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[givenonemoretry.livejournal.com]

Who: Squall, Fran and Tivon
What: Hunting for a cure
Where: Deep Sea Research Center
When: Evening
Rating: R for violence


Fran tightened the grenade straps around her thighs. She felt a little strange to be dressed up in Garden weaponary rather than her own. But apart from her bow, everythign else was back on the Strahl. She sighed and tied back her hair, looking most uneasy.

Squall piloted the Ragnarok until it hovered over the Deep Sea Research Center, easing it down on the surface. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to, Fran..."

The Viera shook her head. "No. I must. For Balthier and for the children. We may not be together anymore, and he may be in the bed of another, but I still love him."

Tvon wore the mage's attire he always wore, his swords crossed on his back. "Love him or no, it is still a dangerous venture. If you wish to back out, the commander and I shall handle things, Fran." He shifted to stand, tying his hair with an elastic, his eyes sparking red as he looked out on the Research Center.

"I would never forgive myself." Fran replied, standing tall and proud as Squall landed the airship. "I have come this far, I shall see this journey through to the end."

Squall gave a nod and shifted to stand, grabbing Lionheart and fixing her at his hip. "Well then, let's get moving. I don't want to spend a second longer than we need to in there."

Tivon's eyes faded to blue again and he looked at the Viera and the Hume. "If things become too dangerous, we pull out. I may be an accomplished mage but I'd rather not be Raising anyone."

Fran gave a nod and began to exit the airship, taking a moment to catch her balance, the breeze from the sea was harsh, waves slamming against the exposed sides.

Squall took hold of Fran's arm, steadying her. "Easy, Fran." He smiled softly, walking ahead to the main entrance. The Research Center had been abandoned years ago, n one really knew why, it was believed to be due to an unauthorsed experiment gone wrong. That could also explain the reason for the seriously lethal fiends within.

Tivon followed them out and gave a glance to Fran before walking with Squall. He was only really here to see how he could make it all go wrong. If Balthier died, there'd be no one for Fran but him. If that boy lived, he'd be stuck with competition for a very long time.

Fran followed Squall, ears twitching a little. "This place... it crawls with life... but not... living yet dead..." She murmured, fingers twitching as she reached for her bow.

Squall pushed the door open and stepped inside, pressing at the control panels to find them all dead. "Looks like we'll be taking the stairs..."

The pirate walked along, nudging Squall aside and casting Thunder on the control panels. Nothing happened. "Hn... worth a try. The stairs it is."

Fran walked ahead, moving towards the stairs, trying them with a cautious foot, before putting her entire weight on them. "They seem stable enough... as long as we walk single file... I do not think they shall hold the three of us..." She murmured, heading down one flight of steps.

Squall followed the Viera, one hand on the railing, the other gripping the hilt of his blade.

Tivon took the back and followed them, casting a slight, secret water spell on the step just before Squall moved down. It would either weaken the step and have the teen crashing through it or it'd send him skidding down the stairs.

Squall stepped onto the wet step, feeling it crack beneath his weight but unable to do anything to stop himself falling through. He crashed through to the staircase below, it also cracking under the sudden strain, causing him to fall into a heap on the floor below.

Fran gasped and called out Squall's name, eyes trying to focus through the cloud of dust as she ran down the steps.

Tivon smirked wickedly for a split second before feigning worry and running down the steps, casting Float on himself and Fran to keep them from meeting the same fate as Squall.

Squall pushed himself to his feet, favouring his left ankel slightly, and rubbing at the back of his head. "Ngh... I'm fine. I guess I wasn't paying close enough attention..." He muttered. "Let's keep moving."

Fran cast a Cure spell over the teen, blinking a little as the Float spell washed over her. "The crash probably alerted the fiends..."

Tivon gave a single nod. "No doubt. We must be on guard and alert. No more mistakes, alright?" He gave Squall rather a hard look as they continued walking.

Squall huffed, curling his fingers around his gunblade, readying it. "No more mistakes." He repeated, moving ahead to the next staircase, checking each step before placing his weight on it.

Fran lined an arrow against her bow string as she followed Squall deeper into this underwater pit.

Drawing both swords, Tivon walked steadily behind them. His eyes were deep red as they moved and he was more than prepared to sacrifice Squall if it'd stop them getting a cure.

As they reached the floor, a mutated Ruby Dragon leapt from the shadows, swiping at Squall. The teen quickly slashed at it wit his gunblade, stabbing the blade deep into the fiend's throat as he released a bullet into it.

Fran fired her arrow into the beast, quickly lining up a second one to follow.

Tivon made his way behind the creature, running up it's back and stabbing his blades into both of the fiend's side, twisting them as he did.

