Disclaimer: All the new characters and spells belong to me -- Squaresoft doesn't own them. I would like it very much if you didn't use them for any reason without my written permission. All the Final Fantasy characters, as well as the world and other references to it, belong to them (Squaresoft). Now you know . . . and knowing is half the battle. (GI Joe, the American heeerrroooo. . .!) *laughs*
Started: May 8, 2000
Finished: May 11, 2000 (Oh, my God!! *_*)
Chapter 7:
Ceyx
Algus Sadalfas forced himself into a sprint, grabbing the older teenager as he began to collapse. "Great Ajora, Seifer!" he gasped, straining under his savior's weight. "Where did you come from??"
Seifer Almasy coughed and shuddered in Algus' arms, struggling to regain his footing. "My . . . other body," he managed, grasping Hyperion tightly in his ungloved hand. "I was knocked unconscious . . . and woke up in this body."
Algus managed a weak grin. "So that actually came in handy. Lucky me, huh?"
Laughing shortly at Algus' remark, Seifer balanced himself on Algus' shoulder and stared out into the darkness. ". . . Are they all right?"
"I don't think anyone's dead, if that's what you mean," Algus replied. "We can't just leave them out here, though. . ."
"Don't worry. If I know puberty boy, he'll be here any minute now."
As if summoned forth by Seifer's words, Squall Leonhart stormed into the infirmary, his Lionheart gunblade blazing blue in his hands. Behind him were Zell Dincht and Quistis Trepe, staring through the room and at the two figures standing next to the destroyed wall.
"What the. . .? Seifer?" Squall lowered his weapon and stepped through the wet infirmary, frowning at his rival. "What happened here?"
Algus blinked in surprise when he watched a wild smile crease Seifer's face, then backed away as the taller teenager straightened and took a step towards the black-clothed SeeD. "Squall, Squall, Squall. . . Not even a hello for your rival?" queried Seifer, ignoring his fatigue and pain.
Squall sheathed his weapon. ". . . Whatever."
Quistis was curling up her Save the Queen whip as she approached. "Seifer, what happened? Who is he?" She gestured to Algus, then blinked hard at the slightly-younger teenager as something finally settled in her head. "Seifer, you shouldn't be out of bed!"
Seifer growled in irritation. "You expected me to sit in bed when everybody's getting the shit beaten out of 'em?" he snapped, pointing at his unconscious posse, Selphie, and two others not quite recognizable in the dark. "Damn, that's cold coming from you, Instructor."
"Shut up, Almasy!" roared Zell, punching the ground angrily. "You're just bein' a bastard, like always!"
"Why don't you shut up, chicken-wuss," Seifer hissed. "I've been to Hell and back and through it all again. . . I don't need your shit right now!"
With that said, Seifer turned his back on the small group and limped into the darkness, barefoot. Algus frowned after him for a long moment, then turned his blue eyes to the three slightly-surprised teenagers. "I apologize," he began, awkwardly stooping into a small bow, "but like Seifer said, he's been through a lot. I am Algus Sadalfas."
Quistis looked at the boy that was only an inch taller than herself. "For a moment," she remarked, "I thought you were related to Seifer. . . You certainly look like him."
Algus was taken aback by her words, but turned his face quickly to avoiding showing his shock. ". . . Yes, well . . . I take it that you're friends of . . . Selphie? According to Seifer, he only has two friends."
At Algus' dry comment, frowns grew on all three SeeDs' faces. ". . . Man, 'guess I was wrong," grumbled Zell, sticking his hands in his back pockets. "Hmph . . . Almasy actually thinks about others than himself."
Moaning sounded through the night as the unconscious people began to awaken. The group of teenagers stopped their conversation, concentrating on the problem on hand.
* * * * *
Fujin coughed and accepted the blanket from Raijin, murmuring something incoherent as she wrapped herself in it. Raijin grinned, taking the murmurs as a thank you, and shifted on the balls of his feet to look at the small group that had gathered in the quad. After the partial destruction of the infirmary, Squall had suggested they move to a more spacious -- and complete -- area of the Garden.
Seifer sat underneath the far tree, his arms crossed sullenly over his chest. He had taken the white coat from the older blond known as Rufus and donned it. Rufus and Algus sat to either side of him, all of them quietly conversing. They looked absolutely grim as they spoke.
Squall, Zell, Quistis, and Selphie Tilmitt were standing together in a loose circle, holding their own conversation. They would throw uneasy glances at the three blondes sitting under the tree from time to time, and that was all it took for Fujin and Raijin to tell that they were talking about Seifer and his two new . . . comrades.
