Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII it is copyrighted by Square Enix and all other associates.
Nighthill and RadiantKeybladeFantasy you guys are just awesome as usual.
Chapter X – Hostages and Disappearing acts
Squall, Zell and Selphie looked up as the screen began to crackle to life, it was all static at first but then an image of a small podium became visible. There were staff members running around making sure everything was connected and in working order. A blond man in a dark pinstripe suit appeared on the screen and walked over to the podium and began speaking into the many microphones they had set up.
"T-Testing…one…two… Testing…Testing." The announcer said in a shaky voice and he turned and looked at the camera jumping a bit in surprise, "Ohhhh. P-People of the world! Can you see me!? Can you hear me!? Oh, this is incredible! Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a recording! This is an actual broadcast over the air! Yes, it's been seventeen years since a live broadcast has been possible!"
So they managed to get through the interference…
The announcer turned his head to the side looking off to the side and nodded he turned back to the camera. He coughed and his face became more serious and composed. "Oh, please excuse me… I have seem to have lost my composure." The Galbadian national anthem began to play in the background, "We would like to present to you today a message from the lifelong President of Galbadia, Vinzer Deling." The announcer turned to his right and held out his arm, "Ladies and gentlemen, President Deling." The announcer then stepped off the podium and moved off stage.
The screen crackled with some extra static as the President made his way onto the podium he held up arms up. "Greetings. I am Vinzer Deling, lifelong president of Galbadia. Today, I stand before you to make the following proposition."
Proposition? What kind of proposition…?
"We the people of this world have the power to end all wars." Deling told the camera.
"See, See! It's a peace proposal to the world. I knew it!" Selphie exclaimed.
Why attack Dollet in the first place and force the Communication Tower to remain operational if it was for peace…whatever…It's not my concern…
"Unfortunately, there are some trifling problems standing between Galbadia and other nations, and they must be resolved. I plan to convene with other nations' leaders immediately to resolve these problems. At this time, allow me to introduce the ambassador who will be my representative for the conference."
Seems like a lot of trouble just for an ambassador…
"Man! All this just to introduce an ambassador." Zell exclaimed.
"The ambassador is the Sorceress…" Deling explained.
…What?
"…The Sorceress." Squall muttered quietly.
In the background you could hear some strange noises, almost like breaking glass. Suddenly a young blond man in a grey trench coat came running onto the camera. He was being chased by Galbadian soldiers.
"Heeeey!" Selphie exclaimed.
"Seifer!" Zell shouted.
What is he doing here? And why is he at the TV Station…
Seifer pulled out Hyperion and took a slash at the first soldier and he fell down out of view of the camera. Deling began to back up and got off the podium just watching the scene before him. Another two soldiers were approaching him from behind, they grabbed both his arms to restrain him. Another soldier entered from the left. He raised one of his legs and boot kicked the soldier in the chest. The man that was taking care of the camera saw what the blond was doing to the soldiers and let go of his control the camera causing it to lean and made a run for it. The two soldiers holding Seifer got knocked back by him elbowing them in the stomach. The one that he kicked earlier turn and made a run for it. Seifer ran over to Deling and got behind him, he was holding his gunblade close to the president's neck. Suddenly Quistis entered the scene.
What are you doing Seifer!
"What's he doin'?!" Selphie asked confused at the whole scene.
"Instructor Trepe!?" Zell exclaimed.
What's Quistis doing here? This doesn't make any sense. What have you done now Seifer…
A Galbadian soldier appeared behind Quistis and she quickly turned around.
"Stay back!" She told the soldier.
Another Galbadian solider appeared and stood in front of Seifer, whom was still holding Deling hostage.
"Squall, what we gonna do!?" Zell asked.
Nothing…we need to focus on Rinoa…she's our client.
"For the last time, stay back! You're only going to provoke him." Quistis tried explaining to the two soldiers.
"…Nothing. Our job is to assist the Owls." Squall answered, "Its none of our business."
