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Sheena gripped her cards hard, her hands shaking, the magical charms soaking up the sweat from her palms - it had long since soaked through her gloves. The eight of them ran headlong across the bridge into the next room, and cold sweat ran down her spine. This was without a doubt the most unsettling place they had been, wrong on a fundamental level even worse than Shadow's temple - and that had given her the creeps in the worst way. The very air of the place sucked the life out of a person, as they had discovered in the very first strata.

The floor glowed blue beneath their feet, and the room's enemies all turned to look at them at once.

They were too tired to even curse. "You hold them off," Lloyd said, his hands tightening resolutely on his twin blades. "I'll get to the bridge activations and fire the Sorceror's Ring."

Zelos grabbed him by the shoulder as he started to run off, pulling him back. "Don't miss," he said, the gravity in his voice unusual for him.

Lloyd nodded once, and the eight of them sprang into action.

Despite her best efforts, Sheena quickly lost track of Zelos in the battle. There were too many monsters, too many spells flying around in every direction, and it seemed like every time she killed something, it reappeared not two seconds later. It was futile to try and win the battle - all they had to do was make it last until Lloyd activated the bridges to the next room. Sheena clenched her teeth and focused all her will on her spells, feeling the magic build up inside her until she shook.

"I'm going to Summon!" she yelled, scrambling sideways out of a spell circle for something she didn't particularly care to recognize. Regal kicked something out of the way to stand beside her, and she nodded. He would keep them off of her while she was vulnerable. "I call upon the hammer of Godly lightning!" she shouted, violet light beneath her feet throwing a ghostly cast on her face. An almost stilled hush fell over the battle - she didn't summon Volt unless something had made her really, really angry. "I summon thee!" she could feel his presence building at the back of her mind, raging, ready to be let loose against those that would harm her. "Come, Volt!"

He appeared in a flash of lightning, his form almost too bright to look at, and made a wordless rumbling buzz and his distinctive roiling spell circle appeared beneath him, lightning striking everything in range. He vanished with another flash, and Lloyd took advantage of the momentary lull to scramble across the room to another activation point.

Sheena lost sight of him when one of the monsters re-appeared right in front of her, but she could feel the tugging drain on her soul as he activated the ring. She glanced up, searching for the bridge -

- nothing. He must have missed. She growled, striking out with another spell. Regal looked up, searching the battle, and abruptly left her side, fighting his way to Presea, who had been set upon by too many to handle. Even she, who normally didn't show much of anything in battle especially, looked drained and white in the face. Sheena flipped backward, scanning the room desperately for Zelos.

Her eyes fell on his shock of red hair just as it collapsed to the ground. Someone screamed, and it took her a moment to realize it was her, struggling like a mad thing through the fight to his side. She fumbled in her sash for a spare life bottle - had to do this quick, very quick or it would be too late - and popped the cork, shielding him with her body as she pried his mouth open to pour it down his throat.

Light surrounded him, lifting him off his feet and setting him gently back on the floor. He staggered, disoriented, just as the bridge materialized.

"Go!" Sheena shouted, grabbing his arm and practically dragging him behind her. He fought sluggishly, still not quite used to his footing; dying took a lot out of a person, and life bottles were disorienting enough that one couldn't rally their faculties immediately. He staggered and nearly fell as she pulled him across the bridge behind the others, to a room with a warp pad in the middle of the floor.

They stared for only a moment - every second more spent in the dungeon sapped their strength, and Lloyd's miss with the Sorceror's Ring had cost them more than they thought. "Who's going to fight?" Lloyd asked. "You should go in first. Raine, we'll need you." The healer nodded grimly, her hands tightening on her staff.

"I'll go," Sheena said. "I think I have another Summon left before I can't do it anymore." She looked over at the others,

"I'll go," Genis said quickly. "You'll need my spellcasting."

"No," Collette interrupted. "You're too tired. I'll go instead." The light of her wings was pale, but it held, and the determination on her face couldn't be matched.

"Alright," Lloyd said. "Regal, you take care of Presea. She got hit too many times in that last battle. Genis, make sure Zelos doesn't wander somewhere stupid before his brain switches back on."

"I'm fine," Zelos said indignantly, but the attempt at humor fell flat. Sheena squeezed his hand before stepping with Lloyd into the warp point, Raine and Collette following just behind. The other four would come a beat afterward, once they had already engaged the monster's attention.

The monster that towered above them, clad in thick armor and weilding an impressively large sword. Sheena swallowed.

"...So you have come to me," it said, in a deep menacing voice that vibrated the floor.

"Are you the final monster sealed in this book?" Lloyd asked, his hands going to his blades again. Sheena took a firmer grip on her cards and shifted back into a stance - it looked like the battle was about to begin.

"I will not let you pass," the living suit of armor said. "I have built up my power inside this sealed book, and when evil fills the hearts of men, I shall be released from this prison."

