(A/N: I'm sorry about not updating after receiving 4 reviews. I went to the doctor to get a regular yearly check up and I walked out with bad news. I have scoliosis. I was in a state of depression for a while, but my dad cheered me up. Maybe I can get through this... I just hope I don't grow up to be a Hunchback. TT )

Written by Edgar Allen Poe
 From childhood's hour I have not been

As others were; I have not seen

As others saw; I could not bring

My passions from a common spring.

From the same source I have not taken

My sorrow; I could not awaken

My heart to joy at the same tone;

And all I loved, I loved alone.

Then - in my childhood, in the dawn

Of a most stormy life - was drawn

From every depth of good and ill

The mystery which binds me still:

From the torrent, or the fountain,

From the red cliff of the mountain,

From the sun that round me rolled

In its autumn tint of gold,

From the lightning in the sky

As it passed me flying by,

From the thunder and the storm,

And the cloud that took the form

(When the rest of Heaven was blue)

Of a demon in my view.

It was like an image from a movie.

Time was ticking as his hind legs pushed him along.

He darted through the creepy woods, so fast, he could hear the quiet "swoosh" sound.

He smacked the branches of the trees, he crushed the dry leaves, he snapped the desolate twigs and killed the young flower buds on the ground.

All he could think about was her.

The captivating moon, so bright as its heavenly glow let it flamboyantly stand out in the dark night.

It sailed gradually through the deep, dark blue waves of the sky.

He hoped that she was okay.

Seifer Almasy was not one to depend on another, however, now, more than ever,

He needed God.

Memories flooded back into her mind as she lay against Squall.

Quistis could only wish that she could help him.

"I guess nightmares really do come true." She patted him lightly.

He quietly whined, like a lost puppy yearning to run back into its owner's arm.

He had to undergo pain nobody should endure.

A strident bang interrupted her thoughts as, through the thick smoky haze that lingered in the air, the metal door was torn off.

"Quistis..."

Squall perked his ears and picked up his head, full of consciousness.

Quistis stood, searching, seeking who it was. "...Seifer?!" she exclaimed.

Seifer began to approach her hastily, too hastily.

Squall took pose like a watch dog and threatened Seifer with a bloodcurdling roar.

Seifer drew Hyperion towards Squall. Quistis blocked him.

"What the hell are you doing woman?"

"Don't you touch him!"

Seifer rammed her out of his path.

Bad move.

Squall, infuriated, raised his bear like hand and slashed Seifer with his sharp claws.

Quistis gapped at the ghastly spectacle.

Another door opened and slammed shut.

Footsteps.

Someone was coming.

Quistis kneeled beside Seifer.

Blood oozed out of his wounded skin.

She scrunched her face at the scene.

It was truly horrific.

Yet, she needed to hide he and she.

Quistis dragged his body behind a large machine and concealed their presense.

Renato entered the room and immediately grinned.

"Excellent. Perfect. WONDERful!" he shouted enthusiastically as he noticed blood on the floor.

'But where is the body?' he wondered.

His grin slowly faded as he perceived the blood stain leading behind the large machine.

Renato snarled and angrily cursed under his breathe.

"That Bitch! That fucking whore! I bet she dragged the body behind the B- machine. Damn her. I told her never to step foot in here! This is MY laboratory!!!" he growled.

Quistis's eyes widened as she saw that he was heading behind the large machine.

And...it was too late.

Renato grabbed her neck and glared at her with revulsion.

"How? How are you alive?!....Forget it. That weak thing couldn't do it, I'll kill you myself!"

His fingers tightly wrapped around her pale neck and little by little took her breathe away.

'If only I could reach...Seifer's gunblade.....' she thought as he strangled her.

Quistis, using all force, dug her nails into his hands.

He yelped in pain and stumbled backward, giving her enough time to obtain the Gunblade and direct fire toward him.

Renato was going to be the victim now.

He made her suffer 6 months.

6 long months of anguish,

of depression,

of metal pain.

She narrowed her eyes as a tears escaped.

Renato smirked, trying to fool her as if he were not scared.

"My dear, what are you doing? You don't want to kill me. You'd never want to kill me. Now d-don't be silly. Put that weapon down."

