Disclaimer: I wish I were a panda bear?
AN: Whelp that's all! Hope you enjoyed it.
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Nadia flipped through her little black book. It was nearly filled to the brim. The days had gone on and the events had taken places whether she was prepared for them or not. She kicked herself for not taking better notes wondering if perhaps she had missed some special occasions on accident. She was sad looking at the pages. The instances where something Cooper related were small. Littering only the first few pages then the rest were Resistance victories or failures, Galbadian involvement, and one instance of Esthar involvement in the war.
Cooper had only been gone two weeks but in the time that they had been gone time traveling the journal still kept the dates. She had to do research figure out what they had missed. And perhaps the book was meant for that purpose. She wouldn't have cared to look up the events otherwise. There were several more events to come the biggest one was the day they were planning to execute the mission to assassinate President Garland. Irvine had come up with the plan and insisted people fall through with it.
The thing that bothered Nadia was the fact that the date of the President's assassination had three blank pages following it. The day she was certain would prove to be very important. She was even more curious about the days to follow. Today was a special day too, but nothing was happening of significance so she would merely wait and see.
"Are you listening to me?" Nadia sighed shutting her book looking up at her mother. Rinoa was standing in her old room trying to teach her the finer points of being a show off. She really couldn't help it that her mother was a grand sorceress and she lacked the energy to compete with her. Not that she could ever see her mother's work first hand. The rather plain looking bangle had never left Rinoa's wrist when she realized she could be in her daughter's presence because of it.
"I'm telling you I understand the concept, but I can't manage the energy." She snapped.
"How can you not, it's a simple growth impression. It's not even a spell, you are just feeding energy and will into a plant to grow." Rinoa insisted not understanding. She gave a defeated sigh and decided it was best to just show her mother that she couldn't. Her mother had even brought a new seedling just to see if she could.
Nadia kicked her legs over the bed and stared at the offending pot of dirt on her desk. She stared down at the dirt reaching for the small speck of life that was the seed. She urged it on pouring her will and energy into it. Slowly it popped open roots spreading. 'Grow.' She willed it focusing harder trying to spare as little as possible in order to achieve Rinoa's task.
She broke a sweat when a small leaf finally broke the surface. It welcomed the entrance to light with joy turning to the source of its energy. She felt confused as the plant begged for more to grow faster and be bigger. She grinned ready to supply more when she felt a painful hoard of voices cry through her. 'You will not!' A voice rang boosted by two others. She cried out with the force arching back, to Rinoa's shock, before she threw herself forward and vomited.
"What happened?" Rinoa squeaked her hand patting her daughter's back comfortingly.
"My head- it hurts so much." She cried out. Her mouth burned and her throat was sore, but it was nothing compared to the pain of such shouting. It was as if someone had screamed from inside her trying to reach those near her. She still saw stars even as Rinoa urged her to lie down. Perhaps this was the event the book was marking.
"Was it Ultimecia? Was she trying to control you?" Rinoa asked distress evident in her voice. Nadia wanted to shake her head, but found the pain left her unable to. She wanted so desperately to reply. She had spent what little energy she could complaining. Drained she just let herself go to sleep.
"What do you think you were doing?" A voice said. She turned sharply the sight of Cooper in a field of flowers greeting her. She couldn't fathom why he was standing in a field of flowers, but she wasn't going to complain.
"What do you mean?" She didn't really feel normal. She felt as if she were floating, though she could see both her feet placed firmly on the flowery ground below her.
"Don't dare take my sustenance you vile woman." Another male voice hissed from her right. She couldn't face both Cooper and this new voice so regretfully she turned to it. She was welcomed with the image of a tall spire of ice. It glowed when it spoke. "Don't you dare do that again." It threatened her sharply.
"Be still Son." A female voice cooed from behind her. She turned instantly to the voice. She was welcomed with the sight of Ultimecia staring back at her.
"What are you doing here?" She said distracted by the feeling of floating higher. Still her feet were firmly on the floor. Ultimecia grinned wryly at her inching closer.
