A Door Between Worlds

"Son of a...."

Squall collected himself. "How much was in the syringe?"

"Not much. Enough for a sample. Maybe half of what you were gonna stick me with."

They were back in the infirmary, with Seifer laying in one of the beds. Dr.Kadowaki had examined him, and "aside from any infection he might have gotten from the injection", was otherwise fine.

Squall looked over at Archibald

"So he has half of what you had. You still can't guess how long he has?"

"Certainly I can guess, but it would be little beyond that."

"Then how do you know you only had hours?"

Archibald paused, then looked around at everyone, before returning his gaze to Squall.

"Mr. Leonheart, there is some information I must provide to you. I hesitated to do so, for reasons that will become apparent, but now it seems unavoidable."

"I'm listening"

"Let me tell my story, in far greater detail than I previously have."

"I have always been fascinated by sorceresses, though not so much by magic or Guardian Forces. It was more the historical aspect. They were gods, really, wielding power and influence at will. The more I found in my studies, the more I was in awe of them. And then...I met one."

"Adel."

"No. This was long before her rise. You need to understand something, Squall. My body rejected the blood of the sorceress, but it's physical makeup was forever altered. We will get to that in a moment. In any case, to continue, I met a sorceress. She didn't know it at the time, much as your friend Quistis was oblivious. She found out about her powers on a most infortuitous occasion."

"That being?"

"Our wedding day."

It took a while for the shock wave of that statement to pass.

"Your what?"

"We were in love, and were to be married. She always laughed at my obsession with sorceresses, said it was to make up for my fear of women in general. But not with her, never with her. Somehow, I was calm around her. She brought out the best in me. And she was a vision. Every man who saw her was enchanted. I knew I should have had no chance, but she found my quirks charming somehow. She was a gift I didn't deserve. And fate must have agreed. On the day we were to be wed, she traveled to Beta. But not as your companions have. She left this world, body and soul. We were together one moment, preparing, and the next she was gone. I thought I had lost her forever."

"Did you?"

"Not yet. She reappeared the next day. I had been required to try to explain to our family and friends why she wasn't there at the wedding. I feigned confusion and ignorance, but somewhere in my heart, I knew."

"Knew what?"

"She wasn't from this world. She was born on Beta. And she was a sorceress."

"How could she have been born on another world and not known?"

"She was found as a child, with no memories of her past, by some soldiers. She ran away, and lived on the streets, until she gathered enough money to enter the university. How she was enrolled without an identity is amazing, but she was certainly smart enough. Top her class. Put me to shame."

"So her body was on Beta the whole time, like Quistis and Rinoa here?"

"I do not know, to be honest. It is possible. But she would have been much older and her body more mature upon her return. In any case, she came back the next day, startled and confused. Between my knowledge of sorceresses, and her account of her travels, we pieced together what we could. Even then, to be a sorceress carried a stigma. Her family would have shunned her."

"What family? You said she had none."

"Of blood, no, she had none. But she had a gift for drawing peope to her. She became so close to one of her landlords that the woman became a surrogate mother of sorts. Her family became Angela's family"

"That was her name? Angela?"

"Yes. And an angel she was. I knew that her visits to this other world would not only continue, but that they would become more frequent. How I knew this, I have no idea. I simply knew. You can now see why I can relate to Seifer. Our stories are quite similar in ways."

"What happened?"

"She left the university, cut off contact with friends and family, and waited for the day when she would go again. She didn't expect to return, and she didn't want to leave loose ends. Meanwhile, I came up with an insane theory. If I injected myself with her blood, I could travel as well. She was adamant against it, and became very upset with me. I think she was trying to protect me. But I was young, and foolish. And I was in love. I would never find another like her. I waited for her to fall asleep one night, and I...stole some of her blood. With my experience in medicine, I could do it without her waking. Of course, I had no idea how to actually travel, so I studied what I could before using the blood. Then she left again. After a week, it became apparent she wasn't going to return. So I injected myself with her blood, and wished with everything I had to be with her. And I was. I was there with her. She was stunned, then she was furious. She had never been angry with me before. I just wanted to say goodbye, but she wouldn't listen. So I wished for her to be happy, and I was back. I never saw her again. The next day I drew my own blood and had it tested. The presence of her blood was gone, seemingly."

