Disclaimer: Anything that is not mine, is not mine. The game, the characters, they are not mine. The concept of the story is mine, but the elements added that were not originally mine, are definitely not mine. I hope that's enough disclaimer!
Author's Note: I'm taking Enigma Esprit's advice and share to you what music I was listening to when writing a particular scene in this chapter. I pictured it before Wonder Woman was released this year, and listening to one of its tracks "No Man's Land" really helped me write and visualize it better. Try it if you get the chance!
As usual, thank you for all the love from the previous chapter! Many thanks to Greyshade, Enigma Esprit, Elendyr (Yep! Rinoa is starting to trust Squall again, and she's earning new friends! Also, I hope the next chapters will answer all the questions you have for this story!), Rebekka (And I'll never get tired of hearing it! Thank you so much! Really glad you're enjoying this story!), fanakatsuki, Rasivel, Angel-Wings Naya, and Cerulean Twin! Thank you guys so much!
"Manageable" was an overstatement to describe the night they spent at the camp.
The boys cramped themselves together inside the makeshift tent despite Zell's objections. He suggested that "someone" should use one of the sleeping bags they purchased as their failsafe should situations like this arise, but "someone" never came forward. Each of them refused to deal with the roaming monsters out in the freezing night of the salt lake alone with limited movements inside a tiny and restraining sleeping bag.
Squall found himself waking every few hours with this face almost pressed against the soft wall of the tent and feeling Irvine's breath on the nape of his neck while waiting for Raijin's atrocious snore to die down. What great lengths they must sacrifice to make sure the girls slept comfortably and soundly in the back of the truck. He was almost, almost tempted to take the sleeping bag and risk it, but he wasn't an idiot.
On the other hand, he did manage to get a few hours of sleep, at least.
When the sun came the next day, Quistis was the first to point out what he looked like as a result.
"You okay, Squall?" Quistis asked a little worriedly. "Still thinking about the Captain?"
He didn't know if she was trying to kid him or was genuinely concerned, but he was just too tired to shoot her a glare. Squall pushed his hair back and laxly shook his head. "Camp just didn't really cut it for me last night."
Quistis only shrugged as she folded the chairs with Zell's help. Seifer yawned and raised an arm as he walked by, smelled his pits and recoiled with a scowl.
"I really need to get new clothes. Showers will never take this smell off."
As a response to his grumble, Quistis tossed a dufflebag his way. "You have a few here."
Seifer caught it and frowned at the familiar bag. It was his favorite among his bags, green and sturdy to outlast any mission. He unzipped it and saw his things inside.
"I thought you said you weren't able to pack all my stuff?" He said with incredulity, looking up at Quistis.
"When I said all, doesn't mean I didn't pack some of them."
Seifer blinked a few times. "You had my stuff this whole time, and you're giving them to me just now?"
"You never asked."
While Fujin was piling bulkier supplied on Raijin's arms, Selphie and Irvine were making sure no traces of their stay were left in the area. Rinoa was picking up some of the things still strewn about, seeing it as the only way she could help them.
Though she was beginning to feel a little strange. Her movements were slowing, and her head was beginning to feel lighter. Sleep seemed so tempting, but she just woke up from an otherwise good night's rest.
Unless…
Selphie broke from her post when she observed Rinoa's constant need to catch her breath. "Rinoa?"
From a few feet away, Squall's head snapped at Rinoa's name. The latter looked up and pushed a smile.
Selphie rushed to her side and placed an arm around her. "Are you okay?'
She looked worried. In as much as Rinoa couldn't understand what Selphie was asking, she wanted to know what was worrying her so much. What did she want to know? Was she looking for something? Did she do something wrong? Did she lose something important in the camp?
"I wish I could help you." was all she could say. "I don't know what you want, but maybe you can point it out?"
"Don't push yourself too hard, Rinoa."
Rinoa shook her head. "Why do you look so worried? What's wrong?"
"She doesn't understand you." Zell pointed out.
