"... What are you? Isn't that what Squall had once said to you, Flame?"
The soft eyes of the experiment once again opened to murky world of water, staring out of the tank at countless scientists, dorks, which never learned to get along with the real world. The eyes watched nothing, nothing of importance. But, something had awakened the girl...
"... What are you, Flame?"
'My name is Saranie... Almasy... and, I am human...' She answered in her head to that voice only she could hear.
"... No, you are a witch... You are Flame."
'No, I'm not! I'm Saranie, and His name is not Divinity, it's Squall!' bubbles flew out of her mouth as her eyes opened wider, angrier.
'... Saranie? Who is this woman?' A new voice entered Saranie's mind, a male's voice, like a three way call.
"Hmm... My name is... My nameeeee...issssss...myyyyyy naaaaaaammmmeeeee..." The voice drifted off, as though leaving.
'... Is she gone? Can we finally rest in peace?' Squall asked Saranie, but, Saranie knew better.
"It's not her fault, it's Rinoa's... why did you bring her back to life, Squall?! Why?! We'd be free if you hadn't gained powers, if you hadn't taken her mothers ring, if you hadn't brought her back!!!" Saranie's voice was loud, and angry. Hateful, angry, so angry, as though she hated Squall and every fiber of his being.
'... I love her, Saranie. I cannot take this away... I am a male witch, Divinity... I need a sorceress...' he replied in his mind a minute later.
'Until you think better of it, I will make you continue to sleep, sleep... for eternity... Never, ever cross a witch... Never... Never, never, never!' she twitched, every muscle. No scientist seemed willing to notice.
"Flame! Divinity! You are choosing the roads of Gabriel and Merlin! These are unwise paths, I'd advise you against it!" The female voice was back.
'... No... Go... away... AWAY... AWAY... AWAY... IF HE DIDN'T NEED A SORCERESS, HE WOULDN'T BE ASLEEP! SLEEP, SLEEP... ASH, SMOLDER, EMBER, FLAME, BURNING, HELL, BURNING, FLAME, EMBER, SMOLDER, ASH...' "FREE... FREE... ABOVE HUMANS... HUMANS, MUST DIE... ALL... I WILL NOT RELY ON MY BROTHER'S CHILDREN ANY LONGER!" "... ICE TO THE NORTH, ELECTRICITY TO THE EAST, DARKNESS OF THE SOUTH, FIRE OF WEST!!!" bubbles filled the tank, as Saranie was now completely awake. Her long still fingers clenched tightly, as all of her muscles lit up back into place.
"... The girl! The female! She's awake! Alert security, call Rinoa, where Quagmire?!" "He wouldn't get into this, she's dangerous!" "Right, still, call Rinoa!" none of these words meant anything to Saranie. Inside the tank, they were muffled deep gibberish. In the thirteen years of waiting, she had forgotten language. How to speak...
Her eyes shot from green to red, as fire, even inside water, spun around her, shattering the sides of the tank, sending a sea of waves out into the lab. Saranie took her first gasp of air, engulfing it sharply, then falling into a kneeling position, her hands on her lap and nearly five foot longer blonde hair falling over her nude body. Her eyes were pointed downwards, so as the astounded scientists watched the girl, none could tell if she was alive, asleep, or wide awake; Kind, angry, harmless, or dangerous.
Green emeralds shot open from underneath the dripping blonde hair, as a sea of red spread out underneath every scientist from the girl's hands. She sung softly as the red water lapped softly at the scientist's feet. All were astounded with the beauty, and excited that the creature hadn't attacked them. "How much research we can do now!" "Hmm, I wonder if this girl has plans?" "Ew, Biggs, you've been talking about how 'hot' she is ever since you saw her!" "Well, she is pretty fine..." "She isn't even HUMAN!"
'Human... I hate... humans...!!!' This was the final line for Saranie. She stood up, tilting her head back and screaming. The water on the floor suddenly turned to twenty foxes, all flaming and foaming at the mouth, leaping onto one of the scientists, the female who had said human. There was a murderous scream, and all of the foxes were on the floor once again, and once again turned into the red water. The other to scientists backed up, both staring at Saranie "... What- what are you?!"
