Ch 17 – A Hunter's End

"Oh shit indeed…" The Heart Zell said, his voice crisp and cool as he tucked his helmet under his arm. "I had received word that you had died during the little scrap you had with the Crisps. I was very, very disappointed."

Zell grinned, masking his uncertainty. "I aim to please. At least I took most of the fuckers with me."

"Quite…" The other Zell said, taking a small step forward. "But I'm glad you're alive and well. I was beginning to doubt that I wouldn't get the chance to test myself against you."

"That's close enough." Squall muttered threateningly, moving forward slowly, his gunblade held out before him. "Set the helmet down on the ground and put your hands on your head." He cocked the hammer of the glowing energy blade back to punctuate the point, the ominous click echoing around the large empty building.

The Heart rolled his baby-blue eyes and looked at Zell with a small smile. "My version is much like him. All business – and no fun."

Suddenly the gunblade in Squall's hands flew up, twisting through the air to slam deep into the roof of the building, knocked out of the Commander's hands by the deft flick of a wrist – as the Heart Zell appeared before Squall, his cape slowly settling behind him. "Unlike my Squall, however, you are weak."

Squall took a step back cautiously, making sure to keep his body between Rinoa and this bastardised version of Zell.

Zell himself whirled around, his mouth gaping. How'd he move so fast without magic? I didn't even see it, and he was right in front of me!!

The other Zell turned, leaving Squall to his own devices, and walked slowly back to Zell. "But I'm not here to fight you…that is, not all of you." He moved over to Zell, approaching the fighter with a look in his eyes – something like curiosity mixed with contempt. "I am here to duel with you – and to deliver a warning." He stopped himself, sighing audibly. "But where are my manners?"

He bowed low, speaking as he righted. "My name is Azel Dincht, Commander of Queen Heartilly's army, and Universal Ambassador for the Heart Army."

Zell kept his guard up as he spoke cautiously. "I'm Zell. Zell Dincht, Grade A SeeD. And I'm feeling a little vulnerable right now, so I think everybody ought to just chill." He said the words as he stole glances all around the room at the various people with magic's charged and ready to blow this impostor out of the universal equation.

"Oh, don't worry about them, Zell." Azel said jovially. "The only person who can come close to my power is you…and Rinoa, but I'm not interested in her right now. Although I do have to say, all of you have displayed impressive amounts of power for such a weak universe." He looked around the room. "And I think, seeing your condition now after hearing of your miraculous escape from Crisp, that this universe will be a good conquest."

"You leave these people alone!!" Trish yelled from the entrance. "What did they do to you?!"

"Well, being alive is a good excuse as anything I suppose…" Azel said evenly – before turning to Zell. "Make sure you leash that dog before she bites off more then she can chew."

Trish was about to retort heatedly before seeing Zell's hand flash up. "Trish, just…stay quiet!"

Zell didn't know what to do. He hadn't expected to run into his alternate self just yet – and after seeing the display he had just shown with Squall, he wasn't so sure about his power-level either. His speed is phenomenal…is it the armour? Either way he seems to want to fight me. Shit, what do I do?

"Thinking wont get you out of this, Zell." Azel muttered, his eyes slitting to stab at Zell. "Do you accept my challenge?"

Okay. Think this through. Why would he want to fight you now? Because he's afraid of you? Or maybe this is just a ruse…is something else going down? "Not until you answer some questions." Zell muttered.

"I thought so…" Azel sighed, placing the helmet on the ground and beginning to undo the clasps of his cape. "If you aren't going to fight me, then you will just have to defend yourself."

Julius stepped forward. "Hey, wait a minute…can't we talk about this?" He asked – before a backhand from Azel sent him flying away into the corner of the room, crashing into the stone and lying still. Veronica shrieked and dropped her staff, running after her lover who didn't move.

Zell's brows crashed down into the bridge of his nose, the snarl forming before the words entered his mind. "Nobody hurts my friends…" He growled, taking up his stance.

"That's more like it, Zell." Azel muttered, tossing his red cloak away – and assuming his position.