Still buried in the blanket, Fujin stood up from her seat on the stairs and walked up to Seifer, gazing at him with her one eye. "SEIFER," she began, ignoring the fact that she had interrupted their conversation.
"Feeling better, Fuj?" Seifer asked, smiling faintly.
"DECEIVE! LIE!" she hissed, holding her chin high. "EXPLAIN!"
". . . I'll explain in a minute," breathed the teenager, tugging at the suit's pure white sleeves. "Puberty boy's gonna ask the same thing undoubtedly." He glanced at the two young men at his sides. "Do either of you have a Sleep spell?"
Algus slowly nodded. "I do. . . Why?"
"Cast it on me. I need to get my other body; this body's still healing."
"OTHER BODY?"
"Gee . . . I thought I dreamt that part up, ya know?"
"RAIJIN, EXPLAIN!!"
"Ummm. . . Er . . . ya know?"
"RAGE!" Kick.
Rolling his eyes, Seifer laid down under the tree. "You may fire when ready, Al."
A bluish aura surrounded Algus as he began chanting. "Lose conscious, wash away into the silent sea. . . Sleep!"
Rufus stood up and backed away as the spell took effect, afraid that he would get caught in the same spell that claimed Seifer. ". . . I still can't get over your magic, Algus," he said, speaking loud enough for Fujin to hear him for the first time. ". . . Of course, I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to get used to it."
Algus smiled wryly and nodded, crossing his arms when he realized the group of four had dispersed and were heading their way. Squall gestured to Seifer as he approached. "Why is he asleep?"
"He went to get his other body," Rufus replied, nonchalantly flicking back his blond bangs.
That statement caused Zell, Squall, and Quistis to all blink -- hard. Only Selphie was able to speak. "Booyaka! I told you so!!"
". . . Whatever."
Quistis sighed. "Well, should we interrogate them now, Squall? We certainly can't kick them off the campus -- not after that . . . unexplained incident."
"I would prefer we wait for Seifer," Rufus interrupted. "He could explain a lot more than either Algus or myself."
"No need!" came a familiar voice. Heads turned as a white blur entered the quad, leaping off the stairs and landing firmly near them. A blue-eyed Seifer smirked as he withdrew his gunblade, swinging it in a wide arc before letting it rest on his shoulder. "I'm here."
"Damn!" growled Zell, stamping his foot. "Showoff!"
Fujin shot looks from one Seifer to the other, her frown growing with each look. "EXPLAIN!!" she ordered, marching to join the gathering crowd.
"Yeesh . . . chill, Fuj," Seifer started, waving his free hand at the silver-haired girl. "Let's see. . . Where do I begin?"
"From the beginning would be preferable, Seifer." Quistis kept her voice dry and neutral, despite the abnormal circumstances.
With a shrug, Seifer explained how he had awoken in the dark corridor with Rufus and Algus after having fallen asleep in Balamb Hotel. He told, in detail, why he woke up in the hotel and left, earning shocked looks from both Fujin and Raijin. Rufus took over from there, describing how they had ended up in their world and how they had met the three members of the Immortal Council.
". . . That sounds hella insane," Zell grumbled, bowing his head as Rufus finished. "I mean, world-switching? Almasy, you sure you didn't get picked up by Dr. Odine or somethin'?"
"Shut up, chicken-wuss!"
"There's nothing crazy about it, Zell!" defended Selphie. "We, like, had those dreams about Sir Laguna, didn't we?? That seems a lot like this, doesn't it?"
". . . Not really," Squall said flatly, frowning at the mention of his long-lost father. ". . . But I think I believe them. The only thing I don't understand is . . . why?"
"You're asking us?" Seifer looked at the shorter young man incredulously. "Dammit, Squall, if I had answers, I'd be kickin' the ass of whoever's screwin' with me!"
"What are we supposed to do about this?" queried Quistis. "We really don't know what this council wants or why they've honed in on these three."
"May I add something?" piped up Algus. He pointed at Seifer and Rufus' clothing. "We did a lot of fighting before we reached this Garden, along with a lot of bloodletting. Our clothing, however, don't show any signs of that anymore."
Seifer nodded, brushing at his clean trenchcoat. "They've got weird magic that I've never seen before. Ruf and Al use different magic, too; they don't need GFs like we do."
Everyone's eyes shifted to the two foreigners. "Really?" Selphie gasped. "You don't use Guardian Forces?"
"That's different, ya know?"
"STRANGE. . ."
* * * * *
". . . I don't like Faril's report."
"Faril's report was inaccurate; he was taken by surprise by your chosen."
The third glanced at the two speakers, folding his arms over his chest. "We shall send another, then."
