I do not own Final Fantasy VIII (8)
Chapter 8- Shadow Players
Drake exploded out of the water and let out a roar of hate and anger as he looked over the waters of where Fisherman's Horizon.
He found no trace of the beast and started to glow with anger.
'Stop bothering with him, and find me a vessel!' Ultimecia shouted into his mind.
He hated her. Ultimecia's words rang in his mind until he was forced to conform.
In a way he envied Seifer, he was no longer under her thumb. But then again, he wouldn't be alive were it not for her. But also, his parents wouldn't have been killed if not for her. But Seifer might not have become involved with Quistis if not for the Sorceress war. It was all so confusing to him, but it narrowed down to one thing.
He despised her. He looked forward to the day when he wouldn't have to take orders from her anymore. Perhaps then he could get his revenge on her even.
After all, she had manipulated every aspect of his life, from what he ate while he was still growing, to how he behaved. It ensured he was as big and strong as he was now. But the fact was she had controlled his life so much it was even to the point of basic activities. The punishment was most severe if he refused, it felt like his mind would burst into flamed and be stabbed by thousands of fine point needles.
He reluctantly flew away from the site and turned his head as he left.
'The damage I and that creature did to the city was not enough to sink it,' He thought.
He remembered the pathetic image of his father at his demise and flew faster. Humans sickened him. Every human on this planet was responsible for his current living hell. The only relief from the hell was killing or fighting.
He had to find Garden or Edea, he had no idea where either where.
He stopped in the sky and then felt it. Rinoa. He could feel her. It was almost like a repellant, but she was there. He immediately realized where she was, Garden wasn't far, or was infact there.
He felt her moving rapidly. "She must be on that craft," He mused. He started to chuckle as a purple aura flickered around him. He took off nearly breaking the sound barrier as his wings found new strength. As he got faster and faster, his chuckled turned to a maddened laugh.
Exploding from the waters below the creature hovered above the water with its insect like wings keeping it above the water. He growled with annoyance and flew high in the air and began to draw in the souls of the victims of the city.
"Once my mistress is born into the world once more all will be as it should," He rasped, becoming stronger from the souls entering his body. 'Spire... I need you to find me a suitable host... soon...' Adel's voice whispered in his mind.
=== Ragnarok ===
"Doctor Odin," Squall said as he and Laguna sat down. "Squall, I think you should know, that Fishermen's Horizon could not have sunken from the damage Drake and Spire did to it," Dr. Odin explained.
"Spire?" Squall asked. "That is the creature," He answered. "How do you know that?" Squall asked. Laguna's face turned grim.
"When we performed a coup on Adel, that was her last line of defense," Laguna explained. Squall looked at him with shock. "How did you beat it?" He asked. "We didn't, Odin turned him off," He said.
"Turned him off?" Squall asked. "Yes, I am the one who designed and build him, knight project 73," Odin explained. "He was Adel's knight, I spent nearly a decade modifying him from his human form," Odin added.
"Any other secrets I should know about?" Squall said anger apparent in his voice. "No," Laguna answered.
"Excuse me, I've got to take to Kiros and Ward," Laguna said and left.
Seifer was sitting down on the bridge with Fujin and Rajin.
"So, what are we gonna do ya know?" Rajin asked. "We're gonna ya know, hitch a ride," Seifer mocked with annoyance in his voice.
Rajin immediately shut up seeing the stress of Seifer.
"Yo Seifer, what's up?" Zell asked. "Nothing Chic... Zell," Seifer said. "Oh, he's trying to be civil, what for this time?" Zell asked.
Seifer glanced at him and then looked up. "Nothing really," He said looking at the ceiling. "Get lost, everybody, I'm trying to think," Seifer said.
Zell shrugged and left while Fujin and Rajin seemed more hurt by his statement.
"I can't get lost, I'm flying this," The pilot said from the front. "Well then you stay! Its not like you're doing anything annoying... for once," Seifer bit out. Selphie glared at him and continued piloting.
'What the hell am I going to do about Quistis?' He thought. He then realized something. Ian would most likely tell her the truth when she woke... And he knew the reason why.
He didn't like Ian, not at all.
