Part Nineteen

See Me Grow Wings

Balamb Garden

Basement

NORG was a large machine resting within the heart of the basement. The machine was spherical in shape and had three coloured jewels resting on its lower half. Thick metal tentacles were on either side of the machine as they swayed menacingly from side to side, poised for an attack.

Cid Kramer had been grabbed by two of the robed men and was now trying to get away from his captors. He wanted to rid the world of NORG once and for all but he wasn't foolish enough to fight the machine by himself. Seifer, Zell, Sora, Riku and Baralai stood facing the impressive monstrosity and it was now telling them about Cid's connection to Edea.

The Headmaster felt his already broken heart shatter all over again. He made that promise to his wife years ago when she received her Sorceress powers. She didn't want to become another Adel. After the first Sorceress War the world wanted nothing to do with the women who inherited these abilities. Now his wife was trying to take control of the world just like Adel before her. The Galbadian Army was already at her beck and all as well as the President of Galbadia. She had an army ready to strike and missiles aimed directly at the Garden.

Cid glanced at the young men getting ready to fight then at NORG. The machine had indeed been the one to provide the Gil and resources to build the Garden. It was supposed to be a place where men and women could be trained from childhood to battle a Sorceress threat.

That was what Edea had envisioned but now NORG wanted more power from the Garden. The machine didn't want the humans to desecrate his work of genius any longer and Cid had been powerless to stop him before. The Headmaster had to at least get NORG to defend the Garden from the incoming missile attack. It was the least he could do.

"Missiles have been launched and are heading for us." Cid cried out and NORG stopped talking.

"What are you talking about?" the machine growled.

"The Sorceress wants the Garden threat to be annihilated. Balamb Garden is going to be wiped off the map unless you do something." Cid demanded angrily.

"Why should I believe you Kramer?" the machine demanded.

"He doesn't want the Garden to fall and everyone inside to die." Zell snapped. "Despite everything he cares about this place and his students."

"And I get the feeling you don't wanna die here either." Seifer pointed out.

"Please...do something to protect this Garden." Cid pleaded with the quiet machine.

"You are many things Kramer but you are no lair. I believe you." NORG snarled. Those three jewels began to glow brightly. "This is why this Garden will burn."

"What?" Riku yelled.

"Are you fucking insane?" Seifer spat out.

"The basement will protect me from the attack. The walls have been made from a rare metal that can withstand any amount of missile attack." NORG proclaimed proudly.

"You'd really let everyone else die?" Sora whispered.

"Not if we kill him first." Seifer declared. Gripping Hyperion he got ready to fight.

"Do you really think you can stop me?" NORG roared.

"In a word?" Riku looked like he was trying to think. "Yes."

NORG raised his tentacles and his three glowing jewels were pulsing with colour. Red, green and blue light spilled out and almost blinded the group standing before the machine. Riku and Seifer attacked first. Way to the Dawn sliced through the red orb while Seifer used Hyperion to cut off an incoming tentacle.

Sora joined Riku by using Ultima to cut into the blue orb. NORG swiped at Riku and the tentacle hit the silver haired teen in the side. Baralai quickly cast a Cure spell then he cast Protect on everyone. Seifer swung his Gunblade towards a tentacle and it sliced through the blue metal. The appendage fell to the floor with a dull thud.

Something with the machine let out an enraged scream right before casting a Blizzara spell through the blue orb. Sora cried out when the ice sheared into his flesh and blood dripped down his torn arm. Riku felt the darkness washing over his heart and he violently slashed at the red orb in front of him.

Baralai took care of Sora while Seifer drove Hyperion's blade into the green orb. Baralai raised his hands and chanted the spell for Holy. The pure white beams sliced cleanly through the metal and destroyed the three orbs completely. When the light faded a hissing noise erupted from the shaking machine and the spherical top split in two.

When the lid gave way the group stood and stared at the large yellow skinned beast lying within what was now a pod. The creature was large and bloated with thick gelatinous skin. His eyes were red and blotchy and he was wearing a black leather outfit. The whole thing made Seifer want to vomit.

The creature snarled and waved its spindly arms around its large head. The remaining tentacles waved around manically, trying to hit any targets they could find. Seifer gripped his Gunblade and lunged towards the beast. Riku also used his Keyblade to cut into the rubbery flesh. Blood splashed across Riku's upper torso when his blade cut into the skin.

An enraged growl erupted from the yellow beast before it raised its arms and cast Fira on Riku and Seifer. The duo collapsed a few feet away from NORG while Sora attacked the exposed creature with the Ultima Keyblade.

Baralai cast another Holy spell on the creature. The machine rumbled and began to shake violently as the yellow skinned beast used another Blizzara spell this time on Sora. Seifer and Riku were already back on their feet but by this time Seifer had had enough. He summoned Axel into the battle.

