The Replica

Chapter 14

A/N: I'm tired....read my fic please, special thanks to everyone who reviews! I love you all.

Voices Within

The library doors banged open, and San-Ria and Zell hurried in, to the end of the room. Books scattered the floor after the earth-rattling crash only hours before. They sat in what ever was left of the chairs, and San-Ria began her story.

"So, tell me, what else did she tell you? What's going on?" Zell inquired anxiously.

"I know for a fact that Gwen is coming back after us, mainly to get rid of Cid and Squall." San-Ria explained. "And probably for me, I wouldn't be surprised." She said, with a hint of anxiety lingering in her voice.

"What else?" Zell encouraged.

"I couldn't tell you, I don't live in her mind." San-Ria explained simply, shrugging her shoulders.

"Can you try contacting her again?"

San-Ria narrowed her eyes, and eyed Zell with an air of suspicion and curiosity. "I-I can try." She took a deep breath and focused herself, erasing everything around her and remaining in a state of nirvana. She concentrated on finding Gwen, as she sed through many connections. But as she reached her destination, she was thrown away from it. She couldn't reach Gwen. It was like she was telepathically blocking her out.

Zell watched San-Ria's expressions curiously, they went from pain to relief to pain again, as if she were destroying some sort of barrier. After a few minutes more of this, she slowly opened her eyes, shaking her head.

"I can't reach her, I think she knows about this, she's blocking me out." She explained, feeling defeat wash over her, as her head sunk into her hands. Zell, being compassionate, patted her shoulder comfortingly. She looked up at the blonde male, with wicked hair.

"Its alright," he reassured, "We can always try later. Come on, let's go check up on Squall." He helped San-Ria to her feet, and they, together returned to the infirmary.

Gwen's face screwed up in pain, as a pang of telepathy hit her headlong. She was in the command centre, no one was present, all others were in the cockpit, manning the flying ship.

She knew exactly where the signal was coming from, and she wasn't going to let her in so easily, not this time. She would inquire her and make her give away more of their precious plans. She had to concentrate on keeping her out . No coubt she was going to try again, and she would, of course be ready.

"Gwen, come here my dearest, you must see the view." Her father beckoned, Gwen sighed and went into the cockpit, where the most beautiful sight met her eyes.

"Wh-Where are we?" The place seemed vague, somewhere at the back of her mind she recognized the place, but not quite at the moment.

"Here to recruit out allies." He replied.

"But we're in...we're in..." Gwen stuttered, realizing the beautiful view of transporters and buildings, all seeming 'crystalline'.

"Yes, Esthar."

"Squall, please, you have to eat something." Rinoa badgered, trying to shove food down the blind commander's throat.

"I-I can't! Not with a wild-woman coming to kill me, and me being blind!" Squall exploded, causing a bowl of peas to go flying from Rinoa's hands. "I can't believe she did this to me, after all I did for her, accepting her into Balamb! I was so blind, so stupid, so dense." Squall folded his arms, a scowl pasted over his lips.

"Squall, baby, don't think that way. You're not dense." Rinoa pleaded, feeling sorry for her traumatized commander, after all he'd been through.

Squall tried his best to calm himself down, for Rinoa, but failed terribly. "Look, Rinoa, I appreciate your help and all, but I'm just so frustrated right now." He put his hands to his head, and took a few deep breaths.

"There, there." Rinoa rubbed his back, soothing his senses.

"When she comes back, you'll be ready for her, Squall!" Selphie called, smiling from ear to ear, though knowing quite well that Squall couldn't see her.

"Yeah, Selphie's right, Squall." Irvine replied coolly, wrapping an arm over Selphie's shoulders.

Squall said nothing to anything his friends had just told them, though deep down, he was grateful for their optimism.

Dr. Kadowaki entered the room, and saw the crowd in Squall's room. At the same moment, Zell and San-Ria entered the room.

"Squall! How ya feeling?" Zell asked, trying his best to be 'perky'.

Squall grunted in reply.