"Do not endanger Son. If you upset the fire in you we will all burn away." She said waving her arms in a large circle over her head. The flowers exploded up into the air. She spun to Cooper for support but he was no longer there. Turning to the ice shard she saw it half melted and the process continuing as large chunks fell to the now barren ground and melted. Distressed she turned back to Ultimecia finding that the woman had lost half her face.
She looked like a broken doll staring at her with one eye as a black void consuming the rest of her face. "You must do what you have done, just because you have done it does not mean that you cannot undo it. It is not a set thing for sorceresses like you. You can change anything to your will if you have but the strength. Thank Hyne you are not blessed with the power to change time and space. Get it right once and never regret it lady or you will live life with not a single fire lighting your way."
Ultimecia clapped her hands the ground shaking where she stood. Nadia saw that she was no longer standing on the floor but high in the air as the dead field around the solo figure cracked. The ground collapsed into a dark void. The wind picked up and she could almost hear the scream of a man in the distance as the void loomed up to reach her. Screaming she sat up sweat running down her face.
Reggie was in the door way Sam a closer second. Together they came to her side and embraced her. "What's wrong?"
"Nightmare." She whimpered remembering the dark void reaching up to consume her. What had she done to upset whatever balance had been up to her to maintain. It was up to her perhaps with the help of Sam and Reggie to figure out what was going on.
Quickly she explained what had happened in her dream and what she had been doing before she had passed out. Her bodyguards watched quickly taking in the tale. She really wanted Cooper by her side petting her hair and making all the bad things go away with his intensity, but she would have to make due. "So the ice crystal told you not to take its sustenance? Ice is your element, maybe it's asking you not to use it up."
"It's not possible for me to use up my core. I've worn it down a few times, but I've never used it up." She answered Reggie. She watched Sam staring at her curiously. He seemed to be considering something before he spoke.
"Well that's the only thing I can think of about the crystal." Reggie answered regretfully.
Sam spoke up, "I know you say you can't use up your core. But just because you say you can't doesn't mean that you can't. It means that as much as you pushed yourself you haven't pushed beyond your limits. Maybe you've been doing that recently?" She nodded her two painful trips with the time travel spell making her feel guilty. "What happens when you use up your core? Has any sorceress ever done it? Maybe that's what your dream is telling you. Don't use up your core or you'll regret it."
"That still doesn't explain why Cooper or Ultimecia were there."
"Cooper was there because you wanted him to be." Reggie said sourly. "If you want something enough your dreams will reflect it."
"But he left and he's not coming back." She snapped back. Reggie tried not to look happy at this news. Nadia knew he was as surely as she knew Cooper wasn't coming back. She had tried reaching him with her mind several times. Apparently she had touched him often enough he could notice when she was there and slapped her mental presence away. She wished she was strong enough to fight him, but she simply wasn't.
"What did Ultimecia say again?" Sam said trying to keep them on track seeing her get distracted.
"Well that's the easy part mostly. She was telling me I had to do my part and do it right the first time. I could always send mom back in the past to fix anything I mess up, but she not suppose to. Whatever is meant to happen, I am supposed to do it. But I don't understand what she meant about my failing. She told me, 'Do not endanger Son. If you upset the fire in you we will all burn away.' She was calling the ice crystal Son." She said trying to clearly remember the dream.
Sam nodded, "Well that seems simple to. We've already figured out Son, this crystal, is your core. If you endanger your core you will unbalance or perhaps… kill yourself, and you won't get to finish what you are suppose to do." Reggie blanched. The thought of their charge expiring from over using her magic was unacceptable.
"We need to talk to Matron about this."
"We will, after all the planning for the assassination goes through." She said pushing away all worries of her dream. She would be careful and watch her magic use from now on being around her mother. She was going to ask more dangerous things if she couldn't get it through her head that Nadia just didn't have the core she did.