Sheena didn't wait to hear whatever bravado came out of Lloyd's mouth next, but charged straight into battle beside him, pulling up her magic from the dregs of her strength and charging her spellcards. The most important thing they could do in this battle was keep that thing away from Raine.

"Duck!" Raine shouted suddenly from behind them, and both Sheena and Lloyd flattened themselves to the ground as Collette's spirit chakrams, charged by her Angel Feathers spell, streaked over their heads and into the enemy. It knocked him back enough for Sheena and Lloyd to hit it in rapid succession, until it roared in rage and swung its massive blade at the both of them. Sheena flipped out of the way quick enough, but Lloyd didn't have her training, and the edge caught him across one arm.

"Here!" Sheena said, tossing him a gel from her pocket. He caught it and jumped back momentarily to slurp it down, letting Collette glide gracefully into his place and lay into the monster with both chakrams at once.

The three of them alternated at the front while Raine cast spell after spell from the back, occasionally switching from healing to offense when it it looked like her three defenders were taking too much of a beating.

Sheena could feel her magic building to the point where the Summons clamored at the back of her mind, all wanting a go at the thing hurting their mistress. Finally, Sheena gritted her teeth and dodged away from another sword strike. "Summoning!" she shouted, and immediately saw Collette's wings in front of her. "The source of heaven, earth, and everything in between. The ruler of all." Dimly, out of one corner of her mind, she saw Collette take a blow meant for her and crumple. "I summon thee! Come, Origin!"

The spirit dove straight out of thin air into the monster's face, leaving Lloyd free to rush to Collette's side. "She's not breathing," he said, his voice tight. "Please tell me you have a life bottle."

Sheena kept one eye on Origin's awesome damage-weilding spell. "I used my last one on Zelos," she said. "Raine? Do you have a Ressurrection in you?"

"Yes," she said, and twirled her staff, striking it against the ground. Her white circle of healing lit up around her just as Origin vanished back where he had come. Sheena and Lloyd charged the monster with desperate energy, forcing it back away from the healer.

"You think you'll be up for a unison after this?" Sheena panted.

"Yes," Lloyd replied tersely, and glanced over his shoulder.

"Ressurrection!" Raine shouted, and Collette rose from the ground in the same boneless way that Zelos had after being pulled back to life. The only difference being that Ressurrection, as a genuine spell and not a bottled, mass-produced version, brought her back to her wits and fighting strength almost immediately.

"Now!" Lloyd shouted, striking at the monster with Sword Thrust. Sheena pulled what was left of her reserves and struck with Mirage Seal, feeling her magic wind together with Lloyd's as Raine cast Ray and Collette stunned them all by casting Judgement, one of her most difficult and powerful spells, after just being Ressurrected. Sheena felt something snap into place, like a dislocated joint suddenly realigning itself, and nodded to Lloyd. The combination attack could only be performed if both spells had been cast in rapid succession, which luckily had happened.

"Mirage Thrust!" they shouted, Lloyd's sword jerking forward almost of its own will, charged with an explosive combination of their magics that blasted the monster backward in a heap.

It rose shakily, but they could all tell that it was defeated. Sheena struggled to stay standing, to keep her feet under her, and swayed, her vision graying. There was little energy left, and she could feel herself fading away along with the world, Niflheim.

"Hurry! While you still can, burn it!" Raine shouted, and Lloyd half dove, half fell to press his hand against the altar.

It lit up in a blaze of golden fire, the last of the soulfire that had driven them through the dungeon. The world faded before their eyes, and Sheena squeezed her eyes shut to stave off the vertigo of changing places suddenly. Warmth and life from the room seeped through her skin into her bones, and her eyes snapped open.

They were back in the library, back in the real world, out of the awful desperate realm of Niflheim. Sheena practically quivered with life, and she could tell everyone else felt the same - as the last of the ashes from the book blew away into the wind, they broke into a cheer.

Zelos's solid, warm weight impacted her from her side, and she turned in the circle of his arms, reaching up without thinking to grab him by his long red hair and press their mouths together in a crushing kiss. He backed her up against the bookshelf with a thump, never breaking contact, scrabbling at her back and pressing up against her in a line of heat. Sheena worked her hands inside of his jacket and slid them up the back of his shirt, sinking her teeth into his lower lip. He took a gasping, shuddering breath and broke the kiss, his mouth roaming wetly down the side of her neck.

Sheena opened her eyes to find Genis and Lloyd staring blatantly, open-mouthed, while the rest of the party blushed and looked away. "Excuse us," she said breathlessly, and grabbed Zelos by the front of his shirt, pulling him behind her out of the room and into another adjoining room. Zelos grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around, pinning her against the door with another thump. "Zelos," Sheena breathed, as he shoved her robe aside and cupped her breast, his thumb brushing over her nipple. "Zelos, we shouldn't - not against the door, they'll hear us-"

"I don't care," he said roughly, claiming her mouth in another bruising kiss. He slid his mouth up to her ear, reaching his free hand behind her and untying her obi. "I would have taken you right in front of everyone if you hadn't have pulled me in here," he whispered.