"Seemingly?"

"As I said, it forever changed my physical chemistry. I am older than I would seem to be."

"How much older?"

"These events took place nearly 300 years ago."

No one spoke. No one knew what to say.

"So you can see how I would have a personal interest in what is now transpiring. Someone over there is opening the door again, and I want to know why. I need to know. I have no illusions that she is still alive, or that I would ever travel back myself. But I need to find peace with all of this."

"So to answer your first question, having injected myself with twice the amount Seifer did, my body had rejected it within 24 hours. He has hours, at best."

"To search an entire planet?"

"I rather suspect whatever he seeks will find him."

-----

To say Rinoa was confused would have set a new record for an understatement. And the only thing better than being confused is to be frozen and confused.

Rinoa had never been a cold weather fan, and was grateful to avoid Winter as much as she could. The seasons in Timber were usually pretty mild.

When Cloud had said they were going to a glacier, Tifa had pulled out some gear they had used on their first trip. But the trip had been over three years ago, and the gear hadn't kept well. Cloud was to frantic to stop and resupply, and now Rinoa was afraid she would lose some of her favorite digits to hypothermia.

She also began to wonder if Quistis really did have ice water running through her veins, as had been suggested by some. She was wearing less than Rinoa, and she seemed unaffected by the cold. Even Barret was growling and shivering.

The cold was only made that much better, in her mind, by the darkness that seemed to be winning the fight with their efforts to see through it. Those who had materia were holding them out, and the glow from the mastered one's provided some light. They would/should have had something better, but again, Cloud was insistent on getting here.

So now they were here. In the crater. And they were lost, she knew it.

"Could someone just admit we're lost already."

"We're not lost."

"Apparently the expression has a different meaning here. We use it at home when we have no bloody clue where we are, where we're going, or how to get there even if we did know."

"We're not lost."

"How would you know, Quis? You've never even been here before. And if you had, you still couldn't see well enough to have any idea anyway."

"We're not lost."

Rinoa sighed. Quistis had one habit above all that was her trademark. Her absolute faith in whoever was leading. It was an admirable trait, right up to the moment you followed the leader right off the end of a cliff.

Rinoa was tailing Cid, with Quistis behind her. Only Yuffie was behind Quistis, and she was far enough back to make Rinoa wonder how she was able to stay with the group.

Rinoa wasn't sure what to think of Yuffie. On the one hand, she looked young enough to make Selphie look like an old maid in comparison. But she was clearly older than her looks suggested. Or at least, she acted older. Nanaki had told her that Yuffie was usually much happier and infinitely more annoying, but the last few days had been hard on her. Rinoa didn't know the whole story, only that it involved Vincent.

She hoped it wasn't what she thought it was.

Vincent was cute enough, in a goth loving sort of way, but had a personality that made Squall's look like Zell. He was clearly very intelligent, and didn't miss much. But it still made for an odd pairing.

Kind of like Selphie and Irvine, she thought.

Rinoa was so lost in thought that she almost walked into Cid, who had stopped. Looking up, she realized why.

They had arrived.

Or so Rinoa assumed. It didn't look like they could go any farther down. But there was nothing here but rocks. Why would a scientist be here?

Then she saw her.

"Quistis."

Quistis had already seen what Rinoa had, as had most of the group, who were heading to where Aerith lay, unconscious, on the ground. There was nothing else around to suggest how she got there, or what had happened to her.

Nanaki, with Quistis' assistance, examined her quickly.

"She appears to be relatively unharmed. Whatever is causing her to remain unconscious is almost certainly magic in origin. It could even be a magic that is present here. We should remove her from the immediate area quickly."

Cloud placed her over his shoulder, and headed back toward the surface. As he was going, he turned to Vincent and Yuffie.

"Look around, see what you can find."

Vincent nodded, and began to search the area. Yuffie had a worried look as she watched Cloud carry Aerith off, then she, to, went looking.

As Rinoa began heading back up with Cloud and the group, she realized Quistis wasn't with them. Looking back, she saw that Quistis had joined Vincent in his search. Deciding not to worry about it, Rinoa hurried to catch up with the group.

