Disclaimer: The members of the Immortal Council, as well as the spells they use, belong to me (Athena). Squaresoft owns the casts of the Final Fantasies used to make this story -- Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and Tactics. I am not making money off of these characters, so I'm not being sued.
Started: May 12, 2000
Finished: May 18, 2000 (Gee, I'm writing fast. . . Maybe it's a phase. . .)
Chapter 8:
No Rest and Relaxation
"Seifer."
He opened his eyes and started to sit up, wincing as his chest shouted out in protest. Two hands gripped his shoulders and gently pushed him back down on the bed. Seifer Almasy found himself looking up at a red eye and . . . blackness.
". . . Fujin?"
Fujin allowed a small smile and nodded, letting go of her friend's shoulders. "You've been asleep for quite a while. I was wondering if you were still . . . awake in your other body."
Seifer frowned, trying to lift his arms. His left arm no longer hurt, but the pain had been moved to his chest and back. "W-- what happened to Rufus? Is he all right?"
Fujin again nodded, glancing to the door of Seifer's old single dorm. "He was almost unconscious when they found him. What happened? Rumors are flying throughout the Garden."
"To hell with the rumors. We got attacked again." Seifer slowly levered himself into a sitting position, feeling Fujin take hold of his shoulders.
"You do know you only injured this body even more with that attack in the infirmary. If this keeps happening, this body will never heal."
"Fuj, I don't need this right now. . . C'mon; I thought you would understand."
"I do. . . Are you getting up now?"
Seifer replied by getting off the bed, standing up and stalking towards the door.
"SEIFER!"
He froze, turning slowly as he realized Fujin had shifted back into her normal, few-word phrases. "Yeah?"
"NO SHIRT."
For the first time, Seifer realized he wasn't wearing a shirt. "Damn. I forgot Ruf got his jacket back." Sighing, Seifer went to his closet, smirking as he realized no one had touched any of his stuff since he had left. I wonder why? he thought as he rummaged through the shirts and coats.
Caught up in his own thoughts, the former leader of the Disciplinary Committee forgot that Fujin was even present. Fujin giggled silently to herself as she watched, sitting down on the bed as Seifer began to change.
* * * * *
Three young teenagers sat around a cafeteria table, two eating, the other inhaling hotdogs. Algus Sadalfas set down his fork to stare at Zell Dincht, his eyes widening as the spiky-haired boy shoved another whole hotdog in his mouth. After watching for a few seconds, he gazed over at Selphie Tilmitt, frowning. "Does he always eat like this?" he asked.
Selphie smiled brightly and giggled. "Yup," she confirmed. "It gets worse around lunch time."
Zell guzzled down half a soda before speaking up in his own defense. "That's not true! I'm just really hungry!"
"You're hungry all the time, Zell!" replied Selphie, laughing.
Zell snorted and returned to his eating, indulging himself in his fourth hotdog of the morning. Algus simply shook his head and returned his attention to the strange breakfast he had received from the cafeteria -- scrambled eggs and something called "hashbrowns." Both of his eating companions had questioned him as to what world he had come from where they had never had hashbrowns and were given as honest an answer as he could manage. Selphie and Zell had looked at him oddly after his explanation, then laughed and went back to eating. Algus hadn't been sure whether to be indignant or thankful for their reactions.
Squall Leonhart, the apparent leader of the Garden, joined them a while later, glancing at him with a mix of suspicion and unease. He settled into a seat next to him, to Algus' understanding; sitting between Zell Dincht and Selphie Tilmitt for any reason at all could lead to mental instability.
Squall scrutinized the younger teenager, noting that he was wearing a pair of loose black jeans and a red, hooded sweater. The pants, obviously too big for the him, most likely came from Seifer, but Squall suspected the sweater was from Zell. He frowned at him, hating to be the first to start a conversation. ". . . Your name's Algus," he murmured, resting his hands on the tabletop.
Algus nodded, giving his own glance at the black-dressed boy. "And your name's Squall." He patted the chair he sat on. "And this is a chair. And this over here is my breakfast. . ."
A scowl made its way out of Squall. "You're sure you're not related to Seifer?" he questioned, crossing his arms. "You sure have a humor like his."
"I'm positive," Algus said. "My apologies, though; you left yourself wide open." He paused. "Was there something you wanted to ask me?"
"You're very arrogant for someone younger than all of us." Squall tossed back his loose brown hair before continuing. "Actually, Seifer said earlier you use magic without any sort of GF. I'd like to know more about that; only sorceresses can do that around here."
