Chapter 16

Eriol Enolle

Zell's jaw dropped so low that he almost resembled a large cod seeking its prey. His eyes bulged out from their sockets and he fell quickly to his knees. "Ah…ah…" was all he managed to say, pointing at the creatures flying over his sister's tiny figure. His throat suddenly became dry, and he found himself choking on his words.

Seifer, although not as traumatized as Zell, seemed quite shocked and dumbfounded at the sight before him. It almost seemed impossible…and yet…There was a sense of familiarity in his eyes as he turned to glance at Quistis. Perhaps there was more to Quistis then meets the eye.

The giant, ruby red creatures circled the sky above Quistis and gave shrill cries to one another. One of the creatures, the largest of them, dove down towards the cliff and landed gracefully before the princess, giving a loud roar.

Quistis smiled in satisfaction as she watched the Ruby Dragon neatly fold its reptilian wings to its sides. "Ah, Rubedo," she said calmly, walking towards the dragon with no trace of fear. Effortlessly, she brought her hand over its snout and gently stroked it, her smile widening. "I'm glad you're safe."

Zell's jaw dropped even lower. It was one thing to have Ruby Dragons circle above you, but to have Ruby Dragons acting as docile creatures being petted by humans was a different issue. Zell grew pale. He did not like what he saw.

"…It…has a name!" he demanded, completely mortified.

Quistis turned her cool gaze to her brother and scowled. "Of course he has a name. He's not stupid," she retorted coolly. Shifting her gaze back to look at Rubedo, she began to pat its snout lightly, quietly whispering to it.

Zell tore his gaze from Quistis and the Ruby Dragon and moved close to Seifer. "I think she's gone insane," he whispered quietly.

Seifer gave no reply. He stared intently at the princess, his eyes beginning to widen in wonder. A scene suddenly flickered to life, flashing before his eyes as he watched Quistis coo pleasantly towards the dragon…

"Fu! We shouldn't be out here, ya know!"

A small girl ran through the grassy fields, giggling merrily. She paid no heed to her companions' loud protests and warnings. Instead, she turned to glance at the two small boys trailing after her and smiled broadly, like any five-year-old child. "C'mon, Seifer! Raijin! There's something I want to show you!" And with that, she ran off once again.

A bronzed skin boy panted behind a rather pale looking Seifer. Under the beating sun, his dark skin immediately turned red as he ran through the green fields of Galbadia. "What's she up to this time, ya know?" he panted, resting his hands on his knees.

"Dunno," Seifer replied, stopping for a minute to catch his breath. Licking his dry lips, he ran a hand through his tousled, golden hair. "We better move. We're losing her."

And with that, Seifer and Raijin raced off through the grassy fields to catch up with Fujin. As they caught up with Fujin, a small screeching noise could be heard. Fujin gave a small giggle.

"Look! Look, Raijin! Look, Seifer! Look what I've found!"

Fujin gave another giggle and hugged the Ruby Dragon around its lowered neck.

"Seifer?"

There came a sharp intake of breath, and Seifer snapped out of his reverie. He shook his head and glanced first at Zell, then at Quistis. Both were staring at him with concern on their faces. "Sorry, I was just thinking," he muttered with a shrug. He gave another shake of his head and glanced at the large Ruby Dragon before Quistis. "How long have you been able to control them?" he asked quietly.

Quistis thought for a moment before answering. "Hmm, well I'm not quite sure. But it's not as if I control them or anything. They just come to me naturally whenever I call," she replied calmly. "But it was the time my mother died and I ran away from the castle…"

"But you were attacked then," Zell added, now beginning to scowl. "When I found you there was a Ruby Dragon picking at you."

Quistis shook her head. "You must have gotten there too late then, Zell," she explained, stroking Rubedo's snout absent-mindedly. "I was attacked by a T-Rexaur when I wandered too far from the castle. But before it could eat me, Rubedo came and saved me. He carried me off to safety and made you sure you found me, Zell."

Zell looked quite dumbfounded. "But why didn't you tell me this before?"

Quistis shook her head. "Isn't it obvious? I was scared. I didn't understand why the Ruby Dragon came to save me. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't think you would believe me," she replied. "And besides, what did it matter? I was safe, wasn't I?"

For a long moment no one spoke. Quistis waited for her words to sink in, and Zell was too confused and shocked to say anything more. Seifer seemed to have other thoughts plaguing his mind as well.

Finally, Quistis turned back to glance at Rubedo and said, "I'm calling in a favor, Rubedo. Please take us to Bahamut's Marsh quickly."

Rubedo gave a small nod and bowed forward. It seemed to gesture to the three companions that it was safe to board its back.

