THE ZELL DINCHT COLLECTION

WARNINGS

1) I do not own Zell, Squall, Rinoa, Irvine, Seifer, Selphie, Irvine, Quistis, or any other character I may mention from the FF8 series. I may add some more characters, which are mine. If you steal them, I probably won't find out about it. I also do not own most of the towns, monsters, etc… used in this story.

2) This was written cause Zell is the coolest character ever to be created in the FF series. It's rated NC-17 for mostly sex, but it also contains some language and violence.

3) This is a yaoi story. If you are offended by yaoi or if you don't know what it is, I suggest you leave. You have been warned.

Ok think I got everything. Just read it and leave me some feedback. If you flame me I'll find it funny, so do whatever the hell makes you feel good.

CHAPTER 18: Scythe

Puma didn't make a noise the whole way there. He didn't particularly like that Zell had fallen into character of a strict SeeD, but he knew it was necessary. The only thing he could do is put on his game face and ride it out. Today was going to be like boot camp. Puma would have to prove himself tough, competitive, respectful, and intelligent. This is what he'd been training for, and Zell apparently planned to test him on all levels. The fear and nervousness flooded out of him. He was ready. He wouldn't fail.

The same thoughts were flooding through Zell's head. He wanted to take it easy on the kid. He wanted to write up a happy successful report at the end, but he couldn't make this a walk in the park. The blonde wasn't ready to jeopardize his career as a SeeD to get Puma in. There was a list of importance in Zell's book, and the name Zell Dincht was always on top. Puma may be his friend, maybe even his boyfriend if he put his mind in the right state, hell, he could be number two on Zell's list, but the name Zell Dincht was still on top. Life's first rule for survival, and most important - Make Sure Your Own Ass Is Covered Before You Attempt To Cover Anyone Else's. It isn't a happy, fluffy, romantic rule, but the successful know it. Squall Leonhart is at the top of Squall's list. Selphie Tilmitt is at the top of Selphie's list. Seifer Almasy is at the top of Seifer's list.

So the car ride occurred in silence. They parked in the car rental station, and followed the others to the docks.

"Zoe! Zell!" Ma Dincht yelled, coming outside to see all the commotion. Zell acknowledged her with a nod, but didn't say anything, and Zoe followed his example. This became hard for Zell to do, as he had points taken off last year for saying something to her, but over time, he'd become able to somewhat suppress his emotions. Ma was disappointed, but knew Zell would say something if he could, and obviously, he couldn't right now.

Puma followed the blonde to the docks in silence, and boarded a boat along with Squall, Selphie, Zoe, and Seifer. It was exactly like the boat Zell, Squall, and Seifer rode in to Dollet, one year to this date. They departed as soon as they boarded, and the rough, choppy water caused the boat to move in a bobbing motion. The group moved to the living quarters of the ship, and took a seat on one of the three couches. No words were exchanged for five minutes, until Xu entered to brief the candidates.

"Seifer Almasy," she greeted with sarcasm. "Back again are we?"

"For the last time I'm afraid," Seifer sneered back.

"Ah, yes. We're 19 now aren't we?"

Seifer nodded.

Xu began her briefing. A large screen loomed in front of the candidates, and Xu hooked up a small computer to it. "We'll be arriving on shore in a matter of minutes," Xu started, clicking a picture of the beach with Deling City looming in the background. "From there, we'll take a four mile hike to the tomb." She handed each candidate a pamphlet, and continued with her speech. "These are maps. It is up to each candidate to lead the way to the temple." Xu clicked another button, and a picture of a rock slab structure appeared. It looked old and weather damaged, and reminded Zell of the entrance to the Fire Cavern. "This is a picture of the Tomb. We only have photos of the outside. The inside remains a mystery, as we only have rumors of a fabled GF inside. We have no clue on its strengths, weaknesses, or even its appearance. Your mission is to find this GF and conquer it. We'll be departing at 1600 hours; don't get left behind." Xu unhooked her mini-computer, and prepared to leave. "Oh, and good luck," she muttered turning back. "You'll need it."

"Well isn't she always pleasant," Seifer smirked once she left.