Irvine walked back and forth in the cargo bay. He was thinking on the magnitude of the situation. One super powerful godlike being was bad enough, now there was two of them.
He immediately thought of Selphie, he had to keep her entirely out of this.
Zell on the other hand was thinking about strategy for the first time in a long time. He was going through plans over and over in his head on how he could hold off one of the two monsters.
He then looked at Ward who was standing in the power armor. 'Let's hope that cannon works,' He thought.
Rinoa woke up groggily and rubbed her face. "Uhhh..." She moaned as she rolled off the medical bed.
Ian was waiting in the room.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" She asked. "I'm going to let Quistis know a few facts when she wakes up," He said glaring at the woman. Rinoa looked slightly angry. "And what would those be Ian?" She asked.
"I think you know," He replied coldly. "Are you so determined to prevent Quistis and Seifer from getting together at all that you'll say or do anything?" She asked. "You have no idea what kind of HELL that thing put my timeline through!" Ian shouted.
"I feel sorry for Irvine," She muttered before exiting to fine Squall.
Ian himself was bitter. Could no one see what he was trying to do? He was trying to save the world. Trying to save the world from the product of an ungodly union.
Squall jumped to his feet when he saw Rinoa.
"RIN!" He shouted smiling and ran over and hugged her. She returned his embrace and looked at him seriously. "What is it?"
Seifer saw Selphie playfully jump when the Ragnarok started to go faster. 'She acts like a 5 year old and is going to be a mother... sad,' He thought.
Squall entered the room and grabbed Seifer, before Seifer could react Squall threw him out of the bridge and onto the elevator behind. He walked on as Seifer gathered himself and the small elevator took them to the small level below.
"What the hell was that for?" Seifer snapped. "Rinoa has just told me something interesting," Squall said.
"So? Is it some bullshit that I'm going to kill you in your sleep or something?" Seifer growled. "No, its that Ian is waiting in the sick bay to tell Rinoa about Drake," He said. Seifer remained quiet.
"Don't you care?" Squall said showing anger. "Of course! But I also know that she'll find out eventually!" He shouted. "And who do you want it to hear it from? A guy who'll make you out to be some psychopathic rapist or from you," Squall said looking Seifer in the eye.
"Why the hell are you helping me?" Seifer asked suspiciously. "To make sure another Drake isn't born," Squall said and walked away. Seifer didn't understand what he meant. Wouldn't doing this ensure something like Drake was born? He didn't understand.
Seifer walked into the sick bay where Quistis began to stir and glared at Ian.
"Can I help you?" Ian asked. "Out," Seifer demanded. "Who is gonna make me?" He replied. Seifer snapped him fingers and Rajin walked in and cracked his knuckles.
Ian with a look of bitterness on his face reluctantly left with a glare directed at the former knight.
Quistis groggily woke up. "Hey," Seifer said nervously.
"I've got to come clean with something," Seifer said. Quistis just gave him a questioning look.
"Drake is my son, or so it would seem, I lied before," Seifer said frowning. Quistis remained quiet.
"His full name is apparently Drake Trepe-Almasy," Seifer said. Quistis started to laugh.
"Oh please, you've got to be kidding me!" She said almost crying with the hysteria of the laughter. "Not meant to be a joke..." Seifer growled. She blinked once and then looked at Seifer for any sign of lying.
"Me... an... and you?" She asked looking very hesitant. "Insane I know," Seifer replied.
She shook her head and hopped off the bed. "I don't want to hear this, and I don't need to hear this," She said lowly. "Don't tell me that again, if you're not lying, I don't want to hear you say those words ever again," She said.
"I refuse to be the mother of that... THING," She spat out. Seifer nodded, showing little emotion. "I don't need this!" She almost cried as she stormed out of the sick bay. "Why is all this happening to me?" She asked herself in the hall. Back at Garden, all she wanted to do was huddle into a ball and pass out in her room.
She refused to believe she had slept with HIM, and given birth to THAT. Obviously Seifer's genes were the dominant in the mix, she must have passed very little to the child.
Why did this all have to happen to her? Her life had just turned into a living hell. She'd been running from a psychopath bent on destroying her soul, a creature that as far as she could tell wanted to knock her up with the reincarnation of ADEL, and it turns out, one of them is her future son, and to top it off, the father was Seifer Almasy. She almost wished Seifer hadn't saved her.
