Chapter XVII
Revelations
Thursday, May 4th 4268/
0606 hrs
The purple-bluish sky grew brighter by the moment as the sun continued to creep its way over the horizon and lit up the dim streets of Timber. There was a slight downcast of steady rainfall, but nothing too heavy. The trek to the train station was not a long one, but a slow one, as the SeeD's remained wary of possible traps that may be waiting for them courtesy of the Galbadian Army. The streets were unusually barren, even for that time of day. It had been many years since the streets of Timber were that peaceful, which was undoubtedly due to the peculiar absence of Galbadian soldiers. Even in the mornings, they would usually be out harassing the townspeople as they made their way to work.
Squall's head was spinning as they were within a two blocks of the Larkin Train Station on the western edge of Timber. He was scanning the area with eyes, and trying to piece together several puzzles. Where are the G-Army soldiers? What happened to Seifer? Was Balamb Garden trying to reach them? Who was the new sorceress? He had too many questions and too few answers, which was not a situation he liked to be in, because without answers, he had little control.
As they turned down the next road, which led to the train station, Squall quickly studied the area. There were about a dozen people, mainly Timberian men getting ready to go to work. However, about a hundred yards a head was a suspicious figure walking in their direction. He was wearing a grey poncho which hung down over his face, concealing his identity. Squall quickly took notice of his immediate surroundings and even focused with Quezecotl to discern the possibility of this being an elaborate trap. Not finding anything out of the ordinary, he focused on the figure ahead, who was now within fifty yards and approaching.
Within seconds, the figure was within a few yards. Suddenly, the cloaked person lifted his arms and began to reach towards the front of the cloak. Squall, who was rightfully paranoid, acted quickly and grabbed the man's arms and pushed him into a rusted gate that belonged to a car repair shop. Squall took out his small blade and pressed it to the captives neck.
"Who are you?" he demanded in a soft but angry voice, trying not to draw much attention. He reached for the front of the poncho and uncovered the man's frightened face, noticing him immediately.
"Please don't hit me, sir!" Watts begged as he held up his arms, with his mussed up brown hair hanging in his face. Squall immediately disengaged and let Watts go. Rinoa ran up to him quickly.
"Watts!" she exclaimed and hugged him, happy to see her friend was still alive.
"Princess!" he returned the excitement and the embrace, "I'm so happy you are alright. I received word you were with the Chief and…" he stated but was cut off by Rinoa.
"Sorry Watts, but we don't have much time," she told him, "We are headed to East Academy. Do you know if there are any soldiers at the train station?" she inquired, but Watts shook his head.
"No…none. In fact, I haven't seen a single Galbadian soldier since last night,", Watts stated exuberantly, "Think we scared 'em off! As for the trains, you need to hurry. I just found out they are shutting down the lines again soon." Watts finished. Squall pondered the reasoning they could be shutting down the lines again right after they were reopened.
"Something isn't right. We need to get out Timber", he told the members of his group and then looked at his watch.
"Damn," Zell cussed, "So what do we do?"
"The lines are not completely shut down yet," Watts responded. "In fact, there is still one last train bound for East Academy departing in about twenty minutes." He informed them, all showing relief, except Squall, who knew nothing was a sure thing.
"Okay, we're getting on that train then," Squall told his group with confidence, and began moving forward again, not even acknowledging Watts as he brushed by him. Zell and Selphie followed, as Quistis waited for Rinoa.
"You're going too, right Rinoa." Watts asked and she nodded in confirmation.
"Yes, I have to see this through. What about you? Will you be safe?" she asked.
Watts laughed and waved her off, "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." Rinoa gave him a small smile and hugged him again.
"Be careful Watts. It may get hectic again," she told him. Zone nodded and began to cover back up with the poncho.
"I will," he stated, and turned slowly as he covered his face again and crossed the street, splashing through a giant puddle as he made his way to the other sidewalk.
The group continued to the train station and made it there without interruption ten minutes later. They were greeted by a sea of people who were trying to get out of Timber. Some were Galbadian travelers who were trying to get back home, and some were just Timberian's who were tired of living in slum city. As Squall and the group began to weave their way through the crowd, a voice blared over the outdoor intercom.
"Attention travelers", the female voice blared, "The 7:30 train to East Academy has been sold out. We hope to have trains up and running again by this evening. Please bear with us, and thank you for your cooperation." Quistis looked at Squall with a concerned expression.
"Great, " Selphie stated with exasperation, "Now what?"
The group stood amidst a swarm of irate people, who were now starting to file out of the ticket purchasing area, while those who had a ticket were heading towards the boarding platform. Squall looked around, trying to think of something. They couldn't afford to draw much attention, but they also couldn't afford to stay in Timber much longer with all the uncertainty. Just then, a grey bearded homeless man dressed in ratty, torn clothes bumped into Rinoa and extended a tin can, seemingly asking for a donation.
