Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Liontaming ❯ Part 14 ( Chapter 14 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Liontaming - Part 14

by paxnirvana Rating: R (innuendo, violence) Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII Characters: Irvine/Selphie/Squall Date Completed: 11/25/03 Archive: Please ask first.

Author's Note: If you've made it this far, you probably realize by now that this is an AU twist on game-time. Pretty freakin' AU by now too, since it's an ongoing three-way with the characters named above.

'Bout time, ne? *grin*

Disclaimer: Squaresoft owns; paxnirvana does not. *sigh*

Selphie bounced into the cafeteria, a glowing smile plastered on her face despite the twinges of unease that still lurked in her heart. There were so many things she needed to get done. She'd barely scratched the surface last night, but thankfully she'd gotten the most urgent task out of the way - clean panties, for Siren's sake! - before joining her boys in Irvine's room. And oh, how pretty they had been together! Her smile went sleekly smug for a moment as she looked around the half-full dining area, swinging the shopping bag she carried idly back and forth. It had been so very hard to leave them like that earlier, but then, her quick jaunt into FH that morning had been both necessary and quite productive.

She did have other obligations too, after all. And once she got them out of the way, then she'd try to talk to Irvine and Squall about Leviathan's weird message last night. Really. She fought back the uneasy frown that tried to take over her face. Why would a Guardian Force stir itself like that anyway? And why would it warn her in such a frustratingly obscure way? Better yet, why couldn't it just leave her the hell alone about that kind of stuff? The battle hints she appreciated, but this... She'd been feeling so happy, so satisfied, then - boom! - instant mega-bummer.

Pushing those unpleasant thoughts aside once again with firm determination, she moved among the tables. As she'd suspected, there were quite a few unfamiliar faces scattered around the room. With a shrug, she nabbed the closest.

"Hey, are you from G-Garden?" she asked a cute-looking blond boy in a slightly bedraggled cadet's uniform just as he spooned up a bite of the mushy, icky stuff the cafeteria ladies optimistically called oatmeal. It always tasted more like wallpaper paste to her. She shuddered sympathetically while he choked on his mouthful of goop and grabbed hastily for his glass of juice. He sucked some down, gasping a bit before he finally nodded at her, looking vaguely alarmed. What, did he think she was gonna attack him or something? Really. Get over it already, she thought with a sniff. As if she didn't know it had all been Ultimecia's idea to attack them in the first place.

She plopped her shopping bag down on the table beside her then parked herself in the chair opposite him. Planting her chin on her raised palms, she gave him one of her best smiles. The boy blinked at her a moment longer before finally reacting.

"Oh, y-yes ma'am! Second Cadet Mikal from Galbadia!" He jumped to his feet and saluted her briskly. Ooh, it was nice to be recognized as a ranked SeeD, but that was a bit much.

"Sit down, Mikal, you silly. Balamb's not that formal." She rolled her eyes and gave a quick snort of amusement. "I just wanted to ask you something... Are you transferring to Trabia today?"

His eyes widened and then he blinked at her in surprise as he sank back down into his seat. "H-how did you know?"

"It was my sweetie's idea to send you guys up there... woo-hoo!" Her grin widened and it didn't take much to make her eyes sparkle. "And Xu got on it right away; that girl is amazing! But what I really need is a favor... somebody who'll take a message disk to Trabia. Can you do that for me, Mikal?"

"S-sure." He swallowed hard, clearly nervous. "But why don't you just email it, ma'am?"

"The HD line to Trabia is still down," Selphie said patiently with a lifted brow, still smiling, as he flushed in embarrassment. "I want you to find Sula Rieekin as soon as you get there... she's part of the Grounds Restoration Committee." She leaned back then so she could reach down into the top of her jumper. She thought Second Cadet Mikal's eyes might just pop out of his head as she fished around in there for a second before pulling a yellow data card out from inside the bandeau bra that lined her jumper. She giggled at his expression. Boys. So predictable. She waved the card in the air between them until Mikal finally registered the motion and glanced away from her cleavage. Then he flushed redder than Zell when Seifer was taunting him. She smiled fondly at the boy, amused. "Give Sula this disk, okay? Tell her I don't mind if she reads it, but that I need her to keep it in a super-safe place for me, understand?"

He reached out and took the disk, his hand trembling faintly. "Uh, yes... ma'am... SeeD Tilmitt... uh..."

"Selphie's good enough, sweetie," she said with a grin. Then she frowned. "Hey, but don't you go reading it... that's SeeD business, okay?"

He shook his head, eyes going even wider, a touch of something like worshipful admiration in his gaze for being entrusted with something secret. "Wouldn't dream of it, ma'am, uh, Selphie."

She grinned back. "Thanks, kiddo," she said as she bounced to her feet. Then she remembered the bag. "Oh! And take this to Trabia too." She pushed the shopping bag across the table toward him. He stared at it blankly. "Give it to Sula. She'll know what to do with them."

The cadet looked warily into the bag and confusion grew on his face. "Teddy bears?"

"Yup. Essential Garden supplies." She winked at him, then leaned across the table and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks, Mikal!" she said. He blinked at her, stunned, mouth falling open. Oh, boys were sooo easy... She grinned around at the world in general as she all but danced out of the cafeteria.

Two items down on her list; shopping and sending a back-up copy of all her important files to Sula. There was no telling how crazy things would get around here in the future and she wanted someone else to have her diary on file - the private one - just in case. She shook more dark thoughts away with determination. But now it was time to pop back up to her classroom terminal and check on the Garden Festival Committee one last time before tracking down her boys again.

Oh yes, they were so pretty together... and all hers.

Squall and Irvine added Zell to their little group while passing through the breezeway out of the dormitory and into the central promenade of Balamb Garden.

Never one to stay completely still - especially when bored or waiting - Zell had been shadowboxing when they spotted him. But, Irvine noted as they walked closer, it wasn't just that simple anymore, not with all the battling they'd been doing lately.

