Final Fantasy VIII [2nd Instalment]

Grace Barton

Chapter Three

With Quistis and Selphie waiting for him in the cell, Zell, along with the Moomba, headed out into the prison.

The interior of the D-District Prison was just as Zell remembered it from the 'dream world'. The general cells where he and the others were being held were built inside a tall, cylindrical tower that was comprised of fifteen floors. Twelve of these were dedicated to the general cells, where prisoners who were not deemed as high-risk criminals were kept. The high-risk criminals were locked in solitary cells and kept apart from the rest of the prison's populace, but Zell had no idea where these cells were. Although Ward was a janitor here at the prison, he did not enter the solitary cells.

The fighter stopped at the foot of the stairs near to their cell. He folded his arms, trying to recall the prison's layout a bit more. There was a special floor above the twelfth floor, where prisoners were taken and interrogated. Beyond that there was another floor, and it was on this floor that all confiscated weapons and items were kept. That would be the best place to try first.

Zell turned to the stairs. A big number '7' was engraved on a plate on the inside of the stairwell. So they were already on the 7th Floor, about halfway up the prison tower. Zell turned to the Moomba, who was standing quietly beside him. As he looked down the Moomba looked back up at him, its eyes large and wide.

"Let's do this, shall we?" Zell said, clenching his fist. The Moomba growled in response, nodding its furry head.

The two headed up to the next floor. As they neared the top of the stairs, Zell heard the sound of voices coming from beyond. He stopped and put out his hand to the Moomba. The creature stopped at once and gave him a curious growl.

Moving cautiously, Zell headed up the steps. As he reached the top, he crouched down and peered around the side.

Two Galbadian soldiers were on the next floor near to the stairs. They were not standing guard but appeared to be just standing around. They had their backs to Zell and were talking quite audibly. Zell turned to the Moomba and signalled for him to be quiet. The Moomba nodded, understanding. The two crept forward.

One of the Galbadian soldiers bent down and picked up an item that was lying on the ground. Zell recognised it instantly: it was Squall's gunblade. He recognised the black hilt and the distinctive lion-head chain dangling from it.

The soldier stood up, still holding the sword. He gave it a few swings. "Look at this…" he said, awed by the beauty of the gunblade. "SeeD weapons…"

The other soldier leaned over and examined the weapon. "Is this what they call a gunblade?" he asked.

His companion did not reply. He gave the sword another few swings and then held it out, feeling the weight of the blade in his hands. Zell scowled. The nerve of those soldiers, he thought, swinging Squall's gunblade around like some toy.

As though hearing his thoughts, the soldier put the gunblade back on the floor. He knelt down and began to sift through more items gathered there—the rest of their weapons. "Check these out," he said as he lifted them, "a whip, nunchaku…"

Zell stood up straight. He had had enough. He walked out from behind the stairs and strolled over to the two soldiers. Hearing him approach, the two soldiers also turned. When they saw him they both stepped back in surprise.

"Y-You, an escapee?" one of the two soldiers asked, his voice trembling.

Zell grinned and waved at them. "Yo!" he greeted. "I'm here to reclaim these!"

The soldiers looked at each other, baffled. While they were distracted, Zell raised his fists and charged. Grabbing the nearest of the two, Zell yanked him forward.

"Hey!" the soldier cried out. "What are you doing!"

Zell responded by swinging his fist and smacking the soldier around the side of his head. With the soldier startled by the sudden blow, Zell pulled him off-balance and rammed his elbow into the back of the soldier's neck. Groaning, the soldier collapsed onto the floor.

His companion recovered from the initial shock. Drawing his sword, he ran at Zell. The Moomba saw this and ran in front of the soldier. He grabbed the soldier's leg with his oversized paws and held on tight. The Moomba's added weight caused the soldier to trip and fall facedown onto the ground. The Moomba was on him in a flash. He began to scratch at the soldier's back, ripping his uniform with his large claws. The soldier flailed and tried to reach around to grab him, but the Moomba kept wriggling out of his reach and kept on attacking.

