Unholy Reunions.. [Ultemecia]

[Seifer Almasy]

The expanse of Vallis Media stretched on before Seifer. The canyon walls seemed to climb higher the deeper he wandered, less and less sunlight broke through the rock above. Tall grass crushed under his foot, the faint sound of running water lingered in the air. The day was warm, nearly uncomfortably so in the sun. Seifer clutched Hyperion tightly in his right hand. He walked through the pass like a man on a mission, though in all honesty it was more of an aimless wander. Academia had proven eventful with his run in with Quistis, but something about the city was too much for his nerves. The peacefulness of the mountain pass was just what he needed. Seifer's head was still spinning from his sudden arrival in an unfamiliar world. His mind filled with thoughts of a second chance to make a name of himself, to really do something BIG. Yet somewhere, deep in his mind he was still the Sorceress Knight. Not in the literal sense anymore, but in the sense that his extreme desire to protect and serve lived on.

All he needed was purpose. Direction. Somehow he felt he would only find his new purpose in himself. 'Here there are no Sorceresses.. no Lunatic Pandora.. No Garden.' He thought somberly to himself as he walked. He had never really felt so lost in his life. Seifer never had an issue going it alone, but he always had a reason, even if that reason only made sense to him. To be thrust from infamy to anonymity in an instant was a strange feeling. Seifer's reflection was disturbed by a stirring around the bend ahead of him. His eyes narrowed as he readjusted his grip on his gunblade. The noise broke the silence again. A twisted grin shot across Seifer's face. 'Now we're talking.' He thought to himself in preparation for battle. He lived for conflict, for struggle, for war. That much would never change. There was a certain bloodlust inside him that caused him to crave combat.

As he rounded the corner he was faced with four slug-like creatures with bright purple flowers blooming from their heads. Seifer raised his gunblade in his trademark battle stance and charged the strange creatures. He saw red as he begun his flurry of strikes. His sword flashed in the little light there was in the canyon as he spun around to sever the head off of the first beast, the receiver of his gunblade belched fire and the blade vibrated for a clean cut. He recovered his momentum and raised his left hand straight out in front of him. The air around the second Alraune superheated in an instant and combusted from the fire spell. The creature sizzled and shrunk in agony. Seifer took the full force of a water spell. The sensation sparked a rage in his mind, despite the minimal damage the attack caused. He charged the beast and brought his gunblade straight down in between its petals. He raised his weapon and brought it down in the same fashion again, and again, and again until the creature stopped moving.

The last Alraune was clutching to the grass in order to absorb the last sliver of remaining sun. It was as if the creature had no sense of danger, its simple mind couldn't resist focusing on nutrient absorption. Seifer's smile grew bigger as he plunged Hyperion into the center of its body with a sharp stabbing motion. The battle was over. Seifer's heart thumped loudly in his chest, adrenaline ran its course through his veins. "That felt better." He said aloud. The feeling of battle lingered, Seifer simply stood still with Hyperion in hand down at his side. Seifer felt eyes on him, like he was being watched. He looked up the path, which was now significantly darker than it had been, then shifted his head down the way he had came. Wind blew through the pass, no other noise broke the air. Seifer waited.

[Sorceress Ultimecia]

Ultimecia was still aimlessly wandering this world; perhaps she was more so trying to figure the world out and after being 'dead' she wanted to be able to see the extent of her power, but she was weak and drained and needed time to fully recuperate. Ultimecia had summoned her griever, for some strange reason his presence was the companionship she needed.

The beast growled and Ultimeacia turned her eye towards the source of Grievers disturbance. SHe couldn't believe that there was someone she knew there... perhaps this must mean SeeD's would be around. Her blood boiled and she could feel the rage screaming inside her heart.

Perhaps... this was a good sign now she could do what she wanted and end SeeD once and for all, but not alone she couldn't do it alone in this new world where the possibility of SeeD finding friends was very possible. Ultimecia knew there were others who were skilled but from other worlds this had been evident when she met Vincent.

