Chapter 17
The black mages waited surrounding a small pillar of light in the middle of the small chamber in the castle. The rocky walls bore the shadow of the figure of a woman who walked in accompanied by two of the castle guards. She dismissed them and walked to the center of the chamber and stood near one of the black mages. She wore a thick blood red robe that stretched till the ground. In her eyes, was a shine that could only be that of a sorceress. The mages bowed before her.
"Is the summoning ready to begin?" she asked one of the black mages.
"Yes your majesty."
"Did you find the girl with the eye of Cervantus?"
"Right behind you, my Queen."
She turned around to see a couple of soldiers who were holding a girl. Her hair was in a mess and her face was filled with thin bloody streaks from torment. Her frail shadow fell on the castle walls as she looked at the Queen in front of her in disgust.
"Now, now my dear." She said, "You have lived long enough."
The girl didn't reply as the soldiers holding her dragged her forward towards the pillar of light. The Queen nodded to the soldiers. They pushed her inside the pillar of light. A sensation of dark magic filled the castle chamber as the girl screamed in pain, the pillar of light feeling like a thousand suns. Soon, she fell down on her knees and then on the ground, dead. The pillar of light flickered and a shadow rose from the girl's body and floated in the column of radiance.
"You have killed the chosen one of Cervantus!" The shadow bellowed, "What do you want woman?"
"I wish to speak with Cervantus." The queen replied.
"It is I, Cervantus himself, the God of time."
"Very well." The queen smiled, "I need your help. I need to embark a thousand years in the past."
"For that, you would kill the one I bestowed with the power of my eye?"
"Yes." The Queen replied, "If that is what is required to get your attention. You heard me, I want to go to that world."
"Foolish mortal!" The shadow said, "You would truly think I would grant you your wish."
"Yes."
"Even when you killed the chosen one of Cervantus?"
"Yes."
The shadow laughed, "Your wish will be the death of you, woman! I shall take thee to a floating castle far away from here, through compressed time a thousand years in the past as you wish."
"And that'll be the death of me?"
"Do you not Loathe SeeDs, woman? They exist only to slay your kind."
"Every garden has already been bought by my power. Most of them are my soldiers. Only those pesky white SeeDs are a small problem. Those fools resist my rule over this planet. Swarming like locusts generation after generation. They disgust me."
"What do you plan to do a thousand years in the past, woman?"
"I am sick of this planet and its peasants living in this filthy ruin of a world. I wish to rule this world when it was young and beautiful, a thousand years in the past."
"You belong to your time, Woman! There will be no way I shall allow you to traverse through time a thousand years in the past. But now that you have murdered the one chosen by me, you will have your wish, and it shall kill you. Mark my words!"
"By that time, I would have control over that world, Oh mighty Cervantus. I don't think any fool a thousand years in the past would have the knowledge to rise against me."
"A SeeD in that world you're planning to conquer will kill you for your evil! Destiny shall bestow him with the power to do so."
"Power stronger than my black arts, oh Lord Cervantus?"
"The lionheart surpasses all powers, woman! It shall fall in the hands of a certain Squall Leonhart. He will be the DEATH OF YOU!"
"Hah! We shall see Cervantus."
"I am God, woman! My words are nothing but truth. You shall die by the lionheart! FAREWELL! I shall give you your wish midnight tomorrow."
With that, the shadow disappeared into thin air carrying the body of the girl the queen had murdered in cold blood. The black mages put out the pillar of light and left after bowing to the queen. She stood quietly glaring at the stone ceiling of the chamber.
She smiled, "So Cervantus has made up his mind. I, the mighty Ultimecia shall die at the hands of a Squall Leonhart."
Sifan Leonhart woke up with a start; sweat dripping down the sides of his face. He looked around. Avatar was not near him. Only the cool sea wind blew across the ship deck, drying his brow. He could see the ship approach a small but exquisite looking city on the horizon. Sifan put his hand on his head. The dream he had just seen was as clear as daylight, a small chunk of Ultimecia's past.