Algus frowned, leaning back in thought. ". . . It's hard to explain; it's natural in my world. Not even the greatest scholars of Magic City Gariland take the time to explain it. We can use magic or spiritual arts through battle experience; certain magical classes are learned only through other classes -- jobs. Different jobs land you in different parts of the country; knights may advance to a holy status, mages become sorcerers or royal advisors." He shrugged. "Magic is natural in my world; it's actually shocking for me to see that you have to rely on . . . creatures for your powers."
". . . That's right. I forgot about that." Squall let out a sigh and crossed his arms.
"Your world reminds me of old, medieval stories I used to read about, Algus," came a new voice. The two boys looked up to see Quistis Trepe standing over them. "I'm sorry; I couldn't help but overhear."
". . . It's all right, Ms. Trepe," Algus murmured, looking at her. Ajora, she is beautiful. . . It's too bad I can't think about things like that right now.
* * * * *
"Well. . ."
". . . Well what?"
The third's eyes lit up as a deceptively tranquil smile creased his face. "Ceyx's performance has given me a lot of useful information. My chosen can use the Arts of Stratas and Jaraga."
The second scowled. "Are you trying to rub it in? It's not like we didn't see Shinra's wondrous displays." His voice was heavy with sarcasm. "I am still concerned about my chosen's two bodies."
"Just listening to you two and your chosen's differences makes me wonder about my own," the first declared, his voice penetrating the dark. "Sadalfas hasn't done anything extraordinary yet."
"We will just have to wait, won't we?" the third murmured. He paused thoughtfully. "Perhaps these three are the Insane."
The second and first gasped simultaneously. "After all these millenniums?" the first managed. "The Insane?"
"I cannot think of anything else that would make sense," was the third's reply. "If they are the Insane, then we will have to change our plans."
"We cannot let the Insane slip by us," agreed the second. "If we can absorb them, then--"
". . . Then we'll have the power to absorb anyone. We won't have to center on three people at a time." The third smiled at the thought.
"It's not wise to jump to conclusions, though," the first interrupted. "Both Sadalfas and Almasy haven't shown any signs of the Insane's power."
". . . How true," the third whispered, nodding. "There's only one way to go around this. We need to bombard them with Arts. Send out Amberyl. She will find out for us."
The second erupted into a fit of laughter. "She'll give them the challenge of their lives!" he crowed. "That woman should be nicknamed 'trouble.'"
* * * * *
"A training center with real monsters. . . It must be efficient."
"Very," affirmed Seifer, walking with Rufus. The older blonde had become a more constant companion than Algus; the said boy had last been seen playing Triple Triad against Nida, with a large crowd gathering around them. Apparently, Algus had a natural talent for the addictive game. ". . . I'll be damned, though, if I actually meet a monster in here that I can't beat."
Rufus was about to answer when a voice cut through the air. ". . . How about those T-Rexaurs?"
A slow grin worked its way onto Seifer's face, and he looked to his left to see a familiar black-dressed boy walking towards them. "Puberty boy!" he greeted, green eyes shining. ". . . Or should I say Commander? You still get in here with such a big job?"
"I always make time for training," Squall replied. His gunblade was gripped firmly in one hand, although not poised for a battle. "You didn't answer my question, Seifer."
Seifer scowled. "Damn T-Rexaurs. . . Hey, they're tough, but I can beat 'em."
"After using a Hero or Holy War, you mean."
The white-coated teenager looked at Squall's growing smirk with a slight frown. "Since when did you start telling lies, Squally?"
"I only state the truth, Seifer."
"Hmph. . . I'll prove ya wrong yet."
Rufus watched the two in amusement, taking in their noticeable differences. They're mirror-image opposites of each other. Seifer wore white, as opposed to Squall's black. Blond to brown in ways of hair -- the closest opposites next to white and black. Even their scars were near-identical. And yet Seifer had been a villain and Squall, a hero.
It sent the concept of good and evil's stereotypical attributes spinning around on the wheel of irony.
* * * * *
"Great job, Al! . . . Yeesh, 'never seen Nida cry so hard in my life!" roared Zell, grinning at Algus as they walked through the curved corridors of Garden to get to the cafeteria. "You've got a real gift for Triple Triad! I mean, you beat him out with Plus and Same rules like it was nobody's business! Damn!!"
