The Fantasy Games (Final Fantasy Fanfiction)

Chapter Eighteen: I Burn Water

A long purple-painted fingernail traced the open scars on her back for about the sixteenth time that day as she tended to her friend's wounded leg. It had been three days since the attack of the SOLDIER and his cadets and in the aftermath she had found that Paine had been stabbed through the leg when the half-demon had tried to come to her aid. Zack had only suffered minor cuts whereas Angeal barely had a scratch. Lulu had miraculously come out of the ordeal alive with a few small cuts and a bullet wound to the shoulder.

And two parallel scars in the centre of my back, she thought grimly as she traced the scars once more. They never stopped aching - no, the flesh directly beneath the two strange scars never stopped aching. It was as if something was pushing and prodding against the inside of her skin, desperate to burst out. She wouldn't be surprised if something did pop out of it, it was such a peculiar mark.

Zack and Angeal had insisted that they sleep in their apartment until they discovered why the SOLDIERs had targeted Lulu. Paine was forced to stay where Zack could keep an eye on her - at least until her leg fully recovered. Both Paine and Lulu had objected, saying that Auron was back and could help them and that they were well able to take care of themselves. Tifa had silenced their protests though, saying that she would sleep in the spare room of her beautician salon that each Sector's beautician got when they checked into the hotel. Zack had then volunteered to sleep on the couch and their lodgings had been finalised.

Neither girl had been happy about it.

Of course Lulu had been flattered that the three previous Victors of the Capitol had been so nice and concerned about their well-being. Tifa had been so supportive, offering to accompany them should they need to go anywhere and Zack was the same, despite the pressure he was under being Cloud's mentor. Angeal offered whatever services he could too and made them feel as comfortable as possible. But still... Lulu still felt slightly awkward about the whole situation.

"So are you sure you just woke up with those scars?" Paine asked as Lulu cast 'cure' again on her bandaged leg. Despite her extra healing abilities, the wound was taking its time healing and Lulu wasn't sure her spells were helping it at all. As long as it didn't get infected, she was happy and Paine would just have to exercise more patience than usual.

"Yes, I had a strange dream and then I woke up to two hideous markings on my back," Lulu muttered as she sat back into her chair with a tired sigh. "I've told you this already."

"What was your dream like?" Paine asked from her spot on Zack's bed. "You never told me about it."

Lulu sighed again and knitted her fingers together in her lap. "I was in a huge field of flowers and I kept hearing strange mantras like 'protect' and 'divine' and 'sorceress' and then... I saw that girl from Sector Eight. Rinoa, the one who was travelling with Yuna except this time she had white wings sprouting from her back."

Paine's expression was passive as usual except her eyes glistened with something that looked like shock to Lulu. The warrior didn't reply to her description of her dream as seriousness clouded her eyes and she seemed to be in deep thought. Lulu waited patiently for her to say something but after a long period of silence she found herself growing extremely anxious.

"Paine..." Lulu caught the warrior's attention. "What are you thinking?" She asked watching her friend carefully.

Paine shook her head as she breathed out slowly. Lulu's calm tone of voice sometimes unnerved her. "I don't know Lulu... you've been watching the games right?" At Lulu's small nod she continued. "So you saw the part where Rinoa grew wings to fight Kefka?"

"Yes and then she sacrificed herself to protect Yuna."

"Yes..." Paine confirmed with a nod of her head. "Lulu... Rinoa was a sorceress, she was the one I was trying to get out of the games for Squall. But..." She sighed remembering her friend's face when he had come back two days ago. His hair had been uncombed, he hadn't shaved and his eyes had large bags under them. He hadn't said a word to her, just handed her the divorce papers he'd signed and went to leave. She'd stopped him of course, it had caused her great pain because of her leg but she had shown him to her old hotel room and told him to use her bedroom for the time being. She knew Squall well and he could be unpredictable at times so she had warned Auron to hide the sharp knives and to keep an eye on him.