Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ FF8: Tales Of The Surly Knight ❯ Act IV: Causality, Part III ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: All FF8 characters are courtesy of Squaresoft Enix

 

 

Tales of the Surly Knight

 

“-why, they were never so truly turned over

and over as my poor self in love. Marry, I

cannot show it in rhyme. I have tried.

I can find out no rhyme to `lady' but `baby,'

an innocent rhyme; for `scorn,' `horn,'

a hard rhyme; for `school,' `fool,'

a babbling rhyme. Very ominous endings.

No, I was not born under a rhyming planet,

Nor I cannot woo in festival terms.”

 

-Much Ado, Act V.iv. -

 

o - o0o - o

 

ACT V (Part III)

Causality

 

Inside the high-domed chamber...

 

“My, my... What have you done to make my future Queen so angry, lordling?

 

“Who the FUCK are you?”

 

In a flash, Quistis found herself shoved forcefully behind Seifer's back, Hyperion pointed at the new arrival…

 

“Why! … I'm rather hurt that you don't recognize me, Lord Almasy!”

 

“I don't need to know who you are to cut you down!”

 

“Ah! Such bravado! … Hmn… I see that you have kept the princess intact from all the fighting…”

 

Quistis tried going to the forefront, but Seifer's restraining hand was unyielding. Exasperated, she a peek on the side… and what she saw made her gasp!

 

“L-Lord Dollet?”

 

“I see that you're as discerning as you're beautiful, Milady Trepe!”

 

In her surprise, Quistis had grabbed Seifer's upper arm and squeezed it unconsciously real hard.

 

“M-My Lord! What happened to you?”

 

Dollet's charred blackened skin had spread up to cover the entire left side of his face! Had he not turned his profile to her briefly as he turned to gaze at Rinoa's floating figure, she would have never been able to recognize the hideous creature before her as the Duke of Dollet! Even the eyes were different! They had somehow acquired an almost reptilian cast! The disfigured side of his face was completely without any eyebrows and eyelashes, but the most disturbing feature without any doubt, was the new colour of his eyes... a yellowish colour with purplish undertones! A very unpleasant sulphurous smell emanated from his enlarged body which was ripping the luxurious clothing he wore apart at the seams...

 

Quistis found it extremely hard to believe that this...this... monstrous looking creature eyeing her with such a lascivious and malignant gaze, could be the same suave and debonair nobleman Queen Edea had introduced her to just yesterday! Horror-stuck, she tightened her grip on Seifer's arm!

 

“Ah, Milady! Are you not please with the present appearance of your future lord and husband?”

 

“Over my dead body you little shit!”

 

Seifer had heard more than enough! Shaking off Quistis's dead grip on him, he lunged at the Duke...

 

“Seifer!...”

 

“That can be arranged, lordling!”

 

“... PROTECT!”

 

Jonathan lifted his left hand and pointed it at the charging Grey Knight.

 

“Vola... ”

 

Suddenly, Seifer felt a huge force hit him on the chest, flinging him against one of the soaring stone pillars! Hyperion went flying out of his hand! Everything became black...

 

“NO! ... Seifer!”

 

- § -

 

Queen Edea! Sensei!

He's here!

 

...

 

Your Majesty! He's here!

 

(Rinoa... Sorry, child... I feel rather drained...

I had to deal with something the duke left behind... )

 

I... Will you be okay? Why didn't you tap into...

 

(Don't worry, Rinoa... I'll be fine...

I didn't want to overdo our linking...

You will need all of your strength!

What's the situation there?)

 

He's here! He... He hasn't done anything yet...

Just talk... but I'm worried about Seifer and Onee-chan...

He feels... He's full of bad feelings!

 

(Jonathan Gestahl is now beyond our help...)

 

I wanna help Seifer and Onee-chan!

... But I'm not sure on how to do it...

 

(Rinoa! Please try to hold off revealing yourself

as much as possible... I cannot come to your aid

at this very moment! )

 

Oh!... ...I can sense Seifer's anger and...

... and Onee-chan's disgust!

 

(Soon, Rinoa... Soon I shall be able to provide you

with the help and guidance you need... Wait...)

 

Hurry, Sensei! Oh! ... but how about if their

lives are in danger?

 

(We shall hope that those children keep a cool head

on their shoulder, and keep Jonathan talking...)

 

...

 

- o0o -

 

“...him, you must go through me!”