Selphie rolled her eyes. "I know, dummy. But something's wrong with Rinoa. She looks paler than I remember."
That prompted Squall to join them. He examined Rinoa who looked back at him with confusion and anxiety in her fatigued eyes.
"Why are you guys looking at me like that?" Rinoa asked in nervous laughter.
"Well?" Selphie asked after seconds of looking expectantly at Squall.
He glanced back at her. "We need to hurry."
As far as seat plans are concerned, the group decided that it was better if Seifer, who designated himself as their "first line of defense", sat by Raijin. Quistis volunteered to join them, but he told her to "stay back." She didn't sit well with it, but she wagered he would be an extremely impatient "first line of defense."
"Where is Esthar?" Seifer groused from the passenger's seat. Beyond them was a sea of white salt flats and even after an hour of travel, there was still no sign of Esthar or any civilization. "Can't see a frigging thing."
"It's an invisible place, ya know?" Raijin said. Quistis was grinning and inwardly congratulating herself for correctly guessing Seifer's complaint.
"It's just beyond that L-shaped border." Squall pointed from the back window at the small view of gathered rocks further into the plain. "Fifty meters from that landmark is the gate."
"Cure!" Selphie whooped and extended her arms that surprised Rinoa. She felt the sensation of the healing magic, but she wasn't sure it did anything. She wasn't injured or afflicted with any harmful status effects for her to need way it came out of the blue wasn't usual for a personality like Selphie's, but still strange.
"What are you doing?" Zell asked with curiosity.
"Yeah, Babe." Irvine chimed in. "What are you doing?"
"Making her better!"
"USELESS." Fujin declared.
"You're wasting your cure on her." Quistis said. "She's not getting better that way."
Selphie sighed in defeat. "I know. But I gotta try somehow!"
Amidst the discourse, Rinoa was unsure how to respond. "Uhm, thank you Selphie. I guess."
Selphie's almost teary eyes widened. "She said my name!"
"Hey guys," Raijin called, his voice a little shaky. "Are those supposed to be there?"
Seifer leaned forward and peered at the black jeeps moving around a few kilometers beyond them. "What the hell?" he grumbled under his breath.
Squall squinted his eyes through the windshield. "Raijin, slow down."
"What are those?"
Quistis scooted closer to get a better view. Her eyes narrowed. "Trabia Garden."
"Trabia?" Selphie asked.
Loud pounding noise began drumming against their truck. Everyone ducked down from the windows and wrapped their hands protectively around their heads and necks.
Fujin peeked through the cracked backdoor window and saw four black jeeps closing in. And that didn't count the few more possibly running beside their vehicle. She flinched when the Trabia SeeDs began barraging them again with bullets.
"AMBUSH!" she cried.
"Selphie, can you manage a protect spell on each of us?" Squall directed sternly.
Selphie gave him a curt nod. "Yessir!"
"Cast it first on Irvine. Irvine, try to target the gunners, then the drivers. We need to take out their offense in stealth."
Still hiding under the window, Irvine propped up his rifle and aimed at the closest jeep. "On it."
"Fujin, take the other side and blow them as far away from us as you can with Aero."
"AFFIRMATIVE." Fujin replied.
"Raijin, swerve to your left. There should be a large boulder there in the middle of smaller ones. Head over there."
"I'll try, ya know?" Raijin shouted back.
Though the motion was intermittent, Irvine was able to take down gunners from three jeeps. There were seven more to go.
Fujin threw two succeeding aero spells that overthrew four jeeps on her side. However, the other four was able to avoid the same fate by drifting their wheels away from the blow of the spell. After regaining their balance on track, they zoomed forward.
Just then, the shooting abruptly stopped.
Irvine lifted his head from his rifle and gaped at the jeeps. Fujin narrowed her eyes as they moved forward where Esthar should be without attacking them.
"SQUALL." She called for further instructions.
Squall too was baffled at the sudden silence around them, save for the heavy revving of the engine that sounded like it was about to explode. His eyes wandered around, waiting for more surprises.
Rinoa released her head and lifted her gaze to the window. She sat up and peered outside.
