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Squall was no fool, he had expected a bit of unexpected.
Laguna's plan had been far, far from infallible and even though he hated it, any mission had its share of improvisation. Whether it be in the heat of an assassination attempt or in the pilot cabin of a Garden under attack, SeeD were specifically trained to react with sangfroid, devise strategies on the fly and adapt quickly to any situation going off the rails.
Squall couldn't seem to remember any of this right now though, he might as well have been a new cadet on his first day of school. He felt like his heart was genuinely stuck in his throat, for all the trouble he had to simply breathe.
If he'd had time to wonder why, he'd probably have tried to blame it solely on his status as a knight, but the truth had been much simpler than that; whenever Rinoa was concerned, all logic and rationality flew out the window.
He should have known. He should have expected that things would get this catastrophically bad, this fast. In all his ruminating and planning over possible scenarios prior to this fateful encounter, never in a million years could he have anticipated witnessing Rinoa actually be junctionned to sorceress Adel.
The mere possibility of the concept repulsed him, made the hairs on his arms and neck stand up, filled him with a rage tenfold from what he had felt in the presence of Edea's strange remaining powers. The way Rinoa's arms and legs were fused to Adel's torso in a grotesque mockery of standard biology made him sick to his stomach. He had wanted to go after and kill Seifer on the spot, yet one look at Rinoa's dull, unfocused eyes as her head hung loosely against her chest and he knew he couldn't handle him himself. He had to prioritize, and right now, Rinoa was what truly mattered.
''Zell, Quistis!'' He barked, and didn't even have to explain further. The both of them nodded and with a last worried look toward Rinoa's inert form, went running after Seifer, who had fled into one of the many tunnels of the crystal pillar.
Squall was furious, dangerously so, at Seifer, at Adel, but most of all at himself. He should have known. The Seifer he once knew was truly gone. One glance at him; his demeanor, the unhinged glint in his eyes, his torn and stained clothes, the way his gunblade trembled at Rinoa's throat as he held her hostage... there would be no bargaining with him. He also knew it would've been too risky for any of them to try anything, as visibly unstable as he was.
So he had watched, utterly helpless, Seifer push Rinoa toward Adel's grasp as she slowly emerged from her tomb. And he had heard her scream, both in his ears and through their bond as it snapped and panic flooded him.
And so here he was, fighting a ruthless and complicated battle against essentially multiple sorceresses. He realized quickly how Adel drained Rinoa's vitality to the brink of consciousness; just enough to take full advantage of her power while making sure she couldn't fight back herself. Selphie and Irvine caught on when seeing Squall cast cure spells on Rinoa, and soon the three of them were alternating dealing blows to Adel while keeping Rinoa conscious.
At one point both Zell and Quistis were by their side again, and Squall could guess that Seifer was either dead or had escaped. He hoped for the former, but somehow expected the latter.
When finally Adel collapsed, her body gradually turning to dust before fading to nothing, Squall leapt forward and barely managed to catch Rinoa before she hit the ground. She was standing on her own, but her legs were decidedly wobbly and she still wasn't responsive, her eyes staring off somewhere far in front of her. Squall held her shoulders, shaking them gently, trying to elicit any response from her. When he tried to reach her through their bond his heart lurched painfully in his chest; there was still nothing there.
''Squall, get back!!'' Ellone snapped.
Shocked by her sudden appearance and blunt tone of voice, Squall reflexively took a step back, eyes wide and forearms up.
''Elle, now's your chance!'' Laguna shouted, but Ellone was already concentrating, her eyes closed and brow furrowed, enveloped in a greenish shimmering aura.
''No! You can't do that now! She's hurt, she won't-!''
Squall started to protest, but then Ellone abruptly fixed her gaze on Rinoa, and the young sorceress' body started hovering a foot off the ground. She was gradually surrounded by coiling tendrils of magical energy, in a flashing succession of blue, purple and red colors.
As soon as the last tendrils of red aura dissipated from Rinoa's body, she crumpled to the floor heavily. The whole event lasted no more than 10 seconds. With a gasp Squall was instantly kneeling at her side, his hands stuck in a halfway motion to touch her, barely containing himself but unsure if it was now safe.
''Ellone, she's unconscious! Is this normal!?'' He couldn't conceal the panic from his voice.
