I'm back again! (After that loooong break.) This chapter has a bit of action in it, finally, and all those little plot twists are half ironed out, for now. Well, a short note to Kath: WRITEMOREWRITEMOREWRITEMORE!!! I can't take the suspense of her story!!!! It's called 'A new soul for the angel of death' Find it, and READ IT! Enjoy!

Chpt 16 : Dreamscapes

Sarah knew she was dreaming. There was no way she could walk on water.

But there she was.. standing on water. The small waves lapped against her feet, making her shoes a little wet. She couldn't see anything further than five meters away from her... mist swirled everywhere.

("I haven't had a dream since I left Terra...") Sarah thought. ("Why am I here of all places?")

Sarah looked at herself for the first time since she realised she was here. Her normal travelling clothes had gone, and she was dressed in formal summoner's clothing. Silky red and blue robes covered her, and in her hands was a golden rod, a symbol of a high summoner.

("This isn't right.. I'm only a novice in summoning...")

The rod glistened, even though there was no visible sunlight. It had a large orb inside a circular cage at the top of the rod, it was red and fiery, constantly burning into itself.

("This is symbolic...") Sarah watched the ball of fire closely, it started to freeze over, and turn into earth. Tiny green patches started to grow on it and soon water covered it aswell. It was a tiny version of Gaia....

"I think you aught to go into Treno. I saw some very nice clothes there... regal ones..." Dagger had appeared behind her, dressed in royal robes and dresses, her hair braided and tucked under a magnificent tiara.

("Dagger?! Where did you come from?") Sarah swirled around, but Dagger started to sink into the water, it was like Dagger didn't even know she was sinking at all.

("It's a dream.. It's a dream...") Sarah reassured herself as Dagger completely vanished from her sight.

"I never said anything about quitting the mission... I just decided to take another route." Iifa had appeared to her side, much to her amazement.

("Iifa!") Sarah tried to move forward.. but she was rooted to the spot.. frozen in time. Iifa's placid face suddenly turned full of rage and violence... His eyes became red and his hair black.

"Don't even think about it, boy..." He snarled. "You can stand there all you want, but you might as well move aside. I always get my way... So move!" Sarah turned to see who he was talking to, but when she turned to face him once more, he was gone.

"It is my mission to protect you. Even from him." Zidane stated from her left.

("This is getting confusing..") Sarah thought. ("What is this dream trying to tell me?")

All went black. She could only see her body, now in her normal clothes.

("Wha..?") Sarah looked around a couple of times.
"I don't want to be here!!!" She shouted into the nothingness.
"Hell,....nor do the rest of us." Iifa mumbled.
"Iifa!" She went towards him, (he too was illuminated by light) but stopped when she realised she was still in the dream. He stood there, as if expecting her to do something.
"Iifa.. what is this all about? What are you trying to tell me?" She asked timidly.
"You're better off shopping in Lindblum this weekend, baby. Dagger's advice is way off.." He said, rather out of place. All the people she had seen so far were talking nonsense.
"Nevermind... " She sighed.
"Don't let him touch you. I don't trust that creep... he's only a boy." Iifa shook his head. Sarah walked slowly towards him, even if this was a dream, she at least wanted to stand by him.
"Why did you leave me, Iifa? Why?" She felt tears building up, she wanted to fall to the floor.. or breakdown. She stepped forward and let her head lean against his chest. She was too confused and exhausted to bother anymore.

"Iifa! I don't want to go! I don't want to go back! I just want to stay with you!" She heard her voice echo. She lifted her head and looked around... nothing.

"I just want to stay with you!" Her voice echoed again, she wasn't even talking or thinking the words.
"Then stay with me." Iifa said calmly infront of her.
"What did you say?" She questioned. His eyes were hypnotic.. she couldn't stop looking into them...

He leaned forward and kissed her passionately, more than he had ever done in the past.

("Iifa... I..I..")

"WAKEUP!!!!!!!!!"

"WAKE-UP!!!! RISE AND SHINE!!!! THIS AIN'T NO HOTEL!!!!"

