Mythology
Chapter Fourteen: Immortal Tears
By PasifiKStaR
Author's Note: Beware of momentary RinoaxQuistis kiss. It's confusing and mostly rambling, I'm sorry about that. It's long and boring, but I tried. And now...the (sort of, but not really) climax...
All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.
"Sis...I can't go to sleep..." Squall yawned tiredly as he rubbed his eye and walked into the palace bedroom that his 'sister' occupied.
A young Ellone looked up from her bed, where she was laying on her stomach reading a story book. She smiled slightly as she saw Squall stand by the door way, looking quite sleepy despite his accusation. "What's wrong, Squall?" she asked softly. "Are you having a nightmare?"
"Close." Squall replied with a yawn.
Ellone frowned. "Is Seifer's over night party not doing well?" Ellone asked. The young woman, whose precise guardianship belonged to one Emperor of Esthar, had been staying at the Centran palace for a year. Her special gifts were being cultivated by the greatest minds of all of Centra under the patronage of King Cid.
On that night, the young Prince Seifer, a orphan adopted by King Cid and his wife Queen Edea, had a birthday party that had lasted that whole day. At night, his closest friends would stay over with him at the palace before going on a day trip around the lower, otherwise known as mortal, Centra below the massive immortal city.
Seifer had just turned eight and considered himself an adult compared to his seven year old friends. Except for perhaps Irvine, the first born son of one of the famed Centran Janissaries. But that night, they should have been all in Seifer's room. Instead, Squall was standing at her door way.
"Seifer is making Zell cry and Irvine keeps talking about the girl he kissed in the stables yesterday. I can't get any sleep." He explained.
Ellone nodded. "Why don't I come over and tell you all a story?"
Squall seemed to think for a while before nodding in agreement. The other boys seemed to respect Ellone just as much as he did. The little girl reached over for her light blue over robe and put them over her sleeping attire before slipping into some sandals and following the young boy out of the room.
They went down the hall to the other end, where Seifer's massive bedroom was. Inside, she could hear Zell's cries of anguish, Seifer's taunting, Irvine's chattering, and the occasional 'ya know' from a young Raijin. Ellone didn't bother knocking, she just pushed one of the larger doors open and stepped in. "Sis!" Fujin cried out. The only girl of the group and a niece of the Queen's, rushed over and hugged the older girl around the waist. "Too loud!" she said, pointing to the little boys she had joined.
Ellone sighed tiredly. "No wonder you couldn't get any sleep..." she said, looking over at Squall, who nodded in his plain white sleeping shirt and shorts. She looked back at the group. Seifer was standing on his bed, dressed in bright red sleeping attire while Zell in a black and red shirt and shorts was sitting at the foot of the bed, gripping a pillow and seemingly aiming it at Seifer's head.
Irvine was dressed in what looked like clothes from the military barracks' night wear and Raijin was sitting next to him on a large floor pillow, dressed in similar clothes. Fujin herself was also dressed like them, having opted for their 'cooler' boys' clothes than her stuffy night gown.
"Sis!" Irvine said, throwing her a casual wink. "What brings you to the party!?"
"Sis, Seifer's being a...a...a poop head!" Zell shouted at the same time.
"What!?" Seifer growled. "I am YOUR PRINCE!" he yelled before swinging and pillow at Zell.
"SIS!!!" Zell cried.
"Enough!" Ellone shouted. "Get into your sleeping bags! I'm going to tell you a story!"
"Cool, ya know!" Raijin shouted as he scrambled for his military issued sleeping bag.
"What!?" Seifer protested. He wrinkled his nose as he fell back against his bed. Zell, Irvine, Squall, and Fujin all got into their sleeping bags and in Fujin's case, a small portable bed. "WHY!? I was having fun making chicken-wuss cry!"
"Poop head!" Zell yelled back.
Ellone ran her hand down her face. "Your highness, please sit," Ellone told him. "Just listen patiently to my story. If you like it, you will go to sleep after it is told."
"And if we don't?" Seifer challenged proudly while still crawling into bed.
"Then you can continue on with whatever you were doing," she informed him. Seifer seemed to think it over and nodded his head in agreement. "Excellent. Now...what should I tell you?"
"Action!" Zell shouted.
"Adventure!" Irvine and Raijin chorused.
"With crazy people!" Seifer added energetically. Ellone rolled her eyes as Squall shot Seifer an annoyed look.
"Just let sis tell the story!" he snapped.
"Fine..." Seifer snorted. "Ellone! You have my royal permission to continue with your story. Commence with the tale!"