"Where are they?" she asked, fearing for what the sudden silence could mean.
Seifer banged the divider of their truck. "Leonhart! What are we supposed to do with those?"
Squall stood, still hunching against the roof, and saw about twenty more jeeps just beyond the boulders. The others that pursued them joined the assembly.
He groaned. "Just keep heading to the rocks. They don't know where Esthar is yet. We need to regroup and figure out how to get through them."
"How about we take a detour?"
"They're all eyes on us. If we go around them, they'll discover the way in to Esthar. We cannot allow that to happen."
"Shit."
"Do you seriously think we can take them on?" Zell asked, unable to mask the split squeak in his voice.
"We need to take them on."
"Deal with it, chickenwuss." Seifer retorted without humor.
When Raijin skidded the truck behind the boulders where Squall instructed him to, he was told to stay inside, or anywhere close to the vehicle. He would be their getaway if things got too messy.
"Stay safe." Fujin bidded him.
They left the truck and concealed themselves behind the boulders. Rinoa wanted to ask Squall where they were and where Esthar was, but he seemed too engrossed devising a strategy on the hostile jeeps that she thought against distracting him. Besides, she seemed to have worried him enough at the camp for some reason. He might get mad if she bothered him any more.
She strode next to Selphie who promptly turned to her.
"Are we close to Esthar?"
Selphie tilted her head. "Esthar?"
Rinoa nodded. She got used to relying on context clues to communicate, regardless if they understood each other or not. "Yes. We're supposed to go there, right?"
Selphie pointed forward. "Esthar's that way."
Rinoa's eyes followed her hand.
"What about it?"
Rinoa was still gazing at the sky where the place was supposed to be. "Esthar…"
Irvine striddled to Selphie's side glancing between her and Rinoa. "What does she need?"
Selphie shrugged. "I don't know. She was asking something about Esthar."
After surveying the area as far as they could see, Quistis stood by Squall's back. "What's your plan now?"
Squall's eyes were searching the ground for an answers. He lifted them at the jeeps in the distance.
They were not attacking from their positions as they sat idly in the distance, taunting them silently to make their move. They could march forward, start the battle and be done with it, but they would all be dead before they could take their tenth step. If they turn back, they would still know where to find them, and the chase would never end until they were all completely and properly disposed of.
Squall knew he had to fight, one way or another. Dying in battle was better than running away.
"I'll go after them."
"Of course you won't."
Squall unsheathed his gunblade. "Watch me."
"Hey, hey!" Seifer blocked Squall with his arm when Squall was one step away from revealing himself out of the boulders. Squall shot him a glare while Rinoa gasped and clamped her palms over her mouth when she realized what he was about to do. "We don't plan to commit treason against Esthar this way, Loire."
"Don't call me that." Squall hissed through gritted teeth.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Seifer mocked a curtsy. "Puberty boy."
"Both of you stop that!" Quistis scolded and pushed Squall back when he was about to charge at him. Seifer held his chin up while glaring down at the other.
"Irvine, don't!"
BANG!
They all ducked and swiveled around at the explosive clap. Irvine was facing the distance before them while reloading his rifle apathetically and looked at the two stunned gunblade wielders. "You two done yet?
Then the barrage of bullets came.
They dropped on the ground and laid still behind the rocks.
"IDIOT!" Fujin yelled at Irvine.
"Squall was going to attack them by himself!" Irvine screamed back through the gunfire. "I didn't hear you call HIM an idiot!"
"They're closing in!" Zell yelped when the shots became louder and the ground began to shake.
"Shield behind the rock!" Squall barked.
Rinoa looked around from under her arms. Everyone bolted and leaned their backs against the rock, readying their weapons in hand. Seifer threw a ball of fira spell blindly toward the unseen enemies, while Irvine held up his gun at the side of the rock and fired shots aimlessly. Zell tossed a bio spell over his head while Fujin threw her chakram that reeled back to her, both hoping their attacks hit someone. Quistis was the bravest to take a peek but immediately pulled back when a thunder-infused bullet almost hit her. Raijin was about to charge forward with his thick staff, but Selphie held him back and questioned his sanity.