Zell's compact body moved through the air and over the floor with a fluid intensity that caught at the breath and the instincts, warning you that something potentially deadly was near. He punched, he kicked, he spun; each move building upon the last, becoming more difficult, more involved as the blond martial artist ducked and dodged imaginary foes in the middle of the corridor; his focus complete, his form perfect.

Coming to a halt beside Squall, Irvine watched this performance with what he figured was likely a faintly dazed expression on his face. Zell was good. Not just good, actually, but outright daunting to watch - he hadn't really had a chance to notice Zell's abilities before because in real battle there was no time to watch. There was just the blur and the strike beside you. But now he could see it. And hell if he'd ever admit it to the boy's face without a serious ration of shit first, but Zell was probably the most deadly martial artist to come out of any Garden - ever. All Garden students had hand-to-hand training in addition to their specialty, but Zell's ability was far beyond basics. Add on top of that a full set of GF-enhanced paramagical skills and you had a nearly perfect killing machine. Strength and skills far beyond what was required for a normal person to survive in this monster-infested world of theirs. Strength they'd all been developing these past weeks. Until they were all just as deadly and strong, in their own ways, as Zell was. But were they strong enough yet, he mused, to bring down a corrupt sorceress powerful enough to reach back in time from who knew how many centuries in the future?

In the midst of one particularly flashy spin-block, Zell caught sight of them and came to a graceful, controlled stop. He crouched low to the floor, gloved hands splayed wide for balance as a mischievous grin split the tattooed face. He wasn't even winded, Irvine noted ruefully. Being a sharpshooter was just a tad bit less athletic, granted, but then, he preferred to get his aerobic exercise in other ways. Irvine knew he was grinning wolfishly now, but didn't try to hide it. Much. He glanced at Squall who was watching Zell too, face impassive, arms folded over his chest. Not looking overly impressed. But he probably was. Probably.

"Finally!" Zell called, jumping to his feet. "There you guys are! I was gettin' ready to have Nida give you a shout on the PA. What's the plan for today, boss man?"

Instead of responding, Squall moved out again, leading the way down the breezeway into Garden proper, turning left onto the main promenade. Familiar with Squall's silences, Irvine followed Squall while Zell trailed along after, still occasionally boxing the air. Students and cadets were moving about their business, a slightly bigger crowd than usual filling the halls and walkways with the influx of Galbadia Garden refugees.

"Hey, Squall, what's up today?" Zell persisted as they left the dorm breezeway behind. Irvine adjusted his hat as he strode along behind Squall, gaze intent on the sleek play of lean muscle beneath snug black leather on the form before him. Quite nice, he thought. Score one for Selphie if they could keep the boy from wearing underwear for good now. He caught a glimpse of Zell's long-suffering eye roll from the corner of his eye for his blatant ogling of their leader and grinned back at the martial artist without shame.

"C'mon Squall!" Zell called again, exasperation putting a whine in his tone.

"Esthar," Squall finally snapped out, glaring over his shoulder at the blond. "Be ready." He frowned for an instant, the purposeful stride faltering briefly when he caught a glimpse of Irvine's knowing, appreciative stare. The frown mutated into faintly embarrassed surprise mingled with a touch of heat and then froze back into a warning glare again all in the space of an instant. Irvine mentally chalked up a point for himself too as Squall whirled and stalked on, gloved hands now fisted at his sides in irritation, before following him.

"Esthar? What for? More monster killing?" Zell demanded eagerly, oblivious to their interaction as he hustled to keep up with their strides. It wasn't that Zell was all that much shorter than they were or walked slower, it was just that he tended to get distracted when his mouth was moving.

"Eager to take on more Elnoyle, are ya?" Irvine said, clapping a hand on the martial artist's shoulder before yanking on the denim and leather of his vest to help him keep up. Zell stumbled slightly as Irvine drew him forward.

"No way! Hell Fire, I hate those things!" Zell knocked his grip away with an annoyed flail of his arm, shooting him an exasperated glance as he launched a half-hearted punch at Irvine's shoulder in return. Irvine dodged easily, grinning. "When I use Flare on somethin' it should go down and stay down, damn it!"

"Hey, I warned you to use Bio first!" Irvine laughed, raising his hands in a mocking plea for mercy. Squall was distracted again for an instant, glancing back at them, apparently baffled by their teasing interaction. But then he just gave a short grunt, chin lifting and his gaze going steely.

"I'd rather brief everyone together," Squall sent back over his shoulder, finally responding to Zell's question. Then he added, his tone going gruff, "Have you... seen Selphie around this morning?" Irvine goggled in pure astonishment at the back of Squall's head for an instant and Zell shot over a surprised look that bounced between the two of them rapidly before deciding to end as a wary frown focused on Irvine alone. But the blond's wrinkled brows went unanswered as Irvine beamed broadly at the back of Squall's head. The boy was actually asking after her? In public? Major progress!

Zell finally just shrugged when Irvine gave him no help, obviously confused. "Um, yeah, I did. She was going in to FH to pick some stuff up at the shops, she said. Why? Hey, wasn't she with... um, I mean... Didn't she tell you guys?" Zell flushed, his gaze fixing for a moment on the hickey on Squall's neck before he darted another confused look at Irvine, who just grinned smugly at his discomfort as Zell stumbled quickly on. "Right... not going there... Well, she should be back by now, I think, but I can go check with the lift guy outside if you want..."

"Nah, she'll show up soon," Irvine said, feeling his own subtle tension about Selphie's abrupt departure ease some. He still wanted to check on her, but figured she was probably just trying to catch up on all the billion and one projects she had going at Garden before duty demanded they leave again. "The gal just can't stay away from me for long, you know."

Throwing one icy glance back at Irvine, Squall kept moving, all but stalking on around the main promenade, his spine rigid once more. Apparently not entirely happy with his easy acceptance of Selphie's absence, but unwilling to countermand him about her in public. Yet. "Where's Rinoa?" Squall demanded instead.

Zell's confusion changed to a sheepish grin and he flushed, rubbing a hand over the back of his head as he began to lag behind again. "Um... well... I dunno for sure. She stayed with Quisty last night."