 

When Seifer regained consciousness, it was to face Quistis's slender back a mere foot away from where he was lying, Titania's Wisp held firmly in grasp. She was standing defiantly between him and that fuckface Dollet! He held back a groan of pain as he struggled to get on his feet. Hyperion was lying a few feet away. He felt like someone had kicked him on the head while all the air had been squeezed out of his lungs! He tasted his own blood as it trickled slowly out of his mouth…

 

Quistis had never felt so afraid in her entire life! She was hoping against hope that her Protect spell had worked to cushion the worst of Seifer's fall. She desperately wanted to go check on him, but she dared not take her eyes off the monster who was watching her so maliciously! She had to swallow a scream when she witnessed the right side of his face become as disfigured and twisted as the left! Whatever it was that had granted him such power did not come free! Sheer instinct screamed at her to stay put, or it would be much worse for Seifer! The sound his body made when it crashed against the solid column had made her sick to her stomach!

 

“... My lovely Quistis... As your future lord and master... I may call you by your name?”

 

She suppressed a shudder of revulsion as the Duke ran his yellowed eyes over her person. Her hand tightened its hold on the whip... Somehow, his lustful gaze made her feel unclean, polluted.

 

“You may not! I have not consented on being your anything!”

 

“Ah, my dear! You will be mine!”

 

“Leave here now! While you still can!”

 

“Hahaha! Worried about your pretty boy, aren't you?”

 

“You should worry about how I'm going to hurt you!”

 

“Such fire in those beautiful eyes! My dear, are really a prize beyond compare!”

 

“You bastard...”

 

At the sound of the voice behind her, Quistis turned to see Seifer slowly standing up, one hand propped on the pillar for support.

 

“You little shit!... -Cough!-

 

“Seifer!”

 

Quistis rushed to help him, only to have him wave her away...

 

“-Humph!- Where does Edea get all these lummox that serve her?... Their stamina is quite outstanding!”

 

There was a decidedly peevish note to the Duke's voice before it acquired a more menacing undertone...

 

“Have a good look at her, lordling! Hahaha! It will be your last! All that golden beauty is not for the likes of you!”

 

“Stop referring to Quistis as if she were an object, you littl' shit!”

 

“Seifer, don't listen to him!”

 

Undeterred by Seifer's stubborn refusal for assistance, Quistis's hands had latched onto his left bicep to help him steady himself. His tension was a palpable thing. The muscles in his upper arm were so tightly clenched! She felt like he was getting ready to spring on the monster! But she couldn't allow that, he would end up getting hurt again! She held on to him more securely.

 

“You are such a hypocrite, Grey Knight! You want to have her like I do!”

 

Standing proudly at full height, Seifer swept his hand in the air and growled.

 

“I don't want to `have' Quistis like you said. I want to be with her because I fucking love her!”

 

She stared up into his angry face, for once at a loss for words… Her mouth held wide open! Of all the places…! Seifer ignored her reaction to his unorthodox declaration and continued.

 

“But a shithead like you wouldn't understand...”

 

“Do you know who you're addressing? How dare you call me names?”

 

Jonathan held up his left hand. A strangely twisted and disfigured appendage. There was a metallic ring glowing with a purple hue, adorning what could be considered the index finger of a claw-like looking hand...

 

“Behold the Master of the Ring of Aesterith! ... ... ... Now, lordling…Suffer the punishment!”

 

“ -Gasp! - No!”

 

Quistis felt a strong force pry her hands away from Seifer, before the knight was once again hurled against a stone pillar! Not caring about what the Duke could do to her own person, Quistis ran to Seifer's side. He groaned out loud in pain. She thought it was the sweetest of sounds! She cradled his head on her lap…

 

“D-Don't move!”

 

“ Shit! -Groan!- You… little Fuck!…”

 

“Seifer! Please, don't provoke him! …He-He has the Ring of Aesterith!”

 

She whispered the plea into Seifer's ear, but Jonathan heard her entreaty and laughed wildly…

 

“How touching! Listen to her words, Knight! The only thing keeping you alive is my lady's care for you…”

 

Using all of his considerable will to ignore the pain that coursed throughout his entire body, Seifer pushed Quistis off him, and raised himself slowly to face the Duke once again. He even managed to laugh in his face! `There! Let the little shit see I won't be intimidated by a bit pain!' Quistis grabbed the stubborn knight's forearm with renewed urgency…

 

“Dammit, Seifer! Don't you understand the kind of power he's wielding?”

