Well, it's Part 6. Yet more of the bullcrap that is known as my fanfic. Oh yeah! I just learned it was Fantasysquare's 3rd birthday! Whoo-hoo! I had to revise and change this part a ridiculous number of times, because so many new ideas popped into my head while I was typing. That's why it took so long for me to get this in. I've totally re-vamped the whole storyline. My original plan was for it to be a single long epic story, but then a ton of crazy ideas came to me and I've decided to extend the tale over a long series of individual fanfictions. Booya. Anyway, I have some huge expectations for the fanfiction, and I'm weaving the plots of both FF7 and FF8 together so that both have major connections to one another. If that doesn't make any sense to you, then it probably will over the next couple of parts of "Ressurection." And to let you know, "Ressurection" is only the first in the series of fanfics I'm writing concerning FF7 and FF8. This part doesn't have very much fighting in it. Its more like a long dialougue sequence where a lot of stuff is explained. (I know. Ugh.) I had to convey a lot of information in this part, and if it seems confusing or something doesn't make sense, that's an oops on my part. In this part, you'll learn exactly how and why Seifer joined the Estharian military. And don't forget that Zell and Squall were involved in that plot with Rinoa's ring! That's finally explained here Also note that these marks < > instead of quotations indicate that the words are not actually spoken but come from some other source, like an electronic speaker or a hand signal. . Part 6: Jenova's minions launced two seperate attacks in the last part, one on Kura in Dollet and another on Rinoa aboard the Ragnorok. Fortunately, Seifer, along with Fujin, Rajin, Syric, and a strange long-haired man with a gun(Vincent, duh) protected Kura, who was officially revealed to be a Sorceress. (Bum Bum BUUUMMMMMMMM!!!!!) Meanwhile, Zell and Squall fought off the other swarm of monsters attacking Rinoa. Unfortunately, Zell accidently destroyed one of the Ragnorok's engines in the process. Oops. Fortunately, Cloud and his friends, following the Ragnorok in the Highwind, saved the day. In addition, Irvine and Selphie snuck aboard the Highwind and caused some trouble, and Nida (who seems to have a crush on Yuffie) was still showing Yuffie around Garden. Oh yeah, and it turns out Syric isn't exactly human, either.... Chapter 19: Aftermath The Dragoon, President Laguna Loire's personal Ragnorok-class airship, cruised effortlessly through the night sky towards the location where the original Ragnorok had gone down, forty-five minutes ago. When the airship had launched it had been accompanied by four other escort craft, but two were diverted to Dollet halfway into the flight after Laguna had recieved a report from Seifer Almasy in Dollet, concerning a recent battle that he had fought to protect a SeeD/Sorceress named Kura Orician, who was assaulted by a horde of beasts serving the evil entity known as Jenova. Laguna had sent an immediate reply, ordering him to protect Kura while he called up reinforcements from Galbadia. Laguna had no doubts that Caraway would help them. The President of Galbadia was now an official ally of Esthar, and Laguna had informed him of the threat presented by Jenova immediately after he'd called upon SeeD's help. Considering the nature of the threat, and the implications of Jenova attacking Sorceresses, Laguna knew Caraway would act. Especially since, according to the transmission that had been sent by Squall Leonhart from that strange airship known as the Highwind, one of those Sorceresses was Caraway's own daughter. At the moment, Laguna's ship and its two escorts were approaching the very same Highwind that had made that daring last-second rescue. Laguna was holding an important conversation over the radio with Quistis, Squall's second in command for this mission. Squall was apparently busy at the moment. The other SeeDs, Irvine, Selphie, and Zell, were also talking, as was Cloud, the leader of the group aboard the Highwind, and the ship's captain, Cid. Apparently, these people on the Highwind knew something about Jenova. Quistis said over the comm. -that drew an indignant snort from Cid- Zell pointed out. "So first thing we have to do is move Kura and Rinoa to somewhere safe and secure," Laguna said. "Somehere remote, where Jenova can't reach them." Cloud replied. "Good point." Laguna said. "You seem to know quite a bit about Jenova. What is she?" Cloud didn't answer for a few moments. he finally answered grimly. "Your world?" Laguna asked. Cloud responded. Cid said. "Fair enough," Laguna replied. "So, like I said, we need to move both Rinoa and Kura somewhere safe and remote. Any ideas?" Irvine said. "Well, that's a good idea," Laguna said. "I'll relay that to the ships going to Dollet to pick up Seifer and Kura. I've also contacted Caraway. He'll probably arrange some backup from the Galbadian Army, and it'll be in Dollet by the time the Stormhawk and Wyvern arrive." He was reffering to the other two Ragnoroks that had diverted to Dollet. Even as he'd spoken, the Dragoon's comms officer was already relaying the information to those airships. Cid asked, Irvine answered him. Cid asked incredilously. Irvine replied. Quistis said loudly, interrupting their conversation, "Well, we'll need to do something about Jenova," Laguna said. "And to do that, we'll have to know exactly what Jenova is and how to destroy her." Cloud said. At that moment, one of the Dragoon's pilots announced that they had arrived at the Highwind's location. Laguna looked up out the front viewport to see te huge white airship emblazoned with Cid's "bikini goddess," as he called her. The Dragoon's two escort Ragnoroks fanned out in a protective formation as the President's personal airship moved up alongside the Highwind. Cid said admiringly over the comm. Selphie shouted indignantly. Cid replied. Laguna shook his head as he turned the comm off. It was going to be a long trip, and he figured that, since Cid was still somewhat pissed at how Irvine and Selphie broke into his ship, there was going to be a lot more arguing. A few minutes later, the four airships were flying west towards Balamb Garden. Laguna got up from his seat in the cockpit and rode the elevator down to the passenger room. "Zis zhall be very interezting!" Doctor Odine said as Laguna walked in. The odd scientist was looking out the window at the Highwind as it flew along. "Look at how ze ship fliez! Ze technology iz far lez advanzed, but it iz az fazt and manuvuerable az any Ragnorok! Ze creator muzt be a geniuz at airzhip dezign!" The other passenger, Laguna's adopted daughter Ellone, paid no attention to the rambling scientist. When Ellone had learned of the crash of Squall's Ragnorok, she had become overwhemingly worried about Squall, and had pleaded to be allowed to come with them. When Laguna had told her it was too dangereous, Ellone had given him that sad-puppy look, the one that his soft heart could never refuse. So she had joined them. Odine, on the other hand, simply muscled his way on board, saying that he wanted to have a look at the strange airship for "rezearch," as he put it. Laguna plopped down into the seat next to Ellone. "How are Squall and the others?" she asked him. "They're fine." Laguna replied. "A bit shaken, but alright." "And what about them?" she asked, gesturing to the viewport where Odine was staring out at the Highwind. "I'm not sure. I think that they have a connection to that city of coral and reefs that we were investigating before Jenova escaped." "Yes..." Ellone replied, her voice somewhat distant. "What is it?" Laguna asked. "You feel something?" Ellone's strange powers had been expanding lately, and now she had some strange kind of intuition in addition to her ability to send people's