Mission One: Hollow's Grasp -Entrance

What makes a hero… a hero? Is it the tasks they do throughout the travels and days of their life time? The people they meet and grow with becoming stronger and forming bonds with many? Is it the selflessness of acting for those who are too weak or old to stand for what they believe in? Or is it by changing an entire nation for the better? Could it be by how bloody their hands are from all the lives they had to take to reach the goal?

A Hero what is that? If they are around then I am no hero. But I am also no villain either. I was never normal even at the time of being simply human. You see I lacked something most other humans have and seem to take advantage of… love… I could never love anything. I always felt hollow when it came to attachments to people. I could love as in pets, the joy of nurturing the tiny creatures into adulthood… and the sadness of watching them pass back into the flow of life. I could feel up to friendship as well, but friends for me never came easy. Nor did they stay around for very long either; I wasn't easy to get along with. Some of the people began to think that ice flowed in my veins. A heart of pure ice…

Sometimes being born different makes people say some of the dumbest shit. Wildest tales spill from those lips. You see I didn't have a hard life oh no I was born into one of the most powerful Empires around in that day and age. No casters would dare set foot here, which would mean to harm us that is. I was one of six daughters and sons of the Emperor and Empress of this Empire. The Empire known for the flowers that only bloom in the dead of the night, unlike anything you would ever see.

Unlike my siblings I chose to become a Warrior; part of our grand Army/Navy like any other recruit I had to earn my ranks. I spent a few years and became a Dragoon one of the highest ranks you can earn. Guardian Dragoon is the leader of the forces, being part of the Royal blood-line I could not earn this rank for this sent you away for far too long. I don't understand why I have given up the right to be the heir to lead this nation. I found myself to be far too heartless to lead this Empire. The amount of blood that covers my hands is disturbing …to even a demon…

~~point of View – Squall~~

As I pull myself up the steep climb I see Lan'nakke in her cat form still, staring off into the distance of the ocean and moonlight sky. She must be deep in thought cause she does not even flinch as I breathe in deeply, I have never known of this path and it is not easy to go up to say the least but I can understand why she would make me meet her here. No one else would know of this place.

"God-damn woman why the fuck would you pick here to meet! This would kill us if we fell, on the way up here!" Seifer huffs out. He had left his grey and much beloved trench coat. Leaving him with his skin tight sleeveless T-shirt. I never really realized how much bigger Seifer is compared to me, and how well built this man was either. This causes me to scowl at the man for it and making me hate my smaller frame that much more.

As Seifer hulls himself onto the cliff Lan'nakke didn't seem to mind the comments and just breaths in the ocean breeze deeply. "It is funny how in my human life time I hated the ocean, but now it seems to calm me down." But she seems devoid of any emotion in her voice.

She slowly turns away from the ocean, her cat form standing and slowly making its way to us a few feet from Seifer and I she chooses to lay down.

"You must have many questions, sit you will be here for a while." Lan'nakke says as she pats the ground with one of her massive paws. The accent is gone again meaning she is back in a somber mood. I think I am starting to understand this woman a little more with each passing hour, in a way it is like reading a mirror. I kneel down before sitting Indian Style, while Seifer sits on his ass with one leg fully stretched out his other folded where the foot meets his knee. Where to begin for the questions though I have not a clue so many things I want to ask…

"So are ya going to tell me how you can understand this Fur-ball?" Seifer says causing me to give him a funny expression. "… Nice face… Princess… but you ain't getting outta this one." He continues folding his arm. I hear Lan'nakke snort amused by the fact I never noticed this.

"Only you can hear me without looking into my eyes, there is another though but not yet awake." She states plainly.

Damn you Lan'nakke you know I hate talking for any reason. As I hear Seifer clear his throat and a growled chuckle I know I have no choice. "I really do not understand how you cannot hear her in this form, yet you can fucking hear her when she is a human form ghost. I really do not know how but somehow we are related."

"No we are one in the same…" Lan'nakke drawls out in a bored tone.

"Well then you explain it!" I snap for the first time in a while I have lost my cool and actually reacted like a normal person would. Not a good sign with Seifer now smirking at me, fuck now he knows he can make my walls crumble if he tries hard enough to.

"Then tell the boy to keep eye contact with me." She huffs out like it is the simplest thing in the world.

I growl at the woman for her antics before looking at Seifer. "Keep your eyes focused on Lan'nakke and you will find out." I fold my arms and turn my head away I am not in the mood for this shit now.

"Eh?" Seifer responds but after a few moments of not getting anything else outta me, I hear him shift and I guess start eye contact with Lan'nakke in her beast form. After five more minutes he huffs out "This is a waste of time… I don't hear a thing you sure this is really Lan'nakke?"

I snap my head around and glare at the man my mood darkening with each passing moment. If this woman is playing a game then I am out of here. Right before I have the sense to command my body to get up Lan'nakke speaks.