'...A human's question, of course. So pathetic...' she stood up, cupping her hands together and humming softly as a small little fire carnation formed in her palms. The men were once again mesmerized, this time by the flower, but beauty suddenly turned into fearsome. The little flower grew in seconds, and turned into a giant Venus Fly Trap, engulfing both men in one swipe, and then dwindling back down into a flower.
Saranie took the flower, putting it into her long hair to keep one side pinned up. The vines wrapped around the back of her head and back onto the front to meet where it started, forming something of a crown. Saranie stepped out into the water, admiring the floor for a second, a small smile on her speechless lips. She waved her hands and all of the water reformed, taking a dog like shape, except this one was huge. The water then sunk into whatever inside, and revealed itself as a giant one of the foxes that had engulfed the female.
"Ze mistress of ze flame... Once again, Rebuka of the foxes, and Venus of the plants has been awakened... what is our next motive?" The fox himself spoke, though his lips did not move. She just stared at him with those green eyes, then turned again to walk forward, walking towards the end of the room, her minion following.
She stopped at the end of the room, staring down at a bed in front of her. 'You're well taken care of, Squall...' her green eyes narrowed as they fell across a pale sleeping, nightmare-ridden face of Squall Leonhart. He hadn't aged, though, just like here. '... I suppose I may be able to make a bit of use out of you...'
She raised her hand, waving it softly. Little sprinkles of red glimmers fell from her fingers onto his sleeping face, sinking into his skin softly. After a minute had passed, his eyes shot open suddenly, a pale blue, soulless. He sat up, adjusting his clothes, as Rinoa wasn't about to do any tests on Squall, a man she wanted. After reassuring himself he was alive, he looked at Saranie, opening his lips to speak. She quickly placed her finger on his lips 'Think better of it, Merlin...'
"Of course, Gabriel..."
BREAK
Salix sat up with a start in the old dark and dank bed she had went to sleep on, huffing and puffing. She looked around, familiar photos passing through her eyes as she let all events fall into place. She was still in the bedroom of Saranie Almasy, where she had fallen asleep. The voice... where did it take her? To another dream? To a prediction...? No... It was far too real for any of that... She felt physical things while watching Saranie Almasy escape, and murder three people. She was there, some how, and it was happening right now... Was the real enemy Saranie? Could her aunt really be that vile! Maybe the Almasy's weren't perfect, but could they do that?
Salix sighed, climbing to the end of the bed, determination in her eyes more than fear 'so... Squall was the one calling out... it must have been, people he were closest to could hear him through his thoughts, because he was sleeping... So, that's why Seifer, Selphie, Irvine, Quistis, and Zell were all attacked... they were the people Squall was closest to... It's kind of... Saranie's fault, keeping him asleep... Hmm?' she looked down, seeing Sabbath sleeping on the floor. He was sitting on the ground with his back to a dresser, so obviously he was waiting there and had slid down to sleep.
"... Sabbath? Hey, Sabbath, wake up" she leaned over, shaking him awake.
His eyes opened slightly as he looked up at Salix, smiling as he saw her "you okay? You kind of fell out, so I got worried and came to see you..."
"Yeah, of course. Why?" she smiled, leaning over the bed and grabbing his hand, pulling him to his feet. He smiled, leaning over and kissing her cheek. She leaned back, astounded a bit "huh?"
"What's wrong?" he leaned over her, examining her closely "are you okay?"
'Oh yeah... I'm his girlfriend, oops...' "Yeah, um, sorry."
"... He hurt you, didn't he?"
"Who?"
"That 'Livid' guy... He touched you... and, did he hurt you?"
"... Livid? What do you mean, 'touched' me?"
"Look, I know. Last night, when we came in, Livid was a tent and your chest was sticking out as much as the hair on the back of your neck. Also, last night I woke up on the couch. So, I headed back to my room; Livid's room is along the way. As I passed... I heard moaning... from you... from his room... was he hurting you...?"
