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The Longest Road.

"Take to your arms men! The old war dogs snap at our heels once again to call us to the fray."
NJ Wilcox's poem (For an old GCSE exam)


Chapter twelve; War




The very sky sighed and threatened them with the raindrop tears of the heavens.

Squall stared upwards, towards the black velvet of the clouded sky and preyed for the rain to come, to cool their hot skin and flared tempers... He liked the rain. All in one breathe it was happy and sad, giving and taking life, tears of joy and tears of pain.... A star shone through a break in the clouds, it's diamond like softness with a definite sheen of turquoise, reminding him of a pair of eyes....

He looked to the man at his side. His trusted friend, most competent of comrades and his lover. Zell.

Zell liked the rain too. Especially thunderstorms.

Perhaps that was why he had such a high affinity for the guardian force, Quezacotl Like Squall and Shiva, Irvine and Siren, Quistis and Ifrit, Selphie and Carbuncle.... They were matched perfectly. He shook his head to dispel all thoughts and snapped into what had begun to term 'SeeD mode'. A time when he was so focused on his goals that nothing else mattered.

The enemy infantry appeared over the opposite ridge.

Squall glanced at his fellow SeeDs and ordered them to be ready.

The enemy broke into a run....

"Summon!" Squall called.

The enemy were faced with a most disheartening sight.

The SeeDs did not disappear as they usually did. Their GF's simply appeared over their heads in readiness.

The storm finally broke.

He caught a flash of Zell's "battle" grin, the one he always wore when he fought that was more feral in appearance than his usual, in the light of the tongues of electricity from his GF's power. Each of them enjoyed the adrenaline rush of the fight as much as the other. And they both loved the aftermath.

The rain slicked their hair against their heads and thunder crackled across the horizon before the lightning breached the sanctity of the skies. Quezacotl screamed in ecstasy to it's own personal Gods.

"Charge!" Squall cried.

They must have been outnumbered seven or so to one.

Squall led the charge, Shiva flying over his head letting the first five or so soldiers feel the cold touch of her kiss, encapsulating them in solid ice. The Lionheart gunblade sliced through frozen flesh and bone quite easily. Zell and the thunder god left a mass of quivering flash fried flesh in their wake.

Quistis wrapped her whip around one general's neck and pulled it tight, feeling the bones crack beneath the pressure. Soldiers tried to attack her, but her personal favourite GF surrounded her with a shield of fire.

Irvine and Siren silenced the enemies then destroyed them mercilessly. A 12 bore shotgun such as the Exeter at close range often made identification of the body after death impossible. The floor below his feet was awash with gore.

Selphie, Bahmut and Carbuncle were both protecting their allies and attacking the main body of the Galbadian forces.

Rinoa strode through the Galbadians striking them down with her sorceress powers. Her father and their followers were taking part in one on one battles.

As the lionheart sliced through another of the mindless soldiers Squall looked up to see a large piece of black plastic fly through the air to where Rinoa and Zell were fighting. He cut another man down in his tracks as he made his way to them.

The device hit the floor and rolled a few meters beeping loudly. Keeping one eye on it as it rolled ever closer to the martial artist he called to Rinoa. "Get out of here!" Following his line of sight Rinoa saw it too and her angel wings stretched out and she took to the sky.

Squall skidded to a halt knocking Zell a clear six feet away as the beeping became one long continuous tone....

It was two feet away...

The flash bomb exploded.

A searing heat rushed within his eyes, fragments peppered the exposed skin of his face and neck and he fell backwards, tumbling into the thick black mud of the field. A flutter of wings landed beside him....



Zell, spread-eagled on the floor and still wondering what had happened to him turned to see Rinoa cast 'Full-cure' on Squall with no effect.

He turned his head to look for a familiar face or two. "Hiro, Bari!" He called. "Get the commander out of here."

"Sir!" They saluted and ran to the lion to take him to the Ragnarok's medical facility. Squall attempted to push them away but the weakness left in his whole being by the explosion made him somewhat less formidable than his usual self.

Rinoa stared after him and Zell grabbed her by the shoulder and shook her. "The surest way to kill is to take the head Rinoa! Let's go after the president, the attack will fall apart after that.!"

She looked at him blankly for a moment, then began to comprehend what he was saying. She nodded. "We'll need some help."

The nearest two SeeDs were the best bet. "KEZA!" He called and she immediately finished off the man she had been playing with like a cat with a mouse. "RAVEN." She looked up undaunted as she slit a female soldier's jugular vein. "To me! We're going with Rinoa." He pointed to a small vehicle above the fighting. "Obviously the current president is not fond of blood, especially on his hands."

Kyra smiled, an evil glint apparent in her eyes. "I wonder how he'd feel about his own blood being on them....?"

Rinoa closed her eyes and transported them up the battlefield. The vehicle turned out to be a small van, suitable enough for it's job. It's armour plated panels and bullet proof glass made it safe from all outside attacks....

All outside attacks, that is, apart from a sorceress powered blast of 'Ultima'.

The back doors of the van flew open and two bodyguards with sub-machine guns appeared, sending a hail of bullets towards the shielded sorceress. Zell and Kyra lunged for them, taking them down. "Bad idea guys." The blonde man whispered.

"Big mistake." Kyra smiled softly as she buried her knife to the hilt in the guard's heart.

Naki jammed the end of her staff into the doors as the president's aides attempted to close them, wrenching them apart. As one young man jumped at her she swung and struck him in the groin, leaving him a whimpering mass. Leaning forward, with Zell's help she yanked out the president and threw him to the floor. The second aid, a smartly dressed young woman stepped out.

"Don't waste your life." Kyra said and turned to look at her. "We're about to do some Government restructuring. I'm sure Miss Heartilly will find a position for you if you swear fealty to her."

Zell made a break for the Ragnarok, Quezacotl flying high above him.

Rinoa took hold of the presidents throat and took to the air. She switched her grip so that he could talk.

"Renounce your position. Step down from the presidency."

"Never."

"It's a long way down president. I hope you can make your peace with the Gods before you hit the ground."

"You wouldn't!" he gasped.

"Perhaps the old Rinoa wouldn't have, the one who thought with her heart. This one thinks for and of the people not only of Galbadia but of Timber and all those in your constituency. There's a new power now. Mine."

The blood curdling screams could be heard clear across the field as he dropped twenty floors.

There wasn't much left of him when he hit the ground. Even most of the SeeDs had to turn their heads away.

Lightning streaked across the sky once more and silhouetted the sorceress. "Stop this madness. We fight for the same purpose now!"

The Galbadians, with a little persuasion from the SeeDs lay down their arms.

Rinoa smiled.




Zell's chest burned as did his eyes. He didn't really know what he was doing after what he had seen when he'd been looking for Squall.

Squall and Rinoa, kissing.

He dragged the back of his hand across his eyes to rub the tears away.

Even though he'd lost Squall, he had to ensure that he was okay. Even if it was just to put his mind at rest.

Even if he had to let him go.

Even if he'd love Squall until the day he died.







Authors notes.

*Winces.* I'm still waiting for the flames to come. Poor Zell!!!!!! I can't believe I'm doing this to him. Ah well. Thanks to those who've emailed me about my recent notes. You know who you are, thanks for cheering me up.

Drop me a line in the reviews, eternal appreciation will be yours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even if it's just a smiley ;)

Ta, luvvies

DARKSQUALL