War Story
Chapter Nine: Only One
By PasifiKStaR
Author's Note: I was listening to that song by Yellowcard "Only One" while writing this. And I also listened to some Evanescence. Anyway, enjoy! One more chapter to go!
All Standard Disclaimers Apply: I do not own Final Fantasy.
The building shook and Squall looked up as parts of the walls began to grumble and the alarms echoed through the halls. Soldiers began yelling out orders are they rushed to secure the areas of the sorceress' momentarily place of residence.
His ice blue eyes narrowed as he balanced himself in the shaking building and continued on his path to an evacuation area. The sorceress had informed him of a vehicle ready and waiting for him to get to their Esthar headquarters. All around him, lights were flashing. They had gotten in faster than he expected.
Meanwhile, a group burst through the front doors of the building. "Get down!" Irvine yelled.
He drew his gun up as the others ducked down. A gun shot resounded against the sterile walls of the building, sending the soldiers awaiting them flying against the wall. "Let's go! Let's go!" Seifer barked through the debris and sirens.
"We've breeched the inner sanctums, sir!" Zell shouted as they ran down the hall, guns drawn. "Awaiting, instructions!"
"Split up! Kinneas, Dincht! Escort Tilmit to the lowers levels and secure them while she's hacking into the controls of the chambers! We'll regroup in the bottom floor! Trepe, follow me! We've got a sorceress to find!" Seifer yelled.
"We'll be in touch, Lieutenant!" Irvine shouted as they reached a split in the hall. Seifer saluted them briefly before turning a sharp right with Quistis.
"Quistis, stay close!" Seifer said as he paused before turning a corner and shooting. Quistis nodded and unlocked the safety of her gun.
"We need to find Rinoa!" Quistis shouted as she heard the sounds of heavy footsteps.
"I don't have time for this!" Seifer growled as he turned and saw the soldiers running towards them, guns in the arms. Quistis narrowed her eyes and looked around. Her eyes landed on the latch that would manually close one of the lock down doors in front of them. She grinned and shoved her gun back into her holster. Seifer caught it from the corners of his eyes and growled. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" he shouted furiously. "Get your gun out, Trepe!"
"I have something better!" Quistis yelled. She reached down beneath her Kevlar vest and pulled out the handle of a long braided whip.
Seifer jerked his head back. "Quistis, NOW is NOT the time for your kinky games! I appreciate the thought, but-"
"Shut up, Lieutenant!" Quistis yelled as she snapped the whip. It's end coiled around the latch and she gritted her teeth. With a firm tug, she pulled the latch down and two heavy metal panels came from the floor and ceiling of of the hall way.
She smirked as she recoiled the whip and wrapped it around her forearm. The metal doors sealed off the approaching soldiers. Bullets hit the door before they could get to the two standing in the hallway. Casually, Quistis glanced over at Seifer, who stood there staring at her.
"I don't know whether to be shocked or turned on." Seifer stated blandly. Quistis smirked as she lifted her gun.
"We still have work to do, Lt. Almasy."
Seifer shook himself out of his stupor and frowned. "Don't think I didn't hear that 'shut up' earlier, Trepe! I'll remember it later!" He growled as he took off down hall with Quistis after him.
"Good!" Quistis shouted after him. "Maybe then, you'll think twice before opening your big mouth!"
"Good shot, Zell!" Selphie shouted as she worked on opening the electronic lock that would lead them down the stairwell.
Zell and Irvine were standing behind her, guns ready and poised to shoot as they looked up at either end of the hall way. As the last soldier fell, Zell let out a sigh of relief.
"Don't relax yet, Zell!" Irvine said as he narrowed his eyes. "Do you hear that?"
Zell squinted and concentrated. In the distance he could hear it. The echoing of footsteps were getting louder and louder. "Oh no..." Zell mumbled. He looked over his shoulder at Selphie. "Selphie! Hurry it up! More soldiers are coming!"
"Hold on...I've almost got it..." Selphie mumbled. She pressed on the final button and the machine's light went from red to green. "Got it!"
"Great!" Irvine grabbed Selphie's arm and pulled her into the stairwell as the door slid open. Zell ran in right after them. "C'mon!" Irvine shouted as he ushered them down the stairs.
"What about the door?" Zell asked as he looked up at it frantically.
"It'll close on it's own! Don't worry!" Selphie yelled back as she raced down the stairs with her companions behind her. They reached the bottom door and Selphie began to quickly decode it.
"They're down there!" a voice shouted above them. Zell and Irvine looked up.
"Close on its own, huh?" Irvine scoffed as he raised his gun. Zell mumbled a swear as she followed and squeezed the trigger back gently.
Bullets that missed their moving targets bounced and sparked off the metal railings and embedded themselves into the cement walls of the stair well. Soldiers let out groans as they were shot and fell back against the stairs. Zell looked over his shoulder. "Selphie!"
