped the corner of his eyes. "Rinoa's dead!"
"She's not dead," Quistis sighed. She stood behind Squall and Rinoa. "Rinoa, come on, get up."
"Yeah, Rinoa...I can sense your signature now...it's pretty clear, even after your energy wave dulled my senses." Selphie added.
"Stop it..." Squall murmured.
They didn't hear him. "Rinoa, c'mon, RJ's in tears. You made your point." Quistis stated.
"Please stop..." Squall murmured once more.
"Maybe she zoned out," Seifer snickered. "You know she's always doing that."
"Stop." Squall began to growl.
"Hey, remember when we were kids?" Seifer chuckled. "You know the train incident."
"You know not to talk about that in front of her!" Selphie gasped.
"STOP IT!" Squall growled. He snapped his head around, his dark, damp hair around his face as he glared at the trio. "Can't you see she's not breathing!? I've LOST HER!"
Selphie rolled her eyes. "Squall, you're her mate," she said. "You should know by now that Rinoa can hold her breath for a good few minutes. Remember when we went skin diving?"
"Will you stop it?" Squall hissed.
"I can't believe my own mate would give up on me so soon," a voice said. His blue eyes went wide as he turned his head. Rinoa's mouth was open and breathing slightly. "I can't move, but I can talk."
"She's been conscious longer than RJ," Quistis said. "She told me not to tell you."
"Rinoa..." Squall whispered as he caressed her face.
"Get me to a bed," Rinoa stated. "I'm tired."
"What the hell!?" Irvine gasped as he ran into the room with Zell. "What's going on!?"
"Just a little lesson," Rinoa said. Her body was still limp as Squall picked her up in his arms, but her mouth was moving and her eyes were slowly opening. "Let me get to bed, then you can send her in to see me."
"So you pretended to be dead?" Zell asked. "How could you lead her on like that!?"
"She started it," Rinoa mumbled. "Sorry to scare you guys. But she really needed to learn."
"Rinoa," Squall said as he carried her out the door to their room. "If you ever do that again..."
"I know," Rinoa whispered as she closed her eyes. "How come you didn't know?"
"What was I supposed to think?" Squall snapped. "You were pale. Not moving. Not breathing. I couldn't feel your heart beating."
"That's because it wasn't," Rinoa said. "It takes a while for my body to regain movement. My heart included. You can barely move your head during the summoning. the rest of your body freezes up."
"You scared me."
"I'm sorry," Rinoa said. "But I still can't believe you thought I'd die so easily."
"So what happened?" Squall said softly. "...While you were in hell." He elaborated.
"He was holding on to RJ's soul," Rinoa said tiredly. "I just needed to momentarily distract him so he could let go."
"What did you do?"
"I cast Angel Wing," Rinoa told him weakly. "It's not as potent there, but it was enough to leave him weakened long enough for me to grab RJ's soul and bring us back."
"How did you know you could do that?" Squall whispered. "I thought you said that you could die or get trapped in Hell."
Rinoa let out a tired sigh. "There are some spells that aren't written in books."
RJ burst through her parent's bedroom door, her eyes filled with tears as she scanned the room. Under the large canopy bed was her mother, seemingly sleeping. However, that did nothing to stop RJ.
"MOMMY!!"
"Hmmm?" Rinoa turned in her bed and tiredly opened one eye. Immediately, both flew open as she caught sight of her daughter running towards her at full speed and leaping into the bed. "RJ!"
*BAM!*
"So...she pretended to be dead to teach RJ a lesson?" Hunter asked as he stood outside the door with Squall. "It's that kind of extreme?"
Squall merely raised an eyebrow. "Are you THAT surprised? She is RJ's mother after all. Where do you think RJ got her impulsive guts?"
Hunter smirked slightly and nodded. "I guess so...I'm glad she's all right..." He swallowed and lifted his eyes to meet Squall's piercing blue gaze. "Sir...I'm sorry for falling asleep. I had no idea she was going to try something like that. I should've stopped her."
"She cast a powerful sleep spell on you," Squall said. "And while I am disappointed, I am relieved you're there. Did RJ tell you why Sephiroth wanted her life in exchange for his?"
Hunter nodded slowly. "She said that he wanted to take Princess Sara from the gates and unleash hell."
"Sara and Leon had the first hybrid children - Adel and Ultimecia," Squall explained. "Hybrids represent a bond...an eternal love between the races that Sara and Leon represented."
"Does Sephiroth hate hybrids?"
"What do you think?"
"Everytime he sees one, he must hate them...they must remind him of the woman he never got and the man she loved." Hunter agreed.