Quistis turned and looked at the camera. "Timber Team, are you watching? Get over here right now! You HAVE permission! I need your help!"
…I guess were headed to the TV Station…
The outdoor TV cut out with static and the red symbols from before were back running along the screen.
"Squall!?" Zell asked turning to look at Squall.
"Squad leader!" Selphie called.
Squall turned and ran up the stairs towards the TV Station, Zell and Selphie quickly followed behind him. Once at the top of the stairs there was a long bridge that lead to a large building labeled TV Station. The three SeeDs ran along the path and headed towards the building.
Once they were inside Squall led them back to the recording studio where they found Seifer still holding Deling and Quistis trying to calm his down and get the situation under control.
"We need to restrain him!" Quistis ordered.
"What do you think you're doing?" Squall asked Seifer putting a hand on his hip.
"It's obvious, ain't it!? What are you planning to do with this guy?" Seifer asked.
What?
"…Planning to do?" Squall asked confused.
That's right… He knows Rinoa. Is that why he's here? For her?
"I get it… You're Rinoa's…" Zell started but was cut off.
"Shut your damn mouth! Chicken-wuss!" Seifer ordered.
Zell started to vibrate in anger at Seifer's insults. Quistis turned and looked at the others with her arms crossed over her chest.
"He broke out of the disciplinary room, injuring many in the process."
…Why?
Quistis turned around and looked at Seifer.
Zell got into a fighting stance. "YOU STUPID IDIOT!"
Zell, please…watch your temper…and be quiet…don't say something stupid now…
Squall turned and looked at Zell. "Be quiet."
"Instructor, I know! You're gonna take this stupid idiot back to Garden, right!?" Zell asked.
NO! Shut up! Don't say that in front of Deling!
"Shut up! NO!" Squall yelled at Zell.
Zell finally realized what he said and a look of pure shock crossed his face.
"I see… So you're all from Garden." Deling answered.
Zell put a hand over his mouth.
"Should anything happen to me, the entire Galbadian military will undoubtedly crush Garden." Deling threatened, "You can let go of me now." The president said to Seifer.
Seifer glared at Zell. "Nice going, Chicken-wuss! You and your stupid big mouth!"
Zell hung his head.
"Take care of this mess! Instructor and Mr. Leader!" Seifer demanded and he started to back up taking Deling with him. Seifer walked into a small room located to the left of the podium.
Quistis quickly followed after Seifer. Squall sighed led Zell and Selphie quickly after Quistis.
Seifer was standing with Deling on top of a small platform; he felt a strange presence and glanced around trying to determine where it was coming from. A figure appeared, it was a woman in a long black dress with a red helmet over her face.
"…Poor, poor boy…" She said somberly to Seifer as she exited the shadows and stood before him.
"Stay away from me!" Seifer told the mysterious woman.
"Such a confused little boy. Are you going to step forward? Retreat? You have to decide." she answered coolly.
"Stay back!" Seifer demanded again.
Quistis ran into the room and the woman held her palms together and conjured up a spell. Quistis dropped onto one knee, she was unable to move or speak.
"The boy in you is telling you to come. The adult in you is telling you to back off." she began approaching Seifer again, "You can't make up your mind. You don't know the right answer. You want help, don't you? You want to be saved from this predicament."
"Shut up!" Seifer yelled.
"Don't be ashamed to ask for help. Besides you're only a little boy."
"I'm not… Stop calling me a boy." Seifer asked.
"You don't want to be a boy anymore?" she asked.
"I am not a BOY!"
She kept staring at Seifer and he released his hold on Deling, who walked off the platform and ran away from the crazed blond.
"Come with me to a place of no return. Bid farewell to your childhood."
Squall entered the room and Seifer walked to stand in front of Quistis and Squall. Seifer waved his blade in the air in goodbye and Squall crossed his arms. Zell and Selphie entered the room now and the woman conjured up another spell and froze the three. Seifer walked towards the shadows where the woman appeared from originally and disappeared. The woman followed behind him shortly after and she also vanished.