He is going to be a very corny young man... Ellone mulled over. She shook her head and looked over the group. "Once upon a time, in a far away land where immortals were said to have originated, there was young, beautiful woman..."
"Whoo-hoo! Ladies!" Irvine grinned.
"SHUT UP!" a chorus of voices yelled. Ellone smirked and chuckled.
"She was a very special young woman for she had magical abilities. As she grew older, her abilities became more and more powerful, but she could not control them. Afraid that she would be taken away or feared as a monster, she hid her powers...
"We found a few things in Deling City on the sorceress, ya know," Raijin said as he laid out some notes that he had Fujin had diligently transcribed. "We had to get special access to certain files, ya know. There were some scrolls and tablets we couldn't even touch with our bare hands, ya know."
"Strict guidelines." Fujin added.
"I see..." Kiros nodded. "So what do you have so far?"
"Well, there seems to be some sort of limiter that the sorceress has to bond with in order to control her powers, ya know," Raijin explained. "The oldest things we could get our hands on said that the limiter has to have a bond with the sorceress, ya know."
"Why?" Laguna asked as he peered over the table at the papers.
"Because then the limiter has access to her mind and can help control the chaos, ya know." Raijin added.
"Why?" Laguna persisted.
"Because the sorceress' mind in chaotic. It's what makes her insane." Kiros explained.
Laguna nodded and paused. He looked from the notes back up to the group of five standing across the table. Kiros was rubbing his chin as Ward loomed in the corner. Seifer was going over the notes with Raijin and Fujin. Laguna tilted his head. "Why?"
"Because she can't control her powers. That's why she's crazy." Kiros sighed.
Laguna nodded and paused once more. "Why-"
"We don't KNOW why!" Seifer exclaimed tiredly. "IF we KNEW why she couldn't control her powers, she wouldn't be insane and trying to kill those girls!" He slammed his hands on the table and glared across the table. "Does that answer your question!?"
Laguna seemed to shrink back slightly and winced. He swallowed nervously and allowed his eyes to dart across the table. "Um...actually, I wanted to know why it's taking Squall and the others so long to check on Rinoa..."
Seifer nearly fell backwards. "You've got to be kidding me..." he mumbled.
"You have a point, Laguna," Kiros agreed as he perked his head up and looked out the door. "Irvine's tent shouldn't be too far. It shouldn't be taking them this long."
"You think they might be in trouble!?" Laguna gasped. "Let's go-!"
"Hold it!" Seifer barked, making Laguna stop before he could rush outside. "Give them a few more minutes. I'm sure that everything is fine-"
"Rinoa's been taken!" a huffing voice shouted outside. Seifer's head dropped.
"It just keeps getting WORSE and WORSE..." he grumbled. He jerked his head up and tossed down the pencil he was holding angrily on the table as he walked around Ward and headed towards the exit of the tent. Behind him, the others abandoned their notes and followed.
Zell was running up the path way, with a gasping Irvine behind him, and Squall quickly passing the both of them. Zell looked like he was in panic as Irvine looked up worriedly at the group. Squall carried a cold look on his face as tight lips frowned.
"What happened?" Fujin said, a displeased look on her face. From their looks, she could already tell what had happened. Irvine had gone with Rinoa, Zell and Squall went to get them, Rinoa had been captured.
"We went into the ruins," Irvine said, solidifying Fujin's assumptions. "Rinoa wanted to try to sense where the sorceress was and out of no where, she was...DRAGGED into the city!" Irvine stammered. His eyebrows knitted in frustration as he tried to find the words the describe the ordeal. "She was still all of a sudden and then it was like someone grabbed her and dragged her into the ruins!"
"Then what are you three doing here!?" Laguna gasped, his eyes wide. "We should be down there trying to save them!" he insisted. He took a step forward, but Kiros held him back knowingly.
"The ruins are being shielded by magic," Squall said as he rushed into the tent, nearly knocking over Zell, who had run in before him. He immediately headed for the corner that had been designated as his field clinic. "We can't get in."
"Magic?" Seifer snorted. "Shit! How the hell are we going to get through!?"
"Are you forgetting what I am?" Squall spat out as he knelt down over a large chest and unlatched it. He lifted up the lid and began to dig through the packages of medical equipment to a small black box underneath it all.
Irvine squinted as he entered the tent. "Squall, are you serious? You haven't done that in centuries!"
"What if you're too weak to do it?" Zell added. "Or you forgot!?"
"It's not something you forget," Squall replied as he took out the box and placed it on the table. He unlocked it quickly and looked at it's contents for a moment. "...I never thought I'd use these again."
"Holy magic?" Laguna asked. He looked up at Squall hesitantly. "You learned at the temple?"
