Chapter 22 Complete Junction Finale

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All the timesby LSG

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At the opposite end of the salt lake was an opening, a cave, one that he was sure Shadow had slipped into."About time, I'm freezing my ass off." Seifer grunted. The snow was a gift and a curse, it allowed him to track Shadow since there was no way he'd be able to keep up with him on ice or any surface for that matter. But on the other hand he was freezing.

'Here goes nothing...' Seifer shifted sideways slipped into the narrow opening, finding his body was pressed oddly between two walls that'd been eroded open by the lake back when it's water level was higher. It was a tight fit, the ice floors made it hard for him to keep balance, but he managed to make it through to a larger opening that lay behind the small opening.

'Geez, how did he get through?' He was around the area where the salt lake's bed was transiting in to the city of Esther. Seifer could tell because the walls were lined with thick wires of every color frozen together in a sheet of ice, they were so thick that it seemed like wallpaper. These were connected to the octagonal panels that made a wall surrounding Esther that had hid the city behind an illusion. 'Where the hell did he go?'

Sincerely I can say
That we should have met before today

Seifer walked down the ice coated steel floors of the cave that was more like a corridor leading into a large room, tall enough to span the gap of the cliff he'd climbed down to get to the lake bottom. He looked around, finding the wires from the last room were connected to large machinery in this one, all of them completely idle and silent who's function was unknown.

More importantly there was a stairwell built against the back wall only about 20 feet away, leading up to what seemed to be a control panel for the machines it was hard to tell because it was covered in a large void. The same type of void that led to Omega weapon in Ultimeinca's castle, there was some connection between Shadows and this null and empty space…

There he was, Shadow was standing in front of it, just staring. Seifer wasn't sure if Shadow had noticed him or not, with his hearing and sense of smell there was usually no doubt that he'd been noticed before he even entered the cave. But in his current state of mind, not to mention he was injured.

"Hey Spiky!" Seifer called out liberally, Shadow looked back. "What the hell are you doing?"

Shadow growled at him and turned back toward the void, as if that was all the prompting he needed he started to walk forward, about to go inside of it until he heard Seifer making his way up the stairwell. "If you come any closer I'll kill you."

But I'm (Mmm) happy to have this chance (This chance)
To be with you and I'm gonna make the best of it

"Why the hell should I care," He shrugged discardingly. "I'm not afraid to die." He took another step upward but just as quickly as he took it he jumped back when a black spike emerged from the ground. 'The hell with it!' Seifer nodded to himself, with out a second thought he charged head first past the spike and ascended towards Shadow full speed. A line of them trailed just behind him but Seifer was barely fast enough to stay ahead long enough to get to the top.

He didn't stop through, Seifer jumped over Shadow and landed directly in his path. "Aright, What the hell are you doing?"

Shadow looked away from him, out of everyone else he'd encountered he couldn't seem to look him in the eye. "I'm leaving this world. I found away out and I'm using it."

"So that's it huh? The fearless and all powerful Shadow is running away?" Seifer laughed sarcastically. "It really doesn't speak well for you."

This is more than joy for me
To be like a family

"I'm not running, there's no reason to stay here." Shadow growled. It was strange how his voice worked, he actually growled in an canine like manner but his words came out at the same time.

Seifer started to notice things about him like that…

"You really want to go back to that place you told me about. I mean it sounds like hell." With out explanation Seifer tossed away his gun blade and folded his arms.

Shadow looked down at the ground towards the gun blade. It didn't make sense, why would he do that? He was still in considerable danger, why would he discard any means to defend himself? "After what you did to me, I see that it's a lot easier to stay in my world away from you deceitful humans."

Seifer sighed in annoyment and stepped out of Shadow's way "You really think so? And what's so wrong with us humans…" Seifer paused for a moment, staring him strait in the eyes. He sounded almost hurt when he spoke this time. "...What's so wrong with me?"

And when we go our separate ways
This feelin' will always stay

"…So naïve." Shadow snorted, "None of you can even see it, half of you humans waste your lives trying not to hurt one another while the other half is doing just that with out any regard. Naively thinking one, single thing matters, so they spend all of their existence as a slave to what they feel they're obligated to whether they like it or not. Whole organizations, nations, masses of people just blindly following one person who is less powerful and less deserving of the power they posses then most of their very followers. Tangled in each other's lies, rules and restrictions…Your slaves to it, you should be slaves to nothing but your own ambition."