Once the two were gone, Quistis, Zell, Selphie and Squall all were able to move again. Quistis ran up the stairs and onto the platform, she ran over to where Seifer and that woman disappeared to but they were gone. Rinoa came running from the entrance that Deling used to escape after Seifer let him go.
"Hey guys!" she greeted.
The four SeeD's turned and looked at her.
Rinoa began to look between Quistis and Squall's group. "Where's Seifer?" she asked.
She came to see Seifer…of course…
Squall turned and looked at Quistis who sighed and shrugged indicating there was no hint as to where he went.
Squall turned back to Rinoa. "We don't know." he answered honestly.
Quistis walked back over to join Squall's group. Rinoa looked at the ground.
"…He'll be ok, right?" she asked hesitantly.
…Knowing Seifer he'll be okay…but where did you go Seifer? Why did you come here and then just vanish?
Rinoa turned and left through the way she came in, Quistis hurried after her. Squall sighed and then led his squad after the two females. They left the TV Station and walked across the bridge and down the steps; they stopped at the outdoor TV. Rinoa was with Quistis on the stairs going down, she looked up at Squall.
"They found our base. It's completely destroyed." Rinoa explained.
"And everyone else?" Selphie asked concerned.
Rinoa chuckled. "They're fine. They're good at escaping." she then ran down the stairs.
Quistis looked at Squall and sighed, she then followed after Rinoa. Squall led the others after their client and instructor, unsure of what else to do for now. Quistis was standing at the bottom of the steps and Rinoa was crouched down, hugging her knees to her chest. Squall, Zell and Selphie walked over to join them and Rinoa stood up.
"We have to stay away from Timber for a while." she explained and turned to look at Squall, "Is there a safe place you can take me?"
…really?
Squall sighed and put a hand to his forehead.
Rinoa crossed her arms behind her back. "This is an order, an order from your client, remember?"
Why did I mention the order and obligation of duty thing…she won't let that go now…she'll always be ordering now, knowing we have to do it…
"…Alright." Squall answered finally.
She smiled at him and began to bounce on the balls of her feet. Rinoa ran off ahead, not wanting to remain so close to where soldiers would be eventually coming from to find them. Quistis ran after Rinoa again so Squall, Zell and Selphie ran after Rinoa and Quistis. They entered the pub and saw Rinoa and Quistis talking to the woman that had told them to look out her window to see the pub.
"Rinoa! I heard your base is in serious trouble. Come over to my place until things settle down." she offered.
"I appreciate it. Thank you…"
Quistis turned and looked at Squall. "What are you waiting for Squall? Come on!"
The three women then all left the pub and Squall led his squad after them. They walked outside the pub and headed up the stairs.
"This way!" Rinoa called after them.
They followed Rinoa and headed back towards the woman's house that was located next door to Timber Maniacs.
"This is it." Rinoa said going inside.
Squall, Zell and Selphie followed suit and entered the small house.
"I'll let you know if anything changed. 'Til then, make yourself at home." The woman explained.
"Thanks, chief." Rinoa said and the woman walked outside.
Selphie was standing over by the window; Quistis was over by the stove. Rinoa was standing near the stairs and Zell was moping in the corner. Squall, who was still at the door, turned and looked at Rinoa while crossing his arms over his chest and looking to the side.
"Chief?" he asked uncrossing his arms and looking at her.
"She's the leader of the 'Forest Fox'." Rinoa explained, "Almost everyone's a resistance member in this town. But right now, we're the only ones that are really active." she chuckled and Squall just shrugged, "Let's stay here for a while."
"I still don't get it." Selphie said turning and looking at Quistis, "What did Seifer come here for?"
…yeah why did he? For Rinoa? Or something else…
"I think…" Rinoa said stepping forward, "He came to help us, the 'Forest Owls'. I talked about it a lot with him. So please…don't think too badly of him."
Badly of Seifer, huh?
There was a loud knock on the door.
"Anybody in here!?" An angry voice asked.
"What is this!? I have two small children in here. Don't do anything to frighten them!" The woman whose house they were staying in yelled at the unknown voice.