minds back in time. Ellone nodded. "There's someone on that ship," she said. Her brow furrowed as she concentrated. "Someone that I get a strange sense from." "Like what?" Laguna asked. "It's like I know them from somewhere," Ellone said after a moment. "They're familiar..." "Interezting..." Odine muttered quietly, evesdropping on the conversation. He reached into his pocket and fished out a small notebook. "Zo zere iz a connection...." Barret Wallace turned to look down at the Galbadian officer who had just hit him over the head with a beer bottle. "Foo', ya shouldn'ta done that." Barret growled. The uniformed officer (Didn't they ever take that armor off?) put up his fists. Dozens of other soldiers began cheering and rooting for the gutsy officer. His name was General Biggs. He was tough. He was high-ranking. He was drunk. He wanted to take on the big man who'd strolled into his pub. And he was now airborne. Biggs left a large dent in the wall across the room, then fell down and decided that he was finished for the evening. Barret smiled at his handiwork. "Any of you other foo's wanna take me on?" he asked to the whole room while pounding his chest. Silence. "Thought so." Barret returned to his seat, but even before he could resume drinking his beer, the PHS in his pocket beeped. "Yeah, what?" he growled upon yanking the PHS out. Vincent, on the other end, said. "Like when don't we?" Barret responded. Vincent said. Barret straightened up slightly at the news. Vincent continued by explaining about the brief but ugly battle that had been fought to protect Kura from Jenova's minions. As Vincent finished, Barret gave a small but grim smile. "So you want me to help ya protect this SeeD girl?" Barret asked as Vincent finished. "Alright. I'm movin' out." Barret turned off the PHS and plopped some gil on the counter. "'Bout time..." Barret whispered, glancing at his disguised Gun-arm. "Been a while since me an' my buddy here had some fun. Get ready for a serious ass-whuppin', Jenova...." Barret chuckled. He then walked outside to his rented Galbadian car and sped off towards Dollet. Rinoa stood at the railing on the Highwind's outside deck, watching the sea flash past below. About a hundred meters away see could see one of their escort Ragnoroks flying alongside the Highwind. She sighed. Rinoa was a Sorceress, and the mighty Estharian airship was yet another reminder of how important that fact was. They hadn't needed Zell's report on what the monsters had said to him to realize that they had been after her. And it was because she was a Sorceress. And again, her status as a Sorceress had made Rinoa a target, a pawn in another evil entity's plans. That memory made Rinoa wince. She still recalled vividly the time that Ultimecia had used her as a pawn in her plans. Tears began forming behind her eyes as she recalled how she'd been manipulated by that evil creature from the future. Then Rinoa felt an arm slide around her waist, and she knew Squall was next to her. "Are you okay?" he whispered softly. Rinoa sniffed and nodded. "Yeah...its just...I'm scared...." "Hey," Squall said firmly. "I'm here with you. You don't have to be afraid as long as you're near me. I'm not letting anything happen to you." "I'm not afraid for me, not as long as you're there," Rinoa said quietly, looking up into his sky-blue eyes. "It's just that, if something were to happen to you, or Zell, or Quistis, or Irvine and Selphie, or any of our other friends because I'm a Sorceress...I, I don't think I could take it, if they were hurt because of me-" "Nothing will happen, Rinoa," Squall declared, and there was a determination in his voice, like when he had promised her that they would survive when they had been lost in space, or when he had made that rousing speech during their battle with Galbadia Garden. "I won't let anything harm you or our friends, not as long as I'm still breathing." Rinoa saw the intense fire in his eyes, and she knew he was deadly serious. One look in his eyes, and Rinoa saw the passion, the commitment, the willingness to lay aside his own life without hesitation to protect his friends and her. "Squall..." she whispered, smiling. A tear rolled down her cheek. The fires in his eyes vanished. "Rinoa...don't cry...." he pleaded, his voice and eyes now filled with concern. Rinoa simply smiled and shook her head, then she kissed him. They held the kiss for a long time, and Squall felt better than a Timber drunk on a four day bender of Mimmet whiskey. As they broke the kiss, a sudden idea occurred to Squall. Rinoa noted that slightly cocky grin he wore. "What is it?" she asked as Squall let her go and began fumbling in one of his pockets. "Remember when Zell borrowed my ring from you?" "Yeah...hey! You knew about that?" Squall shrugged. "Of course. I arranged it." he said sheepishly as he pulled out a small brown pouch. he emptied it to reveal a small, slender silver ring. Emblazoned on the ring was the image of Griever's head, but it was framed by a pair of angel wings, exactly like those on Rinoa's clothes.(Author's note: I don't know exactly what the blue thing Rinoa wears is called. If you know what it is, then send me an e-mail telling me what it is.) "I had Zell make this for you. You said you'd wanted one like it, so..." Squall held up Rinoa's hand and slipped the ring on her finger. Rinoa's eyes widened as she saw the ring's counterpart on Squall's own finger, exactly like the one he'd just slipped on hers. Squall recognized the suprised the look on her face, and his grin broadened even further as he held up his hand. "Squall..." Rinoa whispered breathlessly, looking up into his eyes again. "Rinoa...will you marry me?" Squall asked. Tears of joy streamed down her cheeks as Rinoa pulled Squall into a tight hug. The words were stuck in her throat, held back only by her surprise at Squall's sudden and unexpected proposal. "Yes..." she finally whispered. Desperate for changing Starving for truth Closer to where I started Chasing after you I'm falling even more in love with you Letting go of all I've held onto I'm standing here until you make me move I'm hanging by a moment here with you Forgetting all I'm lacking Completely incomplete I'll take you're invitation You take all of me I'm falling even more in love with you Letting go of all I've held onto I'm standing here until you make me move I'm hanging by a moment here with you I'm living for the only thing I know I'm running and not quite sure where to go I don't know what I'm diving into I'm hanging by a moment here with you There is nothing else to lose There is nothing else to fight There is nothing in the world that could change my mind There is nothing else There is nothing else There is nothing else Desperate for changing Starving for truth Closer to where I started Chasing after you I'm falling even more in love with you Letting go of all I've held onto I'm standing here until you make me move I'm hanging by a moment here with you I'm living for the only thing I know I'm running and not quite sure where to go I don't know what I'm diving into I'm hanging by a moment here with you Hanging by a moment Hanging by a moment Hanging by a moment Hanging by a moment here with you "Hanging By a Moment" by Lifehouse (This is one of my favorite songs, and I really think it fits Squall and Rinoa's relationship!) Cloud amd Tifa, standing in the doorway to the outside deck, were watching the proposal. Their hands clasped and they pulled each other close as Rinoa accepted Squall's ring. "Reminds you of younger days, doesn't it?" Tifa asked, her head resting on Cloud's shoulder. "Yeah..." Cloud responded, thinking back to what they had experienced at that age. Cloud still felt the pain, the loss, that neither he nor Tifa had been ready for, when Nibelhiem was destroyed by Sephiroth in his Jenova-induced frenzy. They had both lost family