'... And now, I suppose that's the lot, right? Hmph... every friend I had will
turn against me... And you wonder, Squall, why I'm like this...' Saranie
thought, picking up a small stone off of the table next to her bed, running
it through her fingers.
The stone glimmered, a shine of quick light ringing through it. The light was very bright, at any rate, on the deep dark purple stone "I don't wonder, Saranie... You know that... You know that I know exactly why you're like this... it's that voice, Saranie! Don't listen to that voice, please..."
'... Squall... You said you had to be a knight, right? At least, once, you said that... Please, be my knight?' Saranie's eyes narrowed as she stared down into the stone, where the real Squall's soul was being held captive.
"... Why should I?!"
"... Because... why can't you remember...? You're the cause of the voice, Squall... the voice that plagued me... Remember...'
"Saranie? What are you talking about?"
She passed her hand over the stone, as it then slowly dissolved, and Squall's body from behind her gasped, and then fell over. She had put Merlin's old soul in the body after capturing Squall's own soul, and tricked him into thinking she was Gabriel. It was honestly a common old trick used by witch's everywhere. Illusion was so kind to the magical folk. Now, she put Squall's soul back in his body.
Squall stood up, feeling more like himself, until his eyes lay upon Saranie. He hadn't seen her in fourteen years, and last time he had seen her, they were in the middle of a kiss. And now, she was still the same in appearance, mood, and intelligence; and yet the woman he knew, he wanted to know, was far away...
"... Let me make you remember?" She had finally spoken, her voice long and smooth, sweet, was still so magical it had to be put onto italics. As though a voice not meant for this universe.
"... It wouldn't hurt, I guess..." Squall's voice was the same as hers, just out of place. He knew that she wouldn't hurt him, at any rate. He might have been wrong, but there was no reason to get chicken.
She walked towards him, her long white dress flowing and rippling a great gust came when she set a finger on his head.
FLASHBACK
"Hey, Saranie, will you hand me that ring?" Squall squatted down over a huge, grave shaped hole in the cave's floor. It was cold and dank, yet certainly not dark, provided the blue light that mystically shone through the transparent glass rock walls.
"Squall, come on! I'm cold, up to past the point I'm willing to call you sweetie! I know one thing you love you won't be getting anymore if you keep these extravagant salvage searches up anymore..." Saranie leaned over the bag dumped onto the floor, going through it to find the piece Squall was looking for. She didn't like the fact that the past week they had been to Deling City, Timber, under the ocean to the old Airship they had nearly been killed in, and to the pet shop to get a border collie that looked just liked Angelo, Rinoa's old dog. She refused to see this suspicious, like Laguna had said.
While they were visiting Laguna, she had told him about Squall's strange behavior, and he had said "what?... All of those places have something to do with Rinoa... Saranie, do you think Squall's still interested in Rinoa?" Saranie had refused to believe this. It broke her heart to think this was true, to think Squall would do something like this. But, even more, it hurt her that a few weeks ago he had awakened as a Divinity witch, and had become a whole new person. She hated this fact, actually...
"... I tell you what, after this, you won't regret it..." he smiled, shrugging.
She sighed, leaning over and holding out the ring, but gasping when he grabbed her hand instead, pulling her onto his lap. She hit him on the head, squirming "moron! I could sprain my ankle, you know?!"
"Huh... Guess I didn't..."he shrugged, looping his arm around her to hold her in place, kissing her softly. She didn't reject it, until she felt him slide something into her mouth and punching her in the stomach, making her swallow the thing. She felt dizzy, as though ready to fall over. He picked her up, dumping her over into the pit they were near, along with Rinoa's ring and photo.
A strange light surrounded Saranie, and she felt a piercing pain, as though something was being sucked out of her eyes. She then blacked out. Yet, looming over her now assumed dead body, loomed a certain sorceress...
END FLASHBACK
Squall nearly fell backwards, staring at the saddened Saranie in front of him. His voice was no longer magical, fit exactly for this world "... I did that to you!?... That's right... I murdered you, because I needed a sacrifice to make Rinoa live... I'm, sorry..."
"Ta, as if sorry would cut it!" she turned to a shadow, smiling slightly "take him to the prison. His death will be a repent...Squall, if you will remember, while you were having sex with Rinoa on the floor of Seraph Cave, the cave we were in when you murdered me, I arose from my grave and attacked you, too strong to die for the likes of you... I do believe I may be beyond 'witch'..."
Seifer Almasy stepped out from behind the shadows, smiling at Squall "didn't I ever tell you? Break my sister, I break your leg."
BREAK
"... Come on..." Salix sputtered slightly, feeling her bones shake underneath her skin. Livid and Quistis followed her closely, and Salix could even feel Livid shake. They walked down a lifeless street towards Jaromaru building, and they could now see it; a huge tall blue building in the middle of the city, with a swirl of black on red above it. As they drew near, icey cold winds drug them in, not helping the situation at all.
"... Salix, if we don't make it..." Livid said slowly, dodging a flying mailbox that had come in from behind him.
"I knew it! You hadn't slept in Saranie's old room, you had slept with... Salix Almasy, you little slut!" Quistis had yet again realized something. What a genius, eh?
"Feh, spare me. Look, I just want to get to the Quagmire building before Ysamla... I don't want to fight her..." Salix shrugged, as they finally reached the door of the Quagmire building. "... Livid... don't be a big butted jinx! We already got all the bad luck we need..."
"You got that right..." came a blow off, cheerleader voice. Salix walked into the building and her eyes greeted none other than Rinoa Heartilly "... a little Almasy, huh?"
Salix yanked up her staff, brandishing it at Rinoa, her eyes glaring. Livid yanked out his gunblade, slicing it through the air and bringing it back in a hovering position, just like Squall had. Quistis just stared at Rinoa "how could you, Rinoa? Trick my daughter into doing these things...?"
"... Quistis... I didn't do anything bad..."
"You pretty much made my baby evil!"