*          *            *

Emily grasped Trish's hand and pulled her back. "I think we should not be present when this starts." She muttered coldly, pulling Trish outside.

"Dammit! C'mon Em, Zell's in trouble!" Trish cried, scratching and fighting against Emily's hold.

Emily jerked her violently close and spoke quickly and gruffly. "Listen to me! There are some things you do not interfere with! Now take cover!!"

*          *            *

Inside the building Squall and Rinoa stood a way away from the two warriors, their bodies like statues as they waited for the other to make a move. Squall pulled Rinoa close and whispered in her ear urgently. "Get my gunblade. I'll help Veronica with Julius."

Rinoa nodded curtly, watching as Squall ran to the fallen fist-fighter – before looking up at the shimmering blue blade embedded in the roof. Reaching up and pointing her open hand at the weapon, she focused her mind – and smiled as the weapons slid out of its hold and into her grasp using nothing but a thought.

Squall quickly placed his arm around Julius and hefted him up, supporting his body with his own as Veronica took up the other side, the two SeeDs hauling the unconscious hacker out of the building as quickly as they could, Rinoa following close behind them.

Finally, the two Zell's were alone.

*          *            *

Azel smiled as the silence continued to grow. "Aren't you going to attack?"

Zell grimaced. "Your form is a little hard to predict. Plus, you know, the whole 'face on the other guys head' thing is a little trippy…"

"I suppose it would be…" Azel muttered, suddenly tensing. "But I have seen my face demolished five times now – you will be my sixth!!"

Azel's words penetrated Zell's stony demeanour, and he couldn't help but blink in shock – which was the opportunity Azel had bargained for. Suddenly Azel's tattooed face appeared in Zell's vision, and a vicious explosion of pain erupted from his face as the Heart head butted him, forcing him to stagger back and cry out in pain. Shaking his head to rid himself of the pain, Zell looked down – to watch as Azel appeared before him – simply appear – and bury his fist into Zell's stomach.

Zell's wind was blasted from his lungs, his eyes widening in surprise and agony as the fist suddenly lifted him up off the ground, carrying him up and over Azel's head to be rammed into the ground, the stones crumbling around his back as his body was slammed deep into the rich brown earth.

There were spots dancing in Zell's eyes as Azel continued to push his fist into the SeeD's stomach slowly – before Zell fought back. His hands slashed out – to miss Azel's head by millimetres, Zell's headache punch slamming into the other fist as Azel jumped back out of range.

Taking the opportunity, Zell rolled backwards out of the crater – before feeling something grasp him by his foot. "Ah crap…" He muttered – before Azel picked him up like a rag doll and whipped him back down into the ground, smashing Zell's body into the floor like a person whipping the ground with a limp stick. Zell could do nothing but take the barrage, everything moving too fast, his surroundings a blur as he was lifted from his stony crater once more and slammed back into the ground, creating a new crevasse in the paved floor.

It was the third time that Azel slammed his body into the ground that Zell acted. His vision swimming red and stars dotting everywhere, he strained with all his might to push his feet apart. The iron-clad grip on his ankles loosened slightly, and Zell quickly threw out his left hand, the Fira blowing out in a large gout of flame to surround Azel, the Heart letting Zell go from his loosened grip in the return trip to the ground, Zell barrelling into the floor with painful speed.

Rolling with the landing, Zell jumped to his feet, staggering slightly. Azel's strength was way off the charts – somewhere between impossible and improbable, Zell figured – before he regained enough composure to look up.

Azel stood where he had released Zell, his armour smoking slightly – but looking no worse for the wear. He smiled cheekily as Zell frowned in confusion, trying to comprehend how he had gotten away from a full-on blast of Fira and not be hurt in the slightest. "You'll have to better then that, SeeD." Azel muttered, cricking his neck to the left. "I'll give you this, though – I think you ruffled my hair."

Zell bared his teeth and shook his head, ridding himself of the stars dancing before him and standing, taking his stance once more and beckoning the Heart forward with a stiff wave of the hand. "C'mon!"