The first soldier was starting to climb back onto his feet. With the Moomba keeping his companion occupied, Zell dragged the other soldier up and delivered another punch to the soldier's jaw. He did not stop there but delivered another punch and then another. The soldier tried to fend him off but Zell broke right through his guard and drove him back. He pushed the soldier and then jumped, kicking the soldier in the stomach. The soldier reeled, fell to his knees, and while he was down Zell punched him squarely in the top of his helmet. The soldier slumped forward, and did not get up again.

Meanwhile, the Moomba was busy grappling with the one remaining soldier. The soldier had rolled onto his back and was trying to grab the Moomba's thrashing paws. He managed to grab hold of one and then the other, and for a moment he thought he had won. Instead the Moomba started to attack with its feet. It then thrust down its head and bit the soldier on the hand. The soldier cried out and released the Moomba, who leapt away. The soldier cradled his bleeding hand.

He looked up. Zell was standing over him. The fighter punched, striking the soldier in the helmet. His fist resounded off the soldier's helmet, and the Galbadian sank onto the floor.

Zell wiped his hands and then put them on his hips. He looked down at the two unconscious soldiers and grinned in satisfaction.

"Piece of cake, baby!" he announced. The Moomba shared his delight by throwing up its paws and issuing a series of happy little growls.

Zell went over to the weapons and knelt down beside them. They were all here: Squall's gunblade, Quistis's whip, and Selphie's nunchaku. There was no sign of Rinoa's Pinwheel, or Irvine's shotgun, though Zell did not dwell on that. He picked up the whip and the nunchaku, shoving them as best he could into his pockets.

Lastly he picked up Squall's gunblade. As Zell held the weapon in his hands he felt his heart thump. For so long he had wanted to see one of these up close. He would never have asked Seifer, and Squall never even replied when Zell asked if he could look at it. Now there was no one to stop him having just a quick look…

Zell ran a hand along the blade. It was very impressive-looking. Zell recalled that it was one of the hardest weapons to master, being both a sword and a gun… It didn't look too hard to use, though. Already forgetting his anger at the two soldiers holding the sword, Zell gave it a few swings. It felt good to hold it. Maybe Squall would let him use it in battle sometime… …Probably not.

The fighter lowered the gunblade and looked down at the Moomba. The two laughed. It was time to head back.

Squall drifted through an endless darkness. There was nobody else in this darkness but him. There were no sounds except for his gentle breathing. There was nothing else in this world except for him and the darkness. Content and at peace, Squall drifted off into sleep, sinking further and further into the darkness.

As he started to drift off, a small sound reached his ears. It was a familiar sound, one that awakened a memory in the far reaches of his mind. A memory of another time when he was completely alone. It was the sound of rain he was hearing. Squall let his eyes close and let his consciousness head towards the sound of the rain.

Something grabbed his leg and tugged on him. Squall stopped, but he did not open his eyes. He waited, but nothing else came. Squall let himself drift off again. The sound of the rain drew closer. Though his eyes were still closed, Squall saw the darkness begin to clear. An old, rundown building appeared, and it was to this building that Squall's consciousness was heading.

As he moved, something hit him on the side of his face and Squall came to a stop again. He was just moments away from entering the memory. If he could sink just a little further, he would be there. Something yanked on his leg again, trying to pull him back. Squall groaned in irritation and squeezed his eyes shut.

…Don't hit… my face… Squall thought. …Stop grabbing my… leg… Let me sleep…

The yanking stopped, as though whatever it was had heard his plea. Squall let out a sigh and started to drift off again.

"Laguna!" a voice said.

Shut up… Squall moaned.

There was a pause. Then: "Laguna!"

…Laguna? Squall's consciousness stopped. That word… it was familiar. Why…?

The yanking started again, this time in earnest. "Laguna!" the voice cried.

…Laguna!

Squall's eyes snapped open as everything came back to him in an instant. The buildings and the sound of the rain vanished, and Squall found himself back in the prison's torture chamber. As he jerked awake a sharp pain shot across his wrists, reminding him that he was still chained to the electric wall. The swordsman gasped in pain and dropped his head. His vision swam and for a moment he feared he would pass out again. He fought the darkness and raised his head.

The warden was gone. In his place were two Moombas. One of them was standing on the other's shoulders, and it was this Moomba that had woken Squall from his dark sleep. The creature tugged and yanked at his clothing, patting his legs and batting at his face.