"Huh? Iifa... stay.. What?!" Sarah felt a fierce shaking motion, ripping her from her dream.
"Stop talkin' Terran and get up, Sarah! You can't laze around all day!" Tei ripped the covers off her bed, making Sarah curl into a small ball to keep herself from the sudden cold.
"I was just getting to the good part!" Sarah moaned.
"I know.." Tei smirked, then grinned. "You have a bad habit of sleeptalking. I hope you and Iifa weren't getting too comfy in there, huh?"
"You heard me?!"
"Ohhh yeah...."
"Shit!"
"Language, Sarah!" Tei slapped her wrist in punishment.
"Sorry..."

After what seemed to Tei as a most amusing morning (not to Sarah, of course...) the group had packed up essential supplies and said their farewells to the Dark Wolf Clan. It had been an exhausting trek up the mountains (and over them) when they reached Esto Gaza once more. "So what's the plan?" Tei looked at Sarah questioningly, making the Zidane and Taharka follow suit. "Well, I'd like to find Iifa's whereabouts... and see if Darson and Dagger are okay." She almost mumbled. Zidane shook his head a little, Sarah's purpose in this plot was confusing him. If Iifa was so dangerous, why did she want to go near him? "Why don't we go after these 'Darson and Dagger' people first." Zidane quickly interjected, not wanting a run in with Iifa. "That way you know everyone is safe." "True..." Sarah pondered in Terran. But she desperately wanted to know where Iifa was, and if he had met Kuja yet... "Okay, let's try and make past the Outer continent... then we can head to the Mist Continent. Except we'll go north..." Sarah created a mental map in her head. "Huh? But that means we'll end up in Treno... or Lindblum." Tei stated matter of factly. "Exactly. I have a feeling that's our destination." Sarah smiled to herself, remembering her dream and Iifa's cryptic advise. A frown crossed Zidane's face. "So you're journeying on instinct? Isn't that a bit rash?" He criticized, wanting to question Sarah's motives. "No... and I never asked you to come along, so stop questioning my motives." It was almost like she read his mind, which made Zidane more suspicious of who she really was. He wanted to know who exactly he was guarding. Sarah shrugged her shoulders and began down the rocky path to the shore. She was humming Terra's Theme, which unnerved Zidane beyond sanity. Who was this woman?!

The waters were placid as Leviahthan slid on top of the ocean, taking his master and her friends for the second time to another continent. Sarah looked out at the sea silently, sometimes catching a glimpse of the moon's reflection in the water. Everyone else was asleep, apart from Zidane, of course, whose eyes constantly bored into the back of her head. She found her mind wandering back to the time she had been Kaia in her coma. It had been a new experience for her. Sarah wasn't sure why, but she still found herself feeling jealous over the fact that Kaia was a Terran and she wasn't. She was Kaia's reincarnation...no, more like Kaia herself in a new body. It's just that she couldn't remember everything. She touched her horn, remembering how she wished she had a tail in place of it. She felt so terrible... How could Iifa like her even though she wasn't Terran? And since when did she wish she were another race? It was futile, nothing could change her species. After all, she was meant to be Terran, not Gaian. A faint sense of anger swept over her. Why was she Gaian?! She hated the fact that she was a mistake, if Garland hadn't let her soul go out of the soul stream by accident...then she would have been born a Terran. But she would have never met Iifa. She was glad she was Gaian just for that, though. Iifa had made everything change for her, the happiest days of her life were spent in his company.

Sarah smiled to herself, happy with the outcome of her life so far. She heard the snoring of her companions, but just incase she turned around to make sure all of them were firmly asleep. Zidane seemed to of dropped off to sleep a few minutes ago, so she was safe from his prying eyes. She had decided. She would talk to Kaia. Ask her for advice, she was Terran, and had lived through a lot... she would also know what to do for the assimilation.

Sarah coughed nervously before speaking outloud to herself.
"Umm, Kaia? I want... I mean I need your guidance. What would you do if you were me?" There was no answer. But a little voice in the back of her head told her to keep asking.
"This is stupid..." Sarah lay back on Leviahthan, feeling idiotic for talking to herself. "Maybe I should just figure all this out by myself..." She sighed to herself, before falling into an uneasy sleep...

Sarah felt warm.

Her eyes crept open.

She nearly fell on the floor trying to get up so quickly on realizing where she was.

"Kaia's bedroom?!" She almost screamed to herself. She was wearing regular clothes this time, some pajamas of sorts. "This is not happening to me again!!!!" She wiped her forehead... no horn.