{What's the matter? Can't handle a little dream about a dead sorceress?}
[Lyris, did the stuff I see really happen?]
{Of Course it did, sweetheart. Ultimecia was damned to be killed by your father.}
[Who was that Cervantus guy?]
{The God of time.}
[That g-girl Ultimecia had killed, she looked like Ellone.]
{It WAS Ellone's generation, Sifan. It all happened a thousand years after you were born.}
[Ultimecia was from the future, right?]
{Yes. She wasn't happy with her world. It was in ruins because of the countless wars between Galbadia and Esthar that destroyed everything. Galbadia eventually bought all the gardens. And thus the war of magic and summoning began. Only chaos and destruction prevailed. In due course, one of the female SeeDs became powerful enough to take advantage a war torn world. To add to her greed, she inherited the powers of sorcery and the guardian force Griever.}
[Lemme guess. Ultimecia.]
{Yes.}
[Ultimecia was a SeeD?]
{Strange things happen, darling.}
[With her sorcery and the power of Griever, she took over the world, huh?]
{Yes, she ruled the war-torn and hardly-populated world after that. Sadly, that wasn't enough for her; she wanted the world Squall Leonhart lived in.}
[So Cervantus gave my father the lionheart to kill Ultimecia?]
{No. Destiny did.}
[You make it sound so philosophical, Lyris.]
{Cervantus could only choose the time where Destiny would choose its warrior.}
[So he chose the time my dad was alive.]
{Yes, but it was destiny which chose your father. And blessed him with the power of the lionheart.}
[Cool. What about me then? I don't think destiny would want to try anything with a guy like me.]
{..................}
[..................]
{Sifan, you have been chosen.}
[Sounds good, Lyris, It really does. But I am not game, ask destiny to find some other guy.]
{You're not going back, not without completing what you've been called for.}
[I'll find a way.]
{Sifan, I am getting tired of this.}
[Look, Just because I am Squall Leonhart's son, it doesn't mean I can take on the world, ok?]
{But you can, Sifan. That's why you've been brought here. What's within you can outshine even your father's capabilities. You are the son of a sorceress and the warrior of destiny. You are Rinoa Heartilly and Squall Leonhart's son. Both of them are epitomes of something special. You are their son.}
[You're good at making people feel good, you know?]
{Please, Sifan, accept your fate.}
[You know, considering the fact that you know almost everything there is to know, you must be some sort of Goddess who's been sent to help me, huh?]
{You can say that. But I should say I am doing this on my own than being sent here to do so.}
[So what do you want me to do?]
{Stop trying to get out of this world.}
[What should I tell Avatar? 'A voice in my head told me to stop trying to get back to balamb, buddy, so lets stop trying.']
{Oh I almost forgot, If you tell other people about me, you'll die.}
[Very funny.]
{I am serious. You will die. Trust me.}
[Don't worry. I don't think I would go around telling people about the voice in my head.]
{Good.}
[So, I have been called to kill some sorceress like Ultimecia?]
{No, someone far more evil and powerful, that his strength is indescribable.}
[What's his name?]
{You'll find out. Hey, you've reached Costa de sol. you're wasting your time here. Oh well, find out for yourself. See ya.}
Avatar Fenis appeared around the corner and threw the apple he had found in the storage deck to Sifan as the ship approached the Costa de sol port. Sifan took a bite from it as he got up and stretched his arms, "We're here?"
"Yup." Avatar replied, "Lets go."
As soon as the ship docked, both the SeeDs disembarked the ship and walked in to the small city of Costa de sol. It was more posh than Sifan had imagined. It was the perfect Vacation spot. The coconut trees were swaying left and right as the sun shone on the glittery beach. It was full of beautiful girls running around and swimming. There were all sorts of beach cabins and people in swimming suits running in and out of them. Along the shorelines were a few sea gulls scurrying around, hoping they could get a delicacy or two from the passing tourists. Most of the shops sold tan and all sorts of stuff to suit life at the beach. All in all, the place was paradise to anyone.