Squall didn't reply as he slammed the box and put it under his arm. He grabbed his gunblade and headed out the door. "Irvine, go over what you found out with Selphie with them then you and Zell can come down to the ruins!" Squall ordered.
Irvine nodded and looked over at Raijin and Fujin. "I have something to tell you guys. I think you'll find it quite interesting."
"Wait a second!" Seifer shouted suddenly, stopping Squall from continuing on. The brunette turned around and glared at the blond for holding him up. Seifer jogged down the step, a black gun blade gripped tightly in his hands. "Think I'd let you go and play hero without me?" he smirked.
"Well, I've always done it better." Squall replied coolly. Without another word, the two men ran back down the path, leaving several people by the research tent.
Fujin immediately looked over at Irvine. "What info?" she nearly demanded.
Irvine took a deep breath. "Ever heard of a sorceress' knight?"
"You mean these two?" Rinoa twitched at the mocking tone that Ultimecia's voice carried as she spoke. "You're free to do as you wish with them once the exchange has been made."
"Exchange?" Rinoa asked, her eyes narrowed as she stood there.
"You friends for your body," Ultimecia explain. She smiled sinisterly, twisting Quistis' usually elegant smile into a sneer. "I'll even let you live this time."
"What makes you think that I'll actually give myself up? You've killed me once before. How can I be sure that you won't do it again?" Rinoa asked bitterly.
"Call it an insurance measure," the sorceress smirked. "As long as you live inside the body that I control, I doubt your knight in shining armor is will have the gall to kill your body as he did all those centuries ago."
Rinoa's eyes narrowed. "So I'm just a safety precaution for you..." she hissed. "You underestimate me. I won't let you control me again."
"You have strong gifts, I will not lie to you," Ultimecia admitted. "However..." Glowing red eyes coasted up Rinoa's body, studying her every inch and making her shiver under their gaze. "You can give a boy a sword, but that doesn't mean he knows how to wield it."
"Why are you doing this?" Rinoa snapped suddenly. "Why the hell are you doing all of this!? What the hell is wrong with you!?"
"Me?"
"We never did ANYTHING to you!" Rinoa hissed as she took a step forward. "All you cause is wonton destruction! Even if you do you possess me, you won't get away with it! I'm still mortal through and through! My body will age and you won't have a tool forever!"
"Is that what you think?" Ultimecia laughed. "My dear...you are very much immortal. As long as you are not killed by another immortal, you will live. Your aging will all but cease. As a matter of fact...you will be my immortal weapon."
"No!" Rinoa screamed. "Lair! I'm not immortal! I'm mortal! I'm not what you think I am-"
"An immortal soul born into a mortal body is enough to make them immortal, do you understand?" the sorceress asked coolly. "You cannot escape me. Anywhere you hide, I will find you. I will keep jumping from host to host until I find you. They will die because you choose to run from me. Is that what you want? To be the cause of all these needless deaths?"
"You're one to talk!" Rinoa snapped. "You're the cause of all this! You want to use my body and destroy the world!"
Chuckling developed in the woman's voice. Soon, laughter echoed through the walls and pillars of the room, shaking Rinoa's core. "I don't want to destroy the world," Ultimecia explained. "I want to control it. Shape it. Change it. Look around you and all you find is hate. So much hate for what is different. Wars are started amongst groups. Blood is shed because someone looks different from another. Children are killed because someone acts different from another...I'm not going to destroy the world. I'm going to CHANGE it."
Rinoa's eyes narrowed. "You're insane..."
"There is a place long before Esthar and long before Centra," Ultimecia continued with her story, as if lost in a distant memory. "Where immortals once lived in peace. All immortals were equal and there was no hierarchy in this utopia. And then one day...a girl showed evidence of breaking the balance. She had certain...powers...Powers that made her different from everyone else..."
She tried so hard to hide her powers. For the sake of herself and her family. But people found out. The other immortals discovered her powers. Many grew jealous and wanted the powers for themselves. At first, she tried to deny her gifts, but soon found that it was futile to. Then the eventful day came when she and her mother were attacked by immortals jealous of her gifts.
Fear and panic spread through her body, alarming her to no end. Her mother was dragged away, kicking and screaming as she tried to call the attention off her daughter. At last, the angry immortals silenced her mother. Before her very eyes, one immortal had killed another. Horrified at first, she quickly grew angry. Without warning she unleashed her powers and destroyed the immortals who had attacked them.
Word soon spread of the gifted immortal's powers and how she had used them to kill other immortals. Fear spread through the immortal populace. Soon, she could no longer set foot into the hamlet where she used to go through freely. Instead, she found herself hidden in a secluded home in the hills. But being a free spirit, she could not lock herself away forever and eventually ventured outside.
