Disclaimer: I don't own 'em! Shoo! Shoo!
Note: I want to now give inspiration credit to the Ann Rice Vampire Chronicles and Katsu no Miko's Gundam Wing story, Acherontia Atropos.
Note #2: I have nothing against Bahamut. I just thought the situation I put him in would be funny.
Note #3: The Posse Incident doesn't really have anything to do with the story line.
Sorry it took me so long, I had some other fanfics that I *really* needed to finish.
Oh yeah! A warning: A dash of OOCness.
The Rousing of the Undead
Book 2: SeeD: Vampire Division
Part 1: Preparations
"So let me get this straight," Squall began. "What Zell has around his neck is cursed and now he has awoken a "King Vampire" and all of his minions?"
The man nodded. "Yes. By the way, my name is Vincent Reed. Vince for short. Come, I will show you the ancient text."
They followed him to a small shop on the border of the town. He went to the back of it, to the most dustiest shelves they had ever seen, and pulled a thick volume. Flipping the pages for a moment, he finally found what he was looking for.
"Here is a diagram of the medallion. Underneath is the description in latin. Next to that one is the description in english."
Squall bent down to take a look. "He's right." Turning back to Vince he said calmly. "So how do we break the curse?"
"That, is something I have no idea about. It would be my best guess that you kill the leader, but I could be wrong."
"Way to go Zell. You ruined our vacation!" Irvine gave him his best glare.
"Man! I can't believe this!" Zell moaned.
"We're just going to have to find that vampire king and do away with him," Quistis said sort of detached from the whole situation, "And who are the best at assasinations?"
"SeeD!" the group said in unison.
***
"So that's whats going on Headmaster," Squall said. He had requested a meeting with him as soon as they had gotten back.
"I see. Well, since Galbadia is trying to control Esthar, most of our SeeD's have been dispatched there. I can only spare about 60."
"60?!" Rinoa asked incrediously.
"Garden still needs protection. I can call Martine at Galbadia Garden and see if he could contribute. This is not only our problem. Everyone will surely be involved." He turned to Zell. "It's not really your fault. How were you to know what the consequences were? It was bound to happpen, if not now, but someday." Cid stood."I'll leave it up to you Commander. You assign the duities to the SeeD's. Remember, I'm behind you all the way."
Squall nodded silently as he, Quistis, Selphie, Zell, and Irvine saluted. Then he turned and left. The rest followed, but he halted Quistis.
"Hold on a second, I have something to tell you. Squall is going to be under a lot of pressure during this whole thing. So I would like you to be extra agreeable and behind him one hundred percent."
"We will. It's not a problem really. We think that he will choose the best path anyway." Qustis nodded in ascent, saluted one last time, and walked from the room.
***
Zalanth arose from his deep slumber with puzzlement. Why was he awake? Did someone, after all these millennia, finally come in contact with the medallion? It was too good to be true, so he pondered on it. But was rudely interrupted when his annoyingly cheerful side-kick lifted the lid of his coffin.
"Hiya Zally! How's it goin'?"
"Sechmet (pronounced Seck-met)," Zalanth groaned as he rolled over and tried to block out his voice. Now he remembered why he never wanted to wake up. The short, demi-vampire drove him crazy!
"Nope. You have to get up. World domination ya know!"
"Yes. I know." Zalanth rose, his deep black cape nearly sweeping the floor. "And please do not call me 'Zally' or I will have to reach down your throat and rip out your spleen."
"Okie dokie Zally!"
Zalanth groaned for the second time. This was going to be a long night.
***
"Do you have everything?" Squall asked Zell as they stood in front of the mercenaries that were to go with them.
"Sure Squall. I've got the stakes, the silver bullets, and the crosses..." he trailed off, studying the things he had collected in his arms.
"Do you actually think that stuff is going to work? This isn't a fantasy novel!"
"You may be right." Squall let out the breath he was holding. "I better add garlic to the list."
Squall smacked his forehead in frustration. The people I have to work with!