Sheena's knees went weak and she leaned against the door for support, recovering a moment later and attacking the clasps on the front of his jacket. He released her long enough to shrug out of his jacket and strip his shirt over his head, and then his mouth was back on her throat and his hands kneaded both her breasts. Sheena gasped out something unintelligable, squirming to kick off her boots. She unbuckled his sword belt and let it drop to the floor carelessly, shoving one hand down the front of his pants to wrap around his cock, her thumb skipping over the head and smearing precome along the shaft. Zelos groaned and bit hard on her collarbone, fumbling with her bra until it finally sprang open.

His mouth descended to her nipple, sucking and scraping his teeth over it gently, and Sheena's hand stuttered in its rhythm as she gasped out a moan. Her free hand flew up to his hair, winding through the thick red strands and holding him in place. He trailed his mouth across her chest, nipping hard against the side of her breast and jerking his hips to remind her of what she had been doing. "Sorry," she gasped, and resumed her rhythm. Zelos moved his hands from where they rested on her waist to the band of her leggings, tugging insistantly downward. Sheena wiggled her hips, squirming, at the same time attempting to keep her hand around his length moving in some kind of cohesive manner.

"Fuck it, this isn't working," Zelos growled, pulling away. "Why do these things have to be so tight?"

"I thought you liked staring at me in them," Sheena laughed. She pulled her hand out of his pants and pushed herself away from the door, struggling out of her leggings until she managed to get one leg free, the garment bunching around her ankles.

"Good enough," Zelos said, pressing two fingers hard against her clit - and when he had gotten rid of his gloves, Sheena had no idea - as his mouth went back to work on her breast. He slid his hand forward, pressing those same fingers into her as he pressed his hand against her. Sheena threw her head back with a loud thump against the door, unable to stop herself from crying out and squirming on his hand.

"Now! Good enough, now now now!" The muscles in Zelos's arms bunched as he lifted her up, his fingers digging into her hips. Her robe, sagging off her shoulders but still on her, kept the rough wood of the door from scraping her back raw. She reached down, pulling Zelos's pants down off his hips, and grabbing his cock firmly, wrapping her legs around his waist and guiding him into her. She had rushed him, she wasn't quite ready, and the stretch of him inside her made her dig her fingers hard into his shoulders.

Zelos paused, panting, fully seated inside of her, and kissed her, his desperate edge barely contained beneath the surface. Sheena slid her tongue along his, releasing his shoulder long enough to pull the ribbon out of her hair and let it fall down her shoulders. Slowly, Zelos rocked backward, and Sheena hissed slightly, still sore, as he thrust back in, still slow and trembling. She made a little hitching noise in the back of her throat, echoed by Zelos's moan as he sped up just a little, and finally Sheena tossed her head back again with another brief moan as he hit just the right angle.

"Good now?" he said, breathless.

"Yes," Sheena gasped, and then cried out as he put more force behind his thrusts, driving into her, relief at being alive and joy at making it out of that place washing through both of them, every movement of skin on skin lighting sparks of life between them. Sheena bucked against him, squeezing her thighs together, urging him faster, more, breathless little murmurs spilling out of both of them as they got closer and closer.

"Oh dear fuck yes," Zelos said as she gave a little keening cry and all her muscles tightened at once, orgasm wracking through her body with blinding force. He caught her mouth in another bruisingly hot kiss, their teeth smashing their lips together as his rhythm went ragged, stuttered, and stopped altogether as he thrust in so deep she made a small noise of almost-hurt and came.

They panted, trembling, sweat rolling down the both of them as they caught their breath. Finally, Sheena unwrapped her legs from around him and he set her down on her feet where she leaned, shaking, against the door. He pulled his pants up and buckled his sword back on, and Sheena likewise began gathering her scattered clothes and putting herself back in some semblance of order.

They opened the door and their companions all looked up at them at once and then turned away just as quickly, red-faced. "Are you ready to go?" Raine asked, her voice remarkably cool for the bright red blush that stained her cheeks. Only Presea seemed unaffected, unsurprising since nothing much affected her at all. Even Regal had a pink tinge to his cheeks.

"Absolutely," Sheena said, brushing her fingers through her hair and twisting it back up to secure it with her ribbon.

"Guys?" Zelos said, as they all started to stand to leave. "As much fun as 'dear fate we're alive' sex is, how about we never do that again?"

That, of course, set everyone's blush back to full force. Sheena elbowed him in the side, a little less viciously than she would have if she wasn't happily basking in afterglow. Zelos just slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. Despite herself, Sheena let him.

"That... sounds like a plan," Lloyd said, his voice cracking in embarrassment. Collette just giggled and grinned, still red-faced but not seeming to mind, winking at the two of them before she slipped out of the room to lead the way out of the library.