Ultimecia had been watching him for quite sometime. She stood, well more like floated, high over Seifer staying in the shadows of the cliffs. Her eyes scanned the premises until they came across beasts not too far from where Seifer was. If she was to have him as her knight again she would make sure he was strong enough to fill the part. If Ultimecia was drained compared to her former self then maybe she wasn't the only one.

The flowers on the beasts' heads seemed deceiving, but she could tell they would be a good test of his strength... to see if he was the worthy knight she saw all that time ago. Ultimecia watched Seifer trying to figure out what he was thinking and what he knew about this new world, but all in due time.

Ultimecia's eyes fixed in concentration and in an instant fire was cast near the beasts angering them by disturbing their peace. The beasts began to look around wildly trying to find the source of the disturbance and she watched gleefully as they began pointing themselves in Seifers direction and she watched as her former knight turned the corner and met the beasts.

The battle that ensued did not surprised Ultimecia as she watched Seifer finish off the last one. Ultimecia flew down far away from where he stood deep within the shadows of the canyon walls. She glided slowly towards him she didn't speak she wanted him to see her first. Her bright yellow eyes were trained on him and she brought her hands together clapping slowly before pausing and letting her clawed hands rest by her sides.

"You still have it in you I see; you always were a good knight."

Even though he kept failing her; there was something about his dedication that she appreciated and the fact that he did anything and everything for her.

"My Seifer; still alive I see."

He had only met her in the body of that other sorceress, but that didn't stop her from speaking to him as if he had met her in her original body. Somehow she hoped he would recognize her just by mentioning he was her knight, her knight in the past and in a way she was enamored with his tenacity. No matter how many times he had failed her she always felt like he deserved the right to prove himself... maybe this world would be her chance.

"Braving the world, proving you are better than those skum SeeD; what has my knight been up to?"

Her lips were pursed but the ends just barely curled up at the ends things would start looking out all it took was mind games... and she was good at those.

[Seifer Almasy]

Seifer felt like he had just liberated from some disease. Combat cleared his thoughts and gave him a sense of purpose. He felt like himself again for the first time in his new world. Yet what he was about to see would send him screaming back into hellish reality. The haunting yellow eyes were the first to break through the shadow. But it wasn't the color that caught his attention, it was the way they looked at him. He'd seen that before, yet through different eyes. It was an alien sensation and all together made no sense, yet it was truth. The eyes remained suspended in darkness, giving the impression that whatever they belonged to was eleven feet tall. Slowly they floated down from where he first noticed them until they were suddenly more human. Slow clapping bounced off the walls of the canyon, the sound was torture on his ears.

"You still have it in you I see; you always were a good knight."

What was this woman talking about? She called him her... knight. Her face finally came into full view. The woman before him had an extreme flare for the dramatic. Her long silver hair, the horns, and her exotic coat which left much of her chest bare were all features he recognized. Reality began to hit him.

"My Seifer; still alive I see."

Hearing his name muttered on her lips sent chills down his spine. He instinctively squeezed the trigger of his gunblade to a point just before it would fire. An extreme wave of anger pulsed through his body like an electric shock. He just barely managed to contain himself from wildly swinging his weapon at the woman before him.

"Braving the world, proving you are better than those skum SeeD; what has my knight been up to?"

Seifer could feel his very soul tearing in two. On one end was the fiercely independent rebel who despised knowing he had been used for the purposes of another. On the other end was the dreamer he'd known since birth. The one who would give everything for a cause in an instant, who gave his soul indirectly to the woman in front of him. He'd raised the Lunatic Pandora from the ocean, caused the Lunar Cry, released Sorceress Adel, kidnapped Rinoa, both directly and indirectly caused the deaths of thousands, all for her. He drew a deep breath and stared his company directly in her eery yellow eyes.

"I have always been better than them. That much I know for sure." His words bled confidence and spite. His anger at the SeeD renewed for an instant in an emotion that felt almost like jealousy. He still couldn't get his head wrapped around the woman's identity. "I know who you are. I have no name for you, but I know you." Flashes of Edea ran through his brain. The tattoos on her face, the wing like accessories, the headdress and the coat. It was all nearly the same. Suddenly a sharp headache developed and he winced. "What is your name, and how did you find me?"