"Evil?... isn't your side evil to us like our side is evil to you? There is no good and bad... didn't Squall once say that?" Rinoa smiled evilly, shrugging.
"Squall was actually a pathetic student and a pathetic leader..." Quistis said through gritted teeth.
"Hmph, maybe on the side that you taught him... but, when I was around, me and Squall learned so much together!"
"When they would need an expert on being a poor scientist and assistant, Rinoa, I'll tell you..." an old man stepped out from behind Rinoa, glaring at the three "... hmm... Don't know the little girl, never seen the little boy, and... ah, Quistis Trepe, long time no see!"
"?! GENERAL CARAWAY!" Quistis shook her head hard, amazed "oh my god... You're here?!"
"Shush now, Quistis, my name on this planet is President Perry Quagmire. I got in trouble with the newer President of Galbadia, so I left that planet, and started anew here, by stealing an old family friend of Novato Almasy with a relationship that had turned sour. Therefore, call me Perry..."
"... Well then, Perry, I'm Salix Almasy, nice to meet you?" Salix's eyes narrowed as she stepped forwards, glaring at him all the same.
"And, I'm Livid Locksmith" Livid stepped up behind Salix.
"? Seifer Almasy related in any way, eh? No doubt you're a terrorist, then... As for 'Livid', I do not believe I've ever heard of you..."
"That's because my people hated you! I used to live in Timber, and Squall Leonhart had saved my older sister from a passing train... That's why I'm stepping in his footsteps, except this time I'll do things right; stay away from Rinoa Heartilly."
"Oh, how rude! Do you know I fought for your town's independence?" Rinoa snapped at Livid.
"For one, I hate the fools who think that kidnapping people and killing and hurting while putting others in danger is good, like your damn resistance. For two, you left at the first pair of a man's eyes and Timber still isn't independent. Yes, you did very good..." Livid said sarcastically.
"Cut it, kid, women are so much better at sarcasm."
"Look here, Rinoa... Either you tell me what's going on, or I'll beat the two of you up..." Salix was short tempered, yes, but being called a terrorist didn't hurt her feelings, because that's what she was to the current president and the people with him.
"... Hmph. Well, okay then... Around fourteen years ago, there was a sorceress called Cennaire. Jaromaru was totally devout to Cennaire, but there was a resistance against Cennaire. The head of that resistance was Saranie Almasy. She murdered me, Rinoa. Well, she also gained the hand in marriage of Squall Leonhart. Squall was my ex, so of course he was still madly in love with me. So, he gained witch powers, the Divinity. That was the most rare power, and it was dealing with life. He brought me back to life, in the process trying to kill Saranie. Saranie somehow didn't die... so, we captured her, to do testing, but before we could, she..." Rinoa dragged off.
"Stole Squall's soul and is holding him hostage...?" Salix interrupted Rinoa.
"Yes..."
"I know why Saranie didn't die... The voice in my head, talking to me in my dreams, she said '... Flame is a witch of extreme power, she over exceeds all and can only die by the hand of love...'"
"... Squall killed her for me, that's love!" Rinoa snapped.
"... I think she may have meant by the hand of somebody who loved her, and doing that in the intention of love... What is a witch...?" Salix asked, more confused she let off.
"? You said all of that and you don't even know what a witch is!?" Caraway, or Quagmire, exclaimed.
"I mimicked the voice... I understand a little bit of it... but the witch thing? I know about the wicked witch of the west, and one's with green faces and nose warts, but aren't those make believe...?"
"You were taking it all from your memory? Well, for such a little girl you sure can remember! Hmm... a witch is..."
"Saranie. She's a witch. A fire witch, to be precise... Seifer, he's a darkness witch. Nanto and Celbien are electricity and ice witches. A witch is somebody who can make, manipulate, and destroy certain elements. Their own elements, if you will. They are magical beings, just above humans, just under sorceress's... Female witch's are meant to destroy sorceress's, even... Salix, you are a dormant witch yourself. Undoubtedly, a darkness witch, since you inherited it from your father, and Fujin has not witch genes... One day, you will awaken, and be able to do anything you want with the shadows..." Quistis butted in, sighing and getting it over with.
Salix stood, shocked "hold it... so, I do have something to do with all of this? Besides, being able to be the one Squall kept reaching out to?"
"Wait... that was you?!" Rinoa asked, shocked "we knew he was using telepathy on somebody, just not who! We never could have guessed it was... you... How does he even know you?"
"Through Flame, of course..." came a deep, hissing voice from behind them. A man stepped out of the shadows from down the hall, leaning back a little and smiling evilly at them. He wore a long gray trench coat, with red markings on the shoulders. His black pants and blue shirt, with the silver necklace to top it off, it made the blonde unmistakable.
"Daddy!" Salix dove straight into Seifer's arms, sobbing on his shirt "you're alive, I knew you were alive, I knew it!"
"... Salix?" he looked down, a look of disgust in his eyes as he shoved her away. She just stood there, staring at him, wide eyed.
"... Daddy... it's me... what's wrong with you...?" she felt like sobbing. Something was wrong, her father wouldn't reject a hug from her in a million years.
"...? Little girl, who do you think your talking to?! I'm Seifer Almasy, not 'daddy'."
"Ya huh... You're my daddy..." Salix took a step forwards, despite the countless rejections received from the others around her.
"I AM NOT! Stay away from me, little girl!" he swiped out a familiar, not his though gunblade, brandishing it.
"Oh, that's Squall's gunblade!" Rinoa gasped "... and it seems as though Saranie has made him her slave..."
"He must have Squall's because I had his... Daddy... Dad... Father, put the weapon down..." she stepped forwards, frowning at him and outstretching her hand, touching his softly.
His eyes brightened as he looked at her, shaking "... Sal?... What's wrong? Don't cry... NO, WAIT, I MEAN, GET OFF OF... me... Salix... Stay away..."
Salix smiled, finding a weak point "Father... Tell me about how you put a scar on Squall?..."