Squall came to an abrupt halt in front of the entrance to the old parking garage - oblivious to the trio of female cadets standing nearby who goggled with great interest at the three of them - as he spun and raised a brow at Zell that clearly said he wasn't inquiring about Rinoa's sleeping arrangements but that he wanted to know where she was now.

"Hey, um, they're probably in the Training Center already," Zell said, shifting uncomfortably under that steady gray stare. "She was asking me an awful lot of questions about junctions and GF and stuff yesterday evening." He shot Irvine a faintly accusing glance. Irvine just grinned back at him, oddly pleased - as well as relieved - that Rinoa had actually listened to him. "So I thought Quisty could help her best, seeing as she was the Instructor and all."

"Fine." Squall's brows nearly collided in a frown, making his scar flare red, and he lifted his chin, gaze going blank, while Irvine and Zell traded significant looks. Then it was Irvine's turn to frown as he realized Squall was most likely trying to contact Rinoa through the Knight's Bond. He and Zell waited in silence for several minutes until Squall shook his head tightly once, his frown deepening as his gray gaze flickered back to full awareness of their immediate surroundings.

He glared at Zell, his expression now clearly annoyed. "Hn. Grat status attacks give her trouble - even with Siren junctioned."

"Oh, hey, Squall, I guess I kinda like..." Zell was flushing guiltily, scratching hard at the back of his head as he fidgeted beneath Squall's hard glare. "...had to loan her a GF and some spells so she could do some real practice with Quistis." It was in the SeeD protocol manual to inform your commanding officer immediately when you swapped out GF or magic. It was an offense worth a reduction in rank if you did it under battle conditions - but Squall would just as soon kick your ass himself if you didn't keep him current on your status.

"You gave her second-level spells." The flat glare was like ice. "How low are you now?"

"I'm good! Really. Got some third-level from Quisty's Alexander instead," Zell said hurriedly. "Runnin' kinda low on Wizard's Stones now, but I know where we can get more..."

"You know, we don't have time to give the girl full-on SeeD training, Squall," Irvine interjected, feeling a twinge of unease that Squall could tell so much from so brief a contact with the fledgling Sorceress. Just how tight was that link between the two of them, anyway? And had Rinoa respected his request last night after all...? "It's better she get a GF that knows it's stuff than a raw one, don't you think?"

"We can't afford to have her lag like this," Squall conceded, still giving Zell a dark look.

"Hey, you caught up on the SeeD stuff quick," Zell said, shifting under Squall's glare and pointing at Irvine almost accusingly, apparently eager to deflect some of Squall's displeasure onto an innocent bystander. "Even if you've never taken the test!"

Irvine smirked, reaching up to run two fingers across the brim of his hat and give them a confident flick out at the end, pointing them back at Zell. "Yeah. But then I'm just damn good to begin with... and Garden trained already. I guess junctioning GF just comes natural to an all-round awesome guy like me."

"I bet you bomb the written test first time, wise guy! Or end up Rank 3!" Zell snorted and rolled his eyes, while Squall's eyes narrowed further in angry annoyance, lips turning down in a sharp frown. Irvine laughed quietly at his Commander's expression and let his eyes twinkle at him knowingly; he knew exactly how much Squall loathed all the administrative bullshit that running Balamb Garden entailed so he wasn't surprised Squall didn't seem to remember that little detail. It really was a good thing they had Xu and Quistis around. But it was still true that he wasn't an officially ranked SeeD yet - despite the presence of both Quezacotl and Diablos in his head and nearly a month of what was now surely the Field Exam from Hell - and besides, he had just been on loan from G-Garden for that one mission. And so, technically, Squall wasn't really his Commander. Funny that Squall hadn't realized that before...

"How many times did you have to re-take it, Dincht?" Irvine asked with a grin, folding his arms over his chest after tilting his head back the better to look down his nose at the short blond. Who was starting to look more than a little pissed himself... oh-ho, a button, was it?

"Look, you frickin' hayseed..." Zell began hotly, hands bunching into fists, face flushing.

"Whatever," Squall said, interrupting sharply, glaring between the two of them. "Zell, don't give her any more magic. Rinoa'll be on my primary team now - she'll Draw what she needs herself. But I want her front and center where she can find out first-hand why SeeD fees are so high."

Zell nodded in eager assent, looking blatantly relieved to have gotten off so lightly with Squall. But Irvine felt a brief surge of pity for Rinoa quickly followed by a flash of far more personal concern as he realized that would mean the confused girl would be in close physical proximity with Squall for the foreseeable future. It was a somewhat alarming proposition - since they didn't know exactly what the full consequences of a Knight's Bond with a Sorceress might yet be. Magically or... personally.

A vague wash of unease went through him as Squall continued to glare at them both, calling up images from his dream last night. Silky-dark laughter touched with the aura of ancient, bloody magic echoed tauntingly at the back of his mind as an unquiet presence stirred in his mind.

Back off, Diablos, he thought irritably, tightening his hold on his junction with the GF, wishing once more that fate and the odd need for mental compatibility had let someone other than him draw the gravity demon from the cursed lamp. What did that say about his mind if the demon felt most comfortable with him? Irvine reflected with an inward shiver. The laughter slowly faded into a mocking purr, but didn't vanish completely.

"Hey, Squall, I think -" Zell was flushing guiltily again, scratching hard at the back of his head as he kicked nervously at the floor. "Well I know I, uh, loaned Rinoa Siren so she could hit the TC with Quistis... but Squall, I really think we're gonna need some more GF. Some with more firepower than the ones we already got."

"Hn." Squall frowned down at the floor, leather jacket creaking as he shifted his stance slightly, crossing his arms over his chest. It was his infamous 'annoyed but actually listening pose'.