Quistis smiled and turned to Zell and Seifer. "He'll take us to the marsh. Come on," she said, climbing Rubedo's back.

Seifer gave a small grunt and soon followed, climbing up the large dragon behind Quistis.

Zell gave a reluctant groan and struggled to climb behind Seifer. "This better be worth it," he grumbled.

"What is that?"

Fujin pulled herself out from under the panels once again, giving a small sigh. "It's the Ragnarok's power source, of course," she said in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone. She gave Squall a cynical look. "Did you really think a ship like this would be powered up by a bunch of measly wires?"

Squall gave no reply and shrugged. He glanced at the object Fujin was indicating and studied it carefully. It was in the shape of an orb, the size of a large marble. It glowed a bright crimson light and hummed quietly, giving off a gentle whirring noise. But the glowing seemed to grow fainter, as if being extinguished by an invisible force. It was hard to believe that such a small object could power up such an enormous ship like the Ragnarok.

Peering at the orb closely, Squall scowled. "That's…"

"The Eye of the Ruby Dragon," Fujin replied, following Squall's gaze. Her crimson eye peered dully at the Ragnarok's power source and sighed. "Of course, this one's special. Pity it's no longer the color it used to be."

Squall tore his gaze away from the orb and looked intently at Fujin. Slowly, his eyes shifted from her crimson eye to the eye-patch over her other eye; her missing eye.

"You shouldn't have," he muttered quietly.

Fujin shrugged. "It was the least I could do. After all, you did do me a big favor of breaking up that engagement," she replied, the corners of her lips twitching into am awkward smile.

A shade of rouge rose to Squall's cheeks. Looking away from Fujin's gaze, he mumbled, "You know I would've married you if you hadn't asked me to break it up." He shifted around, uncomfortable with the topic.

"I know," Fujin replied, a small smile still planted on her pale lips. "But there's someone else much better for you. Besides, we wouldn't have looked good together…"

"You're just saying that because you're in love with him," Squall retorted, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.

It was Fujin's turn to blush as her ivory colored face suddenly turned hot pink. Clearing her throat loudly, she slid back inside the panels, not wanting Squall to see her reaction. "He…" she began, staring intently at the Ruby Dragon's Eye. "He doesn't feel the same about me."

"Well, that wasn't too bad," Quistis said, tucking a few loose strands of hair behind her ear.

Zell hobbled over to his sister, his pale skin tinge with a funny green color. Dizzily, he tried to gain his balance, stretching his arms wide to each side. "Urgh…speak for your–" He quickly turned away and heaved.

Seifer looked slightly nauseated and tried to steady himself with a nearby tree. He made a face as Zell continued to vomit profusely. The sight was enough to make him feel like vomiting. "Keep it down, chicken-wuss," he growled grumpily, forcing his stomach to stay put.

"Oh shut up, you stupid f – Urrgh…" Zell lurched forward and threw up once again.

Quistis sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. "Zell, just how much did you eat, anyway?" she grumbled to herself, moving to her brother and patting him gently on the back. "Come on, we should hurry. It's not safe to dawdle in one place for long."

For once, Zell gave no argument. Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he stood up and attempted to nod. "R…right. Maybe that old hag'll have a–"

Quistis sighed in defeat as she watched her brother dash off to a nearby tree, vomiting once again. "Zell, please. Rubedo doesn't fly that recklessly. Now come on. You're beginning to get Seifer and I nauseated."

From behind Quistis, another heaving sound could be heard. This time, it was Seifer.

Eriol Enolle was an old witch inhabiting Bahamut's Marsh. Old and alone, she desired only solitude for the remainder of her days.

Although unclear how the witch came to be, inhabitants of nearby villages and kingdoms often came to her for help in their everyday problems. She soon became a favorite of many kings and queens and would often be presented lavishing gifts of praise in the hopes that she would perform her black magic.

Yet, the old witch cared nothing for lavishing presents, and she often refused them. Gifts of gold, silver, and precious gems never interested her. What she really desired were children. Not for eating, but for an apprentice. Eriol Enolle desired nothing more than to train young apprentices the art of her black magic.

But, alas, it was never to be so. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, nobility shunned the old witch's request, keeping their children away from her as much as possible. Thus, her popularity waned, and soon she was left all alone in her little hut. In time, almost no one came to ask for her assistance. The way to her home was a dangerous path, and horrible creatures of the swamp emerged, surrounding her from all sides.

Thus, Eriol Enolle couldn't be happier. Isolated from humanity, she was finally allowed some peace and quiet. Humanity whined and complained about everything and made no attempt to fix their own problems. They always had to rely on some other being they could not understand.