She ran to the mirror, bed-sheets still wrapped around her legs.
"No... Why?!" She was hallucinating she was Kaia again... just like in her coma. It hit her the moment she looked at the mirror for the second time and saw her Terran self, with no horn and a black tail. She asked for Kaia's guidance, and she was getting it, in the form of experience.

"Okay, I have to be calm... find some clothes..." She turned towards what looked like a wardrobe and a chest of drawers combined and pulled out the suit she last wore.

("This brings back memories.") Sarah thought as she donned the outfit, wondering what would happen today in the Terran Base. As soon as she was dressed the young Garland came rushing in.

"Kaia!!! It's ready!!" He spouted before rushing out of the door again. Sarah rolled her eyes; it was going to be one of those days...

Garland sat on a chair near the large machine, with Kronos and Tanze flanking his sides, all looking excitedly at the moniter.
"What's up?" She asked as Kronos quickly pulled her over to the machine.
"It's ready, Kaia! We can assimilate Gaia now!" He grinned. Sarah realized what was happening. Kaia was showing her how the assimilation was to be done... obviously it hadn't happened in Sarah's time, so something must have gone wrong here.
"How?!" Sarah smiled and acted as elated as the others.
"Well, the soul count for Gaia is nearly complete! A few more souls and we can shift the soul stream, and the assimilation can start!" Kronos rushed, shaking her shoulders in excitement. It made as much sense as Tei being quiet.

("Okay, I just have to wait and see what goes wrong...") Sarah observed as Garland typed in some form of code. There was a long silence as all four of them looked at the screen expectantly.
"NO!" Garland slammed his fist on the table. The screen read '104,867 t.' "There are still 104,867 Terrans in Gaia's life stream!!!" Everyone sighed depressively.
"How long will they take to clear?!" Kronos growled.
"Approximately 15,000 years." Garland said gravely. Sarah felt her eyesight falter, she was returning to real life.

"Kronos, I don't feel so good..." Sarah lied, leaning against him. He held her, and her vision finally went black.

Sarah awoke with a start. She blinked a few times and tried to take in her surroundings. Leviahthan was still gliding through the waters, and it was near dawn. Zidane, Tei and Taharka were all fast asleep still, the sunless sky making their skin look blue and pale.

Sarah tried to work out what exactly Kaia had shown her. They couldn't complete the Assimilation back then because Terran souls were still in the Gaian soul flow... and they certainly didn't want to destroy any Terran souls. Yet the Assimilation couldn't take place now presumably because there were still Terran souls here on Gaia. It was very confusing, but the answer came to her as the Outer Continent finally came into view.

There was still one Terran soul left on Gaia.

Hers.

"Sarah, what are you trying to tell me?!" Taharka exclaimed. Sarah, Taharka, Tei and Zidane sat on the shore of the Mist continent, after a long journey on Leviahthan; listening to the dream Sarah had had the previous night. Sarah sighed and tried to explain.
"Okay, you know that there were 7 Terrans originally designed to bring about the assimilation?"
"Yes, I know that already!" Taharka hurried, desperate to get to the point.
"Well, they obviously couldn't pull it off – not until all of the Terran souls circling in Gaia's life stream were put back on Terra. Here's the interesting part, the assimilation can't be completed until every single Terran soul is back on Terra, or is in a Terran body." Sarah paused quickly, noticing that while Taharka and Zidane were hanging on her words, Tei was yawning in the background. It was a shame she couldn't understand Terran...
"Anyway, there is only one Terran soul left on Gaia. Meaning that once that soul is put back into Terra's lifestream, then Iifa can start the assimilation." Taharka and Zidane snapped out of their hypnotic state and looked at her suspiciously.
"So, where is this last Terran soul?" Zidane raised his eyebrow. Sarah clicked her fingers and pointed at herself.
"It's you?! How?!" Taharka questioned, looking at Sarah in a completely different way.
"You know the 7 Terrans I mentioned earlier? I'm one of their re-incarnations." She announced seriously. Zidane shook his head a little. That was why she was an enigma to him, and that was why she was such an important part in the assimilation plot. But had Garland even thought that with a Terran soul stuck in Sarah's body, the assimilation couldn't be started?
"So, in theory, we need to either kill you on Terra, or make you into a Terran." Zidane announced casually, making Sarah feel very uncomfortable.
"In theory; if you were going to start the assimilation, yes." Sarah shuddered at the thought.
"Well, as it my mission to guard you..." Zidane started, getting on his feet and extending his hand to her, " Then we better find another way around this, hm?" Sarah nodded and took his hand, she too standing up.