Zell straightened up, his hesitation falling away as he warmed to his subject and Squall didn't scowl him into silence, the blond's half-gloved hands waving energetically before him now for emphasis, a tentative grin on his face. "I've been doin' some checking 'cause I heard once about this old Paramagic Research Center out in the middle of the southwestern ocean somewhere. There were supposed to be some pretty heavy-duty GF lurking there. I think we should go check it out now that we've got a ship that can land anywhere. What'dja think?"

Zell kept grinning but Irvine could see the nervous tension build in the martial artist. It seemed he really cared what Squall thought of his ideas, Commander aside. Oddly enough, Zell could come up with some good ones from time to time - as well as some purely bone-headed ones. But this one didn't sound half bad to him. More firepower was always welcome, even if earlier he'd been thinking how dangerous they all were already. But then Ultimecia has somehow managed to reach back through time itself to fuck up their lives... How did one know just how much power would be enough to deal with that kind of strength and malevolence?

He was about ready to open his mouth to add his support to Zell's idea when Squall looked up, expression still cool, and said, "Nida mentioned seeing an island on the edge of his screens out that way when we were chasing around after that damn White SeeD ship to find Ellone." Zell brightened noticeably, looking about ready to open his mouth again when Squall went on, his gray gaze flashing. "Whatever... just check with Nida to get course and distance. We've got a countdown on Adel - and we still need to go to Esthar. Tell Xu we're leaving in one hour. I want everyone back aboard the Ragnarok by then."

Zell saluted him crisply, clearly relieved to have his suggestion taken seriously. "Yes, sir!" he said, then he shot a broad grin at Irvine, adding, "Tell Selphie I called dibs on the pilot seat!" Before he could shoot back an appropriate answer, Zell had dashed away, doing a single exuberant back-flip across the deck before sprinting off toward the elevator core at top speed.

That was one happy little hyperactive martial artist Irvine noted with a grin as he watched Zell go. When he stepped to Squall's side and cocked his head to look down at him, the grin was still tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Some people are downright easy to please, aren't they, Commander?" he said, voice husky. Squall turned from where he'd been watching Zell bounce away as well and glanced at him, gaze sharp and oddly grim.

"Why aren't you a SeeD yet?"

"Does it matter?" he replied with a careless shrug, attention fully focused on Squall once more as he sensed the tension filling him. Anger? Why was he angry? "Maybe I just have better ways to spend my free time than studying for some damn test that doesn't take into account what it's really like junctioning more than one GF at a time... or didn't you like how I used my free time last night?" The leer was blatant now.

Squall frowned at him, gaze flickering for a moment with heat before icing over again. "Cut it out," he muttered.

Irvine's smile widened lazily, grew warmer. "Can't. It's a permanent part of my nature."

"Try." Then Squall's gaze narrowed dangerously and he lowered his voice to keep it from carrying to the people passing by them. "Go find her."

Irvine felt his smile fade as he gazed somberly into stormy gray eyes, other, older memories surging. He knew Squall was just worried about Selphie's odd mood and abrupt departure that morning, but he needed to learn to trust them more too. They weren't going to leave him. He'd never be alone again, if they had anything to say about it.

"There's nothing wrong with her that won't be straightened out as soon as we run into her again, you know," Irvine said quietly, tamping down the dregs of his own earlier misgivings. "'Sides, she's got other friends here too... and her Garden Festival to fuss over. She'll turn up when she's ready."

Clearly unconvinced, Squall took a half-step closer to him, hands falling to his sides as tension crackled between them. Despite his best intentions to stay focused on the moment, Irvine's mind flashed to a breath-stealing memory of Squall's lean back bowed beneath him; his own darker-skinned hand splayed across pale, ivory flesh, the heady feel of that tight body closing around his cock. He fought it back with difficulty, breath catching in his throat. He wanted to wrap the boy in his arms and cover that stubborn, unhappy mouth with his own, but restrained himself. Now was not the time. He shot a quick glance sideways at the three gawking cadets still hovering just a few yards away. And this definitely wasn't the place...

"We're leaving in an hour," Squall was saying icily. "Go find her."

Irvine's gaze narrowed too and something dark and stubborn answered the angry tension radiating from Squall. He folded his arms over his chest. "That's what the PA is for. I'm stickin' with you."

"That was an order, Kinneas."

"Do you really wanna have a spat right here on the promenade?" Irvine challenged him softly, voice pitched for his ears alone. Squall's glare flickered toward the trio of fascinated girls nearby. Ah-ha. So, he had noticed them.

"Clear out," Squall growled at them. The girls scampered off with stifled squeaks of alarm, shooting him wary looks as they went. The Commander was in a mood. His frozen gaze snapped back to Irvine. "I should grant you full SeeD rank just so I can fucking demote you."

Irvine laughed softly, warm gaze never wavering from Squall's forbidding glare. "Oh, there's far better ways to punish me than that," he drawled.

Squall took a step closer to him, hands fisted near his crossed belts.

"Don't make this an issue, Kinneas. If I give you an order I have to know you're going to obey it, regardless of if you've got SeeD rank or not."

Irvine stilled, teasing humor draining away as he continued to meet Squall's glare. The boy was deadly serious. And way out of line.

"That's crap," Irvine answered sharply, careful to keep his voice low even though there was no one near them any longer. Voices carried around the promenade, sound traveling well over the inner reflecting pools. But this had to be addressed here and now - or Squall would never trust him again. "That's not how Garden works and you know it. We're not in battle right now, nor is this a tactical situation. I fully respect your authority in those arenas, Commander, but I'm not letting you pull rank on me when you're just feeling scared rather than thinking. You're just gonna have to accept that Selphie and I ain't leavin' you, Squall. We'll always come back."

For a brief moment something that might have been fear or maybe just shock registered on Squall's face - this had to be the worst place in the world to have this kind of discussion with Squall, after all - and then the impassive mask closed down over his features again before the stubborn boy turned sharply on his heel and strode away toward the Training Center.

Irvine heaved a weary sigh and tugged his hat down lower over his eyes to hide the hurt he knew was there as the flow of wary students and curious SeeD resumed around him. But he made no move to follow that stiff back. Several people offered tentative greetings or shot him inquiring looks, but he ignored them all, caught up in his thoughts. Squall had come a long way already, but it was painfully obvious that there was still a tough road ahead of him and his sunshine to fix the damage Rinoa had done to the boy's trust. Not to mention help him battle back the dregs of childhood fears.

