Chapter 14 - Eternity
Zell, Selphie and Irvine looked in horror and shock at the blonde mercenary before them. Squall remained impassive while Rinoa's eyes burned in anger upon seeing her foster sister in such a shameful state. It was obvious she had been more than mistreated. Gone was the arrogant blue spark in her eyes. Instead, a tortured and almost broken look replaced it.
"Bastard!" Rinoa spat at Seifer.
"Aw . . . nice to know I was missed," Seifer sneered. "If you want me so badly, you'll just have to wait your turn. Quistis here can't seem to get enough," he mocked.
The sorceress could feel the potent magic raging in her blood, screaming to be released. She began raising a hand towards Seifer, fingers pointed at him, ready to kill.
"Calm the hell down," Squall snapped at through their link. "You're playing into his hands."
The bloodlust in Rinoa's eyes dissipated. She took in deep breaths, still angrily glaring at mercenary. She fingered the summoning orb in the folds of her feathery blue cloak.
"Leave mercenary!" Zell yelled at him, his fists clenched.
Seifer grinned. "All the mercenaries Chicken Wuss? Or just me?" His eyes mocked Zell because he knew something the tattooed man didn't. He let his jeweled-colored eyes trail over to Squall.
"What the hell you talking about man?" Zell asked angrily.
Seifer smirked. "I see you haven't told them your little secret. Or how about the bitch over there?" he gestured to Rinoa. "Not too bright are they? Then again they are civilians Squall . . ." his voice trailed off as he looked triumphantly at the sudden comprehension of the three villagers. He slung Hyperion from his shoulder towards Quistis.
"Enough small talk," he ordered, "hand over the sorceress, Leonhart and yourself or the wench gets it and I'll make sure it'll be a wound that no Cure will heal."
Rinoa was thinking of a spell that would be able to bind Seifer when she felt the cool barrel of a gun at the back of her head. Irvine pointed Exeter with a steady unwavering hand. Shocked, the raven-haired woman turned to Irvine, disregarding the weapon aimed to end her life. "Irvine . . .?" she asked confused, feeling hurt and betrayed.
"Your kind is the one responsible for the deaths of all of the villagers. It was a sorceress that ordered our town to be burned to the ground with everyone still inside," Irvine stated matter-of-factly with amazing calmness in his voice.
Squall made a move to free his gunblade.
"Don't even twitch a muscle mercenary," Irvine warned Squall. "We've heard of all the women and children you killed. I think it's best for all of us if you and sorceress are exchanged for the pretty little darlin' over there."
Zell's mouth was still open in shock.
"Catching flies Chicken Wuss?" Seifer casually remarked. "I don't have all day people – places to plunder, people to kill."
Zell angrily shut his mouth closed and glared. Remembering the conflict within his heart he turned to the cowboy. "Irvine, man, I trust that mercenary less than I do that one," Zell jerked his thumb over to Squall.
"They're all the same Zell," the sharpshooter casually remarked. He turned around and winked at the martial artist and Selphie. They understood his plan immediately. "Well?" He shoved Rinoa towards Seifer who had a triumphant gleam in his eyes. He relaxed his grip on Hyperion, preparing to get the sorceress when Irvine's aim suddenly shifted to him and Seifer realized his intentions too late.
A shot was fired, and Seifer dove, as Rinoa closed her eyes.
Irvine's aim was perfect.
It was only the greater reflexes that only a mercenary could possess that saved Seifer. He leapt to the side and the bullet went through his right shoulder. He howled in pain and immediately leapt up, locking his eyes to Squalls and pointed the gunblade to his left. Towards Rinoa.
Squall not losing any time, drew out Lionheart with ease and agility. He rushed towards Seifer, trying to block Seifer's next move. The irony of the situation struck Squall. He was yet again stuck in the same position as last time, being unable to protect her, unable to exchange his life, his very soul for hers. Fate would not give him the choice.
"Rinoa move!!!" he shouted in desperation. Rinoa couldn't move in the blind panic that overtook her senses. She blinked twice, trying to process the warnings he gave her, but her brain was unable to coordinate any form of movement. She was paralyzed not only from fear but the raw emotions she felt from Squall. The sorceress could feel his regret, his pain, and his sense of failure most of all.
He wanted the chance to say goodbye, to hear her call him a "meany," to comfort her in his arms . . . and he wanted the chance to make sure she knew he loved her. But Seifer was threatening to steal that chance once again.
"Fuck that." Squall knew that he didn't have more than milliseconds left before she would be gone forever from him. Every muscle stretched and strained to reach its goal, his legs making powerful strides, and then he leapt.
Smirking the blonde gunblader aimed and squeezed the trigger. Smoke poured from the end of the blade and Squall's eyes widened in horror just as he pounced on Seifer.
He was too late.
The bullet hit the target, dead on, piecing through the heart. Quistis's heart. The ragged blonde woman had dived in front of her foster sister.
"Quistis?!" Rinoa gently moved the blonde's frail frame off her own.
The blonde woman managed to focus her eyes on Rinoa as her injured heart began to slow – forsaking its duty. She moaned. "Rinoa?" she said softly, her vision blurring.
"Yeah Quis, I'm here," Rinoa choked out, stifling a cry. "I'm here Sis, don't worry okay? You're gonna be alright." She moved Quistis's hand that covered the injury and couldn't help but sob. Magic would not cure that wound.
