Mythology
Chapter Twelve: Betrayal
By PasifiKStaR
Author's Note: It seems to be dragging on and on...When will it end? Maybe next chapter? I HOPE. I feel that this is a filler chapter. I made it up as I went along, so if it makes no sense, please feel free to email me with questions. Thank you for your support this far! I really appreciate it! Much love, everyone!!
All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.
"That's good to hear," Rinoa sighed happily. She tiredly put her legs over her cot and sat up. She smiled as she patted the area next to her on the cot. "Have a seat. Are you sure you're okay?" Rinoa looked up at Quistis and frowned slightly. "You don't look completely well. Are you sure it's okay for you to be up and about?"
"I'm all right, Rinoa," Quistis said with a slight smile on her face. "I just wanted to check up on you."
Rinoa laughed slightly as Quistis sat down next to her. "I should be the one checking up on you. You're the one that fainted."
"It's all right. I was...well taken care of."
Rinoa smirked. "So...Seifer was there huh?"
"Of course." Quistis said with a dark smile. Rinoa studied her long time friend's face and her smirk slowly disappeared.
She raised her hand and placed it against Quistis' forehead. "Quisty..." she said in a worried tone. Her brown eyes landed on the blonde's blue ones, noting their glassy, empty look - something unnatural to the fiery woman.
"Don't worry about me," Quistis assured her calmly. Her own slender hands rose and cupped Rinoa's face. "I was worried about you," Quistis said, a strange tone in her voice. Rinoa's eyes narrowed slightly as the pressure from Quistis' hands grew heavier.
"Quisty...Quistis...ow...you're squeezing my face...!" Rinoa gasped. Quistis merely turned her face roughly towards her and continued to smile.
"Oh yes..." Quistis smiled. "You're still her..."
"Quistis!" Rinoa gasped. "What are you talking about! AH! Stop it! You're hurting me!"
"Just relax, Rinoa," Quistis said, her voice heavy and almost soothing. Rinoa's squinted eyes were locked with Quistis' blue ones. She watched, hypnotized, as sapphire eyes slowly flooded with a thick, smoky garnet color. "All I need is you...you want me to get better, right?"
Rinoa nodded her head absent mindedly. "Of...of course, Quisty..."
"You're my best friend, aren't you?" Quistis cooed. Rinoa nodded once her more as her eyes turned hazy.
"Yes, Quisty..."
"Then just stay still for a little while..." Quistis held Rinoa's jaw firmly in front of her and leaned forward. Rinoa was lost in Quistis' eyes, her body completely frozen. A stern tug pulled Rinoa's mouth open and Quistis opened her own ruby lips.
Squall's feet kicked up dirt as he slid to a stop in front of Rinoa's tent. He grabbed the material of Rinoa's tent and threw it open. "Rinoa!"
He froze in his spot as paper flew past him. His eyes widened as his heart stopped in his chest. His thick bangs flew around his face, carried by the wind that circulated insanely within Rinoa's tent. And in the center, floating on her back with her arms dangling at her sides, was Rinoa, clad in her Care Bear pajama pants and tank top. Her head seemed to rest unattached to her body as it tilted at a strange angle. Her face was turned towards a seemingly familiar blonde.
Behind Squall, Seifer skid to a stop behind him and nearly shoved him aside as he arrived. "Quistis!" he shouted as he stumbled in. His emerald eyes grew large as he saw the professor hovering three inches off the ground. Her long strands of blond hair had fallen from it's usual bun and was now coiling wildly around her like Medusa's snake filled hair.
Her hands were holding Rinoa's face towards her as the younger woman's blank eyes stared up into hers. Soft pink lips were parted as a nearly transparent white smoke floated out of her mouth and into the awaiting mouth of Quistis.
Selphie entered the tent, her own eyes growing large before screaming. Her shrill scream cut through the senses of the sorceress and Quistis whirled her head around. Seifer swore as he recoiled and stared in fascinated horror as his beloved's beautiful placid blue eyes were replaced with a swirling mess of crystal blood.
Ruby lips pulled back to reveal pearl white fangs as Quistis pulled her hands from Rinoa's head and hissed viciously at the trio at the door. "Quistis!" Selphie cried out in horror. Her eyes were automatically drawn to Quistis'. All of a sudden, her heart began to race as sweat matted her forehead. Large, dilated emerald eyes rimmed with tears as Selphie's legs gave out beneath her.
"Quistis, what are you doing!?" Squall growled as he stepped forward.
