Ch. 12
The Armies
Lucas and Ultimecia walked through the misty plain. They didn't speak. They just walked north for about an hour. They neared their destination, and Ultimecia placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Lucas, my boy," She said smiling. "It's time to round up the troops." She raised her hand in the air, and the silence was broken by a crack of lightening. Five spirits appeared in front of them. The first was Haven, the second was Zell, then came Irvine Kinneas, General Caraway, Seifer, and a man in his late thirties.
"Connor feels much affection for this group," Lucas commented. "The man on the end is his father. His death was my work."
"Yes," She replied. "These will be the leaders of our army. With Kristin's power I can conjure and control any spirit on this plain." She waved and a sea of soldiers appeared behind the first five." Lucas and Ultimecia smirked.
"Soldiers of the Army of the Dead, rise and meet your ruler," Lucas said in a serious tone. The mass of spirits stood in attention as Ultimecia began to speak.
"For years your spirits have been stuck in Limbo." She began. "Serve me and I will make sure that you pass into the next realm with ease. We are bringing a war to the mortals, and you will be my servants." She continued. "The leaders of the first squadron will be leading their troops in search of a very special girl. The other squads will be bringing the fight to Balamb. All of you will be rewarded, for it is better to rein in hell, than serve in heaven!" The troops screamed an excited war call and manifested their weapons.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back in Balamb ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Squall awoke at 2:30, his dreams had been filled with images of his fallen comrades. He awoke with tears on his cheeks, and a pain in his stomach. The guilt swelled inside of him, and he felt like he could burst at any minute. He sat up and got out of bed, he pulled on his pants, and threw on a dirty T-shirt. He walked the serene halls of the hotel, as he made his way to the cafeteria he was surprised to see a light peeking from under the door. He edged it open, and saw Quistis sitting alone, sipping a cup of coffee.
"Squall!" She exclaimed. "You're not having any luck with sleep either, are you?"
"Yes I am. That's why I'm standing in the middle of the cafeteria at fifteen minutes til three." He said sarcastically, as he walked over to get some orange juice.
"Well excuse the hell out of me," She responded, but the look of anger faded as she noticed Squall was crying. "I'm sorry, It's about Rin, isn't it?"
"Yeah," He said, picking out the perfect stale bagel from the cart in front of him. "But I don't wanna talk about it."
"I figured you would say that," She said remorsefully. "I know how you feel."
"How so?" He asked in disbelief.
"Zell," She responded, with tears in her eyes. "We were seeing each other, and when I woke up in the hospital yesterday, I was outraged to hear that Cid pardoned Connor." Squall hadn't taken the time to notice she was covered in bandages. He had forgotten she had been tortured, and felt silly to be complaining about his woes.
"I had no idea," Squall said, shocked. "I always thought you had a thing for me, but I'm kind of relieved." She punched him on the shoulder and began to giggle. They talked about their lost loves for hours, until they were interrupted by Annalyse.
"QUISTY! SQUALL!" She screamed from the cafeteria door. "Awe, are we flirting with a student, Instructor?"
"No," She shot, in anger. "Unlike you, I don't flirt with every thing that walks." Squall tried not to fall out of his chair, shocked
"Ouch," Anna said, shocked. "I don't think I deserved that!"
"Why not?" Squall asked coldly.
"I lost someone I loved this week too!" She responded. Squall looked perplexed.
"She thinks Seifer and she had some sort of 'connection'." Quistis said, laughing.
"WE WERE IN LOVE!" She said as she ran out of the cafeteria crying. Squall and Quistis laughed, but were interrupted again, by Cid.
"Nice to see you're both awake," Cid said with a smile. "Today we rally the troops."
"Troops?" Squall and Quistis asked together.
"Yes," Cid responded. "I've gathered every member of SeeD we have left, Edea called and told me that a spy in the Shadow Realm saw Kristin and Connor gathering forces. We will be ready when she makes her move."
"How did they get to the Shadow Realm?" Quistis asked, looking shocked.
"Kris is a Necromancer," Cid replied. "We've been binding her powers since she showed up 10 years ago. It was her father's last wish." Cid finished explaining and told Quistis and Squall to follow him outside, as they left the hotel a mass of one or two thousand men and women crowded the streets of Balamb. "This will do." Cid said as he began his speech. The forces of Good and Evil were gathering supporters, a war was coming to humanity, and Squall was caught in the middle of it.
A/n: FINALLY, a chapter I like . . . things look crazy . . . btw . . . anna . . . you will be THAT annoying the entire time . . .