Azel narrowed his eyes – before appearing in Zell's vision once more, his body obviously prone for attack. Zell was ready for this, however – and fell backwards, Azel's attack flashing right over his head, the wind current from Azel's gauntleted fist ruffling Zell's hair as the SeeD reached out – and grabbed Azel's face with his own metal-clad fist.

Using his own falling momentum, Zell swung himself around the off-balance Heart, coming up behind him – to slam a fist into the back of the head, the sound of metal connecting with bone sounding sweet to Zell's ears. Azel, however, had managed to bend his head forward at the last second, effectively making Zell's attack only graze the skull. Azel's hand reached up and past his ear, grabbing Zell by his shirt-front and pulling him up and over the Heart, tossing him through the air into the nearest wall.

Zell slammed into the wall with a loud crunch, the marble and concrete exploding when his body made contact. Rebounding off the wall, Zell fell the meter to the floor before being showered by dust and stone.

Shaking his head dustily, Zell looked up – and rolled back just in time, the metallic knee of Azel crushing the ground where Zell's stomach had just been. Coming up in a crouch, Zell lashed his foot out – to miss his doppelganger by mere millimetres as the Heart jumped up and away from his attacker, landing safely a few meters away.

"Interesting…" Azel said, rubbing the back of his head as he watched Zell jump to his feet. "I had forgotten what pain felt like."

"I'll make sure that the re-acquaintance isn't gentle." Zell growled – before tensing his muscles, the red flame shooting up around him flaring briefly – before he exploded from his spot, his battle-cry echoing around the building as he threw his fist out at his duplicate's face.

*          *            *

Outside the others could only listen as the sounds of battle waged on within the building, the foundations of the stony edifice trembling every no and then as someone was slammed into the ground or into a wall. The leaves of the vines wrapped around the building seemed to drop off exceedingly fast as the war raged within, and dust seemed to pour out of every crack.

Squall received his gunblade from Rinoa and crouched down next to Julius, slapping him lightly on the cheek. "We'll re-cooperate, then go back in." He muttered.

Veronica was on the verge of hysteria. "Who was that in there?" She cried, trembling slightly as she held Julius in her arms. "He looked like Zell, but he's not…"

"No." Rinoa muttered. "He's someone else. Someone completely different…"

*          *            *

Within the building, Zell was finding that his work was being cut out for him.

Even with the Haste coursing through his system, feeding his muscle structure and oiling his limbs and making his brain tick into overdrive, he found that Azel was always one step in front of him. A punch to the head was deftly flicked to the side by a lightening-fast deflect, a kick to the mid-section suddenly slapped away. Every move he made was blocked, countered or dodged with precision accuracy, viciousness and almost precognitive interpretation.

He now let out a left-right-up combo, his left fist leading whilst his right swung around for the rebound before his left came around again into an uppercut. There was almost no rebound as Azel captured the left hand and twisted it around, capturing it and pulling Zell's body close. The two fighters were close now, almost close enough to kiss – before Zell deftly head-butted his doppelganger, knocking him out of the hold on Zell and forcing him to take a step back.

Stepping forward, Zell slammed his palms out, both hands hammering into the metallic armour of the double's body – before they erupted into blue electricity, the Thundaga coursing through Azel's body with little resistance, making the Heart jump and twitch with the burning sensation tickling his nerve-endings.

Azel's boot suddenly slashed out, catching Zell in the mid-section and blowing the wind out of him, blasting him away from the Heart with little resistance. Zell flew through the air to slam into a wall once more, ricocheting off the stone and dropping to the floor like a rock, landing on his face in agony.

As Zell clutching his chest and tried to fin the ability to breathe, he felt something grip the back of his shirt. "That burned, Seed…" He heard, bizarrely, his own voice say – before the ground receded and he crashed through the thick stone wall, erupting from the building with a loud crash and smashing through three more stone structures before finally skidding to a stop on the outskirts of the woods.