Squall left his post and quickly knelt beside her, shielding his head with his arm while shooting ice spells to the enemy's direction without looking.
"Stay here!" Squall shouted.
Rinoa frowned and shook her head. "What?"
"Stay!" Squall vigorously patted the ground where she was. "Stay!"
She watched his gestures and tried to read through his actions.
He paused, his hand pressed firmly on the ground. "Stay!"
"S-ssst…" Rinoa tried to mimick the word, but her hiss was getting in the way. "Sstay?"
Squall pulled his head back and he thought his heart stop for a second. Could he finally understand her? Could she understand him? "Am… Am I your-"
"Are you asking me to wait here?" Rinoa asked in disbelief. How could he ask her to sit still in a such dangerous situation? Did he mean to leave her? "I can't wait here! Those are SeeDs out there! I'm going to die!"
Squall's eyes softened and veered away when he realized she was still speaking in her language he still couldn't understand. He frowned back at her. "Stay here."
Rinoa stared at him, shaking her head a little. Squall went back to the other at his post behind the rock and joined in their defense.
As she watched them evade and attack, she thought about everything she could do to help , and the prospect of making Squall her knight was starting to become tempting. If she had more magic energy, she could cast a powerful spell to push the SeeDs out of the way until they could make it to Esthar. It was just straight ahead, they were so close.
But the more she thought about it, the worse it appeared. It was unfair for him to be committed to a pact just so she could grow mighty and powerful while staying alive. It would greatly help them if she could be of use and ensure her group's safety, yet she couldn't shake off that horrible feeling that it meant using him to do her bidding.
On the other hand, how certain was she if he was still up on his offer? She had no way to know. She rejected him once, he wouldn't be too foolish to experience it again. No one would, especially with the likes of the proud and arrogant Squall.
Besides, her indebtedness to him was piling up. He had done so much for her and went for great lengths just to keep her from harm's way. So maybe it was her turn to pay it all back without having to ask him for help. She could do it without him. Yes, she certainly could.
She turned back around and all she could see was the rock and the dust in the air that blocked the horizon in her sight. The drumming kept beating and drowning the screaming voices of her friends, and she couldn't allow it to overpower them any longer. She stood up and stepped a foot beyond their boundary of safety.
"Rinoa! What are you doing?!" Selphie shouted behind her.
As she pressed forward, she waved an arm and the bullets, grenades, and spells directed to them dissolved as soon as they touched her Protect spell.
Distracted by Selphie's cry, Squall looked at the spot where he last saw Rinoa and grunted when she was no longer there. He scanned their area then realized that the tremor on the rock had ceased. He sprinted out and watched as Rinoa took one daring step after the other, holding out both of her arms as her transparent shield vaporized oncoming ammunitions.
"What the..." Seifer muttered.
Squall began running toward Rinoa with his gunblade in hand. He blasted thunder and blizzard spells at the jeeps.
Following his lead, Quistis yelled "ONWARD!"
"DAMNIT!" Zell roared as the rest of them rushed forward and threw spells of their choice. The jeeps began unloading more SeeDs going for the melee, so Rinoa waved another arm to cast Regen to her party just in time as a bullet grazed Fujin's arm from someone who got through her wall of Protect. The recovery magic quickly took action and closed the wound.
Quistis whipped her Slaying Tail to a male SeeD and threw him to the ground when he managed to evade Squall's attack. Zell landed punches so quickly they were almost undetectable, while Seifer sparred with another SeeD who was about to charge at Zell. Selphie leapt using Irvine's rifle as her leverage and flailed her nunchaku at another SeeD while Irvine fired. Raijin swung his staff to his sides, sending the SeeDs up in the air and away.
As Squall blocked an attack, he glanced where Esthar's gate was supposed to be and it dawned to him that they were getting closer. He pushed his opponent away and promptly fired his revolver at him. When they reached the jeeps, Squall pointed his gunblade. "Target the vehicles! Eliminate their arsenal!"