"Attention all SeeD members. I just want you to be aware of what you will be facing. This is no ordinary foe. We can't just go in and kill it. Zalanth, I have reason to believe, is very powerful. So powerful that we will have to use all of our resources to destroy him. So powerful that he makes Ultimecia look like Selphie." There were collective gasps from the audience. "Yes. So from now on, this relatively small group of SeeD's will be known as the Vampire Division."
Squall backed away from the mike and Zell took his place. "Now listen, I know this is all my fault for wakin' him up in the first place, but I'm going to fight him too and I hope that makes up for what I've done. Also, anyone who will not be dedicated, or are a hazard to this mission please make yourself known so that we can weed you out." Nobody moved.
"Good! Let's go!" Zell raised his right arm to the sky and the crowd cheered. Squall noticed something and thought he should mention it.
"Uh Zell," he began, covering the mike with a hand,"If you're really going to go with the traditional vampire thing, don't you think that garlic cloves would work better than garlic powder?" Sure enough, Zell had a container of garlic powder in his make-shift vampire kit.
"It's my kit and I'll put what I want in it!"
"Fine. Suit yourself. But when you die, remember that it was your fault."
Zell gulped and ran to the cafeteria to change it.
***
"So Zal, er Master," Sechmet corrected himself after Zalanth gave him a death glare. "What is your plan?"
"Well Sechmet, I just would do what we always do.."
"But Zally! This is only the second time we tried this and you know the last plan failed."
"Yes I know. We were utterly humiliated! How we were so easily lured into the sunlight to be weakened I'll never know. Then they trapped us with that stupid curse! Oh how I've waited for a chance to get back at humanity! They will pay!" Zalanth had drew himself up to his full height of six feet, seven inches during his speech. His dark blond tresses were gently blowing in the breeze from the window. Violet eyes flashing he turned to Sechmet and began to speak in a deep, disturbing voice. "I've dreamt of this for so long! I will not let those puny mortals win again!" He turned back to the window and gazed out into the courtyard.
"Yes Zally! We will win! Um, but for now, can we get something to eat?"
Without turning again he said. "Sechmet, why do you always have to ruin my moments?"
The other shrugged. "I dunno. I think it's a gift."
Zalanth just rolled his eyes and wished to high heaven that he could get someone else to work with.
***
After Zell came back from his garlic excursion, they set out to leave only because Zell said they should.
"Vampires sleep during the day, so why should we waste our time hunting them if they won't be out?"
"You have a point." Rinoa said. "That would help if we had a clue WHERE THEY WERE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!"
"Try all creepy places. You know, graveyards, woods, Centra..."
"Zell! Say that again!" Rinoa said to him.
"Graveyards."
"No. Not that. The other one!"
"Creepy."
"No."
"Try..." By this time Rinoa had walked over to Squall leaving Zell to talk to himself. "All?"
***
"So Zell came up with the idea of going to the Centra Ruins?" Squall mused. "That's a good idea. Can't believe I didn't come up with it Rin-Rin."
"Why don't we ask Odin if it's good? That's his domain after all."
"Yet another good idea." Squall picked up a summon orb and held it eye level. "Excuse me Odin? If you aren't too busy, can you come out and answer some questions?"
"That is a valid request," the deep voice sounded from the orb. There was a dense white mist and he appeared in all of his knightly splendor. Making a lot of the SeeD's look on in awe. "What does thou want of me?" he asked politely from atop his horse.
"We have a problem Odin," Squall proceeded to explain the situation, "and that is why we need your advice."
Odin thought for a few minutes. "You've got to understand, fated one, that I had lived in that place a long while before I had joined your party. I would have known if a vampire was living there. I also haven't been away from Centra for centuries."
"Oh," Zell and Rinoa looked a little crushed.
"But I would suggest you asked Bahamut. He seems to know more that I do. Far more." He turned to Squall. "Is that all you wanted? Am I free to go?"
"Yes. Thank you for your help Odin."
He smiled eerily. "Any time, young ones." That mist rose again and enveloped his figure as he went back into his orb.
Squall looked around in his GF orb case and pulled out a pale, blue one. A myriad of color was swirling at a maddening pace. "Bahamut, the great and powerful Lord of the Guardian Forces, I have a request of you." Squall had learned early on that to receive the best result from Bahamut, was to flatter him endlessly.
