Final Fantasy VIII [2nd Instalment]

Grace Barton

Chapter Thirty-Three

"Oh, you guys shouldn't have…" said Seifer, smiling down at them. "I was gonna come visit you at my old home."

The swordsman was standing on a raised platform at the far end of the room. The room, which had formerly belonged to Headmaster Martine, had been cleared of everything that identified it as being a part of Garden. Seifer raised his gunblade and rested it against his shoulder. He smirked, his fingers caressing the trigger.

Behind Seifer was the sorceress. Edea Kramer, their former Matron, reclined in a sloped-backed chair that was draped in silk curtains of the purest white. These curtains seemed to glow as they flowed around the sorceress, pulsing with the magical energy that radiated from her body. Sorceress Edea's skin was pale and her eyes were closed, as though in sleep. Her lips were just as pale as her skin and slightly parted, breathing softly. Aside from her gentle breathing, the sorceress did not move or even acknowledge their presence.

Squall looked at the sorceress and then turned back to Seifer. "Shut up," he snapped, and he laid his hand on his sword.

Seifer saw the gesture, and his lips twisted into a mocking smile. "Did you guys come to fight Matron?" he asked. "After all that she's done for us?" He waggled his finger at them, pleased at the shocked looks on their faces. He then looked around at the former friends who were assembled before him. First he looked to Zell, whose face was already turning red with anger. "Hey, Chicken-wuss," he said to Zell. "Lot's happened between us, eh?"

"Yeah!" replied Zell. He raised his fists. "I'm dyin' to get even!"

"Selphie, right?" Seifer carried on, ignoring Zell and turning to Selphie. "I wish we had time to get to know each other."

Selphie stuck out her tongue and shook her head. "Nahh. You're not my type."

Seifer smiled and shrugged his shoulders, showing that he did not really care either. Next he turned to Quistis. The former instructor had a forlorn look on her face as she gazed at Seifer, and he could see that she was torn. "Instructor Trepe," he said to her. "I'm still one of your dearest students, aren't I?"

Quistis stared at him. Then her eyes hardened, and the forlorn look vanished from her face. "Not anymore," she replied, unhooking her whip.

Again, Seifer just shrugged. He had always known that Quistis was not fit to be an instructor. He had even told the headmaster as much, and he liked to think that he had a personal hand in having her instructor's license revoked. His eyes then fell on Irvine, standing beside her. "Hey," he said with a scowl. "You're a Galbadian student. Come over here."

But Irvine made no move to join him, and he stayed by Squall and Quistis. "I'm happy right here, thank you," he said, and he clicked shut the barrel of his gun.

Putting his hand to his head, Seifer shook it. All of these Galbadian students were such a disappointment. Not one of them had chosen to side with the sorceress. Even that disgrace of a headmaster had chosen to flee for his life, abandoning his Garden to its fate. Headmaster Cid was just as big a disappointment as Martine, but at least he had not chosen to run away.

Movement caught his eye, and Seifer turned his head. Rinoa had walked away from the others and was walking towards him. There was a firm look in her large, brown eyes, and her hand rested on the release latch of her Pinwheel. Looking into her eyes, Seifer felt his own gaze soften a little, recalling past memories.

"Rinoa," he said, his voice quiet and gentle. "What are you doing here? You're gonna fight me, too?"

Rinoa said nothing. She stopped at the foot of the platform. Raising her left arm, she pointed it at Seifer. The Pinwheel's sharp edges glinted in the white light radiating from the curtains surrounding the sorceress.

"Come on," urged Seifer. He extended his hand to her. "Remember a year ago we…"

Rinoa jumped. "Stop it!" she snapped, and she stepped back to rejoin the others.

"It's too late, Seifer," Squall said, walking forward to stand in front of the group. "You can't mess with our minds." He closed his hands around the hilt of his sword. He drew it from its sheath and held it out in front of him. "To us," he said, pointing it at Seifer, "you're just another enemy, like one of those monsters."

The expression on Seifer's face changed in an instant. The soft, warm look vanished, twisting back into the cold, callous face they had come to know so well.