Algus smiled freely for the first time in . . . years. Zell was such good company; his enthusiasm and joking nature helped him relax. He pulled a thick pack of cards from the pouch in his sweater, sorting through a good number of Bombs, Oilboyles, Hexadragons, and other cards. His fingers found one especially rare card, which he held out to Zell. "Here, Zell. I think you should have it; you gave me my first seven cards."
"Wha--?" Zell blinked at the card Algus held out, then stopped in shock. "No way! That's an Ultima Weapon! Man, I've only seen Squall with one!" He hesitantly took the card, then leapt into the air, pumping his fist in triumph. "Booya!! All right!!" He stepped backwards and did a backflip, whooping. "Thanks, man! This is hella great!"
Algus rocked back and forth on his heels as he watched, then piped up, "Shouldn't we get going? You said something about hotdogs. . ."
As Algus trailed off, a piercing scream rang through the Garden. Stiffening, the two blondes turned toward the source of the noise. Students and faculty spilled out of the cafeteria, yelling out as bolts of lightning and flames bit at them.
"
What the hell. . .?" Zell muttered. He reached into his shirt and pulled out his trusty Ehrgeiz gloves, tugging them on. "C'mon, Al! Let's go see what's going on!"
Algus frowned and nodded, running after Zell down the hall. His mind wandered toward his Night Killer, which was still in the room he had shared with Raijin and Fujin. At least I have my spells and skills; I'm not going into this battle completely helpless.
They pushed their way past the fleeing students, somehow managing to get into the cafeteria. Students lay sprawled over tables and chairs, some clutching weapons in his hands. In the heart of the cafeteria stood a woman, only as tall as Quistis, with waist-length silver hair that whipped around from its ponytail knotted at the top of her head. She wore an exotic dress of emerald green that glittered as she moved, making her appear more mysterious than she already was.
She was an Immortal, Algus realized. . . And she was fighting a SeeD of Balamb Garden.
"Xu!" Zell shouted, racing forward at the sight of the spear-wielding young woman. She alone stood against the silver-haired woman, although injuries were apparent by the burns and tears in her clothes.
"Zell, get Squall down here! We could use some help here!!" snapped back Xu, leaping forward at the Immortal.
"Iceprison!"
Horror etched the two teenagers' faces as they watched a blue aura engulf Xu, then solidify into a casing of ice that surrounded her from head to toe. "XU!!" screamed Zell, running forward and glaring daggers into the woman. "What the hell did you do to her!?"
"Foolish mortal," the woman hissed, her blue eyes flickering on Zell, "stay out of my way if you don't want to be killed." Her eyes landed on Algus and rested there. "Ah, Sadalfas . . . the youngest one." She let out a high-pitched laugh that resounded through the cafeteria and gave Algus a wide, sinister smile. "This shall be a fun romp, now won't it, cutie?"
Algus looked at the woman in disgust, then ran to Zell's side. "Why do you Immortals keep coming back?" he queried.
The woman rolled her eyes. "Because we can, cutie," she drawled, playing with a few strands of her shining hair.
"Stop calling me that," Algus growled.
"Why? It's an endearment, young one," giggled the Immortal. She shook her head, then smiled again. "Now then, let's begin. . ." Her hands were up faster than Algus or Zell could blink. "Lightshower!"
A hissing sound could be heard from above. "Move it!" Zell screamed, grabbing Algus' arm and dragging him out of harm's way. Beams of white energy fell from the sky, exploding upon impact with the ground. Zell lifted his hands for combat. "Fine! You wanna play rough!? We'll play, then!" With that, Zell ran forward and tried to lay a punch on the Immortal.
His fists bounced off of her.
"What the--!!?" gasped Zell, jumping backwards in shock.
She giggled again. "Mortal, you cannot hurt me!" she declared for the world to hear. "Your physical attacks don't mean anything to me."
"No!!" In his disbelief, Zell threw another punch, then another. He continued to pummel her as Algus watched on.
"Don't give me a hard time," she sighed. "Icetouch!" She reached out, her hands blazing with cold, blue energy. Zell let out a scream as she grabbed his arms, a thick layer of ice developing around him. Within moments, Zell was as frozen as Xu.
". . . . Great Ajora. . .," Algus whispered, shaking his head in horror. He lifted his own hands and began making chanting gestures. "Swirling bolts, gather and strike with power! Bolt 2!"
The lightning did absolutely nothing to the woman. "Your magic of Ivalice is nothing. . . Show me your real power, if you are what they say you are!"
"'They?!'" repeated Algus. "Who are 'they?'"