 

“I don't care! -Snort!- The little shit show of power just goes to prove that he's a wimp!”

 

Quistis didn't understand why Seifer was provoking the Duke! Did he truly want to DIE? She darted an anxious look in Dollet's direction and noticed that his amusement was swiftly becoming spite!

 

“You don't even have a sword, Almasy!”

 

“Heh! Like I would need one wipe your ass, you little fuckface!”

 

“Seifer, I swear sometimes your brain must be as dense as Adamantine!”

 

Seifer shoved Quistis behind his back. He would deal with her annoyance later… Now that the little shit had actually shown them the source of his power… If he could only get a bit closer… He ignored Quistis's rants and concentrated on distracting the little shit so he look for an opening.

 

“Hahaha! Your overweening arrogance never ceases to amuse me, lordling!”

 

“Yeah…! You should know, you fucking littl' upstart!”

 

Seifer's taunting voice, so incredibly oblivious of his own safety, made Quistis lose it! Screaming, she said.

 

“Seifer, you BLOCKHEAD! I swear I don't know why in seven hells I love you!”

 

His only answer was to flash her his familiar smirk before turning his attention back to the enraged Jonathan…

 

“Yeah, babe! Same here…”

 

“ENOUGH! Prepare to die, lordling!”

 

The Duke raised his left hand in his direction again. That was the moment Seifer had been waiting for… Swiftly, he unsheathed the small dagger he kept hidden in Hyperion's scabbard and launched himself with all his strength towards Dollet!

 

“Perficio…”

 

As if in slow motion, the knife's sharp blade sliced off the Duke's fingers. The one with the Ring of Aesterith rolling onto the floor to lie next to where Hyperion had been tossed…

 

“… Interitus!”

 

Unfortunately, Jonathan's destructive spell had already drawn from the power of the ring… Quistis watched in abject horror as the destructive ball of energy hurled itself to where Seifer could be found in mid-crouch… In his present shape, there was no way he would be able to dodge it!

 

Seifer braced himself to feel the impact of Dollet's attack, but it never reached him! An incandescent looking Rinoa hovering with her feet slightly above the floor, had deflected the blow! To his astonishment, he could discern a faint glimmering of wings? …on Rinoa's back!

 

“STOP, Jonathan Gestahl! …”

 

The stern voice coming out of Rinoa's lips sounded like the princess, and yet it also sounded much like…Queen Edea's voice…

 

“Redde me!”

 

The purplish aura that surrounded the ring began to fade even as the severed finger holding it was fizzling away until both were no more… The legendary Ring of Aesterith, looking once again like a plain ordinary metallic band, levitated and swiftly flew to Rinoa's open palm. However, all she did was close her hand over it. She did not place it on her finger.

 

“Queen Edea! Hahaha! You interfering bitch!…”

 

Clutching his left hand with its severed fingers to his breast, Jonathan laughed and cried in a maniacal way…

 

“I thought…! Hahaha!… I thought that I had disposed of you and your minions back in the castle!”

 

“We cannot allow you to continue playing with people's lives and their souls…”

 

“Hahaha! You're one to talk! I'm not the one who has possessed the princess!”

 

Rinoa's more girlish voice took over.

 

“You're wrong Lord Dollet. We are both here!”

 

“Hahaha!… You sorceresses! Hahaha! …You are such a strange breed!”

 

Suddenly, Hyperion was once again pointing in Dollet's direction. Malevolent eyes swirled in Seifer's direction. Quistis was a few feet away with Titania's Wisp unfurled and ready. Rinoa's incandescent body was hovering behind her. Both of them were determined to protect her, no matter what!

 

“What kind of spell do you have on them, Edea… Hahaha! That the fools are willing to die for you?”

 

“None, Jonathan.”

 

It was the Queen's voice again.

 

“I raised these children. I loved them as if they were my own. I demand nothing from them, but I will do everything in my power to protect them. They are the same…”

 

“Fools! Hahaha!… You expect me to believe that sentimental drivel?”

 

“Jonathan… You no longer have the ring in your possession…”

 

Rinoa speaking with Edea's voice extended a glowing hand to the Duke.

 

“Will you not reconsider?”

 

“Hahaha! True!… I cannot go back… But I can move forward! Hahaha! I have the power now to…”

 

The shadows surrounding the Duke, seemed to increase and deepen as they began to slowly cloak his figure…

 

“Jonathan!… Don't do it!”