---

Quistis wasn't sure what had compelled her to stay behind. She had been meaning to apologize to Vincent for earlier, but now seemed hardy appropriate timing, particularly with Yuffie in earshot. Quistis knew Yuffie had a fierce attachment to Vincent, and as such, didn't like Quistis much. Whether it was for their earlier spat, or her being perceived as competition, Quistis could only guess at.

Probably both.

In a better time and place, Quistis would have forgiven Yuffie for her rather childish views, but here and now was neither, and her animosity was getting irritating. Every time Quistis got within 20 feet of Vincent, Yuffie shot her a glare, and moved closer to him. Quistis was pretty sure Vincent could take care of himself, and, given the currant situation, flirting wasn't anywhere near the top of her priority list.

"Yuffie."

Yuffie almost jumped at the sound of Vincents call, He hadn't looked up at her, or stopped in his rapid search.

"Yea?"

"We can cover more ground if we disperse."

"So why doesn't "the One" do some dispersing to?"

"Yuffie, this is not the time. We do not know what has affected Aerith's well being, and it may depend on what we find to aid in her recovery."

With another glare at Quistis, Yuffie made a sound rather like a grunt, and headed off, turning to re-glare, as though her point hadn't been sufficiently emphasized yet.

Quistis shook her head to herself and returned to the search. After a few moments, she looked up at Vincent. Or, rather, his back.

"What are we looking for, exactly?"

"Materia that has been left to create a stasis field."

"Right. Any particular color to look for?"

"I would think that any materia left here had been done so intentionally. I would approach any you find with care. In fact, it might be best to alert me immediatally."

"Because you're an expert on strange magic?"

"Because I am more resilient than most."

Looking quickly at his claw, she decided not to continue the discussion. She hadn't intended to sound beligerant, but she knew it came off as such.

"I really am not trying to aggravate you, Vincent. I'm usually more objective about things."

"I am certain that you are, Quistis."

From anyone else, this would have sounded sarcastic. But, as with everything he said, it was monotone and direct.

It occurred to Quistis a moment later that this was the first time he had said her name. Given his slightly aristocratic sounding punctuation, it carried a different, almost exotic, sound to it. It also occurred to her that when Nanaki had introduced her to him, he had mispronounced her name, but Vincent hadn't just now. She decided that she rather enjoyed the sound of his voice, though it may have had more to do with the fact that he rarely spoke than anything else. Sephiroth had an articulate dialect, but his voice didn't compel her much.

'Strange how a simple thought can explode into so many', she thought.

After a few more minutes, the voice returned.

"My apologies for my actions earlier. I didn't wish for you to feel unwelcome. I'm not usually that emotional."

"I am certain that you are not, Vincent."

He turned to look at her, looking into her eyes to see if she was playing games, but her look seemed genuine.

"If anything", she continued, "it should be me apologizing. We just seem to bring out the worst in each other."

Vincent continued to look into her eyes. He seemed to be searching for something. She was again shaken at how powerful his red eyes were. As though his search was down into the center of her, heart mind and soul. It should have been unnerving, as it had been earlier. But it wasn't. Before turning away, his eyes seemed to register what she had just said. A slight smirk crawled up one side of his mouth.

"You've not seen anywhere near my worst, My lady.", and with that, he went back to his searching.

"I saw that...whatever it was you turned into.They said you have carried it inside for some time."

"Had carried. Entering the Lifestream seemingly ended the bond. For as long as I have wished for just that, it seems strange and unsettling to not have his voice in the recesses of my mind."

"I can imagine, though Rinoa would be more qualified to know. She said she hears the Guardian Forces talk to her, giving her council. Must be nice. All I have is my holy rock."

"Say again?"

"Elder Bughe gave me a materia that has someone called Alexander inside of it. Or however that works."

Vincent stopped, again looking at Quistis. Alexander had been a gift from Nanaki to the town after he returned from his mission. It had been considered something almost sacred to them, a relic of sorts. Why, in the name of the planet, would they have given it to her? She wouldn't know what to do with it.

Shaking off the thought, he continued. "In any case, I was not refering to Chaos. My worst can be...unpleasant."

Now it was Quistis smiling.

"Unpleasant is a good day for me, Vincent. They still call me the ice queen back home."