"I'm sorry sir, I don't have any money," Rinoa quickly and politely told him, and turned back around. The man grabbed her slender arm and began tugging. Zell noticed and grabbed the man by the collar.
"She said back off, asshole," Zell told the man angrily through clenched teeth. The man raised his arms and with eyes wide open.
"Guys, it's me!" he whispered loudly. Zell narrowed his brow in confusion and Rinoa looked closer. Even she had trouble distinguishing who it was, but then she looked beyond the fake beard and crusted dirt on his face.
"…Zone?" Rinoa questioned, then smiled, "I didn't even recognize you."
Zone looked around while responding, "Good, my disguise is working well then."
"What are you doing here?" Rinoa asked.
"Chief," he began, "…she told me you were heading to East Academy en route to that Garden. I got here just in time" he explained. The group smiled in relief of the good news, except Squall, who remained stoic as usual.
"Youre amazing Ollie!" Rinoa exclaimed discreetly, wanting to hug him. Zone reached into the green plastic bag he was carrying and pulled out five boarding passes for East Academy.
"Here ya go," he said as he handed Rinoa four of the tickets, "And the last one's for me. Watts is going to stay back and help the Forest Foxes and take a train out in a few days," Rinoa looked down at the tickets, and then back at the group of SeeD's. Zone wasn't aware of Quistis presence with the group, and therefore did not purchase one for her, which presented a dilemma.
"What about Quistis?" Squall asked, as Zone looked over at the young blonde he hadn't met before.
"Oh, I didn't know…" he stated, looking down at his ticket, feeling bad. Quistis tried to dismiss the group's worries.
"It's okay. I'll take the next train out," she assured them, but Squall wasn't fond of that idea.
"That could be days," he stated, and Quistis nodded with a sigh. If the G-Army returned and identified her as a SeeD, she could be taken prisoner or worse. Not only did she not know Timber well, but she didn't really fit in amongst those who called Timber 'home'.
Zone knew this, and knew what he had to do.
"Here, take mine," Zone reluctantly insisted as he extended the ticket towards her. Quistis, seemingly shocked by the gesture, waved it off.
"I can't take that. It's yours," she stated. She knew the risks, but didn't want to put her safety over his.
"I know this place better than you. It's safer if I stay behind." Zone demanded, shaking the ticket, trying to get her to take it. Quistis slowly began to reach out, but still hesitated.
"Are you sure?" she asked, just before the man grimaced in pain and clutched his stomach.
"Ahh…" Zone bellowed, and then basically forced the ticket to Quistis as the train began to make final boarding calls, "Uhh, just take it. You guys better go, the train's about to leave."
"Thank you," Quistis expressed her gratitude, almost tearfully. Zone, still in pain, walked over to Rinoa and took her hand.
"Rinoa…if we don't see each other again, it's been an honor fighting with you," he whispered, and then turned around to walk away, but Rinoa quickly pulled him back and hugged him with tears in her eyes.
"Don't talk like that Zone!" she demanded, "You have to survive, no matter what. We have to liberate Timber together, remember?" she reminded him as he returned the hug.
"I'll be fine. I'll find somewhere to hide," he told her and then smiled.
"Rinoa." Squall interrupted and gestured to her that they needed to go. Rinoa slowly pulled away from Zone, hoping it wouldn't be the last time she laid eyes on her friend. Rinoa headed towards the boarding platform, and as Squall followed, felt a hand grab his bicep.
"Take care of her," the voice said. It was Zone, who had a unyielding glare in his eyes as he told Squall, "I mean it. I'll kill you if something happens to her," Zone stated, glaring at Squall for a moment before turning to leave.
Squall didn't respond well to threats, but knew the intentions were good. They were close friends and Zone obviously cared for her. That kind of dedication and compassion were not familiar to Squall, so he found it unusual. Still, he planned to make good on that demand.
Squall passed the porter, handed his boarding pass to the ticket taker, and made his way on board.
They were finally leaving Timber.
Thursday, May 4th 4268/
0849 hrs
The room was dark, as it had been all night; the only source of light being the small television in the room, which radiated colorful spectrums of light onto the walls and throughout the small, confined space. It had been replaying the same two minutes of video for the previous seven hours. His eyes were drooping and strained, sometimes focusing so hard that he could see each individual pixel of the screen. The rewind button on the remote was fading and loose from overuse, and if Xu wouldn't have shown up when she did, he may have never stopped.
"Sir", the familiar Estharian voice asked as she knocked on the door to the Headmaster's private quarters. He did not react however, his eyes remaining glued to the television screen.
Xu knocked again and slowly crept the door open, and the vibrant light of the sun that flooded Cid's office found its way into his chambers. Cid remained seated on the end of his bed with his glasses lying right next to him. Xu could tell, even from five feet away that his eyes were bloodshot and that the Headmaster was pale and emotionless.