President Garland sighed waving his arm. His assistance swung the door open and a parade of people walked through. He was slightly surprised by the assembly of people Timber had selected for their 'peace' talks. There was going to be no peace, Timber would surrender or fall.
"Hello Mister President." Irvine Kinneas grinned walking into the room with a wink. He did not let the surprise cross his face. He wouldn't give the traitor the satisfaction. Apparently the man couldn't stay dead. He was followed closely by that sorceress brat Kina Patil though he was certain that wasn't her name. Not as if her real name mattered, she would be dealt with before the night was through.
The little brunette was followed by Squall Leonhart and his wife the Sorceress Rinoa. This time he left a small frown slip out. He hadn't planned for two sorceresses to grace his presence. He had already written off Patil as dead when she had disappeared for five months. So Timber had gotten lucky, very lucky. If he couldn't off one of these bitches tonight he might have to cede to Timber's wishes.
The fifth and final attendee he wasn't expecting. The famous Laguna Loire President of Esthar was with them. This wasn't good at all, Timber was not only backed by two sorceresses, but the President of the greatest enemy to Galbadia. He could trust his men to kill off at least one sorceress and the President Laguna. However, He couldn't trust the man to kill Squall or Irvine, they had kill Ultimecia for Hyne's sake.
"Hello Mister Kinneas, Mister Leonhart, Miss Patil, Miss Hartilly, Mister Loire." He didn't honor them by getting up. They had to know where they stood whether or not Garland was truly scared of them. It did not escape his notice that Miss Patil looked an awful lot like Squall and Laguna. It wasn't possible that they were related. It was a known fact Sorceresses couldn't have children.
"So about these peace talks," Rinoa said getting straight to the point. He raised his hand to silence her. She complied with a sour look on her face. This was good she at least knew when to shut up, or rather that he would not dare interrupt Squall, but she was far game.
"Just a moment, my men have yet to arrive. I wouldn't dare speak without them by my side." Garland said trying to sound. He had an image to maintain and he wouldn't let these Timber brats have any visible reason to doubt him.
The door opened right on time. Three Elite Soldiers marched into the room followed by Cooper's lazy sway. He really did have to get control over his wayward SeeD, but the man was insane and Garland wasn't sure when to push his buttons. If he didn't get his job done tonight he was going to fire the SeeD or have him killed he wasn't sure which.
He could see all the representatives from Timber freeze up in shock, all except Laguna. So they knew and were not comfortable around him. That was good. He noticed Miss Patil look the most uncomfortable with the situation. Kinneas looked at him in annoyance, Cooper had told them they were friends at one point. Rinoa and Squall looked at him in pure anger. This would definitely be good. Poor aloof President Loire seemed to catch his partners' distress, but did not understand why.
"Now as you were saying, what are the terms that Timber will agree to?" He resisted the urge to smirk it was unbecoming of a President who was suppose to be genuinely interested in the welfare of countries.
"I won't discuss terms of peace with that vile thing here." Kina snapped turning her face away from Cooper. He watched curiously as the man took a seat at the corner of his desk. He really was too self-centered. Perhaps he had been better off hiring someone else.
"Aw did I hurt the sorceress's feelings?" He snickered patting down his SeeD uniform. Irvine looked furious now, did he not like how his little Soceress was being treated? Squall and Rinoa had their hands poised near their weapons and Laguna was still confused.
"I will not stand for these insults," Kina insisted stepping forward a threatening look on her face. Cooper shot up from his position and stood behind her a silver dagger resting on her neck.
"Now, now Princess don't move." He grinned sharply.
"I see your true colors now." The Timber group was surprised when Garland spoke. He was staring sharply at Cooper, his Elite Soldiers knew what to do.
"Excuse me Sir?" the SeeD said his eyes sharp, "She approached you in an inappropriate way."
Garland nodded, "You reacted as you should. I applaud you, such the actor." He reached into his desk looking for the files on the murders during the attempted takeover of Timber. If things went his way he could play of this assassination attempt to his favor. All but Esthar would fall in step with him. Seeing as how he had Esthar's President within reach, that would happen too.
