Last Night Single and I Do
"That is enough."
A crash resonated in the room as Rinoa woke out of her trance. As she opened her eyes to the glaring fluorescent lights, she recognized the familiar face of Edea. "How was I today?"
Edea used her magic to gather the broken fragments of glass on the floor and integrated the pieces together. "Your control is improving. It is not a question of whether your skill is good though Rinoa. The question should be, do you feel better? You did pass out the other day when I was"
Rinoa placed a hand on her forehead and gently massaged her temples. "Much better, I believe. I don't think the magic taxed me as much this time."
Edea placed the glass ball on the table. "Magic is an art that can be easily abused. Most novice sorceresses begin to believe that they have control over their magic when everything feels painless and quick. Unfortunately, you dropped the glass ball when I woke you out of your psychokinetic trance." She floated the ball a meter above the air and broke it into pieces, suspending the shards where they had broken. "You may be a powerful sorceress, but control is essential in every step of the process."
Rinoa started piecing the ball together until it formed an almost even ball.
"Order is also essential. You must be able to give form to your magic. It's not easy dear. You can easily levitate a ball in air, but to keep it there under pressure is another thing. Will you try it again?"
Rinoa nodded and broke the ball into pieces again, and in one swift, graceful movement, the ball rearranged itself into a perfect, spherical form. Using her telekinetic powers again, she moved the ball across the air slowly to its mantle on the table.
"Much better Rinoa. You must realized that one of the most challenging arts of sorcery is telekinesis. Elemental magic is easily controlled, and the magic that you draw from draw points is nowhere near as hard to cast as most amateur magicians and SeeD's think. Higher level spells like Maelstrom, Gravija, and Megiddo Flame take more effort, but to control inanimate objects…" Edea said as she levitated the ball and continuously broke and reassembled it, "is much harder than people think. Very well, we are done for today. Is tonight your party with the girls?"
"Yes. We are going to take the Ragnarok to Deling. Would you like to come with us?" she asked the other sorceress.
"I would love to Rinoa, but I am a married woman with responsibilities. There are things that I must take care of. You should enjoy yourselves though. A night off before the wedding, especially one where you are far away from your husband to be, intensifies the thrill of the wedding day."
"Thank you Edea. I will see you after the honeymoon then. Shall we continue our lessons?"
"Yes Rinoa. Until then, keep practicing your telekinesis techniques. Who knows…you can practice undressing Squall or perhaps…hmm…"
There was a look of mischief on Edea's face that Rinoa recognized and she herself could sense something hilarious coming.
"Striptease!" they both said together.
"Okay Rinoa, you must go now. I have to do something today and I should let you get to your bridal shower."
Rinoa hugged the other woman and said, "I hope you have a great time here at Esthar. I'll see you tomorrow."
Edea smiled at Rinoa's friendly gesture. "I'll see you tomorrow too Rinoa. I hope you have a great time at Deling."
As Rinoa left the room, the glass ball began levitating and floated in front of Edea. A purple cloud had begun to form in the center as a voice emanated from within. "How is the girl?"
Edea turned to the ball and answered, "She is doing better. I have placed blocks on her mind during her trance to prevent Ultimecia from repossessing her."
An image of Storm had materialized in the nexus of the ball. Once again clad in his usual hood attire, he appeared to look more disheveled and weary than before. "Do you think this brand of magic will work against Ultimecia's?"
Edea took a few steps to a couch and sunk down, appearing as weary as Storm. "I don't know. I have never tried them myself, but I believe that combining Rinoa's powers with the spell I used is powerful enough to block me from her mind. Why don't you try it Storm. After all, you are more powerful than Ultimecia."
A smile seemed to form on the fine lines of Storms lips. "Power isn't what allows me to enter someone's mind. Rinoa's magic is different from mine. I could just as easily duel with her and win, but our brand of sorcery is different. I could never tap into her mind like I could with witches of my breed."