...Although the premise of becoming Terran sounded quite interesting.

Iifa looked out on Treno and smiled inwardly to himself. Kuja was ahead of him looking towards the horizon. It was a shame he wouldn't live to see Treno after it had been destroyed. Iifa had never trusted Kuja, neither had he fully trusted Garland... but to start the assimilation every single Terran soul was to be returned to Terra. Iifa knew fully well where that soul was, and there was no way in heaven or hell he's even dream of harming Sarah. So the alternative option was to flush out at least a thousand Gaian souls at once, making Terra automatically move towards the assimilation. Then he would kill Kuja. His foolish younger brother had taken his word of pact for truth, not knowing that Iifa was planning to kill him for what he did to Sarah. Sure it was immoral, and his own brother... but Iifa didn't care. He was the first and oldest angel of death. He did what he wanted, when he wanted. He would play Kuja like a puppet until this little charade in Treno was over. But first, he wanted to know what kind of creature Garland had created to protect Sarah from himself and Kuja.

"I can see Treno!" Tei shouted back to the other 3, who were lagging behind. "It seems a little... smoky." Tei observed.
"Smoky?" Sarah puffed, nearly loosing her grip on the hillside. "What do you mean 'smoky'?"
"I mean smoky! It's smoking!" Tei pointed, Treno still out of Sarah's line of vision. Sarah sighed, nearly to the top of the hill.
"A city doesn't smoke unless it's on fi..." Sarah stopped talking and ducked as a huge fireball came up from the city.
"It's more than smoking..." Tei looked shocked. "It looks like it's on fire..."
"MY POINT EXACTLY!!!" Sarah screamed over the sound of another fireball. Taharka and Zidane had just clambered upwards, and a look of surprise came across their faces.
"It's been attacked!" Taharka covered her mouth with her hands. Sarah squinted for a moment, as did Zidane.
" I smell a Terran related destruction..." Zidane spoke solemnly. "Talk of the devil..." Two figures could clearly be seen leaping from the roofs, both feathered creatures. One red and white, one black and silver.
("Iifa...") Sarah looked in horror at the scene before her. He was destroying Treno with Kuja?!
"Time for me to take the first step." Zidane unsheathed his daggers, and ran at full speed towards Treno.
"Eh? Zidane! Wait! No!!" Sarah, fearing at battle between the brothers, ran after him. Taharka and Tei looked at each other and shrugged. There was no point staying rooted to the spot, they might as well see things from up close.

Zidane entered the city gates, trying to avoid the screaming mass of Treno's citizens escaping from the destruction. He knew his mission, and he wanted to test his powers. What better way to guard Sarah from a threat, than to destroy the threat? Sarah reached the gates, Zidane now standing in the square, looking up at his brothers single handedly destroying the city.

"Zidane!!" Sarah struggled past the escapees, and reached her bodyguard. "What are you thinking?! You're walking straight into their path!!!" She threw her arms in the air to emphasize her point.
"They are a threat to the Terran civilization, and they must be disposed of." He stared at the two above them, using ungodly powers to blow up entire sections of the city. Sarah looked at him quickly, before roughly grabbing his shoulders.
"You'll kill yourself!" She hissed. "They are far, far more powerful than you!" Sarah shook him, but he brushed her off.
"I don't care. I want to test my powers." He began to walk further into the city.
"ZIDANE!!" Sarah shouted, "DON'T BE A FOOL! YOU CAN'T JUST 'TEST' YOUR POWERS ON THOSE TWO!!"
"I did not ask your opinion, Sarah!" He stared at her before walking forwards once more. Sarah panicked momentarily, what if Kuja had brainwashed Iifa? She looked up at the two again, but they both seemed to have stopped...