"Its open!" the petite brunette shouted energetically as the door slid open.
"Finally!" Irvine said. The trio ran inside. "Selphie, close up that door so it doesn't have to 'close' on its own!" He ordered.
Selphie blushed slightly locked the door closed behind them. "We don't have much time," Selphie said as she shivered and turned around. The room was dim, light only by small fluorescent white lights embedded in the floor. Selphie watched as her breath turned into a mist before her. "We have to start waking up those girls and getting them out of here."
"Get the lights, Zell!" Irvine barked. Zell nodded and rushed to the control panel in the center of the gigantic freezer.
"Geez, it's cold here..." Selphie shivered with a frown as she glanced around. "Remind me not to wear my jumper next time."
Irvine chuckled and handed her his gun. As she held it, he shrugged off his thick leather jacket with the white wool lining. He held it up to her and she shook her head. Her wide emerald eyes looked at his bare arms suspiciously. "I'll be fine," Irvine assured her. "I'm used to going without the jacket. Honest."
Selphie gave him a disbelieving look and was about to refuse again when he draped the heavy jacket around her slender shoulders. "Irvy, all you have is that vest-"
"And pants. All you have is that skimpy yellow thing. And while I appreciate it," Irvine's eyes looked her up and down before he threw her a sly wink. "REALLY appreciate it..."
"Irvy!" she gasped as she blushed furiously.
"I don't want to see you get sick. This cowboy protects his little lady from the cold, amongst other things," Irvine grinned. "Now button it up. We have work to do."
Just as he said that, the steady humming of bright white lights sounded and the room flooded with lights. "Ah!" Selphie winced.
"Hyne, Zell! Wasn't there a dimmer function or something on that fancy control panel?" Irvine shouted.
Zell smiled sheepishly. "Well, you said we were in a hurry."
"Never mind that." Selphie said as she finished buttoning the jacket. It hung on her petite frame, making her look like a child in her mother's dress. She looked around and headed towards the nearest capsule. As she neared it, the chill smoke around it dissipated and Selphie frowned.
"Umm...you guys..." Zell piped from where he was standing in front of another casket.
"What the hell...?" Irvine mumbled was he walked between two rows and looked at the caskets between the two. He looked over at his fellow soldiers.
Selphie dug into the jacket and initiated the communication device pinned to her chest. "Lt. Almasy! Lt. Almasy, Officer Trepe! This is Officer Tilmit! OVER!" she shouted as her eyes darted around the clearing room.
A few moments passed and she was about to repeat the transmission when Quistis answered. "This is Officer Trepe. What's your situation, Officer Tilmit?"
"Quistis..." Selphie said as she walked to the next capsule and frowned. She began to walk down the row and sped up as she went around the room. "Quistis! Something weird is going on down here!"
"Commander Leonhart! This is Lt. Almasy, searching for your location! Over!" Seifer shouted as he and Quistis snuck down a hall, guns in hand. He had pasted his body against the side of the hall wall, just before they hit a corner.
Across from him, Quistis was also pressing herself up against the wall. A solid Glock was in her hands as she kept a wary eye out for any soldiers. She glanced at Seifer quickly as she listened for approaching men. "Check the western corridor!" a foreign male's voice yelled.
Quistis stiffened as her heart rate rapidly picked up once again. Her eyes locked with Seifer's, as if asking for approval. The commanding officer nodded and Quistis' deep blue eyes narrowed. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her ears picked up the sound of a set of foot steps running in their direction.
She mentally counted off. 'Now!' Her mind screamed. Quistis twisted her body part way into the corridor and sent a few rounds from her gun into the chests of the two approaching soldiers.
"Answer me, damn it! Where are you?" Seifer's voice growled behind her. Quistis whirled around and saw the frustrated face on Seifer.
"Well? What happened?" Quistis asked as Seifer pulled himself from the wall and glared down the hall way.
"He's not answering," Seifer growled in a low voice. "I don't know where the hell he is!"
Quistis frowned. "But he IS in the building, right?" she gasped.
"If he were in the damn building, Quistis, he would've answered by now! He had a short range communicator on him!" Seifer exclaimed.
Quistis let out a frustrated growl and gave him a disbelieving look. "Then where else can he go?"
"To my base in downtown Esthar City," a voice replied. The two blondes froze in their places and locked eyes with one another. Their heads whipped down the hall and they felt their hearts almost stop in their chests. The look of horror was mixed in with confusion and anger on their faces and the slowly approaching woman tossed her head back and laughed. "Oh, don't look so shocked."
"Rinoa...?" Quistis whispered under her breath. "No..." She shook her head, refusing to believe what she was seeing. "No, you're not Rinoa."