Slowly, she walked closer to the Headmaster, very concerned for his well being. She noticed his deadpan gaze, which was disturbingly focused on the images on the television. Looking over, she noticed what it was immediately. Vinzer Deling announcing that he was now in league with a sorceress. However, it wasn't just A sorceress.
She was something much more than that.
Xu didn't know what to say to comfort him, but he was first to break the awkward silence.
"I…I failed to protect her," Cid stated in a low, groggy voice. Xu's heart dropped and she sunk to a knee, and took his hand.
"Headmaster, you can't blame yourself for this," she told him with a saddened, but empathizing tone. Cid once again hit the rewind button as he continued staring blankly at the screen.
"I should've brought her here. I should've been with her," he stated, almost like he was telling himself.
Xu shook her head and moved closer to him, "She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to endanger everyone, especially the children."
"She wasn't a danger to anyone," Cid responded immediately and pushed play again, watching as Deling was introduced again and trying to imagine what he put his wife through, "The only danger was that son of a bitch! Hyne knows what he did to her." Cid stated, some emotion finally littering his voice.
"Sir, there was nothing you could've…" Xu began, but was abruptly cut off as emotion finally got the best of the Headmaster.
"SHE'S MY WIFE GOD DAMNIT!!!!" Cid shouted so loud that it probably echoed down every hallway in Garden. He shot to his feet, grabbed the small television, and threw it across the room into the dark wooden wall, which then smashed to the ground. Cid fell to his knees, breathing heavily.
Xu again knelt by his side and laid a hand on his back to comfort him, "Headmaster…should I call Regina?" she asked, wondering if Cid needed medical attention. He reached his hand up slowly to stop her.
"No…no," he told her, out of breath, but Xu was still very concerned, "I…I'm sorry Xu." Cid told her, and slowly picked himself off the ground and dusted off his pants he had been wearing from the day before. Cid took in another deep breath and let out a lengthy exhale before continuing.
"Its been a rough few days. I just…needed to…" he began to explain, ashamed of his small outburst he just displayed. Still, Xu understood knew it couldn't be easy.
"It's alright sir. I understand," she told him with a smile, "I just wanted to make sure you prepared for the conference at 1200 hours."
"Yes," Cid nodded, although it was the last thing on his mind, "I will be ready"
With that, Xu nodded and exited the room, once again leaving the Headmaster to himself. All he could think about was his wife, and what Deling must've done to her for her to join league with him. She was one of the most caring and compassionate people he had ever known, and Deling was a monster that would stop at nothing for absolute control.
At that moment, something changed in Cid Kramer. He had spent the past weeks feeling sorry for himself, without considering what his wife would do if the positions were reversed. He damn sure knew she wouldn't be wallowing in self pity and throwing televisions across the room. She would be trying to protect the people that depended on her and doing everything she could to find him.
He needed to stop being Cid Kramer the grieving husband, and start being Cid Kramer, Headmaster of Balamb Garden.
Thursday, May 4th 4268/
1104 hrs
The strategic conference room inside the presidential palace was rarely used. During his long administration, Deling merely liked to bark orders and let his minions do all the work. Deling was not a military man nor a war strategist, but was about as ruthless as any leader in history. He just didn't get his hands dirty.
There several rather large, flat screened monitors along the walls of the room, which Deling used to hold press conferences with leaders of other nations, but that was the only real purpose it served. Five highly decorated Galbadian Army soldiers sat at the long table in their dress black uniforms, awaiting for their Commander-in-Chief to grace them with their presence.
Suddenly, the door to the room opened and a presedential agent stepped in, followed by the president himself. The soldiers snapped to attention and gave the proper salute.
"Mr. President," Colonel Rappaport acknowledged. Deling did not return the salute, and was looking at the five soldiers intently.
"Where is Caraway?" he asked, seemingly angry over one man's absence.
"He is with the Deling City police commissioner and Mayor Davies making final preparations for Tuesday's parade, Mr. President," Rappaport informed.
"Very well," Deling nodded and continued towards his chair at the head of the table, "Have all troops been pulled from Timber?"
"Yes Mr. President, and the General was hoping you could shed some light as to why?" he told Deling, who stared at him for a moment, and then continued as if the question was never asked.
"And what have we learned about Balamb Garden's involvement in Timber?" he inquired, looking at the other soldiers and giving them intimidating looks.
"Well, as far as we know, the attack against you was a lone act by Seifer Almasy. He was being detained at Balamb Garden and escaped,", Intelligence Specialist Major Wright answered, "The other SeeD's were there to detain him, but presidential security got in their way."
"They killed 39 of my men including agents and soldiers," Deling snapped, quite lividly, "And not being able to control a single rogue cadet is a testament to their incompetence. For that reason alone I should bury them!" he shouted gruffly.