"Our work here is done, let us leave brother!" Kuja signaled. Iifa ignored him, feeling the strange presence of several Terrans nearby. "Iifa! Let's go!" Kuja shouted. Iifa remembered his plans, and how much he wanted to break Kuja's neck for his previous actions. "Playtime is over, Kuja." Iifa sneered at his brother. "What?" Kuja looked confused. "You know, you made a good companion, for a while." "What are you talking about?!" Kuja moved towards him, feeling a little suspicious. "I meant what I said. Unfortunately for you, your previous history stands against you." "Wait a moment! I thought we had a pact!?" Kuja reasoned. Iifa laughed fully, the kind of laugh you know has a bad willed motive behind. "You stupid fool, Kuja." He smirked. "Do you really think Iifa, the first Angel of Death, has learnt forgiveness?" Kuja stared blankly at him, finally realizing he had been thwarted. Iifa laughed again, never taking his eyes off the red and white-feathered genome.
"I thought you were at least a bit smarter..." Iifa rolled his eyes. "What you did to Sarah carries a death penalty. Thus..." He formed a ball of energy in his hands, his mouth curving into a malicious grin. "Prepare to receive your due punishment." Iifa threw the ball at Kuja, who missed it within inches.
"It trusted you!" Kuja cast his own energy bolt at Iifa, who leapt off the building in order to avoid it.
"Then you're twice the fool!" Iifa grinned, feeling the air rip with energy around his hand, and a sphere of raw energy form. Iifa slung the sphere in Kuja's direction, feeling his muscles strain with control. Kuja saw it coming, and yet was too slow to counter. It pushed him into the spire of a cathedral, splintering his limbs and body. But his body was used to such ware and tear.
"You will pay for your betrayal!!" Kuja heaved himself out of the frameworks, crushing any tiles or rubble he stood on. Iifa did not reply, only made a beckoning sign with his hand.

("Their fighting each other?!") Sarah witnessed ("But they are still destroying Treno!") Sarah felt an overwhelming desire to help, but she didn't know how. Kuja would shatter her summons within seconds, and she still didn't know Iifa's state of mind. Her thoughts were lost when her instincts told her to move. And fast. She was thrown back by the blast of Kuja being smashed into another building, the energy of Iifa's power still lingering around the destruction. Sarah gritted her teeth and threw herself to one side as Kuja let off a pulse wave of energy from his fallen place, knocking Iifa off his attack course, and blasting the glass out of all surrounding windows. Sarah felt a pair of arms pull her up from the debris to her feet. It took her a moment to recognize her rescuer.
"Zidane?" She questioned. "You're...you're transformed!" She stated, looking at him, now covered in purple and blue feathers.
"And I intend to stay that way... until I am satisfied to the level of your safety." He strongly reminded her of Iifa, except smaller. "Find shelter." He pushed her towards an old building, which looked quite sturdy. But she refused to leave the battlefield.
"I'm more worried for you, Zidane!" She stressed, knowing that he stood no chance against Iifa or Kuja.
"Have you seen my powers?"
"No..."
"Well then. Have faith in me, Sarah... I..." He stopped short when Kuja's powers whipped across the roof tops, making the air shudder and the air mimic lightening. Iifa landed roughly on the ground, unscathed from Kuja's attack. His eyes darted through all the escaping people until they landed on Sarah. His expression changed completely. Sarah smiled in relief when he looked at her, but her mood swiftly altered when Zidane stood between her and her view. Iifa approached the two, obviously now aware that it was Garland's new creation standing between him and his girl.