"You're comparing ME to one of them?" he demanded.

He threw back his head and laughed. His laughter echoed inside the empty chamber. Still the sorceress, reclining in her chair, did not even stir.

"I ain't no monster," he said, once he had finished laughing. "I'm the sorceress' knight." The swordsman walked to the end of the platform. "And look at you," he spat. "Attacking like a swarm." He raised his gunblade and pointed it at Squall. "You guys are the monsters."

His eyes narrowed. Seifer held his gunblade ready, and the blade began to glow red. "Let's go after them monsters!" he cried.

The swordsman swung his sword. Several red-hot fireballs leapt from the blade, and the companions dived out of the way. Seifer gave a loud laugh and then leapt from the platform. He charged at the group, heading straight for Squall.

Squall saw him coming and raised his sword to block the attack, but still his arms jarred when Seifer's gunblade collided with his. He was trying to force Seifer back when his opponent suddenly leapt back of his own accord. Twisting his body around, Seifer tried to strike him from the side. Squall only just responded in time to block the blow, and then had to block again as Seifer struck him again from his other side.

Squall stepped back. Seifer's sword skills had improved greatly since their last battle. Defeating him was not going to be an easy task.

Even while he was thinking this, Seifer changed his tactics again and charged Squall from the front. With a yell he brought down his blade and Squall leapt back out of the way, missing it as it slammed into the ground.

Seifer, who was on his knees, raised his head and grinned up at Squall. "Is that all you got!" he demanded. "I can't be beaten." He charged Squall again.

He caught Squall off-guard, catching him on the head with the flat of his blade. As Squall staggered Seifer thrust out his blade, but missed as Squall raised his own sword and forced it off-course.

Squall darted to the side and Seifer start to turn to follow when Quistis ran in front. She cracked her whip and the tail wrapped around Seifer's sword-arm. Seifer glanced at her and scowled before he yanked her towards him. Flames swept around his other hand as he thrust it out at her, and Quistis leapt backwards just as they exploded around her.

Running in from the other side, Selphie swung her Crescent Wish and whacked Seifer around the side of the head. The swordsman stood dazed while he regained his senses and when he did he saw a flash of blue and black as Zell came running towards him. The fighter's fists were raised and there was fury in his eyes as he ran at Seifer.

The fighter's fists started flying. Seifer dodged the first few blows and then found an opening as Zell lowered his guard. He swung his sword, but Zell saw the movement in time and jumped back out of the way. He tried to keep out of reach of Seifer's sword as he swung it at him. Back and forth Seifer's blade swung, and Zell kept dodging and weaving out of its way.

Seifer changed his angle and brought his blade down in a tight arc, but Zell sidestepped out of the way. He kicked Seifer in the back, knocking him off-balance. Seifer put all of his weight onto his sword and then threw himself back. He slammed into Zell and this time knocked him off-balance. Seifer then spun around, grabbed Zell's collar and flung him onto the floor.

While the others were moving in for the attack, Irvine was holding back. He kept at a safe distance in a corner of the room and was peering down the gun sight, looking for an opening. One finally appeared after Seifer dodged a couple of blows from Squall and Zell, but when it came Irvine hesitated. Despite their resolve to fight no matter what, Irvine did not feel right in just killing Seifer outright. By the time he did fire his moment had already passed, and the bullet sailed harmlessly through the trailing ends of Seifer's coat.

Rinoa's Pinwheel whizzed through the air. At the same time Angelo leapt from her side to join in the battle. Seifer saw the Pinwheel coming and knocked it aside with his sword. By the time he noticed Angelo, the dog was already in mid-leap. Seifer stepped back as Angelo landed, and with a wave of his arm he cast Fira at the dog. Angelo gave a pained yelp as the flames threw him back. Landing, the dog began to roll across the floor, whining and trying to put out the flames.