She blushed brightly, turning and covering her red face from view. 'I knew he knew... But, I refused to believe it... I guess every girl wants a guy like Livid when they're young, but a guy like Sabbath is also not too bad... I want both...' she sighed, looking down and thinking hard "... Sabbath, I can't..."
"It doesn't matter, I guess... Just don't... just, stay... and let me love you..." he leaned forwards, raising her chin.
She leaned forwards to kiss him, mesmerized in a way, yet snapped out of it when their lips slightly touched, yanking away "no, Sabbath..."
"I want you, but, I guess I want you to be happy... so... If you want to be with Livid, I won't stand in your way..."
"Sabbath, look... I... It's a little too late for me to change my mind..." she stood up, turning her back to him and walking out of the room "Hyne, I don't have time for any man. We have to get to Pandemonium..."
BREAK
"What did you do!?" Ysamla Dincht sat across from Salix, both alone in the hall. Salix sat on her thighs, raring to be away from Sabbath and Livid, whom only stood glaring at each other since ever boarding the ship. She was now sick of it, and the fact that either of them might resent her for not sitting anywhere near them. Instead, she decided she might get the word out. Of course, she couldn't say it to the adults from her mouth to their ears, so she did the second best thing. She told Ysamla, who would of course tell the adults, who would yell at Salix. Yup, just familiarity.
"We had meeting of the lips, a groping in reproductive organs, and sexual intercourse. That's what I said, but so you can understand it, I'll dumbify it; We kissed, we rubbed, and we fucked. Okay? Which means, Sam, Livid's no longer available..." Salix said in a smug, smooth tone factor.
"! Are you insane!? Look... You gave up your 'flower' because you want to keep a guy away from me!? You bitch! I would have let you have Sabbath, but..." Ysamla rolled her eyes, sighing.
"! WHAT!? Hold it, Sabbath's just a second best to you?! Ysamla, aren't you my friend!? You... you... Ysamla..." Salix stood up, her eyes meeting Ysamla's "Ysamla... where's Seifer?"
"... Uh, h- how should I know?" Ysamla twitched, backing up into the wall.
"Liar! Where's my father!?" Salix stepped forwards, her eyes flaming with hate.
"I... I... I don't... he's... I don't know!" Ysamla turned, heading into the control room.
BREAK
"Quistis... Ysamla... Is she your daughter?" Salix asked Quistis. They both walked together alone through the lightless city of Pandemonium, Quistis shining a flashlight around and calling out for survivors.
"Hmm? Of course, why? Honestly, what did happen hear? Nobodies here, and it's lightless. Like... Something blew an electrical current and everybody got scared and ran away... Or, something attacked and killed everybody without leaving a single trace and cutting the electrical lines... Nothings amiss, really... Except for lights and people... Also, the sky..." Quistis looked up at the sky. It was red, a swirling red of blood, with black clouds dotting the line of it into a swirling center in the distance.
"The swirling center is where we should head... it's still in Pandemonium by mileage, the source, so it obviously has something to do with this... I mean, well... How do you know she's your daughter?" Salix shrugged, looking up at the sky as well.
"She came in from Zell, I was there, she was with me for nine minutes, I was there, and she popped out, I was there. That's how I know she's my daughter..." Quistis sighed, shaking her head. "Zell... It was one drunken night. I mean, really... I ended up marrying him to keep my reputation clean... I never did really love him in that way... We were an unhappy couple... I was more like his mother than lover... He barely even noticed it when I was trying to be affectionate to him in any way... We only had sex once a month... And yet, I can't help but want him back so badly I willing to throw my life away just so he can live for half a week itself..."
"Of course you miss him, Quistis... But, Ysamla, do you think she misses him?" Salix smiled at Quistis, yet it was a smile of false hope and pity.
"... No, I don't, really... Ysamla seemed so far away lately... Like, she's not my daughter, yet a girl whom is related but has slipped away, like Celbie is to you..."
"... Was Sam ever involved in Jaromaru?" Salix asked slowly.