She thought that perhaps the other immortals did not know that she had been attacked. Or that her attackers had killed her mother. Or that she did not mean to kill them, but she could not control herself. Sadly, her thoughts were crushed as she was shunned by the other immortals. Children threw things at her and taunted her as she walked through the streets of what used to be her home.
Women whispered behind closed doors with each other as men watched her warily. Nasty names were applied to her as she made her way through. She couldn't go through with it any more and returned home in tears. Her only family left, her younger brother, tried to comfort her. He knew that she did not mean to hurt anyone.
He took it upon himself to try to speak to the other immortals and clear his sister's name. One day, he went out of the house to fulfill his idealistic thoughts. Hours passed and she began to grow worried, believing that he could be hurt somewhere. As the sun set in the distant horizon, she heard chanting. She looked out her window and saw a mob of immortals walking towards her house.
She sensed blood lust in the air and quickly vacated her home. As she ran into the woods, she turned her head to look behind her. Her home was set a blaze by a mob of hateful immortals. Tears in her eyes, she whirled around and headed for the village, hoping to find her brother.
As she ran through the empty streets in the bright moonlight, she found herself alone in the town square. Her eyes zoned into a figure in the center of the square, a top a wooden platform. She stopped. Her heart stopped. A frail body of a skinny little boy hung mercilessly. His shoeless feet and tattered clothes, a sign that he had been beaten before hand. His body floated a few feet off the platform as a silken cord around his neck kept him suspended.
They had killed her brother.
An innocent boy intent only on helping his elder sister had been hung. Silently, she walked up the wooden platform and raised her hands. She untied her brother's frail body and allowed him to fall into her arms. He was so thin... he couldn't have died immediately. He must've suffered as he slowly felt his body give out. They were afraid that he carried the same power and would destroy them all, so they had killed him. They had no proof, yet they had killed him. Because SHE Was different.
The immortals soon returned and were met with the young woman clutching her dead brother's body against her. That night, that immortal town was destroyed by a single chaotic blast. The young woman, haunted with the deaths of so many and over powered with her abilities, sunk into insanity. For centuries, she wandered the Gaia, destroying all those she deemed hateful...
"For centuries, I wandered this world removing all those who were impure..." Ultimecia ended, her eyes glimmering an almost animalistic light. "So many...but so many were impure. I HAD to. For my brother...for my mother..."
Rinoa shook her head. "You can't...they deserved to live...they deserved to LIVE!" she cried out painfully. "You're not Hyne! You can't decide who lives and who dies!"
"But I HAD to..." Ultimecia continued. "I couldn't rest...I can't rest."
"No!" Rinoa screamed. "No, you don't understand! No one is perfect! I'm not saying that everyone is good, but not everyone is evil!"
"No one loves any more...all hate..." Ultimecia blabbered on.
"No!"
"You've seen what hate can do..." Ultimecia smiled at Rinoa, as if the girl were agreeing with her. "Now, come to me..." Ultimecia extended her hand and Rinoa felt her body being drawn forward. She resisted and tried to squirm, but the grasp around her was too strong. "All I need is your body as a host and this world can be changed."
Rinoa looked over at Selphie's body. It seemed to be growing weaker by the second. She looked over Quistis' body and winced. I...I can't let them die...
"All I wanted was for them to accept me," Ultimecia said as she stood up and brought Rinoa face to face. "I just wanted someone to love me...regardless of what I was."
Quistis' cold hands gripped Rinoa's chin firmly in place. Rinoa's eyes went wide open as her mouth was tugged open and another's was placed directly on top of hers.
"What the hell are you doing?" Seifer asked as his narrowed green eyes looked down at Squall disdainfully. The brunette was sitting on the ground, writing something with his finger into sand in front of him.
"It's a magical barrier...I need something to break it..." Squall explained dully. Obviously...what does he think I'm doing? Making a damn sand castle?
"And you're making a sand castle because...?" Seifer asked, trailing off.
Hyne, you're an idiot... Squall thought silently. He narrowed his eyes and pulled out a bottle from the box next to him. He took out a marble bowl and poured out the bottle's contents before setting it on fire. Seifer jumped back as Squall seemed to revert into the temple attendant he once was.
There he goes again...mumbling and praying...mumbling and praying... Seifer thought to himself. He leaned over and picked up a rock. Without a second thought, he threw it at ruins and winced as it hit the barrier, sending shocks of magic flying out. He looked over at Squall. "Hurry up!" he demanded. "Quistis is in there and we don't have time for you to chant out a whole sermon!"