"Oh, cutie, everyone knows who they are! It's just the small fact that their names are forbidden to leave the lips of the High Talisman . . . so we all refer to them as the Masters." The woman shook her head. "Ah, but I'm sure that doesn't make any sense to you in the slightest. . . Oh, well." She grinned crookedly, a mass of white-gold energy gathering in her right hand. "Lightningball!"
Algus gasped as she flung the sphere of energy at him, then jerked backwards as a pain streamed through his stomach. He tumbled backwards, his shoulders smashing into the ground. Biting back a groan, he levered himself back into a sitting position, then back to his feet.
The Immortal was smiling at him as he fell back into a battle stance. "I forgot to give my name, didn't I?" she queried, as if amused by her mistake. "Well, cutie, I am Amberyl. Amberyl Farwin -- Head Mystic of the Immortal Council."
"A Mystic?" Algus wheezed, straining to keep himself from coughing.
"A wizard, a mage, a sorceress -- whatever you call it," Amberyl sighed, rolling her blue eyes again. ". . . Now . . . you handled that last attack pretty well. Let's try something a little stronger." Again, white-gold energy began to gather in her hand.
Regaining his concentration, Algus summoned another spell. "Silent light, shield from evil! Shell!" A green sphere of protection encased him, then burst in a dazzle of light.
"Lightningblast!"
Algus raised his arms in a cross over his face as the spear-like object came hurtling towards him. His Shell spell flared to life at the sense of the magic, but was unable to stop the missile as it crashed into the teenager. Agony ran through Algus' arm as the projectile embedded itself in his left shoulder, triggering a scream that could wake the dead. His hand came up to the magical missile and yanked it out, the white-gold spear dissipating in his hand. The blood, however, wasn't disappearing; on the contrary, it was pooling under him, red against the gleaming white seared black by Amberyl's last spell.
"Hmm. . . No compatibility with Jaraga," commented Amberyl, calmly looking at the bleeding boy before her. "Let's try Stratas next, shall we?"
* * * * *
"My God. . . The cafeteria!?" Squall was hissing as he ran. Seifer and Rufus were running at his sides, pushing past fleeing students. "Why the cafeteria?" The three had been summoned from the training center by Nida, who was babbling about a sorceress being in the cafeteria.
"It's always full of people," muttered Seifer. "They wanted our attention -- fast."
As they reached the hallway leading to the cafeteria, they were met by the small group consisting of Quistis, Selphie, Raijin, and Fujin. "We've been holding back on storming in there until you got here, Squall," Quistis said, frowning at the young commander. "What are your orders?"
"Get the juniors out of the area," ordered Squall, pulling out his gunblade. "I want level one and two medics to check for any injuries. Get SeeDs in the dormitory and quad; if the magic gets destructive, there's a chance they'll blow out walls in either places and give us a way in. Selphie, take command of the SeeDs in the quad; Quistis, take the dorm. I'm depending on you two." The girls nodded, then raced off to their respective sectors.
"SEIFER?"
"What do we do, ya know?"
The two were awaiting for their friend and leader to give his own orders. Seifer turned to them, his mind already set. "Watch the door, guys. We're gonna go in there, and we'll need backup if things get too hot."
"AFFIRMATIVE!" Fujin beamed, comfortable in the tense situation.
Raijin grinned and nodded, giving a little salute to his friend. "Don't worry, ya know? We'll make ya proud, Seifer!"
Seifer nodded firmly, then turned Rufus and Squall. "Well? I feel like kicking some Immortal ass. . . Besides, there's my dream. . ."
Rufus blinked, settling his eyes on the younger blond. "'Dream?'" he queried. "What dream?"
Squall looked mildly surprised. "Seifer's never told you about his dream?" he asked. "His ROMANTIC dream?"
"No. . ."
A smile crept up Seifer's face, and he whipped out Hyperion and held it to his chest, tip raised to the skies. "I'll have to tell you it later, Ruf. . ."
Not waiting for a reply, the young man dashed into the cafeteria. Squall and Rufus were soon on his heels.
Eh. . . Sorry to end it there. The chapter was beginning to get a little on the long side, so. . . *shrugs* Next time . . . we discover more about the Insane and the Masters, along with how our three heroes tie into the whole thing. . .
BTW, our new Immortal (a girl! *gasp*) has the easiest name to pronounce as of yet: Amberyl Farwin (Am-bare-ull Fahr-win).
Onto Chapter 9
Back to Chapter 7
Back to The Insane