"...? Well I..." there it was. If she continued getting her father to remember his old self, she'd eventually lead up to her, and be free of Saranie...
CRASH The roof fell in on the far corner. As everybody cleared their air supply of debris and dust, they're eyes came to realize a giant flaming saber toothed tiger as it glared at them, fangs barred.
"Rira!" Salix sighed in relief running over to hug her cat friend. But, she was blocked off from a huge wall of flames.
"... Anything Saranie wants, Saranie gets... That includes your kitty friend..." Rinoa said as Seifer walked over, leaping onto Rira's back and being carried out through the hole. Salix plunged forwards, staring out through the impact at the clear night open sky, watching her previous pet carry her father up and away towards the top of the building.
Quistis had enough. This was going to stop, the confusion. She turned, snapping at Rinoa "WHAT'S GOING ON?!"
BREAK
"... Thirteen years ago, the Jaromaru forces captured Saranie Almasy, after she withstood a poison given to her by Squall, a highly dangerous poison called Venus. It should kill upon consuming. Yet, she survived... Therefore, we captured her and started testing right away, like any good group of government and scientists. But, as we were testing on her, four years afterwards, while being transported to the main building, she awoke after we had held her hostage in sleep. She only managed to destroy Jaromaru in Kiba, or so the reports state. But, we held one tiny secret from those reports... she had succeeded in capturing Squall Leonhart's mind and soul and was holding him hostage. He fell in a deep sleep, and we did all possible to awake him, with no prevail. It was while trying to wake him, we found Cennaire's life pattern inside of Saranie. It seemed the same fire Saranie had used to burn Cennaire in returned to the girl, carrying Cennaire's life along with it. Cennaire is now infected into Saranie... Cennaire is Saranie, and Saranie is now Flame, the giant bird that is used to resemble Saranie's fire powers... Flame, she's the good guy... but, she's being held hostage in her own body by the bad guy... Now, Cennaire is taking all those close to Saranie, and minions of the past, and brain washing them so they will become her slaves. She has made this, Jaromaru, her nesting grounds once again, and is commanding from the highest floor... Squall was trying to prevent this, we understand, and Flame had taken Squall's mind and body so she could speak to him afterwards, and he could speak to the outside world... The voice was somebody Squall was signaling out too in the spirit world to signal out to you..." Caraway said slowly.
"... I see... now..." came a small voice from behind the group. They turned, staring at a badly beat up Fujin.
"MOM?! What happened to you!?" Salix ran over, letting her mother fall onto her.
"Rira attacked... me and Raijin... on our way to signal the others where to go... we barely got away... I followed Rira over this way to see what was going on while Raijin went the other way to signal the others... It seems, Seifer and Rira were under Cennaire's control... I get it now..." Fujin coughed.
"...?... Mom, are you okay?..." Salix asked.
"NO! RAGE!" Fujin snapped.
"... What does she mean?" Livid asked, a little confused as Salix just cheesed happily.
"She means 'get my man back now or you're grounded for life, Salix Almasy!'"
BREAK
Squall Leonhart sat up against the back of the prison cell, his head in his hands "Cennaire took over both of us... What made us so vulnerable, Saranie?"
... Love...
"What?... Love weakened us?... Our love for each other...?"
... No, our love for other's... Feh, like we loved each other...
"... I loved you!"
There's a fine line between hate and love, Squall. Your affection was one sided...
Squall hugged his head, nearly sobbing. He was imitating what Saranie would say, except like always he was putting himself down. Down into a ditch, his only escape rope, Saranie, was slipping away. He looked up again, seeing through the bars of the jail cell. Why did a damn White House remake have a prison, anyways? Wasn't that putting prisoners a little too close to home? Eh, he supposed he couldn't put it past Rinoa.
"... Saranie... how come you can't overcome Cennaire...? In fact, why the hell am I talking to myself!?" Squall snapped out of it, looking down again and sighing.
"Touching, but no cigar... She can't overcome Cennaire because she loves you, like you said..." Seifer appeared from the shadows, staring at Squall.
"... You're one to talk, Cennaire. Why do you take over Seifer as well...? He didn't do anything..."
A grin spread across Seifer's face "because every good villain needs a few cronies. Besides, I can use him as a shield against that annoying daughter of his..."
"...? Annoying?! Excuse me, but I don't even know you! Where do you like totally get the right to speak about me that way?!" came a young, angry voice as three people, one of which Squall knew and remembered well, transported out of the shadows.
BREAK
"Hold it! How did you learn to control shadows?!" Seifer stood, agape at Salix, Quistis, and Livid.
"I learned it from you, daddy. You were always showing up out of nowhere if you were really worried, so I just got really worried and walked into something shadow. I brought these guys along, too. Pretty nice, huh?" Salix grinned evilly.
"! Hmph, no matter! You can't defeat me anyways!" Seifer grinned, yanking out Squall's gunblade as Rira came bounding down the hall, turning into a giant tiger, both in battle ready stance, as Squall behind them yelled about where his weapon had went.
BREAK
The battle was going on too long. Salix got worried. Very worried... They were too low at level to defeat Rira and Seifer in less than fifteen minutes, how would they ever go up against Saranie?
At least Salix had found out she could easily attack Rira and Seifer. Was she really a monster, being able to harm the bodies of those she loved? No, she wasn't! This was Cennaire, toying with her mind... Was it?
"... SALIX CAST YOUR MAGIC ALREADY!" she heard a shout from Quistis, and realized she was in the middle of casting Thundaga, yet had stopped to think things over.
"Oh, right, ma'am..." Salix nodded, casting Thundaga on Rira, who finally fell under the pressure, dead. Salix's eyes opened wide. "I... didn't want to kill her! Oh, Rira!"
"Look, it's over with, I'm sorry! Now, get back to the battle and focus on Seifer, not your feelings! This is a fight, not a seminar!" Quistis snapped at Salix.