Did she have something to do with his arrival here? Did she know what caused it? Why him? His life here was just turned on its head, and it seemed to have just begun. Somehow he felt this was the way it was meant to be. The rebel and the Sorceress Knight were locked in an eternal struggle which one another. For now, the Knight persisted. His weapon still remained at the ready, but he needed to hear her name. He had to know the name of the woman he gave his soul to.

[Sorceress Ultimecia]

Ultimecia knew he wouldn't know who she was, but she could see the recognition in his eyes he knew who she was without actually knowing. Ultimecia slowly came closer, but paused when she was a little over a meter away he still had his gunblade with him and she could tell he was on the defences.

Griever stayed hidden no point in alarming Seifer any more, especially with how his finger was clutching the trigger of his gunblade.. there would be no point in using a scare tactic into joining her... she knew how to appeal to Seifer.

"I am Sorceress Ultimecia."

Ultimecia was amused by his sheer confidence and she could feel that her former knight still held a resentment toward the SeeD's and it was enough for her to want to latch onto that knowledge and use it to her advantage. Ultimecia parted her lips to speak, but there were no words her eyes remained trained on him and she feared that one misspoken word could have him as her enemy rather than an ally.

Ultimecia was curious. Why did he do all of it? He had jeopardized everything just to satisfy her own need and the only reward he got was the the satisfaction of pleasing her; if he even got that. No, what surprised her was the fact that he was willing to impose casualties among people of the world he lived in. It was funny to her, but at the same time admirable, but she would never word such a thing; Ultimecia had a standard in how she presented herself and she would never compliment someone and bring their ego up; no one was worthy of praise but she and she didn't need self praise nor any from anyone else... she was a superior being.

“How kould you not know me. You helped me kidnap that girl, you helped me almost kompletely eradikate all SeeD's, but they prevailed and I will not rest.”

There was poison in every word she spoke, the venomous tone in her voice even had Greiver growl echo in the distance.

“I didn't find you Seifer you must have subkonciously found me.”

Not particularly, but by verbally giving him that feeling of strength perhaps it would be easier to convince him to return to her side where he belonged as her knight. Such an odd duo the sorceress of the future with her knight from the past. Ultimecia would reign supreme over this world and alter time to the way she wanted. She just needed help, she needed to gather more soldiers and with seeing the Emperor Mateus who recognized her from a world she could not remember; Ultimecia knew this time around those who opposed her would be squashed and this time they had more to fight against.

“What purpose has this world served? It needs a new queen to give it direktion, but a queen is nothing without her knight.”

[Seifer Almasy]

"I am Sorceress Ultimecia."

The name was one he felt familiar with, though he was sure he'd never heard it spoken. His mind had been tortured and distorted into believing in her once before. He almost blindly devoted his life to her cause.

“How kould you not know me. You helped me kidnap that girl, you helped me almost kompletely eradikate all SeeD's, but they prevailed and I will not rest.”

Her strange manor of speaking appealed to him. She spoke truth, together they had nearly destroyed the people and place that raised him. Somehow they had lost. That fact was the most confusing of it all, how could they have lost? He'd done what he was asked, he raised the Lunatic, he delivered one of the only remaining sorceresses, he awoke Adel, and yet still they failed. In his mind it was not him that had flawed the plan. He would never tell her that of course, but things were pulled out of his hands. Seifer was left standing deep in the Lunatic Pandora alone, more than half dead. He'd thought he heard a growling sound as the Sorceress spoke. The noise brought him into a higher state of alert. What were her intentions?

“I didn't find you Seifer you must have subkonciously found me.”

Her words stuck deeply into his thoughts. That couldn't have been true. Then again, fate was real, destiny was real. He'd always believed in it, believed that he was meant for a greater purpose than any could imagine. Could this be that purpose? 'Am I bound to her, as her Knight? Why else would we both be here.. Why else?' His thoughts haunted him. It couldn't be true. Destiny had handed him everything he ever dreamed of, all he ever asked for.

“What purpose has this world served? It needs a new queen to give it direktion, but a queen is nothing without her knight.”