"Damn right, I'm not," the woman spat out proudly. The hall lights flickered above them as she took one step after another, her movements slow, collected, and calm. Almost predatory. Quistis found herself swallowing as she watched the possessed ex-nurse. "My name is Ultimecia."
Seifer narrowed his green eyes angrily as he gritted his teeth. Beneath his gloves, pale hands turned white with his tightening grip on the handle of his gun. "The sorceress bitch." he hissed.
Quistis' blue eyes widened. The most powerful sorceress of their time was possessing her friend, giving her a near immortal status so long as she moved herself from host to host. Her affects on Rinoa could already be seen. Rinoa's dark hair was pulled back into a tight bun as indigo markings imprinted across her pale, formerly flawless cheeks like slashes.
Her uniform had long been discarded in favor of a simple, long black dress that clung to her figure nicely. Her nails were long and sharpened into points, glistening in the flickering light. But her eyes held a blank empty look, branding her as the puppet she was.
"If you're calling for your friend who abandoned you to be in my service, it is far too late." she told them coolly.
Seifer frowned. "What the hell did you do to him?" he demanded furiously. First Rinoa, now Squall.
"Do you REALLY think that I would accept him when he came crawling back to me? Without even so much as questioning him, let alone changing his loyalties to me? You're a bigger fool that I can ever imagine, Lt. Almasy." Ultimecia scoffed.
"You fucking witch!" Seifer growled. He raised the gunblade up, his target leveled with her eyes. "Where the hell is he?"
"He left just moments ago for Esthar City. If you were counting on his help, it is futile," she smirked to herself as she stopped a few paces in front of them. "Although, even if he was still on the premises, he wouldn't side with you. Not after what I've done to him."
"You horrid monster," Quistis seethed. Her hand gripped the braided handle of the whip. "You disgusting bitch! You're nothing by a damned parasite!" Quistis screamed as she raised her hand.
The leather weapon's end flew towards the sorceress, aiming directly for her neck. Ultimecia smiled and raised her hand in a quick movement. Quistis gasped as her whip was frozen in mid air. Her body trembled. No one had ever stopped her whip.
The sorceress' smile disappeared as she glared daggers at Quistis. "I am no parasite." she hissed. With a quick flick of her wrist, Quistis felt her body rise from the ground and tossed against the corridor walls like a rag doll.
Her mouth opened upon impact and she watched with horrifying intrigue as blood shot out of her mouth. Pain shot through her back, spreading throughout her body in waves as she hit the wall and slid to the ground.
"Quistis!" Seifer yelled. He ran over to her, only to be stopped by an invisible force. He let out a curse as he slammed his body forward, trying desperately to get to Quistis. Concern was quickly taken over by frustration and fury as his attempts were in vain. He growled and turned his anger on the sorceress. "You're fucking dead, bitch." He raised his gunblade and pulled the trigger.
The slumped over blond could hear the gun shots and Seifer's swearing she slowly came to. She bit her lip as a dull throbbing coursed through her body. She raised her eyes and cringed as she realized she was seeing double.
"Seif..." she gasped out. She winced as a sharp pain made itself known on her left side. She pressed her hand against it. 'Crap, don't let it be broken...'
"Just stay down there!" Seifer shouted over his shoulder as he flung himself to the side of the wall, narrowly missing the ice crystal that was shot past them. Quistis shook her head tiredly and attempted to get up. "Stay down there! That's an ORDER!" he growled.
Quistis was about to retort something when Selphie's voice echoed in her ear piece. "...Officer Tilmit! Over!"
Quistis took a deep breath and raised her hand to the device on her collar. "This is Officer Trepe. What's your situation, Officer Tilmit?" she gasped out as evenly as she could.
"Quistis..." Selphie said, confusion laced in her voice. "Quistis! Something weird is going on down here!"
"Weird?" Quistis gasped. She glanced up at Seifer as he pressed himself against a the wall and quickly reloaded his gun. "Selphie, what's going on down there?"
"You'll never believe this!" Selphie said as she paused and stared at the empty, ice caked capsule. "ALL of the capsules are EMPTY!"
"Empty?" Quistis nearly shrieked. Her voice cut through gun fire and the shattering crystals. "All the bodies are gone?"
"What?" Ultimecia's head snapped back towards Quistis. "What did you say?"
"Stay there!" Quistis told the petite officer through her transmitter, ignoring the sorceress that was approaching her. "Seifer and I-"
"Where are they?" Ultimecia demanded as she suddenly appeared before Quistis. Her hand reached down to grab Quistis when a bullet embedded itself in the wall right next to her. She snapped her head around at her momentarily forgotten opponent and hissed.
"Stay the hell away from her!" Seifer growled as he squeezed the trigger again.
The sorceress jerked her hand back and whirled around. "I have more important things to do right now!" she growled. She narrowed her eyes at Seifer. "I'll be back for you."