"Hunter..." Squall said reluctantly. "When Rinoa said that you were RJ's knight, I was very harsh towards you."
*No kidding...*
"And I even resorted to violence."
*Yeah, you're scary.*
"And I'm sorry," Squall said. "I think by now I should've realized just how devoted you are to RJ."
"I'm very devoted to her, sir," Hunter agreed. "I won't let anything happen to her."
Squall nodded. He paused and took a deep breath. His eyes lifted to meet Hunter's. "Do you love my daughter?"
Hunter felt his heart stop as his face slowly grew warmer. "Uh...umm..." his green eyes darted around nervously as Squall studied him.
*It's a simple yes or no question...* Squall thought to himself as he watched Hunter sheepishly rub the back of his neck. "Hunter," Squall snapped, gaining him Hunter's attention once more. "Answer my question."
Hunter took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes, sir, I love your daughter."
"Ah-hah!" a voice said from the end of the hall way. Squall and Hunter turned their heads as Selphie jumped out of her hiding place behind one of the doors and did a little dance. "Seifer! Seifer, did you hear that!?"
"Yeah! I heard it!" Seifer snapped from where he and Quistis had been standing a little bit away.
"Yes! Thank you, Hunter!" Selphie said as she skipped over to him and hugged him tightly. "I just won..." She stepped back and pulled out a piece of paper from her back pocket. "One thousand GIL! Oh yeah!"
"Auntie Selphie, you put a BET on whether or not I love RJ!?" Hunter gasped as he stared at his aunt with disbelief.
"It's not a bet," his mother corrected him as she took the paper from Selphie's hands. "It's a pool. I would've won if you said it yesterday."
"And I would've won if you said it two days from now...great job, SON." Seifer snorted.
"Let me see that!" Hunter said as he plucked the paper from his mother's hand and let his draw drop. "Seraphim...Rinny...Mr. Dincht, Mrs. Dincht, Ma Dincht, Uncle Irvine, Mrs. Leonheart, Mrs. Loire...WARD? KIROS? Fujin...Raijin...? Holy...LAGUNA LOIRE?" Hunter paused at the last name and looked at Squall accusingly. "MR. LEONHEART!?"
RJ's father merely shrugged as if it were nothing.
"See, we all already knew you LOVE her," Selphie explained as she took the paper back. "The question was when were you going to admit it."
"I can't believe you people!" Hunter said, disgusted. "How could you do that!?"
"It's just a healthy wager..." Seifer shrugged. "No big deal."
"I hate you all." Hunter grumbled bitterly.
"If it'll make you feel better, I'll give you five percent of my winnings." Selphie offered.
Hunter frowned. "Ten."
"Six."
"Eight."
"Deal," Selphie said. "You can treat her out to dinner once this is all over." Seifer was snickering as he son blushed furiously.
"Quistis, did you get do the lineage charts like I asked?" Squall asked. Quistis nodded.
"They're all ready. From both sides."
"Lineage charts?" Hunter asked.
"There are certain things vampires fear," Squall stated. "Ancient vampires were banished from heaven. They were blessed with strong senses, magic, and other 'gifts'. Premonitions is one of them. While what they see in their visions isn't always what will happen, it's possible that it will."
"What does that have to do with lineage charts?" Hunter asked.
"After Sephiroth died, I looked up information on him. It turns out that he was supposed to be killed by descendent of a sorcerer...Sara's cousin." Squall told him.
"It's like their poison," Quistis said. "Someone out there carries the blood that Sephiroth fears because fate says that whoever carries it will be the one that killed him."
"But dad killed him the first time," Hunter asserted. "So is dad a carrier?"
"You misunderstand, Hunter," Squall said. "To a vampire, death isn't death until you, including your spirit, no longer lives."
"I traced back your bloodlines on both sides," Quistis told Hunter. "I checked your father's first, but he descended from someone else. So when he killed Sephiroth, it wasn't the prophesized death he expected."
"Way to go old man." Hunter grumbled as he shot an annoyed glare at his father. Seifer glared back.
"So were my suspicions correct?" Squall asked Quistis. The blond nodded.
"What is it then?" Hunter asked.
"Hunter," Quistis sighed. "You, Seraphim, and I are descended from the sorcerer."
"So it could be any of us?" Hunter asked. "Or a cousin or something?"
Quistis shook her head. "No, Hunter. Just you. The blood is only active in MALES. And I was an only child. Your grandfather was an only child and he's no longer living."
"So I'm destined to kill Sephiroth?" Hunter said. A slow smile came across his face. "So...if we ever face off, he'll die by my hand."
