Jayson waved a hand in front of her face. 'Hey you there?' he said smiling.
'Sorry just thinking.' She replied.
'I'm that boring huh?' he joked,
'No, no you're not!' she said quickly.
'Relax I was just kidding.' He told her grinning.
She smiled thinking to herself 'But I like him so much better like this. Why didn't I ask him to the Graduation Ball instead of hoping he'd ask me?'
They arrived at the Airstation where Ragnarok waited for them.
'I hope Squall remembers he only had half an hour.' Jayson said casually.
'What? You don't think Squall And Rinoa are at it again do you?' Meia asked surprised.
Jayson shrugged. 'They didn't seem to stop last night. Besides it's early in their relationship so it's bound to be passionate.' He replied.
'A little insight there huh?' Meia said grinning.
'You forget I only act emotionless.' He replied sarcastically.
'You're a good actor then.' She said laughing caught off guard by his playful shove that followed.
'Hey! It was a compliment!' she cried as she regained her balance.
'Sounded sarcastic to me.' He chuckled though wondering what was coming over him.
Squall and Rinoa turned up, Rinoa giving Jayson a brief evil look.
'So we ready?' Squall asked.
'We're waiting for Quistis sir.' Meia replied.
Jayson heard Rinoa's sigh of impatience.
The Ragnarok's side door opened and Quistis stepped out. 'We're ready to go Squall, Ragnarok's primed.' She told him.
Jayson's mouth opened and closed in surprise. 'How did she get here before us?' he thought.
They entered the Ragnarok and went to the passenger suite Jayson smiling faintly as he remembered the last time he was there. He felt a nudge in his ribs and looked down into Meia's eyes.
'Don't even think about it!' she warned playfully.
'I wasn't thinking anything!' he protested.
'Sure you wasn't.' Meia told him as she sat down behind the other three SeeDs.
Squall turned round in his seat to face them. 'So what's your plan Jayson?' he asked.
'We scan Mordred Plains for any unusual activity.' He replied as the Ragnarok rumbled and took off.
'Sounds well thought out.' Rinoa muttered causing Squall to shoot her a glance.
Jayson ignored her and stood up walking over to the front of the room and gazing out the window. 'So does the fact that even from here that I can see a cave smothered with monsters mean anything?' he said slowly.
The others stood up instantly. 'What!?' Squall sad rushing forward.
Quistis gave a low whistle as she joined them.
'Why wouldn't Esthar have picked this up?' Meia asked.
'Probably because it wasn't this busy until today. Whatever's in there must know we'd be coming.' Jayson replied. 'Permission to undergo solo-recon sir.' Jayson asked Squall.
'Are you crazy?' Rinoa squealed.
'Why, Jayson?' Squall answered more calmly.
'Recon is always the first step in a mission.' Jayson quoted.
Squall sighed. 'No why you alone.'
'Just logical sir, it's nearly night-time so it'd be easy for just one of us to sneak into the cave.' Jayson replied.
'I see though you don't think two people would be suitable?' Squall retorted.
'No sir. We don't have night equipment so it'd be difficult to discern friend from foe in the event of separation. It'd be easier for just one person to investigate and report. Besides you'll need as many people as possible if it goes wrong.' He replied formally.
Squall sighed in resignation. 'Fine I can't change your mind but take a communicator and report regularly.'
'Sir you can't be serious!' Quistis protested.
'He wants to go Quistis, no matter what I say he'll just come up with an argument to back him up.' Squall told her, Jayson nodding in agreement.
'Don't worry I'll pull out if it gets too dangerous. You'll have to leave me overnight or whatever's there might get suspicious.' Jayson told them.
Jayson could feel Meia's wide eyed gaze on him and couldn't bare to look at her. He had to do this, he didn't want to risk her getting involved in this.
'Meia I want you to be on Communications, make sure Jayson stays in contact.' Squall ordered.
'Sir!' Meia replied watching Jayson leave the room Squall following him.
Jayson stood over the open hatchway as they approached the mountains.
'Why are you doing this? Some way of showing what a hero you can be?' Squall demanded.
'No sir, whatever is here tried to take the most precious thing I have, my mind. This is revenge plain and simple. I'd have thought you of all people would understand.' Jayson replied and with that he dropped down the hatch as the Ragnarok passed over the mountaintop.
Jayson braced himself for the landing, dropping into a short roll as he hit the rocky ground. He got up into a crouch brushing the dust off his legs. He crept to the edge of the cliff glancing down to the cave mouth as he heard Ragnarok fly away. Gripping the rocks firmly he climbed down the cliff face.