Seeing that Squall was finally awake, the Moomba stopped patting him and jumped off its companion's shoulders. It bounded off towards the console where another Moomba stood waiting.

Squall looked down at the Moomba still standing in front of him. "What?" he asked. His voice was hoarse. "I don't understand."

The Moomba gazed up at him. It then started to jump up and down, its eyes bright. "Laguna! Laguna!" he cried, and his furry face was filled with joy.

The third Moomba, the one waiting by the console, bounded out of the room. The other one, the one who had tugged at Squall, took its place and pushed a button on the console.

The chains and shackles around Squall's wrists and ankles unlocked. Free of his bonds, Squall dropped to the ground. He immediately fell onto his knees. Squall tried to stand, but his head swam and he dropped back down again. Every muscle in his body felt like it was on fire; it was a fight just to remain conscious. Squall noticed blood on his wrists where the chains had cut into his flesh.

In front of him, the Moomba jumped up and down. "Laguna!" he cried.

"Laguna! Laguna!" cheered the one by the console.

Squall breathed hard, his eyes on the floor. Struggling, he raised his head.

"Laguna?" he asked.

When Zell arrived back at the prison cells the door was still closed. He was so smug after his victory in obtaining the confiscated weapons he did not notice that the mean guard, whom he had dumped outside, was now missing.

Zell punched the button and the door opened. He strolled into the cell. "Yo, sorry to keep ya waitin'!" he said in a cheery voice. The Moomba, standing beside him, mimicked Zell's proud stance and nodded his furry head, growling with pride.

Seeing him, Quistis and Selphie got to their feet. "Zell, the weapons?" asked Quistis.

Zell propped Squall's gunblade up against the wall. He then pulled out the whip and nunchaku from his pockets and held them out. "Voila!" he said.

"Whoo-hoo!" Selphie applauded, jumping and clapping her hands. "Alright!"

She took her Crescent Wish from Zell, and Quistis took her whip. Zell pulled his gloves tight and took a few swipes at the air. "Time to go kick some ass!" he said.

"YES!" Quistis agreed, and she gave her whip a few test cracks.

"Right on!" Selphie said. She swung her nunchaku and then grabbed the bars, pulling the chain straight. The girl hooked her nunchaku back at her side, sighing in contentment. She and the others then turned to the cell door, where the sound of footsteps could be heard approaching. Raised voices could also be heard.

"Is this the cell with the uncooperative prisoners?" said the first voice.

"Yes, this is it," said the second, and they recognised it as the voice of the mean guard. "Please give 'em something to really complain about."

A third voice, meeker than the first two, asked: "Should we be picking on prisoners so soon after gettin' transferred here?"

"Just be quiet," the first voice snapped, "and let me handle this!"

The footsteps stopped outside the door. The companions braced themselves as the door opened and the mean-looking guard entered. He looked more nervous than before—their open revolt had apparently shaken the guard's bravado. "Th-These are the prisoners," the guard said, turning back to the door, "Lieutenant Biggs, Private Wedge."

Hearing those names, Zell paused. He folded his arms and lowered his head. Biggs? Wedge? Why did those names sound so familiar?

Two soldiers entered the cell. One was a tall, robust man in a red Galbadian uniform, and the other was a shorter soldier wearing a blue uniform. When the two men saw Zell and Selphie they stopped and stared at them.

Zell and Selphie stared back at them. The memories came back to them in a flash, and they cried out. Major Biggs, along with his subordinate, Lieutenant Wedge, had been amongst the soldiers sent to invade the Dollet Dukedom. The army's real target was the Communication Tower, and it was there that Zell, Selphie and Squall had engaged the two soldiers in battle. They barely escaped with their lives, thanks to one of the Galbadian army's mechanical automatons.

It seemed that Biggs and Wedge remembered them, too, for they also cried out at the same moment.

"S-So we meet again!" Biggs said, and his voice trembled. When he remembered where he was, he calmed himself and then stood up tall. "Now we'll teach you the lesson we should have taught you earlier! I know it might seem cowardly to fight unarmed prisoners…" He laughed, and while he was busy laughing, Zell and the others brought out their weapons and held them ready. "…But I hope you understand our position, too," Biggs continued, not noticing. "Hey, it's a dog eat do…" Now he looked at the group, and saw their weapons. His words faded.