"Move, boy." He snarled, pacing towards Zidane.
"Never. You are a threat to Sarah and Terra!" He spat, wings folding outwards. Iifa raised an eyebrow, confused to what the genome had said.
"Me? A threat?!" Iifa hardly every became confused, and when he didn't comprehend a situation, he often became angry. It showed on his face.
"Go away, Iifa." Zidane said calmly, surprising Sarah with his handle on the circumstances. Sarah felt a twinge of fear when Iifa drew himself up to his full height, wings outspread, and his eyes glowed a crimson colour. Zidane reached for his daggers.
"Don't even think about it, boy..." He snarled. "You can stand there all you want, but you might as well move aside. I always get my way... So move!" Iifa snapped, his now curled fists shaking with anger. Sarah remembered Iifa saying the exact same thing in her dream, how was it she predicted this confrontation? She mentally kicked herself, she could have stopped this! Sarah gasped as Kuja leapt behind them, ready to attack once more. A reaction was immediate. Zidane grabbed Sarah and jumped onto the roof above them, whilst Iifa quickly followed, determined not to let Sarah out of his sight.
"Leave her alone, Iifa!" Zidane shouted, receiving a menacing glare off his eldest brother.
"Do you want to die too?!" Iifa growled. "Because your going the right way about it!" Sarah struggled out of Zidane's grip and held on tightly to the rooftop, sensing Kuja's return.
"IIFA! WATCH OUT!" She screamed, too late to stop Kuja plowing into Iifa, sending them both flying off the building. "Iifa, no!!!" She tried to follow, only to be held back by Zidane.
"Why are you helping him!?" Zidane shook her shoulders.
"Because he is my friend!"
"He isn't anymore! He's evil! Can't you see that?!" He looked worried for a split second, but his expression quickly turned to that of anger. "You are blind to his actions, summoner!!!" Sarah bit her tongue, determined not to say something she might regret. A loud bang was heard to their left where Kuja and Iifa had fallen, and an explosion of power. Both Zidane and Sarah shielded their eyes. Kuja leapt from the scene, obviously wounded, and trying to get his distance. Iifa was hot on his trail, leaping from his falling place and disappearing in mid air.
("His powers of a summon are returning...") Sarah smiled to herself as Iifa appeared again, next to a bewildered Kuja, before slashing at his with the Exploda. Iifa managed to knock Kuja from his standing place and into a large pile of debris, biding him some time. The eldest Angel of Death looked at Zidane in an intimidating manner, before speeding over to where Zidane and Sarah stood.
"I suppose you want me to give up without a fight, boy..." He glanced at his youngest brother,
"My name is Zidane." Iifa's eyes thinned.
"The new creation." He said sarcastically. "Well, even more incentive to kill you!" He leapt at Zidane, who dodged quickly, taking Sarah with him.
"I will not let you take her!" Zidane called out, holding Sarah in a firm grip.
"We shall see!" Iifa swept the Exploda across Zidane, who clashed it with his daggers.
"I am the new improved creation. I shall triumph over you and your evil." Zidane stated, pushing the Exploder back, much to Iifa's surprise.
"I have news for you, boy..." Iifa gritted his teeth, pushing Zidane's daggers downwards with his blade. "You happen to be standing between me and my girl..."