Avatar gave a loud whistle, "Oh boy, will you look at all those girls."
Sifan sighed, "We came here to find the professor Phillona told us about and get our butts back to balamb."
Avatar eyed a pretty brunette who passed by him, "Come to think of it, this world aint all that bad."
[Sigh, girls, girls, girls. Is that all he cares about?]
"Girls, girls, girls." Avatar said, "That's all I care about."
"I know." Sifan said holding his hand, "But we should really find out where Hamilton lives."
"Yup." Avatar said looking at the blonde in the item shop, "I'll go ask her and buy a few of her items."
Without waiting for anything else he ran away towards the item shop.
[Sure, Professor Hamilton will probably be the last line of his conversation.]
Sifan's eyes fell on a materia shop, nearby. He brushed away the thought of buying anything, as he wouldn't need them because he was going to return to balamb, but his 'conversation' with Lyris made him feel he would never.
He kicked a ball that came rolling his way to the boy who was chasing it. The boy thanked him and ran away in to a door. On top of the door was a sign which said, "Costa de Hairdressers."
He walked into a nearby restaurant and ordered a couple of sandwiches and left to the restroom. He washed his face and looked at the mirror. He stared at his face and especially, his dark brown eyes.
[What are so beautiful about my eyes?] He thought to himself, recalling what Phillona had said about them. He shrugged after a few seconds of observing his eyes.
[She was probably just kidding around.]
{When did you start caring about what she said anyway.}
[Leave me alone for a while, ok?]
{Fine, but Phillona meant what she said.}
[You barged into my head to tell me that?]
{Yeah, I was bored. And I like talking to you.} Lyris' voice said and soon died out.
Sifan heaved a heavy breath and walked back to his table in the restaurant. Munching his sandwich, he saw an airship land on a heliport outside near the port. Through the window, he could see a few soldiers disembark from the ship and leave his line of sight. Another figure that looked like a general walked out of the airship, followed by another young man, who had a rather tight, high-ranking officer's get up. Sifan couldn't see much and he returned to his sandwich, which was calming his rumbling stomach.
Soon, Avatar came in to the restaurant. He caught Sifan with his sandwich, "Hey! Quit hogging' on your own." The waiter nearby seemed to have heard what avatar said and immediately came to Sifan's table. Avatar thought for a second and ordered everything he wanted but stopped when Sifan reminded him they were living on the money Phillona had given for emergencies. He reluctantly ordered a soda and scratching his head, he sighed, "Well, The girl said Hamilton's house was last one before the town's exit."
"Wow, you actually asked her about that."
"Her name is Melissa. She has a brother. A father but no mother. The father's away on a business trip and she sells stuff she finds during hunting, which is one of her hobbies. Her areas of interest are adventure, animals and materia collection. Her house is near her shop and well, she's not my type."
"Irvine's taught you everything, huh?
"Don't blame me. He offered you his services but noooooooooo, Sifan don't want none of that. It's a useful trade kid, getting the girls you know."
"Ok if you say so." Sifan said nonchalantly paying the bill to the waiter, "Lets get going."
"Ah, this place is heaven." Avatar said as both of them headed towards Hamilton's house, "Women, food and the God's blue ocean, what more could a guy want?"
"How about a home?" Sifan suggested.
"Hey we can find ourselves some job like monster-slayers, find a girl and settle down."
"Dream on."
The two of them argued about that prospect as they arrived at a house, which had the name "Prof. Hamilton' imprinted on it's door. Like the girl had said, It was located at the end of town near the exit.
"You have the letter Phillona gave you, right?" Sifan said, knocking on the door.
"Yup." Avatar replied as they waited for the door to open. Strangely enough, there wasn't any reply.
"Try again." Avatar said.
Sifan knocked again harder but there still didn't seem to be any response. Tired of waiting, Sifan reached for the doorknob to see if it was open when a violent explosion from inside sent the door flying off its hinges, barely missing Sifan.