''I'll get her back now.'' Ellone replied confidently, joining her hands together in concentration again. Only a soft blue light cloaked Rinoa's lifeless form for a moment, and everybody held their breath. Only when Rinoa's hand twitched and she suddenly gasped for air did the tension seem to abate somewhat, the group collectively sighing in relief. Except for Squall. He was waiting to confirm if anyone else had been brought back along with Rinoa. Cradling her upper body and head in his arms, he studied her face anxiously as she opened her eyes, blinking and unfocused. Only when he was certain her irises were her normal, warm brown color did he finally breathe.
Squall helped her up slowly, offering his arm for support and placing the other around her back to steady her, her legs still weak and her whole body shaking. It took a few utterances of her name before she finally saw him and she gripped his arm tighter, the haze of her ordeal dissipating at last.
''I was... inside Adel... A younger Adel... With- with her, with Ultimecia...'' She whispered hoarsely, licking her lips nervously as if testing that they were her own. ''Hyne, the power... It was overwhelming. I almost couldn't- I was-'' She had stopped shaking but now choked on her own breaths, unable to steady them at a normal pace, her face becoming very pale.
''Hey, hey, look at me.'' Squall cut her off, and when she turned to meet his eyes, he rubbed her upper arms vigorously, both trying to warm her up and snap her out of it. ''Rinoa, you did it. You succeeded.''
He reached out to her through their bond and it connected easily, the familiar warmth of her presence in his mind an unimaginable relief.
I'm so proud of you.
He offered her a small reassuring smile. They were far from out of the woods yet, but seeing the realization of her accomplishment in her eyes strengthened him anew.
''Ultimecia's inside Adel, exactly as she wanted.'' Laguna explained, not wanting to intrude on a tender moment but feeling pressed for time. ''Okay, this is the showdown folks! Time compression is about to begin. Remember; love, friendship, and courage! Show 'em wh aaaaaaaat yooooou g
o t-''
Squall was baffled by Laguna's strange speech pattern, that was, until he turned toward him and noticed how he and Ellone's bodies seemed to have frozen in place and were... drooping?
Frowning in confusion, he blinked and they both just... weren't there anymore.
Then everything went to shit.
The ground, walls and ceiling started waving and lurching in front of his eyes, yet not physically. It was as if everything had suddenly turned liquid around them. The effect was absolutely nauseating and Irvine promptly fell backwards. Quistis crouched, planting both hands on the floor to keep from stumbling forward, while both Selphie and Zell covered their heads with their arms, certain that the structure was collapsing. Rinoa seemed strangely unaffected, and it was her turn to anchor Squall to her as he teetered unsteadily.
The effect intensified until the entirety of the Lunatic Pandora was twisting and warping violently, bubbles of matter detaching themselves from one another until everyone simply had nothing left to stand on and plummeted down through an endless expanse of blue sky.
When the initial shock of free falling had passed, Squall noticed several thousand bubbles floating and falling around them. Something was swirling inside each of them, but the images were so skewed it was difficult to recognize anything. He tried focusing on one right in front of him, falling at the same speed as he did.
Instantly he felt his whole body jerk toward it forcefully, a cold wave sweeping through it as he broke eye contact right before he could discern something familiar in the strange orb. A marble floor. Shuffling feet. A ballroom?
''Don't pay attention to any of those things! You'll lose your way and get separated!'' He shouted over the rush of wind in his ears.
He had no idea how he knew for sure, but he was confident they were all memories. Like pockets of specific times in the past that would suck you in and leave you stranded somewhere on a different timeline. He had to trust his gut, logic seemed to no longer apply here.
''Alright but where are we supposed to go!?'' Zell shouted back.
Before anyone could answer, an immense amalgamation of bubbles formed rapidly underneath them, blocking their path downward. Everyone held their breath, powerless to divert their course or do anything else to avoid crashing into the swirling mass.
''Brace for impact!!'' Irvine screamed, his arms in front of his face in a futile attempt to lessen the blow.
Water. One after the other, the group dived into crystalline, salty water. Great schools of fish were disrupted and fled every which way with their sudden appearance. The water was so clear Squall could easily distinguish the massive rocks and corals around them, although he couldn't see the bottom. He didn't even pretend to understand where they were and what was going on anymore. One useful thing he did notice though, was that he could breathe. Gravity still seemed to apply even here, and although their descent was slowed significantly by the water, they continued to steadily fall toward the bottom.
''To Edea's house!'' Squall could finally reply, his voice not hindered whatsoever by the millions of gallons of water on top of him. The orphanage was familiar, and seemed like the most obvious choice. Everyone had deep history with it. Well, almost everyone.
I'll... probably disappear...