At once, Rinoa ran to Angelo's side. She used Cura to put out the flames and then began to heal the minor burns that had scorched the dog's tender skin. Angelo gave a whimper and then scrabbled to his feet, nuzzling Rinoa's still-glowing hand. Satisfied that her dog was unharmed, Rinoa turned to glare at Seifer. He stood nearby with a smirk on his face. She soon saw why he was smiling: there were more flames encircling his hand. The flames rapidly grew stronger and pulsed as they moved to the next level: Fire, Fira, and then… Firaga.

"Rinoa!" Quistis cried as she saw the final pulse. "Get back!"

Rinoa got to her feet, but she made no move to get out of the way. Standing in front of her dog, she crossed her arms in front of her. Her fingertips shimmered as icy crystals began to form. The ice magic pulsed as it too grew stronger and transformed: Blizzard, Blizzara… and Blizzaga.

"Firaga!" Seifer shouted.

At the same moment, Rinoa cried: "Blizzaga!"

The two magicks leapt from their hands at the same moment. As Fire and Ice magicks collided, a powerful explosion rent the room. Both Seifer and Rinoa raised their arms to protect their faces as fiery clouds and icy shards were sent flying in all directions around them. A few sharp shards of ice slashed against Seifer's face and became embedded in his clothing. A few stray flames passed over Rinoa and burned her skin, singing her clothes. Even the others were caught up in the blast, forced to protect themselves from the impact.

Some of the debris from the collision headed towards Sorceress Edea. Throughout the battle, Edea had not moved at all from her chair, and she had not blinked. Yet as the debris headed towards her, they started to slow down. The flames dwindled and died out, and the ice shards melted, sizzled, and then evaporated in the air. Not a single spark of flame or a single drop of water touched the sorceress' immobile body, and not once did her face stir.

Seifer lowered his arm. He stepped back and felt the prick of a blade against his back. Squall was right behind him. The swordsman raised his gunblade and Seifer turned and dived out of the way. The edge of Squall's sword caught against Seifer's shoulder, tearing the fabric of his coat. Squall pulled the gunblade's trigger, and the resounding blast sent Seifer flying forwards.

He had no time to retaliate, for Rinoa had now run over. Wielding her Pinwheel like a handheld weapon, she swiped it at Seifer. Her first blow missed, but the second slashed Seifer across the face and sliced a gash in his cheek.

Teaming up, Squall and Rinoa worked together to drive Seifer back. Seifer used his gunblade to block their strikes, and white sparks flew with each block. Once he found an opening he hit back at them, swinging his sword and pulling the trigger of his gunblade. A Fire-charged blank fired from the barrel, sending a cloud of smoke and flame billowing around the pair. Squall and Rinoa were forced to retreat and jump back out of the smoke.

Seifer spotted movement to his right and turned to see Zell running towards him again. The swordsman raised his gunblade and caught Zell's fist as he punched. The fighter's knuckles scraped across the sharp edge of the blade, which sliced through his glove. Blood dripped from inside the glove and down the sword.

Through gritted teeth, Zell tried to punch Seifer with his other fist. Seifer responded by grabbing hold of Zell's fist before the punch could land. Zell glared at Seifer, who gave him a smug smile.

There came a crack and Seifer winced in pain. Lashed around his arm once again was Quistis's whip. Glancing over his shoulder, Seifer saw Quistis standing close by. She pulled on the whip and pulled his arm back. Zell saw his chance, pulled his arm free, and punched Seifer with all the strength he could find. All the years of torment he had suffered at Seifer's hands was released in that one punch. Striking Seifer in his jaw, he sent the swordsman flying across the room.

Seifer landed on the floor, rubbing his jaw. Instead of celebrating his victory, Zell turned and shouted: "Now, Squall! Go for her! Get the sorceress!"

Squall did not need to be told twice. He turned to face Sorceress Edea, who was still sitting motionless in her chair. He did wonder why she had made no move against them yet, but there was no time to think about it. This was their chance to strike and end it.

Raising his sword, Squall charged at the sorceress. He leapt onto the platform, landing a few feet before her. Sorceress Edea still had not moved. Her long, gloved fingers lay still at her sides, and her eyes remained closed. Up close Squall noticed that looked very pale and that her chest was barely moving. She looked dead. Not wanting to be deceived, Squall gripped his sword tight in both hands and thrust it out.