"Yes? What do you want? I'm sort of busy here!"
"Um okay. Sorry to bother you, O Great One, but we have a bit of a problem here..."
"Mortals!" Bahamut snorted. "Can't you handle anything on your own?"
Suddenly they heard a womans voice in the background. "Bahamut baby, are you coming back to bed?"
Rinoa and Quistis exchanged glances while Zell and Irvine tried to smother their laughter.
"Uh, if you're too busy right now, I can--"
"It's too late! I'm not in the mood any more!" he snapped. Bahamut appeared in a haze of angry red. "What the hell do you want?"
"My, aren't we cranky after we've been denied intimacy," Rinoa muttered just loud enough for Quistis to hear. The latter covered her smile with a hand, but Bahamut wasn't the least bit amused.
"You would be too if you've waited all this time and finally you get them where you want and some stupid mortals come calling you--"
"Excuse me Lord Bahamut," Squall interrupted politely, "I apologize if my girlfriend offended you, but we really need your help."
"Alright," he huffed, shaking his blue wings in agitation. "What do you mortals want that just can not wait until later?"
So Squall told him about the curse, the vampires, and the problem. "So, Great One, we were hoping you would know something of it since you are by far the wisest of all Guardian Forces and Odin referred us to you." Squall was trying his hardest to placate the winged beast and also fuel the large planetoid that was Bahamuts ego.
Apparently it worked, for Bahamut stood up straighter and held his blue head up high. "You are right about that fated one," Give extreme respect to someone and you shall receive it in return, "but in this case, you are wrong. I know nothing. But I suggest you wait for Zalanth to come for you. He should be drawn to the curse breaker. Where ever he may be." He shot a sharp look to Zell who sort of cowered behind Selphie. "I will aid you in whatever way I can, but I suggest that I be junctioned to the curse breaker." That surprised everyone.
"May I ask why?" Squall said, confused.
"I am the greatest of all the GF's. That boy is going to need all the help he can get."
Zell's already unnaturally pale face got even moreso while his eyes rolled back into his head. The last thing he saw before he fainted, was Bahamut looming over him.
Part 2: Accidents and Shopping Trips
"Alright Rajin, Fujin. We have a job to do." Seifer Almasy said to the other members of his posse.
"Are you sure about this? It could be bad, ya know." Raijin said, clutching his staff tighter.
Seifer looked on with something akin to disgust. "Fine. I don't really care one way or the other."
"BACK. GARDEN?"
"NO!" Seifer yelled, then continued in a softer tone, "I mean, we don't have a reason to return there. I was looking for a sort of business. And I know just the one. Lets move out."
"AFFIRMATIVE."
"I still don't know why we're doing this," Raijin muttered.
"RAGE!" Fujin kicked him in the shin.
"Ow, ya know. You didn't have to do that, ya know. I'm tellin' the truth, ya--"
"CONTINUE. PAINFUL." Fujin pulled her leg back.
"Stop!" Raijin howled.
"Will you two cut that out!" Seifer raged. "If you're coming, okay. If you're not, so what?" He continued walking toward FH's docks. "We need to get there before puberty boy, chicken wuss, and all of their moronic friends find him."
"Ya know Seifer, I would have never thought it would be you working for a---" Seifer slapped one gloved hand over his mouth.
"Don't say that outlloud! We don't wanna alert others to his presence!" Seifer looked around nervously, making sure no one heard.
"SEIFER. PARANOID."
"I AM NOT!" He spotted the perfect boat and jumped into it, knocking the fisherman into the water without so much as a backward glance. "Are you two coming or not?"
Fujin and Raijin exchanged glances and shrugged in unison, joining Seifer.
"We've got to keep the posse together, ya know? It would be boring without you!"
"KILL. SOMEONE?" Fujin asked hopefully.
"No, don't think so." Fujin's face fell. "But if the case comes up, you'll be the first I tell."
Seifer started the electric motor on the back and sped off for the Galbadian continent.
***
Two figures tried to blend in with the many in downtown Deling City that night. One was calm while the other..., well the other just wasn't.
"Zally!" His side-kick practically yelled loud enough to wake the dead, in this case the undead. "I see someone good!"