Did he save her because he knew about Drake? Was that the reason? Or was it something else. That question would bug her until she asked him, she knew that much. But she wouldn't ask him, at least not now she wanted nothing to do with him.
=== On way to Garden ===
Xu followed Drake as best she could. She already sent a message ahead of them letting everyone know Drake was on his way, he seemed to have not noticed her.
She thought of something, if he hadn't noticed her, perhaps she could hit him with the disrupter cannon.
'Does he ever sleep?' She thought as she saw the huge daemonic wings moving up and down.
She slowly aimed the cannon and it started to charge.
The weather started to turn as they moved further; it was almost like a typhoon now. Xu carefully aimed the cannon as her suit brimmed with energy from charging it. She fired the bolt of disrupting energy, just as Drake halted.
The bolt shot clear past Drake.
She froze with terror as the rain crashed down from above. Drake did nothing but continue on his way. 'He didn't see it?' She thought.
She smiled with relief and continued following.
Drake saw a forest below and landed. He mentally called out to Dingo, the hound would undoubtedly be their within an hour.
He sat down on a tree which had fallen and took in the environment around him. He closed his eyes and looked asleep as he waited.
Xu hid behind a tree and continued her observation.
After about an hour the orange humanoid-Canine rushed towards him.
Drake opened his eyes and glanced at the creature. "Dingo how nice for you to join me," Drake said smirking.
A low growl came from Dingo and it turned into a vicious snarl.
Xu was sending the conversation to Garden as it happened.
"Oh I know, Fishermen's Horizon wasn't much fun, I wonder who really sank it, do you know?" Drake asked. Dingo whined in response and his ears flattened. "Oh don't worry about it if you don't know," Drake said smirking. "The more people who felt the agony of death the better," He said smirking.
He stood up and petted the creature on the head who snarled in response. "Yes I know, they are watching us right now," Drake said. Xu didn't catch on for a moment until she saw Drake turn his head towards her and give an evil smirk. "Hello, its not very polite to spy on people, and shoot at them," He said in a playful tone.
Xu hit the boosters on the armor and took to above. She was cut off by Drake almost appearing in front of her and elbowing her in the faceplate. The armor clanged with his hit and went spiraling back into the forest.
She landed hard, but was almost unscathed because of her armor.
When she looked up she saw the smiling Drake. She blinked behind the armor and his face turned to one of seriousness and slammed his hand into the chest plate, it cracked and Xu went flying back and broke through a huge oak.
She barely got to her feet this time, the sheer impact of the hit made her feel like her body had just been crushed.
She saw Drake making his now slow advance. "What's wrong?" He asked putting one hand on his hip.
She pointed the machine gun out and blasted him with it. The shells from the high powered gun tore through his flesh and sent chunks of flesh everywhere. Black blood seeped from his body. He staggered a moment and his body and cloths entirely healed and he cracked his neck from side to side.
"That was entertaining," He said smirking. She let the auto reload mechanism take its effect and started to fire the high powered machine gun again.
Drake dodged faster then she could aim, before she could fire again he was in front of her. It seemed to go in slow motion as he pulled his arm back and grinned wolfishly. He punched her in the left shoulder. Inside the armor she cried out in pain as he tore through the power armor.
He stood over her as she slumped against a tree.
"Well, it seems your little spying operation is over," He said confidently and reached down for the helmet. The last image sent to Garden was his hand over the eye piece.
Drake tore the helmet off the reveal the Seed hidden within.
"Hello, my name is Drake, thank you for the warm up, but this is where it ends, shall we begin the interrogation?" He asked in a civil, sophisticated manner.
Xu had never been as terrified in her life as she saw the handsome figure smirking down at her.
"First things first, what was that cannon you fired at me on the way here, and what does it do?" He asked.
She ignored him.
"So that is the way you want to do this?" He asked smirking. He grabbed her now broken shoulder and tore his finger's into the flesh.
An agonized scream was heard over the forest.
=== Ragnarok ===
The Ragnarok was almost at Garden, soon Squall and the others would hear the news of Xu's fate...