Squall grabbed the gunblade at his side just as Seifer finished with one hand and the bowl of flamingly liquid in the other. He stepped towards the barrier and with a swift move spread the dark liquid over the barrier. Seifer's eyes went wide as he watched as the liquid seemed to spread over the entire barrier dome over the city.
He could see flashes of magic being diluted like rice paper in water. Squall picked up another rock and tossed it into the ruins. Seifer waited to see if it would bounce back, but saw it go straight through. "Let's go." Squall stated as he rushed in.
Seifer ran in after him. "What the hell was that!?"
"Potion."
"What did they teach you at that temple!?"
"If you ever paid attention, you would know." Squall retorted.
Seifer snorted and looked ahead of them. "Where the hell are we going!?"
"Irvine said that Rinoa was taken to the palace!" Squall said. As he ran forward, Seifer began to notice the surrounding area.
"Squall! Look around!" Seifer shouted. Squall hesitated, but did a quick scan with his eyes as he ran. His heart nearly froze as he noticed that the buildings were all standing once more, clean and neat as the day they were opened. "What the hell is going on!?"
"I don't understand..." Squall said as they ran. Both of them looked around cautiously, unsure why the ruins had been resurrected. "She tried to destroy this before! Why is she bringing it back!?"
"Impossible..." Seifer mumbled. "It's like nothing ever happened!"
"We're getting closer!" Squall continued. "The buildings are more and more intact as we reach the palace!"
"Think we'll have some problems getting to her?" Seifer asked as they ran through the fallen gates of the palace walls.
"No..." Squall said with a cold voice. "With that much power, she doesn't need protection."
The two men ran up the path, barely allowing the ornate resurrected gardens to register as they headed for the main doors. They ran past the working fountain in the front courtyard just before running up the stone steps. The main doors were open ahead of them, having been left that way from when Rinoa first entered.
They flew threw the doors and stopped in the massive foyer. "Where now!?" Seifer gasped as he looked around wildly.
Squall looked around, his heart pounding in his chest. Irvine hadn't told him any more details. "Rinoa..." he whispered quietly. Rinoa! Where are you!? his mind screamed.
SQUALL! His eyes went wide as he turned his head and looked directly ahead of him. Blood pumped in his veins as his heart raced. He could've sworn he heard her voice, but didn't stop to think much into it.
"The ball room!" Squall shouted as he dashed forward. Seifer quickly followed. Heavy doors were closed before them and Squall lifted his gunblade as he approached it. "RINOA!!"
"The limiter..." Irvine said as he put the papers down and looked at the people around the table with him.
"Is the knight!" Everyone chorused.
"But..." Laguna gasped. "But how!? How do they know? How do they bond? You can't force a bond!"
"He's right," Kiros agreed. "Raijin, what does it say about the previous bonds of earlier sorceress' knights?"
"All it says is that he gave his life to her and that a mental, emotion, and spiritual bond was created between knight and sorceress, ya know," Raijin said. "There aren't any details, ya know."
"The stories!" Zell exclaimed as he leaned over to grab another pile of papers to look over it. "What do they say?"
Irvine snatched the papers from Zell and quickly found the passage that had been highlighted by either Raijin of Fujin. "'Until one day, she took the life of a knight. A man who saw through her anger and frustration and to the hurt young woman inside. In an attempt to calm her, she took his life and absorbed his life as a source of power. However, when she felt him inside of her, she suddenly found her anchor.'"
"Anchor?" half the people in the room chorused in confusion.
"Limiter," Fujin clarified. "Limited powers."
"Okay," Irvine said as he put the papers on the desk and looked at the group. "Let's get this straight. In order for a sorceress to regain her insanity, she needs a limiter. The limiter is basically her knight, of whom she has a bond with."
"Affirmative." Fujin agreed.
"This is great, but how the hell are we going to get a damn knight!?" Irvine growled, frustrated. He looked around and grabbed Exeter.
"Hey!" Zell called out. "Where are you going!?"
"We're not finding anything here!" Irvine shouted as he left the tent. Zell ran after him. "I can't sit here any more! I'm going down to the ruins!"
"But Squall said-"
"Screw what Squall said! Selphie is down there and needs me!" Irvine exclaimed at Zell as he turned and looked at the blond. "Now, either you stay here and play Quistis the whole night or we go down there and help them!"
Zell took a deep breath and nodded. "Let's go!"
The heavy doors nearly exploded into scraps as Squall and Seifer burst through, gunblades waving in the air. Dust flew around them as they skidded to a halt and prepared themselves for battle. As the dust settled, Seifer nearly dropped his gunblade as Squall's eyes went wide.