In that moment, the memory of the cave of ice came rushing back to her. Tifa had told her the story of what had happened to Lucrecia, and she knew that the reminder must have stabbed deep.

"Vincent, I...I didn't mean..."

He held up his hand.

"Your apology is not required, though your consideration is appreciated. I have come to see Lucrecia in a different light of late. She is not the bastion of virtue I had held her up to be. And to get back on subject, why would they feel to call you ice queen?"

Of all the possible answers to the question she could have come up with, the one that slipped out was unimaginable.

"My kisses leave brain freeze."

Both of his eyebrows lifted at that one, and Quistis felt like an embarrassed child. Why did she keep saying things like that around him? It hadn't even been that funny. Or so she assumed.

Until he started laughing.

It began as a low chuckle, and grew into a considerable belly laugh. Without realizing it, Quistis started laughing to. This lasted a few moments, followed by a comfortable silence. If his voice was compelling, his laugh was honey to the ears.

As they continued to search, she began to steal glances his direction. She couldn't remember having felt this comfortable around a man in a long while.

As chance, or fate, would have it, his thoughts were almost exactly the same. He wasn't accustomed to feeling comfortable around anyone, with little distinction between the sexes. But she intrigued him. She was both highly intelligent, and highly perceptive, yet she seemed to speak her mind more readily than he would have expected. And then she seemed embarassed when she did, as though it were unlike her, which he guessed it was. Just as Yuffie's sudden seriousness was unlike her.

He knew he needed to tread this ground lightly. Yuffie was clearly in love with him. She had said so. He wanted to return the affection, but all he had seemingly ever known was loss and grief. He had never been in love. Lucrecia had been kind, but cold. Certainly the conquests he had made as a Turk hadn't ever been so enchanted by him as to love, nor he in return.

As he considered Quistis again, he wondered if he should feel guilty for enjoying the conversation they were having. It was innocent enough, he knew, but it was as close to flirting as he had come since he had been awakened.

---

Cloud laid Aerith down on the stone, the entrance to the crater within sight. As cold as it was outside, he wasn't ready to take her out in the little she was wearing just yet.

Cloud had tried the whole way up to try awakening Aerith, but she lay still. It wasn't even as though she were unconscious, just...sleeping. Loud shouting, water splashed in her face, ever slapping her face softly, nothing seemed to rouse her.

"Cloud."

Cloud looked at Rinoa, trying to remember her name. Giving up, he just said, "Yea, what"

"I can hear her."

"What?"

"In my mind. She's talking to me."

"Saying what?"

"He's gone."

"Who? Gast?"

"I don't know. She just keeps saying he's gone."

"Can you talk to her?"

"She can hear all of us. She heard what you said just now. She says she's not important now. That she has to stop him."

"How?"

"She says...I need to....", and with that, Rinoa touched Aerith's hand.

And disappeared.

It would be impossible for Cloud to explain it. One moment she was there, the next, she wasn't. Somewhere in his stunned state, Cloud looked down at Aerith, and gasped. Her eyes, now opened, had changed. They seemed to have a glassy look to them. Before he could say anything, Aerith spoke.

Only it wasn't Aerith. The voice was much deeper, much more...ancient sounding.

"Your friend is well, but your companions down below need you."

"Who are you?", Cloud almost whispered.

"That is not important now. Rinoa has gone back, and Aerith has joined her, Now you must look after Quistis. If she is lost, all is lost with her."

"But..."

"GO!", and the eyes closed again.

Looking up at Tifa, he shouted, "Go! Find them! Hurry!"

Tifa, shocked out of her stupor, ran toward the stairs down, with everyone else right behind her.

Everyone but Cloud. He couldn't bring himself to leave her.

Tifa looked back, and a shadow passed over her expression. Then she turned back and ran, the moment lost to all but one.

Sephiroth sighed, and hurried after her.

-----

Yuffie couldn't remember ever having been this mad before. It wasn't bad enough that "The One" hadn't been able to do a thing to help them so far, now she was moving in on Yuffie's guy. The fact he wasn't, technically speaking, her guy yet was irrelevant. And instead of Vinny telling her to take a hike, Yuffie gets sent away like a child being punished.