 

“…summon the accursed spirit trapped…”

 

The Duke's face, which was already a mess of charred darkened skin, became more bestial like. His hair grew longer and wilder, until it flew about him like a furious halo! His body began to acquire massive proportions until it burst out of its courtier's clothing. His new shape resembled that of a man, yet it was taller, heftier and more monstrous than any man could ever be…

 

“What the fuck is this…!”

 

“Queen Edea?… Wh-what's happening?”

 

“Seifer! Quistis! Please remember, ordinary spells will not work! Prepare yourselves, my children!”

 

“…inside the ring! Hahaha!”

 

Flames burst out from him, and a dark purplish smoke completely covered his enlarged body. But the fire that seemed to consume Jonathan, did not give off light as a normal fire would, instead it seemed to absorbing everything that was luminous and bright… Edea-Rinoa, their voices had blended into one, did not take the time to explain. Their voice began to chant.

 

“Protector sacrum Ignis…”

 

Claws that resembled vicious blades, sprouted from Jonathan's feet and from his right hand… Yellowed eyes swirled malevolently in Quistis direction! The unpleasant smell of sulphur that prevailed in the chamber became worse, more toxic, making both Quistis and Seifer cough… Rinoa's incandescent figure began to glow even brighter to counter the increasing darkness…

 

“…Tonitrus fulgur elementum…”

 

“Dammit! Quis! -Cough!- Fucking get behind me!”

 

“-Cough!- No! -Cough!-”

 

“Sorceress! Hahaha! Even linked as you are…Your puny spells are useless…”

 

From his left hand with the severed fingers, the knuckles grew and elongated into five cruel looking thongs of fire. A huge chasm seemed to be opening up beneath the creature's feet! The entire vast chamber transformed into an inferno…

 

“Aspira vester vertus in Titania...”

 

Quistis's whip was imbued with a blue-white aura, it sent a quiver of new awareness through her entire being!…

 

“…against its power… Hahaha! …Even without the Ring, I shall be unstoppable!”

 

“Adfla Hyperion vostrae ops!”

 

Seifer's blade began to hum…Suddenly a fiery red blaze erupted from the tingling blade! The Queen's incantation had infused his sword with a very potent magical energy…

 

“Once I become one with… BALROG!”

 

Before them stood a creature made of the stuff of nightmare, streaming darkness and terror in its wake… But neither Seifer nor Quistis had the time to fear or even to think! Suddenly and viciously, the monster launched its attack! Whipping its five thongs in Seifer's direction, it also took a swipe at Rinoa and Quistis with its lethal claws! Seifer dodged the flicking tails of the fire whip, but he was desperate to get to Quistis and Rinoa! Following pure gut instinct, he jumped onto the creature's whip and using it as leverage leaped even higher to bring the blazing Hyperion down onto the creature's claws!

 

Quistis was standing protectively in front of the princess, who remained hovering nearby with her eyes closed in deep concentration as the voice emerging from her body finished chanting the powerful incantation. With horrified eyes, Quistis watched as if in slow motion, how the monster angled the sharp claws of its right hand to take a swipe in their direction! Acting on pure reflex, Quistis rushed to push the princess out of the Balrog's reach. Unfortunately, such an unpremeditated move left her on the ground…right in the monster's path! She closed her eyes, expecting the worst…

 

-WOOSH! -

 

At the creature's howl of pain, she opened her eyes to see Seifer standing like an avenger over her with a blazing Hyperion pointed defiantly in the direction of the towering Balrog, the creature's severed claws landing a few feet away from her!

 

“Dammit, Quis! For once, do as I fucking ask you, and get Rinoa outta here!”

 

Quistis didn't want to leave Seifer to fight alone, but she took heed of the urgency behind his voice. One of them had to keep Rinoa safe! Of the two, she acknowledged grudgingly, he was the stronger and more experienced fighter… But she would not leave him unprotected to face that terrible monster! She summoned a shielding spell from the inner core of energy the Queen's incantation had suddenly revealed to her…

 

“Mighty Guard!”

 

“KNIGHT! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS OUTRAGE!”

 

The Balrog's voice was like and unlike Jonathan's voice. It was deeper, rougher…more wicked… Undaunted, Seifer went about taunting the monster again, when he felt a gentle tingle ran through his entire body. Giving himself no time to ponder as to its origins, he continued on his chosen course of action. He wanted to distract the thing so Quistis could escape with Rinoa in tow.

