A Word From the Author: Guess you guys are wondering where I was for the last month. No, I haven't been abducted by aliens, but I've been tortured by something just as bad...the FINAL YEAR EXAMS! THE ULTIMATE WEAPON TEACHERS USE TO MAKE US SUFFER! (Calms down) Anyway, this fic is NOT dead. I repeat, it is still healthy and thriving, though with a bit of growth impediment. And I had exams, which is a perfectly good reason to make me (gasp) abandon my story writing for more intellectual pursuits, so don't come running after me with pitchforks and torches. Cookies to everyone who reviewed during my absence. And now, without further ado, let the story begin!!!
Chapter Fifteen: First Mission
(Note: This chapter takes place the morning after the practical exam.)
Sephiroth arrived at the hallway bright and early ten minutes before the appointed time in his blue and silver SeeD uniform which had arrived yesterday after his test. His silver hair was bound back with a leather thong, hanging thick and shiny down the middle of his back, having adamantly refused pressure to shear it off (Keire's, namely.) A few students straggled in in ones or twos, yawning mightily, except Daniel, who bounded in in his usual exuberant way. To his (privately) extreme relief, the blond merely waved at him with a disgusting cheeriness that should NOT have been present at such an hour before sauntering off to chat with a sleepy looking cadet slumped against a battle, clearly fighting a losing battle to keep his eyes open. As Daniel started to talk, gesturing wildly, his head slipped sideways and a snore escaped his mouth. Paine and a few girlfriends arrived at the scene some seconds later, talking animatedly. The assembled cadets—fifteen in all—all bore varying expressions. Some were nervous, some pale to the point of lying down in their deathbeds, some expressionless, some confident, others determined. The anxious chatter, words of bravado and shrill giggles fell away to a hush as the instructors entered in an orderly row. The cadets saluted as the Headmistress emerged from the line of instructors and stood in front of them, clearly about to make a pre-battle speech.
"Cadets," she said solemnly, "For many of you, this will be your first real battle. Remember your training and do not panic. Uphold the values of SeeD—honor, courage, chivalry—for there will be other eyes watching, not all of them friendly, who will evaluate our performance." She took a deep breath. "So, good luck. Out of the thirty-five of you, ten will become SeeDs based on your score. The instructors will be acting as backup in the case of emergencies." She looked around sternly at the silent, watchful faces of her students. "Kill or be killed. Do not hesitate to do your duty. Guard your comrades with your lives. Once again, cadets, I wish you all the best." She turned around and left, and Elenor Rynee took her place.
"The instructors will now sort you, cadets, into squads of three. You will be briefed on the mission in further detail on board the ships later." Instantly the instructors started moving, consulting clipboards and calling out names. Keire Wulcan approached Sephiroth, one hand mussing up his already messy hair. He wore a broad, evil grin. "Hey, man. You're the leader of Squad B, congratulations. You get to give the orders to...guess who?"
The silver-haired youth shrugged. A sudden foreboding hit him and he looked more carefully at Keire's suspiciously gleeful expression. "Does his name begin with a D..." he began, voicing his worst fears. One looking at the sight of Keire's grin growing even bigger was more than what Sephiroth needed as confirmation. He threw his hands up and fumed. "Who assigned us anyway?"
"You don't need to know," Keire said happily. "Come on, let's go meet up with your teammates. Me and Elenor, we've been given the job of looking after your scrawny hides."
To his relief, Sephiroth found that his other partner-in-war would be Paine Falkern, the girl from his class. At least he wouldn't be the only sane person in his group. He muttered dark curses on the head of whoever had done this to him and went over to meet Paine and Daniel. Aside from her uniform, Paine wore a black sash around her waist and an infectious smile, clearly thrilled by the prospect of finally going to fight, though her lips trembled a little too much for her confidence to be wholly convincing. Daniel was bouncing on the balls of his feet, apparently trying to work off his nervous energy. Black and red leather gloves studded with wickedly barbed spikes already adorned his hands. Elenor stood beside them, and nodded curtly to Sephiroth and Keire.
"Yo, fearless leader!" Daniel said excitedly, absently reaching up to ruffle his hair before he remembered that he was wearing his fighting gloves and lowered his hand. "Let's get going, shall we?" Sephiroth nodded, and the five of them sprinted towards the garage to retrieve the car. Elenor got into the driver's seat before Keire could worm his way inside, causing the dark-haired man to pout childishly before sitting with the other students. Sephiroth sat on the right-hand side, contemplating the ceiling, one gloved hand caressing the glowing green stone on his bracelet. He had not much time to speak with the Planet lately, due to his exams, but now he let himself sink into the darkness and solitude of his own mind in communion with the Planet.
( So, my friend, what is in store for me? ) he asked silently. (You were so insistent that I take THIS particular assignment.)
— You will find out...in time — the Planet responded matter-of-factly. –One thing I shall warn you about. Sometimes, in order to do the right thing, you must do the wrong thing — The sentience's mental voice was tinged blue with melancholy. – Remember that when the time comes, Sephiroth. I can say no more, lest I destroy the plan Fate has in store for you with my words, no matter how well-intentioned —
Sephiroth bowed his head. ( So be it. )
Breaking out of his trancelike state, he jerked upright and for the first time heard the martial artist rambling on while Paine glared daggers at him, her fingers locked together so that they would not fidget. The girl shot him an eye roll and leaned close to whisper confidentially, "Oh, Hyne, forgive me if I happen to cut his tongue off 'accidentally.'" Sephiroth flashed a quick smile as Paine leaned back, looking a little more relaxed. Daniel fell into a surprising silence as Elenor parked the car at Balamb Harbor, clenching and unclenching his gloved hands. Obviously all his bluster was for the sole purpose of concealing his fear. Paine was openly fidgeting, almost unconsciously, though her face was blank and carefully aloof. The atmosphere reminded Sephiroth of Wutai; his men, too, had looked like that, fearful of dying prematurely, yet grimly determined to fight to the end. Squad A was already boarding the ship, and as the doors closed, it pulled away.