"I'm sure you are well aware of these reports. It was assumed that our little Kina hear had killed a few people." Squall was looking increasingly uncomfortable as Garland continued. "Now I do recall that she always mentioned she was never good at her weapon's classes. Here you were so kind to slip up behind the dear and put you dagger to her neck. You are so good at that. You really should think about striking it other vital spots like a major vein not connected to the neck." He intoned glaring the traitor down. He had never intended to kill the sorceress no matter how much he had paid him. He was glad he had enlisted the aid of the sharpshooters looking through is window and the extra Elites.
"You think you are safe from me President? I am not one to be crossed." Cooper said his eyes hard. Garland waved a hand at Cooper instantly the window behind him shattered a bullet striking him. The man tumbled into a heap behind the sorceress as chaos ensued.
His Elites were already prepping to fire a barrage of bullets into the Timber representatives. Laguna had dropped all illusions of a blundering fool and tackled his assistant to the floor. Rinoa raised her Blaster Edge ready to strike him. She was hampered by her shot as Squall knocked her off her feet the wall shattering as a hail of bullets ripped across the air. Irvine was already bent down hiding like a scared little brat while Kina had dove for the floor in safety.
He watched all this in amusement. These people were nothing amazing after all, they had probably bested Ultimecia by sheer luck. Squall shot back up when the bullet fire ceased and jumped right onto the desk swinging his sword wildly. It was just like Balamb people to bring weapons to a peace talk, just as it was Galbadian, neither had agreed to meet unarmed. He could hear one of his Elites fall to the ground, but he was unfazed his sharp shooter was still there. Another shot rang out the window shattering at the same time Squall collapsed off the table. "Hope you didn't need that leg." Garland snickered unable to contain himself.
Irvine was near Cooper shaking the injured man who was bleeding profusely. He wasn't sure where Kina had crawled off to, but with his sharp shooters he was safe. Rinoa hopped up on her feet her Blaster Edge going off before she could be delayed this time. Another Elite down, but they could be replaced. A third window pane broke Rinoa twisting before falling to the floor clutching her arm. He had ordered the sharpshooter to shoot with intent to kill had he not?
He was rather surprised when Irvine shot up much like Rinoa had. Anger written all over his face, he raised a pointed finger at Garland. "Only a fool would strike down a Sorceress's mate." He was curious as to what Irvine was babbling about. Suddenly an ice shard formed above Irvine's head. It shot across the room brushing again Garland's face before ripping a hole in his chair and impaling the final Elite to the wall. The man howled loudly about his arm.
He watched with a sly grin as Irvine's head snapped back. Least this time the sharp shooter had aimed on a vital part. Oddly enough the click by his ear was a surprise. Almost as much as Irvine's head snapping forward again the bullet a little whittled flower on his forehead. "Tata." He snickered just as the man turned to look square into a gun held by Kina.
Kina pulled the trigger eyes hard as Garland's face contorted and the back of his head exploded form the force. "Well that's that." She hummed placing the gun on the desk.
"That's that my ass, Cooper's been shot! He's bleeding!" Irvine said crying now. Squall was cradling Rinoa, magic rolling off his hands to her injured arm. Kina vaulted over Garland's desk ripping off her necklace. Suddenly she shot up in height her brown hair turning several shades lighter. A cowboy hat sprouted from the top of her head. The final transformation completely several seconds later as a second Irvine kneeled over Cooper joining the first.
"It's creepy to watch him do that." Laguna said rubbing his hand over his mouth. A bit of blood came off and he snickered. The first Irvine shrank, his locks growing longer and turning a fine blonde. Nadia frowned as her transformation ended. Her hands rested against Cooper's injured collarbone.
"Nadie." He gasped pain crossing his features. She was weeping, but doing her best to stay focused on him. "I gotta tell you something."
"You didn't mean what you said I know. I knew whatever you were leaving me for had to be a good reason." She insisted her hands resting on his bleeding wound. She didn't want to focus on the fact she could feel the warmth of his blood on her fingers, the hole in his body, and when her finger slipped inside of his body.