"Seifer go check out our current locations," Selphie groaned. The big blonde was about to protest, but then he saw the evaluation packet in her hands.

"Yes Selphie," he muttered leaving the others to look outside. An almost inaudible "bitch" could be heard when he passed by Zell and Puma, but they decided to let it go.

"How'd I get stuck with him," Selphie moaned once he left. Zell snickered, but Zoe, Puma, and Squall continued their stoic states. Puma, Zoe, and Squall didn't say anything the entire trip. Selphie and Zell held some small talk, but still kept their commanding attitudes.

"Beach," Seifer yelled into the cabin. The boat shook and came to a sudden halt. Everyone lost their balance, but kept their seats. They quickly filed out, and stood on the shore around the seven other boats.

"What now?" Puma asked, looking for direction.

"I'm our squad leader," Zell commanded. "You follow my direction." Puma nodded and said nothing. "I'm putting you in charge of getting us to the Tomb. Use the map; don't follow anyone.

"Yes sir," Puma replied, pulling the pamphlet out of his pocket. Holding the map so the beach was closest to him, he realized it would be a southeast hike. "We're taking a left." Zell smiled, observing the kid's improvement. Puma led him away from the rest of the candidates to show he wasn't following anyone. The blonde was impressed; the kid stepped up, and showed no fear. Quarterstaff in one hand, and map in the other, Puma planned out the route in his head.

A slow grumble interrupted his thought however, as a Geezard appeared at his feet. Eyeing the beast, he tucked the map back in his shirt, and gripped the quarterstaff with both hands. Puma had never seen a real life Geezard, as he had never even been on the Galbadian Continent. He read about them though, and according to his textbook, they were incredibly weak.

"Take care of it," Zell challenged, walking past the alligator resembling monster. Puma knew this should be no great difficulty, and was proven true, as his quarterstaff practically melted the skin of the foe. The Geezard hissed in pain, and tried to counter, but to no avail. Puma took a quick hop, and jammed the end of the stick through its' head. It didn't get up.

"Easy enough," Puma smiled, jogging to catch up with Zell, who had continued on the path. A different monster cry was heard however, and Puma looked up to see a Thrustaevis descend upon him.

"Take care of it," Zell shot again, continuing to trudge on. This was going to be a bit more difficult.

"If I can take down Ifrit, this should be no problem," Puma told himself, and charged the beast. His quarterstaff wasn't long enough though, and only caught the bird's toes. It didn't tickle the foe, as it screeched and lowered upon the redhead. Puma tried to dodge it, but the claws caught his arm and tore his shirt. He felt the hot pain, as blood flowed down to his hand. It didn't get to him though. He quickly countered by almost decapitating the enemy with a powerful swipe to the bird's neck. It fell to the ground, still alive, but unable to get up. Puma put it out of its misery with a fire spell, and the twitching stopped. "Cooked almost to perfection."

Running, as Zell had taken a good lead over him, Puma caught up. He cast a quick cure spell on his arm, and felt the wound start to close. Puma decided against talking to Zell, as the last time he did, he ended up with some bird's claws in his arm. They walked in silence for about twenty minutes, until the outlines of a brick structure came into view. Puma had to brush off a few more Geezards, but he was fortunate to not run into any more Thrustaevises. Slowly, the Tomb became bigger and bigger, and Zell recognized it from the picture Xu showed them.

"Number 2,"a faculty member muttered as they reached the entranceway.

"Damn Squall," Zell thought. He nodded to the guard though, and entered the Tomb. The light slowly faded, and darkness overpowered Zell and Puma.

"We don't have a torch," Zell started. "Keep one hand on the right wall at all times. We'll just keep taking rights until we reach something." Puma nodded, but of course, the blonde didn't see that. He followed Zell's heavy footsteps, always making sure they were clearly audible. The moist smell of decay flooded the air, as this was one of the worst smelling places Puma had ever been in. The darkness was so thick; the redhead couldn't see his feet. This led to a couple of stumbles, but he never completely fell. It was scary.