 

“You gotta get me first, you ugly fuck!”

 

Seifer dashed to the opposite side of the exit archway, trying to create enough of a diversion so that Quistis could leave with Rinoa, but there was a terrible awareness in those swirling yellowed eyes! Whatever it was that Jonathan Gestahl had tried to accomplish by becoming such a beast, there was almost no trace of his persona in the hideous creature. It ignored Seifer's taunts, and turned its malice towards Quistis, who was desperately trying to help a much weakened Rinoa towards the exit and hence out of harm's way. Although they were linked, the power needed by the weapon incantation had drained both an already tired Edea, and a completely untrained Rinoa.

 

The Balrog gazed at Quistis and then at the exit she was frantically trying to reach. With a terrible laugh, the monster aimed its fire whip in that direction. The force of the dark energy unleashed by the creature was such that the archway collapsed! The way out was completely blocked! Rinoa and Quistis barely escaped being buried in the ensuing rubble by the latter's innate sense of caution. Somehow, Quistis had been able to anticipate the monster's move and had stopped their flight mid-way!

 

Seifer didn't give the creature a second chance to try its aim again, he raised Hyperion and swiftly rushed at the monster. The Balrog parried the sword's thrust with a flick of its fire whip, but in an unexpected move, Seifer made a half spin and brought his magically enhanced blade down on the creature's massive torso, slashing it diagonally.

 

“Take this, you piece of shit! See how funny this is!”

 

The creature's howl of pain resonated throughout the entire chamber! It went berserk! Lashing out at everything in sight, it also used its clawless appendage like a club destroying everything in its path! In its frenzy, it gave Seifer a powerful glancing blow in the torso with one of its clawed feet, and sent the knight flying against one of the soaring pillars that supported the chamber!

 

“Ooow! …”

 

It was unfortunate that Stevens should pick that particular time to wake from his magically induced sleep… He was safely out of the rampaging Balrog's way, but his loud moan had attracted its attention! At the unexpected sight of a most terrifying monster charging in his direction, Stevens became paralysed; his mouth held wide open!

 

With the only exit to the outside blocked, Quistis wanted to get Rinoa to the archway that led to the vast networks of underground caverns as speedily as possible. Her intent was to let the princess rest on the landing while she rushed back to help Seifer in the fight! But Rinoa herself stopped their flight out…

 

“No! Please go help Seifer…and…that man… Let me…rest… here…”

 

From the sound of the voice, Queen Edea was still linked to Rinoa. Looking over her shoulder, Quistis blanched when she saw Seifer crash once more against a stone column, only to exhale a huge sigh of relief upon hearing him swear a blue streak! In the dim light, she saw that he was still surrounded by the faint blue aura of her shielding spell. She knew she was no sorceress, but at least her special brand of magic had protected him from the worse! Inconsequentially, she noticed that her spell did not extent protection to clothing, because his beautiful tunic was ripped and bloodied beyond repair…

 

A loud shriek, shifted her attention to the kidnapper that had tried to nab her earlier… If she didn't do something fast, he would soon be Balrog fodder! No giving herself time to think, she left Rinoa in relative concealment leaning against a column, and rushed to the man's aid. With a deft twist of her wrist, Quistis flicked her whip in the monster's direction, hoping that she could distract it from killing the stunned ruffian… But the Balrog was too maddened by pain to notice her whip! Quistis knew that she might not make it on time to save the man! Summoning the last of her energy, she recalled the huge Caterchipillar they fought in the tunnels…

 

“Ultra Waves!”

 

The enegy waves that hit the Balrog failed to damage the monster, but they succeeded in wrestling its attention away from Stevens, who slumped again on the ground in a dead faint. The creature's attention now was on Quistis. It charged towards her, swinging its clawless appendage like a huge club! She jumped out of its way, and swiftly retaliated by lashing out at its face with Titania. Her hope was to try and take out the beast's eyes. She succeeded only partially, the tip of her whip struck right into the Balrog's left eye! However, pain and fury had infused the monster with some extra speed. Using its two pronged whip, it lashed itself painfully around Quistis's waist imprisoning both her arms, and lifted her up in the air!

 

Now that the monster had her in its grasp, it decided to play with her... Full of spite and malice, the creature lifted her higher so it could stare at her with its undamaged eye. As far as she could see, there were no traces of the human that had once been the Duke of Dollet, left in the beast.