Squall-taming was a lot of work. But oh, gods... it surely promised to be worth it.

"Commander Leonhart's team is ordered to assemble at the Ragnarok in one hour. Leonhart team to Ragnarok in 60 minutes." Xu's calm voice over the PA made him lift his head and sigh again. As much as he wanted to chase after Squall and wade back into it again, orders were orders and he had some errands of his own he needed to take care of before they went back to Esthar again... and into real battle once more.

Ammunition didn't enchant itself, after all.

Squall strode into the staging area outside the Training Center with a combination of annoyance and something raw - guilt? exposure? foreboding? - still snapping at his heels. How did Irvine see into him so clearly? Was he really that transparent to others... or just to Irvine? Distracting thoughts were put on hold when he noted a pair of trainees with an instructor beside them preparing to enter the dome through the right hand set of gates. He didn't acknowledge their tentative greetings and salutes, instead dragging his weapon out of junction as he stalked through the left hand gates and directly into the humid warmth of the monster sanctuary. The familiar weight of the gunblade in his hand was small comfort, for once.

Xu had already announced his order to all of Balamb. Zell had passed it along when he went to consult with Nida. Everyone had heard it and would obey. Irvine was undoubtedly right, and Selphie would assemble with the rest of them at Ragnarok. That still didn't ease the churning feeling inside, or soothe the need that burned in his gut to find her and reassure himself that she was still fine after her odd behavior earlier.

She never left so abruptly. She was always trying to kiss him or hug him, full of vibrant energy and cheer. But this morning she hadn't even kissed Irvine goodbye. So why had Irvine seemed so calm? Was it really something not to be concerned about? Something she'd done before? But then, he realized with another sick lurching in his gut, what did he know of her real habits?

He slashed at a trailing plant frond, scowling as he stepped over fallen branches, working his way steadily through the course, boot heels ringing occasionally against the bare, rust-stained metal grating beneath the encroaching vegetation.

What did he really know of either of their habits other than that they both seemed to want to have sex with him? And were clearly deeply in love with each other. The near-peace and acceptance he'd felt earlier this morning seemed almost like a dream to him now. Or an illusion. After all, what did he know of the ways people behaved when they... cared about each other.

"You're just gonna have to accept that Selphie and I ain't leavin' you, Squall."

Irvine's words echoed in his head again, making panic flare. How could he promise that so blithely... how could he...? But even as his mind began to whirl again, from somewhere ahead he heard the angry bellow of a monster and his uneasy thoughts disappeared behind the battle-focus that snapped automatically into place. He welcomed it.

Squall swung his gunblade up, gripping it in both hands as he warily scanned the bushes beside the overgrown concourse mentally kicking himself the while. This was the Training Center, after all. There were live monsters in here. Monsters that could kill you if you didn't pay attention just as easily as sorceresses from the future could. And Grats bred faster than flies. Which was one of the main reasons they stocked them in the Training Center. He should have run into at least one or two of them by now... but a stronger threat than just Grats lurked in here. T-Rexaurs were on a whole different scale; a savage surprise for the arrogant or overconfident and a necessary predator for the fast-spawning Grats.

He heard the sharp crack of a whip and an answering roar from something that was definitely larger than a Grat and sprinted toward the sounds, reaching for the dark place in his mind where his Guardian Forces lay. Shiva answered him with a surge of strength; Cerberus lent him speed.

He leaped over a fallen tree into a small clearing a dozen meters off the main path, slashing an impeding branch aside as he did so and took in the scene before him with a single, practiced glance.

Quistis was standing tall in front of a woozy-looking Rinoa, her whip drawn back for another attack. Rinoa was sitting on her butt, her head slumped in her hands as her dog, Angelo, crouched anxiously by her side. Before them loomed a T-Rexaur in all it's primal glory. The huge head turned toward him as he burst through the bushes, his abrupt entrance into the clearing attracting the creature's notice. The tiny eyes gleamed as it opened it's fang-filled mouth and roared a challenge at him.

"Quistis! Status!" he snapped as he dropped into place beside her. He sensed more than saw her shift her stance, automatically adjusting her position and attack plan to take his presence into account. He caught a glimpse of blood on her chin; dirt and leaves stained her clothes and her hair was mussed. She'd taken a hard blow from the T-Rexaur already, it seemed, one that would have killed any human who wasn't junctioned.

"Acceptable," she said shortly, then jerked her head back toward the dazed Rinoa. "Cura her!" Her full attention did not waver from the towering creature before them as it tilted it's head, the creature's small brain still trying to fully process the addition of Squall to it's selection of prey.

He shot a narrow glance at Rinoa, magical senses reaching out and brushing over her. Pain, fear, horror. He felt that other, newer link try to suck him in, catching at his mind, and he blocked it firmly. He couldn't afford the distraction now.

"She's not dying," he said dismissively, focus snapping back to the towering beast before them. Quistis made a sound of exasperation as the whip snaked out. Blood flew from somewhere on the orange-brown head - she was going for the eyes, trying to blind it - and the monster roared in pain before lunging toward them.

It took only fractions of a second for his training to assess the situation. T-Rexaurs were not cunning monsters. They had small brains driven by the basest of instincts - thus they were easy to distract and highly susceptible to status-magic. They cast no magic of their own, but one could draw a few useful spells from them: Fira and Quake. They were weak against ice-based magic - Shiva sang eagerly in his head as he drew hard on his junction with her, reminding him of her presence - but they were physically strong. And tough. The long tail was a real danger and could take them all down in one blow.

He watched the creature carefully for signs of what it would do. He expected a tail-swipe, but instead of striking at them both, the T-Rexaur chose to lunge toward Quistis. He and Quistis both dodged the lunge easily, taking full advantage of the magically enhanced reflexes their respective GFs granted them. Pandemona had been with Quistis longer than he had been junctioning Cerberus; her speed was greater than his. But despite that, he saw the massive head glance hard off Quistis' shoulder. T-Rexaurs could be quick too. The huge jaws snapped together on empty air with stunning force.