'Why are you doing this? And don't give me the bullshit about revenge cause I don't feel any of it.' Orion quipped.
'Never could fool you huh?' Jayson replied gritting his teeth as gravity pulled on him.
'Is it because of the effect Meia's having on you?' Orion asked.
'No more like the effect I'll have on her. I don't want her here, I don't want her hurt.' Jayson replied resting on a ledge.
'I see, so what's the plan? The usual?' Orion inquired.
'Yep I go in and kill anything that moves.' Jayson replied grimly.
He continued climbing down taking care not to alert the monsters below with falling pebbles. As he reached the bottom he hit the monsters with a sleep spell and quickly slipped into the cave past their slumbering bodies.
He stood stock still in the shadows until his eyes grew accustomed to the dark before making his way down the cool damp passage, Fixxer drawn and ready. The passage opened into a chamber, large stalactites hanging down from above, a pale glow filling it inside where at the centre was a giant blue orb most of which still embedded in the rock.
'Oh Hyne.' Orion whispered in shock.
'What is it?' Jayson replied looking closer at the translucent orb, making out an enormous humanoid torso and head, a vast dark bulk going down into the rest of the orb, suggesting there was much more.
'It looks like a WEAPON.' Jayson said to Orion.
'This is much worse than a WEAPON.' Orion replied, fear evident in his voice. Monsters appeared from the back of the chamber, dropping boulders held in their assortment of jaws and paws.
'Go to Meia!' Jayson hissed to Orion.
'What?' Orion replied confused.
'Just go! Tell the others.' Jayson thought hurriedly, eyeing the monsters as they approached him.
'I can't leave you.' Orion replied.
'Just go dammit! It's too enclosed for me to summon you! You need to tell the others, you know what this is! I don't!' Jayson yelled in his thoughts.
He felt Orion's presence reluctantly leave his body, which meant he no longer had any use of magic. He braced himself for battle as the monsters clambered up to protect the orb. It was then he heard a voice in his head.
Orion's essence flew to Esthar, drifting through the walls of Meia's room to find her sleeping fitfully. He materialised in his human form and shook her shoulder. 'Meia wake up.' He said softly.
'Mmm Jayson?' she mumbled softly, waking up.
'So I sound like Jayson? Weird.' Orion thought to himself.
'No it's me Orion.' He replied.
Meia sat bolt upright in bed. 'Orion!?' she squeaked in surprise.
'Yeah. I need you to junction me.' He told her.
'What?' she asked, now fully awake.
'I need you to junction me, I can't stay in this form for too long unjunctioned.' He told her urgently.
'Why? You worried I'll see how cute and fluffy you really are?' she joked in her nervousness.
Orion's claws lengthened. 'This is no time to joke!' he said seriously.
'Okay, okay.' Meia replied and junctioned him, his body fading away as a warmth flowed into Meia's mind. 'I was expecting you to be cold.' She thought.
'I'm not completely like Jayson.' He replied.
'I see. So what's going on? Why are you here?' she asked him.
'Jayson sent me. We need to go see the others we've got trouble.' He told her.
Meia paled. 'Is Jayson...' she asked unable to finish.
'He's alive though I can't say it looked good when I left him.' he replied.
Meia didn't ask anything after that but yanked open the door and ran into the corridor to wake the others.
'Why are you here human? Do you not fear death?' the voice asked him.
'I have nothing to live for so it doesn't bother me.' Jayson replied.
'Serve me and I could give you a new purpose to your existence.' The rich dark voice tempted.
'No all you can give me is a reason to die.' Jayson told it not taking his eyes from the line of Imps and Toramas that had aligned before him.
The voice snorted. 'Foolish human, you think you can stop me!?' it asked.
'Maybe not but I can prevent you being released as long as I breathe.' Jayson retorted.
'You intrigue me human, your mind is harder than my prison, even now I cannot control it.' The voice said slowly. 'Why is that so?' it queried.
'You'll find out when you see me in Hell!' Jayson blasted. 'Aren't you going to strike me down? Why the twenty questions?'
The voice chuckled dryly 'I'm in no rush, you will surely die. I have been trapped here for aeons and I am curious to how this mind of yours works.' It replied.
'Well I'm more a man of actions than words.' Jayson answered throwing a dagger into the head of an Imp killing it instantly. 'Fine! So be it! DIE!' the voice roared as the monsters charged.