The mean-looking guard fled from the cell. Private Wedge—as he was now—edged up to Biggs. "Uh, they're fully armed, sir…" he said.

Biggs stepped back in alarm. "W-WHAT! H-Ho-How…?" The lieutenant shook his head. "Ahh, hell with it!" he said. He thrust his hand out. "Let's go, Wedge!"

The now-Lieutenant Biggs jumped back away from them and stood in front of the doorway, blocking the exit. He raised his right arm and pointed the machinegun mechanism at the group.

"I was demoted because of you!" he spat. "I'm only a Lieutenant now! I'll get my revenge!"

He opened fire. Bullets rained through the air. Zell and the others separated at once and dived out of the way. Zell dropped to the ground and rolled across the floor, underneath the gunfire. When he reached Biggs he rolled onto his feet and rose again. At the same time he punched upwards, hitting Biggs's arm and pushing it upwards, sending the bullets flying up towards the ceiling. The lieutenant stopped firing and tried to strike back, but Zell dodged and weaved from side to side, keeping out of his reach. Whenever he saw an opening Zell struck with his fist or his feet, keeping the lieutenant on the defence.

Seeing the lieutenant under attack, Wedge snapped out of his shock and drew his sword. He ran towards Lieutenant Biggs, but he did not get for before Quistis ran in front and blocked his way. The whipmaster cracked her whip, striking Wedge in the chest. The private stepped back in surprise and rubbed his chest.

"O-Ouch!" he said, wincing. "They're always trouble…"

Quistis lowered her arm and then pointed behind Wedge. The soldier blinked, confused, and then turned around. Selphie was standing right behind him, and as Wedge turned she swung her nunchaku. The Crescent Wish's metal bar smacked into the side of his helmet, and the star-shaped top left several dents in the metal. The impact caused Wedge to spin and stagger, and he fell onto the floor.

Taking the opportunity to strike while he was down, Selphie ran to him and swung her nunchaku again. Wedge recovered himself in time and rolled out of the way, and the weapon smacked against the floor. Rolling onto his feet, Wedge picked up his sword and thrust it up at her. Selphie barely managed to move out of the way in time as the blade sliced across her leg, cutting a narrow gash.

The private stood up. He then turned his attention back to Quistis, who still stood between him and Lieutenant Biggs. The lieutenant was still engaged in battle with Zell, trying to land a blow. Wedge heard a whoosh as Quistis swung her whip, but Wedge dove at her and thrust out his sword. The sudden attack forced Quistis to abandon her position and jump out of the way.

When Wedge passed her, Quistis swung her whip and hit him in the middle of his back. The private staggered but did not have time to turn before Selphie ran in and used her nunchaku to strike him in the back of the head. He started to turn to the girl, but even as he turned Selphie swung her weapon again. The weapon's chain wrapped tight around Wedge's arm. Pulling Wedge back, Selphie proceeded to drag him backwards until he lost his balance, and the soldier fell onto the floor. He dropped his sword.

Even while he was down, Selphie continued to drag him back. He struggled against her, fighting to free his arm. "I don't wanna be demoted!" he shouted, before he pulled on the chain, yanking Selphie forward just long enough for him to get back onto his feet. Then he ran at Selphie and slammed into her. He shoved her back until they both crashed into the wall.

Raising his fist, Wedge smacked Selphie across the face. He smacked her again, and then again. Quistis ran to Selphie's aid. She grabbed hold of Wedge's shoulders and tried to drag the soldier away from Selphie. Private Wedge seemed to have gone frantic and paid no attention to her. Hooking her arms underneath his shoulders, Quistis pulled him back. Wedge struggled and eventually broke free, but Quistis gave him a shove and he lost his balance. He fell against the wall, smacked his head against it, and then slumped.

For a moment, they thought they had defeated him. Then Wedge shook his head and got to his feet again. Picking up his sword, Wedge charged at Quistis. The whipmaster dived out of the way and was then forced to keep dodging as Wedge swung his sword again and again. He seemed to have lost his mind and was acting on desperation alone. At one stage his sword came very close to Quistis's face, missing her only by a centimetre.