*          *            *

The SeeDs outside had been listening intently for any sign of an end of the struggle – before Zell's body blew out of the stone wall like a doll being through a house of wooden bricks, stones and dust flying everywhere as Zell tumbled through the air. Trish gasped as she watched Zell's body finally lay still, watching as he didn't move – before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

*          *            *

Zell opened his eyes painfully – to cough up something wet and sticky, the familiar taste of metal entering his mouth. Whatever it was, it was a sign that he wasn't doing too good with the fight – he was going to have to pull off some kick-ass moves now, otherwise he wouldn't make it.

A sound, like smoke being puffed out of a billow, sounded beside him, and he looked up to see Trish crouching next to him, the Blue glow fading rapidly from her eyes. "Are you alright, can you move?"

Zell grimaced and sat up, waving her hand away as she tried to help. "Get out of here. He wont harm you if you don't get in the way." He muttered, wiping the blood from his mouth.

"No. You need help." Trish said forcefully, standing and looking away at the building with the Arch, putting her body between them. "He's going to kill you."

Zell smiled through his pain. "He's not going to kill me, hon. You just see." Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself to his feet, wrapping one arm around his stomach painfully as he did so. "Now you run back to the others and tell them to leave us be."

"Dammit, Zell, you're not immortal!!" Trish cried.

Zell found himself blinking hard, the ability to stand taking a bit more concentration then usual. "He's not going to kill me, Trish. Now get out of here. That's an order."

Trish scowled at him – before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

"Now what was all that about?" Zell heard his voice say behind him, the tone sounding like a parent finding his child squabbling with a sibling.

Zell took in a deep breath – before turning to face his double, which was leaning casually against the nearest tree-trunk with his arms crossed. He didn't seem the least bit tired.

"Just letting the other know how badly I'm kicking your ass…" Zell muttered, snorting out his wind and taking his stance again.

"Very nice." Azel muttered back – before approaching once more.

*          *            *

Trish appeared next to Emily in a puff of smoke and looked down at Squall. "He ordered us not to interfere. He said he was alright."

Squall scowled. "Dammit, Zell, you're going to get yourself killed…"

*          *            *

Back with the Dincht's, it seemed that Zell was beginning to find a pattern to Azel's attacks. That was, all of Azel's attacks connected and inflicted maximum damage, whilst Zell's inflicted almost no damage and barely connected at all.

Offence obviously isn't working, Zell figured as Azel grabbed him by the left arm and twisted it painfully behind his back – so lets play smart.

Zell's left hand was now touching Azel's chest as the Heart reaching for the right shoulder to snap it like a brittle twig, and focusing his energy at the last second, Zell let off a Status magic.

There was a dark flash of purple light behind Zell, before the grip on his hand loosened and he skipped forward and twisted – to watch as the Slow took hold of Azel, quickly atrophying his muscles and bones and making every manoeuvre take at least ten seconds to reach their intended target.

Having cast the spell without seeing the target and not tracing the pattern in the air, the Slow would only last a minute or so – but that was all the time Zell needed.

First, he cast a Curaga on himself, feeling the pain in his stomach and sides melt away to nothingness, the blood dripping from his mouth switching off like a faucet. Secondly, he finally tried to make sense of their surroundings.

The last five minutes of fight had been a painful blur of green and fists, but he now realised that they were in the forest surrounding the ruins, thick tree-trunks growing from the ground and reaching straight up to cover the sky with a dark mass of leaves and vines. The trees were thick around them, but Zell could see where they had fought – a steady line of fallen trees from dodged attacks and massive shockwaves from blocked ones lay in front of him, the damage now stopped by the slow moving Azel before him.

Not much time left… Zell thought to himself – before he suddenly appeared before the slow moving doppelganger, his fist buried into the Heart's armoured stomach. A slow look of pain and rage crept onto Azel's face – before physics slowly caught up, launching his body slowly up into the air, his arms and legs flailing at a snail's pace as the Slow continued to work it's magic, slowing his entire body from Time's grasp.