The Galbadian military was always reluctant to act against Balamb Garden. Not only because SeeD's were so well trained, but also because the Galbadian military used SeeD's in situations when they didn't want to be directly implicated in certain unlawful affairs and were also receiving a great deal of financial return from them through certain shady channels involving the Garden Faculty.
However, times were now changing, and it was clear that Deling may not have any use for Balamb Garden anymore.
"What would you like us to do sir?" Rappaport questioned and then listened intently.
"First off, prepare a unit of Vipers that can accompany my agents to Timber," he told him, speaking of Galbadia's most lethal soldiers, "We are going to take care of that mess once and for all," Deling finished. The last statement was very vague, but at the same time sounded very malevolent. The five men looked at each other, trying to hide the apprehension in their expressions.
"Sir," Rappaport started, "Could you please elaborate?" Again, Deling continued as if he never heard the question.
"Secondly, send word to Balamb Garden that we do not hold them accountable for the incident in Timber. I have bigger plans for them." Deling expressed, again leaving out the explicit details.
"Finally, bump up security measures for Tuesday nights parade. I don't want anymore surprises like today!" he ordered sharply, giving Rappaport and threatening glare. Rappaport compliantly nodded and continued.
"Mr. President, what about Seifer Almasy?" he began, the president's brow narrowing at the mention of the name, "Balamb keeps calling asking about his whereabouts. Do you know where he is?" At that moment Deling stood slowly from his chair and adjusted his suit jacket and tie, and the five soldiers stood up as well. Just as it seemed he was again going to ignore the question, he answered.
"Almasy is no longer a problem," Deling stated, once again not being very descriptive, "Break it to them easily," he stated with mock concern as he headed towards the door. The soldiers saluted again as he exited with his personal security guards.
The G-Army soldiers were left to themselves to piece together what the president just put out.
Thursday, May 4th 4268/
1156 hrs
Briefing room A in the western wing of Balamb Garden was silent, despite being full of SeeDs and Garden faculty. They were awaiting Headmaster Kramer's imminent arrival for the meeting that had been scheduled for noon. Clicks of pens, fingernails tapping the table and the occasion cough or sneeze were the only noises made for about three minutes. Just before the clock struck noon, the always punctual Cid Kramer entered the room. The SeeD's rose and gave the SeeD salute, but Cid quickly relieved them.
"Be seated," a tired looking and sounding Headmaster told them all and took his seat. "I'm sure we all know why we are here and the magnitude of the situation, so it's best if we start immediately," he continued and then looked down over the file before him. Cid stared blankly at it, struggling to keep his eyes open. He was exhausted, and while he was determined to see the current situation through to the end, it was taking its toll. After about a minute of pause, Cid spoke again.
"Chief Bryce, what did your investigation turn up regarding Seifer's whereabouts?" he asked the brown haired SeeD to enlighten him.
"Sir, unfortunately, we did not learn much. He was in studio C during the live broadcast with the president, and the last of what we know really happened is on camera when he attacked Deling. We put out a Code Red APB which has yielded no results thus far. He hasn't even been spotted in Galbadia where he is now the most wanted man alive," he informed the Headmaster, much to his chagrin. Still, without any intel on Seifer, there was nothing they could do, so Cid continued.
"What about Squall and the Timber mission squad? Maybe they know something that can help us," he questioned, hoping for a better answer. The brief pause and look on the intelligence team faces foretold their coming response.
"We still haven't been able to establish contact with them. It seems that Galbadian military has terminated all digital signals over there, and have yet to repair the radio signals and frequencies. At this point, all we have to contact Galbadia at the moment are land lines," Bryce answered. Cid removed his glasses and rubbed his strained eyes. With only landlines, it would not only be impossible for them to gather any real information, but they had no real means of locating the Timber team.
"Damn it," Cid muttered with and exhausted sigh, "Do we have any idea what the Galbadian Army and Deling are planning next?" he asked, and Master Sergeant Shipley spoke up.
"As stated, sir" the pale skinned SeeD began, "Without digital and radio signals, its been hard to collect intel. We have been notified that over two hundred thousand G-Army soldiers have been recalled back to Galbadia from around the world. There have been no reports thus far that tell us why," he finished, obviously disappointed he couldn't give the Headmaster better news. The headmaster shook his head and threw his glasses on the table before leaning back in his chair.
"Do we have any good news at all?" he questioned rather with unusual tension in his voice. Bryce's eyes widened before he nodded and replied.
"Yes sir, we have two of Seifer's accomplices in custody, as well as the SeeD on guard at the time he escaped. We also have an insider in the Galbadia secret service that is working on getting us more information about Deling and…" Bryce explained but then suddenly hesitated and looked around at his fellow SeeD's. There was an palpable awkwardness filling the room with each the second that passed. The Headmaster widened his eyes and tilted his head, gesturing for Bryce to finish his sentence.