Quistis let out a screech as her hands mutated into claws beside her. Long, slender fingers turned into sharp, pointed ones. She swiped at Squall, making the brunette stumble back against Seifer. Seeing her opportunity, the possessed Quistis jumped into the air, tearing a slit at the top of Rinoa's tent. A second later Rinoa's suspended body fell to the ground.
The cyclone like wind that circled the tent died down as Squall dove to catch Rinoa before her fragile body slammed into the ground. She fell into his arms as he slid down beneath her. Her eyes were still wide open, staring blankly into space.
"Quistis!" Seifer was screaming. He was outside, frantically trying to find where the other young woman had gone.
Selphie was a puddle by the entry way. Her eyes carried a blank expression as she stared out in front of her. "What's going on!?" voices gasped outside.
"She's back!" Selphie heard Seifer exclaim furiously.
"What!?" Irvine gasped.
"Rinoa!?" Zell asked. "Quistis!?"
"She has Quistis and Rinoa's...Hyne, I don't know WHAT happened to her!" Seifer shouted. The flap to the tent flew open as Zell dashed in with Irvine stumbling behind him. Both males almost tripped over Selphie.
Zell's eyes immediately fell on the figures on the ground in the center of the tent. Squall held Rinoa against him, almost like a safety blanket as he stroked her bare arm. "What happened...?" Zell whispered.
Irvine looked down at Selphie and knelt down next to her. "Selphie? Selphie...hey, darling?" he asked softly. Selphie had an unreadable expression on her face as tears streamed down her pale cheeks. "Selphie...?"
"What's going on...?" Selphie gasped out quietly. Irvine's eyes softened as she turned to look at him, looking completely vulnerable.
His arms wrapped around her tiny shoulders and pulled her against his broad chest as her fingers reached out and clung on to his shirt. "Selphie..." Irvine began, not really sure how to begin.
"I don't know what's going on..." Selphie gasped out, on the verge of sobbing. "But...but..." she began to stammer as her lips trembled. Slowly, her words escaped her mouth in short gasps. "That...wasn't...Quisty..."
"Darling...I..." Irvine began, but paused. He turned to Zell and Squall for help.
Squall's head was downcast, burying itself in the crook of Rinoa's neck. His shoulders rose slightly as he took a deep breath. "Take Selphie to her room," he said, his voice hitting Irvine straight on. The auburn haired cowboy turned to him. "Tell her EVERYTHING."
Irvine narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure?"
"EVERYTHING, Irvine!" Squall growled as his head shot up and blue eyes glared at him menacingly. "NOW!"
"Right!" Irvine shot up from where he was kneeling and gently helped Selphie up. "C'mon, darling...I'll tell you everything, okay?"
Selphie nodded, but pulled back as Irvine tried to lead her away from the tent. "What about Rinoa and Quistis?" Selphie whimpered as sniffled.
Irvine's face was twisted in pain as he tried to find an answer for her. "We'll take care of them," Zell assured her as he put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry," he said with reassuring smile. "They'll be all right."
Selphie sniffled and looked back at Rinoa. The young woman laid limply in Squall's arms. Her chest was rising and falling ever so slightly, assuring Selphie that she was still alive. The green eyed brunette nodded slightly. Silently, she looked up at Irvine and allowed her to be lead out of the tent.
Zell looked back at Squall. "Squall-"
"Laguna should be getting here any day now," Squall said sternly. "He's bringing something that will help. Until then, go make sure Seifer doesn't do anything stupid like try to run off."
Zell nodded quietly and turned around. As he exited the tent, Squall heard another man's footsteps and then Zell's voice. "Where are you going?"
"Where the hell do you think I'm going, chicken-wuss!" Seifer growled. "I'm going after Quistis!"
"You don't even know where she went!" Zell gasped.
"I don't care! I'll find her-"
"Seifer, don't be stupid!" Zell argued. "You can't run after her now-"
"Why not!?" Seifer shouted. "She's out there! Alone! Possessed by some mad sorceress! I need to find her-"
"Do you know who you sound like!?" Zell countered. "You sound like Squall!"
"What are you talking about!?" Seifer growled. "I don't have time for this-"
"He said the exact same thing you just said when Rinoa was possessed and went missing! And I'm going to tell you exactly what we told him that night!" Zell said. "Don't be fucking stupid."
From within the tent, Squall could hear Seifer's heavy breathing as he tried to figure out what to do. Finally, Seifer let out a swear and Squall heard him stomp away. Zell let out a heavy sigh of relief. He listened to Zell leave the area and Squall closed his eyes.