Edea paused as she absorbed the information Storm was giving her. She had been training Rinoa after she realized that her powers hadn't completely abandoned her. When the recent events that had transpired were made known to her, she had offered help to the SeeD's. The woman didn't once expect her brother-in-law to be a part of this picture. The moment Storm made himself known to her, she knew that the prophecies that sorceresses of days old were beginning to unfold. "According to what you told me Storm, Ultimecia couldn't enter Rinoa's mind either. If that is the case, then would you explain to me why she was able to possess Rinoa."
The face in the floating ball was momentarily surrounded by a glowing green cloud before it reverted back to purple. Edea saw Storm's face again. "Perhaps Rinoa was at the time a magical fledgling. A new sorceress' powers don't ripen until she utilizes their full magnitude."
Edea grabbed the ball and held in delicately in her long fingers. "Ah, but you remember that when I was possessed by Ultimecia and was released, Rinoa was there to accept the powers. She had already functioned as a sorceress before she collapsed…"
"You mean Ultimecia functioned in Rinoa's shell," Storm interrupted. "When I speak of fledglings, I mean to say that a sorceress uses her own powers. Her Angel Powers were activated after she had been released."
Edea narrowed her eyes as she bounced the ball back and forth between her hands. "You seem to be sure of this Storm. You do realize that I am trying to secure Rinoa as best as I can to help prevent the prophecies from unfolding at this time and age…"
"But you can't Edea. A prophecy remains a prophecy. Regardless of whether or not we take the necessary steps to ensure Rinoa's safety, we cannot prevent the inevitable. If it does not happen in this day and age, it will happen someday, and you will not be there to prevent it."
Edea's voice took on a cold and deadly tone. "Are you suggesting that we let it happen anyways? So we will allow Rinoa to be possessed…and what? Just wait for Ultimecia to release herself from the body again? We must protect these children Storm. They don't know the full magnitude of Ultimecia's power. What they savored in time compression was merely a taste of what she can do. All those grotesque mutations of hers…they were just toys."
"I understand your concern Edea, but what I have in plan is very much unlike what you want to do with the children."
Edea levitated the ball in the air while rubbing her forehead with her fingers. "What is that Storm?"
The ball stopped levitating and remained stationary in the air for a moment before settling down on the coffee table. "You will find out."
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Squall was in his office, looking over a few archived documents Balamb Garden had sent to his Esthar apartment. He was just about to look into an old file dating from the time Balamb Garden was constructed when he heard a knock on the door. "Come in."
Quistis entered the room, whip on her belt, and a small, gift-wrapped box in the other. She smiled at Squall and greeted him. "Hello Squall. You seem to be busying yourself on the day before your wedding. May I ask what's up?"
Squall put the file back into the envelope before answering Quistis. "Nothing…just some paperwork."
Quistis shook her head and approached Squall, ruffling his hair slightly as she set the box on the table. "Always the diligent one. Oh Squall, I remember being your big sister, your teacher, and now you are getting married. Time is too short."
Squall took the box and opened it. There was a bottle of expensive perfume inside. A rare smile suddenly formed on his lips. "Thank you Quistis."
Quistis folded her arms and smiled at her former student. "You should get some rest Squall. Tomorrow is going to be a big day. You've been working ever since we were assigned to Esthar Garden, and on top of all this planning, you are studying documents and doing Hyne knows what else. Take a break. The world will not end if you forget to read your paper."
Squall wore his frustrated look and said, "It's not that Quistis. I'm worried about all that had happened recently. It just seems strange that all this sorceress jack started happening after Ultimecia's death. We obliterated her in what could be the equivalent of the headquarters of time and we still get all this magic going on."
Quistis came behind the table and took the documents folder from Squall's desk. "I could see why you're worried Squall, but everyone is on their toes trying to discover what is really behind this huge mess. Give yourself a day off, and when we get the wedding out the way, we can attend to this again. Just not now okay?"
"But what if…"
Quistis squeezed Squall's wrist gently. "No if's Squall. Everything will be alright. You should stop worrying. If something happens, everyone will be here to help. It's not like the SeeD of Esthar aren't called SeeD Extreme for nothing."
Squall sighed and put the papers away in his drawer. "Alright Quistis. I know that I should be enjoying all of tonight and tomorrow, but I promise to keep myself out of my work if you promise me something."