"... I year ago, I think, Rinoa came to visit Zell and I at Kiba Garden. That was the same time Ysamla came to visit us too... She and Rinoa really hit it off. Ysamla went with Rinoa back to the Quagmire building, and she told me when she got back, she had gotten a lot of information..." Quistis shrugged.
Salix stopped, wide-eyed and shaking. "That's it! Rinoa couldn't ever kill Seifer, they were together, no matter how cold hearted she was, Rinoa would always look for a guy so she could trick Squall into feeling jealous and want her, so she kept Seifer alive... And, Ysamla knows that! In fact, Sam probably helped..."
"Yes! Ysamla told Seifer before we left for Kiba Garden to do this on his own, don't take Fujin or Raijin... Maybe your Garden wasn't touched, because Seifer was away on his own looking for you. Also, when we were fighting Vencita along with Zell, Ysamla kept casting phoenix downs whenever Whitney or Chasity were knocked out. She said she was having trouble controlling it. Zell must have known! And that's why he sent us away... Oh my god..." Quistis stopped, her eyes becoming blank. "Ysamla assisted in the death of her father!"
"... Quisty..." Salix wiped a small tear out from under Quistis's eyes "... Sam is my best friend... she's always been my friend... Are we going to let Rinoa and Perry take her from us?!"
"No! It's just... Oh, Zell... Irvine!... Seifer?... the Gardens... Saranie... Squall..." Quistis fell onto the ground, in her tired position, sobbing lightly.
"... Stand up... Quistis... You'll never believe this..." Salix sounded actually a little happy, and was staring at the sky.
"Hmm? What?" Quistis stood up, her mouth falling open when she saw what was coming towards them. A giant flaming saber toothed tiger landed in front of the two females, roaring at them with joy. Upon the tiger's back was none other than a gray haired woman with an eye patch and a broad shouldered man with a happy face.
"MOM! UNCLE! RI!" Salix ran towards Rira, Fujin, and Raijin, running straight into Fujin as both headed for each other at top speeds. They collided, yet didn't seem to care the fact that they were being squeezed to death by the other one.
"You're alive, mommy! You're all alive!" Salix sobbed onto her mother, gripping her shirt tightly.
"... Seifer... where is he?" Fujin leaned back, talking normally, something she hadn't done in the past five days.
"... I don't know..." Salix looked down, turning her attention to stroking the affection seeking head of Rira.
"... Mrow?" Rira purred as she shrunk down into a little kitten, leaping onto Salix's shoulder.
"... HYNE..." Fujin stared at Salix. Her face... Her eyes were bright and green, happy, yet were tired looking too. Her expression was cheerful and outgoing, a smile on her face even though her eyes looked as though they were ready to cry. Her hair even seemed lighter, and the fact that she was one hundred percent Almasy, it was hard for Fujin to say she had any part in Salix. With her appearance and a flaming kitten on her shoulder, Salix looked just like Saranie Almasy.
"? Uh, guys... Shouldn't we be looking for Seifer, ya know?" Raijin shrugged, not really seeing as much as Fujin did. "... I mean, heck, that's why we left Zell in charge of Spiral Garden..."
"? Zell?!" Quistis ran over to Raijin, a hopeful look in her eyes.
"Uh, yeah, ya know?... We came lookin' for ya guys at Kiba, but we found it in ruins... We saw that giant snakes corpse, ya know, and saw that it had the Blades of Blood attack used on it, ya know? Only a darkness witch can use Blades of Blood, so we assumed Seifer had been there... We also found Zell, me and Fujin and Rira. But... he was in bad shape, so we took him back to Spiral Garden and he's watching over it, cause he can't fight, ya know?" Raijin shrugged.
"Oh, Zell! He's alive!" Quistis sighed with relief, feeling tears of joy well up in her eyes.
"... SEIFER... ALIVE...?" Fujin asked, a worried voice yet still as loud yelling.
"... Yes, I think he is..." Salix nodded, looking towards the source "that's where Jaromaru is... And where we'll find Seifer..."
CONTINUED
Notes: Ha ha ha... Yes, I was missing my friend, the kitty... Neways... I am confuzzled... I want to get this story over with, but I'm havin' trouble endin' it...