There it was again, staring him in the face. Her knight. Her protector. Yet this was a woman that he barely knew. She was cold and uncaring, yet driven and determined. She was powerful, that fact was undeniable. Maybe that was enough. He wrestled internally once more. The Rebel did not want to be used again. He couldn't stand the thought of being someone's puppet. He wouldn't be undermined again. His palms began to sweat inside his black gloves. Anxiety sped up his heart rate and caused his eyes to wince. In his weakest moment, a sudden air of realism swept over him. Epiphany struck like lightning and his grip loosened slightly on his weapon.

"This world does need direction, and who better to supply it than you and I?" His tone was dark and intense. Suddenly a sense of purpose flooded back into his veins and invigorated his soul. "But my Sorceress.. how do you know your Knight hasn't lost his touch?" The comment was a carefully formulated challenge. Seifer awaited eagerly for her reply, his guard remained up and ready for battle at any moment. Again his craving emerged, his need for battle. 'Maybe I did find you after all.'

[Sorceress Ultimecia]

Ultimecia could see it; the conflicting thoughts running through his mind, the recognition and the confusion and questions he must have. Ultimecia knew this time she would not be stopped, there would be no other manipulator of time to get in her way and she would crush each and very SeeD one by one saving their leader for last. Ultimecia wanted to kill each and every one of his friends leaving his precious sorceress lover for last... yes she would make him suffer tenfold for what he did to her.

“You know it is the truth, I am the only one who kared for you.”

Ultimecia came closer and raised a clawed hand to his cheek the tip of her claw barley grazing his face the look in her eyes was demonic, but in a sense it was true. She had saved him from execution and given him the greatest honor one could have; being her knight. Yes, they were not successful, but she had tasted godship and this time she would achieve it and rule all... with her knight and GF at her side.

Ultimecia wanted to speak on, but she felt like enough words had been said already as she watched the various conflicts in his eyes. There was a split second in which his grip relaxed and Ultimecia knew she was successful. The glint in her eye was the only sign she would give that she was please... and the small upward curl of the corner of her lips, but Ultimecia curiously raised a brow was he asking for a challenge? Or for the chance to prove himself to her.

“I think I have seen enough unless...”

Ultimecia looked wildly at Seifer and a small laugh formed in the back of her throat which turned into a shrill girlish giggle. Her head turned to the shadows and while they couldn't see Griever she could still see her summon. She brought her hand up resting her chin on it as she turned back to survey Seifer her other arm wrapped around her exposed midriff.

“Then how about you play with Griever for a bit; when I've seen enough I'll halt him.”

It was the type of challenge she expected him to look forward to. A few scrapes and cuts here and there on both end... it would give her something entertaining to watch.

As if he understood the beast came bounding up to them crouching down low by her side as Ultimecia ran a hand through it's fur. Her eyes returned to Seifer's he could reject the offer, but it would only make him seem pathetic and she knew he wasn't that type of person... then again it had been quite some time since she had contact with him he could have changed.

“Show me your strength, prove to me you're more worthy than that pathetik SeeD leader and his parasitik minions. I know my Seifer is more worthy than they kould ever komprehend.”

It was the push he needed, Ultimecia needed him to believe in his abilities once more; she couldn't afford him to be on the fence about his emotions nor does she want him to be incompetent; this would be his reawakening...

[Seifer Almasy]

“You know it is the truth, I am the only one who kared for you.”

Seifer stood still as she brushed his face with her clawed hand. Again her eyes said what her mouth would not, Ultimecia was even more bloodthirsty than he. He could feel her invading his mind through her stare. No doubt she sensed his internal struggle, she knew him better than he'd care to admit. Care was a word that she appeared to use loosely, but he couldn't deny she'd saved his life. Her face curved into an extremely faint smile, the expression made his eyes narrow slightly. After he offered his challenge he saw her eyebrow come up into a steep curve. 'She must at the very least be intrigued. That's all I need.' He thought to himself silently. What the Sorceress would say next would catch him off balance.

“Then how about you play with Griever for a bit; when I've seen enough I'll halt him.”