The T-Rexaur had apparently focused on Quistis as the sole source of it's pain. He would have to change that perception. He shifted his grip on his gunblade hilt, slipping a finger under the trigger guard even as he cast a quick look at his comrade.

She was staggered, but hadn't gone down; despite the glossy golden hair tumbling in her eyes, her gaze was steady and her free hand was already rising in the first stages of spellcasting. Not waiting to see what spell she was sending down on the creature, Squall whirled and took advantage of the opening the monster's lunge toward Quistis had given him. The blade bit with satisfying force deep into the thing's side and he triggered the gun, sending a twined discharge of elemental and status magic down the embedded blade.

Mingled blood and shards of ice flew from the wound, spraying across his gloved hands, and the monster roared in pain and fury as it reared back, whipping it's head around wildly in a useless attempt to disperse the black haze of magic that had suddenly gathered over it's eyes. It staggered on it's massive feet, the motion shaking the ground beneath them. From the corner of his eye, he saw Rinoa lurch about awkwardly as she tried to climb back to her feet against the tremors.

He snapped his attention back to the T-Rexaur, noted with satisfaction the greenish tint that was already spreading across the tough flesh from the wound he had inflicted. He fell back, raising his weapon before him again, crouched and ready to dodge. He'd both poisoned and blinded the thing with the magic junctioned to his gunblade. It would be far easier to dodge it's attacks from now on, and the more it attacked, the faster the poison would work through it's system. A small, satisfied smirk touched the corner of his mouth as he readied himself for another charge forward. Pain was a spell he welcomed in his arsenal - there was nothing like inflicting multiple status changes on an opponent to shorten a battle. Cerberus roared approvingly in the depths of his mind.

On the far side of the clearing, Quistis released her spell and Blizzaga formed around the monster, covering it completely in a glaze of massive ice crystals. The T-Rexaur roared in fury, staggering again as the magical ice shattered inward, piercing it everywhere. It did not go down, but roared out it's pain again as it spun, it's tail sweeping toward them with shocking speed. Both he and Quistis were already moving.

"Squall, look out!" The horrified cry drew his attention at just the wrong moment. The tip of the T-Rexaur's long, heavy tail caught him across the left side, sending him flying back into the fallen trees behind him. His breath left him and searing pain shocked through him for an instant before dulling as some of Shiva's vitality rushed to replace his own. She sang to him in his mind, soothing him. He rolled away from the spot the blow had thrown him, scrambling back to his feet, struggling to gather his breath again. Shiva helped with that too, filling him with her cool strength, Cerberus backing her.

"Shut up and stay the fuck out of the way!" he snapped at Rinoa, shooting her a narrow glare even as he heard the crack of Quistis' whip as it again struck monster flesh. "Draw as many spells from this thing as you can before we finish it off!"

"H-how can you kill that? It's huge!"

But his attention was already back on the monster. He charged it, deliberately approaching the side away from Quistis to keep the thing from trying to swing it's tail at them both again. His blade bit deep; ice and blood sprayed from the new wound, green corruption spreading out from the site. The T-Rexaur roared in pain again, jaws snapping instinctively at the spot he had been even as he dodged away. Even if it was blinded now, standing still was asking to be crushed beneath it's massive clawed feet or battered by the swinging head or tail. Quistis had set up a rhythm with her whip on the other side, the nature of her weapon allowing her the luxury of distance. But he knew each blow of the sharp tip of the whip laid open leathery flesh nearly to the bone. Blood already ran thick on the ground, and was spattered liberally across his leathers. He shifted about, looking for another good opening to strike.

Sparkling spheres of greenish-gold energy rose from the wounded creature, then arced back toward where he knew Rinoa to be. He let the surge of magic pass him by, one part of his mind taking note that she'd finally started to draw as he'd ordered.

Shiva's song grew louder in his mind. Eager. Seductive. Powerful. Call me, she sang. Unleash me. Ignoring her for the moment, he lunged forward, striking the T-Rexaur's flank hard again. More blood and ice flew. The monster roared again, lashing out blindly. Dropping back, he lowered his heavy weapon, holding it at guard with his right hand while he raised the left to his forehead, focusing his thoughts and drawing hard on the junction with Shiva as he summoned the Ice Goddess to battle.

She answered him with gratifying speed. Rinoa only managed one more draw before the air itself shimmered around them and they all disappeared into Shiva's protective embrace. Then the GF would coat the entire clearing as well as the monster in a heavy sheet of magical ice before shattering it with a graceful touch into razor-sharp shards that filled the air with icy death. Her attack was called Diamond Dust for a very good reason.

The brief wait in the magical limbo a summoned GF placed their charges always sharpened his own paramagical perceptions. He felt Quistis' presence, calm and controlled as she waited to assess the success of Shiva's attack, her own two GF hovering near her in this strange non-space; he felt his own strength, solid and focused, Cerberus patiently awaiting his need, Siren was there beside Rinoa, a steady magical presence; he could even feel Angelo, the dog's love and loyalty a bright flare of power, far stronger than he had suspected. But it was Rinoa that drew his full attention. Bright, wild and nearly raw magical power was streaming from her like intense rays of light spilling out from behind clenched fingers. But the pure light was tainted with dark, muddy smears; doubt, unease, fear.

[...sick... so much blood... ugly... I hate it... I hate it... make it stop...]

Their link glowed as a ribbon of milky light between them. Visible here. It was tainted on the end that connected to Rinoa; purplish black threads of corruption winding through it, yellowish smears of panic. In that instant he realized she was teetering on the brink of losing control; terrified of her own power, desperate to be useful, to be accepted, but repulsed by the bloody butchery going on in the clearing before her. She'd finally decided it wasn't fun anymore. Fighting a monster like this wasn't glamorous or romantic... it was hard, brutal, ugly work. And the battles would only get worse as they went along, he knew. Ultimecia would take no pity on them, show them no mercy.

