Good evening/afternoon/morning/all-hours-in-between! Instead of studying for a big exam tomorrow, I'm here updating! :D

TriforceBrave: KMSaum and I both cried, so you may want tissues XD And who knows . . .Squall might not make it out alive. Bwahahahaha XD But he is our protagonist, so I guess I have to leave him alive, hmm? ^-^ And there shall be much Squall angsting ahead!

Jennypen: Oh, I forgot the tape D: It looks like he ripped it off of some mummy XD And Lea shall get here soon, methinks :D

7Knight-Wolf: I love Axel and Leon/Squall! (Lol obviously) They are some of the best characters ^.^ And you're right. They probably should have had more emotional issues than I gave them :T Perhaps I shall go back and edit when all is said and done . . .

EvilStormSister: Glad you're back! :D Perhaps you'll like this next fight scene? I tried to go a little more "move-by-move" here than my usual glossing over. And . . . um, in my defense for Quistis and Zell, Sephiroth is very good at his job . . . *ducks and hides*.

KMSaum: Oh, good! Glad you cried too. That means I'm not such a wimp XD

Special thanks to KMSaum! She helps make these things readable and gives me ideas :) (I highly recommend her fics, too, by the way.)

Don't forget the tissues! And perhaps some music? At the appropriate moment (you'll know when) perhaps "Friends" from Wolf's Rain?

Onward!

Quistis had been right. Something did go very wrong.

They were dead.

Because Squall hadn't listened.

Both of them were sprawled in a pool of red. Blood was everywhere, staining their clothes and soaking their flaxen hair. Quistis still had her whip in one hand, the other resting against her ruined throat. Zell's eyes were wide in eternal surprise at the sword still protruding from his chest.

Sephiroth's eyes rose to meet Squall's.

He smiled.

"I'll take care of this," Squall said. He was surprised at how even his voice was, despite the way his hands shook with rage and shock and raw pain. "Take Cloud and the others and get out of here."

"I'm not leaving you here, Squall," Irvine said, his own voice quivering. He cocked his rifle with one hand and pointed it at the man before them. Sephiroth didn't flinch.

"I said get out of here!" Squall yelled. If Quistis and Zell couldn't win, he knew even with the two of them, even with Laguna and Selphie, they wouldn't stand a chance. Out of all of them, though, he had the most combat skill and experience, and he was the only one trained to handle a sword. Maybe he could hold Sephiroth off long enough to allow them to get away. And if he got really lucky, maybe he could get out of there alive, too.

Funny. Squall wasn't usually so delusional.

"Squall—" Irvine began.

He turned on him with a snarl. "Leave!"

He saw the torn look on Irvine's face, the fear and hurt in his eyes. He saw loyalty battling with common sense. Irvine recovered quickly, though. His eyes hardened in understanding and acceptance. He knew Squall would have it no other way. He nodded once, tipping his hat to Squall as he turned to leave.

A final farewell.

"How noble."

Squall turned his head back to Sephiroth, his eyes only lingering momentarily on the bodies at his feet. "What would you know about nobility?" His voice was a harsh, angry whisper. "You're nothing but a cowardly murderer."

Sephiroth's smile broadened. "Ah, so the lion can be roused," he said, ripping his sword from Zell's body to point at the necklace hanging from Squall's throat. "I've heard the stories your people have told about you. The cold, distant hero that has the courage to save the world, but doesn't have the strength to share his heart.

"Is that why she died, Squall? Because she wasn't loved?"

He wanted badly to rush in and silence him once and for all, to feel the Lionheart plunging into his abdomen and hear his choked gasps of pain and incredulity. He wanted to avenge his friends with the madman's blood. But he knew charging in a blind rage would only get him killed faster. He refused to be goaded.

"Ah, you're angry. Perfect," he said, stalking forward. "I can feel the darkness in your heart, even more pronounced than before. You would make a fine puppet, once you've been broken. What would it take, I wonder?"

Sephiroth suddenly ran forward, sword held high. Squall barely managed to raise his own blade before he felt the bone-jarring impact. He had never felt such strength before, the force of the blow making his arms quiver under the strain.

"You are the strong one, aren't you?" the general purred, green eyes flashing as he leaned in close. "But not an ounce of Mako in your body. That's too bad. Otherwise, you might stand a chance." He pulled back the blade and struck again, landing a cut on Squall's shoulder before Squall could knock it away.

Squall had had enough experience to know when he was outclassed. He also knew when he was being toyed with. Sephiroth was faster and stronger, his blade nothing but a blur as it whipped through the air, landing dozens of tiny cuts on Squall's person before Squall could bring his own weapon between them. Sephiroth could have killed him at least twenty times by now, but Squall saw the flicker of cruel amusement in his eyes as he danced back, then stepped in to cut his arm, then backed away again to repeat the process.

He was being mocked. Sephiroth was purposely trying to wear him down, not kill him. But for what? To turn him into his puppet?

Sephiroth's blade slid in low, nicking Squall's calf and drawing a stream of blood.

"Yet another pathetic soldier," he taunted as he once again backed out of Squall's range before he could strike. "You think you're here to save Cloud? You're too late. As we speak, his mind is being overtaken by my will. Soon he will be an empty shell, a puppet for my whims."

Squall panted where he stood, taking advantage of the break, but still holding his gunblade at the ready. By now the others should be on their way out.

"When have you ever been able to save anyone?"

Sephiroth's words jarred Squall from his thoughts. He blinked, surprise and fear washing over his face before he could control it.