Humans are so small-minded, the witch thought to herself as she stood over a large cauldron. Stirring the contents inside of the cauldron, she continued to mutter to herself, wondering what animal she should test with on her new potion. "…Toads…bats…maybe a grendel…" She cackled loudly to herself, apparently amused.

She had finally decided to experiment on a Malboro when, suddenly, the atmosphere changed.

The witch ceased her cackling and dropped her ladle into the simmering cauldron with a plop. Her eyes narrowed slowly and she tipped her head up, sniffing the air carefully. "Hmm…" She lowered her gaze and stared straight ahead of her, towards an open window.

There was a peculiar scent in the air; not exactly unpleasant, but not exactly welcoming either.

Eriol Enolle shook her head and turned to glance at closed door at the opposite side of the room. She had visitors.

"Humans…"

There came a loud knock on the door, and the hut shook slightly.

"Hey! Uh, Witch – er – I mean…Lady Eriol Enolle!" a familiar voice called out, puncturing the silence in the hut.

The old witch winced at the sound of the voice, as if a piercing dagger had stabbed her.

"We come to you in peace!" the voice continued, continuing to hammer against the door. "…Or in pieces for that matter," he added in an undertone.

"I heard that!" the old witch snapped, waving her hand irritably. In an instant, the wooden door swung open and a figure stumbled into the hut.

"Ow! That hurt!" Zell grunted, slamming against the cold, stone floor.

The old witch narrowed her eyes once again and ignored Zell. Her gaze remained transfixed on the doorway. She soon met calm, azure eyes, blue as the sky. Eriol Enolle grinned. "My lady," she said, bowing her head down low to the ground.

Quistis curtsied, lowering her eyes to the floor as well. "Eriol Enolle, Lady of the Swamp."

The witch looked amused. "I see some children are still taught manners," she said, rising up from her bow. "Unlike others…" Her gaze fell to Zell, who was on the verge of poking a strange instrument placed against the wall. "You! Do not touch that!" she snapped.

Zell pulled his fingers back in shock, as if the object would bite him if he touched it.

"You! I thought I told you never to come back here," the old witch snarled, striding angrily towards Zell. "You are a walking disaster! You break everything you touch! And you were an incompetent apprentice!" She prodded a bony finger on Zell's chest.

"Ow! Listen, you old – ow! Cut it out!" Zell glowered, trying to fend off the witch's bony finger.

Quistis cleared her throat, shooting an icy glare at Zell. "Eriol Enolle, if I may speak to you in private…" she said, slightly louder than she intended.

The old crone turned her gaze back to the princess, looking her over carefully. For a long moment she said nothing, until finally, she gave a nod and gestured over to a private room at the very end of the hut. "Come then, my lady. I will assist you in any way I can." And with that, she led the way into the room, beckoning Quistis to follow.

Without a moment's hesitation, the princess moved over to the room and sat down on the floor.

The witch turned back to glance at the two princes and narrowed her eyes. "Away with the both of you. If you are to disturb what occurs here, you will pay the price." And with that said, the door shut firmly.

The air smelled heavily of incense and spices, and the room was slightly clouded by a mysterious lavender mist. There was a soft humming coming from the walls as the flow of magic pulsed through from room to room, causing gentle sparks of light to erupt every now and then.

Quistis found herself distracted from all the activity in the room. How could she concentrate with so many distractions in the room?

As if reading her thoughts, the old witch sat opposite of Quistis and remarked, "Do not be trouble by the flow of magic here. It is what keeps this place safe. Without it, we would be vulnerable to any creature wandering about here."

Like that's going to help me concentrate, Quistis thought, turning to glance at a puff of smoke appearing before her.

"Now, what is it that troubles you so?"

Quistis thought for a moment, careful in choosing her words. "Lady Eriol, surely you know of the situation
in Balamb?"

The witch lit up a pipe and began to puff on it. "Of the GFs, of course. You have to be stupid not to notice such a change in the world. I've been feeling these awful tremors days ago," she replied, nodding her head. She studied Quistis's stoic face and grunted.

"Then you know of what I am to do? Of my destiny?" Azure eyes looked up apprehensively.

A chuckle emerged from the witch's lips as she pulled the pipe out of her mouth. "My lady, there is very little about you that I do not know. After all, your fate was sealed even before you were born."

Quistis clutched her hands tightly, trying to remain as calm as she could. "Then what am I to do? The legend says that I must produce an heir within seven days. How does one accomplish that?" she asked, her hands beginning to shake.

"Bah! Do not be fooled by legend and prophecy. Legend's only good for a laugh. It's the prophecy you really want, you know," the witch replied calmly, blowing out another puff of smoke.

"Then how am I to defeat these GFs?"

