A Second Chance Chapter 38: Lunatic Pandora, a final fantasy viii fanfic

A/N: OK, who's up for some action?! Yup, an action chapter this time, well-needed after all the fluffiness of the past few ones.

Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the song 'Firestarter'. But Prodigy, who own it, are comin' in Athens October 1st! :-p

Last chapter summary: After conjuring up their final plan, the group spends one last night in the Ragnarok, preparing emotionally to tumble down to the downward spiral starting from their upcoming battle…

A second chance

By: Sickness in Salvation

Chapter 38: Lunatic Pandora

The dark, ominous shadow that had spread above the ancient ruins of Tear's Point over the past couple of days still lingered, as sinister as ever. The angelic forms of the harp-wielding statues below always bore the tear-shaped cracks upon their cheeks, ever since the day even the lifeless world cried along with the skies, for the terror that befell upon the peaceful continent of Esthar. The eerie, stagnant silence that had muted the atmosphere so far was abruptly broken.

A distant, humming sound of engines tore through the air, and the massive silhouette of a grand airship appeared in the horizon. Slowly approaching Tear's point like a giant floating dragon, the Ragnarok's canons rose up steadily…

- "Here we go! Let's bust in there!" Zell exclaimed sportingly, standing right above the pilot's seat just like everybody else.

Selphie and Irvine were the ones sitting behind the controls, eyes focused in front of them.

- "I wonder if we can get through." Quistis said, biting a fingernail in apprehension.

- "Course we'll get through!" Seifer said determinedly, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and yanking the palm whose finger she was biting away.

- "Yeah, don't worry about it." Irvine agreed, grasping the piloting mechanism harder.

- "Are the machine guns and main cannon ready?" Quistis asked.

- "Rrready!" Selphie replied, throwing her fist onto the air victoriously "Let's just fire like crazy and make a big hole, BOOM!"

Ragnarok rose, beginning to fire its machine guns rapidly.

The loud bang of the first cannon shot echoed deafeningly, as the gigantic, scorching mass of flames flew from the nozzle of the first cannon and collided hard with the shields of Lunatic Pandora, creating wide ripples. Ragnarok plunged into the shields, but was slightly repelled. The nose of the airship pushed through the shielding and the entire aircraft began to come through. A second cannon blast came, creating an even wider opening upon the black shell of the humongous structure. A great cloud of dust covered the newly-formed entrance, while tons of debris fell to the ground below from dozens of feet above. The crevice appearing right after the soil settled, was more than wide enough even for the magnitude of Ragnarok.

The red aircraft moved ahead, creeping through the hole its cannons had created. The clawed 'hands' on its sides hooked themselves against the floor, heaving the Ragnarok inside the Lunatic Pandora with ease.

- "We sure made a huge mess." Irvine noted, chuckling, as the sound of Ragnarok's engines shutting down was heard.

- "And it's about to get even bigger…" Rinoa said, pointing ahead "Look."

Dozens and dozens of Galbadian soldiers marched towards the crumpled site of the facility, all armed and ready to repel unwanted 'visitors'. They had, without a doubt, been drawn by the drum-piercing sound of the explosions that had taken place just now.

- "OK, we need to clear space before we can move inside." Squall said "Zell, Quistis, fire those machine guns away."

- "With pleasure…" said Quistis, grinning from ear to ear, mischief dancing wildly within her clear blue eyes.

The duo took their places behind the two machine guns beside the controls and grasped onto the handles. Quistis brought the zoom panel before her and narrowed her eyes.

- "Ready, Zell?" she asked her peer.

- "As I'll ever be!" the blond replied excitedly.

- "Clear…" said the girl, moving her panel towards the target "FIRE!"

The two blondes began shaking vigorously upon their seats, as bullet by bullet flew away and onto the crowds of terrified blue-clad soldiers. The heavy ammo of the guns pierced through flesh, bringing all Galbadians down one after the other. Few of them escaped, and those who did, withdrew from the battle field and back inside the safety of the building.

- "Alright!" Seifer exclaimed "We'll need to be sheltered once we enter. Everyone cast Protect upon you!" he ordered.

Following Seifer's order, everyone prepared for the next upcoming battle, among flashes of blue and swings of weapons. Quistis slipped off her seat once the first wave of Galbadians was cleared away and took out her whip. She cracked it in mid-air, and closed her eyes, a blue aura engulfing her as she cast a Protect spell around her. She felt a pair of palms rest upon her shoulders.

- "Is it OK that I was totally turned on by this?" Seifer whispered into her ear.

- "Seifer!" she exclaimed, blushing.

- "What? I've never seen you like this before!" he protested, chuckling.

Quistis turned around and faced him, grinning. She readied her weapon in one hand and smirked at him wickedly.

- "Let's go."

Seifer jumped off the gradually opening hangar of Ragnarok, landing upon a mass of debris, sending dust everywhere. He aided himself up with one palm, plunging Hyperion into the soil. Laguna and Irvine followed right behind him, then one by one the rest of their small troop.

Laguna and Irvine moved a few steps ahead, weapons at the ready, scanning the area.

Seifer ran a gloved hand through his hair.

- "Looks like they all retreated back inside." Squall said, stepping up next to Seifer.

- "Yeah…" Seifer agreed "Better split into teams, don't you think?" Squall nodded.

- "We'll find Ellone faster this way." he agreed.

He turned around to face the rest, who were eagerly waiting for instructions.

- "Laguna, Kiros, Ward, you'll be one team, right?" he addressed the first.

- "Always have, always will be." Laguna said, nodding firmly.

- "Who's going with Squall, who's coming with me?" Seifer asked everyone.

- "We'll go with you." Irvine and Selphie said in unison.

- "Then I get Zell and Quistis." said Squall "Rinoa, you should be with the biggest group to ensure your safety. Who are you going with?"

The brunette seemed taken aback from the sudden attention. She didn't need to put any thought into which team she wanted to be with…

- "If it's OK," she addressed Squall "I'm coming with you."

- "Alright then." Squall said, nodding "Are we all OK with the arrangements?"

Affirmative nods came from all directions, giving the operation the 'OK' to move on. All three teams sprinted forward and up the small stairway, leading straight into a gigantic pipe. With the first step inside, Seifer was brought into the familiar environment of Lunatic Pandora. Some, however, were entering for the first time.

Quistis pressed her palms against the glass walls of the pipe surrounding them, gaping at the view spreading beneath her feet.

The interior of Lunatic Pandora was filled with complex, labyrinth-like passages, massive, transparent ducts that would seem to be floating in mid-air unless plunged into the walls, whereas below, nothing but vast, endless abyss spread. Every cylinder, like the one they were standing within right now, had illuminated tiles onto the floor below and spread beyond eye reach.

- "No time to be impressed…" Seifer whispered into Quistis's ear "Come on." he added, grabbing her from the wrist, trotting ahead.