His Haste had faded quickly thanks to the constant attacks that Azel had connected with, but Zell still had a healthy stock left over, and as his body flared up with red fire he looked down at the moss-covered ground, littered with fallen tree-trunks – and smiled.

Racing back to where they had first entered the forest, his Haste still working through his body, Zell checked Azel's trajectory – before bending down and digging his fingers into the trunk of one of the massive fallen trees, hefting the gigantic wooden length almost as if it weight nothing.

*          *            *

"Hyne…" Trish breathed as she watched Zell pick up the gigantic tree trunk. "That thing must weight tonnes!!"

"Zell's gotten stronger, alright…" Squall muttered as he watched Zell hold the tree up, hugging it close to his body because of it girth. "But I wonder what he's planning…"

Then he saw the body floating slowly through the air out of the small line of fallen trees – and smiled a small Squall smile.

*          *            *

The Slow was beginning to wear off, Zell could tell – and it was time to launch his plan into action.

Twisting his body around so the trunk was facing off with Azel's flying body, Zell spread his legs wide, tensing his arms. "Batter up!!" He cried.

The Slow finally wore off, and Azel's body suddenly sped back up to the normal speed of the Meteor Barret reaction, his body going from .25 miles per hour to 100 in almost a second – before Zell swung the tree around with a speed that was almost uncanny.

There was the unmistakeable sound of metal hammering into wood – before a shining figure flew up and out into the sky, wailing as it disappeared from sight.

Zell's smile was gigantic – before he realised that he couldn't stop the momentum of the tree, his swing twisting him around full-circle before he let the tree fly off into the woods, taking down several other trees in the process with loud cracks and the almost deafening rustle of trees.

Zell watched the tree fly off into the distance – before pumping his fist into the air. "Home run!!"

*          *            *

The rest of the team ran up to him, cheering as they ran, Zell all smiles as they surrounded him. Trish leapt into his arms, squealing wildly as he picked her up of the ground and spun her around, laughing manically as he did. For some reason he was elated – he had defeated the General of the Heart Army. Sure, it had been tough – but if they were all like that, then the SeeDs wouldn't have to worry all too much.

He placed Trish on the ground and punched her lightly in the shoulder. "Did you really think that I wouldn't win?" he said with a grin, watching as she playfully punched him back.

"Of course not! I knew you'd kick his ass!! You were just learning his techniques and stuff like that, huh? Just letting him think he was winning before you let loose you're kick-ass plan!!"

Zell scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, yeah, why not."

Squall stepped up to Zell, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "We'd better be going now, Zell." He muttered stoically.

"I'm fine, Squall, thanks for asking." Zell said jovially, gathering more laughter from the others as Squall rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Lets just get going soon, in case he comes back…"

Squall's words trailed off to nothingness as he looked over Zell's shoulder at something behind him, causing Zell to turn…

…And see a very angry Azel walk out from the woods, his armour tarnished and covered in dirt, his face covered in scratches and smudges.

*          *            *

"Excellent, Zell." Azel growled, all humour now gone from his voice. "You've managed to make me mad."

Zell could see that the man wasn't hurt in the slightest – it was his pride that had taken a beating. All the SeeD could do was freeze, his blood running cold, as he watched himself stop just on the edge of the woods, breathing heavily and with a scowl on his face. "Celebrating already? You, of all people, ought to know – you don't celebrate until your enemy has been confirmed dead."

"Well, we figured that, you know, you sucking as much as you do, we could do it in advance…" Zell said, fighting past his shock. Whoa…he took a Meteor Barret to the chest, as well as a slap from a tree-trunk the size of my room and he's still going! What's he made of?

Zell's words seemed to infuriate Azel more. "You think a little tap with that toothpick could kill me? I have faced legions of men stronger then you, Dincht, and have left without a mark to my name! How can you possibly compare to me?"

Zell thought quickly. "I've…killed Omega Weapon. I had some help, of course, but I did most of the work…"

"Hey!!" Squall and Rinoa shouted in unison.