"Seckmet, hush!" Zalanth hurriedly tried to shut him up before the damage had been done, but it was too late. Some police officers noticed their disturbance of the relevant peace, sized them up, and walked over.
"Well lookie here, we've got some weirdos tonight! And breaking the law to boot!" One of them said in a irritating nasal tone.
"We don't want to hurt you," he trailed off as he looked at Seckmet, who was currently preoccupied in picking his nose, "Well I don't any way. He -- I don't think -- has the mental capacity to handle it."
Sechment looked up. "Huh?" he asked intelligently.
The lord of the undead emitted a deep sigh and massaged him temples. Calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean...
"So I see you like breaking laws?" Another asked.
"It's nothing like that," Zalanth said and then added in an undertone, "I just have little respect for authority of any kind."
The third one heard him. "Okay, that's it! You don't like authorityy, huh? Well I don't like you! I'm taking you and your stupid friend in."
Zalanth thought it was best just to go along because he didn't want to cause an uproar in the town square. But when he they were going down a side street he was struck with an idea. He gestured to Sechmet, who was actually paying attention to him, and motioned to the soldier nearest him. Sechment nodded and tackled the man from behind, his (the mans) head coming in contact with the hard concrete with a sickening thud. Zalanth tripped one, bringing him down, and stabbed the other in his leg. After the other two was unconcious, Zalanth stood back to admire their handiwork.
"You take the fat one, I take the short one, and the other is flip of the coin."
"Okay Zally! Will do!" Sechmet bent down to the soldiers neck, and sunk his fangs into it, sucking him dry. He pulled back just as he was entering the beginnings of death. Zalanth did the same and then pulled out a quarter.
"No wait!" he said abruptly, "I have a better idea!" He searched an interior pocket of his cape for a scrap of paper, taking the tip of his dagger and setting it to the unconcious mans skin, he drew it down, creating a shallow cut that welled with blood. Dipping the point into it, he wrote a message on the paper and stuck it to him with a pin. Cackling evily, he led Sechmet away, back towards the bustling city. He had decided that it would be more fun to scare him out of his wits. He could just imagine the reaction on his face...
I am watching you, now and forever
***
"We're a little behind the times, don't you think Zally? Those people are staring at us..."
Zalanth appeared to be deep in thought. "We need to blend in. We can't take over the planet with people in a panic." He spotted a GAP store on the other side of the street. "Come on! Let's go."
"We don't even have money!" Sechmet cried.
Zalanth reached out and snatched a wallet that was sticking out from a lady's purse. "We do now, and if we need more." He held up a Chocobo Express card. "We can always charge it!"
***
"How did you know about credit, Zally?" his partner asked curiously.
"I heard some people talking about how some men came and repossessed their hot tub and Chocobo Express was one that they mentioned."
"What's a hot tub?"
Zalanth shrugged and went up to the girl behind the counter. "Uh hi. We need some modern clothes."
The red haired girl looked them over, snapping her gum. "You sure do."
Zalanth stared at her, fully expecting her to do more. Instead of offering to help, she just stared back. This went on for a few minutes until Zalanth made a disgusted sound and turned away. The girl snorted and went back to reading her magazine. As the duo walked toward a rack she said somewhat proudly. "Ha, still got it."
***
"Are we there yet?"
"No."
"THERE YET?"
"NO!"
Seifer had had it. These two are going to drive me to commit suicide even before I find him. That wouldn't be good. After they had landed on Mandy Beach, they had walked to Timber where they had stolen, er rented a car as well had purchased a substantial amount of fuel. Where they were headed, it would be useful.
"Are we there yet?"
"NO! And if you say anything else, you're walking!"
"Just asking, ya know?" Rajin shut up and began to pout.
They were silent for a whole ten minutes and were almost half-way to their destination when Fujin said something.
"SEIFER."
"Not now." he was gripping the wheel tightly in his effort to drive during the night.
"SEIFER..." she said a little more insistent.
"Shut up."
"Seifer you big dummy, look!" Fujin, frightened enough to fall out of her regular speech pattern, pointed to the the road in front of them which was currently blocked by a flock of cockatrices sleeping on the bridge over Yaulny Canyon. His eyes widened and he swerved to miss them which resulted in them precariously hanging over the edge of the stream.