It was now Quistis's time to smirk as she placed her index finger upon the trigger.

"Bye." She said coolly.

--BANG--

Renato fell to his knees as blood crept from the hole in his head.

Quistis dropped the gunblade in astonishment.

"R-Rinoa?!"

Rinoa stood at the door with a shotgun in hand, she was smiling crazily.

"Happy to see me Quistis?"

Quistis couldn't take her hands away from her mouth as she gawked at the nauseating picture.

He laid be forth her, lifeless.

The crimson liquid draped upon her grey nightgown.

"H-how could you?"

Rinoa took leisurely paced steps, ready to tell all.

"Did you think I was going to be his toy? He knew I wasn't worth trusting. So I decided to carry out my plan and kill him before he could stop me. It's only too soon before all of the blood is drained from this creature. And with it..."

Rinoa looked up towards the machine.

"We will create the ultimate race."

Quistis shook her head, she was flabbergasted.

"You're such a fool. Everyone is. I outsmarted you all and now...it's too late. The humans will be wiped out, the Werewolves will be too."

She pointed the gun at Quistis, ready to fire.

"I never liked you. That's why I took Squall away. And I know what you're thinking. I'm a bitch. Maybe I am, perhaps not. I'm a smart bitch. And maybe you were smart enough to have figured out I tricked them all."

Quistis couldn't control herself as she shed tears. "How could you?! How could you murder your own friends?! How could you betray us?! How could do this to them, to me...to him???" she looked towards Squall, he was dying in front of them, his blood flowing into the machine from the wires.

Rinoa slapped Quistis.

A red hand mark was printed on her pale cheeks.

"Ree-al-lee-tee check Trepe. I wasn't who you think I was. Oh, and do you want to know another little secret, slut? I killed Edea too. Funny, I actually was beginning to like her. But, I couldn't let that old hag stand in my way. I had a mission, I was to complete it. Now..."

Rinoa pressed the gun barrel at Quistis's chest, "Goodbye forever...You stupid bitch." She smirked.

"Wrong."

Rinoa swirled around as Seifer shot her in the chest.

She collapsed beside Renato.

The dead couple.

Quistis was so relieved to see him she tightly embraced him.

He shoved her back. "Now is not the time for celebration, we have to destroy that thing." He informed her.

Unexpectedly the lights turned on and flickered crazily.

The loud speaker then announced repeatedly, "WARNING. BUILDING WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN 1 MINUTES"

Quistis pulled on the sleeve of Seifer's trench coat, "We have to get the hell out of here!" she hollered.

Seifer tried to pull away from her grip, "Not until we destroy this thing!" he retorted and slashed and stabbed the machine.

No prevail.

"Seifer!"

LS: "WARNING. BUILDING WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN 30 SECONDS"

Quistis finally stepped in front of him as a blockade, "NOW!" she tried to shout over the loud speaker.

He gazed into her eyes hesitantly.

"It will be destroyed along with the rest of the building!" she assured him.

"You can't be to sure about that." He strived to drive her away.

"That's a risk you'll have to take!"

He didn't stop.

"I thought you were a risk taker?!"

"I'm not the same anymore." He continued to attempt to thrash the machine.

"SEIFER!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

LS:"WARNING. BUILDING WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN 15 SECONDS"

Seifer stopped.

"Please..." she pleaded.

He lowered Hyperion and the two exited the Mansion into the murky woods, only hoping that the machine would be destroyed.

Rinoa's body squirmed.

LS: "WARNING. BUILDING WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN 5 SECONDS COUNTDOWN—FIVE...FOUR...THREE...TWO...ONE!"

The the bulbs shattered, the lights burned out and the machine shut down.

"....heh heh heh." She weakly laughed as she used the wall to support her up.

"Like I said. I'm too smart for everyone. Who would've thought of a "fake self-destruct"? Ha! Like I'd destroy my creations, MY work." She sauntered over Renato's body, gave it a light kick and spat at him.

"I'll just have to burry this son of a bitch and get my work back on track. I've gone too far to give up now." She cakled.

------Sorry, people. My back is killing me and I have to wake up at 7:00 in the morning to go take Gymnastics for my problem.... If I get at least 6 reviews, then I'll update. Is that fair?