"There's too many of them, Squall!" Quistis barked back.
"Just do it!"
Fujin flung an Aeroga, but it came too weak when it reach a jeep. Instead of flying it away as she had intended, it rose only to drop again and merely bounced on the ground.
"FAILED!" she cried.
Selphie propelled a grenade she stashed from a knocked-out SeeD unto another jeep. It exploded, hurling its occupants out with little defense. One down, nineteen more to go.
Meanwhile Rinoa had other plans.
Observing that they were aiming for the vehicles this time, she lifted herself with a float spell and began her ascent, just high enough to give her a better perspective of the battle. If she flew any higher, Squall and the others would look like ants compared to the swarming beetles of jeeps, but she was beginning to run out of breath and could only manage a few meters far from the ground.
Just a little longer, she told herself. Just until they are out of the way.
She clasped her hands together and parted them as soon as her red glowing ball of flare materialized between her palms. Thin, wispy arms stemmed out and reached for each jeep in her view. When her spell had a good grasp of every vehicle, she released her flare spell like a catapult and her body jerked backward.
And down she fell.
Squall was watching her with dreaded anticipation from the grounds below since she lifted herself up in the air. He was hoping she would stop the moment she radiated a powerful Protect and let them take care of the rest. He was alarmed when she started soaring and summoning that familiar flare spell in her hands. He knew, at that moment, it would take an ultimate toll on her.
When she began dropping, Squall pushed his feet hard on the ground and dashed up to her. He wrapped his arms around her, lost his balance on his landing, and slid on his back against the rugged soil.
"Squall!" Selphie called and rushed to him.
He lifted himself with one arm and placed it back around Rinoa once he sat up. Her eyes were half-closed, her skin almost translucent with the same pulsating glow she emitted back in Balamb, and her body was shaking within his grasp. What alarmed him the most was the way she wheezed for breath– shallow and short.
Squall erected his glare to the crimson smoke that blended with the black accompanied by the stench of burning gas and oil from all twenty jeeps, capsized and splayed in his view. The SeeDs came crawling out leaving a train of blood behind while the ones safe from the wreckage pulled their comrades out from the possible explosion that threatened to follow. Squall almost thought no one survived, but if he was to assume correctly based on the number of them still moving, no one actually died. Heavily injured, yes. But certainly not dead.
"Selphie! Squall!" Irvine called in panic.
Selphie looked over her shoulder as Esthar's towering wall gradually coalesced in ripples and revealed a visible portion of a gate. It slid open where Estharian soldiers in armor and assault rifles came pouring out from a darker place. Once they settled on their positions, they pointed their guns at the remaining SeeDs, including Squall's group, while two of them went to his assistance.
"Stop!" Squall roared at them when their weapons began clicking at his friends while he clung on Rinoa. "They're with me!"
One soldier drew his gun down after a moment, and everyone else observed the same. He nodded. "Copy that, Sir Loire. Is there anything else?"
Squall looked around his friends then back to the soldier. "Clear us a path."
He tipped his gun at Rinoa. "What about her?"
Squall adjusted her in his arms. "I'm bringing her to Dr. Odine."
"Shall I call for the medical aid?"
"No. I'll take charge of her."
He nodded and turned around to the army. "Clean this up. Make sure no one follows us in. The rest of you, come with me." He flicked his head at the gate and lead them inside.
"Wait," Seifer tramped to the soldier. "you're just letting us go? Even with a sorceress? You sure about this?"
The soldier turned back around. "The safety of Loires is our duty, regardless if sorceresses are involved." he said tonelessly. "We are bound with Esthar, not the Gardens."
They travelled through the city's skyway to reach the Presidential Palace of Esthar. Carrying Rinoa on his back, Squall strode along the smooth, colorful walkway leading to the front door where a familiar face was waiting. She smiled in greeting and ran to him.
"Squall!"
Squall smiled when she reached out, rather awkwardly, and hugged him around his neck. "Sis."