Azel simply snorted. "You'll die just like your other alternates, even easier then them. You come nothing close to my power."

Zell scowled – before pushing Trish away from him and taking his stance. "Less talk, more fight, buster!"

*          *            *

Trish stumbled back as Zell pushed her roughly to the side – before being blown off her feet as the two Zells suddenly met each other head on, each attack coinciding with each other in a ballet of noise and pressure. It was like several explosions at once as Zell's boot flashed up to be blocked by Azel's arm, Azel's fist travelling along to be arrested in Zell's hand – before Emily quickly dragged her out of harms way, the two of them having to crawl on their hands and knees as the battle picked up in tempo once more.

*          *            *

Zell tried desperately to meet Azel's technique with his own, pushing his body to it's limits, straining every fibre of his being to block, dodge, counter, attack, block, counter, attack, dodge…

The strain was taking its toll, however. Zell could feel his energy beginning to drain slowly, the effort to meet Azel's attacks being too much for his body to withstand. The Heart was just too strong, too fast, too skilful, and it was showing.

Slapping aside a punch, Azel stepped into Zell's arms and slammed his head into the SeeDs face – before ramming his fist into the man's stomach, twisting the fist to add more pain to the attack, the metal ripping the skin and tearing through the flesh.

This close up, however, Azel was more vulnerable then usual, and even in his fatigued state Zell still managed to whip his own Ehrgiez Gauntlet over his other's face, slamming into the tattoo and causing his twin to twist though the air to land on the ground, sprawling spread-eagled over the disturbed stone pathway as Zell fixed his hand at him, his palm flat, his fingers stiff and together.

"Meltdown!!" Zell screamed, the Forbidden erupting from his hand almost immediately and slamming into the Heart's back, crushing him down into the ground, the beam turning the surrounding stones into melted mush as the power wafted over them.

Zell let the Meltdown end and took a step back to take a breath – before someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned, horrified as he saw his own face with a bruised tattoo smile viciously – before two lumps of metal and bone attached to Azel's forearms slammed into his sides, Zell's ribs snapping brutally like fragile sticks.

His agonised bellow rang out over the forest, causing all the flying wildlife within a five-mile radius of the battleground to scatter.

*          *            *

Azel watched as Zell collapsed, his arms wrapped around his chest protectively as he curled up into a ball, trying desperately to fight through the fog of pain to find a Cure spell. "You are one-of-a-kind, Zell." Azel muttered, kicking out with his boot to launch the agonised Zell up into the air and through a pillar of stone, Zell's body crashing to the ground with little resistance. "You are certainly the strongest of us that I've come across…beside me, that is."

Zell didn't answer – he simply choked on his own blood as his own ribs lanced his lungs, making it almost impossible to breath of move. He gagged as the blood suddenly spewed from his mouth, his body trying desperately to expel the liquid in his lungs, not knowing that it was only making the matter more unbearable.

"But then…I suppose that one must come across someone who has the possibility of defeat once in their life. I suppose I should be lucky that that person was…well, me, in a weird kind of way." Azel continued, walking over to Zell slowly, watching the fighter convulse as he stood over him. "But you should know…I'm not even tired. In fact, I could have gone all day at the rate we just fought – and you still wouldn't have been able to beat me."

Zell gritted his teeth and forced his mind through the pain, focusing his energies into casting the Curaga spell – before Azel almost casually reached out with a boot and stepped on Zell's side, forcing the ribs in further, cutting straight through the soft meat of the lungs and causing them to fill almost immediately with rich red life-force.

Azel crouched down as Zell's eyes suddenly widened, the blood that he had coughed up before suddenly pouring out of his mouth like water from a bucket. "Do you feel that, SeeD? Feel your lungs filling with your own blood? Feel your life slipping away as you drown, miles away from any water? Do you feel the irony? That it is, technically, you that has defeated you so utterly?"