Less than fifteen feet ahead, they came across their very first junction. Another passageway continued from a branch of the main pipe, heading towards their right. The group all exchanged glances.

- "We'll take the first detour." Laguna said.

- "Alright." Squall agreed "If you find Ellone first, contact us. You have Seifer's number."

- "And that goes for everyone." said Seifer "Whoever gets to Ellone first, informs the rest and we gather up again."

- "Gotcha." said Laguna, saluting both Seifer and Squall.

The small team of the three middle-aged, but still as lively as ever, men skidded down the hallway to the right. Their silhouettes were still visible as they moved away, heading down the see-through, glass duct.

- "Moving on." Squall said eventually, striding forward.

The lengthy pipe continued down for a fair few distance, hovering countless feet above the blackness that spread below. Rinoa had been taught never to look down when crossing anything similar to a bridge, but her anxiousness and curiosity got the better of her many a time, making her glance roll down to the transparent floor. Each and every time, however, she raised her eyes back in place, shaking her head in disbelief and muttering a quick prayer to Hyne to give them strength in this mission.

The tunnel soon reached its end, marked by a blue door with the writing '02' upon it. Not hesitating a bit, Seifer stepped through the mechanical doors that slid open immediately.

It was obvious that they'd entered some sort of elevator, for when the doors closed behind the last member, the small shaft they'd entered began ascending. They spent a few agonizing moments in silence, smelling each other's fear, anticipation, sensing the heat and sweat that trickled down everyone's bodies, listening to the discreet sound of their heavy breaths. A small ringing sound was heard, indicating they'd reached their destination. Seifer swallowed his fears and stepped outside resolutely.

The moment the doors slid closed behind them though, his determination suffered its first heavy blow. What stood before his eyes, was a humongous Hall, with no visible ceiling. If they moved straight ahead, they would end up in some sort of archway, from what he could tell from his position. If they chose any of the two paths on their right and left, they would be brought before a different pair of doors each.

Not surprisingly, they read '01' and '03' each. Green, blue and red. And all of them led to three different elevators. They had just ridden the middle one, so that option was easily discarded. But the dilemma 'Tri-lemma, better…' still remained 'Door No1, door No3, or the curtain? Erm… Archway?' Seifer thought.

- "Second crossroad…" Zell said, scratching the back of his head "So… Who goes where?"

- "Hey, wait a second!" Selphie piped in "That down there," she said, indicating what Seifer had perceived as an archway "Is the stairway we took when we first came here. That leads nowhere. Just to the entrances down below."

- "Yeah, Selph's right!" Irvine agreed "So it's only a matter of the two elevators."

- "Which one did you take last time?" Squall asked Seifer.

- "I think we took the one on the left…" he said, pointing at the red door reading '03' "But I don't think it'll matter. We don't know where they've got Ellone."

- "True." Rinoa agreed.

- "Then why don't you take the other one this time and we'll take the red one, '03'." Quistis suggested.

A round of nods and/or shrugs greeted her proposal, so it was unofficially unanimously agreed. Selphie and Irvine walked towards their right and to the green elevator, reading '01', while Squall, Rinoa and Zell headed towards the other one. Quistis made a move to follow them, but felt someone pull her back from the wrist.

She turned around barely in time to see Seifer's face, as he leaned in and pressed his lips upon hers. Holding the back of her head, he deepened the kiss for a split second before pulling away.

- "I'll see you again soon…" he told her, running a hand through her hair.

Quistis spent a couple of seconds watching him move away and disappear through the green doors of the elevator. She wheeled around and followed her own team, entering the red elevator. She leaned against the walls as it began to ascend, closed her eyes for a few moments and sighed 'Hopefully…'

The green doors of the elevator split open.

All three of its passengers immediately shielded their eyes, as a blinding light surged into the so far semi-dark shaft. Seifer rubbed his shut eyelids and groaned.

- "The hell…?"

Selphie was the first to open her eyes again. Squinting at first, she eventually managed to open her eyes to full length, once accustomed to the brightness.

- "The light comes from the reflections guys; it's safe." she said.

- "What reflections?" Seifer asked, still rubbing his eyes.

- "Open your eyes and you'll see."

With a bit of effort, Seifer did as he was told. His spotted vision gradually became clear, providing him with the sight of what looked a great deal like a mine. Thick layers of a translucent blue mineral of sorts covered the walls for what was probably many feet in depth Crystals…' Seifer guessed, which would surely explain the myriads of reflections of the light. There was a single path lying before them. Their only choice for the moment.

Seifer stepped forward first, following the slightly inclined trail. The pathway made a wide curve, leading up towards their right. And at the end of that course, lay their first crossroad.

Two new passageways appeared before them, one branching to their right, and the other continuing straight ahead. Seifer cursed through gritted teeth.

- "Not another fucking one…" he said wearily.

- "No time to lose." said Irvine "I say ahead."

- "Me too." agreed Selphie.

- "I'd say left, seeing as we've kept going ahead so far." Seifer said "I can see I'm being outnumbered, though. But wait; shouldn't my leadership give me two votes?"

- "That makes us 2-2 and only loses us more precious time." Irvine said matter-of-factly "We can always head back if we take the wrong route."

- "Fine, have it your way…" Seifer growled mildly, and moved straight ahead.

The path they had been following so far seemed hauntingly familiar to Seifer and he was almost certain that the next room they would enter, would be… 'Exactly…' he thought.

All three of them came face to face with the chamber they'd managed to reach during their previous break in within Lunatic Pandora, right before being abruptly thrown out and back to the streets of Esthar. Seifer only hoped this wouldn't be the case this time, because it was one thing being thrown a few feet down and onto the Esthar skyways, but it was completely another to be thrown hundreds of feet down and onto the deserted grounds of Tear's Point. And if they weren't careful this time –he swallowed with difficulty- the second possibility was more than likely to come true…

Taking out Hyperion and getting into battle position, he spoke to his companions.

- "I don't think that I need remind you of the way our last 'visit' here ended…" he muttered, receiving two firm nods in reply "Just be prepared this time…"

His words were greeted by the drawing of a stylish silver gunshot and a pair of shiny nunchaks, both quite recent possessions of their owners.

Proceeding cautiously with each and every step, the small group crossed their way down the path lying ahead of them, leading into the elaborate-looking doorway. Seifer's jade eyes scanned the grand chamber in alert. His gaze rested upon a complex stairway on their right, leading to upper levels of the chaos that was the Lunatic Pandora. Yet another crossroad on their way 'That will have to wait…' Seifer thought 'We'll check the doorway ahead for now and come back if needed…'

'Oh, yeah? That's what you said a few minutes ago…' said a nagging voice in the back of his head 'What if that doorway leads to even more rooms and passageways?' Seifer creased his eyebrows 'Shut up, logic. We'll do it my way today… As always…'

The crossing of the open area to the small stairway that led up to the double doors seemed to take forever. Last time, this was the point where Hyne decided to be a spiteful bitch with PMS and flip them off… Feeling cold sweat running down his spine, Seifer took the last step towards the doorway and pushed it open.