=== End Chapter ===
Chapter 8- Shadow Players
Drake exploded out of the water and let out a roar of hate and anger as he looked over the waters of where Fisherman's Horizon.
He found no trace of the beast and started to glow with anger.
'Stop bothering with him, and find me a vessel!' Ultimecia shouted into his mind.
He hated her. Ultimecia's words rang in his mind until he was forced to conform.
In a way he envied Seifer, he was no longer under her thumb. But then again, he wouldn't be alive were it not for her. But also, his parents wouldn't have been killed if not for her. But Seifer might not have become involved with Quistis if not for the Sorceress war. It was all so confusing to him, but it narrowed down to one thing.
He despised her. He looked forward to the day when he wouldn't have to take orders from her anymore. Perhaps then he could get his revenge on her even.
After all, she had manipulated every aspect of his life, from what he ate while he was still growing, to how he behaved. It ensured he was as big and strong as he was now. But the fact was she had controlled his life so much it was even to the point of basic activities. The punishment was most severe if he refused, it felt like his mind would burst into flamed and be stabbed by thousands of fine point needles.
He reluctantly flew away from the site and turned his head as he left.
'The damage I and that creature did to the city was not enough to sink it,' He thought.
He remembered the pathetic image of his father at his demise and flew faster. Humans sickened him. Every human on this planet was responsible for his current living hell. The only relief from the hell was killing or fighting.
He had to find Garden or Edea, he had no idea where either where.
He stopped in the sky and then felt it. Rinoa. He could feel her. It was almost like a repellant, but she was there. He immediately realized where she was, Garden wasn't far, or was infact there.
He felt her moving rapidly. "She must be on that craft," He mused. He started to chuckle as a purple aura flickered around him. He took off nearly breaking the sound barrier as his wings found new strength. As he got faster and faster, his chuckled turned to a maddened laugh.
Exploding from the waters below the creature hovered above the water with its insect like wings keeping it above the water. He growled with annoyance and flew high in the air and began to draw in the souls of the victims of the city.
"Once my mistress is born into the world once more all will be as it should," He rasped, becoming stronger from the souls entering his body. 'Spire... I need you to find me a suitable host... soon...' Adel's voice whispered in his mind.
=== Ragnarok ===
"Doctor Odin," Squall said as he and Laguna sat down. "Squall, I think you should know, that Fishermen's Horizon could not have sunken from the damage Drake and Spire did to it," Dr. Odin explained.
"Spire?" Squall asked. "That is the creature," He answered. "How do you know that?" Squall asked. Laguna's face turned grim.
"When we performed a coup on Adel, that was her last line of defense," Laguna explained. Squall looked at him with shock. "How did you beat it?" He asked. "We didn't, Odin turned him off," He said.
"Turned him off?" Squall asked. "Yes, I am the one who designed and build him, knight project 73," Odin explained. "He was Adel's knight, I spent nearly a decade modifying him from his human form," Odin added.
"Any other secrets I should know about?" Squall said anger apparent in his voice. "No," Laguna answered.
"Excuse me, I've got to take to Kiros and Ward," Laguna said and left.
Seifer was sitting down on the bridge with Fujin and Rajin.
"So, what are we gonna do ya know?" Rajin asked. "We're gonna ya know, hitch a ride," Seifer mocked with annoyance in his voice.
Rajin immediately shut up seeing the stress of Seifer.
"Yo Seifer, what's up?" Zell asked. "Nothing Chic... Zell," Seifer said. "Oh, he's trying to be civil, what for this time?" Zell asked.
Seifer glanced at him and then looked up. "Nothing really," He said looking at the ceiling. "Get lost, everybody, I'm trying to think," Seifer said.
Zell shrugged and left while Fujin and Rajin seemed more hurt by his statement.
"I can't get lost, I'm flying this," The pilot said from the front. "Well then you stay! Its not like you're doing anything annoying... for once," Seifer bit out. Selphie glared at him and continued piloting.
'What the hell am I going to do about Quistis?' He thought. He then realized something. Ian would most likely tell her the truth when she woke... And he knew the reason why.
He didn't like Ian, not at all.