Puma wanted desperately to grab onto Zell's shirt, and have the blonde lead him. That wasn't SeeD quality though. Zell wouldn't be able to protect him when he was in Esthar, alone fighting Malboros some day. He needed to be strong; he had to survive. These thoughts encouraged him, and he trudged on faster, not fearing every footstep anymore. Success motivated Puma. He wanted to be the best. Zell and him were the same in this aspect. They thrived on competition. If you wanted them to do something, turn it into a game. Ego is a tremendous fuel.

Zell's hand slipped off the wall, and he felt the path take a sharp right. He lit a quick fire spell, and realized they were at a four-way intersection.

"Which way?" Zell asked, looking back to make sure Puma was behind him.

"We're keeping to the wall, so we'd go right?" Puma said, as the room slowly faded back to darkness. "I say keep to the original plan. It'll let us do a full lap around the structure."

"Good ears," Zell muttered. "Keep your hand on the wall. We're going right."

"Yes sir." Puma began to dislike the wall, as it was wet and smelled of decay, but it was better then walking around in circles. He took the sharp right with Zell, and continued to feel the cool rock rub under his hand. The quarterstaff lied in his left hand, which he gripped tightly. Some low grumblings were heard, and Zell stopped his pace. Puma ran into the back of him, unable to realize the blonde quit walking.

"Monsters in here," Zell noted, pulling his metal knuckles out of his pant's pockets. "Be ready." Puma gripped his quarterstaff tighter, and once again followed Zell's quiet footsteps. The sounds got louder, and Puma knew they were walking into a blind fight.

Zell hoped to quietly walk around the beast, but to no such success. He head Puma cry out, and then a thud followed. Zell quickly turned, but couldn't see anything.

A tentacle had wrapped around Puma's ankle, but he was quick to take the offensive. He took a swipe at the body of the beast, but the stick bounced off. It was like fighting a bowl of Jello®. Desperate, he tried to break off the tentacle, but found it of the same consistency of the rest of the body.

A bright light interrupted the struggle however, as Zell shot a fire spell towards the ceiling. Puma looked at the blue beast before him, and immediately recognized it as a Blobra. He heard the name before, but forgot its characteristics.

"Blobra…Blobra…blue, gel like…strong against physical attacks…" Puma thought. "Weak against magic," he said aloud, and hit it with a thunder spell. The foe cried out, as its boneless form started to melt away. Zell hit it with another thunder spell, and it soon disintegrated.

"Which way are we going?" the blonde asked, helping Puma to his feet.

"That way," Puma pointed in front of himself.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, you see how it's lighter ahead of us then it is behind us?" Zell took a look around, and realized that he was right. The shadows were thicker behind them then they did straight ahead. "I think there's some opening or something down there, maybe a balcony," Puma continued.

"Yeah you're right," Zell said. "Let's go check it out." Returning his hand to the slimy wall, Puma continued forward. Slowly, more and more of the cavern became visible, and eventually he could see his feet again. A room became clearly visible with only one door for exit and entrance. Light poured into the room from an overhanging window. Puma was glad to be out of the eternal pit of darkness, and cherished the broad daylight.

"The hell's that?" Zell asked, walking over to a large structure in the middle of the room. Puma's eyes followed, and found a sleeping, bull-like figure on a pedestal. It was huge, blue, and stood on its hind legs. In its hands was a steel mace, its apparent weapon. Luckily, it wasn't moving or breathing.

"Weird statue," Puma muttered, touching its arm. He immediately jumped back, and gripped his quarterstaff. It was warm and scaly. "Get back!" he yelled to Zell.

"What's wrong?" Zell asked, pulling on his knuckles. That question didn't need to be answered though. The bull's eyelids rolled back, and a pair of terrifying yellow eyes glared. A tremor filled the ground, as the beast jumped from his pedestal to an attack stance.

"YOU BASTARDS DARE DISTURB THE TOMB!?" the beast bellowed, pointing his mace at the two. Zell ran a quick scan on it:

Name: Sacred

HP: Unknown

ATK: Unknown

DEF: Unknown

SPC: Unknown

GF, little is known about this creature.