His sword hit a barrier. A bright light filled his vision. He felt himself being lifted up and then thrown back by an unseen force. The ground rushed past him and he hit it hard, rolling over and over. He did not stop until he hit the far wall. He slumped, and his gunblade clattered next to him.

Rinoa ran to Squall's side. She started to use Cura, but Squall pushed her hand away. Instead she helped him up onto his knees. He reached for his gunblade, and Rinoa passed it to him. Squall closed his fingers around its hilt, his hand feeling strangely numb.

He looked over at the sorceress. Sorceress Edea was still in her chair; she had not moved even a finger. A Protect barrier was shimmering around her, its light intense and powerful. Squall grasped his shaking hand, his nerves jarred by the impact. The barrier was stronger than it had been the first time he had fought the sorceress; evidently she too had grown much stronger. The barrier also proved beyond a doubt that she was very much alive, though her body was still as death.

There came a laugh from nearby, and Squall turned to see that Seifer was back on his feet. He had a Hi-Potion bottle in his hand, which he had just drunk.

"You see," Seifer said, as the gash in his cheek healed over. "It does not matter how you try. You will never defeat her!" He threw the bottle down and raised his sword. "As her knight, I will make sure that you do not touch her again!"

He ran towards them. He did not get far before Selphie ran in front, flicking her nunchaku. The chain latched around Seifer's gunblade and Selphie yanked, trying to pull the weapon from his hands. Unfortunately Seifer's grip on his sword was stronger and instead he pulled Selphie towards him. Grabbing her by her hair, he threw her to the floor. She landed hard, banging her knee, and when she looked up Seifer was standing over her with his sword raised high. Selphie rolled, dodging the blade, and got back onto her feet.

Seifer swung his sword at her again, and again Selphie dodged, using her nunchaku to keep him at bay. She spotted Irvine to her left, and so she jumped back to give him room. This time Irvine did not hesitate and he opened fire on Seifer, who blocked the bullet with Protect. Seifer turned his attentions on the gunman and charged up to him. Before Irvine could respond, Seifer swung his sword and sliced the gun from Irvine's hands. Catching it in one hand, Seifer turned and fired the shot at Zell, who was moving in for another strike. The fighter cartwheeled out of the way. Thrown the gun aside, Seifer ran at Zell.

Meanwhile, Squall and Rinoa were still kneeling on the floor. Angelo hovered close to Rinoa's side, his eyes on the battle.

"Squall," Rinoa said. She laid her hand on his shoulder and leaned in close. "You may have no choice. You can't run away. …Can you do it?"

Squall knew what she was asking: could he kill Seifer? He looked over at his fellow swordsman, who was locked in a fierce battle with his friends. Seifer… even knowing the truth, he was as determined as ever to be the 'sorceress' knight'. There really was no other choice. If Seifer would not yield or change his mind, then they would have to kill him.

He nodded his head.

Rinoa closed her eyes. Just a year ago, Seifer had been someone very precious to her. She had found a man who understood her ideals and her with to make Timber a liberated nation. Seifer had encouraged her to come to Garden and had introduced her to Headmaster Cid. Through him, she had even met Squall. She had thought, then, that she was in love with Seifer. But as Quistis herself had realised, that love was misplaced. Rinoa had been young and naïve, but those days were over. She had seen and learnt too much about how things really were, and she saw how foolish she had been. She even regretted her attitude towards her father, who had only sought to protect her from the realities she now knew. Rinoa's eyes had been opened, and she knew what had to be done.

"Squall," she said, opening her eyes. "Let me help. I can distract his attention with a GF, and then you can move in to finish it. Would… that work?" She looked at him, hopeful.