and friends that day, but even worse, they had lost their innocence, their childhood. It had been burned away as surely as their village had been. Now, looking at Squall and Rinoa, they were reminded of the joys of being young. Younger days? Cloud wondered. But he and Tifa were still in their early twenties. "We've grown up so fast," Tifa whispered, seeming to read his thoughts. "Yeah..." Cloud agreed. "How far we've come...and how far we, and they, still have to go," he mused thoughtfully. They stood there for a moment, watching Squall and Rinoa, still embracing. "Let's leave them alone," Tifa finally whispered. Cloud agreed, and they slipped silently away and let the two young lovers be together privately. (Author's note: All together now!: Awwwwwwww.............) Chapter 20: Oh Crap, Here We Go Again.... Seifer Almasy leaned back against the bulkhead, his arms crossed, his gaze upon the unremarkable gray decking of the Ragnorok Wyvern. He was in the belly of the ship, in one of the storage hangars, away from everyone else. At the moment he needed to be alone, to sort out the myriad array of thoughts bouncing about in his head. First and foremost was the girl Kura. Kura Orician, a small, beautiful girl who was a SeeD and also secretly a Sorceress. A girl whom Seifer had fought to protect, and whom Seifer was secretly (and quite embarrassedly) in love with. Well, actually it wasn't really a secret. A casual glance at Seifer when he'd been near Kura would reveal that whenever she spoke to him he would instantly transform from a smooth-talking ladies man into a bumbling chicken-wuss. Shortly before they had fought that desperate battle against Jenova's monsters, Seifer and Kura had actually managed to hold and intelligent conversation after he'd gotten over his own nervousness. Things had been going well until those monsters busted in and ruined the evening. And in the ensuing battle Seifer had learned that Kura was a Sorceress. What a bombshell. That revelation made things between them a lot more complicated--as if that seven-foot tall mass of muscle, destruction, armor, and overprotectiveness known as Syric Foren, Kura's knight, didn't make things complicated enough. That made Seifer pause. He'd noticed how huge and powerful that man was. Syric had created what could be called abstract art from a number of monsters he'd hurled into walls and other large, immobile objects. And that armor, cape, and helmet...what were the deal with those? A fashion statement? Or was he hiding something? Seifer thought back to Syric's sheer physical strength and size. Perhaps Syric was a biological experiment, a modified human, escaped from a lab in Galbadia or Esthar. Or maybe he was a strange, humanoid monster? An unknown Shumi evolution, perhaps? Then again, he could just be a man who was just really, really big and wore funky clothes. That would make him a lot like the unusual pair of strangers who had tagged along for the ride when the pair of Ragnoroks had landed to pick them up along with President Caraway and the three squads of Galbadian Paratroopers who were to be their escorts. The huge, dark-skinned man with a cybernetic gun grafted onto his arm named Barret, and the small, lean man with the long hair and disturbing eyes named Vincent. Those two had simply shown up, but Seifer recognized Vincent as the blue-suited man who'd helped them during the battle, but then had promptly vanished immediately afterward. Vincent had switched his blue suit for a red cape, black jumpsuit, and gold-colored gauntlet, and the outfit had helped accentuate the inhuman aspect of his red eyes. Seifer didn't know who these two were, but the fact that Vincent had aided them in the battle had caused Seifer to trust them. But Seifer also noted that Vincent had repeatedly eyed him. Seifer had no clue why Vincent was so interested in him, but he was starting to suspect it was about that little black orb he had tucked away in his pocket. A little black orb that scared the piss out of him. He could sense the evilness of that orb, the sheer destructive potential, and he was frightened--a rare emotion for Seifer Almasy. Seifer grimaced slightly in pain. The orb was located in his coat pocket, right next to a place where one of the monsters had cut him in the side with its claws. Ever since the battle, that wounded area had been hurting, and the pain only grew, even after the wound was healed. He didn't understand the growing pain, but that wasn't as nearly as distressing as something else that accompainied the pain. In the back of his mind, growing louder as the pain increased, were whispering voices. Voices that Seifer thought he imagined, voices that he tried to ignore. But with every passing minute, they grew louder and harder to push away. Harder to deny. And harder to disobey. Kura leaned forward in her chair, and cradled her chin in her hands. A few feet to her right, near the right bulkhead of the Wyvern's passenger room, Syric stirred. Her friend, the giant warrior with the dragon helmet, armor, and guantlets, stepped beside her. "What's wrong?" he asked. In most situations, the question would have been absurd. Barely two hours ago Kura had been attacked by mysterious monsters serving an evil being known as Jenova. Her identity as a Sorceress had been revealed, and now a strange pair of men, a giant, cybernetic man named Barret and a small, frail, yet somehow disturbing man named Vincent, had appeared and tagged along. And to top it all off, Galbadian President Caraway and a trio of heavily armed squads of Paratroopers had joined them. Kura was a SeeD, though, and SeeDs were trained to keep calm under pressure. While all these other things were still on her mind, something else had Kura worried. Seifer was acting very strange. He had walked off immediately after the Ragnoroks had launched, and was avoiding everyone, even his buddies Fujin and Rajin. Those two were also in the passenger room, as was Caraway, who was gazing contemplatively out the front viewport. "Seifer," Kura replied to Syric. Fujin and Rajin, talking quietly to the side, looked in their direction. "He's worrying you too?" Rajin asked as he and Fujin walked over to Kura. Kura nodded in reply. "Ah, don't worry about Seifer. Nothing's buggin' him, ya know." "What are you talking about?" Kura said. "He just walked off without saying a word to anyone. That doesn't seem normal for him." Fujin and Rajin gave each other a significant glance. "TELL?" Fujin asked. "Why not, ya know?" "What is it?" Kura asked them. "Seifer ever tell you how he got in Esthar Special Ops?" Rajin asked. "No." "It started with the Lunatic Pandora." Caraway said suddenly, turning away from the forward window. "One year ago." "You know about it?" Rajin asked. "Of course. You can't hide the whole Time Compression story from the President of the nation that was directly aiding the Sorceress responsible." Kura's eyes widened at Caraway's words. "So the Time Compression rumors are true?" she asked in shock. According to the official story about the war with Galbadia and the Sorceress ruling it, the one that President Laguna and Garden had released, the Sorceress Ultimecia, who they admitted was from the future, had sent her mind back in time to possess Sorceresses in the past. They said that no one knew exactly what Ultimecia had wanted in the past, though in reality Laguna, Garden, and Caraway had known all about Time Compression. Everything that Ultimecia had done in the past, the story continued, had led up to her use of the Lunatic Pandora to initiate the Lunar Cry and free Adel, but her whatever her plan was involving Adel fell through when SeeD slew her. The official version also stated that SeeDs from Ultimecia's time finally succeeded in killing her, thus ending the threat to this time period. It was all a bit overwhelming to most people, but that was