A mischievous smile appeared on Quistis face, with one eyebrow raised and the other in a slight squint. "And what would that be commander?"
Squall opened his file cabinet and handed a folder to the blonde woman. "I recall you telling me that you know how to read runes. I sent one of the Balamb SeeD to the Centra ruins to take some pictures the other day. If you can decipher the runes, I promise to stop working on this."
Quistis sighed and shook her head. "Oh Squall…oh what can I do? Okay, I'll tell you what they mean, as long as it's after the wedding. Deal?"
Squall smiled and shook her hand in a very manly fashion. "Deal."
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Squall and the boys were driving across the Esthar desert, Irvine on the driver's seat, Zell beside Irvine, Seifer in the backseat, and Squall scrunched up beside his former rival. After spending hours trying to decide on the best venue for a bachelor's party, the boys decided to scrap the plush bar plan and go out into the desert for a last night single's hunt with the boys.
"WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAA!" Zell screamed out at the top of his lungs. "Look! It's an imp!"
Sure enough, a diminutive purple demon was jumping around in circles about half a mile from the car. Irvine stood up from the wheel, took his Exeter, and made an aim at the Imp.
"Cowboyabunga!" Zell screamed again. Irvine and Zell were hooting at the top of their lungs when they suddenly felt their collars being grabbed as they were dragged back to their chairs.
"Hey, idiots!" Seifer hissed at them. "You, Irvine, are supposed to be driving." He took the Exeter from Irvine's hands, much to the cowboy's protests, and ruffled Zell's hair so badly that the smaller blonde could only scowl for the remainder of the trip.
Seifer threw the Exeter to the back of the car. "That…is much better."
Zell turned back with a venomous look in his eyes. "This was supposed to be a hunt, punk! How are we supposed to be hunting without a gun?"
Seifer swiftly brought the blade of his weapon close to Zell's neck. "With a gunblade."
Zell turned pale and gulped. "Uh…right...yeah…a gunblade."
Seifer laughed and put his gunblade back into its sheath. "That's better Chicke…"
Squall had had enough. In a cold tone that could even freeze Shiva in ice, he said, "That is enough." When the two had grown silent, Squall told Irvine to change their course to Tear's Point.
When the car finally arrived at the monument, the boys took out their weapons and began scouring the area for monsters. Squall and Seifer went together with their gunblades, while Zell and Irvine took the other route. A few imps hung around the many statues in the site, and at one point, Seifer and Squall were able to combat a Behemoth. After an hour of circling the huge labyrinth, the two groups met in the center.
"Well that was fun wasn't it?" Irvine said, reloading his Exeter as the other three decided to sit down for a rest.
Seifer was panting, resting his head against the foot of a statue. "Fun…is an understatement. I haven't fought upper level monsters in a very long time. My skills are a bit rusty, but the thrill of slaying monsters is just as exhilarating."
Squall stood up and placed an empty cask on the ground. He cast an Ice spell and a weak fire spell to collect water. When the water was full he then handed the casket to anyone who wanted a drink.
" I guess this is my last night single. We have no alchohol, but water will do. He poured some water into the other caskets. Seifer then led the group for a toast to Squall. "To Squall Leonhart, rival, warrior, and marriage-stricken dufus."
Squall threw a pebble at Seifer's head, the other man yelping when it hit his head. "Ow! Okay! Sorry already!"
While the boys were resting, Squall noticed that the air around them began to grow hazy. It seemed as if time had stopped and everything within the vicinity had stilled. He looked around and found all his companions sleeping. He shook his head and stood up. Taking his gunblade, he walked around the area and found a pebble floating in the air.
"Strange…" he said to himself, picking up the pebble and releasing it. The pebble did not fall. He turned to the left and found another rock suspended in midair. As he cautiously approached the rock, a raven landed on it. The bird stared icily at Squall as he stopped in his tracks and examined the curious creature.
"I am Huginn," spoke the bird.
Squall was taken aback by the bird's ability to talk. "You…you talk?"
Another bird landed beside the raven called Huginn and said, "We are the great birds of wisdom. I am Muninn. My brother Huginn and I are the keepers of time. I am he who represents memory."