"No. Not that." He gasped a he shook with the force of a spam. His hand shot squeezing Nadia's arm. Squall was trying to heal his leg as he watched the exchange. Irvine was pulling her hands out of wound the trying to fix the damage, but he couldn't. He didn't want to inform Nadia that as he healed Cooper. The wound continued to deteriorate faster that he could fix it. The more Cooper spoke the less Irvine could help him. As it was, he was only delaying his death. "You- me. It hurts so bad Nadie. I'm sorry for what I've done to you."
She choked back sob wincing as he squeezed her wrist harder. "You're hurting me." She laughed. She really did get tired of saying that, he didn't know his own strength. His grip relaxed on her arm and she sighed in relief. "Thank you." He was silent. She tried to wipe the tears out of her eyes to get a better view, but only smeared his blood in eyes. Did he find it a tradition to blood her in the nearest copse? No, she shouldn't think like that, it was his blood after all.
"Nadia don't look." Irvine said wrapping his arms around her. Squall was silent at the dead body laying before them. Selphie must not have gotten to the sharpshooter in time to keep him from shooting Cooper in a vital spot. He hoped dearly that she tossed the man off the roof tops for that one.
"Shush Coop has to tell me something." She snapped trying vainly to clean her eyes.
"Honey," Squall broke in, "He's dead." He wished he could do something for his daughter, but neither she nor Rinoa had the power to breathe life into things. She had power over the elements and Rinoa was good with time and space they just couldn't.
"He can't be! This shouldn't be what happens!" She cried out pushing Irvine away. "This can't be what Ultimecia was leading me up to! The things that I must do, because I had already done them. I can't have been meant to get him killed!"
"It wasn't your fault dear, he got himself into trouble." Rinoa added trying not to upset her daughter more.
"Everything he's done he's done for me! Don't you understand? why would he come here? He hates Garland's ideas. He's a Son of Galbadia!" She screamed. "He wants Galbadia at peace!"
"We can't stay here, his other guards will be here soon. I know this is hard, but we must get out of here." Laguna said trying not to sound completely harsh. Nadia glared up at him waving her hand. A portal appeared. Irvine regretfully picked up Cooper's corpse and followed everyone through filmy doorway. They found themselves in Laguna's main room in Esthar. The large open room dwarfed them as they paced in. "Don't forget Selphie." Laguna whispered.
Nadia waved her arm again another portal appearing. She didn't even check if it was Selphie as she turned to Irvine. He placed Cooper's corpse on the floor and left her to stare at him. She was still crying staring at his open eyes. Her lips tingled.
"Oh no! I told him not to fire to kill." Selphie hissed.
"Fire to kill?" Nadia pondered touching her lips. "Ash- to catch fire." Her lips were starting to hurt. "Fire to bring life- and fire to take it…" Her mind was reeling. She remembered the kiss Ultimecia had forced on her. The woman had tasted like ash and smoke. What had she said? "I have no talent for it!" Her tears stopped as she winced in pain. Her lips was scotching to the touch.
"What are you talking about." Rinoa said touching her daughter's shoulder. She hastily slapped Rinoa's arm away before diving onto Cooper's corpse pushing her lips against his.
"That's gross." Irvine whispered looking away. Nadia had clearly lost it trying to kiss a dead body. His attention refocused on Nadia when she suddenly sprouted wings. They were long like Rinoa's but unmoving made purely of ice. It was then he noticed that she was glowing. A soft red hue, it must have been painful. She was withering for nothing.
"Great Hyne!" Selphie cried out when Cooper's arms shot up around Nadia's neck. Confused as the man started pushing Nadia back. Laguna blushed at the sight of his granddaughter forced to the floor. It didn't escape Irvine's notice that now Cooper was a slight red hue. Nadia's suddenly blue light was fading.