"Hurry!" Elenor snapped, as she unfolded her long legs and climbed out of the door. The five of them hastened towards a second ship. The three cadets made themselves comfortable—as much as they could — on the hard metal benches at either side of the room. Elenor stood at the front next to a miniature screen set in the wall, waiting until she had everyone's attention. There was a jolt as the ship's engines powered up with a soft roar and zoomed away from the pier.
"Attention, Squad B." The cadets focused on her, eyes alert and ears cocked. "Okay, cadets, this is it," Rynee said in her soft, yet compelling voice. She raised her hand and pressed a button on the small, flat console in her palm. The black screen she was aiming at came to life in a sputter of static before the fuzz cleared to show a coastline rendered in green lines. Sephiroth stared hard at it. Something about it looked familiar, and he tried to make a match.
"Coruthary," both he and Rynee stated at the same time.
"Very good, cadet," Rynee said with a brief nod of approval. "You all know Coruthary's history, do you not? The Galbadians have wanted their land badly, trifling though it is, ever since Coruthary was declared an independent state. On the last week, Monday, they have finally made their move." Rynee jabbed at another button and they were looking at Coruthary. Numerous red dots surrounded the city, indicating the enemy. "The city is under siege," Rynee proceeded, "and threats have been made to the Prime Minister to surrender Coruthary to President Deling. Naturally he refused, and though the Galbadians have not struck out yet, the situation is getting uglier."
Another jab. A colored picture expanded, taking up half of the screen. It was a mass of complicated looking machinery, wires, and protruding gadgets. When no enlightenment appeared in the eyes of the three puzzled cadets, Rynee cleared her throat and said, "So far, it has been named unofficially, 'the Sting'. Reliable sources have informed as that there has been a lot of correspondence passing between the President and Tycho Assanio, Head of Weaponry, lately. Certain blueprints were swiped from Assanio's laboratory, and our experts have managed to piece the information together to get a crude image of Assanio's secret project. It's a little complicated to explain, but its effects would make even the Lunar Cry pale by comparison. Basically, though it is a mechanical mind, it seems somewhat...alive." Rynee herself bore a confused look at her own curious appellation.
"It wants sustenance, and it does so by finding and sucking up all the magic of any creature up to a one-mile radius—though this could be adjusted—to protect Deling City in case it overloads and explodes. It can then compress and process the creatures' magic, like refining crude oil. The Sting is able to convert the magic to its true, natural form—raw energy, the power of the sun, whatever. The important thing to note is that no wall, no barrier can stand against it. Once it fires..." Rynee wore a sardonic smile. "Bang! Game over."
"That was cheerful to know, Elenor," Keire Wulcan called, a twinkle of merriment in his eye.
"I am taking this very seriously, Keire," Rynee declared in a frosty tone. "and I expect the cadets, including you, to do the same." The male instructor just grinned and sat back, saying nothing,
"Right, now that the nuisance has been dealt with...cadets are expected to keep an eye out for any sign of the Sting. The Galbadians are hidden from satellite by a cloaking device that causes interference, so we are unable to see if they do in actuality have the device with them."
Paine raised her hand. "How big is it, instructor?"
"The brain of the machine is believed to be located deep underground in a research facility beneath Deling City. Galbadian soldiers may carry a smaller device, about four hand-spans long, that siphons power from the mother apparatus. Keep your ears open for any information we can use to sabotage the Sting."
"Moving on..."
"Now...the attack on the Galbadians. We shall be making a two-pronged attack, overland and from the air. We are being tailed by a flight of Mirrormists, which have been equipped with silencers to disguise the sound of their flight, and hidden by illusion. To any without the proper password and equipment, the Mirrormists will just look like a patch of blue sky." (A/N: Remember how Esthar looked just like empty sky above the Great Salt Lake?) Following the Second Sorceress War, Esthar had gladly opened its doors to the world after so many years of suspicion and enmity, dispelling the illusion that enclosed it from the rest of the world. High-technology machines, particularly those of war, flooded the market practically overnight, putting even the Ragnoraks to shame. Balamb Garden now had a whole flight of Ragnoraks, Mirrormists (somewhat similar in looks to the Ragnorak, but painted black and with a more narrow profile, designed for stealth), Swallows (for maximum speed and maneuverability), Cataclysms (for maximum firepower), and Blacknets (supersonic jets).
"You, Squad B, will approach under cover of darkness." Rynee fixed her eyes on them, her lips pulled tight. "The three of you were specially chosen by Headmistress Xu under high recommendation, and I need not stress what an honor it is. Although you will not be directly involved in the skirmish, you will still face tremendous peril, perhaps more so. Your mission," she took a deep breath, "is to free a hostage."
"Why?" Paine furrowed her brow. "This person must be very important, whoever he is."
"It is not a he, but a she. You have heard of Avine Swifter, the sorceress. That is who you are charged to rescue safely."
The response was immediate. Paine's mouth fell open, and she just stared, totally dumbfounded for once. Sephiroth unfolded his arms and raised an eyebrow. So that was why the Planet wanted him in on this mission...he felt only a slight twinge of surprise. Daniel blanched, uncharacteristically quiet and pale. "Wasn't she...I thought she was at Mrs. Kramer's house learning magic?" he asked in a low, strained voice.