"The s-sorceress, sir," he stuttered a bit, but got it out. The Headmaster understood why Bryce was apprehensive about saying the word. No one in the conference room would even make eye contact with the Headmaster at that point. Still, he had to let them know that he was still capable of being in charge despite the conditions.
"Very good," he nodded with a forced smile, and then paused, looking down at the table before him. He could make out his face in polished dark wood, distinguishing the bags under his eyes and they stubble that had formed on his chin. He just stared at the reflection for a moment, his expression changing with each passing moment from the fake smile to a sadistic glare, like he just saw his worst enemy and was contemplating doing something brash.
Suddenly, he regained his composure and looked up, noticing several SeeD's around looking at him with concern. Cid shot up out of his chair, his knee banging the underside of the conference tables, shaking the coffee cups and fluttered papers on top. With a noticeable lack of composure, the Headmaster spoke.
"If there is nothing else, this meeting is adjourned. We will reconvene when we get some new intel," Cid told them in a low, shaky voice and then left the room quickly before the SeeD's could even properly acknowledge him.
Cid needed to get out the room, for their sake and his own. He knew his men were probably inside discussing his demeanor, and probably even if he was fit to be running Garden and its operations. Cid had a great deal of respect for what his men thought of him, but at the moment, he couldn't care less.
Thursday, May 4th 4268/
1606 hrs
A million thoughts and worries ran through his head as he trotted up the stairs of his luxurious mansion atop Cherry Mountain, just inside the Deling City limits. He was making his way to his office after a meeting with his men and setting up the security and parade route for the upcoming parade. The entire situation made him sick to his stomach. Despite being in a position of high authority within the Galbadian Army; a position he spent his entire life trying to attain, he felt that power slipping away. For years, he did the presidents bidding, whether he liked it or not, but he could feel it all slipping through his fingers like grains of sand. The worst part about it all, was that he was almost powerless to stop it.
He turned down the long, dimly lit hallway en route to the large double doors that led into his office. Once inside, he locked the door, and stood there for a moment. He had an idea, one he had already began setting up a few days prior. The stakes were high though, and the odds were against him and whoever stood at his side. Because standing at his side meant standing against the ruthless president, and ultimately, the sorceress. But she was the reason his limelight was fading…she was the reason power was slipping away. Despite his best efforts, he had been unable to talk Deling down from joining ranks with her, but Deling rarely put much thought into what anyone around him thought, even if they were in a high ranking position. However, before the sorceress arose, the man at least had a voice in the president's ear, but with each passing day, felt as if he was becoming nothing more than a memory.
He turned and made a slow walk towards his desk. The office had wooden floors and expensive rugs, with antique furniture in the center, including three royal red chairs, an elegant table, and a golden couch with plush green upholstery. The walls were green, with two large windows along the inner wall which looked out onto the magnificent city. Several paintings adorned the walls of the office, and a large book case ran the length of the outer wall and the back wall, with a large golden chandelier which hung above, illuminating the entire room.
He sat back in the brown leather chair behind his desk, staring at the phone. The decision he had to make was a tough one; probably the toughest he ever had to make. Most decisions he made weren't life or death, at least not for him. If he put the plan in motion there was no turning back, and failure was not an option.
The man wasn't worried about himself, though. He had stared death in the face so many times that it was almost boring to him now. It was about everything else that was at stake. The decisions he had made in the past had already cost him more than he ever wanted to pay, but he vowed to always protect the life of his men and family.
Glancing off to the side, he noticed a picture on his desk, well over a decade old, that reminded him of better times. The picture had three people; two adults and a child. One was a man he hardly recognized anymore, younger and happy. The other was an image of lost love, a beautiful woman who showed him a side to life he never knew. The other was a little girl, with short black hair, no older than four years but had a striking resemblance to the lady in the picture. They were all hugging and happy. He couldn't look at that picture without reminiscing, so he quickly laid the picture face down. He had more important issues to attend to.
On a whim, he decided to move forward. Not because he wanted to, but because that's what he felt needed to be done; for the sake of Galbadia and the entire world. He picked up the phone and dialed the number on his secure line. With each ring, he thought about hanging the phone up. He wasn't used to second guessing himself, but the cost of failure was unfathomable. Before he could continue contemplating the consequences, he heard the other end of the line pick up.
"Edwin, its me," the man spoke.
"I've been expecting your call, Jonathan," the man on the other end replied. They had talked a few days earlier about the matter, but nothing had been set in stone. After finding out what Deling wanted done and what little information he gave his men, he knew what needed to be done.
"We are going to have to go ahead with our plan," he spoke, "We don't have much time."
"I have our man ready," the voice on the other end informed him.
"Can we trust him to get the job done?" he asked, sternly with a hint of concern. A small chortle came from the other end of the line.
"No soldier in the G-Army can do what he can do with a gun," the man stated, confidently. He trusted the man's judgment, but given the unconventional circumstances was not entirely comfortable.
"I'll take your word for it," he answered.