It was then that the witch grew silent, thinking for a moment. Finally, she drew her hand out and reached over to touch Qustis's right hand.

Quistis winced as something sharp suddenly pierced the palm of her hand. Within seconds, blood dripped down from her fingers and landed into a silver basin full of water. Soon, the water rippled from its disturbance, and an image emerged.

"There will be severe pain waiting for you, princess. Evil is coming for you with a sharpened sickle. You must be prepared for the ultimate sacrifice."

"Sacrifice?"

The witch's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she gasped loudly as the power overtook her. "There is death! One among you will die!"

Immediately, a flash of crimson emerged from the basin and the water shot up. Quistis yelped and yanked her hand away from the witch. The water had stung painfully.

"We will destroy you!" the witch spoke, the crimson water engulfing her. Her lips and moved. But it was not her voice speaking.

"Stop!"

A burst of azure light erupted into the room, and for a moment, the world grew still.

Quistis's eyes widened and she gave a pained cry as she clutched her arm. The wound had reopened. "That's enough!" she yelled, trying to subdue her powers. Slamming one hand against the floor, she gritted her teeth and shoved her magic into the silver basin. In an instant, the basin snapped, and the magic was gone.

Eriol Enolle's eyes rolled back into place and she breathed in heavily from her ordeal. Panting, she looked up at Quistis, her eyes glistening with sorrow. "My child," she rasped quietly. "Oh, my child. The cross you must bear to set others free–"

The princess lunged forward as the witch fainted. "Eriol Enolle!" she cried out in shock, shaking the witch gently. "Wake up, please! I never meant to kill you!"

Carefully, she lay the witch down on the floor and prayed her magic would heal the woman. Closing her eyes, she uttered a silent prayer and moved her good hand over to the witch's face. A soft light drifted from the palm of Quistis's hand. It then grew brighter as it made its way to the fallen witch.

"Heal," the princess murmured quietly, allowing the gentle light to engulf the witch's body. As she lowered her hand to touch the old crone's forehead, she gasped, not out of pain, but out of shock. Images raced through her mind.

"Fighting again? Geeze, I just don't know why you boys like getting hurt so much!" A young girl pursed her lips and leaned her hands on her hips.

A familiar blonde pointed a bruised finger at a boy with dark brown hair standing across from him. "Hey, he started it!"

"Don't be such a whiner, Seifer! Or I'll gut you the next time!" another little boy growled, raising a bloody fist at the blonde.

"Awe, shaddap, country boy! No one was talking to you!"

"Why you–"

The blonde and the boy with the bloody fist tumbled onto the marble floor, wrestling one another.

The young girl grabbed at the boys' collars and tugged at them desperately. "Boys! Haven't you gotten enough bruises for one day? Come on now, break it up! Squall! What are you – No! Not again!"

Quistis's eyes began to water as her magic continued to flow into the witch. It was then that she realized that the images penetrating her thoughts were not visions, but memories.

"Sis, I don't want you to leave! I want you to stay here with me!"

The girl looked older now; more mature and more of a lady. She smiled prettily at the weeping boy and patted his head gently. "Oh, Squall, you were always my favorite."

"Why do you have to go?"

"Because…" the girl's voice trailed off and she shook the thought away. Smiling, she reached out for the little boy's hands and held them up. "Tell you what," she said, consoling the boy, "we'll make a promise. Just between the two of us."

"A promise?"

"That's right. Promise me that you and Irvy will get along once I'm gone, okay? And that you and Seifer stop fighting."

"Yeah, well he deserves that black eye," the boy muttered grumpily.

The girl chuckled in amusement. "Well, I suppose trying to get you boys to stop fighting is going to be impossible to ask for. So how about something else, hmm? The next time we meet, you'll be all grown up, and you'll be the prince Laguna and I have always dreamed you'd be. Do you promise, Squall?"

"I'll be good! I promise! Just don't leave!" The boy flung himself at the girl and hugged her fiercely.

"You were always my favorite…Squall."

Quistis moved her hand away from the witch and let out a sigh of relief. "Lady Eriol?" she whispered, peering closely at the unconscious witch. As she drew near, she suddenly scowled. Her healing had worked, but the face she now gazed at was not the old witch's.

Author's Note: DUM DUM DUM! Heehee, I'm such a naughty naughty girl. Always leaving things at cliffhangars. Hahahahaha. Oh dear. Hehehe, I figured we could have a little more romantic development between the characters, even though I suck miserably at it. Hahaha, I know that whole witch thing was pretty obvious, but hey, I'm running out of ideas here, and I'm trying to finish this fic ASAP (well, not really). Whelp, leave your reviews and tell moi what you think, ne?