He pressed his head against Rinoa's neck and slowly listened to her steady heart beat. Carefully, he stood up and lifted her up with him. Squall was about to place her back on her bed, but stopped. He stopped, rethinking it, and he carried the limp woman out of the tent. As he stepped outside, the tent the last rays of sun light vanished in the horizon.
He looked down at the woman in his arms and continued on his way up to his tent.
Quistis' hand slammed into the halls of one of the fallen buildings in the ruins. Her body was a chaotic pool where two souls battled it out for supremacy. Tears stung her blue eyes as the thought of her body being used as a tool in some evil creature's attempt to kill one of her best friends.
"I'm not trying to kill her..." a smooth voice said. "Just gain the power within her."
"Lair!" Quistis shouted out loud. "That WILL kill her!"
"That's just a side effect..." Quistis closed her eyes and leaned back heavily against the stone wall. Ultimecia was getting stronger. She KNEW it. Ever since she watched through her own eyes as Ultimecia trapped Rinoa in a trance and began to take away that...that haze from her.
Quistis had no idea what it was, but she knew that with each passing second and with each inch of that smoke that entered her, she was getting more and more powerful. Perhaps not her, but Ultimecia. It was a warm energy that flooded her body as her senses grew more and more sharp. Yet, the mere thought of it within her struck her with fear. It wasn't RIGHT. It was if she had stolen a part of Rinoa herself.
What do you mean AS IF? she thought to herself. "You DID steal part of her!"
"I must return..." Ultimecia said, her voice echoing in Quistis' head. The young blond woman grasped her head tightly.
"Get out of my head!" she screamed furiously as she leaned forward, still holding her head. "Now! Get out! Get OUT!!"
"I'm not going anywhere," Ultimecia snorted from within. "Not until I gain the gifted child's powers."
"Why do you NEED them!?" Quistis practically sobbed as she felt herself near the verge of insanity. "You're a damn sorceress!"
"Foolish young Queen," Ultimecia snapped, almost as if annoyed by Quistis' complaints. "You claim to be the wisest one, but you understand nothing. A sorceress amasses her power through the potential powers of others. That gifted child has long dormant powers that would never have been put to use! It sickens me that such high levels of magic could be wasted away on some whiny girl."
"She is NOT whiny!" Quistis hissed. "She is my BEST FRIEND! You monster!" Quistis tilted her head back as her body shook with fury. "You nearly killed her! You USED me to do so - I can never go back there again!"
Suddenly, Quistis felt as if her body had been shocked with electricity. She let out a cry of anguish as Ultimecia easily took control of her body. "Listen to me, young Queen. I control you now. You have NO power, understand? And I WILL use you to gain that girl's power."
"No..." Quistis gasped. She focused all her energy into retaking her body, but could barely get her head to turn from side to side. "I won't help you. I'll DIE before I help you!"
Malicious laughter flooded her mind as Quistis inwardly winced. "Go ahead and KILL yourself!" Ultimecia urged. "It'll only allow me to take complete control over your pathetic body," she scoffed and Quistis abandoned all thoughts of death. At least this way, she had SOME control over her body. "When I entered that other girl the first time, I killed her on contact. She easily became my puppet. Do not think that I would not do the same to you."
"They'll stop you," Quistis stammered. She tried to sound as convincing as possible despite having no idea what she was talking about. She felt her body crumple to the ground against the wall as Ultimecia let her regain some control. But Quistis was weak. She felt as if she had spent the entire day working non-stop. "They'll come for you," she insisted. "And they'll get rid of you...like the first time."
"The FIRST time?" Ultimecia snorted once more. "The first time they did nothing but hold me back. I was destined to return! I merely gave that other girl too little credit before and I shall not make the same mistake again."
"What do you mean?" Quistis gasped. "Squall killed you!"
"That SQUALL you speak of killed his own lover!" Ultimecia laughed. "I gave the skinny twit too little credit and she was able to gain control of her corpse for a split second. A second enough for her lover to descend upon her with his own blade."
"He didn't WANT to kill her! He was after you!" Quistis gasped.
"But she had control of her body at the time..." Ultimecia laughed. "Imagine the trauma the little temple warrior would succumb to had he realized it."
Quistis narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. "He didn't kill her," she said in a slow, drawn out voice. She remembered Rinoa's words. "He merely set her free."
"Call it what you will," Ultimecia said. "But I will return for her once more. Once the powers I drew from her are settled..."
"You seriously believe that she will be there alone? Unguarded?" Quistis retaliated back. "Don't be naive..."
"Naive..." the woman laughed once more, each shrill sound cutting through Quistis like a knife. "There is someone there who will do anything to get you back."