"Yes numb-nuts he is sure this is really Lan'nakke." Lan'nakke sighs out clearly bored again with us.

"The fuck…." Seifer says as he snaps his head back to the massive cat. She was dragging one of her claws in slow circles in front of her. Scaring the Earth as she went, those claws must be far shaper than our swords because from the looks of it she is not even applying pressure. How many lives have ended by those talons you can only begin to wonder. The amount of blood that must coat her that cannot be seen by normal means… that is the life both Seifer and I have chosen but will I be able to hold myself like her even in death and better still, the afterlife?

"Much you have to learn kiddo not everything is always as it may seem." She states as she drags her claw in mindless circles. I see Seifer and Lan'nakke with their eyes locked on one another to see who will submit in this battle of wills. Time seems to drag out and for the first time I have ever known the hot blooded blonde retreats from the fight, Seifer has submitted to this woman and that is something that I would never expect, ever.

"So we owe you our lives for the Training Center encounter with the T-Rexer…" Seifer says in a careful matter, he now seems unsure of trusting the woman who has saved us more than once in the short time we have known her to be here.

"Aye... your debt will be paid in time, trust me on that." Lan'nakke says tilting her head to angle it slightly. "Now Cub you are the one with the most questions here and I am sure most of what the boy here wants to asked can be answered at the same time… now ask."

"You keep saying I have powers locked up inside me… but only now have I been able to tap into these powers, why?" I ask in an indifferent tone.

"Everything; and believe me when I say everything starts as a double edged sword: power, knowledge, wealth, awareness, instinct… depending on how deep this said item is will harm the being before the body can endure it. Control is everything and Endurance is just as key, it is those limits that prevent any one being from taking over forever, though there is a way to get around this what… I do not know or for that matter want to know. As to why now… those dreams you have been having, Squall… they are not dreams I am taking you back into my past letting you see as I have seen or others around me have seen. It is why when you come back here or awaken you have markings on your body such as the large bruise covering your entire side." Her voice carries soft as the wind on a spring day.

"Wha… Squall you did not go on the S.E.E.D exam in that condition did you?" Seifer using a scolding tone makes me snort I am not letting this man know or see my bruise nor is it his damn business what I chose to do with this body it is mine.

"It is true he did." Lan'nakke says before I have a mind to think about it somehow my shirt coat and gloves are gone all I can do is blink a few times before my skin is covered in goose-bumps from the sudden change to the chilly night weather. "As you can see I do not lie, I have no reason to lie to you humans." I notice my missing cloths under one of her massive paws to prevent the winds from taking it. I glare daggers at the woman for showing this to Seifer.

"Damn it Squall… you need to take better care of yourself!" Seifer snaps at me.

"Whatever" I state with an indifferent shrug of my shoulders.

"No not… whatever… do you have any idea what can happen if you let something like that get out of hand! You can die and that isn't something I care to see!" Seifer is standing his hands kept at his sides and his fists balled up clearly quivering, he's angry but why?

"You are truly blind Cub." Lan'nakke sighs out. "Just 'cause he enjoys kicking your ass in combat training and picking on you doesn't mean he wants to lose you, you are rivals and you better each other in skills of combat… among other things."

"…" I have no answer I am stunted that I never really saw us that way, better each other in our skills huh. After a moment or two of thinking I hear Seifer say.

"So is that a trick you learn by magic? Undress someone without them knowing what happened?" With the way Seifer wiggles his eyebrows I cannot help my face palm reaction. Leave it to Seifer to turn something dirty.

"…Care to find out? Cause I can make you walk back stark naked if you like." She says glaring at the man for his antics. And with those words I am once again dressed and rightfully delighted it is cold as hell even though it is a summer's night. At Seifer's hands waving and him shaking his head in the matter of no no I am good, sorry I asked I cannot help my smile.

"So why is it that I end up with nosebleeds after I tap into those powers of yours?" I chose to save Seifer from Lan'nakke's wrath this time around.

"The seals that are placed upon my reborn form are slowly breaking, side effects very so I am guessing that is one of the side effects that you ended up with, which is much better than what I had when I first started using my powers." Lan'nakke chuckles out and if they can be much worse I am happy that I simply get nosebleeds then.

"So what's with the thing you just craved into the rock here?" Seifer asks pointing at where she was once dragging her claw into the earth below.

"This child is a glyph, and unlike seals these call upon powers and no not just magic but Guardians… among other things." Though both Seifer and I almost miss the ending half of Lan'nakke's answer to Seifer's question.