The soft eyes of the experiment once again opened to murky world of water, staring out of the tank at countless scientists, dorks, which never learned to get along with the real world. The eyes watched nothing, nothing of importance. But, something had awakened the girl...
"... What are you, Flame?"
'My name is Saranie... Almasy... and, I am human...' She answered in her head to that voice only she could hear.
"... No, you are a witch... You are Flame."
'No, I'm not! I'm Saranie, and His name is not Divinity, it's Squall!' bubbles flew out of her mouth as her eyes opened wider, angrier.
'... Saranie? Who is this woman?' A new voice entered Saranie's mind, a male's voice, like a three way call.
"Hmm... My name is... My nameeeee...issssss...myyyyyy naaaaaaammmmeeeee..." The voice drifted off, as though leaving.
'... Is she gone? Can we finally rest in peace?' Squall asked Saranie, but, Saranie knew better.
"It's not her fault, it's Rinoa's... why did you bring her back to life, Squall?! Why?! We'd be free if you hadn't gained powers, if you hadn't taken her mothers ring, if you hadn't brought her back!!!" Saranie's voice was loud, and angry. Hateful, angry, so angry, as though she hated Squall and every fiber of his being.
'... I love her, Saranie. I cannot take this away... I am a male witch, Divinity... I need a sorceress...' he replied in his mind a minute later.
'Until you think better of it, I will make you continue to sleep, sleep... for eternity... Never, ever cross a witch... Never... Never, never, never!' she twitched, every muscle. No scientist seemed willing to notice.
"Flame! Divinity! You are choosing the roads of Gabriel and Merlin! These are unwise paths, I'd advise you against it!" The female voice was back.
'... No... Go... away... AWAY... AWAY... AWAY... IF HE DIDN'T NEED A SORCERESS, HE WOULDN'T BE ASLEEP! SLEEP, SLEEP... ASH, SMOLDER, EMBER, FLAME, BURNING, HELL, BURNING, FLAME, EMBER, SMOLDER, ASH...' "FREE... FREE... ABOVE HUMANS... HUMANS, MUST DIE... ALL... I WILL NOT RELY ON MY BROTHER'S CHILDREN ANY LONGER!" "... ICE TO THE NORTH, ELECTRICITY TO THE EAST, DARKNESS OF THE SOUTH, FIRE OF WEST!!!" bubbles filled the tank, as Saranie was now completely awake. Her long still fingers clenched tightly, as all of her muscles lit up back into place.
"... The girl! The female! She's awake! Alert security, call Rinoa, where Quagmire?!" "He wouldn't get into this, she's dangerous!" "Right, still, call Rinoa!" none of these words meant anything to Saranie. Inside the tank, they were muffled deep gibberish. In the thirteen years of waiting, she had forgotten language. How to speak...
Her eyes shot from green to red, as fire, even inside water, spun around her, shattering the sides of the tank, sending a sea of waves out into the lab. Saranie took her first gasp of air, engulfing it sharply, then falling into a kneeling position, her hands on her lap and nearly five foot longer blonde hair falling over her nude body. Her eyes were pointed downwards, so as the astounded scientists watched the girl, none could tell if she was alive, asleep, or wide awake; Kind, angry, harmless, or dangerous.
Green emeralds shot open from underneath the dripping blonde hair, as a sea of red spread out underneath every scientist from the girl's hands. She sung softly as the red water lapped softly at the scientist's feet. All were astounded with the beauty, and excited that the creature hadn't attacked them. "How much research we can do now!" "Hmm, I wonder if this girl has plans?" "Ew, Biggs, you've been talking about how 'hot' she is ever since you saw her!" "Well, she is pretty fine..." "She isn't even HUMAN!"
'Human... I hate... humans...!!!' This was the final line for Saranie. She stood up, tilting her head back and screaming. The water on the floor suddenly turned to twenty foxes, all flaming and foaming at the mouth, leaping onto one of the scientists, the female who had said human. There was a murderous scream, and all of the foxes were on the floor once again, and once again turned into the red water. The other to scientists backed up, both staring at Saranie "... What- what are you?!"