He seemed as if he was actually thinking about it what was said to him, there was a small reprieve, a silence between them. "Slave to nothing but your own ambition…" Seifer looked up as if he'd just decided on something. "Alright then, I'm going with you."

"What?"

"If your going then I'm going with you."

"What?" Shadow drew back in surprise, he never expected that. "Y-You can't."

"Why not? I don't have any reason to stay here anyway, everyone hates me already." Seifer told him plainly. "I'll never be happy here. So I'm following my own ambition like you said."

"Do you realize where you'd be going?"

Look how long we've been around each other Look at all the times
And we've finally found the chance to get together

"Doesn't matter, it's easier to stay away from this place and humans anyway right."

Shadow looked at him curiously, he still didn't understand it. "Why do you want to go?"

Seifer shrugged, "Your going. I'm going to be with you so I'd be alright."

"You can't hold your own against me, you'd be killed there before the day is over."

Seifer only looked at him, as if what he said didn't have any meaning. " I'm still going…" He smirked. "You know when Cho gets here he'd probably try and go after you."

Look at all the times we've seen each other
Feels so good to be together Look at all the times we've wasted

Shadow never fully understood humans, the things they did, the things they said, how they came to hold dominance in this world. Maybe...he'd never understand them. "You tried to poison me, but yet you'd still follow me in to death…"

"You weren't poisoned, trust me, If I tried to kill you I wouldn't be going with you." Seifer told him, "I'm not stupid, even you know that doesn't make sense."

Shadow looked in to the void, staring at the swirling black, the exit. Then he looked back at Seifer, staring at him. He didn't seem deterred at all, not even by death... "No…I don't…want you to die." Shadow denied, shaking his head as if he still couldn't believe it.

"…. I'm still going with you."

With out warning Shadow suddenly jumped on to him, getting a startled gasp from Seifer as he was pinned down. "You can't go! I won't let you!"

"Why do you care so much!" Seifer yelled, letting himself be held down. "You said you'd kill me, why does it matter to you how I die?"

"Because I...I want yo stay with you! I don't want you to die!" Tears blurred the glowing red eyes, dripping down his cheek onto Seifer's face. "I...I have feelings, I don't know what they are but they seemed to bind me to you..."

Look how long we've been around each other We've been around
And we've finally found the chance to get together

Seifer looked up at him with in confusion, watching as Shadow buried his face into his neck and start crying again. "I won't let you die." Shadow spoke a voice so depressed that it seemed surreal… for him at lest.

Seifer lifted his hands to Shadow's soft, vanilla scented fur and began rubbing his head with soft, caressing strokes. "Then stay here... with me."

"I didn't mean to hurt Cho…" Shadow admitted, something about this made him feel even worse then he already felt.

If you take a listen deeply, deeply
You can hear the pride in my voice yeah

"I know, we figured that out already." Seifer scratched gently behind his ear. "Just quit running and come back."

"…" Shadow buried his face deeper, clinching his eyes tightly and inhaling Seifer's scent. He almost lost this, and if he did go back he knew he'd had regretted it for the rest of his life. "If you didn't poison me…what happened to me?'

"Hangover." Seifer told him simply, scratching Shadow's other ear while he ran his other hand through though the warm fur over his body. "That's what happens when you drink too much alcohol, I told you not to but you kept going anyway. Why doesn't anyone ever listen to me?"

"Why don't I remember most of that day then?"

"You passed out." Seifer smirked, look strait up at the ceiling. He allowed Shadow stay on top of him with no reason to move at the moment, and more importantly, he was warm. Shadow would probably never be like this again, Seifer didn't want to just push him away the one time he was. He didn't mind him being on top of him through, Shadow was actually light despite his size and it was just like being under a blanket.

"Looks like Seifer likes his new puppy, it's so cute."

It's not that hard to see that
I'm happy about the way we came to be, be

Seifer tilted his head back to see the source of the voice, he saw none other than Squall standing above him. Not what he expected at all. "Fuck off I'm busy." Seifer really didn't care if anyone saw this, as long as Shadow was happy…and not making death threats.

Squall folded his arms and lent against the ice sheeted wall. "What are you doing?" Seifer asked, his voice hinting annoyment.

"Nothing. I'm just wondering what the hell is going on."

"Then leave. Go ask somebody else."

"Why? Want some alone time." Squall had to admit, it was fun messing with Seifer for a change

"As a matter of fact yes."

If I ever get the chance, again I know that
We make sweet music together

Squall smirked and dropped Seifer's gun blade on the ground next to him, "Next time watch where your throwing things."