"He can't do it alone, though," the voice on the other side stated, "The only reason I can provide him is because he isn't officially enrolled here."
And there lied the problem. They only had a short amount of time to prepare, and they didn't have a wide range of options. They had to be very cautious about who they divulged information to. While he knew of many people that opposed the forthcoming regime, he was never a trustful person and hadn't figured out anyone he could trust just yet. Still, he got the point, and agreed with it.
"Alright…Ill see what I can do," he answered with a slight sigh, and then hung up the phone.
Thursday, May 4th 4268/
1722 hrs
After the meeting, Cid took a much needed nap before resuming his work for the day. He didn't feel much better, but he wasn't as drained as he was a few hours earlier. He had made his way down to the disciplinary area, where he had some unfinished business.
The elevator stopped, and he, along with Xu and a Garden faculty member stepped out. Two young cadets sat handcuffed at the interrogation table, both looking bored and somewhat angry as the president and his party strode up to the table. Xu stood before them, and spoke.
"Student numbers 21907 and 22611, Raijinal Haran and Kalei Fujinaka…do you know why you are here?" Xu asked the two cadets, better known as Raijin and Fujin, but got absolutely no response, verbally or nonverbally. The Garden faculty member stepped forward.
"Talk!" he shouted, "Don't waste the Headmaster's time," Cid never could stand how impatient the Garden faculty often was. However, Cid ignored it, and slowly sat down before Raijun and Fujin.
"I'm sure you both know what kind of trouble you are in," the Headmaster informed them a low, sympathetic tone, "The only way I can help you is if you help us find Seifer." He finished, but again got nothing.
"Sir'" the Garden faculty member called Cid over to the side after seeing the detainee's reluctance to help in the investigation, "This isn't working. They aren't going to tell us anything. I suggest a…different approach." Cid's eyes narrowed and he shrugged.
"Such as?" he asked. The faculty member paused for a moment and then leaned in.
"Forced extraction," he whispered. Cid was confused for a moment, but after running it through his mind, came up with the unthinkable conclusion it sounded like was suggested.
"Torture?" Cid questioned harshly, the lack of a response from the faculty member being more than enough to affirm him that is what he meant. "After all these years, I would think you'd know better than to even suggest something like that to me!" he snapped back, and began to walk away, before feeling a tight grasp around his arm.
"We are running out of time, and these two know where Almasy is. We don't have time for your ethical standards, Headmaster," the faculty member insisted. Cid ripped his arm away and leered at the Garden faculty member. He hated what NORG and the Garden faculty was trying to turn Garden into. As long as he held the authority of Headmaster, he would never let anything like that happen.
Cid walked back over to the table and sat down, staring at Raijin and Fujin. Neither made eye contact or observed his presence. He would never consider torturing them, but thought of something else that may work.
"You two don't want to help us? Fine," the headmaster began with a sharp tone, but remained calm, "But Seifer may be killed if you don't help us. What you need to think about is, do you want him to be in trouble with us, or with the Galbadian government?" Cid questioned, again getting no response. Still, he could see their eyes moving, obviously considering what he had to say.
After about a minute, they were led back to their cells, and the next matter of business was attended to. SeeD Staff Sergeant Bradley Lynch was led to the integration table by to SeeD's and sat down before the Headmaster. He was a major reason for Seifer's escape, and it was not the first time he got in trouble. He was sweating and had a desperate look on his face.
"Headmaster, please you gotta listen to me," he pleaded, almost sobbing. One of SeeD's pounded the table.
"Shut the hell up! You'll know when he wants you to talk," the Seed shouted. Cid waved him off, seeing no need for the hostility. He then looked back to Lynch.
"Bradley…" he began, calmly, "I've given you chance after chance. Between your temper, your poor evaluations and this…what do you expect me to do?" he asked, Lynch again panting a bit.
"Headmaster, you and I have always had a good relationship," Lynch stated, obviously trying to kiss up, "Just try to see my side of this. Almasy was running his mouth. In the Galbadian Army, we never put up with this. You have to let these punks know their role sometimes," he stated, his tone becoming tougher with each word he spoke. The two SeeD's began to laugh.
"Yeah, you really showed him," the blonde SeeD spoke, "He laid your fat ass out without breaking a sweat," he finished as the two SeeD's continued laughing. The Headmaster stared impatiently at the humored SeeD's, causing them to immediately stop laughing. He then looked back at Lynch.
"This isn't the G-Army Brad, not matter how much you want it to be! And you were discharged for conduct unbecoming of a soldier. I gave you a chance because I thought you wanted to change," the Headmaster stated and shook his head, "But, I was wrong," he stated and stood up, Lynch knowing what was coming.
"Please, Headmaster…no," he said on the verge of tears as he stood up, the two SeeD's walking up behind him in case he tried anything.