But the sight rewarded him.

The room they'd just entered was a dead-end, but at the same time, it was the room they'd been looking for, the moment they'd entered Lunatic Pandora.

- "Seifer! Selphie, Irvine

Ellone stood only a few feet away from them, seized by two Galbadian soldiers. She was barely struggling to get away, since the men holding her captive were much stronger, but the light of hope had just reignited within her brown eyes.

Seifer stepped up, pointing Hyperion at the two men.

- "Hand Ellone over." he ordered, the cock of his gunblade clicking "NOW."

One of the two men laughed out loud.

- "You don't honestly think it's going to be so easy, do you?" he quipped at Seifer.

- "If you don't step away now, yes," Seifer replied coolly "It will get rough for you two." The man scoffed.

- "I don't think so, kid." he said.

He seized Ellone on his own, while making a motion with his head to the other man. The latter moved away and took a few steps forward, slipping his hand onto his belt. He took out what looked like a rather big remote control and pressed a button.

Distant humming was heard that exact moment, along with the sizzling sound of… electricity?

The three peers exchanged looks of apprehension.

- "Why do I not like this one tiny bit?" Irvine mumbled from the edge of his lips to the other two, while tightening his grip onto Exeter.

- "That makes two of us…" Selphie mumbled.

- "Three." Seifer piped in.

Immediately, their worst fears came to life, when the very same contraption that had thrown them away the previous time descended almost magically from the ceiling. Seifer's eyebrows arched and his lips parted.

- "Oh… shit…"

Why the hell did he have to jinx it?! Why the hell did they have to keep Ellone there? And why the hell did Hyne still hate them so much? Why, why, why?

The Galbadian holding the controller pulled a small joystick around, making the machine move at his command. Seifer prepared mentally to become one with the Esthar grounds permanently, when the robot stopped before them and a loud, mechanized voice was heard.

[Initiating Attack Mode…]

Seifer's eyes snapped open. Attack mode? So they actually stood a chance? Relatively speaking…

He didn't have much time to ponder on that thought, as slivers of electricity began engulfing the machine, as if charging it to life. He barely had time to blink, before a vast explosion took place before them, and all he saw was a bright flash of blue as he got shoved backwards and onto the floor.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Irvine and Selphie had been knocked backwards as well. Groaning, he tried to get up, realizing that he hadn't gotten wounded and neither had Selphie or Irvine. The Protect shields they'd cast not too long ago must have kept them safe. But there was no telling how many more blows they'd be able to take before wearing off completely…

Selphie swiftly hopped up to her feet and prepared a spell among her fingers. Seifer barely caught glimpse of a purplish energy beam, before she cast it against the machine. And if he'd guessed correctly…

- "Meltdown!" Selphie shrieked.

A cloud of purple aura gathered before the contraption, quickly evolving into mushroom-like form, eventually blasting upon it. Seifer mentally praised Selphie for her insight; Meltdown spells had the ability of 'softening' a mechanical enemy's defenses down, making it more vulnerable to physical attacks. And right on cue, Irvine raised his shotgun and aimed fast.

The loud bang that emitted from Exeter's nozzle sent a massive bullet straight towards the machine.

But it didn't have the effect they had been expecting… Or rather, hoping for…

The bullet never pierced the metal torso of their mecha enemy, just lodged onto the metal plate, creating no visible damage, other than shoving it back a couple of feet.

Seifer cursed. So much for physical attacks… They'd have to rely on magic again. It was something he was never a specialist at, or particularly enjoyed, but in times of need just like this one, he was left with no choice.

Extending his arm forward, he mouthed the first kind of spell that came in mind when facing a mechanical opponent.

- "Thundaga!"

A minor earthquake shook the ground beneath the machine, as a bright beam of electricity sprung out, shattering the ground. The spell engulfed the mecha beast, and as expected, vibrated it a fair amount but… Still not a respectable quantity of damage.

Seifer's patience was lessening more and more with each passing second. Not to mention his nervousness hitting an all-time high… This was the second time he'd been brought face to face with a situation like this, but the previous time, the monster had turned out to be an undead one. And quite clearly, this could not be the same case. They were running out of options and the more time he spent on strategy, the more he faced the danger of ending up one great mass of red goo…

'Come on! There has to be a weakness to this fucking thing! Everything has a weakness!' his mind screamed back at him.

Meanwhile, it didn't take time for the machine's controller to ponder on the following move. The device lunged forward and straight towards Selphie. A natural approach, since the girl appeared to be the frailer one and consequently the easiest target of the three. Survival of the fittest…

The brunette barely had time to react, before she found herself pinned against the floor, struggling under the unbearably heavy weight of the apparatus. Pinkish, whip-like 'tongues' sprung from its bottom and slithered upon her like skinless snakes, ready to choke her to death. But Selphie Tilmitt was not known as the best nunchaku fighter within Garden for no reason; her creativity allowed her to come up with other, more insightful ways of handling her weapon, especially in a crisis just like now.

The miniscule girl felt the sticky trail of all four 'tongues' upon her body as they traveled towards her neck, disgusting, but also scaring her shitless. At the right moment, however, she grasped one nunchak of her Crescent Wish and brought it up to her face. She could hear Irvine scream her name beside her, but it seemed so distant, so far away, for she had no time to pay attention to him. She had to concentrate hard on her current surge of creativity, in order for her newest plan to work. She squirmed and distanced her face as far away from the first approaching 'tongue' as possible. She could sense its grotesque form, see its pinkish glow as it inched closer, when she acted.

The unchained edges of her weapon were adorned by a Crescent Moon and a Star, both quite sharp and handy in battle, even though they appeared like nothing but a jewel. Fortunately, Selphie was well aware of their jaggedness and brought them forward at the right time, just when the tongue was about to coil around her slim throat. She hooked the Moon shape against the whip-tongue, ceasing its movement at first, then tearing it apart with one firm pull.

Next to her, Irvine took this as his cue to finally act. Loading a Pulse bullet onto Exeter, he held his cherished shotgun firmly and took yet another perfectly aimed shot. Seifer ducked away as he sensed the bullet zoom by him. He had no doubt whatsoever about Irvine's marksmanship skills, but still, the idea of a gigantic and incredibly destructive bullet flying but mere inches apart from you was something quite unsettling.

The bullet found its desired target as always, plunging deep into the center of the machine's top part, right between the two engine-like orbs that surrounded it. The robot flew backwards a good six feet, losing hold of Selphie for good. The girl immediately sprang up to her feet and readied her weapon once again.