better than the alternative, that time had actually been compressed and that everything had depended on six teenagers to save all of time and existence. No one, with the exception of Laguna, Odine, Kiros, Ward, Caraway, Squall and his friends, and Seifer, Fujin, Rajin, and high-ranking SeeDs, such as Xu and Nida, had even been aware that Time Compression had occured, since no one except Squall and his friends had felt the effects. For the last year, however, rumors had been spreading concerning the possibility of Time Compression. Kura had mostly ignored them as fantasy, however. Apparently, they weren't. "Yes, they are true. No harm in telling now, I suppose." Caraway said with a chuckle. "After the battle with Adel, Time Compression occured. Squall, Rinoa, and the others moved forward in time and defeated Ultimecia. Time reverted back to normal, except Squall and Rinoa were no longer on the Pandora. They were instead at the orphanage where he, Seifer, and the other SeeDs had been raised. Everyone else was on the Pandora. Seifer had recovered his free will, and he truly realized what he'd been doing." "Actually," Fujin broke in, using her rare normal tone. "Seifer had been manipulated. Not even Ultimecia could fully control his stubborn spirit. But she could play on his desires to be a Sorceress's knight and to have the ability to prove himself better than Squall. When she was killed, Seifer was truly free of her will. He decided to make up for what he'd done." Kura blinked in surprise at Fujin's words. That didn't seem to fit the Seifer Almasy Kura had seen and heard of. "Trust me," Rajin said with a chuckle, recognizing her confusion. "Seifer is a lot more complex than you'd think, ya know." "Seifer had a troubled childhood," Fujin continued. "But he doesn't want us to talk about it to anyone." "Yeah, his past is just between the three of us, ya know." Rajin added. "So, uhh, where were we? Oh yeah, the Pandora. Seifer's still in charge, ya know, so he orders all the Galbadians to abandon the Pandora. Laguna asks why, and he says he's gonna ensure the Pandora doesn't get used again, ya know. We then figure that Seifer is about to self-destruct the Pandora. Laguna says that he is going to do the job instead, that he's the one who should destroy the Pandora because it was what he should have done 17 years ago. They get into an argument, and neither of them is gonna leave, ya know? So Zell and Selphie knock Laguna out and drag him off." Everyone burst out laughing at that. "Seifer orders us to leave, since he doesn't want anyone else to die, ya know. Then had this look in his eye, like he was at peace with himself, ya know? He says he's going do do what he can to make amends for all the suffering he's caused." "And then we realized that he was prepared to die." Fujin said, a smile appearing on her normally cold face. "We wanted to stay with him, but we knew that by staying there and dying with him, we would dishonor his sacrifice, since he wanted no one else to be harmed. And thus we left." "Seifer was going back to the command deck," Caraway said. "but when he arrived he found that he wasn't alone." Caraway chuckled. "Biggs and Wedge were already there. Biggs was rather disgruntled about his constant demotions, so as Seifer walks in, Biggs yells, 'Stupid punk! I'm gonna blow this piece of junk straight to hell! That'll teach you to treat me like dirt!' He then activated the self-destruct. Wedge said, 'Sir, I think you should set the timer for more than ten seconds.' Biggs says,'It's not ten seconds, it's ten minutes!' He hits the button, and then the computer voice says, Everyone freezes for a moment. Biggs manages to say, 'Oops,' then the Pandora-" "BOOM!" Rajin roared, leaping up in the air to accentuate his shout. "Then...how did Seifer survive?" Kura asked. "Doctor Odine may be a heartless bastard," Caraway said, "but when he designed the Pandora he included a very advanced shielding system for the bridge. And the explosives in the self-destruct system were arrayed so that the bridge would take the least amount of damage. "After the whole thing exploded and Tear's Point became a crater, Laguna, Seifer, Headmaster Cid, and myself had a long talk. We decided that, since he was manipulated by Ultimecia and in light of his noble attept to sacrifice himself to destroy the Pandora, Seifer would be granted a full pardon for all the wrongs he had committed if he joined Esthar's Special Operations Corps and helped destroy the monsters that were attacking Esthar." "We joined him, since we're his posse, ya know," Rajin added. "After we took out all the critters, Seifer learned that Garden was not willing to take him back. The students still remembered all the trouble he caused, and bringing him back might cause some problems, ya know?" "Seifer chose to stay in Esthar as a soldier," Fujin finished. "That's his story." Rajin stretched, yawned, and plopped down into a seat. "That fight made me tired...*yawn* I think I'll take nap, ya know..." Rajin's eyes closed and he slipped off into sleep. Kura sat back and digested the whole tale. Her respect for the swashbuckling Sorceress's knight had grown upon hearing about his noble actions, and now she had an idea of what was troubling Seifer. Her presence as a Sorceress might have brought back the memories of how he had done so many wrongs, and Seifer might still be dealing with the guilt of his actions. But still, something wasn't right. Kura sighed and closed her eyes, and within moments she had joined Rajin in peaceful slumber. "They failed," the dark blue-skinned humanoid said, matter-of-factly. "It was no matter. They served their purpose," Jenova replied, resting upon the platform in the midst of the breeding chamber. "A test of the scum's defenses, and of my own corruption powers. It went quite well. The next group should have no difficulty in obtaining a Sorceress." Jenova cocked her grotesque, eyeless head (brought about by her latest form) and glared down at the humanoid below her. "As long as the warriors that were protecting the Sorceresses are dealt with," she added. "Of course, Mistress," the being responded, sweeping into a low bow, his long, blue-silver hair sweeping about. He understood the directive that had been given to him. "Leonhart and Almasy will be of no further concern." "Do not bother with Almasy." Jenova said. "He has already been dealt with." At her underling's quizzical look, she added, "He is infected." "Ah, I see. So, will he be joining us?" "Not yet. His will is strong and I will take some time to conquer him. In the meantime, you will have to deal with Leonhart. He is the strongest, his inner powers immense. He is a threat, especially if he can realize his potential and further unlock his innate ki power." "Yes, my Mistress." the being said. "How shall you want me to kill him?" "Whatever means you wish. Kill him before they learn too much. If they discover what we are ressurecting..." "I understand compeletely. Shall I capture the Sorceress he protects as well?" "Yes. In fact, you could even use her as bait, to draw Leonhart out and lay a trap." "An excellent idea, my Mistress," the creature said, bowing again. "But, despite my extensive innate powers, I believe I will need some aid. Leonhart is very strong..." Jenova laughed at him. "In two hours I will have bred enough bodies for you and your dark kin to inhabit to slay Leonhart with no difficulty. He may be strong, but is no match for thirty of you. Once the growth is complete and your spirits have entered the warriors, I will open a gate to the Sorceress's location. Leonhart will be there, without a doubt." "May I ask, my Mistress, but how do you know so much about these people? You have only been awake for seven hours." "Do not forget, I have infected Almasy. I can already read his memories, and through them I can learn much. A man is best