Rynee glanced at him, frowning. "And how did you come to possess this information, Roheiz?" she asked coolly.
Daniel went pink. "You know...about Avine and I, we're a couple, so she just...uh...told me the day before she left." He finished very quietly and gazed at his hands, looking genuinely grieved and shocked. For the first time, Sephiroth felt sympathy towards Daniel, who evidently had a very kind and passionate nature, if a little too talkative.
"I see," Rynee said, and her voice was still very cold. "Did you tell anyone else about Avine's whereabouts, Roheiz?"
"No!" Daniel shouted defiantly, glaring at the instructor. "She made me promise not to tell, she told me about how the Galbadians might be trying to find her and use her. I wouldn't have put my girlfriend in such danger so idiotically!"
"Calm down, Roheiz. No one is trying to accuse you of anything." Rynee sighed. She looked suddenly very weary. "It's just that...we've been looking for clues for so long..." She rubbed her neck and then her mask was firmly back in place.
"When did it happen?" Daniel asked desperately, his eyes filled with sadness.
"Two days after she arrived. Almasy was guarding her that day. He was knocked out and she was stolen away by Galbadians. On Almasy's information, we have found that it was indeed Galbadians who took her." Rynee looked closely at Daniel and managed a sympathetic smile. "If all works well, Roheiz, you will be seeing Avine again soon."
Daniel's eyes lit up and he smiled in relief. Rynee continued, "Avine has been seen in the Galbadian camp near Coruthary, presumably under some kind of mind-lock that makes her pliable to the Galbadian's control. Yes, Paine?"
The black-haired girl had thrust her hand up into the air again. She blurted out, "What's Avine doing in Coruthary? The place's a war zone, the Galbadians will find it harder to keep track of her if a battle suddenly breaks out, and they KNOW we're coming to save Avine! Why not keep her in Deling City where she'll be more secure?"
"Excellent, Paine, my thoughts exactly." Rynee smiled. "The Galbadians never do anything without cause...at least, anything that makes out job easier. This is the captain's theory, though it may not be true. Leonheart believes that the Galbadians may try to make use of Avine's formidable abilities as a sorceress in some way. Hence the mind-lock."
Daniel was beside himself with fury. "If the effing bastards dare touch one hair on Avine's head..." he roared, half rising from his seat.
"Come to order, Roheiz!" Rynee snarled, irritated this time. As Daniel shut up, sullenly, she turned to Sephiroth. "Leader, you better pay attention to this. We will be going into hiding on Long Island until night falls. Due to our special operation, Squad B will land first. We will escape with Avine in the confusion of the battle. Once we have infiltrated the camp, the three of you will split up to search for Avine. In the event that you are captured, the mission will not fail if you do not blab. The three of you have placed your trust in each other. If you betray that trust, you betray SeeD. I need not mention that, if you know your own limitations, that you unable to stand up to torture, or if you see a comrade being captured..." Rynee's voice dwindled away a moment. "Well, you know what to do."
The three looked at each other uneasily, having understood very well, too well. The Galbadians, particularly Edigier Deling, were not adverse to using torture to get what they wanted, and some of those methods were breathtakingly cruel. Therefore, to spare friends pain and humiliation, and to salvage the mission so as to preserve the safety of the Garden, SeeDs had made it a tradition, albeit a tragic and reluctant one, to kill their own, humanely and with mercy if they got caught.
"Of course, I hope that it will not come to that," Rynee said. "Wulcan and I will act as support. We will be on standby outside the encampment..."
"Ready to rush in and bail out your skinny asses in case things get too rough," Keire interrupted. "All you need to do is to yell the word, "Omega!" and one of us will be on his or her way. If we see enemy reinforcements arriving, we will call, "RUN!" and you had better do just that or become Galbadian mincemeat. Remember...the order for retreat takes priority, so don't try to be noble and continue searching if you are unsuccessful by then." He flashed a smile at Rynee. "That what you wanted to say, Elenor?"
"You may not know Avine by sight," the yellow-eyed instructor said monotonously, ignoring Keire, her eyes lingering on Daniel. "Therefore..." She aimed the remote again and twisted a knob. Instantly, a picture of Avine Swifter blossomed to life on the screen. The girl was in her late teens, a few years younger than Daniel. Her hair was raven black, kept long, gathered in three braids which were draped over her shoulder. Her expression was earnest, naïve, and guileless, accentuated by a child's sweet, innocent smile. Bright, inquisitive blue eyes the color of the summer sky regarded them, filled with a beautiful, inner light. Freckles dusted the surface of her smooth, flawless skin. Her chin was propped up on one slender hand, head cocked sideways, as she gazed into the camera.
Daniel started to shake, then doubled over and covered his face in his hands. Paine, who had professed her dislike of him on so many occasions, was instantly on her feet. Patting his back awkwardly, she spoke reassuring words. Rynee sighed again, very heavily, looking pained. "Roheiz, this is a mission. Pull yourself together, for Hyne's sake. I'm sorry to seem unfeeling, but I have to say this: SeeDs must never allow their emotions to come between them and their duties."
At that, Daniel looked up. His face was pale, set, and resolute. His eyes glittered strangely in the artificial light of the cabin. "They won't, instructor. For what those Galbadians have done I'll hit them so hard they won't know what's got them. My girlfriend's life hangs in the balance. No, ma'am. My emotions won't get in the way, they'll only spur me on."
