Chapter 3
A cold shiver slid up his spine and he tensed. He snapped his head almost backwards. Slowly, red seemed to seep in from the building behind him. It surrounded them, Squall's azure eyes following. Soon, all conversation ceased. Branches of black mixed in with the red wall around them. Squall began to inch towards his gunblade, fallen on the floor just as Quistis and Irvine fingered their own weapons. The martial artist, instructor and Cowboy stood back to back, looking around cautiously.
Squall was out of the circle but he was just as cautious, just as slow moving as the rest of them in getting Lionheart. Just as Quistis took her gaze off the darkness above them, something dived out from a harsh angle towards the three of them. Clutching his gunblade, he ran at full speed at them.
The thing dived out from such an angle that it came out from the side, not seeing Squall, who was just behind it. Yelling a warning to his friends he jumped up and cut in a circle, spinning around in the air. The first rotation he physically used his left hand to push it away from them. The second turn about the gunblade sliced through its skin leaving a deep cut that oozed black blood. He landed to the other side, from which he came from. He landed smoothly, gliding along the floor just slightly beside his friends. The others quickly gathered their bearings, scanning the monster. To everyone's surprise, that thing was a "Sorceress". Squall closed his eyes and groaned. (Are all sorceresses ugly? Rinoa isn't…wasn't.)
In truth…it was ugly. For one thing, she had no legs. It was a tail, much a like a worm or a snake would have. Except it was multicoloured. Red, brown, blue, green, magenta and purple. They mixed so oddly, it was quite hard on the eyes. The tail held her upright but it seemed half of the time, she was about to tumble over. Her height was fitting for her. She was at least three times Squall's height, with abnormally long magenta arms and big, bulging shoulders that could hardly be called shoulders. The portion where the torso met with the tail was a dark brown color with pink streaks that resembled wings somewhat. Her chest was barely decently covered with blue material that contrasted with her brown skin. She had no hair, and wore a red hood like scarf that covered the neck and back of the head. It traveled down her back. Out the sides of her head were horns the glowed a sickly yellow color. They poked out in a Z shape.
"DAAAAMMMN!" Zell cried out, shaking his head vigorously. "What an ugly bitch!" A low rumble erupted from the "Sorceress".
5
They exchanged incredulous looks. "Did she just say five???" Zell asked, widening his eyes and fidgeting, his gauntleted hands bouncing up and down.
4
"Yeah…she's counting down…" Quistis affirmed, pulling out her whip. Squall shook his head. In his experience, enemies counting down to something are not good.
3
"Irvine," Squall called. "Shoot her," he ordered blandly, narrowing his eyes at her. She just stood still, looking straight at him. A strong shot echoed out, hitting her, pushing her back.
2
Suddenly, Zell ran at her, diving into his forms. The cowboy provided back up with sharp blasts of his shotgun. The instructor cried out from him to come back but to no avail.
1
The sorceress lifted an arm, and a swirl of pitch black and jade green appeared, slowly growing until it swallowed them whole. Quistis' eyes widened at the spell.
Ultima
Squall shut his eyes instinctively, coping with the pain flooding his body. But truthfully, he could easily handle the physical pain that accompanied Ultima. But the pain of seeing Quistis, Zell and Irvine cope with Ultima physically was emotional. He couldn't handle the emotional pain at all. He had to hide. Shield the truth. The pain stopped and he opened his eyes again. Squall was weak. The strain of the magic was something he wasn't used to. At least his muscles weren't. He looked around in horror. On the ground, limp and unmoving, were the people he called his friends. Dead…Quistis, Irvine, Zell…at that moment, he realized they couldn't handle the powerful spell. So he was alone…like he always wanted to be.
I do not have friends…
(Neither do I…at least not anymore…my fault…should have protected them…led them like a real leader…but I never asked to be leader, for everyone to depend on me…I'll get revenge…I will…) Squall tightened his grip on his gunblade and narrowed his eyes at the "sorceress" who was grinning evilly at him. Tauntingly. He snarled and dived into battle. He ran through his forms, slicing furiously. She had no time to react. A thick flow of her lifeblood began to pour out of her many wounds. She let out a cry and fell to the ground. Squall stopped and turned away, panting.
Squall knew that trick like the back of his hand. Play dead then, when the enemy last expects it, jump them. He expected something…but what he didn't expect was her to trip him with her tail and stand with a numbing speed. He landed with his face toward hers. He saw that sickening grin on her face. A large hand reached towards him. Despite his efforts to roll away and jump up, it caught him regardless. That large hand covered him completely. The slight tinge of pink from the exertion of his attack drained away, leaving his skin a sickly pale.
The adrenaline that filled his veins disappeared. All energy and will power was sucked away. He groaned and pulled his head slightly up and looked up at her. Her grin was still there. (Fight back!) Suddenly, she let go of him and he fell to the dark floor. His gunblade lay just 3 feet away from him, just out of his grasp. Squall's azure eyes fluttered as he stretched to grab Lionheart's hilt. He watched as a large red hand came toward him, palm up as if it were going to slap him. (Get up! Stand up!! Move it!!) He braced himself for impact and closed his eyes.
