Time's Scars

Chapter 11: Alive

They all seemed to freeze at the moment Squall's dagger pierced Nekura's skull. Any normal person would have died immediately, but not him.

"You think you can destroy me?" Nekura cackled, "Even though this body will not survive, another one will. I will destroy all of you. Don't think this is over, not yet."

Squall looked surprised. Then, in anger, he pushed Nekura onto the ground, pulled the dagger out, and drove it back in. Finally, the body went limp.

Squall dropped the dagger and leaned back against a wall. Rinoa ran to his side, gently touching the arrow embedded in his chest. She wasn't alone. The young Elf they'd walked into town with had returned. He sat at Squall's side, along with a more elderly looking Elf.

"It's okay." The boy reassured her. "He won't die."

She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. "How do you know that?"

The elderly Elf smiled, "Don't you know? Elves can only be killed with fire or steel. This wooden arrow won't hurt him much."

"Oh."

Quistis and the others also moved closer to him. "Aren't you going to take him to a hospital?"

The younger Elf looked at her, "Yes. Not one of yours. We'll take him back to Balamb, and treat him at our own facility. We don't think you humans know how to treat him."

Zell shook his head, "Who are you people anyway?"

"I am Legolas. This is our elder, one of the leaders, Veryatur."

Irvine looked at him in surprise. "Legolas? Like the Elf from the legend?"

He smiled, "Yes. I am not actually him, but I am related. My last name is also Greenwood."

"Whatever happened to the real Legolas?" Asked Selphie. "I thought you guys were immortal."

"No, not anymore. We were immortal. Now, we are able to choose. But those who choose to be immortals cannot live among your kind. They must live where the magic still remains. Without the magic of the Earth, we are not immortal. None of us are certain what happened to the real Legolas, but I think he is still out there, living hidden among the immortals."

The elder Elf put a hand on Legolas' shoulder. "We must go."

Rinoa looked back at Squall, then up at Veryatur. "Can I come? Please."

He smiled, "The connection between you two is strong. I think we can bring you along as well."

"Nice meeting you." Legolas said to them.

Then, just as suddenly as they'd seemed to appear, the Elves vanished, taking Rinoa with them.

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"Feeling better?" Rinoa asked him.

Squall smiled up at her. Back in the hidden Elf refuge in Balamb, he'd been treated with Elf magic. There was not even a trace of the arrow that had pierced his chest.

"Much. But I know I feel better because you're here."

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Cid looked up at them. "Just vanished, huh? Well, I'm glad the ring was not revived. But I doubt we are out of the woods yet. We have learned more about the Galbadian leader, Nekura. It appears that he is simply using bodies. When the body dies, he takes over a new one. So, we will soon face him again."

As Cid explained this to them, Nida came running onto the bridge. "S…sir." He gasped, "We…have…a…serious…problem."

Cid and the others followed Nida to the main operating station for the flight controls. Nida fussed with the communication radio, bringing up Balamb's town leader.

"Tell us what you saw." Cid spoke.

The man on the other line took a breath, then replied, "Orcs. They're headed right for Garden. Looks like the Uruk-hai. They are armed."

"How many?"

He sighed, "Too many to count. Tens of thousands of them. They should be there very soon."