Zell's left hand suddenly whipped out, wrapping around Azel's throat in a claw-like grasp, the Adamantine/Orihalcon digging deep into Azel's neck. Zell spat out a majority of the blood in his mouth and spoke in gurgles. "If I die…I'm taking you…with me…" He spluttered, squeezing with all his might…

…To have his hand dislodged as easily as a child's by his twin. "Very noble, Zell, but you're not killing me today. In fact, you're not going to kill anybody anymore." Azel said, standing…before placing a hand on his chin and rubbing thoughtfully. "However, regarding your files from our spy and your history of fighting, you have always come back from the very brink of oblivion, even when considered dead. And although it would seem like quite an opportunity to fight you once more when you are more adequately prepared, I do have my royal obligations to fulfil…you know how Rinoa gets when she doesn't get her way. So…"

Azel reached down with one hand and picked Zell up by the neck, lifting the SeeD up off the ground, his legs dangling in the air, and lifted his hand up, the gauntleted hand rigid and flat like a knife. "Any last words?" Azel asked kindly.

Zell spoke in spluttered words, the blood flowing from his mouth running rivers down his chin and neck. "I'll…be back…just you…wait…"

Azel sighed. "No…not this time, my twin…"

Before Azel's flat hand slashed across, effectively cutting Zell's head off from the neck up.

*          *            *

Rinoa screamed shrilly as Zell's head flew up and off his body, flying high into the air – before landing just before the team, bouncing off the ground and rolling to a stop just at her feet, Zell's horrified and blood-stained face looking up at her.

The whole team could only watch, shocked beyond words and horrified beyond all belief, as Azel dumped Zell's decapitated body to the ground, the body landing limply like a dummy – before blasting it to oblivion, the Flare erupting from his fingertips as easily as a Fire spell. The magic blast lasted only a second before the searing red light receded – to reveal two smouldering and scorched Gauntlets, the metal smoking but holding it's form, even through the massive abuse of the Flare.

Rinoa's eyes were wide as she looked down at Zell's head, his eyes blank, his mouth wide open – and lifted her head to the sky, screaming her anguish as the tears rolled down her cheeks suddenly began to glow a bright white, her wings blasting from her back in a suddenly explosion of feathers.

She was up and off, rocketing towards Azel with fury in her smoking white eyes, her hands outstretched and forming an Ultima as she closed in on her quarry, who was staring down at the ashened remains of her friend – before he turned sharply, his hand up and tracing the purple pattern in the air s quickly and as efficiently as she could ever do it.

She suddenly Stopped, frozen in mid-flight and mid-snarl, her hands curled in the effort of conjuring the powerful Ultima spell, utterly helpless.

Azel simply sighed, brushing down his armour as he walked past her frozen form and approached the other SeeDs. "We will be beginning our assault on your universe in a few weeks. I suggest that you return and prepare as best you can – not that it will help you."

With the ultimatum delivered and his initial job done, Azel turned and walked back to the ruined remains of the Arch building, leaving the SeeDs to their own devices.

*          *            *

Emily watched Azel walk away – before grabbing an irate Trish and tackling her to the ground, the enraged Trish so angered that she didn't even consider using her Teleport. "Let me go, Emily! I'll kill him! I need to kill him!!" She screamed, slathering at the mouth as she tried to claw past her lover.

Emily straddled the girl on the chest and slapped her hard across the face, the sound ringing out across the ruins. "No! He'll kill you too and then we'll have two people to grieve over!!" Emily shouted. Trish simply went berserk, smashing her fists into the ground and at Emily and screaming to the heavens, outing her rage at anything that came near her.

Squall looked down at the head of his friend and didn't say anything. He simply stared into the blue eyes, trying to see why he hadn't been able to help, his gunblade abandoned at his feet where he had dropped it as the Flare had destroyed any possibility of revival, his fists clenching and unclenching.

Veronica simply cradled the still unconscious Julius in her lap and wept openly, unable to look at the only remaining piece of Zell that lay not three feet from her.

*          *            *

Back in the Arch building Azel had just finished replacing his clock when he felt someone approach him from behind. He looked up at the Arch, his back to the person, and spoke. "If you value your life, I would suggest leaving me in peace." He said quietly, picking up his helmet.