The fiend fell dead. Squall withdrew his balde and wiped the blood from it, taking a breath. "That was one of the easy ones." He mumbled, checking this floor of the buidling for anything that could be a cure.

"No doubt what we seek lies deeper within." Fran murmured, moving ahead to the next set of stairs.

The pirate gave a nod and walked with them, his swords in his hands as they dripped fiend blood the entire way.

Squall jogged down the flights of stairs, cutting his way through the fiends as they appeared, searching each floor in turn. His faith was fast disappearing. "... It isn't safe to go any lower..." He murmured, shifting uncomfortably. "Below lies a deadly Weapon..."

"But the cure... Balithier's life... his fate. We hold it in our hands. Do you love him or no?" Fran asked.

Tivon shook his head, gritting his teeth. "It is a fool's move to venture deeper, Fran. Cure or no, if you go further, your child will be left with naught a parent nor guardian. Is that your wish?"

Squall sighed. "Fran... You know that I love him... but is foolish to venture further."

Fran sighed. "I shall go alone if you shall not join me!"

Tivon sighed, brushing his hair from his eyes. "We all go. If we leave you to venture alone, no doubt an ill fate shall befit you."

Another sigh escaped the teen as he began to unseal the door to the floor below. Griever paced uneasily in his mind.

Fran readied an arrow against her bowstring, ears twitching with unease.

Once the door opened, Tivon raised both his sword, taking a deep, controlled breath. This could only be described as an idiot's way to die but he would protect Fran. Squall, however, mattered very little.

Squall walked ahead, eyes scanning the room for any sign of life. Nervous breaths escaped his lips, feet falling soft against the creaking floor.

Fran followed him, nose scrunching up a little.

Twirling his fingers slightly at his side, swishing his sword with miniscule effort, Tivon summoned his Esper silently and secretly.

Rising in front of Fran and Squall, roaring with a viciousness akin to his master's, Hashmall raised his fists, slamming them on the ground, ripping a hole through the floorboards.

Squall took a jump back, pulling Fran back with him to safety. "What the fuck is that?!" His hissed, readying his gunblade. "That isn't the Weapon I was expecting to see!"

Fran blinked. "Hashmall?" She asked, mostly to herself as she readied an arrow, firing it at the beast.

Tivon raised his swords, though a smirk was shared between Esper and Hume. They each knew any strikes hit against one another were for show. No bad blood would be spilled.

Hashmall's eyes glinted at Tivon before he took a swipe at Squall, roaring once again, fangs dripping with saliva and eyes flaming in anger.

Squall slashed at the creature's limbs with his gunblade, growling in determination, his eyes almost ice cold.

Fran fired a well placed arrow into Hashmall's mouth as he roared, striking the roof of it, piercing it.

Almost wincing at the pain caused to his Esper, Tivon ran for the fierce monster, thrusting one sword into his abdomen.

Hashmall grasped the arrow and yanked it from his mouth, spitting blood and throwing the arrow at Fran with frightening accuracy. When his master stabbed him, however, a growling rumbling came from his throat and he slapped the pirate away with the back of his powerful hand, knocking him into the wall. Just for show, of course.

Squall cast a Cure spell over Tivon, before running at Hashmall again, slashing and slicing at him, slamming his gunblade deep into the beast, before firing.

Fran dodged the arrow, picking it up she fired it again at the damned thing.

Tivon shuddered as he was coated in healing magicks though a moment later he slyly recalled the beast, silently apologising for using him in such a way.

Hashmall screamed at them, his eyes flaring then... he was gone. Vanished. No signs of truly being defeated. No Esper Crystal.

Squall rested on his knees, leaning his weight on his gunblade as he caught his breath. "Did we defeat it?"

Fran blinked, looking around the room cautiously. "There in no Crystal... I do not understand... If we defeated it... a Crystal should remain in it's place..."

Tivon struggled to his feet, exhaling slowly and sweeping back his blonde hair. "Not so. Hashmall does not reside in this place. He is of Ivalician decent. Simply, he must have returned to where his Crystal truly is." He murmured, his tone seamless as he lied through his teeth.

Squall shrugged as he pushed himself to his feet. "Makes sense." He moved over to Fran, looking her over. "You okay? No injures?"

Fran gave the boy a soft smile. "I am fine." She looked at Tivon. "Are you hurt?"

Rolling his shoulders, he leaned down and picked his swords from the ground. "I am fine. This venture, mind, has me more than unsettled. If we are thrown beasts such as Hashmall so far from his home, we no doubt face more trying beasts ahead."

"We can only pray we don't awaken the Weapon from it's slumber." Squall murmured, walking ahead, noting mentally how weak the floor seemed since Hashmall's attack.