"Why are you down here anyway?"

Squall pointed to the void, "I wondered if you had something to do with it, since one of them is on top of you."

"Well don't puberty boy, I don't do that... anymore." Seifer grunted.

"What?"

"I don't need too do that anymore." Seifer watched an now somewhat normalized Shadow climbed off of him, shaking his head some what and blinking a few tears out of his eyes. He still hadn't said anything in the last few minutes, he didn't even seem to notice Squall.

Seifer did everything he did for a reason, for a goal, for a dream, for fillment...He didn't feel as empty anymore, he found a goal that he'd never knew he was looking for.

Squall looked over the two, Seifer more specifically. "Why did you help save the Garden? You did try to destroy it"

"I don't know why I do half the things I do. You should know that by now, I don't even know why I helped Ultimeinca." It was just something to do, simple. He was restless, wanting to be something more then he was now, something big. So he wanted to do something big, be something bigger...and that happened.

Squall only shook his head and walked past the void, there was a ladder there leading to a hatch that came up somewhere in underground Esther. "Since you did help…" Squall started as he neared the top of the ladder and opened up the hatch. "You might still have a place in Balamb Garden. If you want it. If you can handle yourself." Squall called down, closing the hatch and returning to Esther.

Look how long we've been (Oh...) Look how long we've had around each other
(Look around, look around, look around, look around)
And we've finally found the chance to get together

Seifer was just about ready to tell him off, he didn't want to take anything from Squall, even an offer. But then he thought about Shadow, which made him think of Cho, and Nida. "I might just take him up on that offer…"

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Seifer emerged from the cave followed by a solemn Shadow, it was a completely dreaded atmosphere. But that mood was broken when Shadow ran in front of Seifer, sniffing around in the air alertly. "What is it?" Seifer asked. But Shadow didn't seem to hear him, the wolf only darted in the opposite direction leaving no word or explanation, charging across the ice field with out missing a steep.

'What the hell?' Seifer ran after him with out another thought, "Hey wait!" only to be blocked by a monster that fell in front of him, smashing through the ice and sending a splash of freezing water over him like a wave. 'What the hell!' Seifer took a stumbling step backwards while a large Hexadragon pulled itself out of the hole. "If that thing came from the air then…" And that's when he realized what it meant. "Damnit!"

Seifer wasted no time with it and ran past the dragon towards the other side of the lake where Cho and Nida were waiting for him. The sounds of more and more monsters dropping from the sky could be heard around him, at this rate all of the ice would completely break through.

Look at all the times we've seen each other
Feels so good to be together (Since fate put us together once again)

"Fuck! Haste!" Seifer shouted, his body was covered in a momentary golden light and crest of a speeding clock bore over him for a second as the casted spell took effect. His body sprang forward in a huge burst of speed, he easily made it to the other side of the lake.

Seifer jumped in the air, flying over the large hole in the ice and sliding skillfully to a stop next to Nida and Cho.

Shadow was standing in front of them defensively, growling fiercely and baring his fangs.

Cho opened his eyes, shivering slightly from the newly realized cold of his settings. He looked as if he hadn't moved in awhile by the way his hair and body was covered in snow. Despite his injuries and lack of protection from the cold he seemed to be aware "What's going on?"

"Big monster problem, I guess they found us." Seifer pointed upward, most of the monsters could be seen coming toward them from all sides, all but behind because there was a wall there. "Something must have pissed them off, there coming after us like crazy." Seifer drew his gun blade and got ready to attack.

"No wonder." Nida slowly eased himself backwards against the wall beside Cho, there was no way he'd do anything but get in the way. "With everything that's been going on, especially Zell's fight with Carbuncle, they must have been agitated."

Shadow stepped forward, growling loudly, he seemed to be surprisingly protective. He was looking for some redemption for his previous actions, he was so guilty it made him sick to his stomach. He had to... he didn't know what he had to do, but he wasn't going to let any more harm come to these humans, these three special humans. '!" The golden aura of limit break washed over his pitch black fur and his body reverted in to a dark liquid. With a splash the liquid forced it self into the ice and disappeared under it.

Look how long we've been Look how long it's been around each other
And we've finally found the chance to get together We finally got a chance to be together

"What the hell?" Seifer dropped down to his knees and looked into the snow covered ice, searching for any signs of the wolf. Not a good time to disappear… "Where did he go? What the hell was that?"