 

“RELEASE HER!”

 

She renewed her efforts to free herself when she heard Seifer's voice, but for every move she made, the Balrog tightened its hold on her, causing her excrutiating pain... The creature had wrapped its thongs of fire securely around her entire body. Quistis knew that she had angry welts all over, specially on her bared legs, but that was the least of her worries! Striving to regain a measure of calm, Quistis realized with a deep sense of shock that the creature was dangling her like bait before Seifer, waiting patiently for the knight to charge!

 

“Seifer! Stay…Ugh!…away! …Ta…ke Rino…Aaagh!… With you!”

 

“NEVER!”

 

Quistis's blood turned to ice when she saw the creature twist its lips into some sort of hideous smile! `Calm… Calm down…' From what Queen Edea had told her and Seifer earlier, Quistis knew that her puny magic abilities might serve to rout goblins, but this... this monster was nothing like them! Suddenly, she recalled the Queen's exact wording, `ordinary spells' ... It was a long shot, but it had worked once, maybe it would work again! It was all she had at the moment! She closed her eyes and concentrated hard…

 

“Ultra Waves!”

 

The resulting ripples of blue energy released by her body, made the creature yelp, releasing her from its grasp in mid-air... Quistis turned her aching body to minimize the impact of her fall against the cold stone ground, only to have a soft cushion of air break her descent. It was Rinoa. Still looking exhausted, she had extended her hand and cast Float…

 

At the very moment the beast released Quistis, Seifer chose to strike! Watching the monster hurt Quistis before his very eyes, had enraged him beyond reason, beyond anything he'd ever felt before! An intense white hot fury coursed through his veins. In response, Hyperion hummed noisily in his grasp. From deep within him, a pulsing energy sprung to life… Leaping high up in the air, blazing with an incandescent energy, Seifer raised his sword and bore it down onto his enemy…

 

“Invictus Ignis Zantetsuken!”

 

A huge wave of white energy rippled across the entire chamber! Quistis had to cover her eyes or she would've been blinded by its sheer brightness… When she lowered her arms, all she saw was Seifer standing before a large black cavity where the Balrog had once stood, a smoking Hyperion pointing at the floor. Sea green eyes, cleared of their fury looked her over and said.

 

“Once again, I cut a worthless object.”

 

After saying that, Seifer fell unconscious to the ground.

 

“Seifer!”

 

Oblivious to everything, including her own pains and aches, Quistis ran to where the knight had fallen and once again cradled his head tenderly on her lap. They both looked like they had been thrown into the elements and tossed around!

 

“He's alright Quistis, my child.”

 

Rinoa was standing before them, but it was Edea's voice that had spoken.

 

“He just need to rest. The amount of energy he spent on that last blow has completely exhausted him…”

 

Edea, using Rinoa's body, continued…

 

“Now, I need to do something here…”

 

She opened the palm that held the Ring of Aesterith, and to Quistis's absolute surprise the plain metallic band began to hum and glow. Soon, the ring's radiance encompassed Rinoa's body. A faint shadow lifted itself from the ground and slowly became absorbed into the ring… A stentorian voice, belonging to neither Rinoa nor Queen Edea issued forth.

 

“Thus, Jonathan Gestahl, by sharing the same fate that befell Aesterith, maker of humanity, your wish to be the same as gods has been fulfilled by the Ring!”

 

Rinoa's eyes, which were blank when those words were being said, turned slowly back into the princess's warm brown eyes.

 

“Huh? Is it over? Seifer-kun! Onee-chan! Are you both alright? Oh, I do hope Squall is doing okay! ”

 

It was definitely Rinoa-chan's voice. Just in that moment, a huge explosion came from the blocked doorway, and a new voice could be heard.

 

“YOO-HOO! We're here!”

 

“Darlin' can you, like, stay fuckin' behin' me so I can protect you!?”

 

“Yo! Whoa! Onee-chan! -Wolfish whistle! - He! he! Why's Seif on the floor? He fainted right? He! he! We'll see who's Sir Wuss…”

 

“Where's Rinoa?”

 

“Dad!”

 

o

|

o - o0o - o

|

o

 

 

A few days later in Balamb Castle…

 

The King and Queen of Balamb were taking a quiet stroll in the Rose Maze. The night air was redolent with the fragrance of roses in full bloom.