Sephiroth looked at Daniel with new respect. Never before had Daniel seemed so serious. For once, he looked...responsible. And grown up. Daniel, indeed, had more depth than he had ever dreamed. Chastened, he reminded himself that even if other people didn't have the intellect or calm Sephiroth himself had, he still had something to learn from them.
"Well said, Daniel," Keire said gently. "Hang in there, man." Even Rynee smiled a little, then said, "Got everything I said, Leader? Need I repeat myself again?"
Sephiroth started to answer, then froze as he felt someone else's eyes resting on him. It was an odd, unreal feeling that made the little hairs on the back of his neck shiver uncomfortably and stand up. He rubbed his neck with a nervous gesture and out of instinct, glanced quickly behind him. All he saw was the gray, hard metal of the ship's wall.
( What the hell? )
"Sephiroth! Are you even listening to me?" Rynee demanded.
The weird sensation vanished abruptly as his concentration shattered. The part of his mind that had been paying attention, detached from the rest of his brain that had been occupied with investigating the source of the 'feeling', told him what the instructor's question had been, Absently massaging his neck again, he turned to Rynee and said evenly, "Yes, ma'am. I understand perfectly well."
The ship sailed on into the horizon.
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(Evening, Long Island...)
Later, when the sky was a glorious hue of bruised pinks and blues, Sephiroth walked along the sandy beach of Long Island, where the seven SeeD ships were docked. They had landed ten minutes ago and the cadets, glad to be out of the cramped confines of the ships, sat in a huddle in the middle of the island, talking and laughing in hushed voices. The silver-haired youth moved to a discreet spot beside a ship where hopefully he would not be disturbed and sat down. He touched the Armlet of the Cetra, and it began to glow with a soft, vibrant light.
— So now you know — the Planet said.
( I think...I KNOW Mother, that is, Jenova is behind this. It's just like her. Will she be there?) His thoughts were as a whisper, brushing lightly, feather-soft, against the Planet's sentience, lost and forlorn. And in that statement, the Planet read more than Sephiroth would have liked it to.
— You still love her — the Planet stated simply, the four words tearing into Sephiroth's heart like newly forged daggers.
(Is that a crime?) he asked sadly, a little defensive. He tilted his head up, the stars reflected in the mirrorlike surface of his eyes. (She gave me what I wanted. I don't know if I can kill her, even if...even if she was only using me, and it was all false.)
—Don't hate her. Hatred only leads to more bitterness, in the end. Look at you, Sephiroth. You can be merciful even towards the one who has so wronged you. That is no crime. In fact...against all protests from the Cetra, my children, I did not execute you, as so many would have wished. Yet, it is past time for Adele to die. Think of her death not so much as condemnation as liberation. Immortality is not always a blessing, and the weight of years grows heavy upon the ones who are not meant to live beyond their due. Forgive her, Sephiroth, even as you slay her—
(Thank you) Sephiroth whispered. (Once again.)
—You're welcome— the Planet answered, its loving response caressing his mind as the Planet's presence slipped away. The welcoming light of the Lifestream dulled as Daniel skidded to a halt next to him, panting.
"Why the heck did you have to hole away here?! I ran around the whole island a gazillion times before I finally found you. Instructor Rynee says it's time to go!" he said anxiously.
"I apologize." Sephiroth climbed to his feet, stretching his arms. He followed a frantic Daniel into the SeeD ship. Rynee scowled at him. "You're late." She turned away, indicating the conversation was at an end, and Sephiroth had the feeling that his potential SeeD rank had gone down quite a few notches.
"Ready?" the SeeD commandeering the ship asked, peering through the open doors. "Everyone aboard?"
"Get her going, James," Rynee said flatly.
"Right." He backed out and shut the entrance, sealing them in darkness for a few moments before the automatic lights winked on.
"Here we go, folks," Keire said brightly as the ship sped away.
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They disembarked on the coastline. Coruthary was a black silhouette ahead of them, illuminated by only three or four lights. The Galbadian army, the pride of Deling City, sprawled all about the Great Plains of Coruthairn, their campfires bobbing like numerous orange fireflies in the half darkness. Rynee put a finger to her lips, signaling silence. The gesture was unnecessary—the cadets were already hunkered down behind some handy rocks, staring wide-eyed at the sheer size and might of the Galbadian army.
"We're going to fight THAT?" Paine mouthed at Sephiroth, looking alarmed.
Rynee beckoned with her fingers and they crept forward quietly. Beside her, Keire was in the midst of casting a spell, mumbling beneath his breath and wiggling his fingers. She held up three fingers. She put one down, then another, ("Close your eyes," she hissed urgently) then all three—
A keening sound filled Sephiroth's ears and a sudden blast of wind blasted sand and grit into his face. Luckily his eyes were already tightly shut so his eyeballs were safe from the onslaught. Muffled curses, half drowned out by the howling winds, which Sephiroth was already beginning to suspect was no ordinary current of air, sounded from the direction of the attacked camp.
"GO!" Rynee shouted, her voice all but unheard in the wind, but they got the message and ran, eyes screwed tight against the rushing gale that whipped against their cheeks on its way to the Galbadian camp. Keire was still casting, his voice hoarse as he screamed into the night. Sephiroth was aware of a huge purple something with buglike, protruding yellow eyes hovering above them. A Guardian Force, probably summoned by Keire.
The camp was in chaos, with voices shouting orders meant for ears deafened by the gust. Soldiers who had been sleeping ran blindly about, tears streaming from reddened eyes. Those with visors on and thus somewhat protected from the fury of the wind were blinking, trying to adjust to the sudden darkness as the wind had blown out the fires. Pandemonium swooped down, balancing easily on his oversized tail. He winked at Keire with an air of companionship and spoke to them in his breathy voice.