measured by his enemies." "Indeed," the being replied, chuckling. "Very well, my Mistress. In two hours, I and the warriors you will grant me will be ready. Shortly thereafter, Leonhart will be dead and his Sorceress will be ours," the humanoid vowed. With another bow, he spun around and left. Jenova grinned. (inwardly, since in this form she lacks a mouth or muscles to smile with) This creature was her latest concoction, one of the monsters that she had been creating, a combination of corrupted human DNA and the spirit of one of Jenova's own race. A very powerful beast, with innate magical abilities and warrior skills. Jenova turned away from the departing humanoid and directed her breeders to begin growing many more such creatures. Leonhart and his precious Sorceress would stand no chance. Nothing would stand in the way of the Ressurection, nor the delicious chaos that would ensue. Chapter 21: Questions, Answers, Then More Questions Five hours later, Squall, Rinoa, Irvine, Selphie, Zell, Quistis, Headmaster Cid, Edea, Laguna, Ellone, Odine, Seifer, Fujin, Rajin, Caraway, Nida, Xu, Kura, and Syric were in one of Balamb Garden's conference rooms, listening as Cloud, with the help of Bugenhagen, (yeah, I haven't mentioned him much. Sorry. He plays a big role later, though!) Tifa, Barret, Reeve, Red XIII, Cid Highwind,(Imagine the two Cids' surprise at meeting each other!) Yuffie, (Nida, along with everyone else, was shocked at learning that this goofy girl was one of Cloud's friends) and Vincent, told the story of their battle against Jenova and Sephiroth. Cloud's tale was overwhelming. The battle against Sephiroth, the war with Shinra, the destruction of Nibelhiem, Aeris's death, Jenova, Holy, Meteor, the Cetra, the Lifestream... "That's it," Cloud finished the story. "We're here to destroy Jenova before she can cause any more suffering." "Wow..." Laguna whispered, taking it all in. "We had no clue what we were dealing with. It's like Ultimecia all over again." "Yeah, well," Zell broke in, hopping up from his seat and punching the air, "We kicked Ultimecia's ass and saved the world before. We can do it again!" "You don't understand," Cloud said, shaking his head. Zell paused for a moment, then sat back down. "We couldn't kill Jenova, even after destroying her body four seperate times. I don't know how she survived. And she also has the ability to corrupt lifeforms, just like she did with the Cetra." "Aren't you one of those corrupted beings?" Squall asked. "No." Cloud replied. "Any natural creature that is infected with Jenova cells suffers a different fate." Cloud clenched his fist tightly and held it up in front of his face. "They become more powerful than normal. An infected creature gains unnatural abilities, as if they had recieved a small fraction of Jenova's true powers. I know. I'm infected, and my inherent abilities are far superior to any human's. But with the enhanced abilities comes a great cost. One must have a powerful will, or Jenova, or even a creature that has great Jenova-based powers, like Sephiroth, can dominate the infected individual. I have a free will because I have learned to control my abilities and Jenova powers." "Hmm..." Laguna mused. "Mr. Strife, our sensor readings concerning Jenova indicated she had Sorceress powers, which basically mean that she can produce magic without needing some outside force to provide it, such as SeeD's GFs or your Materia. Doctor Odine here"- Laguna gestured to the oddly attired scientist-"is the world's greatest expert on Sorceress power. Would you mind if he ran some tests on you to see if we can learn anything else about Jenova?" Cloud shrugged. "Sure, I guess." "Oh, zat vill be very good." Odine said, rubbing his hands together eagerly in anticipation of his 'rezearch.' "Wiz ze information zat I vill get from Mr. Ztrife here, I have no doubtz zat ve vill be able to learn much more about Jenova." Squall noticed something odd about Odine. He seemed to be a lot more anxious to get on with his research than normal. Apparently, others had noticed it as well. Quistis's hand flicked quickly and furtively in SeeD silent hand code, and Squall read the message from her gestures: Squall replied with his hand. Quistis concurred. "Also," Laguna continued, oblivious to their silent conversation, "We need to know everything you can give us concerning Jenova. Strengths, weaknesses, abilities, what kind of magic she can use, you get the idea. We have to figure out a way to destroy this monster." "Well obviously simple brute force is ineffective," Headmaster Cid remarked. "Everytime she is destroyed, Jenova simply regenerates, next time even stronger." "Hmm..." Edea said thoughtfully. "What is it?" Laguna asked. "When a Sorceress dies, she passed her powers on to one who can use those powers. And as Cloud here has stated, Jenova has the power to regnerate herself. Perhaps what Jenova does upon dying is to seperate a small part of herself and passes her powers onto that part, which regenerates into an even stronger version." "That would explain why she keeps coming back," Cloud said. "No." Seifer stated bluntly. Everyone turned to regard him, surprised at his statement. "Its the other way around," he continued, his voice emotionless and seemingly distracted. "Jenova seperates a part of her body and passes the Sorceress powers on to it, which then regenerates into a fully developed clone of Jenova. The clone is just an extension of Jenova herself. When that part dies, the Sorceress powers return to the main body." Everyone considered that. Finally, Bugenhagen spoke. "That would explain quite a bit." the old man said. "Sephiroth most likely had the main body of Jenova with him during his travels." "Her head!" Cloud gasped suddenly. Everyone regarded him with surprise. "That's it! That's why Sephiroth cut off Jenova's head back in the Nibelhiem Reactor! That was where Jenova's power was centered. I was always wondering why he did that." "Yeah, that does explain a lot," Barret said. He cocked a curious eye at Seifer. "Ya had a pretty clever idea. Where'd ya come up with it?" Seifer shrugged. "Just came to me, I guess." he muttered quietly. "Well, that's not quite as important as how we prevent Jenova from regenerating," Xu put in. "We still don't know how to stop that, and until we do, we won't be able to defeat her." "Vell, zat iz vat you have Odine for!" the doctor growled indignantly. "That's right." Laguna said. "if anyone can figure out how to defeat Jenova, it's Odine. But until then, we have to keep Rinoa and Kura safe." "Well, there's no place safer than Balamb Garden," Xu replied. "We've got over two hundred SeeDs, and nearly five hundred combat-capable students. That's not including Squall and his team. We can withstand any assault." "Even so," Headmaster Cid stated, "I'm going to contact the Headmasters of the other three Gardens. We need all the help we can." "The Galbadian military is ready to fight alongside you as well," Caraway declared, grimly determined. "Same here." Laguna said. "Esthar's army is prepared to do it's part." "Good. Anything else?" Cid asked. "No. Then I suppose this meeting's adjourned." With that, the assembled group rose, with the exception, both Cloud and Squall noted, of Seifer. As Squall and Rinoa stood, Caraway threaded his way through the group towards them. "Uh-oh..." Rinoa whispered as her father drew near. "How do you think he's going to react to the news?" She was reffering, of course, to their secret engagement. Squall shrugged. "It's his problem, not ours," he replied as Caraway drew near. "Rinoa," Caraway said, his voice filled with an equal mix of concern and relief as he pulled his daughter into a hug. "I'm so glad that you're alright." "I'm okay," Rinoa whispered back, accepting the hug. When was the last time she and her father had hugged? It seemed so long ago. "Squall was