Squall turned his whole body to face Rinoa, not without great difficulty, as normal swimming motions proved utterly ineffective.
Just stay by my side, I won't let you disappear.
He grabbed her hand and held it tight, his gaze steady on hers.
Remember our promise.
They were approaching... something. A clean break in the water, undulating and shining silver underneath them. Squall realized a bit too late that what he was looking at was the surface of the ocean. Everyone was launched out of the water and into a blazing sunset sky, upside down, where they were met with thousands upon thousands of flying, screeching seagulls. Rinoa's hand was not in his anymore and a cold wave of panic washed over him. He tried to turn his body and search for her, but the sound was so deafening he had trouble concentrating. He tried to cover his ears but it was useless, as if the cries were coming from inside his own head.
He lost sight of everything when the seagulls swirled close to him and formed a veritable column surrounding his falling form. For a moment Squall wasn't sure if he was still falling or merely suspended in midair, the birds having covered every possible point of reference with their multitude of wings. After a moment their highly erratic flying and incredible numbers seemed to all blend together in a terrible cacophony of screams and wing beats, melting and swirling like a giant kaleidoscope. Squall fought the urge to be sick, and when he closed his eyes he discovered with horror that he still saw as if his eyes were open. There was no escaping the sounds nor the sights.
Yet despite it all, faintly amidst the unbearable din, Squall perceived a strange sentence, repeated infinitely, devoid of any meaning to him and nonsensical;
The messenger sleeping in the garden! The messenger sleeping in the garden!
The indistinct mass of ever-changing birds shrieked and screeched and called, drowning out Squall's own desperate scream as his vision gradually turned white.
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(A white... feather?...)
There was a hand on his cheek, slapping him gently. Squall groaned as he came to, a splitting headache radiating from the nape of his neck.
''You okay man?'' A baritone voice asked, and it took a second for Squall's eyes to adjust and his brain to follow.
''Irvine?'' He batted the hand away and sat up, still a bit disoriented.
''There you go.'' The gunman rose from Squall's side, dusting his pants and readjusting his coat.
Squall took in his surroundings quickly. They were in a narrow corridor framed by sheer white curtains, giving the place an ethereal glow from the massive stained glass light fixture on the low ceiling. Selphie was sitting nearby, leaning on a massive, intricate set of double wooden doors and massaging her temples. Both she and Irvine looked quite haggard, and he could only guess he must not have looked any better. Squall directed his gaze to the other end of the hallway, where an identical set of doors lay closed. Although small, the whole room had a luminous aura; like a white vaporous veil had been applied to his vision. He rubbed his eyes and blinked rapidly but it proved useless, and he half-seriously wondered if he wasn't slowly going blind.
''Ugh, yeah, it's not just you, don't worry.'' Selphie muttered. ''This is really weird. And annoying.'' She jumped when Squall suddenly scrambled upright, looking around the corridor frantically.
''Where are the others? Where's Rinoa?'' He couldn't quite hide the panic creeping in his question.
''No clue, we both just woke up next to you here.'' Irvine gestured to the dark marbled floor.
''Hopefully they just landed a bit further away from us.'' Selphie chimed in.
(Hopefully just somewhere else and not... somewhen else. Damn it! This could be really bad.)
Selphie took Irvine's proffered hand and stood up, stretching her legs and testing her balance. Squall sized both of them up; they seemed rattled but not worse for wear. He really wanted to ask about what the hell had just happened with the ocean and the seagulls but the priority was to find the others right now. Cautiously, he tried reaching Rinoa through their link, and was met with the strangest feeling.
He could locate her presence, but it was ever-changing, rapidly going from one place to another like a broken compass struggling to point north. The effect was disorienting and, he realized, probably one of the reasons for his crippling headache. He attempted to reach her, speak to her, but got no answer.
(Of course. This is really bad. Fuck!)
He pursed his lips but said nothing. He had not really expected it to work; they were after all, not quite in any familiar terrain right now. He just hadn't expected... this. Everything felt so off and alien even though it was, for all intents and purposes, a completely normal hallway.
Squall extended an arm and tried the handle of one of the doors behind Selphie. Locked.
''Well, that settles it.'' Irvine said, and the three of them headed across the corridor.
Squall pushed on the handle and it gave easily.
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The three of them were standing on the other side. The door was closed behind them. Squall had no recollection of ever having actually passed through. He couldn't ponder the possible implications of this for long though, as in front of them, in an identical corridor as the one they'd just left, sat a familiar woman, her back to them. Unmoving. Squall's shoulder started aching dully, as if the power of the memory alone, here, was enough to reopen old wounds.