Quistis' eyes went wide. Seifer!? she thought of immediately. Her heart began to beat rapidly with a mere thought of the arrogant blond man.
"Oh yes, my dear...and don't think I can't hear you. I know everything, remember?" the voice reminded her. "I could see it in his eyes. He'd do anything for you. Even hand over Rinoa."
"No..." Quistis gasped, trying to convince herself. "He wouldn't. He knows that I wouldn't want him to!"
"All I have to do is offer an exchange. He gives Rinoa, and I take her powers and give you back to him."
"No!" Quistis shouted. "Seifer...he wouldn't..."
"You'd be surprised what people will do for the ones they love," Ultimecia told her coolly. "Love, at times... is a more powerful tool than hate can ever be."
"How...how is she doing?" Selphie's shaken voice cut through Zell's pensive posture. He looked up with surprised blue eyes as the young woman who was formerly his cousin looked down at him. Her eyes were red and puffy, a sign that she had been crying quite badly.
He looked over his shoulder at the flap of Squall's tent and nodded. "I think so."
"Where's Squall?" Selphie piped.
Zell took a deep breath. "He went to talk to Seifer a little while ago...after Rinoa woke up."
"She's awake!?" Selphie gasped. Before Zell could stop her, Selphie dashed into the tent. She pulled the flap aside and looked around. There, sitting slumped over in Squall's cot, was Rinoa. Her eyes stared vacantly at her hands in front of her as an army green blanket rested at her waist. Selphie swallowed nervously and approached her. "Rin...?"
Brown eyes turned to meet her and automatically rimmed with tears. "Selphie..." Rinoa whimpered softly. "I'm so sorry..."
Selphie's lower lips trembled as she ran up to Rinoa and dove into the cot with her, wrapping her skinny arms around Rinoa's frame. Almost instantaneously, both girls burst into tears and outside, Zell winced as he heard their wailing.
He looked over towards Seifer's tent down the path and watched as Irvine walked in casually. Zell himself had been assigned by Squall to watch over Rinoa just in case Ultimecia came back.
Inside Seifer's tent, Irvine walked in to find both men locked in an intense gaze as they stood a little bit away from each other. Seifer looked absolutely furious as Squall stood there looking cold. Irvine looked at them both warily and made an assumption as to what was happening.
Seifer's eyes narrowed. "You of all people should understand me right now." the blond growled in a low voice.
"And you should understand WHY I'm stopping you from going," Squall retorted. "Do you really think you'll stand a chance against Ultimecia?"
"I need to find out where Quistis is," Seifer insisted. "I just need to know that she's all right-"
"She is all right!" Squall snapped. "It's not the same as Rinoa. Quistis didn't die the moment Ultimecia entered her! Quistis is still ALIVE!"
"I'm glad she is but what about her soul, Squall?" Seifer asked bitterly. "What about THAT, huh? How do I know that Ultimecia hasn't torn her spirit apart!?"
"Seifer, shut up!" Irvine cried out, exasperated. The two men looked over at cowboy who threw his hat on the ground, annoyed. "This isn't the time!"
"What the hell do you know!?" Seifer growled back, this time lashing out at Irvine. "You're not the one who just lost your lover AGAIN!"
"I just had to sit through three hours of Selphie in tears!" Irvine growled back. "Do you think that I enjoyed THAT!?"
"Enough!" Squall shouted angrily, gaining him the attention of both Irvine and Seifer. The three men looked at each other. "Seifer, you're not going anywhere. We both know that Ultimecia is going to come back. Whether we want her to or not!"
Seifer's shoulders heaved as he took in anger filled breaths. "Fine."
"And Irvine..." Squall took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. "How is Selphie?"
Irvine eyed Seifer once more before turning to Squall. He bent down and swept up his hat in his hands before answering. "I told her everything. She's with Rinoa right now."
Squall nodded. "Good...Fujin and Raijin will be here soon with what they found out. Laguna will be arriving with the equipment we need."
Irvine took a deep breath and offered a smile. "Great. Can't wait to get my hands on it."
"We won't be blowing anything up," Seifer said, rolling his eyes. "Magic negating equipment, right?"
"Right," Squall said. "Now...Seifer, I know it will be HARD for you, but sit your ass here. Irvine, come with me to the research tent."
"I'll bring Selphie," Irvine said. "She knows her way around the tent."
"She knows how to get to the tablets, too, right?" Squall asked as he headed out of the tent. Irvine followed after him. Before the flap fell, Squall looked inside once more to make sure Seifer was staying. The blond fell back on his bed and covered his face with his arm.