He reached forward pulling Cooper off his little sister. "Back off deadbeat." He snapped. Cooper turned on him fast a dagger in hand his eyes blazing red. Irvine was only the least bit concerned about his health. Cooper was a force to be reckoned with when he was pissed, but it didn't help that the dagger in his hand melted to the touch.
"What the hell." The younger man cursed jumping to his feet his deformed dagger clattering to the floor. Absently his hands reaching for the wound he had sustained. "I died." He muttered. Irvine nodded taking in the creepy red eyes that didn't seem to go away. His glow had subsided, but the confusion on his face did not.
"Nadia?" Rinoa questioned careful to approach her daughter. She was sitting on her rear staring up at Cooper. She wiggled a frozen wing softly. Broken from her trance her daughter looked up at her. Her blue eyes flashed for a moment before she smiled at her. Her wings disappeared in an explosion of light.
"I feel like I'm on fire…" Cooper groaned clutching his stomach. Turning slowly wincing in great pain he turned to Nadia. "You did this didn't you?"
"She brought you back." Squall said his hand poised on his sword. He didn't like how the man was staring at his daughter with angry eyes.
"What did I say about expending your power!" He shouted fighting back another wave of pain.
"What? You never said that-" Nadia stopped, "how were you in my dream?"
"But you didn't listen, how did bringing me back not kill you?" He question falling to his knees wincing. Nadia reached for him not sure how to ease his pain.
"Utlimecia gave me the kiss. I guess she had the power to give life." She muttered her hands absently touching her mouth. She was only distracted for a moment as Cooper gave a rough cough, small puffs of smoke escaping. "I'm worried about you." She whimpered.
"Don't be." He grinned. His eyes promptly rolled to the back of his head and he slumped to the floor.
"Like I said, stop worrying about me." Cooper snapped as the breeze played across his chest. He was laying on a beach towel next to Nadia in his swimming trunks. They were laying under a huge umbrella blocking out the sun. She was by his side in a bikini leaning on her arms. She could see Selphie and Irvine in the distance playing with several children in the water.
"How can I not worry about you, you nearly caught the house on fire last night." She hummed slapping her partner's leg. He sat up taking his shades off with a glare. His green eyes flashed red as he grasped her wrist. It hurt, but it was something she was use to. There were bruises on her hips from last night and Irvine as a good brother always did, asked if she was alright.
The irritated look floated away and lust clouded Cooper's fiery eyes. "It's so hard not to catch fire with such a lovely sorceress. Even harder still when I can rip those little screams out of you." She flicked her wrist a sign for him to let her go. He was leaning in to kiss her when she frowned. He followed her gaze. The children Selphie and Irvine were with had started making it snow. The small child in Selphie's arms started to cry and Cooper growled.
"Jaris! Harley! What did I tell you about using magic?" Cooper shouted pointing a finger at the children in the water.
"Papa's mad again Jaris. I told you not to make it snow." Harley snapped moving away from Jaris. She hoped her Papa wouldn't yell at her anymore it was all Jaris's idea. Selphie and Irvine gave a sigh, Cooper was too hard on his children. Clutching her little baby girl closer Selphie wadded out of the water and the snow. She didn't want her girl to catch a cold because Jaris wanted some snow. Irvine trailed up behind her and the children.
Once on the shore Jaris and Harley stood heads bowed as Cooper berated them. "I have said time and time again you are not to use your magic. You could hurt people! Normal people can freeze to death."
"Not you Papa!" Jaris interrupted. Harley bite her lip knowing what would happen next. Her father's hand balled into fists as he retrained the urge to hit his son. Cooper howled in rage wanting to shake his son to make him understand the dangers they held. But unlike their mother he could not touch them. His hands caught fire in his rage and regret.
"Jaris you know your Papa isn't normal now sush and listen to him." Nadia said ignoring the situation and laying down. Harley really didn't understand her father, he was terrifying. With his eyes that could change color and his hands that could catch fire, he must be a monster. How a sweet woman like her mother could love him she didn't understand.