The black mages waited surrounding a small pillar of light in the middle of the small chamber in the castle. The rocky walls bore the shadow of the figure of a woman who walked in accompanied by two of the castle guards. She dismissed them and walked to the center of the chamber and stood near one of the black mages. She wore a thick blood red robe that stretched till the ground. In her eyes, was a shine that could only be that of a sorceress. The mages bowed before her.
"Is the summoning ready to begin?" she asked one of the black mages.
"Yes your majesty."
"Did you find the girl with the eye of Cervantus?"
"Right behind you, my Queen."
She turned around to see a couple of soldiers who were holding a girl. Her hair was in a mess and her face was filled with thin bloody streaks from torment. Her frail shadow fell on the castle walls as she looked at the Queen in front of her in disgust.
"Now, now my dear." She said, "You have lived long enough."
The girl didn't reply as the soldiers holding her dragged her forward towards the pillar of light. The Queen nodded to the soldiers. They pushed her inside the pillar of light. A sensation of dark magic filled the castle chamber as the girl screamed in pain, the pillar of light feeling like a thousand suns. Soon, she fell down on her knees and then on the ground, dead. The pillar of light flickered and a shadow rose from the girl's body and floated in the column of radiance.
"You have killed the chosen one of Cervantus!" The shadow bellowed, "What do you want woman?"
"I wish to speak with Cervantus." The queen replied.
"It is I, Cervantus himself, the God of time."
"Very well." The queen smiled, "I need your help. I need to embark a thousand years in the past."
"For that, you would kill the one I bestowed with the power of my eye?"
"Yes." The Queen replied, "If that is what is required to get your attention. You heard me, I want to go to that world."
"Foolish mortal!" The shadow said, "You would truly think I would grant you your wish."
"Yes."
"Even when you killed the chosen one of Cervantus?"
"Yes."
The shadow laughed, "Your wish will be the death of you, woman! I shall take thee to a floating castle far away from here, through compressed time a thousand years in the past as you wish."
"And that'll be the death of me?"
"Do you not Loathe SeeDs, woman? They exist only to slay your kind."
"Every garden has already been bought by my power. Most of them are my soldiers. Only those pesky white SeeDs are a small problem. Those fools resist my rule over this planet. Swarming like locusts generation after generation. They disgust me."
"What do you plan to do a thousand years in the past, woman?"
"I am sick of this planet and its peasants living in this filthy ruin of a world. I wish to rule this world when it was young and beautiful, a thousand years in the past."
"You belong to your time, Woman! There will be no way I shall allow you to traverse through time a thousand years in the past. But now that you have murdered the one chosen by me, you will have your wish, and it shall kill you. Mark my words!"
"By that time, I would have control over that world, Oh mighty Cervantus. I don't think any fool a thousand years in the past would have the knowledge to rise against me."
"A SeeD in that world you're planning to conquer will kill you for your evil! Destiny shall bestow him with the power to do so."
"Power stronger than my black arts, oh Lord Cervantus?"
"The lionheart surpasses all powers, woman! It shall fall in the hands of a certain Squall Leonhart. He will be the DEATH OF YOU!"
"Hah! We shall see Cervantus."
"I am God, woman! My words are nothing but truth. You shall die by the lionheart! FAREWELL! I shall give you your wish midnight tomorrow."
With that, the shadow disappeared into thin air carrying the body of the girl the queen had murdered in cold blood. The black mages put out the pillar of light and left after bowing to the queen. She stood quietly glaring at the stone ceiling of the chamber.
She smiled, "So Cervantus has made up his mind. I, the mighty Ultimecia shall die at the hands of a Squall Leonhart."
Sifan Leonhart woke up with a start; sweat dripping down the sides of his face. He looked around. Avatar was not near him. Only the cool sea wind blew across the ship deck, drying his brow. He could see the ship approach a small but exquisite looking city on the horizon. Sifan put his hand on his head. The dream he had just seen was as clear as daylight, a small chunk of Ultimecia's past.