"Yeah," Irvine replied ahead of him. They walked up the path way to Squall's tent. Zell was sitting outside, his own eyes red and rimming with tears. Irvine raised an eyebrow as they approached him. "What happened to you?"
Zell sniffled and rubbed his eyes. "Nothing!" he insisted. "I just got some sand in my eyes!"
Irvine and Squall exchanged looks as they headed for the flap. Squall gently tapped his hand on the entry flap of the tent. "Rin...?"
"Come in..." a raspy voice said. Squall and Irvine pushed aside the flap and stepped inside. Rinoa and Selphie were both sitting on the cot. On Selphie's lap was a box of tissue and both their eyes were puffy and red.
"Hey, darlings," Irvine offered as he entered the tent behind Squall and removed his hat. "Are you ladies all right?"
"Yeah..." Rinoa sniffled. "We just had a talk."
"I hope Zell wasn't bothered by it," Selphie sniffled as she rubbed her nose with a tissue. "We were kind of loud."
"I'm sure he's fine." Squall sighed. He looked over at Irvine, as if telling him to get Selphie. The cowboy nodded and put his hat back on his head.
"Selphie, darlin', I know it's been a lot, but do you think you can lend us a hand?" Irvine asked smoothly. "We need your guidance in the research tent."
Selphie nodded. "Of course," she said. She crumpled up her tissue and looked over at Rinoa. "Are you going to be okay, Rinoa?"
Rinoa nodded. "I'll be fine, Selph," she insisted. "Just go help them. I can help, too-"
"No, you will sit here and not move," Squall told her sternly. Rinoa cracked a small smile and nodded. The brown haired male looked at the other two. "I'll meet you two in the research tent."
Irvine nodded and casually gave Rinoa a wink as he put his arm around Selphie and lead her out of the room. Squall followed after them and Rinoa could hear him talking to Zell in a low voice. Zell nodded and said he would be back in a few minutes. Then she heard him get up off the stool he had been sitting on and walk away.
A second later, Squall re-entered the tent and closed the flap. He turned to Rinoa and approached her slowly. Before he had a chance to talk, Rinoa spoke "She'll be back for me, won't she?" she asked in a shaky voice.
Squall took a sharp breath and nodded. His eyes turned away from her. "Yes..." he told her hesitantly. "I don't know when."
Rinoa's eyes fell and she closed them. She took a deep breath and raised her head to look at Squall. "And Quistis?"
"Quistis is still alive as far as we know," Squall told her truthfully. "We're trying to find out a way to get Quistis back without hurting her."
Rinoa nodded slightly. Her hands reached out and wrapped themselves over his callused ones. "What if it were me, Squall?" Rinoa asked quietly. She bit her lower lip. "What if Ultimecia came back and she wanted me?"
"She does want you, Rinoa," Squall admitted. "Remember what I told you earlier? How she was trying to get to your...powers."
Rinoa shook her head. "But WHAT powers?" she nearly sobbed out. Tears began to fall from her eyes as frustration was written all over her face. "I don't HAVE any powers, Squall! I'm just a normal girl!"
Squall shook his head. "No, Rinoa," he told her softly as his hands squeezed hers. "You're not just a normal girl. You have these...dormant powers inside of you. Even as an immortal you had them, but you just never utilized them. That is what Ultimecia is after."
"Then why is she hurting Quistis?" Rinoa pleaded.
"Because Quistis got the ring that sealed Ultimecia away before you did. So Ultimecia slipped inside of Quistis and is now using Quistis' body to get to you," Squall explained. "Honestly, I don't know if she's going to drain your magic or trying to instill herself inside of you and later abandon Quistis' body as her host."
Rinoa looked away, her breathing shallow. "It's not fair, Squall..." she murmured quietly. "Quistis never did anything to anyone. Why is she doing this to her?"
"I don't know, Rin," he answered. "But we'll get her back..." he soothed as he raised one hand and caressed the side of her face gently. "We'll get her back and save you and everyone."
Rinoa nodded, although she didn't know how they would. "What should I do?"
"Just...just stay here," Squall told her, also unsure of how they would accomplish their task. For Rinoa, they thought they could handle it. But with this twist in the story, they didn't know what to expect. "I'll have Zell stand watch. We'll be in the research tent."
Rinoa nodded and Squall kissed her forehead softly as he pulled away. She watched as he left and looked down at her finger where a silver ring rested. She closed her eyes and held her hand against her chest, thanking the divine that she was alive.