"It's too late, you haven't been paying attention to Livid..." came a scowling voice from Seifer. Salix looked shocked as she glanced over at Livid. He was petrified, poisoned, and only had 56 in health...
"DADDY, NO!" it was too late. Seifer had lunged, except this attack had nothing to do with games. It wasn't the attack that was meant to knock out, one that could be revived with a phoenix down. It was a murder attack. One that was meant to kill. And kill it did...
Livid's petrify wore off as he looked down at his chest, and the huge slash mark through it, before he fell too his knees and onto the ground, never to breath again. Salix ran over, throwing her arms around him, sobbing onto his neck "LIVID! Wake up, you can't die, I need to you to stay alive! I need you..."
BREAK
Salix's eyes opened from the intense sobbing after realizing there wasn't anything in her arms anymore. She stood up, yet very still, looking around confusedly. She was in an endless white room, no wall in sight... It all was just 'white'.
"... Salix?" came a very familiar female voice. Salix turned around, facing a tall, beautiful blonde woman in a long white dress.
"... You're the voice, the one in my dreams... Where... am I?" Salix looked around, confused. Her eyes laid across a body on the floor, a young boy in white. "LIVID!?" she kneeled down, catching sight of her own dress and realizing she too was in white.
"... You're dead, Salix..." the woman said softly.
"?! DEAD?! You mean... my daddy killed me..." she looked down, feeling her eyes grow hot.
"... Yes... but, Salix, it isn't your time... Oh, and, each new comer gets one wish before they enter the spirit world... Tell me, what is your wish?"
"... I... I know! I want to change the past! Will you come with me, uh...?"
"Of course. My name is Mariah, I'm your grandmother."
BREAK
"So... Mariah is out and about saving people, huh?" Seifer asked as they anxiously awaited Saranie's return at the control room door.
"Looks like it... Is she lost?" Squall asked.
"I hope so... nothing should take Saranie this long..."
Salix landed in front of Squall and Seifer, in the control room of an old air ship, with Ellone, Fujin, Raijin and Shun in presence as well. All of them looked up, staring, amazed as a gray haired fourteen year old and blonde haired twenty year old landed in front of them. Salix looked around, smiling slightly. Exactly fourteen years ago.
"Squall Leonhart?" she turned to Squall, smiling "do not wait for Saranie! Get to upstairs with Cennaire as fast as you can and meet her there, because that's where she is heading this moment! And, during the fight with Cennaire, do NOT allow Saranie to use her greatest attack, Soul Fire, where a giant bird will come out and kill Cennaire. If you do, the place will explode, and you and Saranie will not make it out alive! Now, hurry, quickly!"
She ran over, grabbing Squall, Seifer, and Ellone's hands, dragging them out of the room and pushing them towards the hall "run!" Squall turned around, seeing Mariah and mouthing her name slowly, before turning and heading off towards the stairs.
BREAK
Salix Almasy, age fourteen, giggled as she sat at a table in Balamb Garden's Ball Room, watching the SeeD ball take place around her. Her parents, Fujin and Seifer Almasy, now heads of Garden's in Spiral on Urone, were visiting her aunt and uncle, whom were heads of Balamb Garden, and it was the time of the SeeD ball. Students and SeeD's alike waltz around the dance floor, a flury of colorful dresses. Across from Salix sat Squall Leonhart, who laughed at the cheerful girl "I'm telling you... the girl who told me to go and stop Saranie looked just like you, Salix! I know that's impossible, but still..."
"Well, uncle... I... Hee hee... I don't know! I was never there!" she giggled like a maniac.
"Oh, no... Squall, that old story about how she looked like that girl who made you come rescue me? You're so lame..." Saranie walked over to Squall, wrapping her arms around his neck and rolling her eyes. Following her was Irvine Kinnease and Zell Dincht, with their lovers and children, all of which perfectly alive and well. Though, this time, Ysamla wasn't brainwashed, and the happy girlfriend of Sabbath Kinnease.
"I'm just saying... Hey, you weren't there, how do you know!? Well, at least Seifer and Fuijin and Raijin and Ellone and Shun know..." Squall shrugged.
"Yeah, Seifer, Fuijin, Raijin, real believable, three people who have been classified as mentally absurd in Garden records, Shun, who was in a rebellion and nearly blew himself up, and Ellone who claims she can battle in a white long skirt and slippers..." Saranie teased him, shrugging.
Salix smiled, sighing as a certain song reached her ears. It was a song she had grown to like, one she had grown to love. It was Aerosmith, and it was called Angel. She knew exactly why she liked it. As she turned to look at the dance floor while the group behind her argued over old fights and happiness, she noticed somebody especially, one coming near her. He was tall and gruff looking, yet happy all the same. He had tired blue eyes, pale skin, and brown spikey hair. He was wearing a blue SeeD uniform, too.
"Good day, Headmaster Leonhart, Headmistress Leonhart" the boy bowed to Squall and Saranie, and then turned to Salix "hello there, miss..."
"Salix, this is Livid Locksmith, he's one of our newer SeeDs..." Saranie nodded to Livid as Salix stood, curtsying to him. He took her hand, kissing it.
"Miss... Salix... May I say that is a beautiful name?"
"As is Livid, Livid..." she nodded at him, smiling.
"Would you like to dance, Miss Salix?"
"Of course... Just, call me Salix" Salix Almasy smiled slightly as he pulled her out onto the floor at Angel. They slow danced softly, as the only thought running through Saranie's head was 'I'll never tell that I was once an angel, also a witch, and even more, a heroine...'
"I want your love,
Let's break the walls between us,
Don't make it tough
I'll put away my pride..."
THE END
Notes: I wanted to be different, I wanted to be inspired, so I made this the end. I thought it would be a lot better than leaving it off that there was a dead lover and Irvine and a girl was scarred for life because she killed them all and such... Anyways, I'll still continue to write, but this story is over with. When you make a third one, your just stretching it on and on and on... That's just wrong. Now, everybody, take a bow!