The Armies
Lucas and Ultimecia walked through the misty plain. They didn't speak. They just walked north for about an hour. They neared their destination, and Ultimecia placed her hand on his shoulder.
"Lucas, my boy," She said smiling. "It's time to round up the troops." She raised her hand in the air, and the silence was broken by a crack of lightening. Five spirits appeared in front of them. The first was Haven, the second was Zell, then came Irvine Kinneas, General Caraway, Seifer, and a man in his late thirties.
"Connor feels much affection for this group," Lucas commented. "The man on the end is his father. His death was my work."
"Yes," She replied. "These will be the leaders of our army. With Kristin's power I can conjure and control any spirit on this plain." She waved and a sea of soldiers appeared behind the first five." Lucas and Ultimecia smirked.
"Soldiers of the Army of the Dead, rise and meet your ruler," Lucas said in a serious tone. The mass of spirits stood in attention as Ultimecia began to speak.
"For years your spirits have been stuck in Limbo." She began. "Serve me and I will make sure that you pass into the next realm with ease. We are bringing a war to the mortals, and you will be my servants." She continued. "The leaders of the first squadron will be leading their troops in search of a very special girl. The other squads will be bringing the fight to Balamb. All of you will be rewarded, for it is better to rein in hell, than serve in heaven!" The troops screamed an excited war call and manifested their weapons.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Back in Balamb ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Squall awoke at 2:30, his dreams had been filled with images of his fallen comrades. He awoke with tears on his cheeks, and a pain in his stomach. The guilt swelled inside of him, and he felt like he could burst at any minute. He sat up and got out of bed, he pulled on his pants, and threw on a dirty T-shirt. He walked the serene halls of the hotel, as he made his way to the cafeteria he was surprised to see a light peeking from under the door. He edged it open, and saw Quistis sitting alone, sipping a cup of coffee.
"Squall!" She exclaimed. "You're not having any luck with sleep either, are you?"
"Yes I am. That's why I'm standing in the middle of the cafeteria at fifteen minutes til three." He said sarcastically, as he walked over to get some orange juice.
"Well excuse the hell out of me," She responded, but the look of anger faded as she noticed Squall was crying. "I'm sorry, It's about Rin, isn't it?"
"Yeah," He said, picking out the perfect stale bagel from the cart in front of him. "But I don't wanna talk about it."
"I figured you would say that," She said remorsefully. "I know how you feel."
"How so?" He asked in disbelief.
"Zell," She responded, with tears in her eyes. "We were seeing each other, and when I woke up in the hospital yesterday, I was outraged to hear that Cid pardoned Connor." Squall hadn't taken the time to notice she was covered in bandages. He had forgotten she had been tortured, and felt silly to be complaining about his woes.
"I had no idea," Squall said, shocked. "I always thought you had a thing for me, but I'm kind of relieved." She punched him on the shoulder and began to giggle. They talked about their lost loves for hours, until they were interrupted by Annalyse.
"QUISTY! SQUALL!" She screamed from the cafeteria door. "Awe, are we flirting with a student, Instructor?"
"No," She shot, in anger. "Unlike you, I don't flirt with every thing that walks." Squall tried not to fall out of his chair, shocked
"Ouch," Anna said, shocked. "I don't think I deserved that!"
"Why not?" Squall asked coldly.
"I lost someone I loved this week too!" She responded. Squall looked perplexed.
"She thinks Seifer and she had some sort of 'connection'." Quistis said, laughing.
"WE WERE IN LOVE!" She said as she ran out of the cafeteria crying. Squall and Quistis laughed, but were interrupted again, by Cid.
"Nice to see you're both awake," Cid said with a smile. "Today we rally the troops."
"Troops?" Squall and Quistis asked together.
"Yes," Cid responded. "I've gathered every member of SeeD we have left, Edea called and told me that a spy in the Shadow Realm saw Kristin and Connor gathering forces. We will be ready when she makes her move."
"How did they get to the Shadow Realm?" Quistis asked, looking shocked.
"Kris is a Necromancer," Cid replied. "We've been binding her powers since she showed up 10 years ago. It was her father's last wish." Cid finished explaining and told Quistis and Squall to follow him outside, as they left the hotel a mass of one or two thousand men and women crowded the streets of Balamb. "This will do." Cid said as he began his speech. The forces of Good and Evil were gathering supporters, a war was coming to humanity, and Squall was caught in the middle of it.
A/n: FINALLY, a chapter I like . . . things look crazy . . . btw . . . anna . . . you will be THAT annoying the entire time . . .