/Here, take my protection. Until it wears off, my winds will hold no terrors for you./ He whispered a few words of sorcery and passed an appendage over them, paused, and winked at Sephiroth too before launching into the sky again to wreck havoc among the Galbadians.
"Thanks!" Rynee called after the vanishing Guardian. Sure enough, they were able to see clearly now, their sight and hearing unimpeded by the shrieking wind. Rynee and Keire posted themselves outside the camp, dispatching the panicked Galbadians that ran their way with ease. Paine looked sickened as Rynee's slender blade flashed, followed by a spray of blood, then tightened her jaw and looked away.
"Failure is not an option," the instructor shouted after them as they headed into the camp.
"Thanks for your reassurance," Daniel muttered. He glanced at Sephiroth. "Which way do we go, fearless leader?"
"Daniel, inspect the region to the left, Paine, you check out that clump of tents over there, there're loads of Galbadian soldiers, they might be hiding something...me, I'll head straight and maybe I'll find her. If you can't get anything, move on and proceed. If you find Swifter, call, "For Deling!" and we'll know. Got that? Now go before someone brings the Guardian down!"
The other two cadets saluted and ran off to carry out their orders. Sephiroth sprinted into the heart of the camp, which was mostly deserted aside from soldiers who lay tangled in the fabric of their tents or other Galbadians who rushed past, unseeing. Sephiroth killed them; he wasn't bothered by their deaths, but not triumphant either. He wondered what these soldiers thought of Balambians. Monsters? Traitors? Most of these men were fighting out of misguided loyalty towards their country, just as he was fighting out of loyalty for Garden. He felt sorry even as he decapitated a man ruthlessly. They were on the same side. If only someone would see that, all these meaningless wars would end.
But still, this was war, and he could not afford to be merciful.
Sephiroth grew uneasy. The silence, in the middle of a dogfight, was unnerving. He flinched despite himself as a great boom sounded from somewhere outside the city. Sounded like the Galbadians and the SeeDs of Balamb Garden were finally engaged in full out battle. But other than the occasional bang (and even those sounded muffled and distant) all was quiet. He was alone, and the silence grew oppressive as he proceeded further.
(Something's wrong.)
What was? He sensed nothing, heard nothing. Yet he felt a sense of a terrible wrongness, and he had to fight the urge to clutch his head and run crying into the night away from the unreasonable horror until he fell from exhaustion.
Screams. Pain. Fear. A deep, deep, sorrow so profound that if he could have shed tears, he would have. They burned in his chest. He forced them down.
(Something happened here. Something bad. )
Someone was sobbing, then laughing, then crying again. The sound permeated his head, his senses, seeming to throb in time with his fast beating heart. He couldn't tell whether the sounds he heard were reality or just existed within him, an echo of what had transpired in this place.
Shuffle.
The scrape, the sound of a sandal against dusty ground, was loud in the unnatural stillness. He nearly jumped as the soft swish grated painfully against his overwrought nerves. He spun around, his heart in his throat, and saw her.
How he could he have missed seeing her before, he did not know. Maybe it was the way she stood, ramrod straight, unmoving, that would have made the most astute observer mistake her for a lamppost. Her dirt- streaked smock perfectly blended against the tent she was standing next to. Sephiroth cautiously approached her. Something about her stiff stance nagged at his brain, faint recognition setting off alarms in his mind.
( Look into her eyes. What do you see there? )
He bent down a little, since he was much taller, and stared into her wide, blank eyes.
Somewhere he remembered learning that the eyes were the windows to the soul. It was possible to hide your expression. Not so with the eyes. They betrayed a person's innermost secrets like nothing else could, even when one tried to hide them. They could show warmth, hate, love, anger, grief, passion, dislike, all the emotions ever given a name to and some nameless.
Not Avine's.
Her eyes were empty, devoid of life. It stirred a certain sadness in him and as he gazed into the open windows of her eyes and saw nothing inside.
(No one deserves that, not EVER.)
Do you not see yourself? – the Planet whispered softly into his ear.
(Yes, I do ) he replied, his heart aching. His vision swam, and when he looked at Avine again, he saw, too, a man, striding among the dead in a certain burning town, and though the expression on his face was cruel and arrogant, his eyes were pitifully vacant and hollow.
He saw himself.
"Damn it, Mother," he screamed into the uncaring sky, not even knowing what he was saying, "Isn't what you have already done bad enough? Did you have to come here and start it all over again?!"
The only answer he received was that of the mournful wail of the wind and an echoing explosion.
He knelt and cradled the girl easily in his arms. She did not move or complain at his treatment. She just nestled passively in his embrace, still and quiet as a mouse.
"I'm taking you home," he said to her as he half-dragged, half-carried her to safety.
She said nothing, gave no indication that she had ever heard him speak, or even notice that he was there. The only voice she heard now, could ever hear now, was one she would hear to the end of eternity.
(The Planet saved me from this fate) he realized with a numb chill. (But it's too late for Avine. Too late for all of us.)
As he continued walking, he heard a low, busy humming, and discovered that it came from the motionless bundle in his arms. She hummed tunelessly, a vibrating drone that seemed to make his bones shiver in discomfort right down to the marrow.
"Damn it," he said again, vehemently. "Damn YOU. You've done it again."
Raising his voice, he yelled, hoping his voice could carry above the clamor of battle, "To Deling!"
With that, he began to run, hands clutched tightly around his precious burden.
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Daniel joined him, forcing his way through a thicket of Galbadians who were running off towards Coruthary. His fists and face were streaked rust-red, but miraculously his eyes brightened as they came to rest upon his girlfriend. A look of sensitive concern formed on his face. "What happened?" he asked croakily.