"What did I tell you about being cocky, boy?" Seifer snapped. "Prophesies don't ALWAYS go according to plan. And even if you kill him, there's not guarantee that you'll come out alive."
Immediately, Hunter's smile fell. "However, that does explain while Sephiroth, in his weakened state, leaves or backs down when Hunter is around," Squall said. "He's still vulnerable."
"We should attack him now then," Selphie said quietly. "While he's still weak."
"I agree," Squall said. "But in order to do that, we need to go to Hell's Gates to summon him."
"Why can't we summon him again here?" Hunter asked. "We know what to do this time."
"It's too dangerous...it could get out of hand," Quistis told him. "We'd all be at risk. The Island Closest to Hell is our best bet. It's sacred territory."
"You can't go there," a voice said from the door way. They turned around and saw RJ standing there. "If one drop of my blood is spilled on sacred land...on Hell's Gates...they'll open."
"UGH!" Hunter growled as he swept his gunblade down. Sweat slid down his body as he practiced in his werewolf form outside. Seifer stood at the window, watching his son practice.
Two arms went around his waist as a head topped with long, straight blond hair brushed against him. "Will he be all right?"
Seifer nodded. "The little mutt will be fine," he said reassuringly. "You know, he really wore me out the other day."
"I know," Quistis chuckled. "He's just like you, you know."
"You're saying mean and hurtful things again, Quisty..." Seifer trailed off, making Quistis laugh. He pulled her forward and put his arms around her shoulders. "Now that we know what we're doing, I feel a little relaxed."
Quistis nodded. "But don't get too comfortable."
"Humph...married to you, I never will be."
As Seifer leaned down to kiss Quistis, another figure joined Hunter in the yard. The lycan was much too absorbed in fighting his imaginary opponent to even notice the slim, gun blade wielding, vampiress walking towards him.
"Hunter!" RJ called out. His lips were curled in a snarl, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth. RJ had to admit that his werewolf form wasn't scary. She'd grown used to seeing him like that as children and even after a long absence away from each other, seeing him as a seven foot tall werewolf wielding a gunblade seemed so natural. "Hunter!"
"WHAT!?" he growled, whirling around to meet her. He looked annoyed as he plunged the blade into the ground. "What do you want?"
"Can we spar?" RJ asked, slightly eager. There was a pause.
"AHAHAHAH!!" Hunter laughed as he nearly fell over on his side. RJ rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, having expected this reaction.
"I'm serious!" RJ insisted as he snorted and wiped the tears out of his eyes with his claws.
"RJ, get real!" Hunter laughed. "You're not in my league! I saw you spar with your dad. You didn't get a single good hit in."
"I did so!" RJ retorted proudly. "Hyne, stop being such an ass hole for once and take it seriously!"
"RJ, I don't want to hurt you," Hunter assured her as he looked at her intently. His claw went under her chin and tilted her head up to look at his beautiful, glistening eyes. "I'm serious."
"I'll spar you for a kiss," RJ said, her eyes narrowed. "If you win, I'll give you a kiss. All the kisses you want!"
Hunter raised an eyebrow as his wolf ears perked up. "Really...? And...say the impossible happens, and YOU win. What do you get?" he asked. *Probably something romantic like a date at Alexandria's or something...*
RJ smirked. "You get to tell the whole world that I beat Hunter Almasy. You'll go to Esthar and Balamb Gardens and on the P.A. system announce that you've been beaten by a little girl."
Hunter's eyes went wide with shock. *Sadistic little...* he narrowed his eyes. "As tempting as that sounds, I don't think I'd settle for just a kiss."
"How about I give you a taste right now?" RJ asked. "Right here. Right now. I guarantee you'll take the challenge."
*Right...'challenge',* Hunter thought to himself, amused. He shrugged. *Oh well, what can it hurt?* "Sure. Just let me change back-"
Suddenly, arms were around his neck as RJ tackled him to the ground. His eyes went wide as her lips slammed into his. Hunter's eyes went wide, as he laid their frozen, unsure of what to do as the sheer amazement of being kissed in werewolf form reached him. Part of him couldn't believe that the little vampiress was even attempting such a feat.
After a few moments, RJ pulled away and sat up on his chest. "Well?" she asked, defiantly as Hunter laid there in a daze. "Are we on or what?"
Hunter looked up at her. "Get your gunblade."
"Oh, look," Ellone said as she looked out the window of the dining hall. "RJ and Hunter are sparing."
At that, Squall dropped his fork and looked up. "What?" he asked, confused.