She could still feel Ultimecia slowly sucking away her energy, as if she was being drained of life itself. But for some reason, she knew it was moving along slowly. She thought that Ultimecia would've been able to absorb all her magic soon, but the transfer was painfully slow. As she looked at the ring, she rubbed it. It might not protect me like Squall wants... she thought to herself as she laid back out on the bed. But it's still doing it's job.
He turned in bed roughly as he kicked off his blanket. It suddenly seemed that the cold desert night had turned into the scorching desert day. Grumbling, his eyes flew open and he looked up around him. Immediately, green eyes went wide as they set their sights on to the velvet darkness of the night.
"What the..." Seifer sat up straight in bed and looked around. His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to make sense of the area around him. He could've sworn that he had fallen asleep inside his tent. The first thing he assumed was that Zell and Irvine had once again tag teamed him in some sort of sick practical joke. However, looking around, he couldn't see his tent, let alone the camp anywhere.
He sat up and walked in a little circle, his mind whirling with conclusions, but ultimately deciding that it was a dream. Groaning, he fell back down on his bed, only to land back first into a pile of sand.
"What the fuck is all of this!?" Seifer yelled furiously into the air as he lifted up both hands and allowed sand to fall between his fingers. He was no in the mood for some strange dream.
"Seifer...!" a voice called out. His eyes narrowed as his ears perked at the sound of his name being called by a familiar voice. "Seifer, help me!"
His eyes widened slightly as he stood up. Suddenly, he felt cold all over as the heat that had awoken him disappeared. His heart began to beat quickly as he recognized the female voice calling him. "Quistis!?" he shouted into the darkness of the desert.
He turned around, trying desperately to locate the voice. "Seifer, help me!"
"Quistis!" he shouted. "Where are you!?"
"Help me, Seifer!" He turned and saw a faint figure of the beautiful blond standing there. His eyes widened as he watched her raise her slender arm up at him. "Seifer, please! I'm so scared!"
"Quistis!" Seifer gasped. He took off towards the shadow, reaching out towards in her vain. She began to float backwards, her golden bangs trailing before her face as she was pulled away from him. "Quistis, wait! Where are you!? Come back!"
"Help me, Seifer!" a voice sounded around her as he watched her nearly transparent face contort with sadness.
"Quistis!" he called desperately. "Dammit, woman! Slow down!"
"Seifer!" her voice gasped suddenly. Seifer came to a grinding halt as he nearly ran into her transparent figure. "Seifer, she has me! She won't let me go!"
"Don't worry, Quistis, we'll get you out!"
"She said that she won't let me out unless she gets Rinoa!" Quistis told him tearfully. Seifer's eyes narrowed.
"Is she going to come after her again?" he asked frantically. "Tell me! I need to know!"
"I don't know!" Quistis gasped. She shook her head from side to side as she looked at her hands. They were growing more and more transparent by the second. "Seifer, she's going to kill me if she doesn't get Rinoa!"
"WHAT!?" Seifer gasped. "But...no!"
"Seifer, help me, please!" Quistis begged. "You're the only one I can trust now. You're my only hope."
"Quistis..." Seifer mumbled. "Are you asking me to...?" Seifer trailed off, not sure if he even believed her.
"It's the only way to get me back, she said," Quistis sobbed. Her shadowy figured looked at him with forlorn blue eyes. "I barely figured out what happened between us..." she whispered. "I don't want to loose it all yet."
Seifer felt his face heat up as he reached out to touch Quistis. The moment his hand reached her shoulder, it went directly through her and Quistis let out a muffled sob. "Quisty...I..."
"I have to go!" Quistis gasped. "She'll wake up soon, Seifer," she said as she looked over her shoulder, as if expecting Ultimecia to materialize there and kill her on the spot. "She'll be furious when she finds out that I came to you in your dre-"
Suddenly, Quistis' form was pulled back violently, almost as if she had been shoved aside. Her eyes went wide before they rolled back and then in place of her placid blue orbs came vacant ones tinted with red.
"Quistis!" Seifer shouted.
"Quistis isn't HERE anymore." Ultimecia hissed. Seifer recoiled as Quistis' shadow grew in size. A hand reached down towards Seifer, long pointed fingers were ready to dig into his body as he raised his arms and let out a yell.
Seifer sat up straight in bed, his hair matted down against his pale face with sweat. Beads of salty liquid fell down his temples as he took deep, uneven breaths. He swallowed hard and looked around his tent. His eyes fell down to his lap and then to his hands at his side. His fingers coiled around the blanket at his waist beneath his bare stomach.
He raised one hand slowly, as if imagining that just a few moments ago, there was sand there. He looked around his tent one more as his heart beat struggled to calm down. The walls of his tent were there and not a single thing was out of place from within.