'...A human's question, of course. So pathetic...' she stood up, cupping her hands together and humming softly as a small little fire carnation formed in her palms. The men were once again mesmerized, this time by the flower, but beauty suddenly turned into fearsome. The little flower grew in seconds, and turned into a giant Venus Fly Trap, engulfing both men in one swipe, and then dwindling back down into a flower.
Saranie took the flower, putting it into her long hair to keep one side pinned up. The vines wrapped around the back of her head and back onto the front to meet where it started, forming something of a crown. Saranie stepped out into the water, admiring the floor for a second, a small smile on her speechless lips. She waved her hands and all of the water reformed, taking a dog like shape, except this one was huge. The water then sunk into whatever inside, and revealed itself as a giant one of the foxes that had engulfed the female.
"Ze mistress of ze flame... Once again, Rebuka of the foxes, and Venus of the plants has been awakened... what is our next motive?" The fox himself spoke, though his lips did not move. She just stared at him with those green eyes, then turned again to walk forward, walking towards the end of the room, her minion following.
She stopped at the end of the room, staring down at a bed in front of her. 'You're well taken care of, Squall...' her green eyes narrowed as they fell across a pale sleeping, nightmare-ridden face of Squall Leonhart. He hadn't aged, though, just like here. '... I suppose I may be able to make a bit of use out of you...'
She raised her hand, waving it softly. Little sprinkles of red glimmers fell from her fingers onto his sleeping face, sinking into his skin softly. After a minute had passed, his eyes shot open suddenly, a pale blue, soulless. He sat up, adjusting his clothes, as Rinoa wasn't about to do any tests on Squall, a man she wanted. After reassuring himself he was alive, he looked at Saranie, opening his lips to speak. She quickly placed her finger on his lips 'Think better of it, Merlin...'
"Of course, Gabriel..."
BREAK
Salix sat up with a start in the old dark and dank bed she had went to sleep on, huffing and puffing. She looked around, familiar photos passing through her eyes as she let all events fall into place. She was still in the bedroom of Saranie Almasy, where she had fallen asleep. The voice... where did it take her? To another dream? To a prediction...? No... It was far too real for any of that... She felt physical things while watching Saranie Almasy escape, and murder three people. She was there, some how, and it was happening right now... Was the real enemy Saranie? Could her aunt really be that vile! Maybe the Almasy's weren't perfect, but could they do that?
Salix sighed, climbing to the end of the bed, determination in her eyes more than fear 'so... Squall was the one calling out... it must have been, people he were closest to could hear him through his thoughts, because he was sleeping... So, that's why Seifer, Selphie, Irvine, Quistis, and Zell were all attacked... they were the people Squall was closest to... It's kind of... Saranie's fault, keeping him asleep... Hmm?' she looked down, seeing Sabbath sleeping on the floor. He was sitting on the ground with his back to a dresser, so obviously he was waiting there and had slid down to sleep.
"... Sabbath? Hey, Sabbath, wake up" she leaned over, shaking him awake.
His eyes opened slightly as he looked up at Salix, smiling as he saw her "you okay? You kind of fell out, so I got worried and came to see you..."
"Yeah, of course. Why?" she smiled, leaning over the bed and grabbing his hand, pulling him to his feet. He smiled, leaning over and kissing her cheek. She leaned back, astounded a bit "huh?"
"What's wrong?" he leaned over her, examining her closely "are you okay?"
'Oh yeah... I'm his girlfriend, oops...' "Yeah, um, sorry."
"... He hurt you, didn't he?"
"Who?"
"That 'Livid' guy... He touched you... and, did he hurt you?"
"... Livid? What do you mean, 'touched' me?"
"Look, I know. Last night, when we came in, Livid was a tent and your chest was sticking out as much as the hair on the back of your neck. Also, last night I woke up on the couch. So, I headed back to my room; Livid's room is along the way. As I passed... I heard moaning... from you... from his room... was he hurting you...?"