Irvine walked back and forth in the cargo bay. He was thinking on the magnitude of the situation. One super powerful godlike being was bad enough, now there was two of them.
He immediately thought of Selphie, he had to keep her entirely out of this.
Zell on the other hand was thinking about strategy for the first time in a long time. He was going through plans over and over in his head on how he could hold off one of the two monsters.
He then looked at Ward who was standing in the power armor. 'Let's hope that cannon works,' He thought.
Rinoa woke up groggily and rubbed her face. "Uhhh..." She moaned as she rolled off the medical bed.
Ian was waiting in the room.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" She asked. "I'm going to let Quistis know a few facts when she wakes up," He said glaring at the woman. Rinoa looked slightly angry. "And what would those be Ian?" She asked.
"I think you know," He replied coldly. "Are you so determined to prevent Quistis and Seifer from getting together at all that you'll say or do anything?" She asked. "You have no idea what kind of HELL that thing put my timeline through!" Ian shouted.
"I feel sorry for Irvine," She muttered before exiting to fine Squall.
Ian himself was bitter. Could no one see what he was trying to do? He was trying to save the world. Trying to save the world from the product of an ungodly union.
Squall jumped to his feet when he saw Rinoa.
"RIN!" He shouted smiling and ran over and hugged her. She returned his embrace and looked at him seriously. "What is it?"
Seifer saw Selphie playfully jump when the Ragnarok started to go faster. 'She acts like a 5 year old and is going to be a mother... sad,' He thought.
Squall entered the room and grabbed Seifer, before Seifer could react Squall threw him out of the bridge and onto the elevator behind. He walked on as Seifer gathered himself and the small elevator took them to the small level below.
"What the hell was that for?" Seifer snapped. "Rinoa has just told me something interesting," Squall said.
"So? Is it some bullshit that I'm going to kill you in your sleep or something?" Seifer growled. "No, its that Ian is waiting in the sick bay to tell Rinoa about Drake," He said. Seifer remained quiet.
"Don't you care?" Squall said showing anger. "Of course! But I also know that she'll find out eventually!" He shouted. "And who do you want it to hear it from? A guy who'll make you out to be some psychopathic rapist or from you," Squall said looking Seifer in the eye.
"Why the hell are you helping me?" Seifer asked suspiciously. "To make sure another Drake isn't born," Squall said and walked away. Seifer didn't understand what he meant. Wouldn't doing this ensure something like Drake was born? He didn't understand.
Seifer walked into the sick bay where Quistis began to stir and glared at Ian.
"Can I help you?" Ian asked. "Out," Seifer demanded. "Who is gonna make me?" He replied. Seifer snapped him fingers and Rajin walked in and cracked his knuckles.
Ian with a look of bitterness on his face reluctantly left with a glare directed at the former knight.
Quistis groggily woke up. "Hey," Seifer said nervously.
"I've got to come clean with something," Seifer said. Quistis just gave him a questioning look.
"Drake is my son, or so it would seem, I lied before," Seifer said frowning. Quistis remained quiet.
"His full name is apparently Drake Trepe-Almasy," Seifer said. Quistis started to laugh.
"Oh please, you've got to be kidding me!" She said almost crying with the hysteria of the laughter. "Not meant to be a joke..." Seifer growled. She blinked once and then looked at Seifer for any sign of lying.
"Me... an... and you?" She asked looking very hesitant. "Insane I know," Seifer replied.
She shook her head and hopped off the bed. "I don't want to hear this, and I don't need to hear this," She said lowly. "Don't tell me that again, if you're not lying, I don't want to hear you say those words ever again," She said.
"I refuse to be the mother of that... THING," She spat out. Seifer nodded, showing little emotion. "I don't need this!" She almost cried as she stormed out of the sick bay. "Why is all this happening to me?" She asked herself in the hall. Back at Garden, all she wanted to do was huddle into a ball and pass out in her room.
She refused to believe she had slept with HIM, and given birth to THAT. Obviously Seifer's genes were the dominant in the mix, she must have passed very little to the child.
Why did this all have to happen to her? Her life had just turned into a living hell. She'd been running from a psychopath bent on destroying her soul, a creature that as far as she could tell wanted to knock her up with the reincarnation of ADEL, and it turns out, one of them is her future son, and to top it off, the father was Seifer Almasy. She almost wished Seifer hadn't saved her.