"When you go back to your Queen…" Squall said quietly, unadulterated rage now filling his usually lifeless voice. "Send her a message from me."

"What might that be?" Azel asked mockingly with a smile, turning to face the gunblader...and stopping dead.

Squall stood before him, his shimmering blue LionHeart grasped limply in his hand, and Azel felt no fear from his stance – it was the cold man's eyes, the way they bore into Azel's head like drills slowly digging through soft earth, and showing no fear.

Squall's voice was like a rusty blade slicing through adamantine-steel, digging slowly into the Hearts mind and sending an uncharacteristic chill down his spine.

"Her time will soon be up."

Azel and Squall continued to lock eyes, the battle of wills seeming to be endless – before Azel placed his helmet on his head, the armour mask covering his features from Squall's sight, and walked through the purple portal in the Arch, the ripples of his body trembling slightly as he passed through…before the portal dissipated like smoke.

*          *            *

Azel passed through the Arch and into his own realm, stepping through the portal almost like passing through a door into another room.

The room he was in now was large, almost as large as the building he had been in before, and was covered in murals and pictures depicting winged people. A throne sat a few meters from the Arch's entrance, the giant seat elegant yet demanding respect at the same time. Like most of the room, the colour was that of a deep purple.

The shades had been drawn, but thanks to the shockwave of his body passing through the Arch and the universe assimilating his form back into it's original form they had been blown open. Child servants ran from hidden niches and pulled them back closed, blocking the gentle sunlight from the room, plunging it back into an eerie darkness besides the light pushing through the soft cloth covering the windows and the occasional candle.

Azel swept his helmet off and draped his cloak across his body, bowing low as he spied a female seated on the throne flanked by the man in armour with the long sword strapped to his waist. "My Lady." Azel said softly.

Queen Rinoa looked down at Azel, her eyes narrowed to slits as she saw his condition, the dirtied armour and the scratched features. "You have been fighting, my General."

Azel blinked, suddenly uncertain. Her tone was surprisingly neutral. "I had an opportunity to fight, my Lady, and I chose to fight."

He waited for her reply, the silence growing more and more palatable as the time grew between his answer and her response. "Who was it this time?" She asked tiredly, like a parent scolding a child.

"My other. The one called Zell."

He heard her grunt in surprise. "And you defeated him?"

"Utterly, my Lady."

He heard her sigh once more, before speaking again in a bored tone this time. "I expected more from that one…very well, go and get cleaned up and meet back here."

"At once, my Lady." Azel said, standing and bowing again…before pausing. "They are…not happy that I have killed their Zell. The…the Squall vowed to me that they would not stop." He said…before bowing again and exiting the room with an even stride.

Queen Rinoa looked up at the man standing beside the throne and reached out to brush her fingers over his bare hands, which were clasped obediently in front of him. "Do you think they'll be perturbed?"

The man looked down at her, his scarred face painfully void of emotion as he spoke quietly. "If they are anything like us, then they'll stop at nothing to achieve what they want."

The Queen nodded absently, continuing to brush her fingers gently across the man's only evident bare flesh…before speaking again. "Do you think they'll succeed?"

The man spoke once more. "They are weaker then us. They will not succeed."

Queen Rinoa nodded again absently, watching the wind make the cloth covering the windows twist and swirl in pretty patterns, her thoughts lost within herself…

*          *            *

Well now, ladies and gentlemen. I'll bet you didn't see THAT coming, huh?

Will Zell come back to life? Well, seeing as his body was completely destroyed and it's impossible to use magic to revive a person reduced to ash, I don't see how! Hell, I don't even think that the Immortals can pull this one off!!

Well, you'll just have to keep reading to find out. You will be seeing more of Zell in the future, though – just, which Zell, however, is what you'll have to find out.

Oh, and BTW – the dude/dudette who keeps saying 'answer my question' – I've forgotten it, can you repeat it, otherwise I'm just going to ignore you, sorry!!