"I have no idea," Sephiroth lied through his teeth. Now was not the time to regale Daniel with a tale of his past, how he knew the symptoms, all too well... that the Jenova cells were multiplying, attacking Avine's body systems, mutating and taking over her ordinary genetic makeup. "She is alive and healthy for the moment. Dr. Kadowadi can take care of her when we get back to Balamb." Oh, he hated lying so much, hated to deceive his comrade as he saw Daniel perk up at his words, inwardly wincing as he thought of the truth— that no doctor could treat the damage, to make Avine human again.
"Yeah, you're right...we better scram before those damned Galbadian dogs suddenly spot two cadets standing casually in the middle of their camp making idle conversation," Daniel growled.
"Have you seen Paine anywhere?" Sephiroth asked, glancing around.
Right on cue, the black-haired girl appeared like magic at Sephiroth's side. "Sorry, sir, ran into a bit of trouble. I've got something to report that might interest you—"
"If it doesn't concern escaping alive and in one piece, save it for later," Sephiroth advised.
"So what are your orders for now, leader?" Paine asked.
"RUN!!!"
Which was what they did.
Rynee and Keire hailed them joyfully, both of them wounded and bleeding freely, though not seriously, form various cuts on their person. "Congratulations, Squad B!" Rynee hollered, a trace of a smile on her lips. The three of them were just starting to smile in elation as the euphoria of their impossible success filled them, before Rynee added in dire tones, "But we're not out of this yet. Hurry, we must return to the ship before the Galbadians find out that the sorceress is missing."
"What next?" Daniel asked.
"We're to regroup at Dollet...what are you waiting for? Go already!" Rynee snapped impatiently.
Fear of Rynee's wrath, if nothing else, got them on a hasty march in two seconds flat. Though Sephiroth's strength had been enhanced by his injections, the silver-haired youth was starting to feel the pull of gravity more strongly than ever. Avine was a dead weight in his grasp, staring obsessively at the sky, humming. The weight of memories too pressed heavily on him, and often he found himself glancing at Avine's vacuous expression with an unpleasant squirm in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't help but feel a little guilt too, for not being able to save her sooner and save her from a doom that was a fate far worse than death, though he knew that the feeling was ridiculous. It was the folly of the Galbadians for going to bed with this monster that was the worst of all hellspawn.
Suddenly Avine twitched a bit, that started shaking violently. Out of pure shock, Sephiroth halted, and Daniel, who was behind him and clearly not anticipating his stop, crashed headlong into him. Looking very annoyed, the martial artist said, "Sephiroth, did I ever tell you that you have exceedingly hard bones?"
"No," Sephiroth replied, not really listening. "Avine's awoken, you twit!"
In the time it took to blink Daniel was standing in front of his girlfriend, gazing at her in horror. Avine was convulsing mightily, white froth bubbling out of her mouth. Every so often she let out a harsh, sharp cry. Sephiroth was mystified as well as alarmed. He had never seen the taint progress so fast...he had no idea what to do, and he hated the feeling.
"What's the holdup back there?" Rynee's stentorian voice drifted towards them.
"Instructor, you should come see this, it's serious!" Paine shouted, looking on the verge of a panic attack. Tentatively she touched Avine's shoulder. "Avine?" she called the girl's name softly, hoping to snap her out of the fit.
Avine mumbled something, her head lolling. Sephiroth's heart clenched painfully to hear them. Daniel looked at Sephiroth, puzzled, then the girl spoke louder, in a delirious, slurred voice.
"Darkness...fire...lonely...cold, so cold...voices...in my head... dark...where is everyone? Blind, deaf, no one, no one..."
"No, Avine, I'm here!" Daniel moaned, wringing his hands and looking desperate. "Can't you hear me? I'm beside you, and I won't leave you again as long as you live..." Tears were pouring silently down his face.
"No one..." Avine said again. Her face seemed totally drained of blood, the features shrunken, the beauty hideous, her eyes disturbingly large and the only color in her face. "No one but her." She murmured the last so softly only Sephiroth heard it, and in a fury the swordsman clenched his fists, thinking of all the lives Jenova/Adele had ruined.
And how she sang, so sweetly, to him as he lay sobbing, broken and battered, in the cold corner of a musty, cramped little cell, and made him smile through his tears, the tears of a lonely little boy...
He turned away from the memory and back to the present, lowering Avine to the ground with infinite tenderness. Daniel hovered over her like a mother hen, touching her face and whispering broken words of love and comfort. Rynee sprinted back, staring at Avine, and cursed bitterly. "We might as well deliver ourselves to the Galbadians' front step!" she said angrily. "Just grab the blasted girl and we might make it!"
"She can't be moved," Daniel said stubbornly, his chin jutting out.
"Then she'll get caught," Rynee said in a low hiss, her yellow eyes gleaming palely in the darkness. "We'll all get caught, and it'll have been all for nothing. Avine would be back in the hands of the Galbadians, and all of us will be killed with mercy, hopefully. If not, there's the rack, the Iron Maiden...well, what do you want, Roheiz? A chance or no chance?"
Rynee and Daniel locked gazes and the youth was the first to break eye contact.
"You promised your emotions wouldn't interfere with the mission, boy. Don't break it," Rynee said quietly.
Daniel snorted and bent to slip his arms around his girl. The moment his fingers brushed her skin, she lashed out at him across his face. Her nails left bleeding scratches on his visage. She was suddenly wild, spitting like a startled cat, clawing and biting at Daniel. He withdrew, pain and hurt leaving their own marks in his eyes and on his face.