"That fucking helps," Zell muttered, returning his attention to the foe. Sacred moved first with a swing of his mace at Puma. The redhead caught it with his quarterstaff, and attempted to push it back. The foe weighed a ton though, and all he was able to do was stop the weapon's downward motion. Zell caught Sacred off guard, and delivered a swift jab to its' head. It fell back, but quickly regained himself. Sacred looked to the ground, and cast something of a cure spell.

"The hell was that," Puma cried, seeing the fiend get a second wind.

"Let's try to keep it off its feet then," Zell ordered, plotting his next move. Puma nodded, and ran in to attack. He ducked under Sacred's mace, and took out its feet with a swing of his stick. Another tremor shot through the ground, as the beast fell on its stomach. Zell shot a thunder spell, causing it to twitch violently. It turned on its back, as Puma twirled his stick, and attempted to crack it over its head. It was caught by Sacred's mace though, and the huge foe threw Puma back ten feet towards the window.

The beast regained his feet, and faced Zell. The blonde pushed it back with a fire spell, but if Puma didn't get up soon, it was going to be a rough one-on-one battle. Sacred rushed him, and swung his mace at his head. Zell sidestepped the slow attack, and tried to disarm the monster. He grabbed the rod, but suffered the same fate as Puma. Sacred easily out powered him, and threw him towards the window.

"WEAKLINGS!" Sacred roared, blood seeping from its mouth and chest. "CHALLENGE ME WHEN YOU'RE READY! The strange creature ran from the room, and back into the darkness.

"What the hell was that?" Puma asked, helping Zell to his feet. The blonde shrugged and dusted himself off.

"Stay to the right wall," he replied. "See where it leads us."

(**********)

"It's like a railroad switch," Zoe commented, looking at the structure. They were in a well-lit room like Zell and Puma had been. A window loomed high on the back wall, and like Puma and Zell, they were glad to be out of the dark hallways.

"Turn it," Squall commanded. Zoe obliged, but nothing happened.

"Well there you have it," Zoe complained. It was a very boring trip so far. They hadn't run into any challenges since they were outside, and when they reach a shade of hope with a sunlit room, they find a defective switch.

"Figures," Squall thought. "Keep to the left wall," he muttered gripping his gunblade. "See if we can find another room." Zoe nodded, and grabbed her scythe. Like Death itself, Zoe cut her foes down with the U-shaped sword. She was the only one in the garden who used such tactics, much like Zell. The scythe wasn't considered as powerful as the gunblade, as it didn't have the option of bullets, but it was a terrifying force. Like Puma, she had a very basic model, but if she became powerful enough to use the upper models, every swipe would cut an enemy in half.

Reluctantly, Zoe followed Squall out of the sunlit room, and followed him back into the dark labyrinths of the Tomb. She watched the light from the room got smaller and smaller, until they were once again covered with thick shadows. With her hand on the wall, Zoe tried to keep up with the silent lion. Squall was much harder to follow then Zell. The blonde walked in heavy thumps, while Squall's footsteps were almost inaudible. At times, Zoe would listen intently, hoping to hear some sign of life in front of her, and she'd gone for moments when she was unsure if Squall was even there anymore. That's why she enjoyed the room so much. It was a safe haven that allowed her to know she kept up with the brunette for the first leg of the trip. Now it was back to the depths of uncertainty.

She kept her hand on the wall for what seemed like an eternity; praying she wouldn't fall; praying Squall was still in front of her. Her worries were replaced with bigger ones though, as she heard a screech. It sounded like a sword was dragged against the wall to her right, and she knew it wasn't Squall. Her question about his presence was quickly answered though, as a shot fired from the gunblade. It lit up the room, and she found herself beside a skeleton wielding a sword.

"Forbidden," she remembered, jogging her memory. "Although it has no skin or muscle, it is still easily defeated through physical attacks." Recalling this, she raised her scythe, and slashed the enemy while Squall's light was still visible. She heard it squeal in pain, and felt some of the bones fall apart under her strike. The Forbidden seemed to have better night vision however, as she felt him slice her shoulder with his sword. Screaming, Squall stepped in, and fired another shot. His accuracy was astonishing, as Zoe saw part of its skull fly in the air through the bullet's light. While he could still see it, Squall took off the rest of the Forbidden's head, and then shot its chest for good measure. The bones quickly crumbled to the floor, and it was done.