"Hey Dunlay let me handle this." Squall said. He had a drink in hand for little Jaris as he hoisted the boy onto his shoulders. He truly regretted that Nadia had aged too fast for him to properly enjoy her as a child but he was taking every step to be there for his grandchildren.
He looked for a moment behind him seeing the hurt look on Cooper's face. It really must be Loire luck to have such great destiny in store for them, but flanked by intense pain. "Why does Papa never touch me?" Jaris said. Squall took a moment to ponder how to answer the question as he strolled along the beach with him.
"What do you mean?" Squall asked knowing full well what the child meant, but wanted to be certain anyway.
"He never hugs me or pets me like he does Mommy. He always touches her hair, her hands, even her face, but never me." The boy whined pulling Squall's hair a bit too much.
"You know how you father catches fire right?" The little boy hummed in agreement. "Well did you know he is always on fire? You can only see it when he gets worried, mad, or afraid. You are his little angels. One day when you are a Papa you will realize how careful you want to be with your children."
"So that still doesn't tell me why Papa won't touch me." The boy sniffed taking a sip from the drink he had been given.
"You know how you are Momma's little ice prince?" A grunt this time, Jaris was getting annoyed. "What does fire do to ice?"
"Papa would never hurt me!" He hissed yanking on Squall's hair again. He bit back a curse. Taking a deep breath he shook himself turning back to the group.
"No he wouldn't, that's why he never touches you. One upset thought, one bad memory and you father could hurt you. So when you think of how your father never touches you think of it as the greatest show of love he can give you." He really wondered if this would sink into the child's little mind. He was no Nadia so perhaps his memory recall would fail or he might have not understood what was said at all. Hoping for the best Squall deposited his little grandson next to Cooper once more before checking in on Nadia.
"Mommy?" Harley said her hands playing over the small bulge over Nadia's stomach. She gave a small hum acknowledging her. "Will I have a little sister?"
Nadia looked up at her daughter wondering if it was even worth the effort to respond. She was carrying another set of twins. She could already feel their small weak thoughts, she would have another daughter and another son but this time her daughter would be a child of fire and her son another gift of Shiva. She could feel them fighting weakly in her womb their elemental at odds. She imagined this would be birth to watch out for. Another one of the High Daughter of Hyne's warnings, she had channeled Rinoa warning her to be careful.
"I don't know depends on what the other sorceress's want." She grinned deciding it was best left to mystery as she was the only one who knew her children's genders. Cooper had a vague connection to her children as he had to their thriving pair of twins. However he was at a distinct disadvantage. He could only speak for them or speak to them when they wanted him to. She was thankful they didn't often, the power of Cooper speaking for her two magic brats was painful on her brain.
"What do you mean?" Her daughter asked her ice blue eyes staring at her. She was trying to hear her siblings through her stomach. Really her daughter was a little naïve drone like she had been.
"Well I'm the only Sorceress that can have babies. I have to make up for all the ladies before and after me that will never be as lucky as I. I am having their children for them, you see?" She giggled speaking the truth. She felt it almost an obligation to honor those that could not bear for themselves. Not that she minded at all. She looked over her daughter to see Cooper sitting at the edge of the shore Jaris at his side, but not touching. She was sad neither of her children looked like him. Harley was blue haired and blue eyed taking after her while Jaris was a brunette with dark brown eyes like her father. Perhaps her little fire child would look like him.
"I don't get it. Why should it matter that they can't have kids?" Harley said her face pinched in annoyance. Seems as though Jaris got all the brains in this pair and Harley got all the charm.
"Let me get her off your hands." Selphie grinned. Nadia nodded watching her Brother's wife run off with her daughter and her own child. Irvine dropped down on the towel beside her. He was fixing to lecture her she was certain.
"So where is your Knight?" Irvine finally said breaking the silence. She really didn't want to get into this argument again.
"Sam is with President Martine you know that." She answered thinking for a moment why she had thought it was wise to send her Knight to Deling City. Reminding herself that Reggie was off in the distance protecting Rinoa as she looked for shells to add to her collection. She was safe here in all the present company.