The name rang no bells. 'Griever.. what the hell is Griever?' Now his interest was peaked. They had company. The ground shook slightly as a large creature approached them and took its place by the Sorceress's side. She reached down and stroked the lion's mane with her own jagged claw. 'HER PET?! Seifer's surprise was apparent. He felt somewhat insulted to be pitted against some monster. Then again at least it was a start. He took a few moments to get a better look at the beast. Five long warped horns sprung from its head symmetrically. Griever had large sharp fangs and enormous wings to go along with it, and from each forearm; two nearly three foot long blood red blades emerged. Perhaps this was no ordinary monster after all. He redirected his gaze to match the Sorceresses as she looked up from her pet.

“Show me your strength, prove to me you're more worthy than that pathetik SeeD leader and his parasitik minions. I know my Seifer is more worthy than they kould ever komprehend.”

Her silver tongue lashed at his conscience. He was better the rest of his fellow orphans could ever dream of being. He was stronger, faster, and brighter than the rest of them put together; at least that's what he believed. His pride recharged his need for battle. Her Seifer... Her Seifer was nothing compared to the Seifer she was about to see. He took a few steps back, though he never lost sight of the Sorceress or her pet. "How quaint my Sorceress.. you replaced your Knight with a kitten." He said with an enormous confident grin on his face. This was the sort of thing he lived for. "I'll show you just how worthy I am!" Seifer turned his right shoulder towards Griever and pulled his weapon up into his battle stance. The tip of Hyperion remained aimed directly at the jaws of the lion.

"Here Kitty!" Seifer shouted mockingly towards Griever. He knew the beast would be powerful, it must be for her to hold him in such high regard. He formulated a loose plan of attack in his mind. The narrow canyon they stood in would limit the use of the beast's wings, at least he had that on his side. His largest concern was those blood red claws or long blades getting a clear shot at his chest. His knowledge of his enemy was limited to only what he could see, and that unnerved him a little. It would be a learning process, but that was exactly what he wanted. He'd let the beast have the first move... hopefully he wouldn't regret it.

[Sorceress Ultimecia]

Ultimecia smirked at the irony of him facing Griever, he was indirectly fighting the SeeD leader's mind; his perception on the strongest Guardian Force to exist. It was amusing, but even more amusing was the doubt on his face when Griever came in view.

If Seifer was underestimating her GF then he was going to be caught off guard and the little 'show' would only prove to end faster, but on the other hand it might be the awakening he needed. Seifer may have defeated Odin easily, but that was then and this is now... and Griever was not as weak as Odin... at least to her he wasn't.

“Do not be deceived by my Guardian Force Seifer; he proves more powerful than the average.”

Ultimecia was slowly gliding back her eyes never breaking focus on Seifer until she pulled them away towards Griever the snarling beast now crouched on all fours waiting for him to make him move.

*~*

Griever stared down at the human; his own body resting on all four of his limbs whiles his wings rested curled up on his back. A snarl rumbled deep in his chest as his eyes never left their focus on Seifer. Griever could hear Ultimecia's commands; to attack, but not kill, and not to hold back. Easy enough, but with the way the human provoked th beast made him growl louder and he barred his teethe threateningly at Seifer before standing up stretching his wings.

Being provoked the beast caved into it animal instincts and made a moved toward Seifer a calculating but quick swipe of his claws aimed towards Seifer's chest. The beast needed to see if he fought like the other one with the same sword; even the beast had enough of a mind to see that there could be similarities, but he needed to prod and see just exactly how similar the two were... maybe then he could start using abilities and casting spells.

*~*

Ultimecia watched as Griever made the first move. She was suspended high in the air; her arms crossed hiding her cleavage while she appeared to be sitting on an invisible chair in the air. Ultimecia looked bored as she watched on, but inside her mind she was itching to watch a good battle; she just hoped Griever and Seifer would deliver. As this idea crossed her mind she felt Griever reassure her that he would make it as entertaining as she needed it to be... that sounded more like it as long as her knight was not fatally injured. That would become a problem.

[Seifer Almasy]

“Do not be deceived by my Guardian Force Seifer; he proves more powerful than the average.”