(Edea!? From the Deling parade? Where... when are we!?)
''Is that-?''
Selphie's question was cut short by shock when the figure stood up from the luxurious chair. Dozens of repeating silhouettes trailed and followed behind her every move, as if she was multiplying. When she turned to face them they could recognize their matron from the time she was possessed by Ultimecia, but then all of her delayed ghostly apparitions merged into her once again and jumbled her whole body until it was unrecognizable as anything human. In a flash, what had once been Edea was now two identical women, standing side by side and garbed in what resembled Estharian robes. They were both at least 8 feet tall, their skin a pale purple and their faces heavily painted.
Squall was already familiar with the odd feeling of rage, of wrongness, of being a knight in the presence of a sorceress other than his, but it still threatened to engulf him. The realization confused him greatly.
(What is going on!?)
The mysterious twins raised their arms slowly. Squall, Selphie and Irvine all readied their weapons.
''Sorceresses. Be careful!'' Squall cautioned through gritted teeth, taking his fighting stance.
''Ultimecia!?'' Irvine asked, swiftly loading his shotgun.
''No.''
''The hell??'' Selphie exclaimed, and, yes, Squall agreed. How was any of this in any way possible?
(We're still going through time compression then. Are they from the past? Or future?)
Any further attempt at understanding their predicament took a back seat as the witches started exuding magical energy from their outstretched arms in unison. The cramped hallway around them began to gradually sag and melt, similar to what they'd already experienced when time compression had begun in the Crystal Pillar, albeit less violently. The circular light fixture above them warped and drooped dangerously, like paint running on a canvas. The drapes flowed like waterfalls before completely vanishing in the molten texture of the stone floor, revealing that they were now all standing in the main square of Timber city. A very slanted, crooked, breathing Timber city.
Squall felt a noticeable weight pressuring his stomach and his arms felt decidedly heavier. His ears were ringing and a quick glance at his side revealed he wasn't the only one affected by this weird gravity and tilting scenery. He tried hard to focus on the sorceress -there was in fact only one, split in two- as she fought them silently and ignore his surroundings, but every time he swung his gunblade or avoided a spell thrown his way a wave of nausea flooded him.
Each time one of them managed to land a hit on the sorceress, she vanished and changed their location before reappearing and trying to catch them off guard, whether by a surprise attack or simply with the memories they associated with the place. They fought through the Fire Cavern, the winding walkways of Esthar, the frozen forests of Trabia, on the steps of Balamb Garden...
When they landed on the beach by the orphanage, he almost lost his concentration, narrowly avoiding a direct hit with from a firaga spell. No one but them were here. He suspected 'here' wasn't even the real place at all, but he still couldn't stop nervously casting glances around him for any sign of the others.
They were in a hall of the D-District prison when the sorceress reappeared before them with a notably changed appearance. Her robes were more extravagant and her stony expression was now transformed into a large mocking sneer. Nevertheless, Squall sensed that she was getting desperate; her attacks more vicious but less calculated. She warped them faster now, to Balamb Garden's training center, the streets of Deling, the bridge of Dollet, the Great Salt Lake... Squall's head was spinning, a warm liquid was dripping from his right ear, his arms and legs felt like lead, but he fought on.
The trio breathed a sigh of relief when a hit from Irvine's shotgun at near point-blank range had their enemy recoiling and screaming, the first sound they'd heard from the sorceress since the battle had begun. She vanished again, her scream echoing and rising in volume as it gradually turned into a maniacal laughter. The world wobbled and reeled even more intensely, shifting and melting until the group found themselves thrown onto a small rocky platform, suspended in a vast abyss of deep red stormy clouds. Gravity was even stronger here; the three of them lost their balance and fell to their knees, and something definitely messed with their inner ear because the vertigo was almost unbearable. Squall retched as he stood back up and had to close his eyes to refrain from stumbling again. Selphie and Irvine weren't in much better shape.
''Shit... What now?'' Irvine spat, wiping his mouth and getting uneasily back on his feet.
''I don't think I can take much more of this...'' Selphie groaned, using her nunchucks as support and trying to keep from continuously gagging.
The thing that finally emerged from a portal above them was a monstrous abomination halfway between a woman and some sort of slimy, bulbous snake. The demented laughter resonated in their ears again, and the air was gradually charged with energy, smelling strongly of ozone as the hairs on their arms all stood on end. They all knew what was about to happen.