His green eyes narrowed as threw his legs over the side of the cot and sat up. He leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees as he ran his hands through his hair. Seifer shook his head. "This can't be happening..." he breathed tiredly. "Quistis would never ask me to...Rinoa's her friend..."
He closed his eyes, Quistis' hauntingly terrified voice echoed in his mind. She was begging him to save her. Seifer stood up roughly and tossed his blanket aside. He grabbed a pair of pants that were hanging over the back of his chair and put them on, not even bothering to fasten the belt as they slung around his hips.
Seifer opened the flap of tent and stepped outside. The chill night air pinched his skin as one booted foot stepped outside the confides of the tent. He looked around the camp, noting at how still it was. He took one more step.
A flash of silver in the moonlight made him stop just in time. Another millimeter and his head would've been cut off. Gritting his teeth he followed the length of the glimmering blade to it's revolver handle and to the man who was holding him back.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Squall spat out.
Seifer's eyes flashed anger as he lifted his head up slightly. "For a walk," Seifer retorted proudly. "I'm not going to go after Quistis if that's what you're afraid of."
"Forgive me if I don't trust you to." Squall told him coolly.
Seifer snorted and shook his head. "You can follow me if you want. I was just going to go for a walk in the ruins. You should know how it feels..." his eyes landed squarely on Squall's. "To want to get your mind off of things."
Squall's ice blue eyes were narrowed. With one swift movement, the gunblade was down. Seifer raised his bare hand and rubbed his throat. "Don't go past the ruins." Squall warned.
Seifer gave him a superior smirk. "Don't worry about me, Puberty Boy. I'm not about to do something stupid." He calmly walked past Squall while the blue eyed brunette kept a cautious gaze on him.
Rinoa had woken up abruptly and turned into a stiff piece of wood next to Squall. He had already been awake and asked her what was wrong. She began to breath in shallow breaths and demanded that Squall go see Seifer. She KNEW that Ultimecia was close. She was positive that Ultimecia was somewhere close.
Squall had refused to leave her side, but she said that she didn't feel herself under any threat. But was, for some reason, concerned about Seifer. Assuming, she had enough contact with Ultimecia to know her way of thinking, Squall hesitantly left her alone.
As he reached Seifer's tent, he heard the blond mumbling Quistis' name over and over. Almost desperately. Then he heard him get up. Squall closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he silently prayed that everything would be all right. Seifer's head disappeared down the path and Squall turned to head back to his tent.
"Squall?" Rinoa said quietly. Squall jerked his head back and frowned.
"Rinoa, what are you doing out of bed?" he scolded gently. "Go and get some rest-"
"Squall, I need to go to the research tent." Rinoa told him suddenly. He narrowed his eyes and shook his head.
"Rinoa, it's late-"
"Squall, I need to find out something!" Rinoa insisted. She watched as his worried expression turned tired. "This...this power inside of me...I need to know what it is. I can't just sit here and wait for her to come and get me. I need to know what's inside of me."
"Rinoa, I can't answer that for you-" Squall began, but Rinoa cut him off as she took another step forward.
"I'm not asking you to hold up a diagram and give me a lecture on the magic burning inside of me," she snapped stubbornly. "I just want you to come with me to the research tent so I can see if there are any records of magic in Centra."
"Rinoa, Centra was a city of immortals," Squall sighed. "It was a city that floated in the sky like heaven itself. Of course there was magic-"
"Then let me find out what it is!" Rinoa insisted. "Maybe I can find something to help," she stammered out. "Maybe...maybe I can find a way to get Quistis back without hurting her or...or even sacrificing myself."
"Rinoa, I've spent a decade awake looking for a way to keep you alive when we defeat Ultimecia!" Squall exclaimed. "And even then the plans weren't flawless! Now things have gone completely hay wire. What makes you think that a few hours of research will get you the answers you need?!"
Immediately, Squall regretted his harsh words as Rinoa's eyes welded up in tears. She took a deep breath as she glared at him. "Because..." she hissed in a low voice as she walked past him. "Because I NEED to."
Squall's eyes were down cast as he shook his head. "Let's go."
Seifer finally got off the fallen pillar he had been sitting on. He watched the sunset peaking through the horizon for a few moments before he stood up and headed back. Each step he took was heavy with burden as he walked up the stairs. All he could think about was Quistis begging him in his dream. Her terrified face streaked with tears burned a hole in his heart as he reached the camp.