Zoe cast a cure on her shoulder, which allowed her to see Squall walking on, obviously remembering which way they were going. She hurried to catch up, and once again fell into darkness as the cure spell disappeared. To her utter joy, another light was visible like that of the first room. She hurried her pace, and soon, Squall's back became visible again. They returned to the paradise of light, as she was once again able to see where she was going.

This room was different from the first, as it was more of a balcony then a room. The first thing she noticed was the sound of flowing water. The second thing she noticed was Zell and Puma.

"Nice of you to join us," Zell smirked, greeting them. Squall nodded, but Zoe just stared at him. "Did you see the bull?"

"What bull?" Squall asked, interested. "Did you find the GF?"

"Yeah but it got away," Zell muttered, disappointed. "You guys didn't find it?"

"No, we only turned some switch in a room like this."

"What did you take the left wall?"

"Yeah."

"We took the right, so between the both of us, we checked out the whole exterior."

"All that's left is the middle," Squall nodded, getting Zell's drift.

"Hey look at this!" Puma muttered, kicking a wooden board.

"Holy shit!" Zell cried, as the water started to flood the room. Luckily, the edges of the room were lowered slightly, and the water irrigated out of them.

"Sorry," Puma squeaked, blushing. Squall covered his face with his hand.

(**********)

"Number 3," the faculty member guarding the Tomb's entrance stated.

"Thank You," Selphie said politely.

"See I told you we weren't so bad off," Seifer boasted leading her into the tomb.

"Those were some of the worst directions I ever took," Selphie whined.

"They were obviously better then seventeen other ones," Seifer shot back. Selphie shook her head, but the large blonde didn't see it. "It's fucking dark in here."

"Oh well spotted!"

"Shut up." The second thing they noticed was the presence of running water. "Shit!"

"What happened?"

"There's water running on the edges beside the walls."

"That's nice, now here's what we're going to do: We don't have a source of light, so we're going to have to follow a wall, to be sure of our direction."

"Fuck that, I'm not getting my shoe wet again!"

"So what do you suggest we do Candidate Almasy?"

"Let's go straight, we'll explore the middle first."

"Seifer, that'll never work, for one…"

"Follow me or get left behind." Moaning in frustration, Selphie reluctantly followed. She tried her best to keep her balance and walk in a straight line, but she wavered every now and then. Luckily, Seifer made loud footsteps, and he was easy to follow. They hadn't walked a short way until signs of sunlight became visible. Sunlight poured through a gaping hole in the ceiling, showing a small hut surrounded by a moat. The water had raised a wobbly bridge.

"Do I have a sense of direction or what?" Seifer gloated looking back at Selphie. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't argue with him. This was definitely what they were looking for. The GF would be in here, or they'd find Hansen and Gretzel, one of the two.

"There's a good chance the GF is in here. Are you ready?" she asked. Seifer pulled out his gunblade, and she took that as a yes. They balanced themselves across the bridge, and didn't knock before going inside. A large coffin lied in the center of the room, and on top of it were two bull statues. One was much bigger then the other, but they both wielded maces.

"So much for the GF," Seifer muttered, dropping his gunblade to his side. Selphie was also disappointed, and tried to look around for any sign of a GF. "Let's go," Seifer nodded, turning back.

"THESE AREN'T THE ONES WHO ATTACKED ME, BUT THEY INVADED THE TOMB!" Sacred bellowed, yellow eyes flashing back open.

"THEY'LL DO WELL ENOUGH!" the smaller beast cried in the same loud voice. Seifer and Selphie quickly jerked around and realized the statues had come to life. Raising their weapons, they prepared for battle. Sacred was the first to take the offensive, as he swung his mace a Seifer's head. The blonde caught it with his gunblade, and powered the big bull onto its back. A tremor flooded the ground, as it fell to the floor. Seifer then opened up the beast's stomach with a shot from his gunblade. Selphie approached to knock the large foe herself, but the smaller bull snuck up on her.