 

“My dear, with all the commotion of late, we never got the chance to put our plan in motion!”

 

Edea smiled at Cid's rueful mien, and raising herself slightly gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.

 

“Is there any wonder why I love you, my King?”

 

Cid stared at Edea's in surprise.

 

“What was that for, my dear?”

 

“For always thinking about the children…and I wouldn't worry about our plan… Last time I pretended not to see, Quistis was sneaking into Seifer's chambers…”

 

“WHAT?”

 

“Ha! Ha! Calm down, dear… It was bound to happen…”

 

“ -Humph!- I would've thought that rascal would be the one doing the sneaking!”

 

Edea stared at her husband, one perfectly arched eyebrow lifted high up over golden eyes. They were slowly turning around a corner of the maze.

 

“Oh, really?”

 

Cid had the grace to blush.

 

“ -Harrumphed- Well… Uh, of course… That young lady is quite… quite self-assertive!”

 

“She'll have to be to handle Seifer…”

 

“I suppose she's in his chambers now?”

 

At a forked intersection, Edea opted to turn left…

 

“What do you propose to do, Your Majesty? Storm in and say, `Aha! I caught you!' ”

 

Looking sheepish, Cid raised a hand to scratch behind his neck.

 

“I suppose that young lady would never forgive me?”

 

“I would never forgive you!”

 

They turned around another corner…

 

“Uh… Well… I'm just surprised that Lady Dincht has allowed that sort of behaviour… She's usually more in…”

 

“Dear… Lady Dincht is quite busy these days…”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You mean Martine never told you?”

 

“Tell me what?”

 

They rounded another corner…

 

“He and Lady Dincht are sweet on each other…”

 

“What?”

 

“Really, dear! It's most unseemly for you to keep repeating yourself!”

 

“At least tell me the rest of the `young' people are in their own respective chambers…? Please?…”

 

The path was a very straight one now.

 

“My King, let's pretend you didn't ask me any questions so I will not be required to answer you…”

 

Cid raked a frustrated hand over his face.

 

“My dear, at least…Please tell me the Princess is in her room? I'll never hear the end of it from Galbadia!”

 

“Ah! Here we are!”

 

By `here', Edea meant the heart of the rose maze! Cid's eyes widened at the sight of the gurgling water fountain. It was a very plain looking one! It just had a sprouting shoot of water in the middle… That was it! The fountain located in the center of the small town of Raha was fancier looking!

 

“This is the wishing well?”

 

Edea looked at him with a politely inquiring look. He did not trust that look in his queen's lovely face…

 

“Were you expecting something else, my dear?”

 

“Well…”

 

He wisely kept his mouth shut. It had taken him years of experience to arrive at that point…

 

“There is one last task to be performed.”

 

From one of her sleeves, Edea withdrew a plain looking metallic ring. Cid gazed at it with curious eyes…

 

“Is that…?”

 

“Yes.”

 

She extended her free hand and said.

 

“Aperi Claustrum”

 

Suddenly the gurgling water in the wishing fountain started to flow in circular motion, and slowly spiralled into a whirlpool revealing a void at the very centre. Edea tossed the Ring of Aesterith into that abyss, which opened even wider to receive the item. Once the ring was swallowed up by the void, the crevice closed and vanished. The waters in the fountain once again began to sing. Looking up, Edea smiled at Cid and said.

 

“Thus the purpose of the fountain has been fulfilled.”

 

Cid extended a hand to his Queen.

 

“Shall be go back to the castle, my dear?”

 

“Yes.”

o - o0o - o

 

Finis

 

a/n:

Jonathan's incantation:

Bring about Destruction!

 

Recalling the ring:

Return!

 

Last incantation:

Guardians of the sacred fire

Elementals of thunder and lightning

breathe your strength into Titania

infuse Hyperion with your power

 

At the fountain:

Open the gates

 

Zantetsuken or the “sword that cuts through iron” is the name of the legendary thief Goemon Ishikawa. I opted to use it in my fic as the name of Seifer's ultimate attack alongside his family crest Invictus Ignis (made up by me…) o.~

Hence Invictus Ignis Zantetsuken

“The Invincible flaming sword that cuts through Iron” is rather a mouthful!!!

 

 

Aw! A bona-fide romance! The epilogue will be coming up soon! Complete with absolutely corny lines and some good ol' cheesy love scenes! It's like comfort food… Will probably shoot up your levels of bad cholesterol, but what the heck!