"Not if I get to you first," Seifer spat back. The sorceress growled as the ground beneath her began to glow with black light. Seifer knelt down next to Quistis protectively as Ultimecia turned to look at them. Scorn was written all over her face as she seemed to fall through the dark hole beneath her and disappear from their sights. "Quistis..."
He turned back to the shaken blond and frowned. Her eyes were wide and her hands were fists at her sides. "We have to go downstairs," she said in a trembling, but strong voice. Her head lifted to meet his gaze. "She's going downstairs! Selphie, Irvine, and Zell are down there!"
"What about you?" Seifer demanded. "Are you all right? Does anything hurt?"
"Yes! I was slammed into a wall! Everything hurts!" Quistis hissed. She grabbed his shoulder and attempted to pull herself up. "Now, help me up!"
"I'll go. You stay here-"
"Don't you DARE abandon me," Quistis hissed furiously as her eyes narrowed. "I am NOT helpless!"
"Something could be broken!" Seifer insisted. "For all I know, you have internal bleeding! I can't take you any further!"
"I'm not asking you to!" Quistis hissed. She let go of his shoulder as he refused to help her up. Her hand grabbed on the indentation in the wall where her body had landed and began to hoist herself up.
"Damn it, woman! Just stay down! We'll come get you when this is over!" Seifer growled. Quistis merely swore as she lifted her body. Seifer's eyebrows furrowed with worry. "You'll kill yourself if you get up! Your body isn't used to-"
"Don't tell me what my body can and can't do!" Quistis yelled as she stood up on shaking legs. "I have to help them! Now you either help me or you get out of my Hyne damned way, Lt. Almasy, because I am NOT staying here!"
"You are one stubborn as hell woman," Seifer grumbled. He turned his back to her and knelt down slightly. "Get on."
Quistis gave him a 'you've got to be kidding me' look. "I'm not going to be carried on your back."
"It's FASTER!" Seifer growled. "Are you coming or not?" he demanded as he glanced over his shoulder.
Quistis frowned and nodded. "Fine. But you are NOT to tell anyone about this!"
"They're all empty here!" Zell shouted as he looked into the last capsule. "Irvine?"
"Nothing!" Irvine added. They looked over at Selphie. "Anything?"
"Not even a trace of hair!" Selphie shouted. She looked around the room, trying to spot anything they might not have originally noticed. Her eyes landed in the center of the room, at the large column behind the control panels. Her eyes narrowed. "What about there?"
"Let's check it out." Irvine agreed. The trio met in the center of the room and stood around the circular metal column.
Zell lifted his hand and knocked on it's cold surface. He heard an echo and looked at Selphie and Irvine. "It's hallow."
"Something is inside," Irvine mumbled. He looked over at Selphie. "Can you open it?"
"There has to be something on the panel," Selphie nodded. She scurried over to the controls and began going through them. She lifted a small glass cover over a button and quickly pressed it. "Anything?" she asked, looking over her shoulder.
"Nothing," Zell sighed. His head dropped and suddenly he heard the sound of compressed air running through a broken seal. He lifted his head and gasped as he saw cold air rush from beneath a vent between the floor and the column. "What the...?"
"Step back," Irvine told him. He tugged his friend back and Selphie joined them as they watched the cold metal panels push outwards and slowly recoil back, revealing blinding white light within. As their eyes adjusted, they widened. "No way..."
"Is that HER?" Zell asked.
Selphie stared up at androgynous body sealed in front of them. Markings were all over their body. Their arms were crossed over their chests as their eyes were closed. "It must be the original host for the sorceress..." Selphie whispered.
"I'm glad to see you're smart enough to figure that out," a voice said behind them. The group turned around and Selphie let out a yelp as she saw the woman standing there. A sneer graced Rinoa's formerly placid face. "Where are my bodies?"
"Looks like they've been through here," Seifer said casually as he began to unlock the door using a card. Fallen soldiers laid across the stairs. The key pad blinked 'Error' and Seifer growled. "Fine! Stupid machine!"
Quistis was leaning against the wall, still clutching her side, when Seifer stepped back and raised his gun at the key paid. He pulled the trigger and Quistis rolled her eyes as the bullet hit. Sparks flew and the door slid open.
Seifer sent her a satisfied smirk. "Tsk..." she said as she straightened up. "Men."
"AH!"
"Selphie!"
"Zell, watch out!"
"IRVINE!" Screams cut through the air and the two blondes rushed into the room. Selphie was running across the room, dodging crystal ice lances while Zell shot at the sorceress.
Irvine was being tossed across the room, up in the air and below him, Rinoa's possessed body moving her arms as if he were a kite.
Seifer's eyes landed directly past the group and looked at the original host body. "Quistis," he said sternly as they crouched down behind an over turned casket. "Do you see the body back there?"
Quistis peeked over the casket and quickly pulled her head back down. "Yeah..."