Cho suddenly reached forward and grabbed on to Seifer's waist, he was weak, and a small cry of pain came when he tried to pull him back. "Huh?" Seifer took a few steps back just to ask why Cho was so intent on moving him, before he could even think about it a wall of black spikes shot out of the ground on all sides around them. "What is this?"

"I believe-" Nida steaded himself against the wall, sure not to move. "-That this is Shadow's limit break."

Thousands of the black spears burst out of the ground behind the receding first line in a cascading chain reaction type way until the spike's had covered every inch of the lake.

Look at all the times we've seen each other (All of this time, all of this time)
Feels so good to be together

Then they started randomly retracting, shooting up from the ice in a pulsating manner, making sure nothing survived. Every single one of those monsters that had jumped down from above, all wiped out by one attack.

After a few seconds or so, every spike fell back in to the ground leaving just the cold waters of the Salt Lake and destroyed chunks of floating ice that used to lay as one. Shadow emerged from the ground in the same fashioned he entered it, the regrouping black liquid retook his form.

Everything was surrounded in an eerie silence while the three humans watched a heavily panting Shadow slowly turn towards them. He took slow steps with a downcast face, reluctantly walking towards Cho. By the time he looked up he was standing close enough to see that the 14 year old, Cho was barely taller then himself, he could tell even when the boy was sitting. "Cho…" He looked away with a growl at himself, he was angry that he had to apologize, but he was more angry at himself about what he was apologizing for. So with damaged pride and depression he continued."I'm sorry. It was an accident, I didn't mean to-"

Cho smiled as he reached up and wrapped his arms around Shadow's neck, rubbing his head softly.

"It's ok." He reassured him, his voice was shaky from the cold and weak from the blood he'd lost, all of which was now frozen to his skin."It was worth it to have you back. Your not going to run anymore are you?"

Shadow shook his head like a remorseful child, he spoke as little as possible, guilty over all the trouble he just caused. The boy's expression dulled considerably when he saw how sad the wolf was, but it quickly changed into one of surprise when saw Shadow begin to smirk oddly. He'd never seen that look before.

Time is precious, we must take advantage
Especially when we're often apart

"Seifer, what are you doing?" Nida asked, rubbing his head nervously.

Seifer was on top of Shadow, hugging him tightly with his face burred in the black fur, and Shadow seemed to be strong enough to stand with the extra weight. "I just got soaked in really, really cold water." Seifer said forcefully. "I'm freezing my ass off, and he's the warmest thing here." He looked up at Nida exemptingly "Unless any of you have fur."

Nida just shook his head and shifted his eyes away anxiously. "…"

"If you were this warm I'd be doing the same thing, I like him better though." Seifer said, speaking his normal impish tone. He really wanted to move, but this felt much better then standing by himself soaking and being cold.

Nida let out a deep exhale with a chilled shutter that ran through his body."Can we please get the hell out of here?"

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It was a long and fridge accent up the cliff, the 4 of them made it to the top but not without some struggle, from there it was easy to get back down to the ship. On arrival they found Zell sitting on the bridge next to the side door with Carbuncle in his arms. Just by the first look Carbuncle seemed confused and quiet in an odd manner. Zell only held him, his head held down as he watched him, a saddened expression on his face.

Seifer even managed not to say anything provoking to him, he didn't much feel like it and neither did Zell.

"Carbuncle, are you alright?" Cho held on to his side, bitting down on his bottom lip numb from the cold as he knelt beside Zell and the green GF.

He didn't get a response. "…" Carbuncle only looked up at him questioningly, trying to remember who he was.

Cho realized it all from the silence and the expression he got in response, Carbuncle didn't even know who he was. "…It took his memory didn't it…" Cho realized soberly.

"Most of it…He can remember a few thing, but most of it's gone. " Zell told him, gently rubbing Carbuncle's head as if trying to reassure the small GF of something unspoken..

Baby, when you see, see me looking proud
I'm only thinking of me and you

Then suddenly Carbuncle spoke. "Cho?" He asked, the boy's face managed to spark a few memories.

Cho smiled, "You remembered me." he watched Carbuncle's face become a little lighter.

"I don't know how I forgot at all." Carbuncle smirked. A small sense of pride came to him when he finally remembered something, everything didn't seem so overwhelmingly unstable as it did when he first regained conciseness only to wake up to an empty head.

"How much do you remember?" Nida asked.