'Sorry just thinking.' She replied.
'I'm that boring huh?' he joked,
'No, no you're not!' she said quickly.
'Relax I was just kidding.' He told her grinning.
She smiled thinking to herself 'But I like him so much better like this. Why didn't I ask him to the Graduation Ball instead of hoping he'd ask me?'
They arrived at the Airstation where Ragnarok waited for them.
'I hope Squall remembers he only had half an hour.' Jayson said casually.
'What? You don't think Squall And Rinoa are at it again do you?' Meia asked surprised.
Jayson shrugged. 'They didn't seem to stop last night. Besides it's early in their relationship so it's bound to be passionate.' He replied.
'A little insight there huh?' Meia said grinning.
'You forget I only act emotionless.' He replied sarcastically.
'You're a good actor then.' She said laughing caught off guard by his playful shove that followed.
'Hey! It was a compliment!' she cried as she regained her balance.
'Sounded sarcastic to me.' He chuckled though wondering what was coming over him.
Squall and Rinoa turned up, Rinoa giving Jayson a brief evil look.
'So we ready?' Squall asked.
'We're waiting for Quistis sir.' Meia replied.
Jayson heard Rinoa's sigh of impatience.
The Ragnarok's side door opened and Quistis stepped out. 'We're ready to go Squall, Ragnarok's primed.' She told him.
Jayson's mouth opened and closed in surprise. 'How did she get here before us?' he thought.
They entered the Ragnarok and went to the passenger suite Jayson smiling faintly as he remembered the last time he was there. He felt a nudge in his ribs and looked down into Meia's eyes.
'Don't even think about it!' she warned playfully.
'I wasn't thinking anything!' he protested.
'Sure you wasn't.' Meia told him as she sat down behind the other three SeeDs.
Squall turned round in his seat to face them. 'So what's your plan Jayson?' he asked.
'We scan Mordred Plains for any unusual activity.' He replied as the Ragnarok rumbled and took off.
'Sounds well thought out.' Rinoa muttered causing Squall to shoot her a glance.
Jayson ignored her and stood up walking over to the front of the room and gazing out the window. 'So does the fact that even from here that I can see a cave smothered with monsters mean anything?' he said slowly.
The others stood up instantly. 'What!?' Squall sad rushing forward.
Quistis gave a low whistle as she joined them.
'Why wouldn't Esthar have picked this up?' Meia asked.
'Probably because it wasn't this busy until today. Whatever's in there must know we'd be coming.' Jayson replied. 'Permission to undergo solo-recon sir.' Jayson asked Squall.
'Are you crazy?' Rinoa squealed.
'Why, Jayson?' Squall answered more calmly.
'Recon is always the first step in a mission.' Jayson quoted.
Squall sighed. 'No why you alone.'
'Just logical sir, it's nearly night-time so it'd be easy for just one of us to sneak into the cave.' Jayson replied.
'I see though you don't think two people would be suitable?' Squall retorted.
'No sir. We don't have night equipment so it'd be difficult to discern friend from foe in the event of separation. It'd be easier for just one person to investigate and report. Besides you'll need as many people as possible if it goes wrong.' He replied formally.
Squall sighed in resignation. 'Fine I can't change your mind but take a communicator and report regularly.'
'Sir you can't be serious!' Quistis protested.
'He wants to go Quistis, no matter what I say he'll just come up with an argument to back him up.' Squall told her, Jayson nodding in agreement.
'Don't worry I'll pull out if it gets too dangerous. You'll have to leave me overnight or whatever's there might get suspicious.' Jayson told them.
Jayson could feel Meia's wide eyed gaze on him and couldn't bare to look at her. He had to do this, he didn't want to risk her getting involved in this.
'Meia I want you to be on Communications, make sure Jayson stays in contact.' Squall ordered.
'Sir!' Meia replied watching Jayson leave the room Squall following him.
Jayson stood over the open hatchway as they approached the mountains.
'Why are you doing this? Some way of showing what a hero you can be?' Squall demanded.
'No sir, whatever is here tried to take the most precious thing I have, my mind. This is revenge plain and simple. I'd have thought you of all people would understand.' Jayson replied and with that he dropped down the hatch as the Ragnarok passed over the mountaintop.
Jayson braced himself for the landing, dropping into a short roll as he hit the rocky ground. He got up into a crouch brushing the dust off his legs. He crept to the edge of the cliff glancing down to the cave mouth as he heard Ragnarok fly away. Gripping the rocks firmly he climbed down the cliff face.