Ellone, who had so far witnessed the battle trembling to the core and sweating like mad, winced as the man seizing her tightened his grip and cursed under his breath. He turned his attention to the soldier controlling the robot.

- "Cast the Homing Laser, already!" he growled at him.

The controller nodded firmly and pressed yet another button upon the remote control. A red one.

Seifer creased his eyebrows 'Why is it always a red button?'

The machine rose a couple of feet at the newest command. The mechanized voice was heard once again.

[Initiating Twin Homing Laser…]

The two white orbs surrounding the top part of the main metal body were suddenly detached from the rest of the apparatus. They spun in mid-air and stood still in place, a tiny exhaust of steam starting to emit from each one. A pair of gleaming yellowish beams surged out from their sides and circled to the front, where they merged into one, thicker beam.

Seifer had the sudden, horrible feeling that it was directed towards him…

He was proven right.

It took less than a second, for three screams to drown within the deafening sound of the beam colliding with his Protect shield, shattering it completely. The shield might have gotten the full blast of it, but the laser beam still got to Seifer. He felt his breath die upon his lips, as his body caught fire on the inside and flew backwards in mid-air for a fair couple of seconds. The blast shattered the floor surface he had been standing upon less than a few seconds ago, exploding it to pieces and bringing Irvine and Selphie down as well.

As the back of his neck made hard contact with the floor, everything went black for a second. He never felt his body make a roll backwards, only fluttered his eyes open for a split second, finding his face pressed against the cold, dirty floor and feeling his body aching in myriads of places. Then blackness again…

- "SEIFER!"

How are you so sure you know what I was gonna say?

I just know. Are you sure you mean it?

Yeah… I do…

Then let's not say anything else… It's enough… Just promise me we'll hold each other again like this… When all this is over…

I can't predict the future, Quis… No-one can…

I know that. Just promise me, that some way, we'll hold each other again like this… No matter what…

No matter what…

We'll hold each other again like this…

Yeah… We will… I promised you…

But… What if I never wake up again?

Don't be such a drama King, Almasy.

You just passed out for a second.

It'll take a lot more for your stubborn head to break for good…

But if you don't get up now,

I assure you that you'll never wake up again…

Can't… Too exhausted…

You gave a promise to someone, remember?

And by Hyne, you will fulfill it.

No matter what.

Who are you anyway?

Who am I, he asks…

I'm your conscience, jackass…

Here to give you a good kick up in the ass after eighteen years

of complete absence.

………

…

I'm goin' nuts…

No shit…

Now GET UP!

Fine, I will!

As soon as I find a way to get my ass out of this situation.

If you take much longer, you will

indeed get your ass out of that situation…

…in a body bag!

Well, what the hell do you suggest I do about that killing machine out there?

Use your frickin' imagination!

Or, I dunno…

Search inside whatever fuckin' knowledge you

managed to acquire after all these

years of training.

Oh, fucking great…

You do realize that the amount of knowledge I've got from Garden adds up to one big null, right?

Geez, didn't you do anything in that frickin' classroom?!

………

……

…

…Well… I did use to draw shit on the desks…

Why the hell am I even trying here?!

You're a lost case, kiddo.

Kiss your arrogant days goodbye.

Hell… Kiss your days goodbye period!

Well, screw you!

I'll have you know that my on-desk, mini graffiti collection includes a true masterpiece of Quistis in-

……

………

…

……… Holy shit!

………………

"…so recent models constructed in RoboCorpTM, Galbadia, offer a more sophisticated version of the older prototypes, due to the use of…"

Seifer is sitting on the very back row of desks as always, completely ignoring the sound of Quistis's voice as she lectures them about the recent developments in international robotics. He was even bored during lectures about gunblades, his weapon of specialty, let alone his Instructor's tiresome droning 'About shit I'm willing to bet my left ball won't ever prove useful…' he thinks.

His attention has been drawn by his most recent work of art; an inked sketch of a woman, now adorning the top right side of his desk. The girl is lying down on imaginary floor, wearing a SeeD uniform that is currently unbuttoned, leaving little to imagination. Her hair is loose and falls past her shoulders, while her big eyes hold a provocative look. She is holding a whip, cracking on mid-air. Right above her head, a small bubble appears, reading:

Do me, Seifer!

And the girl bears a tremendous resemblance to Quistis Trepe…

Seifer chuckles while putting the finishing touches to his masterpiece, right before a shadow falls dark upon his desk 'Oh, fuuuuuuck…'

"Mr. Almasy," speaks a cold, feminine voice above him "Would you be so kind as to explain to your fellow classmates what I just said?"

Seifer swallows with difficulty. One word flies within his mind: 'Busted!'

Keeping his cool, he looks up at her and smirks.

"I was under the impression that this was your job, Instructor." he says.

"Of course." Quistis replies, eyeing him austerely "And as you'll know perfectly well, it is also my job to make sure discipline is held within this classroom."

"No objections here." Seifer retorts, grinning innocently.

"May I ask what was so important or interesting that monopolized your attention?" she asks "Because, if you find it more interesting than my lecture, then by all means! Share it with the classroom!"

Seifer casually rests his elbow upon the desk, covering the freshly drawn sketch, while propping his head against his balled fist.

"I'd rather not, thank you." he replies in mock-politeness.

Unfortunately for him, Quistis's observational skills were way above average, hence, his oh-so-elegant attempt to conceal the evidence of his creation fails miserably.

"What's that you're hiding there?" she asks, arching one fair eyebrow in suspicion.

By now, the entire classroom has turned to observe the constantly heating 'battle'. Instructor Trepe VS Garden Bully. Enter 0 – 0 so far…

"Nothing." Seifer replies, shrugging, skillfully masking his rising apprehension under a smirk.

"Something." Quistis insists "Lift up your arm." she orders.

"I'd rather not, thank you." he repeats.

"I was not asking, Mr. Almasy." Quistis says, narrowing her eyes at him "I will not say it again; lift up your arm."

"Why should I?"

"If you're innocent as you claim, then you've got nothing to fear, right?" Quistis quips at him "I will even apologize for my misjudgment."

"Flattered. But the answer's always 'No'."

Deciding to follow the not-so-honorable path about this, Quistis smirks inwardly, while she rises up the stick she uses to point upon the blackboard. She nudges Seifer's elbow -which stood upon the farthest top corner, hence was in strategic position- away, causing him to slip and tumble down to the floor. In a last-minute effort to retain his pride, he grasps onto the desk with one palm, still trying to conceal the X-rated sketch as Quistis approaches.

However, the girl is not willing to let her Machiavellian student win on this one, and keeps him at bay with one palm, while leaning down above the desk. She adjusts her glasses in position with her free hand and glances at what appears to be a sketch.

Upon a closer look, her eyes snap wide open.