with me." "Of course," Caraway said, releasing his daughter and turning to face Squall. "How could I thank you enough for what you've done for Rinoa?" Squall shrugged again. "It's nothing," he said. Caraway chuckled. "I know there's more to it than you're hinting at. If you don't mind," Caraway continued, "I wanted to have a good long talk with Rinoa. We haven't had many oppurtunities to talk recently..." Squall shrugged yet again. "Sure," he said simply. Squall cast a glance over at Seifer, who had yet to stand from his seat. "I've got to take care of something else. Um, Rinoa, I guess I'll see you later, okay?" Squall gave her a hug and a quick kiss, then headed over to where Seifer was sitting. "I'm glad you've found someone like him," Caraway said to Rinoa as Squall left. Rinoa sighed. "Dad," she replied, using a word she hadn't said in a long time, "We have to talk..." Squall walked over to Seifer, who was still sitting in his chair, staring blankly at the table. "Hey, Seifer, what's up?" Squall asked him. Seifer's head shot up. "Uh, nothing, why?" Seifer blurted out quickly. Too quickly. Squall shrugged in reply. "You've been acting weird. Is something wrong?" Seifer laughed. "Pfeh. Nothing's wrong." Seifer rose. "You should mind your own business, Squall." With that quick and rather rude comment, Seifer pushed past Squall and walked off. Squall glanced around to see if anyone else had been paying attention to their exchange, and saw Fujin and Rajin watching him. "You see that?" the SeeD asked them. Both of Seifer's buddies nodded. "He's been acting weird, ya know?" Rajin said. "We've been trying to hide it from everyone, but Seifer, he's got us-" "WORRIED." Fujin finished. "You guys have any idea what's bothering him?" Squall asked. Both shook their heads. Neither of them knew. "Do me a favor and keep an eye on him, would you?" "Sure," Rajin said. Fujin nodded. "AFFIRMATIVE." she growled, and then the pair walked away, shadowing Seifer. At that point, Xu and Quistis walked past. "Quistis," Squall began, "You noticed how oddly Odine was acting during our discussion, didn't you?" Squall nodded. "You think he's up to something." Quistis replied, the words a statement instead of a question. "Yeah," Squall said. "I think we should investigate." "It's probably nothing," Quistis said with a shrug. Then she reconsidered. This was Odine they were talking about. "Then again, when has Odine's work been anything safe and harmless?" "We can quickly put together a small team to spy on Odine," Xu said. "Do you think we should?" "Yeah," Squall said after a moment of consideration. The two women nodded their agreement. "Understood, Commander," Xu and Quistis said simultaniously, along with a salute. Squall sighed. "Quit calling me that," he ordered. Both Quistis and Xu smirked. Squall hated his title. He caught their smiles, and managed a grin himself. They were poking fun at his expense, but he really didn't mind. After the two women had left, Squall exited the conference room and began walking towards his quarters. It was just after midnight, and not very many students were out at the moment, and Squall was tired. Outside Balamb Garden, a shimmering, black, circular portal simply winked into existence. Streaming forth from it came dozens of blue-black skinned, cloaked figures, which immediately made their way towards Balamb Garden, and their targets within. As he was entering the dormitory complex, Squall unexpectedly found Laguna waiting for him in the hallway. Laguna grinned slightly, but, Squall noticed, it was a bit shakey. He was nervous about something. "You, umm, ahh, you remember how you wanted to know what had happened to Raine, right?" Laguna began. Squall thought back. He remembered having asked Laguna about that before they had attacked the Lunatic Pandora, and how Laguna said he couldn't explain just yet. Squall nodded. "Well, it was a few weeks after I had been named President of Esthar. Ellone had returned to Winhill, and I recieved a message from Raine and Ellone, saying that Raine had learned she was pregnant during my search for Ellone, and that the baby would be due in a few weeks. You could understand my happiness at that. I sent a reply, then a few days later I left for Winhill on one of the Ragnoroks." Laguna's face clouded over. "It turned out Galbadia was still suspicious of Estharian craft. As we were passing through Galbadian airspace, we were attacked by Galbadian anti-air defenses and managed to get ourselves shot down. We survived the crash and escaped the Galbadian ground forces, but Raine had learned of the incident. She knew I was coming on a Ragnorok, and everyone in Winhill thought I was dead, since the Galbadians said that they found no survivors. Sort of true, I guess. "Raine was distrought by my apparent death, and her sadness only added to the disease that she caught shortly after our son was born. A plague swept through Winhill, and they decided to move the children out of the village. The children were moved to several orphanages, far, far away, but I didn't know that until three weeks later, when I arrived in Winhill after Raine died..." Laguna sighed. "Over the next few years I used Esthar's intelligence network to help track down where the children had been moved to. When I finally found where Ellone and my son had gone, I traveled there. I met with Edea Kramer, who ran the place. She knew of Ellone's powers, and also knew that she wouldn't be able to protect her alone. Ellone had been sent to the newly founded Garden, where she could be protected. My son had also been sent there a few years later..." Laguna paused. "I decided to leave him alone. My son had never known his father. He was told his father had died long ago." Those words stirred something in Squall's memory. Wasn't that what Matron had said about his father? "I kept an eye on him through Ellone. He became a SeeD, a powerful one, and a hero. I...I'm so proud of him..." Laguna smiled and looked away, tears forming in his eyes and the next words becoming caught in his throat. Laguna's words jogged Squall's memory. Was he....? "What was you're son's name?" Squall asked, somehow already knowing of the answer. "Raine's family had always had a tendency to use the weather or elemental forces in their names," Laguna said, regaining his voice. "And Edea had given him Raine's last name, since the name reflected his spirit." Laguna closed his eyes and sighed. He had to force the next word out. "Leonhart." Squall's eyes widened in shock, and he felt his legs weakening at the sudden revelation. Laguna, his father? Then his strength returned with a surge of anger. "You never told me! Why!?" Squall yelled, grabbing Laguna by the front of his shirt. "I didn't know how to tell it to you," Laguna replied calmly, obviously having expected this reaction. "I figured you'd have an explosive outburst. I was right." At that, Squall calmed slightly, and released his father. He took a step back and looked away for several long heartbeats. "I, I'm...I'm sorry," Squall said quietly, and the tension passed. "Hey, that's alright. Like I said, I'd expected that kind of reaction." Things were quiet for a few awkward moments. Squall finally broke the silence. "I guess we should-" However, his words were cut off as he felt something from the direction of the Quad. Squall spun around and looked in the Quad's direction. "You feel it too?" Laguna said, pulling his submachinegun out from under his jacket. "Yeah," Squall replied, drawing Lionheart. "Feel like investigating?" Laguna asked, a grin appearing on his face. Squall nodded grimly, and they ran in the Quad's direction. Cloud hated needles. In fact, he hated doctors and medical clinics in general. So he was uncomfortable in Balamb Garden's infirmary, where Doctors Kadawaki and Odine were performing various tests on him, which unfortunately meant