"Release it," Seifer insisted. "That's the original host. We have to try to get Ultimecia back into that body."
"Keep me covered." Quistis said. She looked around and pulled out her gun. She quickly scurried over, trying to remain low as she moved. She needed to be out of the sorceress' line of vision.
Suddenly, a body as helplessly flung against the wall beside her and Quistis gasped. Irvine groaned as his body slid down next to her, bruised and bleeding.
"What are you doing?" a voice growled.
Quistis looked up from Irvine to the sorceress. Furious hollowed eyes glared at Quistis as she swore. "Quistis, run!" Seifer shouted.
He jumped out from where he had gone to gather Selphie and Zell. Bullets were sent flying and Ultimecia turned her body, looking away from Quistis.
"Go!" Irvine gasped in pain as he turned to her. Blood was trickling down from the corners of his mouth. "Hurry up! They can't keep her distracted forever!" he gasped.
Quistis nodded and stood up. She made a mad dash for the central controls. Just as she reached it, a glowing ice lance speared itself into the panel. Quistis screamed and barely got her arm back before it was also speared.
"That body will NOT be reawakened!" the sorceress growled. She whirled around and began stalking Quistis.
"Quistis, go to the back of the column!" Selphie shouted across the room. "Just unplug it!"
Quistis nodded and scrambled to the back. She saw a panel cover and pulled out her gun. A second after the bullet went through, she licked the panel cover open and grabbed the wires.
"No!" Ultimecia screamed. "You have no idea what you're doing!" she screeched.
She turned towards Quistis and Seifer ran forward. "I told you to get away from her!" Seifer shouted as he brought the tip of the gunblade down, slashing the air in front of her.
"Get out of my way!" Ultimecia growled. She reached out and grabbed Seifer's neck.
With inhuman strength, she lifted him up until his feet dangled above the ground. "Seifer!" Quistis gasped.
"Just...unplug...it!" the blond man shouted back.
Ultimecia squeezed his neck and tossed him over her shoulder. Seifer braced himself as he flew back and hit several caskets. The glass and twisted metal cut through his clothes, giving him welts and cuts on both exposed adn unexposed flesh.
Quistis nodded and unplugged the machine. Immediately, the strange material that held the body in place in the column began to drain. Alarms sounded and lights flashed as Ultimecia screamed.
"Quistis, what the hell are you doing?" a voice shouted behind the blond. Quistis turned around and dropped the wires she had pulled out.
"Squall?" she gasped.
"Get her!" a voice shouted behind the sorceress. She turned around just as Zell and Seifer grabbed her arms and pulled her into an awaiting capsule. "Seal it!"
Selphie was already standing by and quickly locked the manual controls next to the capsule. Cold air was blown across Ultimecia's body as she screamed.
"Wait!" a voice shouted. "We have to seal the sorceress back!"
"We ARE-SQUALL?" Zell gasped.
The team's commander stumbled from the darkness and ran to the control panels. He swore as he saw the ice lance that had impaled itself there. "Squall, are you nuts?" Irvine gasped as he limped towards the group. "We need that body get her out of Rinoa-"
"You don't understand! THAT'S not the original body!" Squall shouted as he pointed to the defrosting woman in the column chamber. "That's ADEL! She's ANOTHER sorceress!"
"There are MORE of them?" Zell gasped.
"Get her back into the chamber and freeze her!" Squall ordered.
"It's too late! I pulled the wires!" Quistis gasped.
"Where the hell were you?" Seifer growled as he and Zell tried to hold Rinoa's body into the chamber. "We've been trying to contact your ass since we got here!"
"Getting the last of the bodies out!" Squall exclaimed. "Damn it, be careful with her!" he shouted as he saw Rinoa.
"Squall, help me move her into another capsule!" Quistis said as she turned, one arm under the formerly frozen woman.
Squall nodded and grabbed on. They dragged the body to the nearest casket and tossed her in there. "Selphie! Seal this one up!"
Selphie nodded and ran forward. "How's Rinoa?" Quistis asked as she walked over to where they were standing. She looked down as the capsule's doors slid closed. Rinoa had been struggling, but her eyes were no longer glazed over.
"She'll be fine," Seifer breathed out tiredly. "Looks like we got to her in time."
"This one is broken!" Selphie announced. "We need to move her to another one!"
"Hurry up!" Seifer barked. "We can't afford for Ultimecia to enter HER." Zell dashed over to help Squall. They put their arms beneath the chill sorceress' body.
"I don't think you have to worry about that," Quistis said calmly as she looked down at Rinoa's freezing body. "She needed to jump into a host immediately."
The hairs on the back of Seifer's neck rose. Slowly he turned his head towards Quistis. "What do you mean by that?" he narrowed his eyes.