Sarah gasped as Iifa slammed his fist into Zidane's chest, knocking him several meters back. Zidane struggled upwards, but failed, clutching his now broken ribs. Iifa looked at him with a savage pity.
"You could have been a great warrior, if only you knew what you were doing." He sheathed the Exploda and slung it over his back. "I wasn't aware that Garland sent you to face me with no experience. Still, you got was coming to you." Iifa stepped over his limp body, Zidane still clutching at his wounds.
"Get... away from her..." Zidane struggled, managing to get to his knees as Iifa approached Sarah.
"Or you'll do what?" Iifa challenged.
"I'll fight you..." Zidane slowly got to his feet, making Iifa roll his eyes in annoyance.
"I'm sure." Iifa breathed angrily, turning back to Sarah.
"Iifa! Look!" Sarah pointed over the rooftops, where Kuja had opened a portal and vanished through it, making his escape.
"Shit..." Iifa started, but relaxed when he reasoned with himself. He could kill Kuja another day. Sarah was more important right now.
"It's just you and me now..." Zidane pointed a dagger at Iifa, who walked towards him.
"Go on." Iifa said hoarsely. "Stab me." Zidane looked warily at him.
"You do know that you can't kill me, boy. My healing powers work faster than you can think of what to do next. There is no point challenging me."
" I must..." Zidane stumbled forwards, obviously in pain, but bravely hiding it.
"Do what? Kill yourself? Nice plan."
"You must die, Iifa!" Zidane hissed. Iifa looked at him with a solemn expression.
"Don't get me wrong boy... if you want a fight, I'll make sure you get one."
"Iifa, stop it!" Sarah held onto his arm, pulling him back a little. "Please! His mission was to protect me from you, and he only wants the best of the situation." She pleaded, trying to find mercy in the Terran's eyes. It looked as if he was having an internal struggle, but Iifa eventually turned away from Zidane and Sarah.
"Leave."
"What?" Zidane questioned.
"I said leave!" Iifa said firmly. Seeing the method behind the madness, Zidane approached Sarah, pulling her along with him to the nearest place they could climb down, knowing that he could challenge Iifa another day... when he would be stronger.
"She stays." Iifa spoke, back still turned.
"You can't take her, it's my duty to guard her, not yours!" Zidane protested, but Iifa kept his back turned.
"SHE STAYS!" Iifa boomed, his tail thrashing in the air.
"You can't have her!"
"I will return her to you when I see that you are strong enough to protect her. Until then, she stays with me."
"Garland will hear of this..." Zidane pulled Sarah behind him.
"So what if he does? You have no choice." Iifa turned around, his arms folded over his chest. "You can fight me over this matter when you are stronger, boy. Right now, if you have an ounce of sense in that skull of yours, I suggest you hand her over." Zidane looked angry and confused.
"How do I know you won't hurt her?!" Zidane frowned. Iifa felt a stab of anger, and it became visible on his face.
"I won't even dignify that with an answer." He snarled. "Now hand her over!" Zidane reluctantly let go of Sarah's arm, allowing her to clamber back up the rooftop and towards Iifa.
"Now go. If I see you even come close to Sarah within the next week, I'll rip you in two. Do I make myself clear?" Zidane scowled and headed off the building, disappearing into the crowds of still escaping people. Sarah watched him walk away, feeling guilty over his defeat. She turned to Iifa, who was still transformed into his Angel of Death appearance.
"Why did you do it, Iifa?" She asked, worry smeared over her face. "Why did you destroy Treno?"
"I was trying to bring about the assimilation." He put shortly, showing a distinct lack of patience.
"I suppose it's not my place to complain, being of Terra origin and all, but there were innocent people here!" She reasoned.
"Sarah, I don't have 'Angel of Death' in my name for nothing." He said without emotion, walking over the other side of the rooftop, and onto another.
"But still!" She clambered after him, trying carefully not to fall. "You could have tried to bring about the assimilation in another way! With minimum loss of life!" She said, catching up with him. He stopped dead in his tracks.
"Minimum loss of life. You mean you. Your life."
"Yes...but it would mean they wouldn't have to die."
"Sarah... " He turned around and faced her, wearing a look that was impossible to read. "I am Terran, you are Terran... in certain ways." He brushed his fringe from his face. "I'm not perfect. Jealously, anger and greed are not strangers to me, Sarah. I would rather keep you to myself than sacrifice you for the greater good." He turned around again, continuing his walking. Sarah felt somewhat flattered, but still worried. There had to be a way or starting the assimilation without any deaths... She let her mind wander for a while before running to catch up with Iifa.
"What do you have in mind to do next?" She asked quietly, her confidence flattened by his earlier statement.
"Nothing, for the moment." He scanned the area while she looked at her feet.
"Where are we going to go? We can't stay here..." She said, almost whispering.
"There is a cave near here, it seemed capable of comfortable living space last time I visited it." He turned and looked at her. "I want to be able to keep an eye on you and Zidane, to make sure everything is in order." Iifa put solemnly.
"You make it sound like I was your prisoner." She said, looking into the distance. She could feel his eyes burn into her skin.
"You can leave if I'm making you feel uncomfortable." He spoke quietly, but honestly. The thought of leaving his side horrified her, as she wouldn't know the next time she could be alone with him, or even in his company at all.
"No. I want to stay with you." She looked at her feet again. "I was just feeling down, that's all."
"You look it."
"I know..." Iifa observed her for a while, before de-transforming into his normal self. He liked looking at her; she was defiantly a sight for sore eyes. But he hated it when she was unhappy... it made him feel pessimistic. Iifa ran his hand through her hair, making her aware that he was observing her.
"You should smile more often." He said, never taking his eyes off her raven hair. She didn't reply, but she smiled briefly.
"At least you try." He leant down and kissed her softly, holding her shoulders gently while his lips moved against hers. She responded by kissing back after a couple of seconds, enjoying the rare moment that they hardly ever got to share. He broke the kiss after a minute or two, and smiled at her, receiving a full smile back.
"Come on, Sarah." He took her hand and guided her down the wreck of buildings, before lifting her onto the ground.
"Iifa?"
"Hm?"
"Could I see Tei and Taharka before we go? They'll be wondering where I went." She explained. He looked pensively into space for a moment, before shrugging his shoulders.
"I couldn't hurt."

Whoa, long chapter there... I think. Any questions about it, please e-mail me, and pleeeeeaaassseee review!!!!