that they had to draw a lot of blood. And that meant LOTS of needles. "The next development in medicine had better go beyond the use of needles," Cloud growled, rubbing his arm where he had been pincushioned by Kadowaki. "Aw, come on. You're just a big baby," Tifa, sitting next to him, said. "Well, you're not the one getting impaled here," Cloud growled. "Oh relax, Mister Strife." Kadowaki said. "That was the last sample we need to take. You kept whining so much, and the process took longer than it should have." Cloud said, standing up and rubbing his punctured arm again. "Can we get out of here?" he asked the doctor. She nodded, and Cloud and Tifa stood to leave the two scientists to their work. After they had gone, there was a sudden exclaimation by Doc Odine from the lab. "Ooooh! Zis iz unexpected!" "What?" Kadowaki asked as she hurried into the lab. "Ze Jenova cells zat ve extracted from Cloud." Odine replied, staring intently at a monitor showing a cluster of weird-looking cells. "Look at zes." Odine tapped a few keys, and the monitor changed to show a series of multi-colored, linking rings. "What's that?" Kadowaki asked as she looked over the data. "I've never seen anything like this before in any creature," Kadowaki stated thoughtfully. "What is it?" "All creaturez have DNA inzide zer nucleuz, az you already know. Ze DNA iz uzed to tranzfer traitz from ze parent to ze offzpring, az you know az well." "This is Jenova's DNA?" Kadowaki asked in amazement. "Zort of," the doctor continued. "DNA iz a double-helix, like a twizted ladder. Zes, whatever it iz, iz Jenova'z equivilent of our DNA." "That's impossible." Kadawoki said incredulously. "All creatures have double-helix DNA. It's a universal trait." "Jenova oviouzly doezn't," Odine pointed out. "So what does this mean?" Kadowaki asked. The pair traded a signifigant glance. That was a question that none of them could answer, but they all had a feeling that was very important. Meanwhile, Cloud and Tifa were walking away from the Infirmary. Tifa yawned and stretched. "I'm tired," she commented. "Are you?" Cloud nodded. "Yeah. We should find a room to sleep in. They said something about guest rooms in the Dorms, didn't they?" "Yeah," Tifa replied. "but *yawn* who are we going to find to show us where they are at this time of night?" "I'm not sure, but-" Both Cloud and Tifa's weariness dissapeared as they felt the disturbance rippling outward from the Quad. Balamb Garden's cafeteria was normally off-limits after curfew, but no one was going to bar the President of Galbadia and his daughter from entering, especially when that daughter was Rinoa Heartilly, Balamb Garden's resident Sorceress. "So, you said we needed to talk about something?" Caraway asked as he sat down at the table in the middle of the dimly lit cafeteria. Rinoa, sitting beside him, nodded. "Um, yeah..." "If its about your being a Sorceress-" Caraway began, thinking he knew what they were discussing. "No, Dad, its not that," Rinoa cut him off. They'd already had several long talks about how she was a Sorceress. Edea, her father, Squall, and all her other friends had helped Rinoa through thecomplications of being a Sorceress. "Then what is it?" Caraway asked, honestly confused. Rinoa paused for a moment. "Its about Squall," Rinoa said finally. "You know I have nothing against him," Caraway replied with a smile. "He's a brave, dedicated young man. You should see the fire in his eyes, it reminds me of when I was his age." Caraway stopped for a moment, reading his daughter's expression. "I'm glad you two found each other," he continued, seeing that Rinoa was wanting approval. "You two it each other perfectly. I have nothing against you loving him, and he has my blessings." Rinoa waited a moment, digesting the words, then she spoke. "That's just it, Dad. Squall and I are...engaged." Caraway's eyes popped open in surprise, then his smile broadened. "Really?" he asked. "Yeah..." Caraway reached over and pulled Rinoa into a tight hug. "You...you don't know how happy that makes me, Rinoa," he whispered into her ear. "I think I do, Dad," Rinoa replied. "I think I do." The peaceful, joyous silence was suddenly broken as Rinoa's head jerked up. "What is it?" her father asked. "The Quad..." Rinoa whispered. Something's happening there." Throughout the Garden, everyone felt the strange sensation rippling out from the Quad. However, only a few people realized the danger. Barret, Red XIII, Cid, Yuffie, Reeve, and Vincent had felt something similar before, when Cloud had fought Sephiroth's mental domination. Irvine, Selphie, Zell, Quistis, Xu, and Nida also knew something was amiss, and they joined Cloud's friends in hurrying in the direction of the Quad, with the exception of Xu, who began activating Garden's emergency invasion protocols. A battle was waging within Garden. Chapter 22: A Battle of Wills As with the cafeteria, no students were allowed in the Quad after curfew. But the guard in front of the quad (the guards were no longer those goofy faculty guys, but instead SeeDs) didn't block Seifer's passage, especially since Seifer bore a scowl that could curdle fresh milk. Neither did he block Fujin and Rajin, who followed behind Seifer a few moments later, nor Kura and Syric, who were also following Seifer. The two pairs silently shadowed him, observing him concerndly, flitting soundlessly among the shadows and trees, which was surprising considering that neither Rajin nor Syric would seem to be very good at stealth. Seifer walked along for a while, wandering around the silent Quad, waging a mental war within his own mind, a batttle to maintain control over his free will. He could feel it within his head. A powerful, alien will, that had been growing stronger with every passing minute. This outside force was the source of the whispering voices in the back of his mind that he'd felt after the battle in Dollet, and ever since the meeting with Cloud and his comrades, it had been pushing deeper, trying to gain control, trying to dominate him. Seifer could feel it trying to manipulate his perceptions, his emotions, his desires, and his memories. Somehow, he knew that this force was Jenova. Seifer reminded himself of what Cloud had said. Sephiroth and Jenova both had dominating wills, which they'd used to manipulate Cloud, to play with his mind, his body, his soul. Cloud had spoken of how they had used his hazy memories to convince him he was a clone of Sephiroth, and then he'd given Sephiroth Meteor....the very same Meteor that Seifer was carrying. how could he have known the destructive potential of that orb? Yet another burden on Seifer. Jenova sensed it. Almasy was thinking about Meteor? She pushed deeper, fighting through Almasy's stubborn will, to the knowledge he had concerning that little black orb that she so needed. Jenova rocked backward in shock. Almasy actually held Meteor? What luck! Jenova immediately telepathically contacted her lesser minions. Then she turned her attention back to Almasy. Suddenly Jenova's alien willpower redoubled its efforts, having sensed Seifer's thoughts concerning Meteor. Seifer responded in kind, pushing back with all the mental strength he could muster. A guttural roar escaped between his tightly clenched teeth, his veins stood out, and he dropped to his knees under the mental strain. He clenched his white-knuckled fists, and continued the mental war. "SEIFER!" Fujin whispered in fear, as she saw Seifer drop to his knees, clenching his fists. "We gotta help him, ya know!" Rajin agreed. Then they saw something else. A humanoid figure with blue-black skin, silvery-blue hair, a black cloak, and reddish-black eyes strode up to Seifer, and bent down in front of him. Suddenly she and Rajin were knocked backwards, and everything went black. Seifer looked up at the figure. Everything had become green and wavy and insubstantial. "Laguna?" He asked, seeing the goofy Estharian President. "Seifer, we're in danger," 'Laguna' began. "Meteor is no longer safe, my friend. I need to take it back, to safeguard it." He held out his hand. "Right," Seifer repied, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out Meteor. "Here ya go." he dropped into 'Laguna's' hand. "Thanks, Seifer," he said reassuringly, then stood and walked away. 