{What's the matter? Can't handle a little dream about a dead sorceress?}
[Lyris, did the stuff I see really happen?]
{Of Course it did, sweetheart. Ultimecia was damned to be killed by your father.}
[Who was that Cervantus guy?]
{The God of time.}
[That g-girl Ultimecia had killed, she looked like Ellone.]
{It WAS Ellone's generation, Sifan. It all happened a thousand years after you were born.}
[Ultimecia was from the future, right?]
{Yes. She wasn't happy with her world. It was in ruins because of the countless wars between Galbadia and Esthar that destroyed everything. Galbadia eventually bought all the gardens. And thus the war of magic and summoning began. Only chaos and destruction prevailed. In due course, one of the female SeeDs became powerful enough to take advantage a war torn world. To add to her greed, she inherited the powers of sorcery and the guardian force Griever.}
[Lemme guess. Ultimecia.]
{Yes.}
[Ultimecia was a SeeD?]
{Strange things happen, darling.}
[With her sorcery and the power of Griever, she took over the world, huh?]
{Yes, she ruled the war-torn and hardly-populated world after that. Sadly, that wasn't enough for her; she wanted the world Squall Leonhart lived in.}
[So Cervantus gave my father the lionheart to kill Ultimecia?]
{No. Destiny did.}
[You make it sound so philosophical, Lyris.]
{Cervantus could only choose the time where Destiny would choose its warrior.}
[So he chose the time my dad was alive.]
{Yes, but it was destiny which chose your father. And blessed him with the power of the lionheart.}
[Cool. What about me then? I don't think destiny would want to try anything with a guy like me.]
{..................}
[..................]
{Sifan, you have been chosen.}
[Sounds good, Lyris, It really does. But I am not game, ask destiny to find some other guy.]
{You're not going back, not without completing what you've been called for.}
[I'll find a way.]
{Sifan, I am getting tired of this.}
[Look, Just because I am Squall Leonhart's son, it doesn't mean I can take on the world, ok?]
{But you can, Sifan. That's why you've been brought here. What's within you can outshine even your father's capabilities. You are the son of a sorceress and the warrior of destiny. You are Rinoa Heartilly and Squall Leonhart's son. Both of them are epitomes of something special. You are their son.}
[You're good at making people feel good, you know?]
{Please, Sifan, accept your fate.}
[You know, considering the fact that you know almost everything there is to know, you must be some sort of Goddess who's been sent to help me, huh?]
{You can say that. But I should say I am doing this on my own than being sent here to do so.}
[So what do you want me to do?]
{Stop trying to get out of this world.}
[What should I tell Avatar? 'A voice in my head told me to stop trying to get back to balamb, buddy, so lets stop trying.']
{Oh I almost forgot, If you tell other people about me, you'll die.}
[Very funny.]
{I am serious. You will die. Trust me.}
[Don't worry. I don't think I would go around telling people about the voice in my head.]
{Good.}
[So, I have been called to kill some sorceress like Ultimecia?]
{No, someone far more evil and powerful, that his strength is indescribable.}
[What's his name?]
{You'll find out. Hey, you've reached Costa de sol. you're wasting your time here. Oh well, find out for yourself. See ya.}
Avatar Fenis appeared around the corner and threw the apple he had found in the storage deck to Sifan as the ship approached the Costa de sol port. Sifan took a bite from it as he got up and stretched his arms, "We're here?"
"Yup." Avatar replied, "Lets go."
As soon as the ship docked, both the SeeDs disembarked the ship and walked in to the small city of Costa de sol. It was more posh than Sifan had imagined. It was the perfect Vacation spot. The coconut trees were swaying left and right as the sun shone on the glittery beach. It was full of beautiful girls running around and swimming. There were all sorts of beach cabins and people in swimming suits running in and out of them. Along the shorelines were a few sea gulls scurrying around, hoping they could get a delicacy or two from the passing tourists. Most of the shops sold tan and all sorts of stuff to suit life at the beach. All in all, the place was paradise to anyone.