''Incoming Ultima!'' Squall warned.
''On it!'' Selphie replied, quickly drawing on the power of Cerberus to imbue themselves with greater para-magical abilities. The action of calling upon a guardian force being quite taxing even under normal circumstances, she fell down on her knees, her face contorted in pain. Irvine immediately understood her plan and promptly set to cast Shell spells on the three of them.
It was almost not fast enough. Almost. And despite the protective spells the pain was still immense, the magic surging through their bodies like an electrical current, their muscles seizing and burning. When it finally subsided both Irvine and Squall also dropped down, unable to catch their breath and their energy utterly sapped. Selphie was barely conscious.
Something snapped inside Squall then, a rush of adrenaline and rage flooded his mind, steeled his resolve and set his muscles aflame with desperate vigor. In a flash he was launching himself at the sorceress, unleashing a flurry of attacks with a swiftness that was hard to follow but for the blue trails of light left by each slash of his gunblade. He only barely noticed the healing, cooling glow of a cure spell on his body cast by Irvine, but the effect was immediate. The witch's incessant laughter turned to a desperate scream, unable to retaliate or protect herself, and when Squall fired a whole clip in her abdomen, it was finally, truly over. Her body started writhing and rapidly melting beyond recognition, and Squall jumped back in disgust-
-and almost tripped on a stone step, at the entrance of Edea's orphanage.
(What the...!?)
A warm gentle breeze was blowing, the sun was high in a cloudless blue sky. Gravity seemed back to normal and nothing was distorted or melting; objects seemed solid again. The painful pressure in Squall's ears had finally lifted, and the ever-present crippling nausea had let up considerably. The very sudden change in scenery had, however, left him completely disoriented, and he just stood there for several moments, bruised and bloody, weapon in hand, panting and exhausted, his brain struggling to process what had just happened.
Irvine flopped down on the overgrown stone path, letting out a loud sigh. ''What in the hell and fuck was that!'' He cursed, clearly not expecting any answers that made sense.
Selphie was trying to catch her breath still, hands on her knees. ''We made it...'' She exclaimed with disbelief. ''I was starting to worry back there, not gonna lie.''
(Is this it? Are we really here now?)
Squall reached out to Rinoa once again, out of habit and not really expecting it to work, but was startled to discover he could finally pinpoint her location easily. She was beyond the orphanage, down on the beach.
Are you okay?
I am. Quistis and Zell are with me.
He was so relieved he could almost laugh, sensing her own increasing relief and joy himself and the warmth of her emotions felt like a balm on his heart. There was a coldness that left him, that he hadn't realized was there until their bond was just now restored.
''Hey?'' Selphie straightened up when Squall started walking purposefully past her, without a word, toward the derelict building.
''Rinoa's here. On the beach. With Quistis and Zell.'' Squall explained curtly, wiping the dry trail of blood running down from his ear to his jaw and neck. Selphie wasted no time following him.
Irvine got up, color finally returning to his face, and strode behind them. ''Wait wait so you just... know? That's a thing you two can do now? That's crazy.'' He exclaimed, taken aback.
''Knight stuff.'' Was Squall's brief answer. He'd explain later, right now the only thing that mattered was being reunited with Rinoa as soon as possible.
They made their way through the orphanage, finding no trace of anyone having recently been there. When they stepped out the back door that led to the stone steps to the beach though, they were presented with a vastly different landscape than what should have normally been there.
''Oh Hyne not this again...'' Selphie moaned in frustration.
It was now night, and the air was humid, stale and suffocating. Partially obscuring the full moon, way out above the ocean, an immense castle stood floating in the black void of the sky, strangely bereft of stars. Giant chains, with iron links bigger than any of them, anchored the fortress to the cliffs. The ocean was deathly quiet and motionless below them. In fact, not a single cry of bird or insect could be heard.
When the initial shock had passed and their vision had adjusted to the sudden darkness, Squall noticed with alarm that the path to the beach was littered with bodies in various states of decay. Kneeling next to a dead man that still had his clothes intact, Squall pushed him on his back, revealing the SeeD insignia embroidered on the right side of his uniform. The implications left Squall speechless.
''White SeeD here.'' Selphie announced, her voice quavering, crouching a bit further away near the corpse of a woman clad in white. Irvine had also come to the same revelation, picking up a brittle part of the chain that normally adorned the front of the SeeD uniform from a pile of sand-bleached bones.