"We must not give up hope..." Fran murmured, letting out a heavy sigh.

"What exactly is this... Weapon? You repeat it as if it you have personal experience with it. I dare say I refuse we move further without an explaination, Commander." Tivon spoke, leaning his weight on one sword while inspecting the other.

"It is a respawning beast. One I have had a close encounter with. Closely connected with the planet itself. A beast of immense strength and power."

"We must keep movng. We have to find that cure!!"

"And what, exactly, does this beast look like? I'd prefer I knew what it was before we go storming ahead." He spoke only with Squall, ignoring Fran's words.

"Well... it's big... kinda like a deformed Centaur... It has a beast-like lower body and an armoured upper... It's really strong and really dangerous..."

Tivon stood straight and raised both swords, settling them crossed on his back. "Hmph... we walk a fool's path." He hissed before striding ahead of them both.

Squall gave a dry laugh. "Perhaps. And for a fool of a man too, yet no doubt he would do the same for us." He shot Fran a reassuring smile, before walking to catch Tivon up.

Fran followed them, soon catching them up and passing in front of them.

"That pirate is whet behind the ears. He has no sense of what is important. Curing him so selflessly will only cause to inflate his already swollen ego." He murmured, his eyes scanning the place for weaknesses in the structure...

"You don't like him much, do you Tivon?" Squall asked as he walked. "Maybe this brush with death is what he needs to realise what matters to him."

Fran walked ahead of the men, eyes scanning for any sing of fiends or anything that may be the cure. The floor gave a painful screech, shifting beneath the weight of the three of them.

Settling his eyes on several vials, he tilted his head. "I do not like him, no. He is a brat with no sense of care for anyone but himself." He muttered. "Death changes no man. I know this well." Nodding towards the vials, he looked to Fran. "Those?"

The floor shifted more, cracking slightly. Squall blinked. "Fran! This place is going to collapse! We've got to go!!! Now!!!"

Fran ran across the floor, despite the most unnerving cracks. She scanned her eyes over the vials, trying to see which was the cure, before just taking all of them.

Tivon swallowed thickly. "Fran. Now!!" He demanded, stepping once forward. As he did, the floor in front of him, all the way to where Fran stood, vanished, crashing down beneath them.

Squall watched in disbelief as the floor gave way, falling to the floor below, taking Fran with it in a cloud of dust. He skidded to the edge, looking through the dust. "Fran?! Fran!!!?"

It happened so quickly that Fran had little chance to react. She crumpled in a heap, letting out a groan. Her leg was buried beneath some rubble, but the rack of vials was held protectively against her chest. She coughed a little, trying to make out the two Humes above. "I am... okay."

Tivon scrambled to the edge and paused himself before calling Hashmall to help. Now that wouldn't look right, would it? Instead, he jumped down, resting beside her as he removed the rubble. "Squall. You pull her up." He aided Fran to stand.

Squall gave a nod and rested against the edge, supporting himself so he wouldn't fall as he reached down to help the Viera.

Fran stood, wincing a little. She cradled the vials against her chest, reaching up to take Squall's gloved hand in her own.

"Fran, both hands! Forget the vials, this place is coming down around us!!" He shouted, holding her by the waist and lifting her just a bit to reach.

Squall gripped onto Fran's hand, digging his booted toes through a gap into the floor for extra leverage.

Fran shook her head, clinging to the vials tighter. "No! I shall not let them go. Not now. Not now we're so close..."

"Gods..." he growled, giving her a good shove up and pushing her higher, enough for them to be able to start getting her out of this place. He'd manage to get himself out on his own.

Squall pulled with all his strength, keeping his foot firmly in place for support, until Fran finally climbed up. He pulled her into a protective hug, kissing her forehead. "Make for the Ragnarok... We'll follow." He ordered. He reached down his hands again. "Tivon... can you reach?"

Fran nodded, holding the vials close, before making her way towards the stairs, wincing at the pressure on her ankle.

Tivon gave Squall a hard look before using both his swords, slamming them into the ground and launching himself up with them, flipping in the air as he came to land. "I do not need your aid." At that, he walked after Fran.

Squall pushed himself to his feet, running after Fran and Tivon. As he lef tthe room, the entire floor caved in. "Let's go! Let's go!!" He ordered, grabbing Fran's hand, running with her.

Tivon ran with them, his eyes flaming red as he let a silent spell fly, a fire starting around them as he did. A smirk came but he ran around them, heading for the Ragnarok.

quall kept hold of Fran's hand as they ran, his grip tightening as the fire raged. The flames soon engulfed them. He stopped, casting a water spell to try and create a path.

Fran kept a firm hold of the vials, casting a second water spell with her free hand, before fleeing with Squall, not stopping until they reached the surface.