Raijin woke from the brief nap he had been engaged in looking around in shock. "Guys.." he leaned forward and the car creaked noisily.
"Rajin," Seifer began a little nervously "move back Raijin. Move back!"
"Huh?"
"Just do it!" Seifer screamed. Rajin inched backward and the car leveled out some.
"But Seifer, the water's not that deep. Only about 8 feet!" Fujin was more than a little shook up.
"I know. But uh, I kind of can't swim."
"WHAT?!"
"Neither can I," Rajin added.
"Oh that's just great! If we fall, I'll have to rescue you two!" Fujin slammed her fist on the dashboard and the car leaned forward again. Before Rajin could move back, it slid all the way, flipping over and landing in the stream with a splash.
Fujin immediately held her breath, struggled through the open window, and swam to the surface. She didn't see the other two in the car, so she thought they had made it out. Anyway, she needed to breathe. "SEIFER! RAJIN! Where are you?" Then she saw Seifer's arm sticking out of the water and she swam to him, pulling him to the shore.
"I've got to go back for Raijin. Are you okay?" Fujin asked him, ucharcteristically concerned.
"Fine. Fine. Go!" he gave her a push in the general direction and she dove back in.
"Raijin!" she dove underneath the surface and spotted him clinging to the car. She had to pry him off and she somehow got him to the surface and onto the shore. They lay there panting for breath as Seifer began to moan.
"What? What's wrong?" Rajin asked.
"My gunblade! It's at the bottom!" he paused and looked to Fujin hopefully. "Since you're the only one who can swim and since it's a prized possession..."
"FINE."
"Can you get my staff while you're there? Thanks!" Rajin flashed her a grateful smile.
"IDIOTS."
***
"Now we need to go and find that curse-breaker. I know I should be grateful, but now I have to listen to you." Sechmet and Zalanth were coming out of the store with several large bags.
"I'm not all that bad Zally! I can help you, really," Sechmet informed the king vampire.
"If you can, I haven't noticed yet."
They walked to the car they had rented (they actually did rent it!) and put all of their purchases into the back seat. "Let's go back home and plan our takeover." Zalanth said.
"Okay, but this time plan something that will actually work." he continued quickly when he saw that Zalanth was about to hit him, "No offence!"
Part 3: Alliances Made, Boys Summoned
"Come on Zell! I didn't mind the wooden stakes, or the crosses, or the individual cloves of garlic, but this is entirely too much!" Squall came out of his bathroom in a whole suit made out of garlic cloves.
"It'll work!" Zell insisted. "I know it will!"
Rinoa came up next to Zell and put an arm around his shoulders. "Zell? It'll be okay. Come over here." She walked him over to Squall's bed, while the latter went to go change into his regular clothes. "Did anything happen to you when you were younger? Did you have a bad experience or something?"
Zell shuddered. "It was horrible!" He began to sniff and hug Rinoa.
Rinoa patted him on the back and whispered soothing words. "It'll be okay. Can you please tell me what's wrong?"
Irvine came to the door, took one look at the distraught Zell, and twirled an index finger on the side of his head. Rinoa glared at him and resumed talking to Zell.
"Well, when I was small -- about 3 or 4 -- Ma, Pa, and I went on a picnic..." he shuddered once more, "We had fun for a while until it began to rain and somehow I couldn't find my parents. I ran through the woods looking for them, but I just couldn't find them." He paused again.
"That still doesn't explain what's wrong!" Irvine said.
Rinoa glared at him again and Zell continued.
"Just when I had thought I'd never see them again a dark shape came out of no where and started to whisper things to me; 'It won't hurt for long. It won't hurt long.' I had no idea what he was going to do at the time, but he bent closer to me and just as he was going to sink his fangs into my neck, my Pa came into the clearing." Zell had stopped crying and was speaking in a haunted voice.
Rinoa gasped. "So vampires were on the planet recently, long before you awakened Zalanth?"
"Yes. They were. But they're hiding and I'm taking the neccessary precautions that they won't hurt me or any of my friends."
