“Haste”
- Part 3 -

Laguna breathed hard. It was difficult to catch his breath as he climbed 
higher.
Furthermore, as he was climbing up, the chocobos' rampage decayed, and the 
serenity
of the place was only disturbed by the roaring flames that was surrounding 
him.

"One more level," he said to himself as he climbed up slowly up the debris. 
"This is
hell..., I hope my phoenix down's don't get fried before I get to them."

He hinged himself up to Lv 5.

Smoke was everywhere. He could barely see anything in the debris. Should 
anything
fall on him, he'll be gone before he even knows it.

"Damn that vermin, Shinra," he breathed, "and that Kaloos too."

He remembered that he had 4 minutes left and started for a dash to Cell 512. 
The level
was going to collapse anytime.

"Paaahhh!"

Laguna hit over the remains of Arche, one of his cell mates over the past 6 
months he
had been thrown to prison, and landed face first on his left side. He tried 
picking himself
to his feet, but his vision was impaired due to the heat and bloody flowing 
from his face.
He could smell blood from his face.

Using his right arm, he swiped the patch of blood from his face and threw it 
to the floor.
Bending down, he helped closed Arche's eyes.

"Rest well my -- "

The earth shook and Lv 5 gave him from it's pillars and dropped downwards. 
Laguna
immediately was thrown onto the ground and sent tumbling across the level, 
before he
got back first into the east wall. The movement stopped as Lv 5 was now left 
hanging on
Lv 4, and if the entire level gave way, everyone, including Raine would be 
dead.

"Damn...," Laguna coughed as he was trying to get up.

He limped his way to cell 512, and he had already spent 3 minutes here.

"Finally," said Laguna as he was walking into his old cell.

A familiar small pack was waiting for him. "Thank God I saved my rations."

He found a few phoenix downs, potions, as well as his transmute gem which he 
kept
secretly to transmute some of his food rations to medical items. He open one 
of his
potions and drank it, as if fulfilling the thirst of a man. Magically, a 
sense of strength
surrounded him as he felt energy renewing into his body.

He started walking, and then slowly breaking into a run out of the cell and 
down towards
Raine.

"Raine, are you alright? Can you hear me?" Laguna shook Raine.

No response. Laguna took out a small velvet box and opened it. A small 
sizzling sound
could be hear as a baby phoenix was released, discharging intense light rays 
and
lifestream, with the smell of cherry blossoms.

Raine opened her eyes and started to breathe a little more normally.

"This smell... flowers?" Raine asked as Laguna was carrying her down in her 
arms.
"Yeah, cherry blossoms with ordinary phoenix, and they synchronise to 
revives with a
transmuting gem. That's how you awoke."

She smiled as Laguna carried her out. He was increasing his pace as he 
walked down.
Carrying Raine on his left shoulder, he used to right hand and custom ray 
which fired
tranquilliser rounds to feud off any attackers.

"There he is!" 3 soldiers shouted from Lv 3, firing a few shots from there.
"Go to hell."

Laguna switched his custom ray to burst fire mode, and the gun automatically 
loaded
explosion napalm rounds. He fired two shots; one towards the soldiers aisle, 
and the
other to the top of the tower.

1 minute later, Laguna was out of the tower and it gave way, with the weight 
of the
upper levels of the tower crashing into itself. The tower was no more.

Laguna ran towards Kaloos with Raine is his arms.

"I didn't know chocobo's will be that abusive --" Kaloos started to speak.

Laguna didn't say a word. He carried Raine up the Carrier, Kaloos' personal 
jet cruiser.

"Hang in there, Raine." Laguna held Raine close to him.
"I think I have lost too much blood, and I don't think.... that I ... can 
make ... it. " Raine
tried to reply, "I'm sorry I can't get out... off this place... to..gether."
"No, you're going to be alright, dear."
"I wish I... am, but..., take care of... our child...,"

Raine closed her eyes and water leaked from her womb. She never opened them 
again.

A month later, Laguna was seen carrying Squall to Balamb Garden, looking for 
Cid.

"I'm going to hunt down Shinra." were his last words.

- Fin -