"Outside, RJ's sparing with Hunter...when was the last time you seriously spared with RJ, Squall?" Ellone said.
"When she was fifteen and beat him." Laguna said from where he was sitting. Rinoa was on a wheelchair, still not completely recovered from her journey to hell. Laguna had woken up and found himself strapped to his bed with Kiros and Ward outside his door guarding in. After an hour of yelling, Ellone finally came in and helped him out.
He ran past Kiros and Ward and to RJ and Hunter's room, only to find it vacant and the maids cleaning the blood off the floor. He let out a hideous wail as he thought that RJ had been taken.
That was when Zell passed with a tray of blood for Rinoa to drink. He told Laguna that RJ was with her mother in Squall and Rinoa's bed room. The blond didn't even have a chance to finish before Laguna left, knocking Zell over and spilling the blood on the floor just as the maids came out.
Laguna had found them in the room, Squall talking with Hunter in the sitting area and going over the history of the bloodlines as Rinoa laid in bed with RJ hugging her tightly as Angelo slept at the foot of the bed.
He let out a yell and ran towards them, nearly jumping into the bed with them, had Squall not grabbed his collar. After scolding Squall for doing that to him and then scolding RJ for pulling a stunt like that, he proceeded to hug his precious granddaughter.
After an hour, Squall finally pried him off so RJ could go get some rest with Hunter. And as they walked out of the room, RJ in Hunter's arms, Squall told Laguna that RJ was in safe hands. Laguna then exclaimed that those 'hands' weren't the only things he was worried about.
"I hope she doesn't go all out on Hunter," Rinoa said as she lifted some soup into her mouth. "Do you think she'll win?"
"She's a Leonheart," Squall stated simply. "I knew it the first time she picked up my gunblade that she'd always win."
*This is NOT happening!* Hunter said as he fell back on the grass and looked up at the vampiress that was smiling in front of him. *She's TOO fast...*
*Watching Hunter wasn't just for the eye candy,* RJ thought to herself as she watched him get up and hold his gunblade up in front of him. *I know your weaknesses, Hunter...I know you leave your left side open just long enough for me to get you and your repositioning time is longer than mine...*
Hunter let out a growl as he snarled at her. RJ just made a kissy face at him, making him angrier. "You little...!" he growled as he lunged towards her.
"Thanks for the opening!" RJ shouted. She darted out in front of him, just small enough to go under his arm and give him a wound on the side of his body. Hunter let out a groan as RJ whirled around and placed the tip of the gunblade on his back. "I win!"
"No!" Hunter gasped. "But...HOW!? I saw you! I saw you against your father! YOU SUCK!"
"What are you talking about?" RJ said. "I was warming up. I first beat daddy when I was fifteen. The same day I beat your dad."
"YOU WHAT!?" Hunter gasped as he whirled around and looked at her. "What are you talking about!?"
"For my fifteenth birthday, my dad got me a gunblade and your dad said he'd help me out a little," RJ said with a shrug as she put her gunblade down next to her. "I beat him and then I beat my dad soon after."
"HOW!?" Hunter nearly screamed as his humiliated face seemed to brighten RJ's. "I've been practicing since...since..." He thought for a moment. "Since before we even met!"
"So have I!" RJ piped happily. "And while you are stronger than me, I took the time to watch you spare with your father. I memorized your patterns and body movements. That's all it was. I just waited for you to leave yourself open so I could get you."
The blow had just gotten harder for Hunter. If RJ were just extremely skilled, he wouldn't have felt so bad. But instead, she just analyzed his faults and preyed on them. Basically, what she was saying was - it was his fault.
"If you're that good!" he growled. "Why do you even NEED a knight!?" he grumbled as his body mutated back in a more shape-shifter style than in a lycan style. His human form was shirtless, once again, and wearing jeans.
RJ sighed and walked up to him. She casually put her arms around his neck and leaned her head against his chest, making him blush. "I don't need a knight," she whispered. "I need you."
Hunter felt his entire body grow warm as his heart started to beat faster. "RJ..." he began, but trailed off, unsure of what to say.
"Hunter," RJ sighed. "Vampires have mates for life. Sorcerers, Lycans, and Shifters have husbands and wives. But for a really powerful sorceresses, they get to have a knight," she looked up at him. "Even the most powerful need someone, Hunter."
"Do you want me to be your knight?" Hunter asked quietly. RJ swallowed hard and looked into his eyes.
"My knight. My mate...whatever..." RJ told him. She felt his arms go around her. Hunter tilted his head down and kissed her softly. "You can all yourself whatever you want."
Hunter thought for a moment. "Then I'm YOURS."