Selphie ran up next to him and swung her nunchaku. The chain wrapped around the blade, Selphie pulled him towards her. She punched him in the face, yanked him towards her, and then punched him again. Selphie pulled on her nunchaku and wrenched the sword from Wedge's hands. With a flick of her wrist, the chain released the sword, and once it was free Selphie swung the weapon and hit Wedge for a third time around the head.

The blow sent Wedge flying into the back wall. He hit his head once again as he fell against it, and slumped onto the floor. Wedge groaned and clutched at his head. He tried to get up, but his vision was swimming. Forcing his head up, he looked at Selphie. He blinked, confused. When had she split into three? The soldier shook his head. It was no matter. He would just get one of them and then go after the rest. The soldier picked his sword up from the floor and charged at Selphie, roaring in anger.

Seeing him approach, Selphie raised her nunchaku. It was not necessary, however. Wedge came running past her and slashed his sword at some unknown foe. His momentum kept him moving forward, straight towards where Zell and Biggs were still fighting.

"Zell!" called Quistis.

The fighter heard her warning and glanced behind him. When he saw Wedge running towards him the fighter leapt out of the way. Wedge gave another angry yell and thrust out his sword. Biggs, in alarm, raised his arms to defend himself, and the blade clanged off his armour. Biggs thrust out his hand and grabbed hold of Wedge's helmet, keeping him at a distance.

"You idiot!" shouted Biggs, angry. "What are you doing!"

He flung Wedge aside, throwing him onto the floor. The private's head cleared. "Yikes!" he exclaimed. "What was I doing!" He got up and stood by Biggs.

Biggs ignored Wedge and turned back to the three SeeD. His lip curled in anger. These punks… They were mere teenagers! Why were they so hard to defeat?

His anger rising by the second, Biggs shoved Wedge aside and charged. Wedge slammed against the wall and smacked his head once more. His vision started to swim.

"Wh-Why…?" he asked, before he slumped onto the floor, unconscious.

Biggs did not notice Wedge had fallen and kept on charging. "We're just getting started!" he bellowed.

The lieutenant raised his gun-arm and ran at Zell. He swung his arm but the fighter ducked beneath the blow and darted behind him. Zell kicked Biggs in the back, but the lieutenant was sturdy and did not lose his balance. The lieutenant retaliated by backhanding Zell and then turned on Selphie. He raised his gun-arm and fired at her, but the girl dodged and the bullets sailed past her.

Quistis ran up behind Lieutenant Biggs and cracked her whip. The tail wrapped tight around his arm and she tugged him back. Biggs kept on firing and the bullets veered off-course, bouncing off the walls and the floor. Releasing the firing mechanism, he tried to turn and shove Quistis away, but she kept her distance and did not relinquish her hold.

With the lieutenant's attention elsewhere, Zell took his chance and ran around to the lieutenant's left-hand side. Lieutenant Biggs turned only in time to see Zell running towards him. Biggs started to raise his arms, but he was too slow. The fighter reached him and punched the lieutenant in the side of his helmet.

The impact caused the helmet to crack. Biggs was thrown off-balance and staggered across the floor. He tripped over Wedge, who still lay sprawled against the wall. Biggs fell and smacked his head against the wall. He almost fell, but somehow he remained on his feet.

He stepped away from the wall. He paused. He wobbled. The lieutenant shook his head and took another step forward. He started to raise his gun-arm, but a wave of dizziness overcame him and his arm fell against his side. Biggs wobbled again. He started to sway from side to side.

"What's below lieutenant…?" he slurred, before he fell forward and landed on the floor with a thud.

Zell turned to Quistis and Selphie and nodded. They sheathed their weapons and then ran through the open door, leaving the soldiers in the cell.

Moments after they left the cell, Biggs raised his head. His head was swimming, just like it was at the Communication Tower. Damn those kids… Another wave of dizziness overcame him and his head started to slump, but Biggs fought the darkness long enough to draw his arm to him and pull a remote control from inside his sleeve.

"D-Don't think you can just walk out…" he said, pushing a button on the console. Then the lieutenant groaned and he fell onto the floor.