Carbuncle looked up toward the sky, thinking hard. Who was this other person? "I remember a little bit of fighting Ultimeinca…everything else before that is just hazy fragments…and after that is to... I can't really remember anything, but... it was worth it." Carbuncle knew that if he had lost his memory simply to save Zell, then it was completely worth erasing 500 years of knowledge, erasing who he was. "But I remembered Cho…so other things might comeback... right?"

No one could get a chance to respond, everyone was thoroughly surprised when Bahamut landed next to Zell with out warning. "All clear."

Zell nodded "Thank you." Using the side of the ship he pulled himself on to his feet, letting his left hand fall lifelessly to his side while the other held the small GF close to him. He never wanted sleep more in his life, or a hospital.

Seifer looked around at the unusual group that had gathered here, only to dismiss the coinsurance that all of them would be here at once with a shrug. "Anybody else really hungry?"

Nida generally was the responsible type, the one who said no to the reckless, irresponsible things. But by some form of mental and physical fatigue brought on by the events that had just transpired, he was just too tired to care. "I say we raid the Garden cafeteria before we give it back." He was to tired to even restrain himself from doing the irresponsible thing, simply because sometimes it was just easier.

Look at the times we've been together Look at how we've been around
Now I have finally got the chance to be

"Nida? Did that just come from you?" Cho was genuinely surprised, even enough to question if Nida was alright.

"Hmm…Must be your influence." Nida opened the side door, it was heavier then he remembered, and went inside.

"If we're going to do that we might as well go a step forward and keep the Garden." Seifer said with a light snicker. "Go big or don't go at all."

"The worst thing is that I think he's serious. " Zell shook his head and headed inside the warmth of the ship behind Nida and Cho with Bahamut following closely behind. "Got your appetite back?"

Carbuncle nodded "Yeah."

Seifer looked down at Shadow, smiling as he scratched behind Shadow's ear again. "Don't do that again."

Shadow shook his head "I wont…Damnit. Your trying to train me like a dog." He realized offensively.

"Not really, You just wouldn't be as much fun that way."

"You humans are confusing."

"Your one to talk."

"I'm not confusing."

"Did you just forget about that last little episode you had, that was confusing as hell."

The red eyes blinked a little as he looked up at Seifer "I lost trust in you, I though you tried to kill me. I ran because I didn't want to hurt you."

Look at the times we've been apart
Though I have never had the chance to meet you

"Why not? You seem vindictive enough, not like you had a problem doing it before."

"I couldn't because I've grown to familiar with you."

"Huh?"

"You have to be the most intriguing thing I've ever met."

"Well…" Seifer started walking up the flight stairs leading inside, "You're the only person that seems too. Thank you…for loving me."

Shadow looked up at him with more confusion, that moment of softness was completely unexpected from someone like Seifer. Something no one had ever seen before, and Shadow was the only person he showed it to. Shadow decided at the moment, not to give up trying to understand humans, there was so much to them. They were so unpredictable, they never seemed to do what he expected them too even if it was beyond logic and reason...Maybe, that's what made them so strong, these feelings they had had that made them turn against logic, that made them able to do things in instances that defied logic. Maybe that was what allow them to create things that where beyond the imagination, and do things every day that could give life and take it away just as quickly. Maybe that was it...

Shadow didn't understand humans.

He understood it even less when Seifer's serous expression changed back into his usual cocky grin as if he didn't just say what he'd said. As if he didn't reveal some tidbit of the feelings he had inside of him.

"The mighty warrior Seifer, has a soft side?"

"Fuck you."

"Maybe later." Shadow grinned "But I get to do you first."

Seifer shook his head, changing subjects expectantly when his stomach began growling. "Ever had a hot dog?"

Hot dog, what was a hot dog? "No."

Look how long we've been around each other
And we've finally found the chance to get together

"Then come on."

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This song was also one of my favorites, and it described this last chapter perfectly! I'm happy with the sequel, 131 pages and 57824 words not including this part. (At lest the unrevised version was, this newer version was 206 pages) Since this is the end of the Junction series I have to say in retrospect the first one was crap. I'm going to go back and correct it when I get done with a few other stories.

Shadow was my favorite person, I never planed on Seifer jumping in but when inspiration strikes… Even after Seifer became a big part in the story I didn't plan on him or Shadow. But anyway, thank you for reading and putting up with my many errors. I'm devoid of a Beta as you saw.

Well anyway thank you for reading and reviewing .

Oh and there is a sequel up, Final Fantasy 8: Soul Junction. Go read it, Now!

Truly yours

SDI Hypervelocity