The second turned to acknowledge the eldest of the three, frowning. "Another? Faril was our only impartial warrior. . . All the others are absolutely helpless without another person."
A slow smile crept up the third's face. "What about Ceyx?"
"The High Talisman's son??" gasped the first. "He's so . . . young!"
"Just because he's young doesn't mean that he's inexperienced," reminded the third. "He has far more magic experience than Andres and more weapon expertise than Newn."
". . . That sure says a lot," the second muttered sarcastically. "Andres has never used magic and Newn doesn't use weapons!"
"Exactly my point." The third's eyes glittered bright green in the dark.
* * * * *
The chime of the clock on the wall told him that it was midnight.
Dong. . .
Dong. . .
Dong. . .
Dong. . .
"Damn clock."
The smoldering circular object on the wall told him absolutely nothing.
Rufus glanced at Seifer from his place at the window, frowning. The young man's hand still glowed with the dying fire magic. "Won't Ms. Trepe be angry that you destroyed her clock?" After the long interrogation, the three had managed to get away from the SeeDs. Fujin and Raijin had already turned in for the night, and Rufus had urged Algus to join them. As a result, the young ex-President's only company for the night was Seifer.
". . . Nah. The Instructor knows that leaving me in a room with breakable stuff isn't a good idea."
"She doesn't know that we're in here," reminded Rufus.
Seifer chuckled and strode over to Rufus' side, gazing out at the mixed scenery of the land, sea, and stars. "Good point." He leaned against the sill of the window, cocking his head to look at the older man's face bathed in the moonlight. ". . . Got something on your mind, Ruf? You look sorta . . . pensive."
Silence hung in the air at the question, as the ticking of the clock had been stilled. ". . . This view makes me feel . . . homesick," Rufus finally whispered, smiling sadly. "Whenever I look out at the ocean, I imagine Junon Harbor."
"Hometown?"
"No . . . but it was the closest to one that I ever had. Most of my life took place there."
"Then that's your hometown," replied Seifer. "I don't think I was born here in Balamb, but I've spent almost my whole life here. I call it my hometown."
"You don't think?" repeated Rufus, aiming his blue eyes at the taller young man. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm an orphan. 'Never knew where I was born or who my parents were. All I know is that I was in an orphanage with Squally and his little squad."
"Why aren't you friends with them, then? You seem to have strong-enough ties to them to build a bond. . ."
"Huh?" Seifer blinked, then shrugged. "I was a bully; 'never got along with the others. Chicken-wuss -- Zell -- and Squall remember that much."
"Why can't you remember things like that? Those memories are all you have of your childhood."
Seifer reached into his pocket and pulled out the sphere he had picked up in the hallway. "GFs. They steal more of our memories with each time we junction to them."
"Then why do you use them?"
"Rufus, this is a world where there's mercenaries abound. If you don't know a trade, you're a mercenary -- a SeeD, or a Garden student. If you're not one of those, you're a loser. Garden students use GFs to get an edge over everything else."
"But isn't there another way? Materia holds no side effects like that."
"Nope."
Again, it became quiet in the classroom. Then, ". . . How do you remember recent things, then? If you lose memories, how to retain anything at all?"
"Constant use. If I didn't talk for a year or something, I'd forget. Being around familiar people keeps you from forgetting them. So I won't be forgetting your ugly face anytime soon."
Rufus rolled his eyes. "If I'm ugly, cross-eyes, you're absolutely hideous."
". . . 'Least I'm not ugly."
". . . . . . . . . . 'Least I'm not a jackass."
Seifer stiffened, staring straight at Rufus. "Did you just say that?" he demanded.
Rufus turned to face him, his eyes wide with surprise. "No . . . I didn't." He spun, facing the rest of the darkened classroom. "Who's there!?"
"Ask and you shall receive an answer. . ." From the darkness stepped a boy, dressed in black pants and a dark green shirt that billowed softly as he moved. He moved silently, black, soft-toed shoes helping him accomplish just that. He couldn't have been any older than seventeen. "Rufus Shinra, Seifer Almasy . . . I am Ceyx Hale."
"Another Immortal, I'm guessing?" Seifer growled. I just knew I'd need my gunblade. . . Dammit.
"Heh . . . yeah, you're right." Ceyx stepped closer, revealing his snow-white, chin-length hair. The pale hair was so fair that it rippled and moved as he came forward. "I must say, you three have surprised us all; we've never seen such an amusing act before."
"Act?" repeated Rufus, glaring venomously. "You're just toying with us?!"
Ceyx shrugged. "Call it what you want; we call our actions orders. My own orders are too gauge you . . . since Faril was unable to do so." Before the two young men's eyes, two long blades slid into view in the boy's hands, seemingly having appeared from behind his arms and flipped into sight.