"Im sorry Brad," the Headmaster stated with a deep breath, "You will remain in incarceration until we can think of the appropriate action, but as of this moment…you are no longer a SeeD. "he finished. Lynch just stared blankly at the Headmaster for a moment, seemingly in shock. Cid felt bad, but Lynch had proven time and time again he was not up to the responsibility of being a SeeD. The Headmaster nodded to the two SeeD's that he was finished, and him, Xu and the faculty member headed back towards the elevator. Before they could reach it, a voice blared out.
"Cid!" Lynch called out loudly in an angry tone. Cid turned to see Lynch scowling fiercly at him. Cid took a few steps forward, not breaking eye contact.
"You're gonna regret this," Lynch bitterly spat, the two SeeD's becoming more aggressive with him after his threat. Cid did not respond to threats, nor did he take Lynch's threat too seriously. He merely shrugged it off and continued towards the elevator.
Thursday, May 4th 4268/
1937 hrs
The train headed for East Academy was currently passing through Jezeppi, three hundred miles east of the Dingo Desert. The ETA was approximately 12:30 AM, so they would have to travel through the night if they hoped to make it to Galbadia Garden by morning.
The cabins on the train weren't nearly as big and glamorous as the SeeD escorts, but the group made due. Zell and Selphie listed to music and played Triple Triad. Rinoa stared out the window most of the time. Quistis practiced her blue magic, and Squall worked on cleaning and sharpening his gunblade.
It was now around dinner time, and the group was eating the meals the train provided, were frozen TV dinners with meatloaf, veggies and a small brownie. The food was hardly delicious, but at the time, they didn't have many other options. Rinoa reentered the cabin with the food and looked around. Zell and Selphie were still together, talking and laughing. Squall was by himself, as usual. She thought she might go try to talk to him, but ultimately decided against it. Then, she noticed Quistis, sitting alone. She looked up and smiled, and Rinoa made her way over.
"Can I sit with you?" Rinoa asked. Quistis chuckled.
"You don't have to ask," she stated, "I'd enjoy some company."
"Thanks," Rinoa smiled, sat then looked over at Squall, "Should we invite him over?" she asked, causing Quistis to smirk.
"Do you really think he would?" she asked, and both laughed. Still, Rinoa felt sad that he was such a loner. There was nothing she could do so she let it go. There was silence for a few moments. Quistis and Rinoa still didn't know each other that well and both had a lot on their mind. Eventually, Rinoa broke the silence.
"Quistis…if you don't mind me asking, what did Seifer say, you know, about why he was doing this?" she asked, taking a bite of the plastic textured vegetables. Quistis put down her fork and wiped her mouth.
"He didn't say too much, just that it was for a friend. I didn't believe him, at first. He's always so smug, I figured it was for his own benefit," she told Rinoa, who seemed a bit surprised.
"Oh. That doesn't sound like the Seifer I knew. He wanted to help us out so much. He said once he became a SeeD, he wouldn't stop until Timber was independent again," Rinoa stated, smiling with obvious fond memories of him. Quistis was taken back a bit by her obvious feelings for Seifer, but responded to the statement nonetheless.
"Of course not, he's too stubborn just to give up," she stated, somewhat jokingly, but not really. Rinoa gave a faint smile and took a bite of the gravy softened meatloaf. Quistis, thinking Rinoa may have taken it the wrong way, continued.
"I'm sorry Rinoa. Squall and I have a long history with Seifer, and we know how he is. I'm not trying to put him down," Quistis explained and Rinoa nodded.
"It's okay. I know he can be," she told Quistis before pausing, once again recalling old memories of him, "I just…I knew him in a different way too, you know? He has a good side." She stated and bowed her head. After a moment, Quistis responded.
"Yeah…I know he does," Quistis agreed with some sadness in her voice, "I just wish he showed it more." Rinoa grinned and nodded.
"Well, Seifer is the one who introduced me to Cid and submitted my request for SeeD's. Without him I couldn't have done it. He even got me invited to the SeeD ball last week," Rinoa told Quistis, causing her head to shoot up so fast the glasses almost fell off her face.
"You were at the inauguration ball?" Quistis asked, a little shocked that she was there. Rinoa nodded.
"Yes. Cid sent me an invitation, so we could talk a bit more about the Forest Owls plans," she explained, "I talked to Seifer, and even got to meet Mr. Excitement over there," she stated and pointed over to Squall.
For a moment, Quistis thought little of it. She looked over at Squall, then back to Rinoa, and then back to Squall again. She recalled the dance that night, where Squall was showing a rare side of himself. She watched from the upstairs balcony as he danced, wishing she was the girl with him on the dancefloor. The girl he danced with and was close with, and shared a rare intimate moment with. The girl in the creamy white dress. The girl with the raven black hair…
"Oh. So you were…" Quistis muttered, suddenly overwhelm with confusion and even a little jealousy. She looked at Rinoa, who was waiting for her to continue. Quistis forced a smile on her face.