"A Guardian Force?" NORG screeched. The sound hurt Seifer's eardrums.

"I get to roast you alive pal." Axel smirked while his right hand was engulfed in flames.

"But I possess information on all the Guardian Forces!" NORG screamed in frustration and fear. "What the hell are you?"

"I'm the last thing you're ever gonna see." Axel snarled and he raised his enflamed hand.

"Please!" the creature spat out blood. Riku stopped, his weapon raised in the air ready for the final blow. "Don't kill me!"

"Give us one reason not to." Seifer snarled enraged.

"I can protect the Garden." The creature hissed out.

"Why should we believe you?" Sora demanded.

"Because I don't want to die!" NORG cried out desperately.

"What can you do?" Cid asked after a few moments of silence.

"There was something built within the Garden to make it mobile. This building can fly." NORG explained rapidly. "Your office is the control system for the flight. I can upload the codes to make the Garden mobile."

"You wanted the Garden to be destroyed first and suddenly you tell us how to fly it." Seifer stated.

"That was before you set him on me." NORG muttered bitterly. Axel only smirked in response.

"Just upload the codes." Riku barked. The creature spat out more blood then began punching random buttons.

Baralai remained silent but he could sense something wasn't right about this. Muttering the Scan spell he waved his fingers and allowed the spell to happen. The beauty about Scans was that the target didn't know they were experiencing it. Baralai saw the information flash thought his mind's eye.

He saw that magic wasn't very effective against this creature and that his vitality was very low. Baralai gulped when he saw something else. The creature possessed its own GF but he couldn't tell what it was exactly. Acting quickly he cast Shell on everyone then stood in front of the beast.

"What are you doing?" he hissed at the White Mage.

"I know you have your own Guardian Force." Baralai said calmly. "I don't want you trying anything that could hurt my friends."

"You little bastard." Seifer snarled. Suddenly the sound of an engine firing rang out through the basement.

"It doesn't matter. You're all going to die. Leviathan, come to me!" the creature summoned up the GF.

A pillar of water erupted from the basement floor then transformed into the shape of a snake's body. When the water receded the snake's features were visible. It had large amber eyes and a long forked tongue that flickered out between its sharp teeth.

Its body had blue and black scales. Spikes rested on its spinal column and horns were resting on its head. Leviathan snarled when it rested its vibrant eyes on the stunned group below it. Axel was apprehensive about facing this water based GF. Leviathan would be able to cancel him out because of their opposing elements.

The red head glanced between the GF and its summoner. If he could take out that ugly thing then Leviathan wouldn't have a master. He had spent enough time as Seifer's GF to know that the summoner was the source of power for the Guardian Forces.

Glancing towards Seifer the red head sent a mental plea to the tall blond. He told Seifer how he could easily take out NORG and the blond gave a short nod in reply. Axel glared at the yellow beast then raised his right hand as his chakram appeared in his grasp.

The silver and red weapon flew out of Axel's hand and sliced off the yellow skinned creature's head. Blood sprayed from the stump of its neck and painted the machine it resided within. Leviathan immediately backed away and the GFs body dissolved into blue light.

Once the light faded all that was like was a small blue orb which Baralai picked up from the floor. Axel turned his blazing gaze on the stunned robed men who had let Cid Kramer go free. Seeing their leader being decapitated by one pissed off GF was enough to make them see reason.

"Now what do we do?" Sora asked.

"Let's see if NORG put in the codes." Cid approached the lift. The others followed closely behind him.

"Lai, are you ok?" Sora went to the quiet White Mage.

"The orb...it was absorbed into my skin..." he whispered fearfully. Sure enough his hand had a strange blue glow to it now then it faded.

"Baralai," Cid stared at the white haired man. "That means that the GF has Junctioned with you. As of now you are Leviathan's summoner."

"I'll explain about GFs later." Seifer said as he grabbed Baralai's arm. "We've gotta get out of here first."

The group followed Cid into the lift then. The elevator took up past the main floor, past the second and onto the third floor where his office was located. He ran into the office and stopped when he saw what it had transformed into. His desk was gone and instead there was a small metal lift that would take him up to another small balcony above him.

The flight controls had to be up there. Cid walked onto the metal platform along with the others and they ascended to the top of the Garden. The control centre was at the top of the tower that was located in the centre of the Garden. There were various control terminals lining the walls and what looked like a communications system directly in front of the Headmaster.

"Headmaster Kramer!" Nida, a SeeD graduate, was standing in the control room. "I came to find you sir and then your office turned into this place."

"As long as you're safe along with everyone else." Cid nodded. "Right now we need to figure out how to fly this thing."

"We don't know if the missiles are still en route." Riku pointed out.

"I'm not gonna take that chance." Seifer said.

"I actually recognise some of these controls from the sketches of the Ragnarok sir." Nida spoke up and everyone stared at him. "I think I can fly this thing."