Instructor Trepe VS Garden Bully. Enter 1 – 0…

………………

Seifer is kneeling upon the seat of his desk, lips pursed, brows creased, as he vigorously rubs the top right corner of his desk with a piece of cloth soaked in alcohol.

Quistis is sitting upon a desk, just one row away, arms crossed, watching him intently.

"Don't stop reciting!" she snaps "Keep going…"

Seifer inwardly lets out every swearword created by the human mind since the creation of time… And a few of his own…

His Instructor has decided to punish him, by making him scrub the sketch away from the desk, while reciting that day's lesson. She speaks first, then he repeats.

"…so recent models constructed in RoboCorpTM, Galbadia…" Seifer growls.

"… offer a more sophisticated version of the older prototypes, due to the use of different metals for their manufacturing." Quistis reads.

"… offer a more sophisticated," 'I'll get you for this one, you sadistic bitch…' "Version of the older prototypes," 'Little do you know, that your dirty little sketch resides in my personal sketchpad as well…' "Due to the use of different metals," 'Mark my words… It'll make the round of the entire Garden…' "for their manufacturing."

"Such metals," Quistis goes on "Are usually preferred for unique chemical abilities they possess, which prove to be useful and offer them certain defenses, as well as weaknesses."

"Such metals are usually preferred for unique chemical abilities they possess, which prove to be useful and offer them certain defenses, as well as weaknesses." Seifer mumbles.

"Care to venture a guess and name one metal you think might fall into this category?" Quistis asks him, momentarily shutting the book.

"Care to venture a guess an-" Seifer begins.

"Seifer, I am asking you." Quistis says wearily "Have you been paying any attention at all, or have you just been blabbering back what you were hearing?"

"Well I'm terribly sorry, milady!" Seifer quips, slapping the wet cloth against the desk, rubbing harder now "I was too busy scrubbing that shit away from my desk!"

"One, you'll watch your language." Quistis says, counting with her fingers "Two, it's entirely your fault that you have been put under detention, seeing as that… thing was your work of art. And three, detention is not just about punishment. It's about actually learning something from your mistake."

"Fine. If you'll just repeat your question, Instructor…" Seifer growls, still scrubbing hard "I forgot what it was among all the jabbering…"

Sighing, Quistis repeats the question.

"Care to venture a guess and name one metal you think might fall into this category?"

"What category?" Seifer asks back.

"Come on, Seifer!" Quistis said, exasperated "We just went through this! We were talking about metals that are preferred in robotics for unique chemical abilities they possess, which offer them certain defenses, as well as weaknesses…"

"And now you want me to try and guess one metal that might belong in that category?" Seifer asks.

"Yes…" Quistis replies wearily.

"No fuckin' idea…"

"Seifer!"

"OK, fine… No frickin' idea…"

"THINK!"

"Fuck, I dunno!" he snaps, throwing the cloth away, flustered "Silicon?!"

Quistis looks quite taken aback at first, then her features become milder and she presents him with what is truly a rare smile.

"Elaborate, please?" she says.

"Elaborate what?" Seifer retorts, crossing his arms.

"What you just said. Why silicon?" she asks.

"Well…" Seifer hesitates, shrugging "Isn't that a semi-conductor?"

Quistis's smile broadens.

"Meaning?" she asks.

"The hell, Trepe? Do I have to explain everything to ya?" he quips at her.

"Instructor Trepe. And yes."

"Meaning," Seifer begins, wearily "That it only allows electricity to pass through it under certain circumstances. So it acts like both a metal and a non-metal."

Quistis's smile could have reached her ears by now…

"And name one of its most common weaknesses, please?" she asks.

"Melts easily." Seifer replies laconically.

Quistis gets up from the desk and moves toward the door.

"You should use that," she says, tapping on her temple "More often. It can get quite sharp if you train it. But it'll blunt just as easily if you abandon it. And you've got a natural 'sharpness' in there. Don't let it blunt away…"

Seifer arches an eyebrow at her.

"Just clean that up and you can go to bed." Quistis says "If anyone sees you out past curfew tell them you had permission and to contact me" she finishes, leaving the classroom.

Seifer smirks and wrinkles the cloth into a ball in his palms. He feels the moisture from the alcohol, as it slowly evaporates from his skin. His eyes rest upon the top right corner of his desk, where the sketch still lies.

'As if I was gonna do ya a favor and scrub it away, Instructor…'

He tosses the cloth onto the air, whose tips are only moistened by alcohol, and grabs it again, exiting the classroom while whistling an uplifting tune…

'I already use that, Trepe… But only when I feel like it…'

………………

…… Holy shit, that's it!!!

The fucker's made of silicon! How could not I have seen it before?!

Do you honestly want a reply?

Shut it, dammit!

I'm having a moment here!

You can have your 'moment' later, you idiot!

Now GET UP!!!

OK, OK, fiiiiine…

- "SEIFER!" Selphie shrieked.

For a few agonizing seconds, he seemed to have passed out. But while the machine particles recoiled back in place, he began to stir. He grabbed his aching skull with one hand, while aiding himself up with the other.

He was aching everywhere, the insides of his head were throbbing so hard that they were threatening to pump his sanity away and dammit! He had a promise to fulfill and he didn't want to have to wait any longer!

Eyes narrowed and glinting, he slowly got up on his feet. He wiped a rivulet of blood that had just trickled from the edge of his mouth with his gloved fist and clenched his teeth. His cells felt like they were pulsating with anger-filled energy…

'You've chosen the wrong person to mess with, fuckers… I'm the fear addicted and the danger illustrated.'

He extended his arm.

'…I'm a firestarter.'

It seemed as if blazes instantly escaped the tips of his fingers, and a scorching mass of flames engulfed the mecha beast. He barely caught glimpse of the looks of utter surprise and anxiousness on the Galbadians' faces, as he lunged straight ahead.

Feet away from his robotic opponent, Seifer twisted his Hyperion backwards and twirled on the spot. He spun around and brought the steel blade of his most trusted friend upon his foe.

He didn't even sense the slightest obstacle as the blade cut through the metal surface and circuits of the device. He not only didn't cease to spin, but seemed to gain more speed as he brought his weapon down again and again and again…

With one graceful move, he came to a stop, holding Hyperion in one unbent arm, breathing heavily, facing his enemy.

Scattered chunks of half-molten particles were all that was left of the opponent that not long ago, seemed to be taking the better of them…

Seifer smirked widely, pleased by the befuddled stares he was getting from all directions. Clicking the cock of Hyperion, he pointed it between the two Galbadian soldiers.

- "I call that 'Demon Slice', motherfuckers." he sneered at them "Want a taste of that, too?"

None of them dared reply, simply gaped at him 'Thought so…'

- "Then get the fuck away from Ellone!" he roared at them, finger slipping down to the trigger.

The two Galbadian soldiers did as they were told immediately, stepping aside from the girl.

