This long moment lasted only a few seconds, only Laguna had noticed, but both Rinoa and Squall were glowing an iridescent hue. On the screen, he saw Squall lift his head, as if being bathed in an incredible light, the burden of life seemingly lifted from his shoulders. Laguna looked back....
Rinoa was gone.
The barrier still stood, but it was no longer a golden color, now it was a deep silver color, seemingly held in place by the stones and Delita's sword.
That's when he saw it.
On the spacecam feed, floating deep in space, a massive creature with a long silver mane and leonine head, large silver wings with noble features about it, appearance denoting it's strength was incredible. His thoughts made the connection.
"The heart of a lion....and the soul of a griever.....Griever...."
The lion Guardian Force launched itself massively upon the beam being pressed on the barrier, taking the full brunt of the cry, channeling it with it's massive clawed hands.
The beam stopped.
Griever crossed it's razor edged arms and roared with a voice seemingly to travel through time and space.
"SHOCKWAVE PULSAR!"
The dark orb that was the moon was now filled with a vast iridescent light orbiting the surface, the light flashed and filled the sky like a massive explosion. When the light dissipated, the moon still remained.
"Griever....he...killed all the demons and monsters....!" Laguna gasped in breaths.
Delita noticing the change in events and that Rinoa and Squall were missing, the cry gone and a large lion being-floating in space, lowered his sword, opening the barrier.
"What....just happened...???"
Laguna looked at Delita, eyes in disbelief of the events, and shook his head, if questions were to be answered, they would all have to be together.
After long moments of waiting, the braves arrived at the lab, multiple questions ready to burst from their mouths.
Laguna raised his hands silencing the crowd mumbles, and spoke.
"I'm really not quite sure I believe what I saw, but I seem to be the only person to actually see it."
His voice trembled as he continued, "I read of this in ancient text about a warrior joining with a sorceress to become a powerful being. This may have been a fulfilled prophecy, but it also seems to be the only explanation to what happened to Squall and Rinoa. What I'm not so sure of is what has actually become of them, and what the implications are concerning the new lion creature in the sky....."
"I....believe.....we can answer that question." A familiar voice said, half echo, half real.
The party whirled to find Squall and Rinoa with hands joined, but different now. Eyes wide, they anticipated the explanation.
"Griever....the Guardian Force....is both of us." Squall said, only just beginning to understand this himself.
"His courage in the face of death...and my love for him......." Rinoa continued, "made Griever."
"A sorceress's bond with her knight can't be broken...." Squall said in a wisdom beyond his years, "once we merged, we....can't be separated....we...are one...now."
The braves looked on in concern, and Rinoa answered their looks with, "It was our desire to be this way..."
Seifer looked at Squall in surprise, he had fulfilled what Seifer thought was his dream. But as he looked at the two iridescent beings standing before him, he realized that this wasn't his dream at all.
Reading his mind, Rinoa spoke to Seifer, "You know your destiny....now follow your heart. We will guide you."
A smirk appeared on Seifer's face, "Eh, Squall guiding me? What a load of bull!"
Squall frowned his usual frown at Seifer, "Not that kind of guide," He had read Seifer's mind, yet ignored it, "We will be your guardian force."
Seifer's face set as he mockingly appealed to their logic, "If you junction to me, I might as well have amnesia, cause you're gonna erase my memories."
Which was truth in itself, but Squall noted that it wasn't the reason why he didn't want to be junctioned. Seifer and Squall were still rivals, and Seifer felt the score was left unsettled.
Squall intoned a dead serious tinge in his voice. "Outside, you and me, no magic, just gunblades." With that, he waved his hand, Rinoa dematerialized inside of him, and instead of the light aura around his body, his casual clothes returned, with the Lionheart Gunblade at his side. A grim posture seemed to form on him as he walked out.
Seifer had the biggest grin on his face with a dark look in his eyes to match. Pulling on his trenchcoat he grabbed his Hyperion and strolled out the door.
Most of the group stood in utter shock, but Cloud, Sephiroth, Ramza, and Delita knew exactly what was going to happen. They quickly followed out the door to spectate the fight.
Inside Squall's mind, Rinoa quietly protested, "You know I don't like the idea of you fighting him like this!"
Squall pulsed back a thought of confidence telling her he knew what he was doing, considering whom they would be junctioned to, he wanted to test Seifer.