Huggin then said, "And I am the raven of thought. We come to you to bring you information about time's impending end."
"The coming end?" Squall wondered out aloud.
"Yes Squall, son of Leonhart. Follow us and we shall show you an image of the future to come."
Squall blinked his eyes, and sound he found himself on the back of a giant raven. He found another giant bird beside the one that carried him, and he found out that the birds had either grown and magically put him on their back, or shrank him and done the same. They began flying as he held on to their feathers. "What happened to time ravens?"
"Time has stilled. Worry not for your friends. The stillness shall keep them safe," said the Raven called Munninn.
Squall felt the amazing sensation of soaring across the air as the ravens flew over gorges and rivers. As they flew, the birds narrated to him the story of the prophecies.
"Young knight, we know your distress. We know about the valiant battles that you led to save the world from the wicked woman who had sought the destruction of all that is good. But a time of peace will always precede a time of war," said Huginn.
"We know all that was, is, and that which will come. We have called you to prevent what the deities deem as inevitable," Muginn said.
"Are you bringing me to your masters?" asked Squall.
The ravens brought Squall to a mountain covered in dark clouds. "To our master, you shall make your presence. Fear him not, for in times likes this he shall come to your need."
The ravens landed on a great cliff surrounded darkened by the ominous clouds. They then allowed Squall to dismount and turned to him.
"The Master shall be with you soon," Muginn said.
"Be brave young knight. All that is and all that was shall be made known to you," said Huginn.
The ravens flew away to the distance until Squall could no longer see them. He felt alone, and the dark clouds reminded him of the bottomless cliff that he had been to in Time compression. He held the handle of his gunblade so as to prepare for any monsters that might be lurking nearby. He then decided to explore the mountain.
As he was walking down, the light began to illuminate the area until he reached a clearing bright with radiant sunlight. He heard a soft, bright laughter coming from the right. He looked about and found an orchard of golden apples and found a very beautiful woman tending to the trees. The woman turned to him.
"Hello young one…are you here to partake of Freia's golden apples?" She took a fruit from one of the tall, sprawling branches and offered it to Squall.
Squall released his grip from his weapon, seeing that the woman meant no harm. "I'm sorry, but I was taken by two ravens here to see the Master for some wisdom to be revealed to me."
The woman put the apple in a basket where she had been harvesting the beautiful fruits. "Muginn and Higinn have brought you here? Well, I shall introduce you to myself. I am the goddess Freia, and I grow these apples to provide eternal youth and beauty to the gods. The ravens very rarely invite mortals to this great fortress. If you are here, then it is most likely for a greater purpose than one that is known to me."
"Do you know where I am to go?" Squall asked her.
The goddess flew like a nymph in the air and landed beside Squall. "I shall lead you to the Master. However, the path to him shall not be easy. You, mortal, shall have to pass several tests to have an audience with the head god. The journey will not take long if you are skilled. I shall be your guide young one, and so that you shall be nourished, I shall give you one of my golden apples. They give youth and energy to the weary."
Squall took the apple and placed it on a pouch on his belt. The goddess then led him across the orchard to a lake.
"This is the lake which leads you to the tower of the gods. It is the lake of Midgard, the body of water which separates the fortress of the gods from the land of humans. To pass the lake, you must battle Jormungand, the serpent of Midgar. The serpent resides in the bottom of the lake, in a cave beneath the rainbow reef. Be careful mortal, as his poison is deadly and his fangs are swift. I wish you all the best." With that, Freia turned into a wisp of smoke and left Squall in the edge of the lake.
Squall commanded his Guardian Forces to equip him against Poison, and he summoned Leviathian to give him the ability to breath in water. Once the magic had been applied, he jumped into the water and swam into the deep of the lake. As he looked about him, he saw the most beautiful corals and the most amazing looking fish he was ever to see. A seahorse eight feet long swam past him as a school of blue and yellow fish darted across the reef. He then saw the cave that Freia spoke of, and swam into the cavern. He swam about the crooks and crannies of the rock structure and maneuvered his way until he reached a point where light seemed to come from abover. Squall dived up and found himself in a large grotto filled with skeletons.