"Don't cry Rinny," Quistis reassured her with a weak cough.
Irvine, Selphie and Zell worked their way to the dying woman, their faces grim and respectful. Selphie laid a hand upon Rinoa's shoulder, giving her silent support.
"I . . .I," Quistis coughed again, this time with crimson blood as she fought to stay a live for just a few more seconds. She didn't get raped and dragged for miles to die without saying the words she had been thinking ever since she had been captured.
"I'm sorry," she whispered sincerely at Rinoa. Closing her eyes, she added, "for everything." She drew her last breath and let go of the short life that had been granted to her.
"Quis?! Quis!" Rinoa cried, refusing to believe her foster sister was really gone.
"No! Please for the love of Hyne! You can't take her from me as well!" Rinoa cried in anguish, wiping at her tears.
Irvine pulled her into a hug. "Shh . . . it's gonna be alright darlin'," he said soothingly, holding Rinoa tightly. "I promise." His words rang hollow to Rinoa, who had just told Quistis the same thing moments earlier. Irvine was not a messenger from fate, nor could he ever promise her that everything would be alright. She had heard those words, those lies too many times before.
Meanwhile, a fierce battle was ensuing between the mercenary and the ex-mercenary.
Squall growled, narrowing his eyes at the blonde warrior as they both picked themselves off the ground. Relief flooded through him, just as regret did. The gunblader was glad that it had been Quistis and not Rinoa. He felt remorse for thinking those very thoughts. He could literally feel Rinoa's pain and he welcomed it, hoping to lessen hers. Her rage and pain fueled him. Their link flared to life between their souls. Squall could feel her feeding him her energy, demanding her knight to avenge her. He complied.
Squall beckoned Squall with a finger and a wicked look in his eye. The brunette charged.
The clash of their blades brought everyone's attention back to them. Squall faked a thrust towards Seifer's arm, which Seifer easily caught onto and blocked. He offered a swipe from the left of his own, nicking Squall's shoulder.
The knight growled as he focused once more on killing Seifer. This time there would be retribution.
Sparks flew from the blade as Hyperion and Lionheart met furiously in mid-air, each obeying their master's command. Seifer made a mean arc aiming to slash Squall. The ex-mercenary leapt back, missing the intended strike.
They paused as each circled around the other, watching for a sign of weakness, for a chance to attack.
Seifer stepped back, pretending to watch Squall wearily. He was conjuring a spell and Rinoa immediately sensed it. Instead of warning Squall, she let her anger guide her. Squall was not the only one that wanted revenge.
"Blizzaraga!" she screamed, feeling the powerful ancient magic surge through her blood and to her fingers. A blue-white light formed and leapt towards Seifer, hitting him square in the chest as he lost concentration of the fire spell.
He flew back as shards of ice pierced his skin, causing several cuts and wounds. "Two against one I see," he snarled as he looked from Squall to Rinoa.
"No, just a little revenge," Rinoa replied evenly. "Besides, you can't take a little magic?"
Seifer glared at her before slashing his blade insanely towards Squall, losing his concentration.
Squall easily parried the attacks and launched counterattacks of his own. Seifer barely managed to dodge a few strikes that would have been fatal. He took the offensive once more when he felt Squall falter from the loss of blood through his arm. Barely containing his glee he met Squall's blade high and countered the low thrust. Using his speed to his advantage, he thrust forward, into Squall's chest, howling when he heard Squall give an inhuman scream.
The mercenary had won. He would be Ultimecia's knight, now that he had proven himself. Rinoa would be easy to capture now that Squall was out of the picture.
Rinoa screamed as she saw Squall fall to his knees as Seifer yanked his serrated blade from the gunblader's chest. He turned a ghastly white and jerked forward, falling upon his hands as the blood began to flow freely. Tears flowed from her eyes as concentrated on a cure spell. She prayed that it would come before Seifer gave the fatal blow.
Irvine had already aimed his gun at Seifer, finally managing to get a clear view.
"Don't even think about it cowboy," Seifer said coolly. "He'll be dead before you can get that shot off."
"And you will be as well," Irvine replied, matching Seifer's stare.
The blonde rolled his eyes. "You won't be fast enough."
Irvine kept the gun in the same position, even though he realized that Seifer was right. Bringing his left arm up, he made to swipe off Squall's head, only to be stopped in mid-swing by a gunblade through his heart.
He looked in horror at his chest as blood seeped out from both sides, staining his clothes a crimson red. Seifer dropped Hyperion and fell to the ground, on his knees just opposite Squall who held his gunblade with a solemn face.
They both collapsed to the ground simultaneously, one fatally wounded, the other quickly dying.
Rinoa was the first to reach Squall. Her knees slid against the ground as she raced towards him. Cradling his body in her hands, she cast a Curaga spell just before Squall began to fade to unconsciousness.
She whispered softly in his ear as she stroked his hair, "And now we are forever bonded as Sorceress and Knight."
Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews guys, as always.
PasifikStaR: Heh, I think this chapter answers your question to the Quistis/Seifer pairing. Love your stories btw, all very wonderful. Although, may I suggest you move the chapters that involve RJ + Hunter to the sequel, versus leaving it in RcH? It seems to fit better that way.