It was not long after the initial attack that Rinoa, Selphie, and Quistis had an onrush of White SeeDs at the other end of Garden. Even with the help of other Garden SeeDs, the trio was having a hard time keeping their enemies at bay. The flow of White SeeDs seemed to increase as every minute passed by, but they tried their best to hold them off. Rinoa fired her pinwheel weapon at one of the SeeDs sending him to the ground, the weapon still lodged in his chest. She pulled it out and begat to attack the other White SeeDs around her. She was beginning to get tired after four waves of attacks from them and the fact that they had very few of their own SeeDs left didn't help the matter. It was becoming desperate for the group of girls, but they were going to fight with all their might to stop this invasion.
"Selphie!" Rinoa yelled. "Behind you!"
She spun around swinging, her nunchuku with her, knocking the attacker behind her to the ground. She stood up and smiled at Rinoa.
"Thanks Rinny!" Selphie continued to fight off her enemies as Rinoa looked for Quistis in the mass of fighters. It was becoming difficult to see anyone in the battling crowd, but she spotted her pink outfit soon enough.
"Quistis." Rinoa called out. "I need you to take over for now! I'm going to check the front."
She nodded, but Rinoa knew she didn't like the decision. She ran behind the front line of Garden SeeDs to see Irvine running at full speed toward her. He smiled slightly as he skidded to a stop before her.
"I'm here to help. You guys… girls, look you could use some." He tipped his hat up.
"Thanks Irvine, we really do need your help right now." She pointed to the struggling forces behind her. He saw and immediately jumped in to help, firing at every opponent before him. It wasn't long until the balance seemed to be more tipped in their favor again. Seeing the situation under control again, she began to run to the front of Garden to check on their progress.
"Then let's finish it!" Seifer jumped from the bow of the White SeeD ship and brought his Gunblade down on Squall's with all his force. Their blades met and sparked as they began to attack one another. Every strike rang through the battlefield as they continued their assault. Squall tried an upward strike, but Seifer blocked it pushing his Gunblade away with ease.
"You've gotten rusty Leonhart!" Seifer chuckled with his trademark smirk.
Squall rushed him at full speed Gunblade ready to strike. He jumped into the air and spun his Gunblade around himself in a circle.
"Fated Circle!" He yelled as the ring hit the ground around Seifer, who quickly jumped out of the way of the attack.
Squall landed back on the ground and began running at his rival with all his might. If he was going to end this, he was going to do it quickly. All of the anger he held in over the years began to rush out as he attacked his sworn enemy. The strikes seemed faster than humanly possible as he attacked Seifer, who was having a hard time just keeping up with his opponent. Their blades clanged as they held them together. Seifer looked a bit shocked as he tried his best to keep his footing against the tremendous push from Squall.
"Damn!" He said looking into the enraged eyes of Squall. "I guess you have been training, Leonhart." Seifer tried his best to push the other's Gunblade away, but to no avail. The attacks came with such ferocity that Seifer did all he could to stop them from causing him harm. He did not know how Squall had this sudden burst of power, but it was beginning to scare him. As Squall charged at him, again Seifer brought his Gunblade parallel to the ground, pointing it at him. Squall kept running at him, but Seifer was slowly getting ready to release an attack that might tip the balance back to his favor. He snapped his eyes open and smirked at his charging opponent.
"Bloodfest!" A huge blast of fire streamed towards Squall lifting him up a few feet into the air and holding him there in burning agony. Seifer drew a cross with his Gunblade and plunged the blade into the ground. The fire surrounding Squall exploded causing the walls to crack and crumble near him. He lay on the floor, his clothes smoldering from the blast.
"Got you this time, Leonhart." He chuckled. "Now all I have to do is finish you off."
Seifer raised his Gunblade above his head ready to strike the finishing blow. He chuckled as he thought back.
"Kind of funny, huh?" He said with a smirk. "It's just like that other time I beat you… and gave you that mark." He traced his own scar. "But that's all going to be over very soon."
He began to bring his blade down to kill Squall until something hit his strike out of the way. He looked up to see Rinoa standing with her weapon flying back to her.
"Stop it Seifer!" She yelled. "You don't have to do this anymore! Can't you just take being beaten?"
He smirked as he started walking over to her, Gunblade still in hand. He may have loved her once, but that was long before the "Ice Princess", Squall, had taken her away from him. It did not matter now that she was fighting him; she was just another enemy to be taken care of.
"Hi, Rinoa." He said with a sly smile. "It's been a long time, huh?"
She brought up her arm as he came closer. She would do anything to stop him from doing this, and if killing him was how, then that is what she would do.
"Don't come any closer! I will kill you if I have to Seifer!"
"But why? I mean, would you really hurt the man who loved you?"
She stood her ground as he once again walked closer to her.
"You're crazy Seifer! Stop this please!" He eyes began to fill with tears as she looked at him slowly making his way closer to her. "Please! You shouldn't be doing this!"
Squall rolled over a slight crackling noise coming from his crisply burned coat. That last attack had stunned him, but he had been through more in the past. He gripped his Gunblade and stood with some effort.
"Where's that damn Seifer?' he thought still focusing his eyes. He heard someone crying and turned to see the fuzzy outline of Rinoa and something grey getting close to her. He knew exactly who it was.
"Seifer!" He cried out. "Get away from her. This is our fight!" He still couldn't see clearly, but that didn't matter, as long as Rinoa was safe he could continue to fight.
"Sounds like you're man wants me to leave you alone." Said Seifer with a malicious grin.
Rinoa's arm was beginning to shake; he was almost too close for comfort. She knew she had to do something, but what? Seifer grabbed her arm and slowly moved it to the side pulling her close to him. It had been so long since they had been this close, and she hated every second of it. He leaned down, why hadn't she just shot him when she had the chance?
"Please." She said in a weak voice. "Stop."
Squall's eyes had finally focused, as he looked over at the two so close together now. His rage began to overflow as he saw him slowly kiss her. He knew she did not want to, but it still made him want to kill Seifer even more. He couldn't control how much he wished he was dead, but his body still hadn't recovered from Seifer's attack. Just as he was looking away from Rinoa and Seifer, he saw something dash by and go to them. It happened in an instant, they didn't even know what had happened until it was over. Max had watched the whole scene and was coming to attack as Seifer closed the gap between himself and Rinoa. He did not see that she was right in front of Seifer as he plunged his sword through Seifer's stomach. He kept pushing until the hilt had reached Seifer's back. Seifer was still kissing Rinoa and she too had been in the path of the murderous blade. Max pulled his blade out of Seifer and Rinoa and finally saw that he had hit them both and not just Squall's rival. Squall looked on in horror as they both fell to the ground barely breathing. He saw Rinoa smile at him one last painful time before she closed her eyes and let the hands of death take her.
"N-NOOOO!" Squall screamed seeing her last breath leave her.
He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe, all he could do was look on at her lifeless body. His one love in the world was gone, and by the hands of someone he knew. He began to feel his eyes burn and he let the tears come as he laid his head down on the cold floor of Garden. An extreme sleep took over him as he lay there and he welcomed it with open arms.
Whew! so much has happened already! What'll happen to Max? and what about Rinoa? Well i hope you liked reading it as much as i liked writing it! Reveiw if you did like it. Thanks everyone who did reveiw! Vincent Sekod