'Laguna' seemed to vanish, as did the green, wavy veil that had fallen over everything. Then his eyes closed as Seifer felt Jenova redouble her mental assault. The dark humanoid strolled away from the struggling knight, casually tossing Meteor in the air. All too easy, he thought. Exactly how Cloud's friends had given up Meteor before. Now to find the Sorceress and slay Leonhart. Chapter 23: The Depths of Evil Kura and Syric, who had been far enough away from Seifer, were not affected by the spell that Jenova's minion had used to trick Seifer and knock out Fujin and Rajin, so they came upon Seifer in the midst of his struggle only moments after he'd given up Meteor. "Seifer!" Kura cried out, dropping to her knees in front of Seifer. He looked up into her eyes, and suddenly a peace washed over him as a huge hand, Syric's, clasped his shoulder. Jenova's mental intrusions ended. "Kura," he whispered. Then blackness took him as his exhausted mind closed down and he fell into unconciousness. Behind him, Syric stood tall and straight. He had drawn Jenova's invading will away. Now he had taken up the mental struggle. Almasy faded from conciousness, but Jenova felt a different mental force take its place. A powerful force, not human, and much, much stronger than Almasy's. She felt it push back, invading her own mind. Jenova found herself struggling to hold this new, powerful being back, from exposing her plans. Whatever this creature was, it was...familiar. It took her some time to realize who it was, but then she remembered. Greiver. Syric pushed deeper, breaking through Jenova's mental barriers. His willpower was immense, beyond anything a human held. They struggled for many more moments. Finally, Syric broke through. He gasped for breath, feeling the immense evil as he gazed onto the depths of Jenova's soul, into the depths of a creature borne of evil, chaos, and destruction. He saw Jenova's past, what evils she had spread, and, worse, the evil she would bring forth. No, not bring forth, ressurect. He was overwhelmed at the ultimate evil of this being, and Syric was forced to break the mental grip. He dropped to his knees. Rinoa and Caraway hurried past the Quad's guard. The poor fellow didn't even bother trying to stop them. Rinoa and her father hurried through the park, heading for the spot where she had felt the mental struggle. She knew something was occuring, something important, but she didn't know. They hurried on blindly. A rustle from the trees above was their only warning. Around them dropped nine humanoid figures, weilding long, slender swords and katanas. They were instantly surrounded. "What the-?" Caraway managed to say before he found someone grabbing him from behind, and then a saber was pressing against his throat. "Surrender, Sorceress," One of the blue-skinned, silvery-blue haired men hissed. Rinoa glanced around and saw no options. She looked to her father. "Rinoa, RUN!" Caraway pleaded. "Get away from here!" "Shut up, old fool!" the leader hissed. "There is nowhere to run, Sorceress. Give in." Rinoa glanced over to her father again. No, she wouldn't let them kill him. She had no alternatives. She didn't yet have the skill to enact a spell quickly enough to save her father. There were no other options. "All right," Rinoa said. "I...surrender." "No, Rinoa!" Caraway cried. "Forget about me! Run!" "Dad...I, I can't. I'm sorry..." The leader sneered and gestured to one of the other humanoids, who moved behind Rinoa and bound her hands behind her back with a strange, magical cord. Then he slipped a collar around her neck. Instantly, Rinoa felt her Sorceress powers simply vanish. A variant of the Odine Bangle, apparently. "Very well then," the leader said, and gestured to the one holding Caraway. He promptly released his prisoner and stepped back. Caraway cast a plaintive look in Rinoa's direction, and she knew he was not going to let her be kidnapped by these beasts. Rinoa knew her father carried a small but deadly revolver in his sleeve. He would probably use it, if only give her enough time to escape at the expense of his own life. Caraway was indeed preparing to draw his hidden weapon, but he never even got to begin for it. A saber balde suddenly jutted out from his chest. He looked down in shock as his uniform quickly darkened as blood poured out. The evil humaoid pulled his blade back out, and Caraway toppled to the ground, the grass around him turning red. "NOOOO!!!!" Rinoa screamed. The leader turned back to her and grinned evily. "When did we say we wouldn't kill him if you surrendered?" Rinoa screamed again in pain and grief, and, despite the power of the collar around her neck, she felt the Sorceress powers rising up again. She loosed yet another scream of denial, this one filled with rage and vengance. A pair of golden angel wings began to take shape on her back. The leader of the evil humanoids quickly backhanded Rinoa across the face. The angel wings faded and Rinoa blacked out from the amazing force behind that single, brutal blow. "Stupid girl," the leader sneered. Squall heard the screams of pain and anger. "RINOA!!!!" he yelled. A nimbus light of energy surrounded him as he felt the rage rise. He heard the pain, the loss, the anger, the despair in those screams, and hurried off in their direction, Laguna right behind him. Syric felt the Sorceress power build up from Rinoa's anger and pain, and more importantly, he heard the screams. He drew his lance and rose, pulling his helmet off. Crimson hair cascaded down the sides of his head. "Kura, stay with Seifer," he commanded, and then sprang away at full speed, faster than any human. Normally he wouldn't remove his helmet or move this fast when near any humans other than Kura, but he couldn't afford to keep himself hidden. Secrecy be damned, he had to help Rinoa and stop Jenova. The group of humanoids were long gone, flitting among the trees like wraiths, when Squall came upon Caraway. Squall found it hard to breathe as he rolled Caraway over. To his amazement, Caraway was alive, despite the mortal wound he'd recieved. Caraway's head rose. "Sq...Squ...Squa...ll...Help....Ri...n..oa..." Caraway pleaded. Squall glanced upon the chest wound. "He can't be saved," Laguna said, echoing Squall's thoughts. "She...t...tol...d me....." Caraway continued. "What?" "You...tw...o...are enga...ged....Please....pro...tect...my...daugth...er...Squa...ll ...I'm...sorry. I....couldn't....save..." Caraway's head started to fall back to the ground, but Squall caught it. His eyes met Caraway's, and Rinoa's father saw the fire in Squall's eyes. "I swear," Squall whispered, and he felt as if he and Caraway were alone. "I will...I swear I will protect Rinoa." "Than...k....you...Sq..." The life vanished from Caraway's eyes, but he bore a smile on his face. Squall reverently laid his head down on the grass, and closed Caraway's eyes with his hand. Then he rose and, fires raging in his eyes, hurried off in pursuit with Laguna. End of Part 6 Wow....that took a long time. That was perhaps the hardest part yet, but I really enjoyed doing the ending. Booya! Part 7 won't take as long as Part 6 did, mainly because it's mostly combat. A lot of stuff is finally explained in Part 7, such as what Syric really is (try to guess!) what Jenova's ressurecting, and the relationship between FF7 and FF8. If I confused you with anything, or you have a comment, or just want to make fun of my name, then send me an E-mail at Peptuck3@aol.com.