There was no doubt about that. The lion was twice the size of a man and ten times as menacing. Being a GF he must have many hidden powers. There was no turning back now, and even if their was Seifer wouldn't dare back down from a fight. He watched as Sorceress Ultimecia turned her eyes towards her GF. The beast poised itself for a fight. Seifer saw the tension building in its powerful muscles, he had to be careful during this one. Either way, it would be fun. He didn't mind bleeding every now and then. His provocations only enraged Griever further as it bellowed an evil, throaty growl that seemed to echo off the tight walls of Vallis Media. It's teeth were enormous and sharp, its jaws were powerful, and it was angry.

When the lion stood to stretch its wings Seifer got his first real perspective on the size of his opponent. His smile only grew as he knew this would be the perfect measure to his abilities. If he could stand up to this thing.. He could stand against anyone. Out of his peripheral vision he could see Ultimecia retreating to her invisible perch above though he never shifted his eyes from his opponent.

Seifer stood firmly in his battle stance, no more words needed to be said; it was time for a fight. In an instant the GF bounded towards him with a lightning quick swipe aimed directly at his chest. Despite his mental preparation and focus for the fight, the speed of the creature despite its large size surprised the Knight. He had just enough time to sidestep and bend his wrist downward, pushing Hyperion in-between the blood red claws and his chest. The beast's momentum transferred through the claw, into his sword and then into Seifer's body; forcing him to spin around to his right. Seifer used his momentum for his first attack against the GF as he followed through with his spin and aimed a harsh slice at Griever's side. The speed of the strike the lion had thrown caused Seifer's spin to be much faster than he'd anticipated, he never had time to pull the trigger of his gunblade. After attempting his slash he fell to one knee to re-ground his balance, possibly leaving him open for a counter should the beast react quickly enough.

The battle had Seifer's heart pumping with eager anticipation. Adrenaline flowed freely through his veins and heightened his senses. It was not every day a human got to square off against a Guardian Force, and even then, few of those ever lived to tell the tale. He was one of a very few who could say he'd killed a GF before when he bisected Odin. The act was liberating and gave him an entirely new sense of potential. He was interested to see how he would fare against a much more powerful beast. The fight had just begun.

[Sorceress Ultimecia]

She didn't need to speak to tell Griever what to do, it was a disadvantage in a sense she saw Griever's blind spots and he could see what she saw and vice versa, but Seifer did want a challenge. As Griever made the first move Ultimecia's senses wee heigtened and her focus was almost completely on the fight at hand. The smirk had never left her lips.

“Yes Griever don't hold back, but do no kill him. He is a valuable asset.”

A low growl came from the beast as his attack was deflected the blade barely nicking the beast as he tried to push past the sword, but the momentum only helped the enemy.

“Do not be reckless; you have kontrol of the winds.”

It nodded it's head and in the moment Seifer was spinning Greiver did not attack, but spread his wings and lifted himself out of rang, the edge of Seifers blade managing to form a gash on Grievers leg the GF growled in rage, his eyes did not leave the face of his opponent and the GF would not let a puny human best him.

“Magik.”

She didn't even have to tell him what spell to use the GF could already see the scenario in which she picked in her mind. As Griever's wings flapped he hovered just ahead of Seifer then lifted his arm forward a bruising red light formed within his palm before Griever shot flare at Seifer. In that instant he dashed forward behind his own spell ready to counter attack if he missed. Griever raised it's elbow forward the protrusions forming a hook hopefully if Seifer attacked again he could hook the sword between his horn and elbow.

Ultimecia watched on in mild boredom, this had better not drag on into a back to back fight; if both sides were not worn out she wasn't going to end it, but if it proves too boring... she could always join in to add some fun to it. Her arms were crossed and her eyes focused on Seifer he had no idea that he was fighting a puppet under her own command... it didn't matter as long as he proved worthy enough to do significant damage on her GF she would be satisfied with the result.

Her eye focused on the gaping would on Giever's leg. To a human the wound was deep enough to keep them from walking, but to Griever it was merely a scratch and as little bits of blood dripped from it's leg, she knew he would be fine within a short time.