Quistis lifted her head, a smirk across her lips as vacant eyes stared back at him. "I bet you didn't know," she told him as she stood up straight. "I bet you didn't know that THIS body had a low, untapped power."
Seifer frowned. "Oh shit."
"Quistis?" Selphie gasped. The blond raised her hand and threw Selphie across the room with ease. The petite brunette screamed as she body landed against one of the glass capsules. She screamed painfully as glass cut through her tender skin.
"Selphie!" Irvine screamed as he rushed towards her.
"Now you've done it!" Seifer growled as he loaded his gun vengefully. "First Rinoa, now Quistis? You fucking bitch!"
"You couldn't even shoot your little friend the first time! Do you honestly expect me to believe you'll shoot THIS host?" Ultimecia taunted from Quistis' body.
"Zell," Squall said in a low voice as they placed the limp body into the capsule. "When I look at you, shoot her with this," He opened his hand to reveal a small dart connected to a small metal tube. "I'll keep her distracted."
"What is it?" Zell asked with uncertainty.
"I was saving it for Rinoa, but I didn't get here in time. It's a rapid spreading formula that's supposed to speed up the freezing process," Squall told him. "You get one shot. Aim for the explosed flesh at the back of her neck."
Zell shook his head. "I can't do it! What if I miss?" he gasped out nervously. "You should ask Irvine or Seifer-"
"Just do as I say," Squall told him sternly. "This is an order, soldier. I know you can do it."
Zell nodded and loaded the dart into his gun. "Good luck."
Squall nodded and stood up. He began to approach the sorceress. She whirled around and narrowed her eyes at him. "What are you doing here?" she snapped. "I told you to go to Esthar City!"
"I'm sorry, my mistress. I couldn't abandon you here," Squall told her. He lowered his head shamefully. "Allow me to re-assert my loyalties."
The sound of a blade being drawn echoed in the halls and Seifer narrowed his eyes. Ultimecia looked from Squall to Seifer and smirked. "Knight, I order you to kill him."
"As you wish, my mistress."
Squall lunged at Seifer and the blond barely had time to shield himself with his own gunblade before Seifer attacked. "What the hell are you doing?" Seifer hissed under his voice.
"Just shut up and go with my plan, Lt. Almasy." Squall growled back quietly. Seifer narrowed his eyes and gave a grunt as he pushed Squall back using the force of his gunblade.
"Fine, but I'm not going to loose to you, Commander Puberty," Seifer grumbled. "I'm not holding back."
The clanging of sharpened steel against sharpened steel sounded as Ultimecia found herself occupied watching her knight prove himself to her. The two soldiers danced around the cold room, their ragged breaths crystallizing in the air as they hacked away at each other. Each movement was like an intricate dance step that was so perfected, it almost looked planned.
Squall glanced back at Ultimecia, who was wearing an unassuming look on her face. He could sense that her guards were down and he turned back to Seifer. He raised his gunblade in the air and brought it down hard. "Zell!"
Blue eyes locked with blue and Zell closed his eyes and pulled the trigger. "Sorry, Quistis!" he gasped out.
The dart went through her collar and pieced her skin. Her eyes widened as she let out a painful scream. The liquid within the dart exploded through her body, rendering her cold and helpless.
"What the hell was that?" Seifer growled at Zell. He noticed the terrified look on Zell's face and turned to Squall. "That was YOUR idea, wasn't it?"
"It was necessary to get the sorceress out of Quistis' body. Quistis will be fine, you know it." Squall spat out.
The blond in the middle of the room let out a tired groan as she fell forward. Seifer swore and quickly caught her before she hit the ground. "Quistis?" he called out softly. "Quistis, how are you?"
"No," she winced. "I'm...cold..." she breathed out.
"Puberty boy!" Seifer growled.
"The effects of the dart will wear off within a few minutes if she's not put into a capsule." Squall assured him.
"Great," Irvine said as he stood up with Selphie in his arms. "But what about the sorcer-ESS! AGH!" Pain shot through his face.
"Irvy!" Selphie shrieked.
"Irvine!" The tall young man winced as he glanced down at his shoulder. An arm sized crystal protruded from right shoulder, fresh blood seeping quickly through his leather jacket he fell to his knees.
"Holy shi-" Seifer turned around, only to feel a peircing pain in his legs. Quistis' eyes widened as she saw blood gush through the ripped cloth of his pants.
"Seifer!" she gasped out weakly. Seifer gritted his teeth and remained standing. He turned and saw a heavily breathing figure waking themselves in the not yet completely frozen capsule.
"She's awake..." Squall mumbled. He looked over at the others. "Selphie! Irvine! Get out of here! Get Irvine to a medic NOW! Seifer, you, too!"
"Squall...Squall?" Zell gasped. "What about THAT?"
"I'll take care of it-"
"Screw that, Commander! We aren't leaving you again!" Seifer growled as.