Cast: Just glares
Me: DUN MAKE ME PUT PINK TUTUS ON YOU!
Cast: Falls on ground with bows
The stone glimmered, a shine of quick light ringing through it. The light was very bright, at any rate, on the deep dark purple stone "I don't wonder, Saranie... You know that... You know that I know exactly why you're like this... it's that voice, Saranie! Don't listen to that voice, please..."
'... Squall... You said you had to be a knight, right? At least, once, you said that... Please, be my knight?' Saranie's eyes narrowed as she stared down into the stone, where the real Squall's soul was being held captive.
"... Why should I?!"
"... Because... why can't you remember...? You're the cause of the voice, Squall... the voice that plagued me... Remember...'
"Saranie? What are you talking about?"
She passed her hand over the stone, as it then slowly dissolved, and Squall's body from behind her gasped, and then fell over. She had put Merlin's old soul in the body after capturing Squall's own soul, and tricked him into thinking she was Gabriel. It was honestly a common old trick used by witch's everywhere. Illusion was so kind to the magical folk. Now, she put Squall's soul back in his body.
Squall stood up, feeling more like himself, until his eyes lay upon Saranie. He hadn't seen her in fourteen years, and last time he had seen her, they were in the middle of a kiss. And now, she was still the same in appearance, mood, and intelligence; and yet the woman he knew, he wanted to know, was far away...
"... Let me make you remember?" She had finally spoken, her voice long and smooth, sweet, was still so magical it had to be put onto italics. As though a voice not meant for this universe.
"... It wouldn't hurt, I guess..." Squall's voice was the same as hers, just out of place. He knew that she wouldn't hurt him, at any rate. He might have been wrong, but there was no reason to get chicken.
She walked towards him, her long white dress flowing and rippling a great gust came when she set a finger on his head.
FLASHBACK
"Hey, Saranie, will you hand me that ring?" Squall squatted down over a huge, grave shaped hole in the cave's floor. It was cold and dank, yet certainly not dark, provided the blue light that mystically shone through the transparent glass rock walls.
"Squall, come on! I'm cold, up to past the point I'm willing to call you sweetie! I know one thing you love you won't be getting anymore if you keep these extravagant salvage searches up anymore..." Saranie leaned over the bag dumped onto the floor, going through it to find the piece Squall was looking for. She didn't like the fact that the past week they had been to Deling City, Timber, under the ocean to the old Airship they had nearly been killed in, and to the pet shop to get a border collie that looked just liked Angelo, Rinoa's old dog. She refused to see this suspicious, like Laguna had said.
While they were visiting Laguna, she had told him about Squall's strange behavior, and he had said "what?... All of those places have something to do with Rinoa... Saranie, do you think Squall's still interested in Rinoa?" Saranie had refused to believe this. It broke her heart to think this was true, to think Squall would do something like this. But, even more, it hurt her that a few weeks ago he had awakened as a Divinity witch, and had become a whole new person. She hated this fact, actually...
"... I tell you what, after this, you won't regret it..." he smiled, shrugging.
She sighed, leaning over and holding out the ring, but gasping when he grabbed her hand instead, pulling her onto his lap. She hit him on the head, squirming "moron! I could sprain my ankle, you know?!"
"Huh... Guess I didn't..."he shrugged, looping his arm around her to hold her in place, kissing her softly. She didn't reject it, until she felt him slide something into her mouth and punching her in the stomach, making her swallow the thing. She felt dizzy, as though ready to fall over. He picked her up, dumping her over into the pit they were near, along with Rinoa's ring and photo.
A strange light surrounded Saranie, and she felt a piercing pain, as though something was being sucked out of her eyes. She then blacked out. Yet, looming over her now assumed dead body, loomed a certain sorceress...
END FLASHBACK
Squall nearly fell backwards, staring at the saddened Saranie in front of him. His voice was no longer magical, fit exactly for this world "... I did that to you!?... That's right... I murdered you, because I needed a sacrifice to make Rinoa live... I'm, sorry..."
"Ta, as if sorry would cut it!" she turned to a shadow, smiling slightly "take him to the prison. His death will be a repent...Squall, if you will remember, while you were having sex with Rinoa on the floor of Seraph Cave, the cave we were in when you murdered me, I arose from my grave and attacked you, too strong to die for the likes of you... I do believe I may be beyond 'witch'..."
Seifer Almasy stepped out from behind the shadows, smiling at Squall "didn't I ever tell you? Break my sister, I break your leg."
BREAK
"... Come on..." Salix sputtered slightly, feeling her bones shake underneath her skin. Livid and Quistis followed her closely, and Salix could even feel Livid shake. They walked down a lifeless street towards Jaromaru building, and they could now see it; a huge tall blue building in the middle of the city, with a swirl of black on red above it. As they drew near, icey cold winds drug them in, not helping the situation at all.
"... Salix, if we don't make it..." Livid said slowly, dodging a flying mailbox that had come in from behind him.
"I knew it! You hadn't slept in Saranie's old room, you had slept with... Salix Almasy, you little slut!" Quistis had yet again realized something. What a genius, eh?
"Feh, spare me. Look, I just want to get to the Quagmire building before Ysamla... I don't want to fight her..." Salix shrugged, as they finally reached the door of the Quagmire building. "... Livid... don't be a big butted jinx! We already got all the bad luck we need..."
"You got that right..." came a blow off, cheerleader voice. Salix walked into the building and her eyes greeted none other than Rinoa Heartilly "... a little Almasy, huh?"
Salix yanked up her staff, brandishing it at Rinoa, her eyes glaring. Livid yanked out his gunblade, slicing it through the air and bringing it back in a hovering position, just like Squall had. Quistis just stared at Rinoa "how could you, Rinoa? Trick my daughter into doing these things...?"
"... Quistis... I didn't do anything bad..."
"You pretty much made my baby evil!"
"Evil?... isn't your side evil to us like our side is evil to you? There is no good and bad... didn't Squall once say that?" Rinoa smiled evilly, shrugging.