She placed a hand on his shoulder and angled forward as she examined Rinoa behind him. "It's been awhile since you came back, and you've brought a girl this time!"
"She needs help." Squall said. Further pleasantries could wait. "I need to see Dr. Odine."
Her smiled laxed. "She's a sorceress, isn't she?"
"WHOAH!" Zell clamored. "You knew with just one look?"
"She's glowing magic, you idiot." Seifer berated. "Anyone would know she's a sorceress."
"Excuse me," Quistis intervened. "are you Ellone?"
Ellone nodded. "Yes."
"So you're his Sis!" Selphie said excitedly.
Quistis' smile widened and held out her hand. "So glad to finally meet you. You're the only person outside of the Garden Squall talks about."
Ellone giggled and shook it. "Pleasure's all mine."
"You don't look anything like Squall, ya know?" Raijin quipped.
Fujin kicked his leg. "TACTLESS."
Ellone laughed softly at Raijin's howl. "There's a whole story behind that. But perhaps we can discuss that inside."
"Gladly. Would love to hear more about you." Irvine replied amorously. Selphie shot him a glare.
The interior of the receiving area was as huge as expected from a palace. Seifer thought "building" should be the right term instead, only without a receptionist and it felt more homely, if not empty in its vastness.
They followed Ellone into the elevator which was big enough to fit more. The guards who escorted them stood by the foyer and disappeared behind the elevator door.
Ellone whirled to Squall. "Dad saw you fight at the Great Salt Lake. That was why he sent out a unit to help."
Squall scoffed dryly. "He couldn't be any faster."
Zell pulled his collar and stretched his neck the other way. "Did it suddenly get hot in here?"
"Tension." Fujin whispered.
"Come now, Squall." Ellone sighed. "That was as fast as he could send for you."
DING
The elevator opened to a large empty lit room where a table stood at the center furbished with a vase of blue flowers. Beyond it was a another metal door.
"Just, call him Dad. Okay?" Ellone appealed. "It wouldn't kill you, and it would mean so much to him."
Squall diverted his eyes to the room and adjusted Rinoa on his back. "Can't promise anything, Sis."
Ellone pressed her lips together and forced a smile as she watched everyone get off. She followed them to the next room.
Sunlight streaming in from the large windows greeted them and the lone occupant shifted on his lounge chair. He looked over his shoulder and jumped up, wearing a smile that reached from ear to ear. Irvine scanned him from head to toe and recognized the same attire he wore every time he appeared on national news.
"Whoah…" he mumbled to himself when it hit him that he was face to face with President Laguna himself.
"Hey, tough guy!" Laguna spread his arms and reached for Squall. His brows met when his eyes fell on Rinoa.
"Dad, let him settle in first." Ellone said.
"Ah, yes." Laguna dropped his arms and looked around his office. He pointed at the sofa. "She can take this one."
Without looking at Laguna, Squall gently laid Rinoa on the furniture. Selphie sprinted to her side, knelt, and held her hand.
"You're so cold, Rinny." Selphie lamented.
"It's an honor finally meeting you, Sir." Irvine reached for Laguna's hand, who shook it cheerfully.
"Thanks! Same with you… uh…"
"Oh," Irvine lifted his hat. "Irvine, Sir."
"Do you know where Dr. Odine is?" Squall interjected.
Laguna's face fell. "Oh." He straightened up, walked to his desk and faced Squall. "Lunatic Pandora, last I heard."
"How do we get there?"
"Just a car ride would do. Maybe we can ask Kiros and Ward to take us there."
"Where are they?"
"Not sure. We'll have to call them to find out."
"Can't we drive the car ourselves?"
"Squall." Ellone held his arm gently. "Slow down. You just got here. Just, let Dad take his time."
"Oh, no, that's okay. She uh…" Laguna scratched the back of his head. "She looks like she needs help right now." He glanced at Rinoa and stared at her for a moment. His eyes narrowed. "Do I know her?"
"We can figure it out later." Squall said.