(Rinoa.)

[...stop... make it stop... hate it...]

He reached out to her, knowing he didn't have more than a handful of seconds before Shiva sent them back to reality, and he wasn't certain he could do this in his regular state. But he had to do something to settle her down now before she flew apart.

(I'm here, Rinoa.)

She latched onto the contact desperately. [Squall? Squall! Help me... I'm afraid...]

A flare of raw power pulsed from her, striking him. Powerful enough to make him reel. Instead of shielding himself, he reached for it, tried to hold onto it like a junction, but it skittered out of his grasp. It was something beyond his experience. A magic of a different nature - one that rejected him even as it threatened to sear his senses. Yet from the brief contact, and echoed down the link, he felt a wash of unfamiliar sensations and emotions roll through him, like before when he'd looked out through her eyes in the Sorceress Memorial.

But what he saw now was chaos... creation... power... possibility... endless loneliness... longing... need... eternity... Reeling again, he desperately blocked the link with her before it drove him mad. This was something not meant for him, he realized, even as Rinoa sobbed and reached for him again, made grasping by the break in contact, drowning in the sensations alone.

He shielded again, feeling infinity batter at him salted with frightened tears. A shock wave of magical force surged out through the non-space of GF protection, barely deflected by his will. He dimly sensed Cerberus roaring in alarm, Quistis' sudden shock, the other GF's dismay as it washed over them.

[Squall... you do this... I won't... I can't anymore... so horrible... please make it go away...]

He staggered as she tried to pour her power into him, to reject it. A Sorceress' strength compounded over centuries. Not for him... not for any man... Hyne's laws unfathomable but immutable... Her magical light played over him again and again, battering and searing him, but she was unable to link to him fully, and he barely deflected each desperate attempts. She would destroy him if he did not.

(Stop it, Rinoa... the power... you'll burn me out...)

He could sense traces of the women throughout the ages who had shared this power, preserved as the magic passed on, leaving faint echoes of needs, longings, ambitions, knowledge, fears, loves etched into the source of magic itself... that alone was nearly overwhelming. Almost as overwhelming as Rinoa's own fear and loneliness and sense of futility. Those feelings were sabotaging her strength, corrupting it.

He staggered. (Y-you have to control yourself, Rinoa... you have to master this... it's part of you now...)

Alien thoughts were searing him, spilling against him, drowning him... he looked for a way to control the flow... to divert some of it... wondering how any Sorceress had managed to stay sane against this... how Matron had stayed sane even before Ultimecia came...

[I can't, you bastard! You never cared about me... you hate me!]

Hysteria, fear, despair tangled through the magic awakening more echoes and clamoring voices from women long dead in both their minds as she pushed frantically against their link, tightening it unknowingly. He struggled against the crushing wave of her power, the force of it stretching his control to the limit.

(I don't... hate you.) And he didn't, but it was still hard to fight her grief, her outrage, her helplessness. They echoed against too many things inside of him, tore at his long-held barriers.

[Liar! You don't want me but you can't even make up your mind which of them you really want to love so you're stringing them both along!]

As open as he was in that instant, the sharp, angry thoughts sent a shaft of agony through him. Why did he have to choose? Why did her fear have to be his? Wasn't his own enough? He'd been alone so long... lost so much... Why did he have to choose? She flinched in surprise, his anguish reflecting inside her before he could stop it, even as her disbelief that she could wound him echoed back again tearing at them both.

(...Don't make me want to hate you, Rinoa.)

She flinched again, some of her fury collapsing inward into regret, dragging him further down, clawing at his fragmenting control.

He knew this had to stop or they would tear each other apart. And so he ruthlessly walled off his own emotions. Deliberately calling on years of isolation, of practiced uninvolvement, of single-minded focus on the goal of graduating as the best Gunblade Specialist Garden could produce; drawing on ingrained habits of seclusion to build his shield thick and strong again.

And when his own mind finally quieted behind the shield, he could hear the voices whispering to him and to her and he suddenly understood everything Matron had been trying to warn him about.

Only one mind could contain the power... but it took two to control it. A Sorceress needed a Knight. A different and separate mind to balance hers. But she needed a true Knight. One with her heart, her soul, her well-being as his sole focus. Her lack of control was his fault - she'd not inherited her power naturally. It had been forced on her by circumstance and desperation. She'd been dangerously half-trained in higher magic and junctioning after fighting beside them, and was therefore able to draw far more power than she should this soon because of it. Power that overwhelmed her now. Frightened her. Power that could consume her and make her into what she feared most... uncaring... selfish... evil...

Guilt surged, staggering him.

All because he didn't love her... and so his heart would not let her into his soul where she desperately needed to be, the voices accused from within the Sorceress' power. He was selfish... cold... uncaring... He shut their insidious words out again, bolstering his will even as he accepted the bitter truth. It couldn't be faked. If he let her in, she would feel intimately that he did not want her and that knowledge would undermine her confidence, her attempts at control and leave her even more vulnerable to these remnants of all the Sorceress' who had come before. Which were eager to use her as conduit for their own selfish longings. A sharp sense of despair and helplessness nearly swamped him. He fought himself grimly, raising a stronger mental shield around the link, determined not to let his own sense of failure influence her further.

She might be able to sense his struggle, but she wouldn't be able to pick out his emotions this time through the maelstrom of other long-dead women's feelings that still assaulted her. If he was strong enough, she never would again.

[S-squall?] He knew she reached for him because he was the stable point in the whirl of power and thoughts and at least familiar, but her undisciplined mind crashing into his made his hasty shields groan. [Make it stop...]

He pushed her away, barely able to manage it. (Don't! I can't take the power from you. I can't even really help you control this...) Desperation flared, reflected, grew. He tried to think of a solution frantically, mind grasping around for some relief... touched an unwavering source of warmth, trust and love and realized, (You've got another outlet... Angelo... use him...)