'Why are you doing this? And don't give me the bullshit about revenge cause I don't feel any of it.' Orion quipped.
'Never could fool you huh?' Jayson replied gritting his teeth as gravity pulled on him.
'Is it because of the effect Meia's having on you?' Orion asked.
'No more like the effect I'll have on her. I don't want her here, I don't want her hurt.' Jayson replied resting on a ledge.
'I see, so what's the plan? The usual?' Orion inquired.
'Yep I go in and kill anything that moves.' Jayson replied grimly.
He continued climbing down taking care not to alert the monsters below with falling pebbles. As he reached the bottom he hit the monsters with a sleep spell and quickly slipped into the cave past their slumbering bodies.
He stood stock still in the shadows until his eyes grew accustomed to the dark before making his way down the cool damp passage, Fixxer drawn and ready. The passage opened into a chamber, large stalactites hanging down from above, a pale glow filling it inside where at the centre was a giant blue orb most of which still embedded in the rock.
'Oh Hyne.' Orion whispered in shock.
'What is it?' Jayson replied looking closer at the translucent orb, making out an enormous humanoid torso and head, a vast dark bulk going down into the rest of the orb, suggesting there was much more.
'It looks like a WEAPON.' Jayson said to Orion.
'This is much worse than a WEAPON.' Orion replied, fear evident in his voice. Monsters appeared from the back of the chamber, dropping boulders held in their assortment of jaws and paws.
'Go to Meia!' Jayson hissed to Orion.
'What?' Orion replied confused.
'Just go! Tell the others.' Jayson thought hurriedly, eyeing the monsters as they approached him.
'I can't leave you.' Orion replied.
'Just go dammit! It's too enclosed for me to summon you! You need to tell the others, you know what this is! I don't!' Jayson yelled in his thoughts.
He felt Orion's presence reluctantly leave his body, which meant he no longer had any use of magic. He braced himself for battle as the monsters clambered up to protect the orb. It was then he heard a voice in his head.
Orion's essence flew to Esthar, drifting through the walls of Meia's room to find her sleeping fitfully. He materialised in his human form and shook her shoulder. 'Meia wake up.' He said softly.
'Mmm Jayson?' she mumbled softly, waking up.
'So I sound like Jayson? Weird.' Orion thought to himself.
'No it's me Orion.' He replied.
Meia sat bolt upright in bed. 'Orion!?' she squeaked in surprise.
'Yeah. I need you to junction me.' He told her.
'What?' she asked, now fully awake.
'I need you to junction me, I can't stay in this form for too long unjunctioned.' He told her urgently.
'Why? You worried I'll see how cute and fluffy you really are?' she joked in her nervousness.
Orion's claws lengthened. 'This is no time to joke!' he said seriously.
'Okay, okay.' Meia replied and junctioned him, his body fading away as a warmth flowed into Meia's mind. 'I was expecting you to be cold.' She thought.
'I'm not completely like Jayson.' He replied.
'I see. So what's going on? Why are you here?' she asked him.
'Jayson sent me. We need to go see the others we've got trouble.' He told her.
Meia paled. 'Is Jayson...' she asked unable to finish.
'He's alive though I can't say it looked good when I left him.' he replied.
Meia didn't ask anything after that but yanked open the door and ran into the corridor to wake the others.
'Why are you here human? Do you not fear death?' the voice asked him.
'I have nothing to live for so it doesn't bother me.' Jayson replied.
'Serve me and I could give you a new purpose to your existence.' The rich dark voice tempted.
'No all you can give me is a reason to die.' Jayson told it not taking his eyes from the line of Imps and Toramas that had aligned before him.
The voice snorted. 'Foolish human, you think you can stop me!?' it asked.
'Maybe not but I can prevent you being released as long as I breathe.' Jayson retorted.
'You intrigue me human, your mind is harder than my prison, even now I cannot control it.' The voice said slowly. 'Why is that so?' it queried.
'You'll find out when you see me in Hell!' Jayson blasted. 'Aren't you going to strike me down? Why the twenty questions?'
The voice chuckled dryly 'I'm in no rush, you will surely die. I have been trapped here for aeons and I am curious to how this mind of yours works.' It replied.
'Well I'm more a man of actions than words.' Jayson answered throwing a dagger into the head of an Imp killing it instantly. 'Fine! So be it! DIE!' the voice roared as the monsters charged.