"Squall was actually a pathetic student and a pathetic leader..." Quistis said through gritted teeth.
"Hmph, maybe on the side that you taught him... but, when I was around, me and Squall learned so much together!"
"When they would need an expert on being a poor scientist and assistant, Rinoa, I'll tell you..." an old man stepped out from behind Rinoa, glaring at the three "... hmm... Don't know the little girl, never seen the little boy, and... ah, Quistis Trepe, long time no see!"
"?! GENERAL CARAWAY!" Quistis shook her head hard, amazed "oh my god... You're here?!"
"Shush now, Quistis, my name on this planet is President Perry Quagmire. I got in trouble with the newer President of Galbadia, so I left that planet, and started anew here, by stealing an old family friend of Novato Almasy with a relationship that had turned sour. Therefore, call me Perry..."
"... Well then, Perry, I'm Salix Almasy, nice to meet you?" Salix's eyes narrowed as she stepped forwards, glaring at him all the same.
"And, I'm Livid Locksmith" Livid stepped up behind Salix.
"? Seifer Almasy related in any way, eh? No doubt you're a terrorist, then... As for 'Livid', I do not believe I've ever heard of you..."
"That's because my people hated you! I used to live in Timber, and Squall Leonhart had saved my older sister from a passing train... That's why I'm stepping in his footsteps, except this time I'll do things right; stay away from Rinoa Heartilly."
"Oh, how rude! Do you know I fought for your town's independence?" Rinoa snapped at Livid.
"For one, I hate the fools who think that kidnapping people and killing and hurting while putting others in danger is good, like your damn resistance. For two, you left at the first pair of a man's eyes and Timber still isn't independent. Yes, you did very good..." Livid said sarcastically.
"Cut it, kid, women are so much better at sarcasm."
"Look here, Rinoa... Either you tell me what's going on, or I'll beat the two of you up..." Salix was short tempered, yes, but being called a terrorist didn't hurt her feelings, because that's what she was to the current president and the people with him.
"... Hmph. Well, okay then... Around fourteen years ago, there was a sorceress called Cennaire. Jaromaru was totally devout to Cennaire, but there was a resistance against Cennaire. The head of that resistance was Saranie Almasy. She murdered me, Rinoa. Well, she also gained the hand in marriage of Squall Leonhart. Squall was my ex, so of course he was still madly in love with me. So, he gained witch powers, the Divinity. That was the most rare power, and it was dealing with life. He brought me back to life, in the process trying to kill Saranie. Saranie somehow didn't die... so, we captured her, to do testing, but before we could, she..." Rinoa dragged off.
"Stole Squall's soul and is holding him hostage...?" Salix interrupted Rinoa.
"Yes..."
"I know why Saranie didn't die... The voice in my head, talking to me in my dreams, she said '... Flame is a witch of extreme power, she over exceeds all and can only die by the hand of love...'"
"... Squall killed her for me, that's love!" Rinoa snapped.
"... I think she may have meant by the hand of somebody who loved her, and doing that in the intention of love... What is a witch...?" Salix asked, more confused she let off.
"? You said all of that and you don't even know what a witch is!?" Caraway, or Quagmire, exclaimed.
"I mimicked the voice... I understand a little bit of it... but the witch thing? I know about the wicked witch of the west, and one's with green faces and nose warts, but aren't those make believe...?"
"You were taking it all from your memory? Well, for such a little girl you sure can remember! Hmm... a witch is..."
"Saranie. She's a witch. A fire witch, to be precise... Seifer, he's a darkness witch. Nanto and Celbien are electricity and ice witches. A witch is somebody who can make, manipulate, and destroy certain elements. Their own elements, if you will. They are magical beings, just above humans, just under sorceress's... Female witch's are meant to destroy sorceress's, even... Salix, you are a dormant witch yourself. Undoubtedly, a darkness witch, since you inherited it from your father, and Fujin has not witch genes... One day, you will awaken, and be able to do anything you want with the shadows..." Quistis butted in, sighing and getting it over with.
Salix stood, shocked "hold it... so, I do have something to do with all of this? Besides, being able to be the one Squall kept reaching out to?"
"Wait... that was you?!" Rinoa asked, shocked "we knew he was using telepathy on somebody, just not who! We never could have guessed it was... you... How does he even know you?"
"Through Flame, of course..." came a deep, hissing voice from behind them. A man stepped out of the shadows from down the hall, leaning back a little and smiling evilly at them. He wore a long gray trench coat, with red markings on the shoulders. His black pants and blue shirt, with the silver necklace to top it off, it made the blonde unmistakable.
"Daddy!" Salix dove straight into Seifer's arms, sobbing on his shirt "you're alive, I knew you were alive, I knew it!"
"... Salix?" he looked down, a look of disgust in his eyes as he shoved her away. She just stood there, staring at him, wide eyed.
"... Daddy... it's me... what's wrong with you...?" she felt like sobbing. Something was wrong, her father wouldn't reject a hug from her in a million years.
"...? Little girl, who do you think your talking to?! I'm Seifer Almasy, not 'daddy'."
"Ya huh... You're my daddy..." Salix took a step forwards, despite the countless rejections received from the others around her.
"I AM NOT! Stay away from me, little girl!" he swiped out a familiar, not his though gunblade, brandishing it.
"Oh, that's Squall's gunblade!" Rinoa gasped "... and it seems as though Saranie has made him her slave..."
"He must have Squall's because I had his... Daddy... Dad... Father, put the weapon down..." she stepped forwards, frowning at him and outstretching her hand, touching his softly.
His eyes brightened as he looked at her, shaking "... Sal?... What's wrong? Don't cry... NO, WAIT, I MEAN, GET OFF OF... me... Salix... Stay away..."
Salix smiled, finding a weak point "Father... Tell me about how you put a scar on Squall?..."
"...? Well I..." there it was. If she continued getting her father to remember his old self, she'd eventually lead up to her, and be free of Saranie...