Sephiroth noticed, his eyes brightening as he realized he had touched a nerve. "It's what you fear most, isn't it?" he pressed. "That you can't save anyone? You're obviously right, the way you simply let your friends die." He casted a pointed look at the bodies of Quistis and Zell. "You're not capable of protecting anyone. No wonder you shut everyone out."

Squall snarled, rushing forward with a swing of his blade. He was easily blocked as Sephiroth turned the blow away from him and rained a flurry of his own on Squall's guard. "You couldn't protect her, could you Squall?"

Squall struck again, baring his teeth in fury and channeling the rage into his attack. Again he was deflected. "That's right, Squall. Give into your despair, and let your anger guide your actions. It will make the ruination of your heart so much easier."

Sephiroth's eyes flickered to a space behind him, then back to Squall. A dangerous smile spread across his face. "Perhaps I can speed up the process."

The katana pulled back away from Squall, then flew at him. Squall didn't have a prayer. He only had time to stiffen as the blade hurled toward him.

Then past him.

Squall heard a choking sound behind him. He turned slowly, his eyes following the long length of Sephiroth's sword until it ended in Laguna's chest.

Laguna's eyes were widened in shock. Slowly, his gaze tilted down to his chest, staring at the katana embedded in his heart as if he couldn't believe it was there. His machine gun fell from his quivering fingers and clattered to the floor. Slowly, he raised his head, his eyes meeting Squall's.

Someone was screaming. It took Squall a long second to realize it was him.

Sephiroth lifted his blade, depositing Laguna in a heap on the floor. The older man curled in on himself, gasping, trying vainly to stop the tide of blood pouring from his chest.

"LAGUNA!" Squall screamed, dropping his weapon and kneeling at Laguna's side. He pressed his trembling hands into the wound. "It's going to be okay, Laguna. We'll get you out of here. Aeris will fix you up. It'll be okay." He was rambling, saying anything that came to mind, trying to give Laguna something to hold on to, some hope and comfort.

Or maybe he was trying to comfort himself.

"S-Squall?" Laguna asked, raising a bloodied hand. His eyes were glazed over with pain, and his face was pale with blood loss. Blood trickled from his lips.

Blood everywhere.

"Don't talk, Laguna," Squall ordered weakly. No matter how much pressure he applied, the blood wouldn't stop.

"Squall . . .I need to know . . .do you hate me?"

"What?"

"Do you . . .hate me?" Laguna whispered.

Squall was suddenly aware of moisture on his face. He didn't know if it was blood or tears. "No. No, Father. I don't hate you."

A ghost of a smile tugged at Laguna's lips. "That's the first time . . .you've never called me . . .'father' before."

"It won't be the last. Just hang on, okay? I'll get you out of here—"

Laguna's hand found Squall's head. He ruffled his hair weakly, oblivious to the trail of blood he left down Squall's face. "I'm sorry I wasn't . . .a better father to you. I'm sorry. . .I wasn't there-"

"Don't talk like that!" Squall choked through his tightened throat "I promise I'll get you out of here!"

"Not this time, Son," he murmured. Squall caught his hand as it slipped down, holding it tightly in his. Laguna grasped it feebly. "Not this time," he repeated, softer.

"Father . . .please," Squall begged. "Please don't. I can't . . .you can't leave me. Please."

Because if you leave, I'll be alone.

"It'll be alright, Squall. Trust me." His smile faltered and died on his lips. "I . . . I love you," he whispered, his grip slackening.

"I . . . love you, too," Squall choked out, clutching his father's hand tighter.

A smile flitted across his face again. Then, Laguna's eyes dimmed, his body stilling.

"Father?" Squall whispered. "LAGUNA!" he screamed, burying his face in his father's bloodied shirt. "Don't . . .don't leave me . . .Father, please," he sobbed.

But he knew that his father wasn't coming back. Just like Quistis and Zell weren't coming back. Like Rinoa wasn't coming back.

He had never felt more alone in his life.

"Pitiful creature," Sephiroth murmured from behind him. "You can't save anyone. Perhaps it would be a mercy to put you down."

A portion of Squall's mind shut down. He couldn't handle all of this. He simply couldn't. He didn't know how, so he locked it away in the recesses of his mind.

All that was left was rage.

Slowly, he got to his feet, dragging Lionheart with him. His hands shook, but that didn't matter. Nothing mattered. No matter how well he fought, he was a dead man anyway.

Squall brought up his blade, leveling it before him.

Storm gray eyes met poison green.

Squall smiled.

Sephiroth's expression of arrogant surety slipped for just a moment. In that brief second, Squall saw a flicker of disbelief and confusion before the smile returned. "Perhaps your heart is well on its way to the darkness," he said, bringing up his sword.

Squall didn't wait for further invitation. He charged in, bloodied hands ready to kill and to avenge. Sephiroth would pay for what he had done. Even if Squall died, he would pay.

Their swords met with a sharp crack.

*sobs* I LOVED Laguna! DX

I guess I did it to myself, though. Doesn't make it any better ;-;

Ahem, so, next update's going to be slow. I'll try to get it written this weekend, but between writer's block and all these awful tests/performances/rehearsals, it may be two or three weeks. And I'm going to try to do a one-shot to help me with the writer's block (love to hear any ideas/suggestions, 'cause I can't think of anything XD) so hopefully that'll speed things up.

I hope all of you have a fantabulous week! See you next chapter :)

God Bless,

-RainFlame