Before she knew what happened, a searing pain shot up her legs. The mace shattered her legs, and blood started to pour out of them. Seifer cast a Cura on her to stop the bleeding, but she was not going to get up for the rest of the battle. While the Sacred still recovered on the ground, Seifer drew the smaller bull's attention by attempting to slice it with his gunblade. It was quicker though, and he missed. The blonde fired a shot, knocking the small bull back. The battle paused, as Seifer tried to think of what to do next. Sacred regained his feet, and the smaller bull seemed ready to go another round.

"2-ON-1 HUH BRO!" Sacred sneered, glaring down the large blonde.

"THIS IS A PIECE OF CAKE!" Minotaur laughed.

Seifer knew the odds weren't in his favor, but never lost hope. He would fight to the death if necessary, and in his opinion, he could still slay both of them. The blonde started by shooting the egotistical little bull in the mouth with a fire spell, and then turned to decapitate Sacred with his sword. He had no such luck however.

From behind, a scythe all but cut off Sacred's feet, and the beast sent another tremor through the ground, as it fell. Puma came into view, and used a scan spell on the smaller bull.

Name: Minotaur

HP: Unknown

ATK: Unknown

DEF: Unknown

SPC: Unknown

GF. He is the brother of Sacred. Much stronger, but also much smaller.

"That doesn't help me," Puma complained, eyeing the pint-sized creature. Trying to capitalize on the distraction, Seifer rushed Minotaur, but it caught his approach at the last second. The blond swung a little high, and only tore off a piece of its horn. Minotaur howled in pain, but kept his attack stance. Sacred regained his feet, and faced the three.

"THAT BASTARD; THE ONE WITH THE STICK. HE ATTACKED ME!" Sacred cried.

"DON'T WORRY BRO, WE'LL HAVE OUR REVENGE!" Minotaur replied. Squall and Zell snuck their way into the room, but their first priority came to Selphie. They inched their way around the perimeter, and went to her side.

Glad for reinforcements, Seifer picked up where he left off. He took an upper swing at Sacred, but it blocked it with its mace. He tried a couple more times, but Sacred kept up with each attempt. Zoe interrupted their back and forth blows however, by slicing open Sacred's head with her scythe. Minotaur tried to help, but he forgot about Puma. The quarterstaff took out the runt's feet, and he delivered an additional lash to its back. Seifer fired his gunblade, only worsening Zoe's attack. Beaten and knocked back, both Brothers regained their feet, and took the offensive.

Realizing that solo attacks wouldn't work, they teamed up to take out the threesome. They decided Seifer was the strongest, and both attacked him first. The big blonde caught Minotaur's mace, but was unable to block Sacred's attack. He felt the flesh tear on his side, as the spiked ball connected.

"Ahh…" he moaned, but kept his footing. Limit break time. He cut Sacred's head wound wider with a strong uppercut from his gunblade. He then jumped high in the air, and blasted the large bull with an intense fire spell. Firecross. Sacred took one knee, but was not completely defeated.

Puma tossed Seifer a potion, but Minotaur capitalized on his inattention. The redhead caught the attack moments before it occurred, but was unable to get out of the way. His right arm was crushed under the weight of the mace. Limit break time. A black cloud of dust with a fire spell in the middle engulfed both Minotaur and Sacred. Suddenly, the cloud burst in all directions with bright flashes of greens, blues, reds, oranges, and yellows shooting outwards. Supernova.

"AVENGE ME BRO!" Sacred screamed, as he slumped to the floor. This enraged the smaller bull, and he let it off. He rushed Zoe, and swung his mace with quickness unknown to man. She was able to block to first couple, but was too slow to keep up. Minotaur finally landed a hit to her hip. Blood flowed out, as the small bull removed his mace. Limit break time. Gathering all of her magical energy, death rose from his black pit of eternal sleep, and cut Minotaur with his scythe. Lv. 10 Death.

"YOU'RE PRETTY…TOUGH…WE'LL JOIN YOU!" Minotaur heaved, before falling to the ground defeated.

(**********)

"Number four," the faculty member stated, as Nida and his candidate entered the Tomb.

"Thanks," he replied, and made his way into the darkness.