The three of us spend a good three hours or so talking and getting answers to some questions but not all of our questions, and some answers are not as straight forward as we would like. Lan'nakke is keeping us in the dark with certain sections of our questions why I do not know, but it may be for the better if we stay in the dark with certain sections. When she deems that she has had enough talking she has both Seifer and myself climb onto her back, her beast form is truly impressive form to behold to say the least I am betting she could handle five people on her back at once. Within a matter of three leaps Seifer and I are back at the bottom of the cliff we were once upon Lan'nakke picking up Seifer's coat in her maw before charging full speed to right outside Gardens gate. She then tells us to rest well for our first assignment will come dawn.

~~Time Elapse – Morning 08:00 hours~ Squall's Point of View~~

It has been awhile since the last time I had a dream as calm as this one. This time I was standing above a lake as clear as crystal. A large city unlike anything I have ever seen or could even imagine for that matter. I think this is where Lan'nakke is from… A city that seems to be a part of the very water it sits upon; I wonder just what kind of material was used to mimic the water like that. Though that's not what really made me wake feeling so tranquil. It was the last thing I saw in the dream that made me feel this way… when the moon above was high in the sky seeming to be dead center and on top of the large castle the water below came to life… no I mean it came to life. Flowers below the water opened up watching each bud bloom and show its beauty. The city that sits above a lush bed of flowers, a scent so sweet that no words or known items now could be used to describe it; only one word comes to mind and it is tranquility.

I am dragged out of my reprieve at the sound of knocking on my new single dorm room. A voice belonging to Seifer and only to Seifer travels through.

"Hey Squall; Cid has summoned you and me for our first mission. Hurry up we are meeting him right outside the Gardens gate." His voice seems to hold some excitement but that is to be expected of him. Seifer loves the battles and even loves the jitters that come before the mission information is given, it is just his thing.

"…Right. I will be there in a few." I say but instead of my usual monotone voice, it comes out calm and dare I say content. I take a deep breath as I slowly get up as to not aggravate my bruised side. I take one last deep breath before getting dressed in my usual attire and head out of my dorm room ready for my first mission as an S.E.E.D.

When I make it to the Front Gates of Garden I am only greeted by Headmaster Cid and Seifer. How odd this seems really small based off what they started training us with. Groups of three used to be the minimum that they would allow at any given time I wonder what caused this change of heart. I wonder if what Lan'nakke said last night before letting me head to bed is true…

"Ah Squall, it is good to see you here on time. I am sure you noticed that you are lacking a third member by this point and here is the reason as to why. Where you are heading is an area that is far too hostile to allow you that many members, however it is also to dangerous to allow you to go solo. So in a group of two you will go remember to keep an eye on each-others backs for we have already lost ten teams for this mission. There has been several readings of anomaly energy in Frigid Jaws and we have a request to bring that anomaly here for research. I am praying that I will see you within the next two to three weeks with this item, or confirm that there is no object in that frozen mountain cave. Fire element magic is a must I wish you luck." With those words both Seifer and I are handed train tickets to start our heading to the southern pole.

Without another word we both head to Balamb's little town. It is not long before we are seated on the train heading for one of the towns closest to missions objective area. It will take at least three different train trips before we come to the heading where we will take an aircraft to the frozen lands. The Southern Pole is probably one of the most inhospitable and harshest places known to man. Many lives have ended trying to locate or even map out these lands, many say there is a monster that walks these lands that wipes out everything in its wake, while others say it is a Guardian Force that has gone untamed by humans for eons. However no one knows for sure what it is that has taken all those lives for all we know it could be all of that plus the land and weather.

~~Time Elapse~~ Day 2, 14:25 Hours~~

"Damn this is a long trip…" Seifer drawls out. He never was good at keeping his mouth shut for long. I just grunt my agreement to the man I had settled into my seat of the train. Last ground transport before we are to take a ride on the aircraft to the icy lands before we must walk on foot to the cave. No doubt the monster on this land if any, are going to be extremely brutal and well armored.

"Ya think Lan'nakke will be meeting us on that island?" Seifer again trying to start a conversation with me poor guy, he just does not know when to give up. I only shrug my shoulders at his question in a who-knows fashion. With a long drawn out sigh from Seifer he goes back to bouncing his legs unable to keep still.

~~Time Elapse~~ Day 3, 09:45 Hours~~

It's hard to believe both Seifer and myself were giving a crash course in Sky diving. After the bitter cold stuns your system you remember you need to open the chute or fall to your death.

The pilot warned us he was not allowed to land on this land after a tragic event that happened with one of their best pilots of twenty years. Seems Headmaster Cid wasn't joking when he told us this mission may be the death of us.