The Doctor didn't seem too pleased about the crowd.

"Alright, now I want all of you out for the night, Squall needs his rest. That means you too Rinoa." Dr. Kadowaki said, herding the group out of the small, cramped room. Rinoa threw a last glance at Squall, who seemed oblivious to the fact that all his companions were leaving him.

"I'll come see you tomorrow." She said, before turning away and walking out the door.

"Sure..." Squall replied softly to no one, before sinking into the feathery bed, and drifting off to sleep.

Squall fell into an uneasy sleep, dreaming of a shadowed figure standing over his bleeding body, his gunblade in the cloaked hands.

"Prepare to die...Leonhart." The low, guttural voice said, raising the gunblade over his head.

With a few blurred glances, he saw his gruesome, dismembered companions, scattered on the ground, laying in pools of blood.

"All dead...all dead..." a soft voice hissed in his ear.

"No...no..." Squall moaned, as he gazed at his dead comrades.

The shadowed figure raised the gunblade over his head and...

"NO!" Squall yelled, as he pushed himself out of bed.

A light flickered on, and Squall heard hurried footsteps.

"What is it Squall?" Dr. Kadowaki's worried voice asked.

"No...is everyone...alive?" he mumbled, realizing it was all a dream.

"Why-Why of course they are. Now I insist, try to get some more rest."

Her footsteps echoed out of the room.

How can she act so casually. I know what it meant...we're going to die. No, I can't let that happen...no...no...Squall pondered as he drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

"She's coming..."San-Ria whispered into the evening. The invigorating scent of battle consumed her sixth sense. The ship was drawing closer to...to...Esthar.

"The Estharians will help...I know it. They sense how powerful they are. Some will refuse, and will be killed on the spot. Others will join out of fear. We muct be ready for anything." She whispered continuously.

"But why?" a soft voice asked.

San-Ria nearly jumped out her skin. She turned and saw Rinoa, standing behind her.

"Why is it that you wish to know?" san-Ria asked coolly, none too pleased about Rinoa's surprise visit.

"I just wasn't to know." She pleaded.

"For Squall's security..." San-Ria turned back to the stars, gazing as they shimmered.

Rinoa didn't respond.

"They want to use the Estharians because of their advance in technology. They have the top brand weapons they could use." San-Ria explained.

"I...see..." Rinoa uttered, nodding her head.

All of a sudden, San grew tense, and stoiod erect, eyes shut, before falling over, somehow, hypnotized.

Rinoa caught her before she fell. "San? San? Are you alright?" she called to her.

What's going on?

She stood on a black tiled floor, it seemed, wet, but not with water, no, something thicker. It stained the walls, the ceiling, clothes. It was blood. Who's blood? She looked to her left and found...Squall, laying there, bleeding to death. She tried walking towards him, but found she was unable to move. Soft voices whispered all around.

"Die already Leonhart..."

"No..." Squall moaned in an anguished voice.

"SQUALL!" Rinoa's voice called. "SQU-"the end of her words were cut off with a piercing shriek, then silence. Squall's face seemed traumatized.

"Yes...gone..." another voice whispered.

It hit San-Ria...

Gwen's victory dream...I'm in Gwen's dream. Oh my...

"Now all we have to do is find Cid." Gwen's voice called from a doorway.

Then...it all went black.

Hello...

San-Ria?

Are you there?

Can you hear me?

It's me, Zell!

And Rinoa!

Hello?

Wake up?

Zell, what are we going to do?

She's been like this for hours now.

Oh I wish she'd wake up.

San-Ria's eyes opened slowly, she found herself in the infirmary, in the glass room next to Squall's, who still remained immobile.

"You're awake!" Dr. Kadowaki cried, rushing in. She poured a warm liquid down her throat, she sputtered.

"What happened?"

She rasped out one word.

"Death"

TBC...

Yeah...sorry for the 'short-ness', but I'm running low on ideas. If you have any suggestions please send them to me! It would be very much appreciated Thanks everyone I LOVE YOU ALL!!!