She blushed brightly, turning and covering her red face from view. 'I knew he knew... But, I refused to believe it... I guess every girl wants a guy like Livid when they're young, but a guy like Sabbath is also not too bad... I want both...' she sighed, looking down and thinking hard "... Sabbath, I can't..."
"It doesn't matter, I guess... Just don't... just, stay... and let me love you..." he leaned forwards, raising her chin.
She leaned forwards to kiss him, mesmerized in a way, yet snapped out of it when their lips slightly touched, yanking away "no, Sabbath..."
"I want you, but, I guess I want you to be happy... so... If you want to be with Livid, I won't stand in your way..."
"Sabbath, look... I... It's a little too late for me to change my mind..." she stood up, turning her back to him and walking out of the room "Hyne, I don't have time for any man. We have to get to Pandemonium..."
BREAK
"What did you do!?" Ysamla Dincht sat across from Salix, both alone in the hall. Salix sat on her thighs, raring to be away from Sabbath and Livid, whom only stood glaring at each other since ever boarding the ship. She was now sick of it, and the fact that either of them might resent her for not sitting anywhere near them. Instead, she decided she might get the word out. Of course, she couldn't say it to the adults from her mouth to their ears, so she did the second best thing. She told Ysamla, who would of course tell the adults, who would yell at Salix. Yup, just familiarity.
"We had meeting of the lips, a groping in reproductive organs, and sexual intercourse. That's what I said, but so you can understand it, I'll dumbify it; We kissed, we rubbed, and we fucked. Okay? Which means, Sam, Livid's no longer available..." Salix said in a smug, smooth tone factor.
"! Are you insane!? Look... You gave up your 'flower' because you want to keep a guy away from me!? You bitch! I would have let you have Sabbath, but..." Ysamla rolled her eyes, sighing.
"! WHAT!? Hold it, Sabbath's just a second best to you?! Ysamla, aren't you my friend!? You... you... Ysamla..." Salix stood up, her eyes meeting Ysamla's "Ysamla... where's Seifer?"
"... Uh, h- how should I know?" Ysamla twitched, backing up into the wall.
"Liar! Where's my father!?" Salix stepped forwards, her eyes flaming with hate.
"I... I... I don't... he's... I don't know!" Ysamla turned, heading into the control room.
BREAK
"Quistis... Ysamla... Is she your daughter?" Salix asked Quistis. They both walked together alone through the lightless city of Pandemonium, Quistis shining a flashlight around and calling out for survivors.
"Hmm? Of course, why? Honestly, what did happen hear? Nobodies here, and it's lightless. Like... Something blew an electrical current and everybody got scared and ran away... Or, something attacked and killed everybody without leaving a single trace and cutting the electrical lines... Nothings amiss, really... Except for lights and people... Also, the sky..." Quistis looked up at the sky. It was red, a swirling red of blood, with black clouds dotting the line of it into a swirling center in the distance.
"The swirling center is where we should head... it's still in Pandemonium by mileage, the source, so it obviously has something to do with this... I mean, well... How do you know she's your daughter?" Salix shrugged, looking up at the sky as well.
"She came in from Zell, I was there, she was with me for nine minutes, I was there, and she popped out, I was there. That's how I know she's my daughter..." Quistis sighed, shaking her head. "Zell... It was one drunken night. I mean, really... I ended up marrying him to keep my reputation clean... I never did really love him in that way... We were an unhappy couple... I was more like his mother than lover... He barely even noticed it when I was trying to be affectionate to him in any way... We only had sex once a month... And yet, I can't help but want him back so badly I willing to throw my life away just so he can live for half a week itself..."
"Of course you miss him, Quistis... But, Ysamla, do you think she misses him?" Salix smiled at Quistis, yet it was a smile of false hope and pity.
"... No, I don't, really... Ysamla seemed so far away lately... Like, she's not my daughter, yet a girl whom is related but has slipped away, like Celbie is to you..."
"... Was Sam ever involved in Jaromaru?" Salix asked slowly.