CRASH The roof fell in on the far corner. As everybody cleared their air supply of debris and dust, they're eyes came to realize a giant flaming saber toothed tiger as it glared at them, fangs barred.
"Rira!" Salix sighed in relief running over to hug her cat friend. But, she was blocked off from a huge wall of flames.
"... Anything Saranie wants, Saranie gets... That includes your kitty friend..." Rinoa said as Seifer walked over, leaping onto Rira's back and being carried out through the hole. Salix plunged forwards, staring out through the impact at the clear night open sky, watching her previous pet carry her father up and away towards the top of the building.
Quistis had enough. This was going to stop, the confusion. She turned, snapping at Rinoa "WHAT'S GOING ON?!"
BREAK
"... Thirteen years ago, the Jaromaru forces captured Saranie Almasy, after she withstood a poison given to her by Squall, a highly dangerous poison called Venus. It should kill upon consuming. Yet, she survived... Therefore, we captured her and started testing right away, like any good group of government and scientists. But, as we were testing on her, four years afterwards, while being transported to the main building, she awoke after we had held her hostage in sleep. She only managed to destroy Jaromaru in Kiba, or so the reports state. But, we held one tiny secret from those reports... she had succeeded in capturing Squall Leonhart's mind and soul and was holding him hostage. He fell in a deep sleep, and we did all possible to awake him, with no prevail. It was while trying to wake him, we found Cennaire's life pattern inside of Saranie. It seemed the same fire Saranie had used to burn Cennaire in returned to the girl, carrying Cennaire's life along with it. Cennaire is now infected into Saranie... Cennaire is Saranie, and Saranie is now Flame, the giant bird that is used to resemble Saranie's fire powers... Flame, she's the good guy... but, she's being held hostage in her own body by the bad guy... Now, Cennaire is taking all those close to Saranie, and minions of the past, and brain washing them so they will become her slaves. She has made this, Jaromaru, her nesting grounds once again, and is commanding from the highest floor... Squall was trying to prevent this, we understand, and Flame had taken Squall's mind and body so she could speak to him afterwards, and he could speak to the outside world... The voice was somebody Squall was signaling out too in the spirit world to signal out to you..." Caraway said slowly.
"... I see... now..." came a small voice from behind the group. They turned, staring at a badly beat up Fujin.
"MOM?! What happened to you!?" Salix ran over, letting her mother fall onto her.
"Rira attacked... me and Raijin... on our way to signal the others where to go... we barely got away... I followed Rira over this way to see what was going on while Raijin went the other way to signal the others... It seems, Seifer and Rira were under Cennaire's control... I get it now..." Fujin coughed.
"...?... Mom, are you okay?..." Salix asked.
"NO! RAGE!" Fujin snapped.
"... What does she mean?" Livid asked, a little confused as Salix just cheesed happily.
"She means 'get my man back now or you're grounded for life, Salix Almasy!'"
BREAK
Squall Leonhart sat up against the back of the prison cell, his head in his hands "Cennaire took over both of us... What made us so vulnerable, Saranie?"
... Love...
"What?... Love weakened us?... Our love for each other...?"
... No, our love for other's... Feh, like we loved each other...
"... I loved you!"
There's a fine line between hate and love, Squall. Your affection was one sided...
Squall hugged his head, nearly sobbing. He was imitating what Saranie would say, except like always he was putting himself down. Down into a ditch, his only escape rope, Saranie, was slipping away. He looked up again, seeing through the bars of the jail cell. Why did a damn White House remake have a prison, anyways? Wasn't that putting prisoners a little too close to home? Eh, he supposed he couldn't put it past Rinoa.
"... Saranie... how come you can't overcome Cennaire...? In fact, why the hell am I talking to myself!?" Squall snapped out of it, looking down again and sighing.
"Touching, but no cigar... She can't overcome Cennaire because she loves you, like you said..." Seifer appeared from the shadows, staring at Squall.
"... You're one to talk, Cennaire. Why do you take over Seifer as well...? He didn't do anything..."
A grin spread across Seifer's face "because every good villain needs a few cronies. Besides, I can use him as a shield against that annoying daughter of his..."
"...? Annoying?! Excuse me, but I don't even know you! Where do you like totally get the right to speak about me that way?!" came a young, angry voice as three people, one of which Squall knew and remembered well, transported out of the shadows.
BREAK
"Hold it! How did you learn to control shadows?!" Seifer stood, agape at Salix, Quistis, and Livid.
"I learned it from you, daddy. You were always showing up out of nowhere if you were really worried, so I just got really worried and walked into something shadow. I brought these guys along, too. Pretty nice, huh?" Salix grinned evilly.
"! Hmph, no matter! You can't defeat me anyways!" Seifer grinned, yanking out Squall's gunblade as Rira came bounding down the hall, turning into a giant tiger, both in battle ready stance, as Squall behind them yelled about where his weapon had went.
BREAK
The battle was going on too long. Salix got worried. Very worried... They were too low at level to defeat Rira and Seifer in less than fifteen minutes, how would they ever go up against Saranie?
At least Salix had found out she could easily attack Rira and Seifer. Was she really a monster, being able to harm the bodies of those she loved? No, she wasn't! This was Cennaire, toying with her mind... Was it?
"... SALIX CAST YOUR MAGIC ALREADY!" she heard a shout from Quistis, and realized she was in the middle of casting Thundaga, yet had stopped to think things over.
"Oh, right, ma'am..." Salix nodded, casting Thundaga on Rira, who finally fell under the pressure, dead. Salix's eyes opened wide. "I... didn't want to kill her! Oh, Rira!"
"Look, it's over with, I'm sorry! Now, get back to the battle and focus on Seifer, not your feelings! This is a fight, not a seminar!" Quistis snapped at Salix.
"It's too late, you haven't been paying attention to Livid..." came a scowling voice from Seifer. Salix looked shocked as she glanced over at Livid. He was petrified, poisoned, and only had 56 in health...