"Get them out of here!" Squall growled. "The sirens and alarms that went off when Adel was released - they mean that the building is going to implode!"
"WHAT?"
A series of horrified faces looked at him as he rushed over to Rinoa's capsule. He glanced back at Adel-Ultimecia, whose legs were still frozen. She wasn't fully revived yet, but she was conscious. And consciousness meant the ability to use magic.
"The building is made of a material that spreads out an electronic field around the building. It's designed to keep a sorceress CONTAINED," Squall told them as he quickly unsealed Rinoa. Her cold body fell into his awaiting arms. "We need to set it to over drive."
"Why?" Zell gasped.
"Because it will negate all magic within the premises!" Squall hissed. "Zell! Take Rinoa! I have to get to that switch!"
"No, Squall! You take, Rinoa!" Selphie said. "I'll find that switch easily! Zell needs to help Irvine up! I can't do it, I'm too small!"
Irvine quickly shook his head. "I'm not leaving you down here alone," Irvine insisted. Zell approached him and Irvine batted him away. "No! I can't in good conscience leave Selphie here alone!"
"You'll going to bleed to death, Kinneas!" Seifer said as they headed towards the exit. "What good are you to her dead?"
"Attention all personnel. Attention all personnel. This building will collapse within five minutes."
"Hyne, things just keep getting better and better, don't they?" Seifer grumbled.
"The switch should be up in the main level! Let's go!" Squall shouted as he carried Rinoa in his arms.
"Zell, help me with Irvine!" Selphie shouted. Zell nodded and put his arm beneath Irvine's good arm.
The cowboy winced as blood soaked his clothes. "Damn...get this thing out of me!" he growled. Selphie nodded as he was hoisted to his feet. She grabbed the back end of the crystal lance and pulled it out. "AH! SHIT!"
Irvine swore bloody murder as the crystal was pulled out. "Why'd you do that? You'll bleed to death for sure now!" Zell yelled.
"Just get us back to the main level!" Irvine insisted.
The group trudged up the stairs with Seifer ahead of them. A half conscious Quistis was in his arms. Squall followed behind him, a limp, cold Rinoa in gathered against him. Behind them, Zell and Selphie carefully helped the wounded cowboy up the stairs.
Seifer kicked the door open at the top of the stairs and rushed out. The halls that had been teeming with soldiers just a few moments earlier were all but vacant as they emerged.
The warning went off again. "Three minutes."
"Zell, get out of here!" Selphie insisted.
"What?" Zell asked as they reached the main level. He looked confused.
"We'll contact you if we need anything," Irvine assured him. "Get the others out of here. They'll need fire cover with their arms full!" he told him.
Zell shook his head. "What about you two?"
Irvine gave him a lopsided grin. "Now...what kind of gentleman would I be if I let a pretty young lady like Selphie, here, alone and in danger?"
"I don't think now is the time to be chivalrous-" Zell began, but Squall stopped him.
"Officer Kinneas, Officer Tilmit," Squall said in a stern voice. Zell glanced up at him. "You don't have to do this."
"There is no greater honor, sir." Irvine told him respectfully. He saluted Squall weakly with his good arm.
"You know I can't leave him alone for a second, Squall," Selphie said with a friendly smile. She stood up straight and saluted him. "Sir!"
"At ease." Squall told them. Seifer nodded behind them.
"Wait..." Quistis gasped from Seifer's arms. Her weakened head rose slightly and Selphie could see the fear in her eyes. "Wait, no...you can't-" she began pleadingly.
"There is no 'can't' in this squad," Selphie told her cheerfully. "We are Diablo. We either do or we die trying."
Quistis closed her eyes. 'Selphie, you have no idea...' she thought to herself.
"Let's go, Selphie." Irvine said.
Selphie nodded and was about turn when she heard Rinoa's voice. "Down the hall, directly to the left," Rinoa rasped out weakly. "A gage there...turn the gage to the far left."
"Rin...?" Selphie asked. A sad smile crossed her face. She stepped closer to the nurse. "Rin, I'm glad we got you back..."
"Selphie, Irvine...I'm sorry..."
"No," Irvine told her as he smiled, despite the horrendous pain in his shoulder. "It's an honor this way. We are happy to do it. The way I see it, there is no better way."
Rinoa's eyes moistened with tears as her lip quivered. "I love you, guys." she whispered.
"We love you, too, Rin..." Selphie whimpered as tears rimmed her eyes.
"Selphie, Irvine," Squall said, drawing their attention back to him. "Start your mission."
"Sir, yes, sir!" Selphie and Irvine saluted Squall.
"Squall," Seifer said behind him. "We better go, too!"
"Two minutes." the warning echoed.
"Let's go!" Squall shouted. He whirled around and clutched Rinoa against his chest. The five of them ran through the halls, eyeing the entrance that had earlier been blown open by Selphie's bazooka.