[What? No... no!]

(Use him!)

Abruptly they faded back into reality, into a clearing shimmering with the frigid remnants of Shiva's blast. Their mental struggle had occurred at the speed of thought in the scant few heartbeats of time that Shiva held them. Outside the GF limbo, the desperate hold he had on the link choked it off almost completely. He couldn't feel her at all now. Squall dropped to one knee, shuddering and drained from the effort of holding a full Sorceress off. Before him the T-Rexaur was crouched low, making grunting sounds of pain itself, but still alive, still deadly. As the last of the ice dissipated, it lurched up, charging toward the clustered humans who it dimly recognized as the source of all it's pain.

Rinoa lifted her hand to her mouth and whistled. Angelo leaped up beside her with an eager bark even as magical force flared about them both, gold and silver and blue.

Angelo had helped her in battle before - charging in to distract a monster, bringing potions or other items to whoever was in direst need - but Squall could already tell this was different. Her desperate fear had driven her to accept his advice.

The dog seemed to glow suddenly, his fur standing on end, his eyes glittering. He lowered his head and stared at the T-Rexaur even as Rinoa made a sharp gesture toward it. Like a shot, Angelo was off, racing toward a monster that was easily a hundred times his size fearlessly. Rinoa cried out in startled alarm - as if already regretting what she had done - even as power flared around the dog, sharp and bright, and he leaped for the monster's throat.

It should have been a joke; the tiny dog against the towering reptile. Instead searingly bright arcs of magical force flared, sending crackling streamers out from the dog and making Squall quickly raise his arm to shield his eyes. He blinked back the protective tears the glare brought, desperate to see what was happening.

The T-Rexaur staggered, then fell back, the dog hanging from it's neck. Vivid arcs of power fountained from the site, fatally piercing tough flesh as canine teeth alone could not. A final pained roar shook the air, then the ground shuddered as the beast fell, crashing to the ground in a shock wave of magical light and physical force to twitch once, then slump into utter stillness. Dead.

Squall slowly lowered his arm, staring at the hulking corpse warily. After a moment, Angelo jumped up from somewhere atop the mess, seemingly unhurt. The dog shook himself briskly once, then dashed back to his mistress to sit at her feet and stare up at her adoringly, tongue lolling from his mouth as he panted slightly. He wasn't even covered in blood - the power funneled through him had apparently kept it from even touching him. Rinoa stared down at her pet in shocked disbelief for an instant before falling to her knees and throwing her arms around Angelo's patient neck, burying her face deep in his silky ruff.

Squall traded looks with Quistis as the sound of Rinoa's sobs reached them. He didn't even try to touch the link between them, wary of it after what had happened during the Summons, but he could feel it pulsing between them, stronger than before. Quistis moved cautiously closer to the T-Rexaur's body, examining it carefully.

"Completely dead," she confirmed, prodding the corpse with the handle of her whip. Squall nodded, shaking the blood off his gunblade with a single brisk swipe through the air before bringing it up to rest on his shoulder. He'd felt the beast die through the backwash of power from Rinoa.

"That is the most interesting application of a Limit technique I've ever seen," Quistis said as she coiled up her whip with quick, business-like motions. Squall remained silent, gaze narrowed thoughtfully now on Rinoa and her dog. "I've never heard of someone using another living creature as the external focus to channel Break power like that before."

"She had to," he said grimly, watching Rinoa's slim shoulders shake as she cried. Angelo was trying to twist enough to lick her face, failing and making soft whining sounds of distress for her misery the while. "Because she couldn't use me."

Quistis shot him a disbelieving look. "Are you saying she would have channeled that into you, instead?" she breathed, horrified.

"No," he replied, not elaborating further. She couldn't use him to stabilize herself enough to use it directly. All he had been able to do for her was give her control enough to send it outside of herself and into Angelo. He wondered how long the dog could endure that kind of burden. Or if he was even still just a dog anymore...

He walked slowly over to Rinoa. Stood above her.

"I hate you for making me do that," she said after a few moments, her voice muffled by Angelo's fur. The dog looked up at him beseechingly - as if begging Squall to make his mistress happy again - even as he patiently endured the crushing hold.

"I don't care," Squall said tightly, hand flexing around his gunblade hilt. "I told you I'd get Seifer back for you, and I will. He's the only one who can help you stop it completely. Until then, you don't have to like me, but you do need to learn from me."

Her head snapped up and she glared at him through her tears. "Learn from you?! But you don't help me!" she said accusingly, tears welling. "You leave me alone with all that power... you leave me... they're always calling me... they want me to do... things... now I even did things to Angelo... I don't want this anymore." Her voice trailed off into sniffles as she screwed her eyes tightly shut, hugging her dog tighter. Angelo whined softly in her hold, shifting on his feet. Rinoa just clutched him harder.

"Whining won't make it go away, Rinoa. You took this power on yourself," he snapped furiously before controlling himself again. Squall remained still for a moment, staring down at the girl and her dog grimly, his gunblade heavy at his side. Mind churning with uneasy longings, sharp fears, looming failure. He realized with a faint sense of astonishment that he wanted Irvine's knowing presence at his side; wanted to see Selphie's bright encouraging smile but he knew that neither of them could help him with the burden he faced now. "I know our Bond isn't perfect, but it's all we have. They'll take you over right away without me," he said and she shuddered, hunching further over Angelo, knowing he spoke the truth. "But I can't balance the power for you, Rinoa. You need... more than I can give."

Because he didn't love her. Couldn't love her, now. He could teach her about the magic, the power, but he couldn't save her soul from the taint it carried. That was for someone else. Seifer. He didn't want to think about what would happen if Seifer was beyond saving. If Ultimecia had damaged him too deeply... if what he felt for Rinoa had been destroyed... because then Rinoa would be alone forever, the voices given free rein in her mind... a Sorceress' terrifying power unrestrained... like Adel... like Ultimecia...

Yet as Commander of SeeD he knew what would have to happen then, no matter the cost.

He would have to kill her himself.

- - to be continued - -