Laguna shook his head back to focus. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Hold on, let me call them." He fished his phone and dialed.
Ellone sighed and turned around, offering an apologetic smile to everyone in the room. Laguna began talking to Kiros on the phone.
Zell held his hands together on his back and stalked carefully on Squall's side. "So, buddy, you okay?"
"I think the right question is, how long has this daddy-issue been going?" Seifer sneered.
Squall glared them over his shoulder. He walked away and stood by the sofa.
"I take it Squall didn't mention anything about Dad in the Garden, huh." Ellone said despondently.
"He barely mentions anything personal, actually." Quistis said.
"INTROVERT." Fujin added.
"He's all business, especially when he became the Commander."
Ellone smiled. "I heard about that. He called me that day to tell me he was promoted. Even if he doesn't admit it, I know he's very proud of himself as I am."
"I can hear you, you know." Squall said.
"Sorry."
"Why aren't you in the Garden with him?" Irvine asked.
Squall leaned his hips against the armrest of the sofa, crossed his arms, and his eyes wandered at the floor.
Ellone took a deep breath. "Well, for starters, I have this ability to bring people back to their pasts. Any people I know and have connected with."
"Really?" Selphie chirped. "Can you bring me back to mine?"
Ellone nodded. "I can if you want me to."
"What does that have anything to do with being SeeD?" Seifer asked.
"If I attend Balamb Garden, or any Garden for that matter, they'll think I'm a sorceress."
"But you don't talk like a sorceress."
"Yes. But Gardens will take any kind of precautionary measures just to make sure." Quistis replied for Ellone. "It does sound dangerous for someone like her."
"Then why risk enrolling puberty boy in the Garden?"
"I could ask the same." Squall said bitterly. "Ellone, enlighten them."
"You know it's for your own good." Ellone replied.
"Right."
Laguna put his phone down and was about to tell them the car was on its way, but stopped himself when he read on their faces the seriousness in their discussion.
"It was during the sorceress war." Ellone said. "Ultimecia and Adel had their first battle in Lunar Gate here in Esthar. They wrecked havoc across the nation, and Esthar was in complete shambles. We lost our mother because of it, and Dad knew he had to do something about us. When the war ended and Esthar began rebuilding itself, he knew that entrusting Squall to Balamb Garden would be best for him. So he would be surrounded by SeeDs trained to fight sorceresses, and it would do him good if he knows how to fight them too should another war arises."
"How long did you plan to make him stay at the Garden?" Zell asked.
"Just as soon as he graduates and becomes a SeeD. Which he did when he turned sixteen, but…" Ellone shrugged. "he didn't want to come home anymore. And who are we to stop him?"
"The Garden basically raised me, you know." Squall said sardonically. "That's what happens when I was left to spend my whole life in there."
"It raised all the SeeDs in this room." Quistis corrected. "But if I had a home to go back to, I'd return in a heartbeat."
Squall scoffed and looked away.
"So, where were you this whole time? Just here in Esthar?" Selphie asked.
"Yes. With Dr. Odine. Dad asked for his help to figure out my condition."
"Did they find anything?" Squall asked calmly.
Ellone shook her head. "But…" She glanced nervously at Laguna. He gestured an arm toward the group as if giving her his permission. "Well, I was able to communicate with Adel."
Squall's head snapped back to her while everyone expressed their surprise in their own ways.
"Dr. Odine was able to retrieve her after the war, wounded and barely alive. He decided to bring her in Lunatic Pandora secretly to do further research. During one of our sessions, he warned me not to enter one of the rooms. It had a large steel door with no window to peek through whatsoever, and you'd just know he was hiding something inside. But even when I kept my distance, I heard her in my head. I don't remember how it started, but she was kind to me, just talking to me about her coven, her town, her friends, and assuring me nothing's wrong with my condition. She always thanked me for talking to her every time. And then one day, she asked me to do something for her. She asked me to protect the sorceresses. To help them. I asked her why and how, but she said something about the Lunar Gate. And then, I couldn't hear her anymore." Ellone hung her head. "I told Dr. Odine, but he only scolded me and brought me back to Dad. He told him he couldn't help me any longer."