Rinoa's body was limp in the arms of the possessed Quistis. The young blond female's body was hunched over slightly, meeting Rinoa's lips with her own as a powerful soul was transferred from one host to the other. Seifer swallowed nervously. I know I'm not supposed to be feeling this way at this time...but I can't help it... his mind told him.
"Rinoa!" Squall shouted, unsure of what to do. He was suddenly afraid to move. If he did, would that trigger something? Would Ultimecia kill one of the girls?
"What...what are they doing?" Seifer said in a low voice.
Squall suddenly realized what was going on. "No!" he screamed. He ran forward, speeding across the grand ball room, but not fast enough.
Quistis pulled away from Rinoa and let her go, allowing the young brunette's body to crumple to the ground limply. Squall stopped in his tracks half way across the ball room as Quistis stepped past Rinoa's body. The blond was swaying and grasping her head as she stumbled forward. She managed to take five steps before falling to the ground.
"Quistis!" Seifer shouted. He darted ahead, running past Squall, who was trying to be cautious, but eyeing Rinoa the whole time. "Quisty!" Seifer yelled.
"Seifer!" Squall warned as the male blond ran past him. Nothing could stop Seifer as he slid to stop on his knees by Quistis' fallen body.
"Quisty?" he cooed, almost pleadingly. "Quisty, baby...?" Seifer dropped his gunblade at his side as his arms went around Quistis' shoulders and turned her over so her head would look up at him. He frowned as his hands touched her cold hands. "Oh, Hyne..." he gasped out. A shaking hand rose and gently swept back her golden locks from her face before stroking her cold, pale cheek gently.
Squall watched Seifer cradle Quistis' body warily as he walked over to Rinoa. His eyes went down to her and he knelt down. Quietly, he placed his gunblade down next to him as a gloved hand reached forward. Her face was flushed and she looked like she had been worn out. "Rin..." he whispered quietly as he sat down next to her. His arms lifted her into his lap as his hand cupped her heart shaped face gently.
Footsteps rapidly coming down the halls could be heard. "Squall!" a voice echoed in the hall way. "Where the hell are you!?"
It was Irvine's voice, but neither man dared to reply. In a few moments, two men appeared at the doorway of the ball room. "Holy..." Zell said as he looked that the sight before him.
Irvine's eyes immediately zoned into the fallen heap of yellow by the throne. "Selphie!" he exclaimed. He ran past his two friends and the women in their arms as he sped for her. His heart was racing as he dropped his beloved gun in favor of a more precious treasure. He knelt down next to her and immediately scooped up the pale brunette in his arms. "Selphie? Selphie!" he gasped as he gently shook her.
He pressed his head against hers and silently cursed as he felt how cold her body had become. Zell knelt down next to his cousin and the cowboy and gently touched Selphie's hand. "She's ice cold!" the fighter gasped. "Irvine, your jacket!"
Irvine immediately nodded and gently handed Zell Selphie so he could take off his jacket. Seifer had already done the same thing for Quistis and had all but wrapped her in his gray-white coat. Squall narrowed his eyes as he removed one of his gloves and cupped Rinoa's face. Oh shit...
Pink lips slowly curled into a malicious smile as Squall grabbed Lionheart in one hand and scrambled up. Deep laughter began to echo around the room, first quietly and growing louder by the second. Irvine, Zell, and Seifer all looked up and looked around the room warily as Squall narrowed his eyes and looked down at the blue and black clad body.
Red eyes opened and looked directly back at him, red eyes burning into his core. "Miss me?"
"Laguna where are we going!?" Kiros exclaimed.
"We have to tell Squall!" Laguna said as he clutched a machine at his side. "He has to know!"
"Know WHAT!?" Kiros gasped as Ward walked behind them.
Laguna bit his lower lip as he looked into the cloudy sky. Dark clouds were quickly gathering. "He has to know what he is!" Laguna said as he sped up. "He's a knight!"
"Why would Squall be Ultimecia's KNIGHT!?" Kiros asked, frustrated by Laguna's brash actions.
"No!" Laguna said. "Not Ultimecia's! RINOA'S!"
Her body flew up into the vaulted ceilings of the palace as if she had been pulled up by wires. Squall jumped back, his hand whitening as he held his gunblade tightly.
"What the hell!?" Seifer said as he looked up. "Rinoa-"
"Rinoa gladly gave herself up!" Ultimecia's raspy voice echoed around them, making them feel surrounded by her ominous presence. "Isn't that kind of her, young prince? To give up her body in change for THEIR lives? You should be happy!"