"DADDY, NO!" it was too late. Seifer had lunged, except this attack had nothing to do with games. It wasn't the attack that was meant to knock out, one that could be revived with a phoenix down. It was a murder attack. One that was meant to kill. And kill it did...
Livid's petrify wore off as he looked down at his chest, and the huge slash mark through it, before he fell too his knees and onto the ground, never to breath again. Salix ran over, throwing her arms around him, sobbing onto his neck "LIVID! Wake up, you can't die, I need to you to stay alive! I need you..."
BREAK
Salix's eyes opened from the intense sobbing after realizing there wasn't anything in her arms anymore. She stood up, yet very still, looking around confusedly. She was in an endless white room, no wall in sight... It all was just 'white'.
"... Salix?" came a very familiar female voice. Salix turned around, facing a tall, beautiful blonde woman in a long white dress.
"... You're the voice, the one in my dreams... Where... am I?" Salix looked around, confused. Her eyes laid across a body on the floor, a young boy in white. "LIVID!?" she kneeled down, catching sight of her own dress and realizing she too was in white.
"... You're dead, Salix..." the woman said softly.
"?! DEAD?! You mean... my daddy killed me..." she looked down, feeling her eyes grow hot.
"... Yes... but, Salix, it isn't your time... Oh, and, each new comer gets one wish before they enter the spirit world... Tell me, what is your wish?"
"... I... I know! I want to change the past! Will you come with me, uh...?"
"Of course. My name is Mariah, I'm your grandmother."
BREAK
"So... Mariah is out and about saving people, huh?" Seifer asked as they anxiously awaited Saranie's return at the control room door.
"Looks like it... Is she lost?" Squall asked.
"I hope so... nothing should take Saranie this long..."
Salix landed in front of Squall and Seifer, in the control room of an old air ship, with Ellone, Fujin, Raijin and Shun in presence as well. All of them looked up, staring, amazed as a gray haired fourteen year old and blonde haired twenty year old landed in front of them. Salix looked around, smiling slightly. Exactly fourteen years ago.
"Squall Leonhart?" she turned to Squall, smiling "do not wait for Saranie! Get to upstairs with Cennaire as fast as you can and meet her there, because that's where she is heading this moment! And, during the fight with Cennaire, do NOT allow Saranie to use her greatest attack, Soul Fire, where a giant bird will come out and kill Cennaire. If you do, the place will explode, and you and Saranie will not make it out alive! Now, hurry, quickly!"
She ran over, grabbing Squall, Seifer, and Ellone's hands, dragging them out of the room and pushing them towards the hall "run!" Squall turned around, seeing Mariah and mouthing her name slowly, before turning and heading off towards the stairs.
BREAK
Salix Almasy, age fourteen, giggled as she sat at a table in Balamb Garden's Ball Room, watching the SeeD ball take place around her. Her parents, Fujin and Seifer Almasy, now heads of Garden's in Spiral on Urone, were visiting her aunt and uncle, whom were heads of Balamb Garden, and it was the time of the SeeD ball. Students and SeeD's alike waltz around the dance floor, a flury of colorful dresses. Across from Salix sat Squall Leonhart, who laughed at the cheerful girl "I'm telling you... the girl who told me to go and stop Saranie looked just like you, Salix! I know that's impossible, but still..."
"Well, uncle... I... Hee hee... I don't know! I was never there!" she giggled like a maniac.
"Oh, no... Squall, that old story about how she looked like that girl who made you come rescue me? You're so lame..." Saranie walked over to Squall, wrapping her arms around his neck and rolling her eyes. Following her was Irvine Kinnease and Zell Dincht, with their lovers and children, all of which perfectly alive and well. Though, this time, Ysamla wasn't brainwashed, and the happy girlfriend of Sabbath Kinnease.
"I'm just saying... Hey, you weren't there, how do you know!? Well, at least Seifer and Fuijin and Raijin and Ellone and Shun know..." Squall shrugged.
"Yeah, Seifer, Fuijin, Raijin, real believable, three people who have been classified as mentally absurd in Garden records, Shun, who was in a rebellion and nearly blew himself up, and Ellone who claims she can battle in a white long skirt and slippers..." Saranie teased him, shrugging.
Salix smiled, sighing as a certain song reached her ears. It was a song she had grown to like, one she had grown to love. It was Aerosmith, and it was called Angel. She knew exactly why she liked it. As she turned to look at the dance floor while the group behind her argued over old fights and happiness, she noticed somebody especially, one coming near her. He was tall and gruff looking, yet happy all the same. He had tired blue eyes, pale skin, and brown spikey hair. He was wearing a blue SeeD uniform, too.
"Good day, Headmaster Leonhart, Headmistress Leonhart" the boy bowed to Squall and Saranie, and then turned to Salix "hello there, miss..."
"Salix, this is Livid Locksmith, he's one of our newer SeeDs..." Saranie nodded to Livid as Salix stood, curtsying to him. He took her hand, kissing it.
"Miss... Salix... May I say that is a beautiful name?"
"As is Livid, Livid..." she nodded at him, smiling.
"Would you like to dance, Miss Salix?"
"Of course... Just, call me Salix" Salix Almasy smiled slightly as he pulled her out onto the floor at Angel. They slow danced softly, as the only thought running through Saranie's head was 'I'll never tell that I was once an angel, also a witch, and even more, a heroine...'
"I want your love,
Let's break the walls between us,
Don't make it tough
I'll put away my pride..."
THE END
Notes: I wanted to be different, I wanted to be inspired, so I made this the end. I thought it would be a lot better than leaving it off that there was a dead lover and Irvine and a girl was scarred for life because she killed them all and such... Anyways, I'll still continue to write, but this story is over with. When you make a third one, your just stretching it on and on and on... That's just wrong. Now, everybody, take a bow!
Cast: Just glares
Me: DUN MAKE ME PUT PINK TUTUS ON YOU!
Cast: Falls on ground with bows