They found us already?
The teenage daughter came down the stairs. "Upstairs… Hurry!"
Quistis, Zell ran upstairs, Selphie and Rinoa was about to join them when she turned around with a hand on her arm.
"Will she be ok?" Rinoa asked concerned.
"She'll be fine." The girl offered, "The legend goes…that my mother took down many soldiers with her strength, cooking and beauty."
Selphie, who was at the foot of the stairs, turned and looked at the girl. "That 'beauty' part sure makes it sound like a legend."
Rinoa, Squall and Selphie now headed upstairs to join the others. Selphie was lying on the bed, Zell was once again moping in the corner, Quistis was standing off to the side and Rinoa was hugging her knees to her chest at the foot of the bed. Squall was standing beside Selphie.
"So tired…" Selphie yawned.
Quistis walked over towards the middle of the room. "He was so angry when he found out it was only the three of you dispatched to Timber."
Angry…why?
"'What!? They might end up fightin' the whole Galbadian force! And all they dispatched are three rookie SeeD members!? Dammit! I'm going to Timber!'" Quistis said imitating Seifer's voice.
…he was worried about us…
"I never would have guessed he was serious about it." Quistis muttered.
That guy's always serious. You should know that by now…
Quistis walked to the window and looked back at Squall. "What's going to happen to Seifer?" she asked.
Who knows…he might even be dead…Seifer is skilled, my equal actually. But after holding Deling hostage…he can't fight the entire Galbadian Army…
Squall crossed his arms. "He may already be dead."
Rinoa looked up at Squall resting her cheek on top of her knee cap. "How can you be so casual? I feel…sorry for him."
Squall shook his head at Rinoa.
…Feel sorry? Seifer would hate to hear that.
Squall turned his back to Rinoa and chuckled lightly.
Rinoa stood up. "What's so funny!? You're terrible! So…why do you think Seifer might already be dead?"
Because…
"The president of Galbadia and the sorceress joined forces. Seifer attacked the president. It's no surprise that Seifer may have been killed because of it."
Rinoa ran over to him. "Even so!" she bent over and rested her palms on her knees, "I still hope he's alive."
Squall turned his back to Rinoa.
Think what you want… Reality isn't so kind. Everything doesn't work out the way you want it to. That's why…
Squall crossed his arms. "As long as you don't get your hopes up, you can take anything… You feel less pain." Squall uncrossed his arms and turned to face
Rinoa, "Anyway, whatever wish you have is none of my business."
"…You're mean." Rinoa said.
Whatever…
She walked back over to where she was sitting earlier. "MEANY!"
What's with her…?
"…Sorry." Squall said crossing his arms and looking at the wall on his right.
The woman came up the stairs. "The Galbadian forces are withdrawing. Only the soldiers normally stationed here will stick around. If you're gonna leave town, now's your chance! You know how persistent those soldiers can be!" she then turned and went downstairs.
Quistis went downstairs, she was followed by Selphie. Zell stood and sighed before also following after the two women. Rinoa walked towards the stairs and glanced back at Squall before also going downstairs, Squall was the last one down the stairs.
"Squall, any thoughts on where to go?" Quistis asked.
We have to get out of here first…
"Getting out of here is only the first step." he said to Quistis.
…Then where? Rinoa needs a safe place to go, and so do we.
"What do you mean?" he asked looking at Quistis.
"Garden Code, Article eight, line seven." she offered.
Eight-seven… In the event that returning to the assigned Garden is not possible, report to the nearest Garden…
"Head for the nearest Garden…" Squall answered.
Quistis smiled. "Very good! From here, that would be Galbadia Garden."
"We can take the train from here and get off at a station called East Academy." Rinoa offered, knowing about the train routes.
"From there, we have to go through the forest west of the station to get to Galbadia Garden." Quistis finished, "I've been there several times. We should be ok."
Squall nodded. "…Ok then… We'll escape from Timber and head to Galbadia Garden. The party will be…