Squall looked back at her. Rinoa really had changed since they first met. In the beginning, she fought without thinking about the consequences. Her actions had been those of a rebellious teenager. However, hearing that the army might have killed Seifer, and her own encounter with Sorceress Edea, had changed all that. Now Rinoa knew what she was fighting for: to protect the people most important to her, even if her enemy was once someone she had cared about. Gazing into her eyes, he nodded. It was worth a try.

Rinoa got to her feet and turned to Seifer. The enemy swordsman was still trying to fend off the others, who had teamed up to try and beat him down. Rinoa placed her Pinwheel back on her arm and then raised her arms above her head. She did not even have to think about which Guardian Force she would summon. Her choice was crystal clear. She would summon the GF from when she had first fought properly alongside Squall and his companions, when they had fought together as a team for the very first time. She had been told, then, that she had talent, and as a result she had made her very first pact with a Guardian Force.

"Diablos!"

A cloud of dark energy formed around her hands. It expanded, spreading along her arms. Seifer, sensing it, started to turn his head but a powerful blow smacked him in the jaw. Irritated, Seifer swung his sword at Zell, but the fighter hopped nimbly out of his reach. The swordsman flung a fireball at him and one at Quistis, before he returned his attention to Rinoa.

Except that Rinoa was no longer there. In her place, a large dark cloud had formed. It was growing larger by the second, spreading out around the walls and the floor. Tiny, wispy tendrils emerged from the edges of the cloud and crept along the floor, reaching forward as though searching for something.

From the heart of the cloud, the GF Diablos emerged. His long, pointed face was pulled back into a spiteful sneer as he squeezed his way out of the cloud. His wings were folded around his body, but as his body emerged those wings creaked and started to unfold. The GF's yellow eyes opened to slits. They gazed ahead at Seifer, who stood alone right in his path.

With a start the GF spread his wings. Clenching his pointed fingers, Diablos threw back his head and roared. A whirlwind of dark energy blew around him and filled the room. It whipped Seifer's coat and even rustled the white curtains draped around the sorceress, though Edea herself did not move.

As he finished roaring, Diablos surged forward. He drew back his as though to strike, but when Seifer started to raise his sword the GF turned and leapt up into the air above him.

The dark clouds that were still moving around Rinoa drew together and floated up to swirl around Diablos. The GF raised his hand, and the clouds separated, condensing to form several tightly packed balls of gravitational energy. One of these balls drifted to settle in Diablos's outstretched palm. The GF's long fingers caressed the ball, then grasped it tightly and threw it down at Seifer.

Seifer saw it coming and dived out of the way. He rolled back onto his feet but was forced to dive again when a second ball came crashing down next to him. Another one fell and Seifer leapt back for a third time. Diablos grabbed a cluster of the balls and threw them down. Seifer turned to run out of the way, but a gunshot landed at his feet and he was forced to stop.

One of the balls landed right behind him and burst open. Instead of being propelled forward, Seifer found that he was being dragged back into it. He fought against the gravitational pull and would have broken free if a second and third ball had not landed alongside the first one. Now unable to fight against the increasing pull, Seifer was pulled off his feet and dragged into the cloud.

The remainder of the balls landed around him. They all moulded together to form a single giant ball of energy. The pull from this energy ball was so strong that even Rinoa and the others had to fight against its pull. Above them, Diablos's hand was still outstretched, his fingers twitching as he himself fought to contain the immense energy that he had created.

Seifer, in the centre of that ball, received the full blow of that powerful energy. He could not be seen through the darkness, though his agonised cries could be heard. Diablos, still grinning, clenched his fist. The ball shrunk and then exploded, releasing its captive. Seifer hit the ground, coughing and gagging, while the energy around him began to disperse.

As for Diablos, his job was now complete. Folding his wings around him, he vanished in a puff of black smoke.

While Seifer was on the floor, Rinoa turned to Squall. "Now, Squall!" she said.

Seifer was just getting to his feet. He saw Squall coming, and with a grunt he forced himself to stand and picked up his gunblade, which he had dropped in the midst of the GF's attack. With a yell, he charged at Squall.

Their blades clashed against one another, creating sparks. Despite having taken the full brunt of a GF attack, Seifer still had plenty of strength to spare. The two men stood locked together for a long moment, their blades pushing against one another as they tried to force the other into submission.