Ellone broke into a run, ending up buried within Selphie and Irvine's arms, hugging them tightly.

With one arm equipped and still threatening the two Galbadians, Seifer reached for his cell-phone down his pocket with the free one. He slipped the lid open and dialed a number, bringing the phone close to his ear. Squall's voice was soon heard from the other end of the line and Seifer's smirk widened.

- "We got her…"

Ellone remained engulfed within Laguna's embrace for the past few minutes. The surrogate father of the young girl seemed finally at peace, holding her again in his arms.

Meanwhile, Seifer was sitting on the floor, having the corner of his lip wiped by Quistis, all the rest of his peers standing above them. The tall blond shot a sideways look at the girl.

- "Why does it always end up with you playing Florence Nightingale for me?" he muttered at her.

- "Because you keep getting your head banged." Quistis replied "Now go on… You were saying?"

- "There's nothing else to say." replied Seifer "Ask Selphie and Irvine, they won't tell you anything new. After the fight we questioned the two men, but they knew nothing about Adel's whereabouts."

- "And by questioned," Selphie piped in "He means that he threatened to rip their throats with his gunblade." Squall shook his head in disbelief.

- "So where are those two now, anyway?" he asked Seifer.

- "Dunno…" Seifer said, shrugging.

- "What do you mean, you don't know?!" snapped Squall "Don't tell me you let them go?! They may end up recruiting the entire army force that resides here!"

- "Oh, trust me; they won't be doing that…" Irvine said "They're too busy getting acquainted with the bottom floor of Lunatic Pandora…"

Squall, as well as everybody else on the other team, stared at Irvine quizzically.

- "Seifer threw them off this level." Selphie replied to their unspoken question.

The blond smirked proudly and arched both eyebrows playfully.

- "So we have no lead on where to look for Adel?" Zell asked.

- "Nope, none." replied Irvine.

- "We do know one thing though…" Seifer said.

………………

A Galbadian soldier is hanging right above the abyss, gaping down, terrified. Seifer is holding him from the collar of his uniform.

"I TOLD YOU!" the man shrieks "I know nothing about where they're keeping Adel, I SWEAR!"

"Then I have no reason to keep straining myself…" Seifer says "Why don't I let you go and let you join your buddy down there?"

"NO! N-n-no… Wait!"

"What for?"

"I know something!" the man speaks desperately.

"Oh really? What would that be?"

"They haven't started the awakening process yet!" the soldier says.

"And why is that?" Seifer asks, arching an eyebrow.

"They've been having trouble with her remaining energy sources!" the man replies quickly "If they awake her in this state, she'll die."

"Interesting…" Seifer says "So there won't be an awakening?"

"At least not yet! Th-they need to find an auxiliary source of energy for her!" the man says.

"And that's all you know?" Seifer asks.

The man nods vigorously, while droplets of sweat trickle along his forehead and fall down and into oblivion.

"Everything I know, honest!" he says.

"Very well…" Seifer says, nodding.

"Come on, Seifer." Selphie says "Let him go now."

Seifer shrugs.

"If you say so…"

A shrill scream is heard the moment Seifer unclenches his fist and lets go of the man's collar. His yells echo among the walls for a fair few seconds, until they die down completely.

Silence…

Selphie arches an eyebrow.

"Not quite what I had in mind…" she says, sighing.

………………

- "And that about wraps it up…" Seifer finishes.

Laguna, Ellone, Kiros and Ward, who had approached the rest of the group during Seifer's narration, seemed troubled, just like everyone else, at the sound of his words.

- "Well… That's good news then!" said Zell "It means we won't have to fight Adel or Ultimecia!"

- "Not really…" Laguna said "They can always find a back-up energy source if they research long enough. It'll only be a matter of time."

- "That's true." Quistis said "We have to do something now that we're here, otherwise they'll fulfill their plan anyway, sooner or later."

- "Any suggestions?" Irvine asked.

His question was greeted with nothing but stone-cold silence.

Rinoa, who had been quiet ever since their arrival at Lunatic Pandora, couldn't help but feel a slight wave of relief overtake her. She may not have to go through the ordeal after all… It was not that she didn't want to help; Hyne knew she'd do everything to help carry out the original plan, but that didn't mean she had to like her post. In fact, the moment it had been announced to her, was the moment she felt the most scared she ever had in her entire life.

Sighing, she tried to pressure her mind along with everyone else, in search of a solution to the most current glitch of their mission.

Venite me, liber…

She turned to look behind her abruptly. Who had just…?

She noticed that the rest of the group was now engrossed into conversation about the matter at hand. No-one could have spoken to her…

Venite me…

Swallowing with difficulty, Rinoa tried to convince herself that the voice didn't belong to whom she instantly thought it did 'Nonononono… No, no… It can't be…'

But why not? Why couldn't it be? It was the only logical explanation… She was reaching out for her, speaking to her in her very own ancient language… Their ancient language… She was one of them now, she had to finally realize it and make amends with her heritage.

Venite me, liber…

Unum fiamus…

She turned and looked at Squall.

They need to find an auxiliary source of energy for her…

She smiled poignantly.

She knew what she had to do now… It was their only choice. Their only hope…

'Squall… I'm sorry… But I might have to break our promise…'

- "…I don't understand why we can't just destroy her before she awakens!" Selphie said "We can end this right here, right now!"

- "We will!" Squall snapped "But not this way! Don't you understand that if we kill her now, Ultimecia will still try to find her way through to our world?!"

- "I just thought-" Selphie mumbled meekly.

- "And do you want a hint as to whom she will try to go through?!" Squall went on "Rinoa, that's who!"

- "Rinoa…" Zell mumbled, eyebrows creasing.

- "Yes, Zell! Rinoa! Big surprise!" Squall hissed at him, running a hand through his hair.

- "No, no…" Zell said, shaking his head in negation "Rinoa!"

He pointed towards the elaborate stairway right behind them.

Arching an eyebrow, Squall turned around. He saw Rinoa climbing up the wooden ladder, heading towards the upper level 'What the…?'

- "Rinoa!" he called her "What are you doing? Where are you going?"

The brunette stopped for a split second to look at him, before continuing her way up, accelerating her pace.

- "What the hell is she doing?" Seifer wondered out loud.

- "OH MY HYNE!" shrieked Quistis.

The blonde girl sprang up to her feet, eyes wide open.

- "Don't you see?!" she spoke to the others desperately "The auxiliary energy source! It's her! She's going to try to sacrifice herself to Adel for the awakening process!"

Squall felt the blood freeze within his veins 'No… No, no, no-'

- "NO!" he screamed, breaking into a run towards the ladder "RINOA, DON'T!"

Now many feet above them, Rinoa held onto the wooden ladder and glanced down once again. She saw Squall rushing first to her trail right after he screamed for her, all of her friends following suit behind him. A stray tear ran down her cheeks 'Hyne, don't do this to me… It's the only way I can help…'

She continued to ascend, now more determined.