"I'd like to disperse her.", Yuffie grumbled to no one in particular.

Somewhere inside, she knew it wasn't really about Quistis, as much as it was about Vincent. She had been accustomed to his inability, or unwillingness, to show affection. Even with Lucrecia, it was more of a vigil. She could imagine that when he had actually been assigned to watch her by Shinra, he had been just as reserved with her, only coming out of his shell when he found out about her having a child with Hojo. That would pretty well have brought anyone out of their shell. He just always had the persona of a watchful protector, a silent guardian. So when he had placed his cloak around her (was that really just a few days ago?), it had changed the dynamics of all that was them. Hell, until that moment, there hadn't been a them worth speaking of.

If she were honest with herself, Yuffie would admit that her constant badgering over the years had been her own awkward way of trying to gain his approval, as a fighter, and later as a woman. Moving from a need for approval to a need for affection wasn't a giant leap, and the wait and worry were much the same. While everything he did almost always had a rhyme and reason to it, he would only explain what it might be when it was absolutely necessary. So trying to understand his thought process became a game of sorts. Something had happened the night before they arrived at Cosmo Canyon, and he had been distant even since. He was his typical, polite self about it, but it was still distant.

"Hello."

One of the bonuses of being a super ninja was that people didn't sneak up on you. No matter how silent they were, the highly trained ears, and almost inhuman level of perception kept you aware and ready. So when a strange voice says hello less than 5 feet in front of you, it tends to have the effect of electric shock therapy, without the therapy.

As Yuffie slowly began breathing again, she looked up from her semi sitting position, where she had jumped back to out of shock. She didn't recognize him, and she would have known if she had seen this one before. His smug grin reminded her of Cid, and he had a diagonal scar across the bridge of his nose.

"Uh...um...H...hi. Who are you?"

"The name's Seifer. I'm looking for a friend of mine."

"Kinda strange place to go looking. Is he a cave diver?"

"Not he, she. And I'm looking here because here is where I popped in."

"Popped in?"

"Long story, kid. Anyway, her name is Quistis. You seen her?"

Yuffie slowly got to her feet.

"I'm not a kid, pal. And yea, I know where she is. She seems to have a lot of friends. Can't hack it alone, I guess."

"You don't know what you're talking about. But, anyway, I really need to find her. Where is she? Is she down here?"

For some reason, Yuffie felt hesitant to tell him. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, which she didn't, or that she particularly cared what happened to Quistis, because she didn't. It was just a cold feeling down her spine when she looked at him.

"I'll ask again, who are you?"

"I told you, I'm a friend. I'm the one who sent her here, as it were."

Well, that would explain her immediate dislike of him.

"Whatever. She's back the way I came in."

"Thanks, kid.", and he started to stroll past her.

"You got a death wish, or something?"

"No offense, kid, but I'm way out of your league."

Any way you chose to look at it, this one was trouble. The fact he was practically begging for an ass kicking just made it that much easier. Yuffie hadn't brought her weapon down with her, but she was never totally unprepared.

The time it took her to pick up the rock, and hurl it at him, could be measured in fractions of a second.

The time it took him to pull out his gunblade and deflect it was even shorter.

For a moment, they stood, glaring at each other. Then he broke into a grin, and put his blade away.

"You got spunk, I'll give you that. What's the name?"

"Yuffie. And...nice block. What is that thing?"

"What, the gunblade?"

"Gunblade? Where are you guys from?"

"I'd love to stay and chat, but, as I said, I really have to talk to her."

After a few more moments, she walked past him, turning to say, "You coming or what?"

Seifer's grin never left. She wasn't his type, as he didn't do jail bait. But she was a handful, that was for sure.

Then, remembering he was on borrowed time, he hurried after her.

-----

This isn't intended as a cliff-hanger. I just can't fit what happens next without the chapter being grotesquely long

Anyone who has seen "Dark Knight" knows the ending lines "Silent guardian, watchful protector". Vincent has that persona to me.

Before the drama police come for me, let me explain. I'm not playing "who likes who, who gets who" for the soap opera of it. It all has a very specific point and purpose in the story. Quistis and Vincent do have a lot in common, and people don't get to shut down confused emotion just because things get hairy.