Seifer glared at her angrily and guiltily for feeling the tinge of happiness that at the very least Quistis was alive. "Damn you-gack!" His eyes went wide as they looked down. "Quis..." he managed to gasp out as slender fingers gripped his pale neck in a near vice like hold.
"Irvine! Zell!" Squall shouted as he turned his head. "Watch out!" It was too late. Both Irvine and Zell were trapped in Selphie's small hands with the inhuman grip. Her eyes matched the glowing red that was in Quistis' as they awoke as puppets to the sorceress. Squall whirled back up to look at the floating sorceress. "You said you'd let them go!"
"No...I said I would allow them to live. And as you can see..." the sorceress let out a mocking laugh as she waved her hands before her to motion towards the two young woman who were under her control. "They are very much so."
"Squall!" a voice shouted from the door way. Squall looked up and frowned.
"Laguna, get away!" he shouted. Ultimecia in Rinoa's body whirled around and saw the three men approaching.
Her eyes narrowed as she raised her right arm in the air. Energy crackled around her body as it rose and collected at her hand. A javelin was created and sparkled as she hurled it towards them. Laguna and Kiros dove out of the way as Ward swept it to the side with his anchor.
"Squall!" Laguna shouted once again. "A knight! Be a knight!"
"What are you talking about!?" Squall growled. He shot an annoyed glare at his father. "Get out of here!"
"I have no time for you!" Ultimecia shouted as she threw a wave of energy through the air and knocked the three men out of their spots. Squall looked up as she turned around and faced him once more. She smirked. "You'll be glad to know that's she's still alive inside of me..."
Squall's eyes narrowed. "I won't hesitate to kill you again..." he drawled out, knowing where she was going.
She merely laughed and threw her beautiful head back. "I beg to differ..." she chuckled. Squall looked over at his friends. Seifer was turning blue and Zell and Irvine were desperately trying to get out of Selphie's death grip. None of the men could bring themselves to hit or otherwise defend themselves from the women they cared about.
Squall took a deep breath. Be a knight? What the hell is he talking about? his mind screamed. What's so important about being a knight? His eyes went wide. Sis' stories...the sorceress...the knight...damn! What didn't I get it before!? He looked back up at the sorceress before him and took a deep breath. "An exchange!"
The sorceress' eyes narrowed. "What?" Is this a trick?
"Let those men go...let those two women go - alive and out of your power!" Squall insisted. "And I'll gladly give myself up."
She raised an eyebrow and looked at him as if he were insane. "THAT is your bargain? I can kill you right now and get it over with!"
"Then kill me! Just let them go!" Squall said. His eyes narrowed. "After all...I killed you the first time." He watched as her eyes narrowed. He hit a nerve.
She laughed and nodded. "She's struggling inside of me...trying in her own futile effort to over power me," Ultimecia sounded. "A pest at most, but nothing will break her like your death. I'll make a meal out of you... at least you won't have completely gone to waste."
"Then let them go!" Squall yelled. She smirked and waved her hand.
"Ugh..." Quistis' eyes blinked back to blue as she winced. Her eyes closed tightly and Seifer nearly dropped her as he gasped for air.
Behind them, Selphie let out a moan as her hands dropped from the necks of Irvine and Zell. Her eyes rolled back as she fell against Irvine's body once more. Zell looked up at his friend as he gasped for air. "Squall!" he gasped. "Wait!"
The sound of a gunblade hitting the stone floor echoed as Squall's eyes dilated. His mouth was held open by a claw like hand as white smoke was pulled from within and into the body of another. He closed his eyes. I'm coming, Rin...
It was dark. Cold. He could feel the icy chill pricking against his bare skin. He looked around him. Ba-dum...ba-dum... Someone's heart beat echoed around him, faintly at first. He narrowed his eyes and walked towards the sound of the beating heart. His bare feet walked across the expanse of darkness. Then he saw her.
She was crumpled on the floor, her body hunched over as her face was buried in her hands. Her heart beat died down as her sobs replaced them. Squall stopped a few feet behind the girl. Her ivory skin seemed to be illuminated by an unknown light source as her layered locks fell around her face. He could feel his heart begin to ache in his chest as he reached for her.
Suddenly, her head shot up and she stiffened. She whirled around, large brown eyes rimmed with tears. Her pink lips trembled as looked up at him. "I'm sorry..." she whispered.
She began to choke out sobs as she scrambled up and ran to him, mumbling apologies. Squall gladly welcomed her into his arms. He closed his eyes as he caressed her hair softly. "Rinoa..." he whispered intently, glad to have her in his arms...if only for the moment.