"... I year ago, I think, Rinoa came to visit Zell and I at Kiba Garden. That was the same time Ysamla came to visit us too... She and Rinoa really hit it off. Ysamla went with Rinoa back to the Quagmire building, and she told me when she got back, she had gotten a lot of information..." Quistis shrugged.
Salix stopped, wide-eyed and shaking. "That's it! Rinoa couldn't ever kill Seifer, they were together, no matter how cold hearted she was, Rinoa would always look for a guy so she could trick Squall into feeling jealous and want her, so she kept Seifer alive... And, Ysamla knows that! In fact, Sam probably helped..."
"Yes! Ysamla told Seifer before we left for Kiba Garden to do this on his own, don't take Fujin or Raijin... Maybe your Garden wasn't touched, because Seifer was away on his own looking for you. Also, when we were fighting Vencita along with Zell, Ysamla kept casting phoenix downs whenever Whitney or Chasity were knocked out. She said she was having trouble controlling it. Zell must have known! And that's why he sent us away... Oh my god..." Quistis stopped, her eyes becoming blank. "Ysamla assisted in the death of her father!"
"... Quisty..." Salix wiped a small tear out from under Quistis's eyes "... Sam is my best friend... she's always been my friend... Are we going to let Rinoa and Perry take her from us?!"
"No! It's just... Oh, Zell... Irvine!... Seifer?... the Gardens... Saranie... Squall..." Quistis fell onto the ground, in her tired position, sobbing lightly.
"... Stand up... Quistis... You'll never believe this..." Salix sounded actually a little happy, and was staring at the sky.
"Hmm? What?" Quistis stood up, her mouth falling open when she saw what was coming towards them. A giant flaming saber toothed tiger landed in front of the two females, roaring at them with joy. Upon the tiger's back was none other than a gray haired woman with an eye patch and a broad shouldered man with a happy face.
"MOM! UNCLE! RI!" Salix ran towards Rira, Fujin, and Raijin, running straight into Fujin as both headed for each other at top speeds. They collided, yet didn't seem to care the fact that they were being squeezed to death by the other one.
"You're alive, mommy! You're all alive!" Salix sobbed onto her mother, gripping her shirt tightly.
"... Seifer... where is he?" Fujin leaned back, talking normally, something she hadn't done in the past five days.
"... I don't know..." Salix looked down, turning her attention to stroking the affection seeking head of Rira.
"... Mrow?" Rira purred as she shrunk down into a little kitten, leaping onto Salix's shoulder.
"... HYNE..." Fujin stared at Salix. Her face... Her eyes were bright and green, happy, yet were tired looking too. Her expression was cheerful and outgoing, a smile on her face even though her eyes looked as though they were ready to cry. Her hair even seemed lighter, and the fact that she was one hundred percent Almasy, it was hard for Fujin to say she had any part in Salix. With her appearance and a flaming kitten on her shoulder, Salix looked just like Saranie Almasy.
"? Uh, guys... Shouldn't we be looking for Seifer, ya know?" Raijin shrugged, not really seeing as much as Fujin did. "... I mean, heck, that's why we left Zell in charge of Spiral Garden..."
"? Zell?!" Quistis ran over to Raijin, a hopeful look in her eyes.
"Uh, yeah, ya know?... We came lookin' for ya guys at Kiba, but we found it in ruins... We saw that giant snakes corpse, ya know, and saw that it had the Blades of Blood attack used on it, ya know? Only a darkness witch can use Blades of Blood, so we assumed Seifer had been there... We also found Zell, me and Fujin and Rira. But... he was in bad shape, so we took him back to Spiral Garden and he's watching over it, cause he can't fight, ya know?" Raijin shrugged.
"Oh, Zell! He's alive!" Quistis sighed with relief, feeling tears of joy well up in her eyes.
"... SEIFER... ALIVE...?" Fujin asked, a worried voice yet still as loud yelling.
"... Yes, I think he is..." Salix nodded, looking towards the source "that's where Jaromaru is... And where we'll find Seifer..."
CONTINUED
Notes: Ha ha ha... Yes, I was missing my friend, the kitty... Neways... I am confuzzled... I want to get this story over with, but I'm havin' trouble endin' it...