Around them, Irvine and the others all stood together and watched the confrontation. Rinoa, drained from the summoning, sank down onto her knees. Angelo put his knee in her lap and she held him close, keeping her eyes on Squall.

The two men ceased their struggle and leapt apart. Seifer, sweating and blue eyes blazing, laughed in exhilaration. He had always dreamt of a battle like this, with he and Squall locked in deadly combat, each fighting for the other's dream.

His smile growing wider, Seifer stepped back and crossed his gunblade in front of him. "Ready to die, Squall?" he asked, though his voice was hoarse. "Kneel before me!"

He waved his hand, throwing out a fireball that Squall narrowly dodged. Seifer then raised his sword. He swung it, and a trail of glowing green energy was left in its wake. Seifer then started to spin in a circle, swinging the blade around him. A whirlwind of energy formed around his body. Seifer's feet lifted off the floor and the whirlwind moved towards Squall.

Squall acted quickly. He held his blade behind him and then charged at Seifer. When he was within range of the whirlwind he brought his blade forward in an upward arc. The blade sliced through the wind, cleaving it in two. Its energy then turned upon its master, and Seifer gave a yell as he was hit by the blast. His gunblade was thrown from his hand as he flew across the chamber, only to land face down at the foot of the platform. The gunblade landed seconds after, skittering across the ground until it came to a stop out of his reach.

Squall lowered his sword and looked down at Seifer. His rival's body twitched and he groaned in pain. Seifer tried to stand, but his strength failed him and he slumped to the floor. His blond hair, normally so perfectly slicked back against his head, lay strewn across his forehead.

"This can't be!" he heard Seifer whisper. "Why!"

The swordsman raised his head and looked up at Squall, who was standing over him. Squall's face was cold and impassive, but there was a flicker of emotion behind those blue eyes. Squall saw that look and recognised it: pity. Squall pitied him. Seifer's eyes narrowed, and he clenched his fists in rage. He started to speak, but then froze as he caught sight of movement from his right.

Squall saw it too, and he turned towards the platform. With Seifer's defeat the sorceress had stirred at last. Her body raised out of the chair, lifting like a puppet being held by strings. Her arms hung limp at her sides as she stood, and her head bobbed as it settled. She then raised her head and her eyes opened.

One look into those cold yellow eyes sent an icy shiver down Squall's back. His hand drifted to his chest, where her ice spear had pierced his body. Despite how pale and deathly her body looked, those eyes were very much alive.

Sorceress Edea's lips flushed pink, and then twisted into a scowl. She looked down at Seifer, lying at the foot of the podium.

"Worthless child," she said in a soft, whispery voice. This had a profound effect on Seifer, who flinched and turned his gaze away.

Sorceress Edea turned her eyes back to Squall, standing at the foot of the platform before her. Her lips flushed more, and there was even a tinge of colour in those cheeks. Gazing into her face, Squall became even surer that this was Matron. There was no mistaking that face, although the expression was unrecognisable.

The sorceress raised her hands. A cloud of black energy formed around her feet like a puddle, and she started to sink. The darkness crept up her body, over her thighs and her hips, her chest and at last her head. She sank into the puddle and when she was completely submerged, the cloud dissolved, leaving nothing behind.

Sheathing his sword, Squall walked up to the spot where Edea had stood. He could still feel her presence somewhere close by.

…The auditorium is right below, he thought, trying to recall the Garden's layout. He turned to the others. "Let's go to the auditorium!" he told them. Everyone nodded, and they ran to the lift.

As the lift doors closed, Seifer raised his head. Though his body was wracked with pain, he forced himself onto his knees. A sharp, stabbing pain hit him in the side, and he coughed. When he got his breath back he crawled along the floor to where his gunblade lay. Using it as a support, Seifer stood up. He wiped the sweat from his brow and then looked over at the lift, which was moving down to the floor below.

"There's no way you guys can beat her," he promised, and he shuffled towards the door.