"We never heard of anything like that." Seifer said sourly. "A sorceress, and Adel at that, was being nice to you? Why didn't you say something in the first place? Why let the Gardens kill sorceresses? Did you know how many times we almost died because we defected?"
Squall wanted to retort at Seifer for talking to Ellone like he did, but he wanted to know the answer too.
"I can't tell anyone else outside of Esthar. How can I? My brother is in Balamb Garden, training to be a SeeD, and I grew up in a world torn by sorceresses. I've met just one friendly sorceress, and I wasn't even sure if she meant well. She was gone before I could know. But I do know the reason I couldn't join my brother in the Garden, and that's because sorceresses are believed to be dangerous. How would I know which side would bring more peace?" Ellone said.
"She saved my life." Squall said, pertaining to Rinoa. He dropped his arms to his sides and faced Ellone. "I was left for dead in Timber, but she found me, cared for me, and kept me safe. I wish the story ends there. Do you know why I left the Garden? Why I escaped?"
When he didn't get a response, he continued. "I fought the Garden because they were doing research on her by torturing her. And I blame myself for it. She was captured because I didn't do anything. I didn't say anything. And it was all too late before I finally did. She was hurt, and I could no longer hide my betrayal from the Garden. And now I learned to do better. Because the way I see it, sorceresses are not what they told us they are. And just recently, I was told they are doing this research to find a cure for another sorceress."
"What sorceress?" Laguna asked, alarmed.
"For an Edea Kramer, Cid's wife." Quistis replied. "Apparently, she gained sorceress powers after the great sorceress war."
"Cid has a wife and she's a sorceress? That's messed up."
"My point is, right and wrong are not what separate us from our enemies." Squall said, hoping to give them some clarity, especially Ellone. "Our standpoints, our perspectives that differ from the other, those are what separate us. Both sides blame one another, but there really is no good or bad side. Just two sides holding different views. It's only up to us how and when we choose a side."
"But, the peace treaty." Ellone said, her voice growing anxious now. "We still have a peace treaty to uphold, right?"
"Not anymore." Laguna added before anyone could retaliate. "The word is out. We all saw the news. Squall is being hunted down worldwide because he escaped with the sorceress. And I sure as hell won't ditch Squall because of some ruse of a treaty. To hell with the treaty! I chose a side, and we already broke the treaty long before we opened the gates for you."
"Thanks, but would have been great if you came to help earlier than that, ya know?" Raijin said.
"If we cross outside the borders of Esthar, we will pre-empt an inevitable world war. Can't risk that one unprepared."
"If I may also add, Sir, they're also on the hunt for all of us." Fujin said. "There's no turning back for us now."
Laguna smiled. "Then you are all welcome to stay here in your new home."
Everyone glanced at each other excitedly, except for Squall.
"I bet the Gardens also think we're under Rinoa's mind-controlling spell." Quistis said solidly.
"Ha!" Seifer blared. "You did too! Remember how you made a funny joke out of it?"
Quistis rolled her eyes. "I knew it wasn't true. But we were in an interrogation room, remember?"
Seifer blinked a few times. "You brought it up again in my cell!"
Quistis shrugged. "Double-tapping. Gotta make sure."
"... You double-crossed me!"
Their moment of reprieve was interrupted by a loud gasp from Rinoa. Selphie cried her name and grabbed Rinoa's hand while Squall ran to her side and examined her.
"Where's the car?"
"They should be here in a minute." Laguna said, swiveling around to check outside his window.
Squall turned to Ellone. "Can you talk to her? Like you did to Adel?" He sounded pleading now.
"No. But don't worry, Squall. She still has the strength to fight." Ellone assured.
"She'll make it?"
Ellone forced a smile after a moment and nodded with too much force than he needed to see. "Yes."
A/N: Nothing much to say here. But YOU can! Would love to hear who you think in the reviews!