Squall stormed down the hallway before him, still struggling to catch up to Rinoa's pace before she did anything foolish…

His booted feet came to an abrupt halt, the moment he saw her.

Adel's tomb stood before her, colossal and ready to devour her alive. A circular, gleaming golden cage, detaining a monster more heinous than any other that walked this earth; Adel seemed to be of gargantuan size, such that made it incredibly hard to believe she was once human. Just like him, just like Rinoa…

And standing still behind a tick layer of glass, with arms crossed in an 'X' shape, was the monster itself, now sedated and silent. Adel's eyes were closed shut and her senses were so numbed that she gave the impression of not even breathing. Her thick braid of crimson hair went past her waist. Her skin was the color of pale grey, while black, tribal-like markings marred her skin, like divine symbols etched upon her body. Her hands bore no nails and no fingers. No... Those were not human hands… They were claws. Much like the ones Edea seemed to possess while under the control of Ultimecia's spirit.

Squall watched in horror as Rinoa kneeled before the morbid confinement and closed her eyes.

Unum fiamus, liber…

Rinoa closed her eyes and kneeled before Adel, still firm upon her decision.

Her hands felt cold, her whole body was trembling with fear, but she had to do this. She was the only one who could.

She didn't know what was going to happen to her now, and to be frank, she preferred to not try and foresee, because she feared that her close future would be too ghastly to imagine.

She would just… give in.

Tuus sum. Postula me…

Purely out of instinct, she spoke to the elder sorceress in their own language, hoping she would understand.

Adel's eyes snapped open.

By the sinister look in her gaze, she had understood perfectly…

- "RINOA!" Squall screamed and made a move to approach her.

He felt the weight of someone falling heavy upon his back, pinning him down to the floor head-first. He felt his arm being twisted behind his back, and a pair of legs hooking upon his own, rendering him motionless.

He raised his head up from the floor in a struggle.

- "You can't do anything now… It's too late…"

Squall gritted his teeth.

- "Let me go, Almasy… NOW." he growled, trying to break free.

But to no avail. Seifer knew all too well what he was doing when he grabbed hold of him.

The brown-haired boy continued to squirm, but suddenly froze in place.

Adel's tomb was almost magically sliding towards Rinoa. The sorceress within began to awaken, uncrossing her arms, as if stretching after a long period of slumber. Amber strings that had been keeping the tomb in place lit up in heat and began to elongate as the tomb moved. Soon, they could not stand the pressure and broke, interrupting the heated silence of the room with sharp, ringing sounds like the tune of a glissando.

- "Let go, dammit!" Squall hissed "She'll kill Rinoa if we don't do something now!"

- "If you try to help her now, she'll devour you with her!" Seifer snarled back at him "And we fucking need you if we want to help Rinoa after she possesses her!"

- "She's not going to possess her, you fucker! SHE IS GOING TO SLAUGHTER HER!"

A smirk crossed Adel's lips and her lips parted in a hiss. Her face inched closer to the glass layer of her prison, which began to liquefy. The sorceress pressed her body against the glass that had now turned to gelatin, trying to break free.

- "LET GO, DAMN YOU! DO YOU WANT TO SEE RINOA DIE?!" Squall screamed at Seifer, trying to kick his way out of the blond man's lock.

- "I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU DIE, YOU IDIOT!" Seifer screamed back "WE'LL FUCKING SAVE RINOA, I SWEAR! DO YOU THINK I'D LET HER DIE YOU FUCKING MORON

Adel plunged a clawed hand into the gelatinous layer before her, stretching it. She pushed harder and harder, her arm now covered in gelatin that still wouldn't break. She gave one final thrust and the transparent layer was torn. She was free…

Squall momentarily stopped struggling and even felt Seifer's grip loosen, while both men stared wide-eyed as Adel slipped out of her confinement. Rinoa's eyes snapped open only then, fear-stricken, as she saw the bestial creature lunge at her. Time stopped for the young brunette just then, when Adel magically turned almost transparent, like a gruesome phantom. Adel's ghostly form collided with Rinoa's chest and for a second, it seemed as if she'd turned into a transparent mass, engulfing the miniscule girl. Rinoa didn't have time to even utter a scream, as she passed out when Adel took over her.

Still in translucent form, Adel rose to full height, Rinoa's body hanging lifelessly within her hollow chest, as if suspended from invisible strings. The sorceress closed her eyes and extended her arms, letting out a long-dragged sigh. Her specter-like body suddenly began to become solid, as if cell by cell returned to her body in fast forward. When she opened her eyes again, the part of Rinoa's body that remained visible was the one above her waist.

They had merged into one.

Rinoa's arms seemed embedded upon Adel's collar bones, while her head and torso jutted out from Adel's chest. She seemed like a lifeless Messiah, hanging from her cross of torment, waiting for the final judgment to come and tear her apart.

Squall and Seifer's faces screwed into undecipherable expressions of mixed terror and disgust. Before their very eyes stood a grotesque ensemble, of what was only a few minutes ago their friend and companion, and an already misshapen creature. A walking, breathing, abomination of nature…

Seifer slowly rose to his feet, helping Squall up as well. Neither of them had realized that the rest of their peers had been standing behind them for a very long time, also witnesses of a sight that would probably haunt their minds till the end of time.

The tall blond made a move to draw out Hyperion and advance on the Sorceress, but didn't even have time to blink. Squall wheeled around and raised his clenched fist, laying a hard punch on Seifer's nose. Had that blow been targeted at his mouth, stray teeth would be flying all over the place right about now… Seifer was shoved backwards and fell onto the floor with a loud thud, passing out. Quistis and Selphie immediately rushed to his aid, pulling him aside. Neither of them, not even Quistis, dared to say anything right now; Squall's anger had reached its zenith.

Meanwhile, Squall had drawn out Lionheart, which was glowing furiously. He cast a cold glare upon Irvine and Zell who had run up to him.

- "You keep healing Rinoa. I'll deal with Adel…" he growled at them.

The young Commander wasn't willing to give the sorceress the slightest modicum of time; he'd take on her and destroy her before she'd even have time to draw another breath.

He broke into a run, heading straight for her, holding his gunblade in battle position. It looked as if a golden aura was surrounding the legendary weapon, fueling it with pulsating energy.

Adel turned and faced Squall, a wicked smirk on her face. She narrowed her eyes at him and seemed to prepare a spell within her clawed fingers, but Squall was too fast for her… Letting out a loud cry, the gunblade master swung his weapon, cutting through flesh and bone with ferocity. Adel let out a scream as her hand got detached from the wrist and landed into a bloody pool on the floor. She hissed at him feline-like and brought her other arm forward, in the same movement she had performed when she'd reached out for Rinoa. Squall lost not time and plunged the tip of Lionheart against her inner palm, then shoved it with might, causing it to plummet within her arm completely.

