Heart of Sword
Chapter One
One More Time

The sound of music drifted throughout the palace as the celebration of Ultimecia's defeat continued. The ballroom was crowded as the party grew, couples fleeting about the floor in enjoyment.

Irvine Kinneas sighed for the upteenth time that night, running a hand through his hair. Feeling naked and out of place without his trademark hat and trenchcoat. "Here I am, all dressed up, and Squall isn't even here to dance with me!"

"Aww, poor Irvy!" Selphie Tilmitt patted his arm, her other hand was wrapped about Nida's arm. "Where is Squall?"

"He and the president had some pressing business to attend to," Quistis Trepe replied. Looking absolutely stunning with her hair down and a long white dress fitted to her slim form. "Concerning the sorceress."

"It couldn't have waited until tomorrow?" whined Irvine.

"There, there," Rinoa Heartilly leaned against him. "You can dance with me." Irvine merely looked at her. "Well, you could always dance with Seifer."

Irvine grimaced distastefully, eyeing the blonde twirling Edea Kramer about the dance floor. "I think I'll survive." He let out a loud sigh as Rinoa pouted at him. "Oh, fine. I just hope I get at least one dance with Squall."

(daichi ni sosogu yoake
tabidatsu toki o tsugeru)

Squall Leonhart was, at the moment, attempting to fight off a growing headache. He gritted his teeth as his father, Laguna Loire, began pounding at the time machine with a hammer. It didn't help that Odine was making no move to help them as he cried his heart out.

"This thing is indestructable!" whined Laguna, he slumped against the machine as he took deep panting breaths. Having yet to manage making even the tiniest dent.

"this wasn't When I created it," Odine sniffed.

"Ultimecia," Squall growled, his lips set back in a vicious snarl.

"What should we do then?" Laguna demanded.

Squall sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "It must be a spell. There has to be some way to break it."

"Shall ve look for zem spell books?" asked Odine, lifting an eyebrow in disbelief.

"This is all your fault!" Laguna accused suddenly, brandishing his hammer threatingly. Odine squeaked and hid behind Squall.

The brunette rolled his eyes. "Dad, please." He actually had no idea of what to do. "Is there any way to dismantle it?"

"We tried that," Laguna pouted. "The screws won't come out."

Odine cleared his throat. "We've tried everything, Zquall. Are we going to leave zit?"

Squall glared at him murderously. "We can't leave it. It must be destroyed... somehow."

"Umm... Squall," Laguna began nervously. "I think it's doing something."

The time machine began beeping and a ball of crackling energy formed in the middle of the room. The three of them backed away as the ball grew, becoming a portal. Squall brandished his gunblade as the portal began to glimmer and a shape began to fight it's way through. Suddenly the shape took on a familiar winged-form and flew across the room, crashing against the wall. Dark tendrils were attempting to reach through the portal but kept back by an invisible force.

The invisible force flickered and a form began to materialize. Long dark hair unbound, cascading down to the floor. Large wings spread out at crooked angles. Blood, blood everywhere.

"Raiden?" Squall whispered in shock.

The small boy was gazing at Diablo's' prone form. He began to speak in sad, urgent voice. "Keep him safe. Keep him safe. Keep him safe." He let out a soft cry as the darkness began to tear at him. His mantra did not stop, however, and continued even as his words echoed in the room.

"Raiden!" Laguna cried.

Raiden opened glowing eyes. Squall could feel the energy gathering in the room. Just as the darkness poured through the portal, Raiden exploded into a beam of light.

(mirai o mezashi kakete yuku kaze
kono mune ni suikonda)

Back at the palace, Irvine was twirling Quistis about the dance floor while Rinoa danced with Seifer. The party had taken an unexpected turn when Selphie, tired of the slow music, had proceeded to kick the DJ out of his station.

"What the...?" Seifer stopped as the lights began flickering on and off, then slowly died out.

There were several startled cries around the room. Rinoa squealed and clung to Seifer.

"Calm down, people!" Araym's irritated voice shouted. "It's probably just a small blackout."

"Though I doubt Esthar's ever had a blackout," Corgan whispered next to him, worried. He leaned against the red head's arm.

Grubb was attempting to detach Zell from his waist even as he easily made his way through the crowd towards the windows. There was an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of his stomach and a familiar presence tingling the back of his mind.

"Grubb?" Zell whispered, detaching himself from the slim figure. He gathered the small red head into his arms, soothing his tense form with gentle caresses.