"Avine, love, it's me," he cried.
"You left me," she snarled at him, her first coherent sentence. He flinched at the accusation in her words. "No, Avine, let me explain, I came back for you, didn't I? Today..."
"Too late," she said, echoing Sephiroth's own thoughts. "Not one of you. All, they left me, alone in the dark and the demons came in and played tag in my head."
"Avine!" Daniel said, horrified, backing away. "Your eyes...they're turning red..."
"You could've stopped them. But you went away. The demons tore everything down and they laughed and they're still laughing. Can't you hear them?" She was on her feet, her lips pulled back against her teeth in a wild, feral grimace. "It hurts my ears and makes my eyes bleed. They're mocking me and I can feel them dancing inside. Everything I see is red now...red, the color of the demons' eyes...like fire, like blood."
Rynee drew her sword. Avine's red eyes were reflected in the steel. At the rasp of the steel sliding from its scabbard, Daniel spun. His eyes grew enormous. "No, no, you can't hurt her," he screeched. He hurled himself at Rynee, disarming her and knocking her down to the dust.
"Idiot boy! You're going to get us all murdered!" Rynee snapped at him savagely. "She's mad, can't you see that, or are you blind too? She's stark, staring MAD!"
"No..." Daniel said hopelessly.
Avine watched them all, an unsettling smile curving her lips. She clapped her hands in gruesome delight. "Like dolls," she said, "Broken dolls all scattered and twisted out of shape. The demons are telling me to kill you, you know." She paused and tilted her head to one side, smiling, a charming, twisted smile that so different from the sunny, carefree smile Avine had worn so long ago in her photograph. "I think I will," she announced decisively. "You haven't been very nice to me, and if I kill you you'll make me happy at last. Isn't that what you want, Danny? You always wanted to make me smile, but then you left me with the screaming darkness. We'll make up, Danny. You can be the first."
"Love..." Daniel croaked, his brown eyes haunted, filled with undescribable agony.
Avine spoke a single word of command, so strong that it tore Sephiroth's shields to smithereens and sent him flying across the Plains to join his companions, sprawled in various undignified positions on the hard ground. Paine let out a scream as the broadsword she was holding in her hand sank between her ribs. Keire crawled forward to help her, his expression filled with disbelief. A huge bruise was blooming spectacularly across his forehead where he had hit his head.
Avine gestured and Daniel was jerked upright like a puppet on invisible strings. He was calm now, a numb, deadly calm that stole his fear. He bowed his soul down in defeat, was ready to accept the price for his foolishness. Avine smiled at him impishly, as his body zoomed forward to float before her. She stroked his hair and cheeks, smoothing down the wayward strands. "Don't be sad, Danny. In death we'll be together, you and I. You see, I'm halfway dead already. I'm dying everyday. Every second the demons drag me down little by little into hell. Then we can sit in the field of flowers and you can read to me and kiss me like we used to in life. Wouldn't you like that?"
"Together," Daniel echoed.
Unnoticed, Sephiroth had struggled to his feet. He had retained the Masamune in his hand without stabbing himself by some miracle. The hilt of the sword was warm and pulsed in his hand. He watched in growing horror as Avine drew Daniel's face to hers and kissed him with mock affection. He knew at once from the stupor that had settled on Daniel's face that it would not be a kiss that Daniel would recover from. Avine sought to draw her boyfriend's life force into her body, drain it so thoroughly that Daniel's body would forever become an empty shell, without any hope of resurrection.
He looked at his companions. All of them had their own problems. Paine, bleeding profusely, had swooned from the shock and blood loss while Keire desperately tore strips of cloth from his shirt and used them to staunch the bleeding. Rynee's leg was at an awkward angle; apparently it had bent and shattered under her when she had fallen. She was eagle-spread on the ground, crawling, trying to reach her sword which was some distance away. He was the only one left fit to fight.
He was on his own.
Yet how could he do it? Avine was an innocent. She might still be saved.
(At the costs of your friends' lives. Can you pay it?) a voice inside him spoke softly.
He shook his head. "No," he said. He saw the mark of death on Daniel's face. He was going. If Sephiroth wanted to act, he'd better move fast.
The Planet's pre-mission words came back to him, and in a flash of insight, he understood. At that time, he hadn't, but now, faced with such a situation...
...in order to do the right thing, you must do the wrong thing...
... think of her death not so much as condemnation as liberation...
He knew now, what he must do. Though he did not like it, and he knew he would forever regret it.
Yet it had to be done, for the sake of the world. A mad sorceress was a hazard to the populace.
He repeated it like a mantra over and over again in his head, trying to convince himself he was right. To himself, he sounded weak and pathetic.
"Mad people don't act right. They can't see the light anymore. Just...make it quick," he told himself sadly.
Engrossed in her spell, Avine did not see Sephiroth, did not take note of him until his blade swiped past in a blur of silver—
She screamed, realized she had been thwarted, just before her brain finished registering that she was one very dead sorceress—
severing her head from her neck.
The air tingled, and seemed to sigh. Green-yellow vapor escaped from Avine's slumped body, then evaporated with a faint hiss.
Daniel collapsed to the ground. His skin was freezing cold to the touch, but he was breathing. Sephiroth conjured up a healing spell, and the boy sighed, then sank into healing sleep.
"You did the right thing, mate," Keire said, offering forlorn consolation as Sephiroth walked towards him, carrying Daniel bodily. "Don't.. don't make this hard on yourself."
The silver-haired youth nodded mechanically. Inside, his guts were one big solid block of ice. He had failed the innocents.