"Rinoa, hold on! I'll get you out in a sec!" Squall shouted through the thick, misty glass. He turned his attention down at the clumps of wires in front of him. "What am I supposed to do!?" He punched the thing in frustration. "Come on!" He shouted at it. He peered up at her. Rinoa's frightened yet surprised eyes watched him. Pulling out his gunblade, Squall gave her a small smile and cuts the wires through and through. A thick mist shot out at him. Instinctively, he covered his face with his arms. Slowly, he let his arms fall down to his sides. At that moment, a dark black flash of hair appeared through the steam. The newly branded sorceress fell into his arms.
"Squall, don't! I'm a sorceress." Rinoa murmured, burying her face into his shoulder. Squall snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.
"I don't care," he whispered simply, into her ear.
Gritting his teeth, Squall pushed himself up, the hand narrowly missing his head. (What now? Oh right…weapon...must get Lionheart.) Slightly unsteadily, he rolled towards his weapon, grabbing it by the hilt. Once his hand closed around it, he felt that urge of adrenaline. That feeling that he could do anything. He stood up, swaying slightly. Tightening his grip around this gunblade, he returned the "Sorceress's" wicked grin. Unintentionally, those blue-grey eyes twinkled as stood in his battle stance, training all his magic to Lionheart. Streams of bright gold light surrounded him.
5
(Go now! Kill her now!! …I can't…after my 'limit break' I'll be weak again…adrenaline gone…gotta make this count.) He stood there still, the lights around him glowing brighter until they exploded. It was then Squall ran into action. Whenever he was weak, he would be able to pull off a special attack almost unintentionally…in fact…he was subconscious most of the time that he did pull off his 'limit break'. As Irvine called it, if your 'crisis' level was high, your 'limit break' would be stronger.
4
The void. Squall saw nothing…he felt nothing. He just concentrated on the void…the darkness surrounding him when he fought alone. When no living person fought by his side. He knew that he was pulling the trigger each time his blade cut through skin. He knew that his limit break would end soon…but would he have enough energy for a finishing move? Violently, he was pulled out of the void. Gone was the nothingness that he revelled in. The calmness. The concentration.
3
He lay on the ground, a large, vertical gash on his left side. Blood flowed out. A problem with the void. Inside there, he didn't pay attention to those other things outside his peripheral vision. He moaned. The pain really began to boil up inside him. He applied pressure to his side with a hand. The "Sorceress" never stopped grinning. Not for a moment did that smile slip.
2
Squall gritted his teeth and pulled himself up with his gunblade. (Stop smiling you bitch!!) He ran towards her, ignoring the blood on his side, the pain stinging his body, the darkness threatening to overcome him. All he had to do was defeat her and he would see Rinoa again. He slashed furiously, not knowing the difference between right and wrong. This powerful form was different than the first one he did. The first one he named 'Renzokuken'. The second. This one, he named 'Lionheart'. He paused in his attack suddenly, the pain unbearable to him. He stayed on his back and slowly he welcomed death…and the peace that came with it. But his enemy was not dead…not yet.
1
He is indeed powerful…
All of them are.
Will it be enough?
We can only hope.
Does he deserve our power?
He does… But he does not have enough. After all, he was unable to defeat...that...thing.
Where is the courage…the bravery?
It is there …you must just look. And you…what do you believe?
All of you see things oddly…do you not? You see the strength they possess. The power manifested inside them. But there is something you do not see…
What is that?
You have watched them throughout his journey… mainly him…but look closer…not at them…at the future.
For once in my very long life I don't know what in Hyne you're talking about.
I AIN'T SURPRISED BRO!
Neither am I bro.
Minotaur, tell your brother to shut up!
Quiet!
…
Good…
now…
As.
I.
Was.
Saying.
It is not a matter of them deserving us…it is a matter of whether we deserve them…
Alexander…just say it simply.
Fine…in simple terms, they will need us to kill Ultimecia. And we need them to live as we are living now.
Oh…I understand.
Right…The Sorceress already threatens our existence… the truth is…is that we need them more than they need us.
How can you say that?!
You know I speak the truth.
I agree…we must lend them our full power if we are to survive, if they are to survive.
It wasn't about testing them in the first place was it?
Yes...and...no…it...was...a...test...for...us.…
So it is decided.
TBC…
Author's Note- I love reviews...and I'm just really thankful I got some for last chapter. Pathetic isn't it? I know this chapter was quite small but it's not that bad is it? No...of course not...
Ahem...anyway, many of you (Pffft.) are probably confused and wondering, what the heck are the voices? Right? Well, you should already know from this chapter. If you still have NO clue I'll tell you next chappie.
Anyway there's one more chapter left before it's all over! So hopefully you'll stay tuned. And remember...REVIEW!!
Author's Shameless Plug- Please, please go read my other fics. Well you don't have to if you don't wanna but it'll make me feel better...::winks::
Anyway, please read my fic Julia. I'm sad that I got no reviews for it...so go! PLEASE GO AND READ!!