"Something's wrong," the boy whispered, eyes on something in the distance.

It began slowly, then grew forceful. The air was filled with cries and screams as the room around them began to shake. There was a loud explosion from outside and then, in the distance, a beam of light appeared, reaching the sky. The shaking slowly eased until it stopped altogether.

"What the hell is that!" Araym cried.

"Raiden," Grubb gasped. "That's coming from Odine's lab!"

"Squall!" several voices cried.

(yume dake o kizamitsuketa hitomi
bokura ni yuku michi o ataeru)

The winged form Squall had previously thought to be Diablos, was not. Squall winced at the pain in his leg, he dragged himself across the floor to the demon. Somehow needing something, there was a fear in the back of his mind.

The demon sat up, gently cradling the unmoving form in his arms. Even as his body flickered, demon exterior vanishing to be replaced by that of a young man. Crimson eyes regarded Squall with distrust and relunctance. They flickered back to the prone form, filling with tears.

"My beloved," he whispered brokenly. "Be safe." A gentle kiss to the form's forehead and he vanished.

Time began to move again just as Squall caught the slim form before it could hit the ground. The small body was covered in blood from head to toe, Squall could not if it was coming from a wound. Half-lidded curelean eyes were regarding him in obvious pain, physical and emotional.

"Squall!" Laguna coughed, looking about the room. He quickly ran to his son's side. "Is he alright?"

"There's too much blood," Squall replied. "I can't tell where it's coming from."

Odine knelt beside them, checking the bloody boy over. "Ve need to get zim to ze hospital. Quickly!"

Squall grunted in pain, lifting the boy into his arms.

"Squall, you're injured!" Laguna cried.

"Doesn't matter right now!" The brunette followed Odine out of the room, they glanced about in shock. Everything was an absolute mess and there were no guards on sight. "It must have affected the whole city. Let's go."

The hospital was located by Odine's lab, therefore it was a short walk. But to Squall it seemed an eternity as his leg throbbed in unbearable pain. The hospital was bustling, people ran about everywhere. Laguna stopped a nurse, who ran to get a stretcher as soon as she saw the bloodied form. Squall was led away to get his leg patched but he watched until the stretcher was out of his sight.

"I'll stay with him," Laguna reassured him.

The brunette allowed a nurse to bandage his wounded leg. Hissing in pain as she cleaned out the deep scratches where the falling ceiling had cut him.

"What's the status?" he asked.

"Only injured, none dead," the nurse replied in a neutral voice. "The most major case was the boy you brought in. The city, though, is a mess and a few monsters are in the streets. Odd thing is, they're acting very strange."

"Strange?"

"Yes. One of our teams came across a behemoth," she explained. "But it did nothing more than howl in pain then completely vanish. Right before their eyes."

"Thank you, Mia," Squall said, he tried standing. Finding it did not hurt as much as it had, but that he still had to limp. He followed Mia as she led him to where the boy was being kept.

"Squall!"

Squall let out a relieved sigh as Irvine, followed by Maya, Corgan, and Grubb, joined him. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yes, you?" Irvine pointedly looked at Squall's leg.

"A scratch," the brunette replied. "The others?"

"Fixing things," Grubb said distractedly, he was gazing down the hall blankly. "Is he okay?"

Squall blinked at him stupidly, then suspiciously. "How did-"

"Raiden relayed a message," Corgan replied, he too was gazing down the hallway. "It... was a rather painful message."

Irvine had a brief flashback of Grubb, Corgan, and Maya screaming in pain while clutching their heads. The group quickly continued down the hall, realizing they were blocking the way. They joined Laguna, who was seating on a chair outside the emergency room. His face buried in his hands.

"Dad?" inquired Squall.

"They almost lost him a couple of times," the president sniffed. "They said he has some internal bleeding, broken ribs, and some other things I didn't understand."

Squall dropped into the seat next to him. "He'll be alright. I don't know how I know, but-"

"His Majesty will be alright," Maya interrupted, her expression blank. "He's survived worse."

"Majesty...?" Squall echoed, at the same time Grubb asked, "He has?"

"What happened?" asked Irvine, feeling left out and confused.

"I don't know much myself," Squall sighed, leaning back and rubbing his forehead. "But I'd rather wait until everyone's together."

Grubb shifted. "What did Lord Raiden say?"

"Keep him safe."

Their eyes slid to the emergency room doors, varying expressions on their faces.

Keep him safe.

From what?