Avatar gave a loud whistle, "Oh boy, will you look at all those girls."
Sifan sighed, "We came here to find the professor Phillona told us about and get our butts back to balamb."
Avatar eyed a pretty brunette who passed by him, "Come to think of it, this world aint all that bad."
[Sigh, girls, girls, girls. Is that all he cares about?]
"Girls, girls, girls." Avatar said, "That's all I care about."
"I know." Sifan said holding his hand, "But we should really find out where Hamilton lives."
"Yup." Avatar said looking at the blonde in the item shop, "I'll go ask her and buy a few of her items."
Without waiting for anything else he ran away towards the item shop.
[Sure, Professor Hamilton will probably be the last line of his conversation.]
Sifan's eyes fell on a materia shop, nearby. He brushed away the thought of buying anything, as he wouldn't need them because he was going to return to balamb, but his 'conversation' with Lyris made him feel he would never.
He kicked a ball that came rolling his way to the boy who was chasing it. The boy thanked him and ran away in to a door. On top of the door was a sign which said, "Costa de Hairdressers."
He walked into a nearby restaurant and ordered a couple of sandwiches and left to the restroom. He washed his face and looked at the mirror. He stared at his face and especially, his dark brown eyes.
[What are so beautiful about my eyes?] He thought to himself, recalling what Phillona had said about them. He shrugged after a few seconds of observing his eyes.
[She was probably just kidding around.]
{When did you start caring about what she said anyway.}
[Leave me alone for a while, ok?]
{Fine, but Phillona meant what she said.}
[You barged into my head to tell me that?]
{Yeah, I was bored. And I like talking to you.} Lyris' voice said and soon died out.
Sifan heaved a heavy breath and walked back to his table in the restaurant. Munching his sandwich, he saw an airship land on a heliport outside near the port. Through the window, he could see a few soldiers disembark from the ship and leave his line of sight. Another figure that looked like a general walked out of the airship, followed by another young man, who had a rather tight, high-ranking officer's get up. Sifan couldn't see much and he returned to his sandwich, which was calming his rumbling stomach.
Soon, Avatar came in to the restaurant. He caught Sifan with his sandwich, "Hey! Quit hogging' on your own." The waiter nearby seemed to have heard what avatar said and immediately came to Sifan's table. Avatar thought for a second and ordered everything he wanted but stopped when Sifan reminded him they were living on the money Phillona had given for emergencies. He reluctantly ordered a soda and scratching his head, he sighed, "Well, The girl said Hamilton's house was last one before the town's exit."
"Wow, you actually asked her about that."
"Her name is Melissa. She has a brother. A father but no mother. The father's away on a business trip and she sells stuff she finds during hunting, which is one of her hobbies. Her areas of interest are adventure, animals and materia collection. Her house is near her shop and well, she's not my type."
"Irvine's taught you everything, huh?
"Don't blame me. He offered you his services but noooooooooo, Sifan don't want none of that. It's a useful trade kid, getting the girls you know."
"Ok if you say so." Sifan said nonchalantly paying the bill to the waiter, "Lets get going."
"Ah, this place is heaven." Avatar said as both of them headed towards Hamilton's house, "Women, food and the God's blue ocean, what more could a guy want?"
"How about a home?" Sifan suggested.
"Hey we can find ourselves some job like monster-slayers, find a girl and settle down."
"Dream on."
The two of them argued about that prospect as they arrived at a house, which had the name "Prof. Hamilton' imprinted on it's door. Like the girl had said, It was located at the end of town near the exit.
"You have the letter Phillona gave you, right?" Sifan said, knocking on the door.
"Yup." Avatar replied as they waited for the door to open. Strangely enough, there wasn't any reply.
"Try again." Avatar said.
Sifan knocked again harder but there still didn't seem to be any response. Tired of waiting, Sifan reached for the doorknob to see if it was open when a violent explosion from inside sent the door flying off its hinges, barely missing Sifan.