"I know. I just wish you held your Knight closer. You know I worry about your selection."
"And you know we've already spoken about this. Reggie was too hot headed, Cooper lets me have my way all the time, and I wouldn't dare take you from Selphie. Sam was the only other choice. He keeps me sane while everyone else keeps me safe. Why do you think one of my children is a fire element? Did she get it from Cooper?" She said trying to get his attention elsewhere.
Irvine was quiet for a moment looking silly in his swimming trunks and cowboy hat. "Perhaps, and I'm thinking like Cooper on this one. Each generation will have a fire child, or maybe it will just be random. I mean, what kind of world would this be if there wasn't a check and balance for your children. You have to admit," he said with a grim smile, "no one keeps Jaris out of trouble as well as Cooper does. I think Harley is too scared of him. You need to tell him to ease up or try to bond with them more. He's going to drive them away."
"That on my list to do." Nadia remarked thankful that her little black book was full. Her emanate work was done for Ultimecia's goals. Wondering if a difference had been made she only had a small twinge of regret. She would never know if Ultimecia had actually succeeded in saving the sorceress line.
With a mighty cry Archer let out a battle cry her arms spread. The Garden SeeD spilled forward their weapons drawn as the Swell came down upon them. Her brothers and sisters decedents of the first were casting spells left and right. The land was littered with the gift of Shiva her relatives possessed no matter how far away in bloodline they were. She would see small flickers of other magic as the SeeDs tried to cut a path for her through the intelligent monsters.
The Lunatic Pandora was in their possession and they would willing expire as a race to keep it that way. Concentrating Archer forced her will and her being to set the battle field aflame with magic ready to do all in power as the High Daughter of Hyne, the only sorceress alive to protect her people.
Archer had been a daughter of the power of Time. She had predicted she would not make it out of this battle. Sure as her premonition had warned her she was struck down by a beast wielding a polearm. In her death she saw the Mother and Hyne.
Ultimecia wept for her child. She watched her latest daughter fall to the Swell her life force flicking out before her Witch embodiment slipped into the next candidate. Her new daughter was Isis handpicked by Hyne to receive the gift. Tonight, when the battle was over and Isis was coming to terms with her embodiment Ultimecia would be there.
Such was the deal she had struck with Hyne. A playful god tired of being lonely had engineered everything for a mere moment of godhood for Ultimecia. She had shed her mortal coil and accepted his offer to rule by his side. He moved Heaven and Earth to have her, the least she could do was accept. Her people lived on, the Witch Embodiment lived on, the Swell could be quelled if for only years at a time, and the balance was kept.
She leaned down to Archer's withering body and embraced the girl. "Mother." She smiled before the life force in her was snuffed out. Ultimecia smiled warmly back in return. This was part of their grand design that she and Hyne had wrought together, all their children playing a part in their roles to make the complete picture. Some of their children were happy, others sad, and those that were neither did what they could.
Finding this time to painful she took a step into another time watching her beloved Loire family. Squall and Rinoa were swing the young Bella in their arms. She was the first Fire Bearer to keep the Daughters of Hyne and Sons of Shiva in check. How long would it be before they official took on the titles? At least five more generations to come before it was common knowledge of the creation of their race.
Cooper was amusing his sons Jaris and Shawn with a minor fire show. Nadia sat by watching from a bench her stomach swollen. Laguna was on the bench next to her, his hand resting on her belly. He would laugh joyfully when one of the children kicked at him.
While the mortal part of Ultimecia's memory thought it odd Nadia was always blessed with twins. The immortal part of her mind praised her cleverness. She had made it as such that her children would never be alone. They would always have another person to lean on should society ever shun them. Some of her children would be, but that could not be helped. It was part of growing up.
"Darling it's time for us to retreat for a rest." Hyne's voice echoed through the moment. Content with the sight of the Loire family before her, Ultimecia faded out her great work done. All that was left was for her to enjoy herself with her lover and tweak existences as she saw fit.
~fin