''No way... they're all SeeDs...'' The sharpshooter couldn't hide the shocked disbelief from his voice.
''They're future SeeDs... We're fighting across generations...'' Squall mused aloud. He straightened up, staring intently at the looming palace. ''We're here. This is Ultimecia's reign. We have to end it now.''
''Yo, don't go playing the big hero without us now!''
It was Zell, walking up the stone steps from the beach with a smug smile on his face, and behind him was Quistis, then Rinoa. With delighted gasps and barks of laughter Irvine and Selphie immediately ran up to them, the group hugging each other and just being relieved that everyone was safe. Squall stood frozen, astonished that they were really there, that nothing catastrophic had happened to any of them... it had just seemed so damn improbable. The contrast between the death and destruction of where they were standing and the affection and happiness shared by his friends being all together unexpectedly pulled at his heartstrings.
(Unbelievable. We just might do it. Together.)
Rinoa extricated herself from the noisy tangle of the group and walked up to him, beaming.
''Hey.'' She said simply, cocking her head to the side, her hands behind her back. Squall knew she only pretended to act somewhat nonchalant; he experienced her boundless joy and love, could feel her powerful desire to embrace and kiss him right now.
''Hey back.'' He replied, at a complete loss for words. For once there was so much he wanted to say, to ask, that nothing coherent seemed to be able to come out of his mouth. His disbelief was palpable, yet he wanted to know where they had ended up, if they'd fought their way through sorceresses like they had, had been affected by the weird gravity and sudden location changes on their way here...
''Are you gonna hug me this time?'' She asked playfully, staring into his eyes intently and closing the remaining distance between them.
Squall shot a quick glance back at his friends, still busy reveling in each other's company. Public displays of affection definitely wasn't something he was used to or particularly liked, and for some unfathomable reason he was still nervous to his friends about his relationship with Rinoa, even though everyone was very aware and actively encouraged it. But... she was here, dishevelled, dirty and bruised yet absolutely radiant and perfect. For once, he wanted to willingly let himself be swept up in the moment, bask in the trust and camaraderie of his friends, the love and warmth of his sorceress.
Her question briefly brought him back aboard the Ragnarok, back when he had rescued her from certain death and she had spread her arms wide, asking for this very thing in a very similar way. Asking him to make her feel alive.
All his questions did not matter right now.
(I was a damn fool back then. No, I'm not going to make that mistake twice.)
''Yes, I will.'' He answered boldly, a soft half-smile on his lips as he embraced her, burying his face in her hair and breathing her in deeply. He felt her smile into his neck, her arms having found their way around his waist. And for a moment, there was nothing else but this. They could feel each other's emotions clearly again; pride, disbelief, love, relief and peace, bubbling like a pot over fire. It felt wonderful and warm, like home.
Squall suspected something was up when he noticed the silence around them. He was startled to realize the rest of the group were looking at them, smiling fondly. It looked like it took everything for Irvine and Zell not to give in to the need to tease them, as evidenced by their obvious attempts to stifle their laughter. Clearing his throat nervously, Squall gently untangled himself from Rinoa, who surprised him by her embarrassed laughter and the self-conscious blush tinting her cheeks. He had a fleeting thought that he was decidedly enamored with that rare bashful look on her.
''You guys are adorable together.'' Quistis said earnestly. Hers and Squall's eyes locked for a brief instant and she gave him a meaningful if not resigned smile. In that short moment it felt like she was handing him a sort of olive branch, willfully closing the chapter in her life that longed for him for good.
Squall cleared his throat once more, glad but still uncomfortable, and scratched the nape of his neck nervously. ''...I'm glad we all made it.'' He declared, maybe spoken a tad too fast, but sincerely nonetheless.
It was suddenly important for him to communicate this, here, at their possible demise. He felt what could be best described as gentle coaxing from Rinoa through their link, in an encouragement to share what was in his heart. Her action comforted him, but oddly, he didn't feel like sharing his state of mind was a particularly laborious chore right now. Not like it had once been.
''If I don't make it- I mean, if something should happen, to me or us or- or whatever-'' He paused, breathing deep to gather his thoughts. Maybe it still felt pretty laborious after all. And there was this deep, nagging sense of impending doom that he still harbored...
''I just- I want you all to know I wouldn't want to face Sorceress Ultimecia... with any other team.''
The silence that followed was solemn, the weight of his words bringing them all back to the grave task at hand. Squall had wanted to communicate his appreciation for his friends, but now was slightly worried that his delivery had been maybe too somber.