They jumped over fall metal and concrete and ignored the bodies of fallen soldiers as they rushed out the door. "Dincht to V-1! Dincht to V-1! Requesting pick up immediately!"
"V-1 here, ya know!" Raijin's voice echoed in their ears. "We're coming up!"
"One minute."
"There!" Irvine and Selphie rounded the corner. Irvine pointed with his bad arm and cringed as another wave of pain shot through him. His good hand was placed on the wound and dark red liquid soaked his body.
Selphie shot the pad lock open and the panel in the wall popped out. She grabbed the knob in front of her and quickly turned it to the left. Immediately, the sound of energy pulsating through the walls was heard.
"Irvy, we did it!" Selphie piped cheerfully.
"Good! There's still time for you to get out!" Irvine told her as he grabbed her arm and pushed her forward.
Selphie paled and shook her head furiously as she turned back to look at him. Her hands rose to cup his face as she forced him to look into her reassured eyes. "No! I'm not-" Her eyes widened as she looked past his shoulder. "Watch out!"
"What?" Selphie dove forward and shoved Irvine out of the way. Irvine's eyes widened as blood splattered across his already blood stained face. "SELPHIE! NO!"
Her bright green eyes began to spew out tears as she coughed up blood. Slowly, she looked down at her mid section. Her eyes squinted as her vision began to blur. A large crystal ran through her stomach.
She turned her head and saw the limping sorceress approaching them. Selphie smiled. "It's too late..." Selphie whispered. "You're not going to hurt any more...people..." A warm iron tasting liquid flooded her mouth.
"Selphie?" Irvine yelled. He gathered her up in his arms. "Selphie? Hold on! Selphie?" Hate filled eyes rose as he looked back at the assailant. "You BITCH!"
The sorceress raised her hand and tried to summon another ice crystal. Sparks fizzed above her, but nothing happened. She brought her hand down and studied it, as if wondering what was going wrong.
Irvine growled as he grabbed his gun with his good arm and lifted it up. His soft eyes were filled with tears as he aimed. The trigger was pulled and a second later, a bullet shot clear through the sorceress' forehead.
Irvine was panting tiredly as he lowered his gun. He looked back at Selphie, who was bleeding from the mouth. His heart filled with pain as her bright eyes began to dim.
"Get this out of me..." Selphie asked him softly as hot tears ran down her face. "Please..."
Irvine's head was downcast, a shadow over his face as he slowly nodded his head. Bloody hands wrapped themselves around the crystal. Slippery and warm. He threw his head back and let out a painful yell as he pulled the crystal out with all of his strength.
Selphie winced and closed her eyes tightly. "Why?" Irvine whispered softly against the screaming sirens. "Selphie, I'm already hurt-"
"I can't leave you alone," Selphie reminded him with a slight smile. Tears were collecting in the corners of their eyes before they slid down her face and mingled with the blood from the corners of her mouth. "Remember, Irvy? I said the next time you go on vacation, I'd go with you? I promised."
"Darlin', this ain't a vacation," Irvine told her weakly, a hint of amusement in his voice. "You didn't have to come."
"I wanted to," Selphie swallowed and coughed out another glob of blood. Irvine patiently wiped it away with the back of his hand. "A promise is a promise."
"I promised myself that I'd protect you," Irvine mumbled. "And look what happened," he added with resentment in his voice. "I'm so sorry, Selphie..."
"No," Selphie shook her head slightly. "You're a gentleman through and through. You kept your promise. You're protecting me now...and even in death."
"Don't put it that way, Selphie..." Irvine pleaded weakly.
"Then now until forever," Selphie corrected herself. She raised her hand and moved it over her gaping stomach. She couldn't feel it, but sure enough, his hand was there, placed on top of the wound, as if to close it with a part of himself. "I love you, Irvy..."
"Selphie?" Irvine gasped. His eyes squinted as hot tears streamed down his face. "Selphie? Selphie, wake up!" he gasped as his body shook.
He looked down at her bruised and bloody face and pulled her against him. He ran his hand through her brown silken hair as he pressed his head against the side of hers, breathing in her scent desperately. "Selphie..." he whispered. "Selphie..."
Her eyes lost their sparkle and Irvine choked out a sob. His good hand rose and closed her emerald eyes for the last time. He gathered her into his arms, still clutching her hand with his wounded one. Irvine lowered his head and tried to muffle the sounds of his relentless tears. "I love you, too, Selphie..." he whispered. He screamed her name painfully one last time.
"Zero minutes."
The explosions began to sound beneath them, rocking the building. Everything seemed to go silent.
Irvine draped his body over Selphie's and held her tightly. He took one final breath as a blast sent rubble and fire down the hall. He closed his eyes tightly and shielded her body as smoke surrounded them. He pressed his lips against her cold ones and whispered it once more.
"I love you, too."