"I'm so sorry!" Rinoa sobbed. "I tried, Squall! I really tried!" she told him tearfully. "I thought that I could over power her if...if I trapped her in my body...but...but..." Sobs wracked her body as she leaned against him heavily. "I'm so stupid! I just couldn't take it! I couldn't let them get hurt, Squall! I hurt them before! I took their lives away...I took YOUR life away!"
Squall closed his eyes as he held her tightly against him. "They don't hate you. I don't hate you, Rinoa..." he assured her softly.
Rinoa shook her head. "I can't do anything!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide with terror as she pushed herself away from him. Squall frowned as she stumbled back and clutched her head. "It's like...it's like I'm drowning in a sea of magic! It's all in my body! I can FEEL it!" It seemed to blanket her body, restraining her and letting her free all at the same time.
"Rinoa...calm down-" Squall began as he reached for her. She pulled away and shook her head wildly.
"No!" she screamed. "Why can't I stop it! I'm drowning, Squall! I'm drowning in it!!" she cried, horrified as she fell to her knees. She was grasping her head, as if in immense pain.
The chaos... Squall's mind told him. She can't control her powers... Rinoa was in hysterical tears as she screamed apologies and begged for help.
Rinoa's eyes were shut closed. She was sobbing as hot tears escaped her closed lids. She was being suffocated. Literally drowning in a pool of magic she couldn't control. She wanted it to stop. She wanted it under control. Her arms flew to her sides as she tilted her head back and screamed.
Warm arms wrapped around her body, enveloping her in comfort and security. Her breathing was shallow as she froze. Her eyes were wide as her body stiffened at his touch. Bare, muscular arms rested around her body, holding her close and pressing her back against his chest.
Ba-dum...ba-dum... A comforting sound. Rinoa closed her eyes as her body went limp against him. His heart matched the pace of hers, quickly calming the chaos within. "I'll be here..." Squall whispered in her ear. "Always...I promise."
Pale hands rose and touched the forearms over her body. "I'll always be with you, Squall..." she whispered numbly as she felt his warmth slowly dying.
Squall closed his eyes as he felt his life coming to a close. "At least I got to hold you in my arms one last time..." Squall whispered.
Rinoa's eyes were closed, but she could feel him leaving her. Her hands grasps his arms. "I love you..."
She felt the warmth of his last breath caress her ear as her hands slipped through and fell against her body. She pressed her hands against her heart. She could feel him inside of her, giving her wild heart peace. Rinoa felt her body relax. For the first time in her life, she felt as if she were complete. How ironic... Squall was gone, but she felt him all around her, protecting her.
"He's absorbed into our magic now," a booming voice said, cutting through Rinoa's peace. She didn't need to look up to know who else was there. A shadowy figure, hazy and with glowing red eyes floated in front of her, watching her as she sat on the floor. "As thanks for your body, I allowed him into your mind so that you may have once last chance to see him."
Rinoa's hands slowly turned into fists at her side. "You killed him..."
"Like you, he gladly gave himself up for the others," Ultimecia said. Rinoa could almost feel the elder sorceress smirking at her expense. "Are you ready now? Has his death brought you back into reality? You're under my control now."
Rinoa stood up on shaking legs. Her head was downcast as she stood up. "I'm ready..." Rinoa said in a low voice. Her hands suddenly flew up and wrapped themselves against Ultimecia's slender neck. "So what do you do?" Rinoa asked as she looked up with a devious smile. "Just open your mouth?" A free hand forced Ultimecia's mouth open. "And then what?"
"What are you doing!?" the sorceress yelled out as Rinoa opened her own mouth. "Are you insane!? You'll destroy the body with that much magic in one soul!"
"I'll always be with him," Rinoa said as Ultimecia felt the unbridled burst of energy surround Rinoa. The magic was powerful, yet handled with impeccable control. "That's all that matters now..."
White smoke began to coil out of the elder sorceress' mouth and float into the air, directly into Rinoa's mouth. The smoke began to move faster and faster as the creature's energy was drained. Beneath her finger tips, Rinoa could feel Ultimecia weakening. Her hands held the woman's head in place and her mouth open as the last of the magic was stolen.
The creature that she held in her hand seemed to fade from existence as Rinoa let her go. It's hot... Rinoa thought to herself as she stumbled back tiredly. She blinked as her vision began to blur. It's hot... I'm so hot... She crumpled to the ground in a heap as the suffocating power surrounded her. She found it harder to breath. I need to release the energy...I can't keep it...
She swallowed hard and closed her eyes as tears slid down her flawless cheeks. One last attempt at magic. One last order of her body.