"Katanas," Seifer hissed, backing away from the window. Rufus did so as well, moving away from both Seifer and Ceyx. I really hate using these GFs, but. . . Grasping the orb in his hand, Seifer junctioned Tritoch and concentrated on a spell. "Blizzara!"
The boy lifted his swords in an X, warding off a good amount of the ice damage. "'Gotta try better than that," he taunted, leaping onto a computer terminal and holding his right blade to his chest, tip aiming for the sky. "Skybolt!"
Blue lightning crashed down from nonexistence, striking Seifer in the left shoulder. He let out a curse, falling backwards and onto his back. Rufus took the blow in the leg, collapsing to one knee in pain. "Gauging. . .," rasped Rufus. "You sure you're not just trying to kill us?"
Again, Ceyx shrugged fluidly. "If you cannot withstand my attack, you deserve to die."
"You're colder than I am," Seifer groaned, pushing himself into a sitting position with one arm. "Damn. 'Never thought I'd see the day. . ."
"Oh, shut up." Ceyx twisted his blades into an offensive position, whipping back his white hair. "C'mon."
The two blondes forced themselves to their feet, Rufus favoring his left leg while Seifer's left arm hung at his side, useless. Rufus grinned wearily and spoke. "I'm so glad that I decided to keep a weapon with me." He raised his left hand, a red light bathing the room. "Diamond Dust!"
Blue streams of magic spun through the room, the air becoming frigid almost instantly. A pale-skinned beauty -- easily identified as Shiva -- formed out of the frost, opening cold blue eyes to focus on Ceyx. In almost a slow-motion effect, she raised her hands and shot out a shower of icy magic that sent Ceyx flying into the far wall.
". . . You can summon GFs?!" gasped Seifer, staring at his companion.
"Of course. . . Materia has a lot of different types. That was a summon materia."
Ceyx climbed to his feet, shaking his head. "Red. . . I've never seen anyone with red before," he whispered to himself, clenching his katanas tighter. Louder, he declared, "Is that the best you can do?!"
Spinning to face their opponent, Rufus and Seifer fell into defensive positions. Without weapons other than their magic, they would have to keep at a distance against the boy. "You have anything we can use against him?" Seifer queried, searching his GF-junction for some special skill to use.
"I only have elemental magic materia and an Enemy Skill, along with five summons. I'm afraid I don't have anyth--" Rufus stopped, his eyes growing wide. He shifted his gaze to Ceyx, lifting his right hand up. A blue aura surrounded him as a word came to life at his lips. "Skydragon!"
Ceyx's eyes sank back into his head as he witnessed the creation of a blue dragon at the hands of the young ex-President. He let out an inaudible curse and changed his stance into a defensive one, shutting his eyes as the dragon crashed into him with a terrible force. His back screamed out as he was hurled into the far wall again, this time plowing right through it and into the hallway.
Seifer's jaw dropped, looking at the damage Rufus had done. "What was that?!" he demanded.
Rufus stared at his hands, his face paling visible even in the shadows. "That's the second time. . .," he gasped out. "I cast their type of magic -- without materia!"
A rasping sound could be heard as Ceyx staggered back into the room, glaring. His purple eyes blazed far more brightly than before, covering the area around him in a shallow light. ". . . I didn't believe Paryes. . .," he said, rubbing soot from his face. ". . . You're not normal. . . You're different from all the others."
"What are you talking about?" Seifer glared as he spoke.
Ceyx's blades disappeared again as he slowly composed himself. "No one's supposed to be able to use magic of the White Formation except for Immortals . . . but you, Shinra, do it almost . . . naturally." He lifted one hand up to his brow in a salute. "This gauging period is over. . . You have survived. Next time, all three of you will be gauged. And next time, I won't hold back." With that, Ceyx vanished in the heart of a white sphere of light.
Rufus shut his eyes and fell to his knees, bowing his head as fatigue struck him. "I'm drained," he whispered. "That magic . . . is so energy-consuming."
Seifer was frowning, cradling his injured arm as he stood over Rufus. ". . . He was holding back?" he murmured, unbelieving. "He injured us like that, and he was holding back?!" Dread gripped him as he thought of the boy's power.
The two remained in those positions, one standing and one kneeling, until students and SeeDs alike came upon the scene less than five minutes later.
Well . . . another chapter, another mystery. When will all the questions be answered?? (Not anytime soon, I'll tell you that much. . .) Ah, and as for our boy-Immortal (who I picture as a real cutie ^_~), his name is pronounced Ceyx Hale (Kay-ix Hay-ul).
Onto Chapter 8
Back to Chapter 6
Back to The Insane