Could he really bring himself to give Rinoa in exchange for Quistis? To do so would be to betray Squall, a life long friend. He couldn't understand it. Even when Quistis was killed by Ultimecia, using Rinoa's own hands, he didn't hold any animosity towards her. She was a victim, just like Quistis and Selphie. But now, Rinoa was the key to getting Quistis back.
As he saw the tents ahead of him, his mind wandered to another thought. WAS Quistis really asking him to trade her best friend's life for hers? If she was, it wouldn't make any sense. Quistis would die before asking Rinoa to lay down her life for her. Seifer closed his eyes as his head began to pulse with a headache. Annoyed, he trekked up the rest of the hill.
He looked around and the lights in the research tent on. As he approached it, he saw Squall sitting on a chair, his arms crossed and looking wary of everything around him. Seifer walked up the wooden steps to the research tent and Squall looked up from where he was sitting.
Seifer gave him a smirk. "I thought you'd be happy to see me seeing as how I didn't run away." Seifer said with a grin.
Squall merely turned his head to the side. "Whatever."
Seifer followed his gaze to Rinoa. The young woman was sitting at a work desk, her shoulders hunched over as a heavy book was placed in front of her. From what Seifer could tell, the book was extremely old. It's pages were almost falling apart, but Rinoa was not hindered by them. She merely, continued to read the old ancient text as if she were a child caught up in reading a fairy tale.
"Got anything for head aches?" Seifer asked Squall suddenly. The brunette looked up at him and nodded.
"What? Did you go out and get drunk?" Squall retorted. He got up and headed towards the back of the room where he kept some of his supplies.
"Rinoa," Seifer said as casually as he could. "What are you reading?"
"I'm looking for a way to save Quistis," Rinoa said sternly. Seifer felt his heart being stabbed. She turned around to look at him, her eyes matching the worry in his. "I'm worried about her, too, Seifer. Ultimecia is after me, not Quistis. I won't let her do anything to Quistis again," She winced slightly at the word and Seifer guessed that she already knew what had happened in her previous life. Rinoa closed her eyes tightly to try and repress the tears. "I'll save Quistis."
Her voice was shaking, but filled with conviction. Seifer watched as she turned her back to him and continued to concentrate on what she was reading. From the corner of his eye, he saw something white flying towards him and turned just in time to catch a small white container of pills.
Squall sat back at his desk and Seifer took out two pills. He put the bottle on the counter and gave the remaining couple one last look before he left. He tossed back the pills and paused at the bottom of the steps. He turned around and headed back up.
"She came to me last night!" he exclaimed suddenly. Squall looked up at him and Rinoa whirled around, looking interested. Seifer looked directly at Rinoa. "Quistis came to me in my dream..." he told her breathlessly.
Rinoa's eyes went wide. "What did she say?" she encouraged.
Seifer looked from Squall to Rinoa. "She said that she can...that Ultimecia will let her go if..." he paused and looked down at the ground. "If you're willing to...meet with Ultimecia."
"Meet with her!?" Squall growled.
"Wait!" Rinoa said before Squall could accuse Seifer of becoming a traitor. "All I have to do is meet with Ultimecia?"
Seifer slowly nodded his head and lifted it up to look at her. "Ultimecia might try to get you, but...if we act fast enough, she won't be able to."
Rinoa looked at Squall, who was shaking his head. "That's too dangerous." he stated simply.
"She said it was the only way!" Seifer gasped out.
"Squall!" Rinoa added, turning to him. "Please, give this a shot!"
"Rinoa, it's obviously a trap!" Squall said. "She's using Seifer to get to you-"
"I don't CARE if it's a trap!" Rinoa said. "I want Quistis back! And Seifer has a point - if we act fast enough, she shouldn't get me, right!?"
Squall closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. "I don't know...we've never dealt with something like this before-"
"Squall," Rinoa pleaded as she knelt down in front of him. "I'm not asking to go alone. All I'm asking is a chance to get my best friend back. She'd do the same for me, Squall..."
Squall stared into Rinoa's chocolate eyes for a long moment. Slowly, he turned his head away. "Find out all you can about your powers," he said in a low voice. "We'll find a way to keep Ultimecia away from you."
Rinoa let out a breath of relief. "Thank you-"
"Don't thank me," Squall said as he stood up angrily. He glared at Seifer, as if blaming him for putting Rinoa in danger. "Let's go." he hissed.
Seifer nodded and followed Squall outside. Without another word, Rinoa returned to her books. After they were out of the research tent's hearing, Seifer looked over at Squall. "I'm surprised you let her-"
Before Seifer had a chance to finish his sentence, Squall whirled around. Seifer didn't even see the black leather gloved fist coming as it slammed into his face.