His grip immediately fastened on the handle of his gunblade as he began wandering the cave, searching for the serpent. It seemed as if several people had failed their quest as the bones of the dead littered the place. As he was examining a small opening against the side of the rock, he felt something enter his nose. When he turned around, he found out that the place was enveloped in a cloud of green gas.
'Poison!' Squall thought. Instead of hurting him however, the poison nourished him. He watched cautiously for a sign of movement, and then suddenly, a head the size of a car landed on him, nearly capturing him in its great jaws. As the green gas cleared, Squall found himself face to face with a serpent easily a hundred feet long, with fangs the size of long swords and bat wing-shaped ears at the sides of its head.
"I am Jormungand. Defend yourself mortal!" The serpent lunged at Squall again, spewing a cloud of poison into the air. Squall jumped around and summoned Leviathian. The great Guardian force leapt out the water and wrestled with the other great reptile. While Jormungand was busy coiling himself around Leviathian, he seized the moment to jump about and bury his blade into the back of Jormungand's neck, causing the serpent the hiss loudly. Squall wrenched the blade around the serpent's neck as great amounts of black blood sprayed from its neck. He pulled his blade out and climbed the serpent's back and stuck the weapon into its skull, killing it the moment the steel entered the soft tissue. The serpent screamed as it fell on the floor of the grotto, a pool of black blood seeping around the area where Squall had pierced him.
Leviathian then disappeared and Squall went to the pool to wash himself. He took Freia's apple and took a bite out of it, refreshing himself. In a wisp of smoke, the goddess appeared to him.
"Well done young one. You have passed the first test. Now, you shall follow me to the gates of the tower. There, you shall battle the fire god, Loge." Freia touched Squall's shoulder and both of them disappeared from Jormungand's cavern.
The two then reappeared in front of a great structure surrounded by seemingly endless walls of crystal. Freia turned to Squall. "The tests that shall try you are many, and you have survived one of the most difficult of them. Prove yourself worthy of Loge and you shall be admitted into the great tower. Be careful though, as Loge is a master of tricks. I wish you well Squall." She gave him another apple and disappeared once more.
Squall then smirked and commanded the Guardian forces to equip him against fire. He walked cautiously towards the crystal gate and touched the surface of the glass. It felt thick…and in a few seconds, he felt it turning hot. As immune he was to fire, heat was still a sensation that he felt.
As he was about to summon Shiva, a great column of fire came down at him. He somersaulted back and cast several blizzaga spells around him. A tall, thin form with red hair then appeared in front of him. Flames flickered all around him as he shot two great balls of flame towards Squall. Squall dodged them and cast another Blizzaga at Loge's direction. The ice immediately melted upon contact with the god's flames. Loge burrowed into the ground and caused a wall of fire to emanate from the ground towards Squall. He dodged it and managed to summon both Shiva and Leviathian. As Leviathian flooded the area in his tidal wave, Shiva froze the place where Loge had hidden, and Squall reappeared and plunged his gunblade into the frozen ground, causing Loge to shatter.
Freia immediately shimmered in front of Squall, and she offered her hand to him. "Well done Squall. You have earned your way into the tower of the gods. Now that you have passed the Midgard Serpent and Loge, you shall face the greatest trials yet."
The great crystal wall began dissolving and revealed a very deep gorge that seemed to have no bottom to it. The dissolving crystal seemed to take on the colors of the rainbow as it magically floated in the air to form a bridge that connected the tower of the gods from the other end. Freia led Squall across the bridge and led him to the entrance of the tower.
"I shall leave you here to face the great Valkyrie, Brunnhilde. Arm yourself well, for he that sees the Valkyrie's gaze never lives to see another sunrise. I wish you well Squall."
Freia disappeared, leaving Squall to enter the tower. He looked up and saw an endless flight of stairs to the top. It seemed like the climb to Ultimecia's tower was nowhere nearly as endless as the climb that was set before him now. He then called on Pandemona to whisk him up to the top. Within minutes, he had reached the very top of the edifice, grateful that the gods had not stripped him of his Guardian Forces as they did in Ultimecia's castle. As he stepped out of the tower, he suddenly heard a loud cry emanating from the end of the stone bridge that connected him to the other end.