''Love you too Leonhart.'' Zell deadpanned, coming to his rescue to lighten the mood. Irvine guffawed and Selphie punched Zell's arm, snorting.
''Seriously though,'' Quistis interjected over the group's general mirth. ''I hope you know, and I think I speak for everyone here, that we all feel the same way about you.''
''Oh yes, definitely!'' Selphie chimed in.
''Hell yes!'' Zell exclaimed.
''Wouldn't be here otherwise.'' Irvine stated with a half-smile. ''Wherever 'here' is.''
Squall could only give a nod, a flush of embarrassment rising to his cheeks and inwardly wincing at his own awkwardness. But he was proud to have said it, was grateful that his friends knew. It was important for him now. And to have his friends reciprocate, trusting him, appreciating him despite everything, because of everything, well, it was a good feeling. A scary, novel, good feeling. He still could not believe he deserved any of it.
Rinoa's hand lightly caressed his back to prompt him to look down at her, and Squall tensed involuntarily, still not used to being touched in public. Withdrawing her hand, she smiled apologetically at him.
That was heartfelt, but rather... pessimistic?
I do have a reputation to uphold.
Are you seriously joking right now, of all times?
The corners of Squall's mouth curled slightly upward when he felt Rinoa's confusion and mild annoyance through their bond. She was not fooled though; he was deflecting. He was just using humor as his shield, surprisingly. Rinoa sensed that something was unnerving him deeply.
''So... this is definitely her castle, right?'' Zell wondered, squinting his eyes at the palace to try and spot some kind of movement or life.
''Yes.'' Rinoa and Squall agreed in unison, brought out of their little secret banter.
''Don't think I've ever seen something so creepy. You really think what's-her-face lives here?'' Irvine asked, testing the solidity of a massive chain link set in the cliff close to him with a cautious kick.
Rinoa clarified; ''There is a... frightening amount of magical energy emanating from the castle. She's there. I think she must also know we're here.''
''That's a comforting thought...'' Zell muttered dejectedly.
''Does it really matter, though?'' Rinoa questioned. ''We've come this far, if she already knows we're here, might as well kick down the front door and surprise her with an all-out offense. She's probably expecting us to try and trick her somehow instead.''
Squall's heart swelled at the sheer determination and resolve in her voice.
(It's... not a bad strategy. But Rinoa, you definitely sound like a SeeD right now.)
''Yes, Rinoa! Let's get this over with.'' Selphie proclaimed, all grit and determination.
''Commander?'' Quistis turned toward Squall with a questioning look; he was the one who would lead them, after all. Squall took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a second to organize his thoughts.
''I don't think any of us can pretend to know what's really going on. We've witnessed some truly fantastical things since time compression began, and I don't believe we'll ever understand it all. But we're still here, all of us. I think we still have some time to finish our job. Everything has been leading up to this. We can't hesitate, we can't falter. We'll go fully overt, so double-check your weapons and guardian forces...'' He paused, giving his friends the SeeD salute before adding: ''Let's blast that front door open.''
Everyone returned the salute proudly, even Rinoa did as best she could. She was in awe at the ease with which Squall now took the mantle of leader, so far removed from the aloof and taciturn man she had first met. She knew everyone here, including herself, would follow him into battle without a doubt.
Her current emotions must have been flowing through to him because as the group filed down the stone steps to reach one of the chains, a slight blush colored his cheeks. Bringing up the rear, he reached out, lightly brushing his hand against Rinoa's arm, and something bloomed in her heart at the subtle but loving gesture.
When she half-turned to give him a warm smile, he felt strangely compelled to burn that image clearly in his mind so he would never forget.
--------------------------------------
Unfortunately, their ascent in the decidedly gaudy fortress had been anything but straightforward. In fact, the place was so full of intricate puzzles, winding passageways and numerous secret rooms it was a wonder anyone could live here at all. It was strange to be this unfathomably far in the future, yet wander through such ancient architecture; down to the grimacing gargoyle statues and primitive suits of armor adorning every room. Knight armored suits; this detail was not lost on Squall.
What they didn't account for was for the place to be teeming with powerful, intelligent monstrous guardians, all serving under Ultimecia. Luckily, there weren't any more nauseous spatial distortions to hinder their combat, and while the battles were gruelling and often demanded clever approaches, the group was definitely in their element. In fact, they were so in sync with one another sometimes that verbal commands weren't even necessary. Squall wondered if this was what Laguna was talking about; was the friendship and loyalty they shared really affecting them physically, in this place where none of them should even exist? It seemed so outlandish and yes, corny, yet it wouldn't even be near the top of the list of weird things that had happened today.