"Umm…nevermind," she stated and stood up, "Would you excuse me? I have to use the restroom," she told Rinoa, and quickly exited the cabin.
Rinoa, somewhat bewildered by Quistis suddenly strange behavior, dismissed it for the moment and looked over at Squall, who was lying back resting. She didn't know how to feel about him. All he had really done was anger her and talk to her like a child in the short time they had known each other.
Then again, that was exactly how Seifer had treated her when they first met.
Thursday, May 4th 4268/
2133 hrs
The long day was finally coming to an end at Balamb Garden. No further developments were made in any of the investigations they were conducting, but Cid was hopeful that tomorrow would bring better news. He had to remain hopeful. That's what she would've wanted.
He entered his dimly lit office; the stars in the sky protruding through the skylight, giving him a magnificent view that few places could offer. Looking down, he noticed Xu standing before his desk waiting for him.
"Xu, why are you still here?" Cid asked as he closed the door and made his way torwards his desk, "It's been a long day. Go home and get some rest," he told her, but as he neared her, noticed and distressing expression on her face.
"Xu, what is it?" he asked, reaching over to lay a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I just received word from General Doyb of the Galbadian Army…" she began and paused for a moment, "They will not be retaliating against Garden for what happened in Timber," she finished. Cid was a bit confused regarding the demeanor in which she delivered the message.
"Well, that sounds like good news," he told her with a smile as he walked around his desk. Xu again paused, before delivering the bad news.
"There was something else, sir," she began, he tone becoming even lower and grimmer, "Seifer…", she began, but didn't finish as Cid cut her off.
"Have they found h…" he was about to ask, before noticing something on Xu's face. Something he never expected, especially considering their history.
A single tear.
Actions quite often spoke louder than words. Xu said nothing else, nor did she did need too. That single tear told him everything he needed to know. That single tear represented Seifer's life…there one moment, and gone the next. Seifer was the most consistently problematic student he had ever had at Garden. Usually nothing major, just headaches he caused through the years by disregarding Garden policies, like teasing other cadets or violating curfew. Cid recalled one particular instance when Seifer became a teenager, him sneaking into the guard station, getting on the intercom and stating that he was now in charge of Garden and that all SeeD's should report to him.
At the time, it seemed liked a rebel child causing problems. Looking back on it, it seemed like nothing more than a boy with the world at his feet, having fun.
Cid fell into his chair and stared ahead blankly in the dimly lit office.
That single tear was no longer alone.
Okay, so, the question remains….what happened to Prodigy?
Well, I know its been awhile and Ive had tons of requests to keep going, and after about 5 years, here I am.
A lot has changed in my life, which I don't much feel like getting into. Nothing TOO grim, but just some rough times.
Why did I come back to this? Ive always always ALWAYS loved the story and characters of Final Fantasy 8. More than any past or present videogame or even book Ive read.
Im to the point where I am doing this more for me, though. In the past, I think I wanted it more for reviews and to see what people thought. While I still value feedback, reviews aren't going to fuel this story. It would be nice to know people are reading and like the story, but as I said, its not nearly the motivation it was 5 years ago.
First off, I want to thank Bradley McCloud for his help. He pointed out some mistakes in my last chapter, which admittedly, I rushed. I edited it and even added another segment (a good one), so check it out.
I will tell everyone now though, it will not be perfect. I do not have the time or patience to read over it several times before I release it. I will fix things I notice. Real authors have MANY people who read over their stuff before they release it to catch mistakes. This if for fun…a place to let my mind soar. I don't have a crew of people looking over my work. I don't mind contructive criticism, but if you notice errors…do not lay heavy blows because I will not respond nicely. If you tell me like Bradley McCloud did, I will happily make the changes.
I could use a Beta Reader…but Im not going to search for one. If someone wants to volunteer, I will look over your work and get back to you. Ive had beta readers in the past that either took forever or really didn't help me much at all. If I turn you down, do not be offended. I have a certain method and I wont accept someone who I don't think will really help me much.
Anyway, on with the story notes…
Lots of new stuff in this chapter…lots more coming.
I recently played some FF8 and realized how corny some of the text is, how goofy the characters act at times and how many annoying story pits there are. I will be adding a ton and deleting some stuff I don't think is really needed. Nothing major, but…you get the gist of it.
At the last minute, I changed up the 2nd dream sequence. It was supposed to happen next chapter, but I switched some stuff around. Don't want to give away too much, but it will probably happen after NEXT chapter.
Don't know what else to say right now. The character "Bradley Lynch" is based on the CO Brad Billick from the show "Prison break"…just in case there are fans in the house.
One last note…some clown went ahead and copied stuff from mine and Peptucks FF8 novels and is claiming it as his own. Final Fantasy VIII : The Leonhart Sagas by xngus.
I reported it to the site admin. Hopefully it is addressed. I have no respect for people like that.