Adel's cries of pain echoed deafeningly within the confined room, but Squall seemed to be the only one completely unfazed. His fury had clouded his thoughts, his senses, even his vision. He felt as if he was battling her wearing a blindfold, guided by nothing but pure warrior's instinct. He pulled the blade of Lionheart back out, causing it to let out a boil-disturbing sound as it gritted against bone and flesh once again. The azure color of the crystal-like blade was marred with thick, crimson blood, but it didn't seem to distract him the slightest bit.

He took a step back and looked up at Adel's face, now drowned in agony and pain, feeling nothing but pure hatred for her. Among the flurry of curative spells that kept hitting Rinoa, cast from his two peers behind him, he didn't even allow his mind to strategize his next move; all he wanted to do was cause Adel pain. Pain as great as the one she'd caused him… Swinging his blade again, he began to bring it down upon her body in breakneck speed. Plunge by plunge by plunge by plunge by plunge by plunge by plunge…

The moment he regained clarity of his vision, Adel was nothing but a mutilated corpse, the only recognizable space of her body being the one that imprisoned Rinoa. Squall raised his Lionheart up once more and brought it down right underneath Rinoa's left arm, where Adel's stone of a heart resided. His blade pierced through her most vital of organs, fueled by pure loathing for her very essence.

It was the final blow for the sorceress… Squall could see it in her eyes. The fear, the agony, the last hint of life, desperately trying to cling on to something… anything…

Her monstrous form fell to the ground.

Face still marred by an austere expression, Squall approached her, placing a booted foot upon her slowly arching chest. The most atrocious sorceress Gaia had ever seen up till their time, was drawing her final breaths, under his feet.

Her severed limbs barely trembling, her face barely recognizable among deep cuts of his ever-so-sharp blade…

He couldn't suppress a smirk of gratification…

But all of a sudden… Adel's chest began arching up and down faster as she tried to breathe…

Squall creased his forehead 'How can this be…? She's dying… It's inevitable…'

He froze on spot.

Rinoa on the other hand, seemed to be getting paler with each passing second… Adel was drawing energy from her to hold on to life…

- "NO!" Squall screamed Irvine, Zell, quick! Cast more Curagas! Adel is draining Rinoa away to survive!"

The two young men lost no single second to rush to Rinoa's side, but it appeared that it was too late…

Rinoa's eyes half-opened for a split second, a sallow breath escaped her lips and her irises rolled up…

Squall's eyes shone, as a tear fell down his cheek rapidly. Gritting his teeth, he raised his Lionheart and brought it down Adel's neck.

Her head rolled away…

The sorceress had finally passed away, but at what price?

His gunblade still in the air, and Squall brought it down, slashing a thin layer of Adel's skin, right below Rinoa's waist. He swung it up again and slashed twice above the skin covering Rinoa's wrists. He threw his weapon aside and pulled the girl's lifeless form out of Adel's body.

Rinoa's head hung lifeless as he held her into his arms, her clothes soaked in Adel's blood and juices.

Squall touched her frozen cheek with one gloved palm, shaking his head like mad, not wanting to believe his own eyes.

Right behind them, Seifer began to stir. He slowly opened his eyes, greeted with the sight of Squall, holding Rinoa, both dyed in deep red from head to toe…

- "What… What happened…?" he managed to croak out.

Quistis got up determinedly.

- "Selphie, take care of Seifer…" she addressed the younger girl and rushed towards Squall's side.

'SeeD manual, Chapter 5, Section 7…'

The human brain will remain alive for twelve minutes after a person 'flat-lines'.

It is only during that period of time, that a Phoenix Down potion can and should be used.

Squall had already given her a Phoenix Down… She had fluttered her eyes open, but she was too drained… She closed them shut again…

A cocktail of curative spells and potions should be immediately used.

Curagas and Elixirs should only be preferred under extreme circumstances, but even then, they only provide a rush through the person's system and he/she can only recuperate fully after a period of rest.

'SeeD Manual, Chapter 8, Section 2…'

Limit Breaks may sometimes be fuelled by strong emotions, rather than extreme exhaustion.

It is a rare phenomenon, but the attack proves more effective than the more regular one.

'Concentrate, Quistis… Concentrate…'

The blonde girl ran, feeling a warm blue aura beginning to engulf her… Her Blue Magic…

She stopped before Squall and Rinoa, extending her arm towards the fallen girl.

- "WHITE WIND!"

Squall was shoved back from the force that engulfed Rinoa's form. The brunette snapped her eyes open and drew a sharp breath. The strong spell that had escaped Quistis's hand was revitalizing her more and more with each passing second; she could feel her so far fading strength returning to her rapidly… Squall crawled over to her, placing his palm under her head, still completely bewildered by what had just happened. Rinoa rolled her eyes towards Squall, a warm, weary smile crossing her lips.

- "You came…" she whispered, slipping one of her palms into Squall's.

Squall let out a breath of disbelief, tightening the grip of their hand-holding, just as the her eyes turned red…

Wasting no more time, Laguna brought Ellone forward.

- "Ellone, now's your chance!" he cried.

The girl concentrated hard, using her powers on Rinoa, causing the girl to faint. Squall waited patiently, still holding her hand.

- "OK, Ellone." said Laguna "Just get Rinoa back."

Using her power once more, Ellone brought Rinoa back in conscience. The younger girl looked around her bewildered, before her gaze locked upon Squall once again.

- "I… was inside Adel… The young Adel…" she whispered at him faintly.

Quistis looked at the sight from behind, smiling, breathing heavily. She'd made it; she'd given Rinoa enough strength to make it through this… But her own was abandoning her… She had transferred it all to her spell… She needed some rest right now… Yes… Rest… She would love to rest right now…

The young Instructor's eyes shut and she fell onto the floor in exhaustion.

Seifer jumped up to his feet, startled.

- "Quistis!" he cried, making a run for her.

Too late…

Time Compression had just initiated…

The room began to liquefy around them, slowly melt away, as time, past, present and future became one. And they were all slipping away, plunging to the bottom of the steadily disintegrating floor…

Seifer's eyes widened.

Quistis wouldn't make it within Time Compression unconscious… She needed her mind to be clear and think of the place she wanted to be, of the people she wanted to be with, otherwise, she'd be lost in the tides of time forever…

Seifer dove onto the floor and extended one arm to catch her.

Quistis's limp body was magically sponged into the molten floor, as was his.

He made one ultimate attempt, his palm closing around her wrist.

Her hand slipped away…

- "Quistis, NOOOO!"

A/N: Aaaaaand that's it for today, folks! Check out my live journal for some needed comments on this (especially the whole Silicon matter) and a translation of the Latin used in this chappy.

Adios!

ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':

Time Compression…