Squall had come from the bathroom and walked over to his fellow SeeD member. "I apologize Zell. I didn't know why you were doing those things..."
"It's okay Squall."
"I think we should go discuss this with Mr. Reed. He seems to know a lot about this and maybe he can tell us the best way to kill a vampire." Quistis, always the logical one.
"Good idea! Where is he?" Rinoa asked.
"The last place I seen him was the library. Do you want me to go and see if he's still there?" Selphie asked.
"Would you?"
"Sure."
She returned a few minutes later with the man in tow.
"All I can say is that you should either burn them or decapitate them. Use things high in silver content, but not pure silver because that's too fragile. Stakes don't really work and them being afraid of crosses and garlic are a myth. I will help you in whatever way I can by looking through my books."
"Thanks a lot." Squall said. "Should we wait until the vampire comes to us? Or should we go out and find him?"
"The world's too big! It would take weeks to look everywhere and I doubt we have that much time." Rinoa shook her head. "Besides, we have more time to plan." Squall stood to go and make an announcement to the whole of Garden. They would wait.
***
"We're finally here! Now that wasn't so hard, was it Fuj?" Seifer asked her.
Fujin's jaw droped and her eyes widened in shock. "Hard? HARD?! Of course it wasn't hard for you, I did all the work! You and mister 'sink like a rock' had me going back for your stupid weapons! I shouldn't have saved you two at all! RAGE!" she turned and kicked Raijin and Seifer each in turn.
"Aw come on Fujin! You kick me enough, ya know!"
"NOPE. BRAINS IN SHIN. DEFINITELY NOT IN HEAD."
Seifer started to chuckled a bit, then caught himself. "We have a job to do! Hey, did I ever tell you guys about my other romantic dream?"
"NO. DREAM? NONE."
"Ha. Ha. Seriously. I had another dream, world conquest."
"So? Lots of people want to take over the world, ya know."
"Not just take it over, but have everyone groveling at my feet. Most of the population wouldn't even have to be alive." He stepped up to the old fashioned door of the slightly run-down house and knocked. A face appeared in the small window, then disappeared just as fast.
"Zally! The 'misguided fools' are here!" There was some thumping, one rather large bump, and then the door opened.
"Welcome to my lair," Zalanth said to the now suspicious posse. "I apologize for Sechmets rude announcement. He tends to imagine a lot of things. Won't you come in?" He stood aside to bade them entrance.
"Zally!" Sechmet whined as he picked himself up from the floor after his master had backhanded him. "What did ya do that for?"
"For being an idiot," he hissed around his forced smile, ushering Seifer, Raijin, and Fujin into the parlor. "Go somewhere else for the time being! I don't need your interuptions ruining my plans right now."
The simple minded demi-vampire shrugged and walked away. Zalanth sat down in an antique chair in front of a seldom used fire place, folded his hands over his lap, and began to speak. "Now, where shall I begin?"
***
Later, after showing the posse to rooms for the night, he went to a room on the upper levels. A room he didn't think even Sechmet knew about. He unlocked the door and went inside, making sure it was firmly shut and bolted behind him.
"Now, let me summon that person who broke the curse. I might be able to sway him over to my side."
He moved to a raised stand of black polished marble, about 5 or 6 feet in circumference, in the center of the room that was covered in strange runes and archaic symbols. He uncovered the surface, gasping softly as he did so, marveling at how it retained its beauty.
It was a pool of what looked to be water. Ripples moved silently across as he gazed down. Pausing a minute to recall the ancient words, he spoke in a language of magic older than the oldest mountains, rivers and trees; even older than the planet itself.
Zell's figure appeared, still in Squalls room. There was no volume, but none was needed. Zalanth saw what he needed to.
"Of ancient ways time has forgotten, of ancient words we no longer say, of the ancient art of magic that is no longer performed, of mind, of will and of spirit I summon you to thee."
***
Zell's head jerked up, from where it was bowed as he was deep in thought. The others raised eyebrows as he spoke in a calm, detatched voice.
"It is time."
So, what do you think of the story so far? I apologize again for taking so long, but I also got writers block. Reading a Dragonlance book helped a lot though, especially in the ways of magic. I would love to hear comments from you.