One such very strange thing had been a particular puzzle in a spacious art gallery with a mezzanine floor. The largest canvas in the room depicted a turbulent sea under a dark stormy sky, with a few timid sun rays piercing through, illuminating a grey shore lined with white overgrown ruins. The remains of what had seemed like a lighthouse once stood in the distance, the faint outlines of seagulls that had claimed the place as their home skillfully painted. Instead of a normal plaque indicating the title of the piece like all the other paintings, this one contained three separate metal tubes on which various foreign words were inscribed.
''Seems like we've got to find the correct words to unlock the way forward...'' Squall observed, giving one of the tubes a spin.
''Maybe we can just try them all until we get it right?'' Zell chimed in. ''Getting a wee bit fed up of puzzles to be honest.''
''Let me see, let me see!'' Selphie inquired, Squall stepping aside to give her space. She bent closer to the tubes and gave one a few turns. ''There are... twelve words on that tube... twelve also on thi- Oh okay wait, the three tubes are identical, they all have the same words. Sooo... they can repeat, and I bet the order has to be important... that means there would be...'' She squinted, counting on her fingers absentmindedly. ''1728 possibilities!''
Everyone was looking at her, speechless with eyebrows raised in disbelief.
''What? Numbers come easy to me!''
''Brilliant plan, Zell. Let's set up camp while you work on that.'' Irvine teased, his sarcasm evident. Zell groaned and started walking around the gallery, clearly itching for some action and trying to spend his nervous energy.
''Is it just me or... that painting looks a lot like Edea's orphanage?'' Quistis asked with unease.
''Yeah. It really does.'' Squall agreed, as did everyone else. ''Considering that's where we essentially are, albeit in the distant future... I suppose it's not that strange.''
''But why?''
''Uuuh guys, have you noticed the giant freaking clock under your feet?'' Zell called out from the mezzanine above them. Everyone looked down and finally noticed the roman numerals set in the circular stones around them as well as the intricately carved clock hands.
''Following hours to minutes to seconds, this reads eight, four, six... Is this a clue? There are no numbers on the tubes...'' Rinoa thought aloud, confused.
''Hyne, you guys.'' Zell facepalmed, leaning on the guardrail. ''All the paintings in this place are numbered!''
''Wha- Really!?'' Irvine exclaimed, flabbergasted. ''I can't believe Zell solved it!''
''Alright, alright, let's find those words.'' Squall interjected before Zell could retort. This room was starting to give him the creeps and he did not feel like hearing Irvine and Zell bicker at all.
''Eight is 'Vividarium'!'' Zell announced, further away on the mezzanine.
''Got it! Four is 'Inter- vigi- lium'!'' Selphie shouted from the other side of the stairs.
''And six is 'Viator', there we go!'' Zell called out once more, hopping the guardrail and landing nimbly near the gathering team in front of the giant painting.
An uncomfortable sense of foreboding seized Squall, exactly as it did the night before, and he stopped himself from rolling the final word on the plaque. ''Does... does anyone know what that all means?''
''It's some rough and incorrect form of Latin but... 'Vividarium' is a green field, or a blooming garden. 'Intervigilium' is tricky. It's 'between sleep and wakefulness' but in the metaphorical sense, something to that effect. And 'Viator' is a traveler, a wayfarer of news... '' Quistis explained, her arms crossed and in deep thought. ''My Latin classes were a long time ago, but it's something like that.''
The knot in the pit of Squall's stomach grew. ''...The messenger sleeping in the garden?''
''Yes, it could be one way of interpreting it. Although if we were being pedantic it would be more like 'In the garden sleeps a messenger', but yes, absolutely.''
Seeing that Squall was still frozen, hand on the third tube and not moving, the rest of the group looked at each other in confusion. Rinoa stepped close beside him and put a hand on his arm. He jumped in surprise.
''Are you okay? Does that mean anything to you?'' She asked softly, feeling the anxiety and unease radiating from him.
''Maybe. Maybe not.'' He wasn't sure himself which of her two questions he was answering. He quickly locked in the last word on the plaque, and a deep rumbling shook the wall before him. ''It's not important right now.''
Nobody could argue, as the wall in front of them slid slowly to one side, revealing a tall, machine-like guardian that immediately descended upon them.
(It doesn't matter. It's just a weird coincidence. It'll be fine.)
But deep down, he knew better.