Even though we jumped at the same time Seifer and I ended up a good few hundred feet from each other. It took us nearly an hour to get back together so as you can image the weather here is brutal beyond words, the terrain even more so. It is no wonder so many lives are lost to this place each day…

~~Time Elapse~~Day 3, 13:00 Hours~~

Sure enough as we make our way to the foot of Hollow's Grasp wemeet up with none other than Lan'nakke herself. She nods in greeting to us and beckons us to follow her. Frozen over by this weather I have no energy to question the feline and numbly follow her, as does Seifer. After a bit we come to the face of a cave. Not what we are looking for its more of a den than a tunnel. Lan'nakke has brought us here to rest for the night. Much as people would love to keep going I think it is that choice that has taken the most lives. As we set up camp Lan'nakke draws a glyph into the rock frozen over after who knows how many years' worth of snow and near freezing winds. It only takes a few moments before the entire rune sparks and a fire flares to life before becoming a cozy camp fire.

"Sure is a neat trick but don't you need wood to fuel that fire?" Seifer asks even as he pretty much huddles right on top of the small camp fire. His teeth are still chattering.

"No not at all kiddo that's the upside to using Glyphs to enhance your casts." Lan'nakke purrs out. "Since I am the only one here with a fur coat I think ja should sleep on my side here, I'll help keep warm that which the fire cannot touch all the time.

Without another word Seifer and I both walk over to the massive cat, though she maybe a ghost as a human her cat form seems to be solid and extremely warm and the purring that cats do seems to lull us both to sleep before I know it I slip into a dreamless sleep.

~~Time Elapse~~ Day 4, 10:00 Hours~~

I end up being the first to awaken when my back seems colder than normal. I see Lan'nakke dragging in a kill from a hunt. That must be why my back started getting cold and forced me to wake. I hear Seifer grumble a bit, not being able to fight to stay asleep he slowly sits up.

"Sorry 'bout that kiddos it's just I smelled this prey going by and I went after it." Lan'nakke says as she uses her massive paw armed with talons. We watch her make quick work of splitting the belly of the prey, the scent of blood fills our noses but she makes careful work of gutting said animal. Seifer ended up making his way over helping to pull the organs out of the chest cavity I make my way over to help cut away meat we will need to keep our energy up. Sure we have our rations but the fat and fresh meat will outlast what we were given for this trip.

Normally you would skin the beast but if we did that the meat would become frozen in only a spilt second. So we skin the side facing the roof of the cave and begin butchering the fatty laced meat. Lan'nakke had ended up using some of her unique magic again and created flat faced rocks we could settle over the fire to pre-cook the meat. One thing is for sure she knows how to survive harsh lands like this…. brings me to ask her why she has so much experience with this kind of situation.

"Were lands this harsh when you were alive?" I ask as I continue to butcher the meat we may need for the trip.

I hear a soft chuckle echo from her "Oh ja have no clue, even this place is a cake walk compared to the time I walked the Earth." She is just watching both Seifer and me as we work to make the meat eatable for us. I guess I can understand why she cannot help much at this point, would not be sanitary otherwise.

"It was worse?" I cannot help myself for speaking these words; it is hard to believe that the world could be much harsher than this place.

"Very much so Cub." She says her tail in a lazy sway as she thinks back. "In those days it wasn't just the monsters ja had to worry about; it was the land, the weather, and even the Guardians that could attack you at any given moment. As well as the Sorceress' they had much greater numbers in those days… for every twenty normal human there was a Sorceress. I don't know about before my time but that is when they turned on normal humans and tried to wipe us out."

"Wait… you did not have these powers back then?" I asked somewhat shocked it is hard to image her as a normal person after knowing her like this even in this short amount of time.

"Aye… it wasn't till one attacked my home and destroyed it that my life started to change…"

Lan'nakke says growling darkly causing every hair on my body to stand on end and giving me an uneasy feeling. "I will find a way to share it with ja two, after ja get off this land that is." Her tail jerking showing she is clearly agitated by the memory.

After we eat our meal of organs and some meat we leave to Hollow's Grasp. As we stand at the entrance of this cave I am overcome by an ominous feeling, whatever it is that has taken many of the lives here is in this cave right now. I know it is…

….To be Continued…

~~Author's Note~~

Well at least one of these stories is on a roll! This event is not in the game nor is this land, but I figured they left room for me to mess with this 'Earth' to fit it to my idea. I am going to put this now for those reading this with hopeful eyes for a certain being coming back.

Hyne is not going to be brought back! As to why… it is the way I see it Hyne used up everything to make all life as said in history, and others went back a tried to explain to me (after I have read it I forgot about it because I don't care for this god sounds too much like another one I don't care for.) all this crap. My logical-side ruled out even the hope he can be brought back! You would have to "take" all life back to "Bring" Hyne back which would be a –Sin- and it would bring back Corrupted Hyne.

I think for this story I will stick to breaking up chapters if they will hit 20 pages plus. Just so I can put more detail into each chapter without it becoming too wordy… I really doubt people are going to read a 40 plus page chapter in one sitting.

This is about all I have to say about this chapter, thank you for taking the time to read my story. *bow* I hope it was worth the wait.