"Hoyotoho! Hoyotoho! Heiaha!"
Squall saw a woman wearing a winged helmet and clad in armor with a spear, a sheathed sword, and a great shield. She was easily seven feet tall and was riding a winged horse. "Grane! To battle! Heiaha!" she cried.
Squall dashed forward as her steed crashed on the pavement where he had stood. She dismounted her horse and brought her spear out, throwing it at Squall. He barely dodged it as she effortlessly broke off a large piece of stone brick from the bridge and flung it at him. Squall ran to the other side, knowing that this enemy was possibly one of the strongest ones he had to face yet. He summoned Diablo to make him invisible and dashed towards the entrance.
Brunnhilde, the Valkyrie, ran towards the direction that Squall took and summoned rain to fall upon the area. She then found Squall's outline running towards the other end. She followed him in full pursuit and took her spear, flinging it at him again. It almost hit Squall, but his reflexes allowed him to act quickly.
Squall turned around at cast a Thundaga spell at Brunnhilde, shocking the warrior and allowing him to gain some time to cast a few spells. He cast an Aura on himself and then after a few moments, performed one of his most agile Lionhearts ever on the woman, defeating her within seconds.
"You were a worthy fight, son of Leonhart. Few warriors make it past Brunnhilde. You fought well. To Walhall's great hall, you shall follow me," Brunnhilde exasperated once she had regained her strength after the battle.
Brunnhilde led Squall across the stone bridge and into a vast hall. When the great Valkyrie opened the door to the great hall, Squall was greeted by Freia and another woman.
"Welcome Squall, son of Leonhart. You have made it to the hall of Walhall, defeating Jormungand, Loge, and Brunnhilde. The gods of Valhalla salute you. Please, have one of my golden apples before you meet the Master. You need to regain your strength after all these battles," Freia said as she led Squall to a room.
The other woman took pure-white linens and gave them to Squall. "I am Fricka, the Goddess of marriage and fertility. Your clothes are soiled in battle, so I brought you these. You have met the tests well with the courage, determination, and strength of a warrior."
Squall took the linens and bowed to Fricka and Freia before entering the room. He changed his clothes and dressed into the white robes, eating one of Freia's apples afterwards. He then stepped out of the room, and was greeted by Freia.
"Are you ready son of Leonhart?"
Squall nodded and was led by Freia into a darkly lit, cavernous throne room. As he entered with the goddess, he lights slowly turned brighter and he saw the figures of two gods in the distance.
"Hail, warrior of Walhall. I am Donner, and I welcome you to Walhalla's great hall," said one of the two men.
"And I am Froh. The Master shall be here soon," the other god said. "Please seat yourself.
Squall was seated in a luxurious chair that had bowls of fruit around it. After what seemed like a few minutes, a great figure entered the hall, hooded and holding a great spear in his hand. He took his seat in the throne as the two ravens flew and sat on each of the two armrests.
"Welcome to Walhall, son of Leonhart," boomed his great voice. "I have heard of the great skill at which you passed the tests of Walhall. I am honoured by your presence."
Squall bowed on one knee and said, "I am honoured to be here Master of Walhall. Your ravens told me that I am here to receive a prophecy about an impending end."
"That you are, son of Leonhart. You were transported to the center of time's passing to kill the great evil, Ultimecia. Yet, not all is over yet. The witch is still alive, and she seeks to destroy the world that we have watched since its conception. We and other forces have joined to stop her in her masterful plan to bring and end to all that is, and all that was."
Squall looked up to the god who stood in front of him and asked, "Are you Storm?"
The god did not reply, and instead slowly removed the hood that concealed his face.
Squall almost fell backwards when he saw the man's face. "I thought you were dead!" Squall gasped when he saw the looming figure before him.
"Young man, one such as I will never die. I have existed before civilization was realized and despite my seemingly untimely demise, I rise again from the ashes to roam this world again."
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I am so sorry that this update took so long, but I hope you enjoy this chapter immensely. I will have one ready when I have a great chapter written.