Again.
"Now what?" Rynee said eventually, accepting her sword which Sephiroth handed back to her. "They told me this would be an easy mission for once...fat chance." The yellow-eyed instructor sighed and gingerly slit the side of her trousers to have a look at her broken leg. She finished her spell and winced as the bones knitted together. She stood up, wobbled as she tried to put weight on her injured leg. Even spells had its limitations. "For the first time, I failed a mission." She sounded almost disbelieving.
"Unexpected circumstances," Sephiroth replied. He put Daniel down and cast a Fire spell, holding the small ball of flames close to Daniel's chilled body, trying to keep him warm. "Anyway, I was the one who killed Avine."
"You saved our skins, cadet," Rynee said, very softly. "You acted out of initiative... and though you may not have thought it, you saved Avine as well. I know her. She was such a happy, merry girl. She would have been appalled at what she had become." She stopped, a little embarrassed. "Anyway, you have my commendation."
"Thank you..." Sephiroth began, then winced as a sharp pain flared in his left shoulder. He rubbed at it, but the agony worsened. He was writhing on the grass, gasping at the intensity pf the attacks.
"Not again!" Rynee groaned, hobbling nearer to stand protectively beside the fallen cadet. "You, sorceress, show yourself!"
There was a ripping sound, and a scream. Sephiroth's back arched, and his eyes were pulled open to their limits. Something was coming out, he was sure of it. He flopped on his belly, face down, hacking. His skin split open, and all pain fled, leaving behind the horror he had to face.
A single glossy black wing, a raven's wing, protruded from his shoulder, beautiful and majestic, but to Sephiroth, filled with countless terrible memories of 'the One-Winged Angel'.
"Hyne, no," he coughed in despair.
Rynee was looking at him, but he avoided her gaze. He didn't want to see the revulsion in her gaze, didn't want to see himself, reflected in her eyes.
They were all staring. Why didn't they look away?
SHE must be here. That was why his cells had reacted.
Hyne, couldn't they see the danger?
"GO, she's coming!" he yelled, his voice raspy and hoarse, "Leave me, she wants...me...alone..."
"Nonsense," Rynee said firmly, crouching. "SeeDs stick with one another. We've all taken an oath."
Gratitude fluttered in his heart, even as the dark wings of despair rose to overtake it. A woman stood before them, her slender, hourglass body silhouetted against the light of the burning city. She cast her hood back, and sleek, violet hair tumbled out in a waterfall. Golden eyes burned with unreadable emotion in a face remarkable for its perfect symmetry and exquisite features.
"Greetings, my son," she said in a voice as cold and distant as the far away stars. "So we meet again."
.....................................................................................................................
Author's Ending Note: Ha ha, I bet all of you could have just murdered me for cutting this chapter off like that. Did I mention how much I adore cliffhangers? (whistles innocently) Whew, thought I would never get this chapter done. In truth I've been working on it since Friday, but today (Monday) is the day I really worked seriously on it. It's twelve midnight and I could really use some caffeine, but I don't have any. (Mistake: Today's Tuesday. Now. ) It is definitely the most ambitious chapter I ever wrote. I originally planned for five thousand words but the words just flowed out without stopping. You're writers; you know what I mean, so I don't have to elaborate. And I know a few of you reading this have typed fifty-paged chapters, so you're probably wondering what the big deal this is all about. Well, eighteen pages is considered an accomplishment to me anyway. However, watch out for grammar and spelling errors, I bet this chapter is full of 'em. It's rather hard to read 18 pages through and correct every single teensy mistake when your eyes fall close ( FLOP! ) every five seconds or so. And a few questions... how do you spell the name of that doctor in the infirmary at Garden? Did Sephiroth's wing stick out on the left or right? I would be grateful if you would answer. Preferably in a review. ( smirks )As an irrelevant note, the reason I spent all day doing this was because I was not only typing this out from a skinny framework in my mind, I was playing Final Fantasy VIII for about the fifth time ( that game's second only to VII ) AND reading Harry Potter fanfiction. I'm crazy about Tom/Ginny...ugh, I'm going off topic. Anyway, good night to all of you...or good morning... YAWN...
Darn, I still have to say thank you to all my previous reviewers. Normally, I would have enjoyed the job, but not when I have massive eye bags. Oh yeah, reminder, I'm in Asia, which means the time zone's way different here.
OH YEAH, I can't believe this, I've typed out eight thousand and five hundred words according to Microsoft and now tells me I've only typed out, like, seven thousand five? That's so darned unfair!!! What's with the counting system?!!!
Er, okay, I'll stop my ranting now.
Thanks to:
Noacat: What can I say? It's natural. (Tries to look modest, but fails)
Dark Feruil: I apologize for my mistake. I forgot that the SeeD grad ball is only held after the cadets pass their SeeD exam, which Sephiroth is going through now... you better wish him luck, looks like he needs it! BOTH in the exam and the ball. (Rubs hands eagerly.)
Anasazi Darkmoon: Probably will, in later chapters. In earlier chapters I just randomly pick a Guardian to make a key response, so Alex's and Eden's exclusion isn't deliberate. Want me to include other GFs?
Zack M. Strith: Never had the notion of using Tiamat in this story, but I'll try. In my opinion, however, when I was beating the crap out of Tiamat at Ultimecia's castle Tiamat looked pretty male to me. Then again, maybe it's just the graphics.
Mifurey: Thanks for reviewing too! When are you going to update SSN anyway? Now that my exams are over, I'm going to do loads of reading, so update!!! P.S. Thanks for the award! And when's the roleplay going to start?!
Travithian Axile signing out