Did he save her because he knew about Drake? Was that the reason? Or was it something else. That question would bug her until she asked him, she knew that much. But she wouldn't ask him, at least not now she wanted nothing to do with him.
=== On way to Garden ===
Xu followed Drake as best she could. She already sent a message ahead of them letting everyone know Drake was on his way, he seemed to have not noticed her.
She thought of something, if he hadn't noticed her, perhaps she could hit him with the disrupter cannon.
'Does he ever sleep?' She thought as she saw the huge daemonic wings moving up and down.
She slowly aimed the cannon and it started to charge.
The weather started to turn as they moved further; it was almost like a typhoon now. Xu carefully aimed the cannon as her suit brimmed with energy from charging it. She fired the bolt of disrupting energy, just as Drake halted.
The bolt shot clear past Drake.
She froze with terror as the rain crashed down from above. Drake did nothing but continue on his way. 'He didn't see it?' She thought.
She smiled with relief and continued following.
Drake saw a forest below and landed. He mentally called out to Dingo, the hound would undoubtedly be their within an hour.
He sat down on a tree which had fallen and took in the environment around him. He closed his eyes and looked asleep as he waited.
Xu hid behind a tree and continued her observation.
After about an hour the orange humanoid-Canine rushed towards him.
Drake opened his eyes and glanced at the creature. "Dingo how nice for you to join me," Drake said smirking.
A low growl came from Dingo and it turned into a vicious snarl.
Xu was sending the conversation to Garden as it happened.
"Oh I know, Fishermen's Horizon wasn't much fun, I wonder who really sank it, do you know?" Drake asked. Dingo whined in response and his ears flattened. "Oh don't worry about it if you don't know," Drake said smirking. "The more people who felt the agony of death the better," He said smirking.
He stood up and petted the creature on the head who snarled in response. "Yes I know, they are watching us right now," Drake said. Xu didn't catch on for a moment until she saw Drake turn his head towards her and give an evil smirk. "Hello, its not very polite to spy on people, and shoot at them," He said in a playful tone.
Xu hit the boosters on the armor and took to above. She was cut off by Drake almost appearing in front of her and elbowing her in the faceplate. The armor clanged with his hit and went spiraling back into the forest.
She landed hard, but was almost unscathed because of her armor.
When she looked up she saw the smiling Drake. She blinked behind the armor and his face turned to one of seriousness and slammed his hand into the chest plate, it cracked and Xu went flying back and broke through a huge oak.
She barely got to her feet this time, the sheer impact of the hit made her feel like her body had just been crushed.
She saw Drake making his now slow advance. "What's wrong?" He asked putting one hand on his hip.
She pointed the machine gun out and blasted him with it. The shells from the high powered gun tore through his flesh and sent chunks of flesh everywhere. Black blood seeped from his body. He staggered a moment and his body and cloths entirely healed and he cracked his neck from side to side.
"That was entertaining," He said smirking. She let the auto reload mechanism take its effect and started to fire the high powered machine gun again.
Drake dodged faster then she could aim, before she could fire again he was in front of her. It seemed to go in slow motion as he pulled his arm back and grinned wolfishly. He punched her in the left shoulder. Inside the armor she cried out in pain as he tore through the power armor.
He stood over her as she slumped against a tree.
"Well, it seems your little spying operation is over," He said confidently and reached down for the helmet. The last image sent to Garden was his hand over the eye piece.
Drake tore the helmet off the reveal the Seed hidden within.
"Hello, my name is Drake, thank you for the warm up, but this is where it ends, shall we begin the interrogation?" He asked in a civil, sophisticated manner.
Xu had never been as terrified in her life as she saw the handsome figure smirking down at her.
"First things first, what was that cannon you fired at me on the way here, and what does it do?" He asked.
She ignored him.
"So that is the way you want to do this?" He asked smirking. He grabbed her now broken shoulder and tore his finger's into the flesh.
An agonized scream was heard over the forest.
=== Ragnarok ===
The Ragnarok was almost at Garden, soon Squall and the others would hear the news of Xu's fate...
=== End Chapter ===