Author's Notes: Quistis' reply to Serabin in the next chapter about 'accidental beauty' was taken from Thomas Harris' novel, Hannibal. If you haven't read it, do. Nobody mixes up binary systems quite like Harris. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks to all my readers, reviewers, and online buddies- you guys are the best! Disclaimer: Not mine…all Squaresoft. Except Cerberus. Cerberus is definitely mine. This chapter is dedicated to akewataru, a talented artist who was nice enough to dedicate an absolutely lovely piece of artwork to Fire and Ice. Check it out (with her other amazing works) at deviantart! My Love Is Like to Ice
My love is like to ice, and I to fire:
How come it then that this her cold is so great
Is not dissolved through my hot desire,
But harder grows the more I her entreat?
Or how comes it that my exceeding heat
Is not allayed by her heart-frozen cold,
But that I burn much more in boiling sweat,
And feel my flames augmented manifold?
What more miraculous thing may be told,
That fire, which is congealed with senseless cold,
Should kindle fire by wonderful device?
Such is the power of love in gentle mind,
That it can alter all the course of kind.
-Edmund Spenser
Supreme Council Courthouse, Esthar
Military law be damned…Quistis was ready to do away with due process and shoot everyone on the Galbadian bench, and from the look on Squall's face, he would have gladly assisted her. Quistis' appointment as the lawyer for Balamb had more to do with desperation than any professional capacity she held in a military courtroom. Better candidates had already been disqualified due to station or circumstance: Squall, Xu, and Serabin were disqualified due to their stature, and Nida was awaiting execution in a military prison. There was also the sad fact that Balamb, knee-deep in debt, simply could not afford to hire a lawyer. And so, Quistis sat on Balamb's side, a legal pad in her hand and a sinking feeling in her stomach as Colimer circled Squall like a shark.
"Desperate times...."mumbled Quistis.
"So, Mr. Leonhart, in the spirit of your 'innocent' plea, is it your contention that Cid Kramer was a terrorist, or a feeble man incapable of keeping up with the independent operatives of his own military institution-"
Squall, glaring, interrupted Colimer. "Neither. Cid Kramer was a man that believed that a stable world exists not in a system of absolutes, as the Galbadian Garden and government attempted to create, but in a series of checks and balances. Cid sought no more power for Balamb Garden than was necessary, and used no more power than was sufficient or appropriate. The Tromedia disaster, as Mr. Sirri words it, was the result of his own government's funding. Given the dissolution of the alliance, owing to the untimely death or Headmaster Martine and the unavailability of Trabia, Balamb was forced to act alone in a situation that should never have existed in the first place. This error can be corrected simply by rebuilding the IGCS system, which is, as you can all see, part 56D or our proposals. A renewed system of communication can act as a monitoring system for all governments and Gardens."
Colimer's smile was slippery. "I believe you're overlooking just one very simple fact, Mr. Leonhart."
"And that is?"
"Your gross lack of funding to rebuild, for one. Each Garden will require millions of gil to rebuild their most basic structure, not even counting the IGCS system, the final costs of which totaled approximately-" Colimer looked at a spec sheet. "-43 million, six hundred thirty seven thousand, and 12 gil to build in the first place. Even if-" Colimer gestured to the room at large. "These honorable men find merit in your argument, the very heart of it is flawed. Your own funds are insufficient, and to borrow money from city governments, as you so eloquently put it, would present a conflict of interests in the future."
"For once, Mr. Colimer, you and I are in total agreement."
Colimer's expression looked unsettled at the idea of an agreement for a moment before reassuming its naturally oiled look. "No further questions for this witness, your honors."
"Your witness," said Elisor, motioning to Quistis. "And I'd better not hear anymore speaking out of turn again. Understood?"
Colimer was no doubt referring to the earlier explosion that occurred when the charges were first read, causing Galbadia to protest and Balamb to shout insults. By the end of the day, Quistis imagined that there would be quite a bit of speaking out of turn.
"Squall Leonhart," said Quistis, approaching the bench. "Please tell us, in your own words, what the IGCS mission entailed."
"The IGCS mission was a covert operation on behalf of Balamb designed to determine the reason for failed communications between the Gardens. The group met with hostile reception at the gates, and were denied rightful access that should have been granted immediately. Subversion was suspected. Under this presumption, the group then infiltrated the base using non-lethal tactics, and found the system to be sabotaged. The group was attacked, and the tower was detonated by a fixture that had been lying dormant in the structure for weeks."
"Could the Balamb team, in one day, have rigged such an explosion, as Galbadia suggests?"
"The type of bomb used was a G-4 level explosive, and to level a large structure such as the IGCS, would have to have been set up to run the length of the building to level it the way it was. That kind of set-up would take weeks, even with a demolition expert. Arsen Drake, independent expert of demolition systems as hired independently for the investigation, confirmed this."
Quistis held up a sheath of papers. "Enter into evidence item 145A, testimony from Arsen Drake concerning the methods of explosives used in the tower's collapse." She turned back to Squall. "Please continue."
Squall nodded. "Also, there's the issue of eyewitness testimony. A resident closest to the IGCS testified that the night before the sabotage, he heard military trucks pass in the night. However, due to refueling issues, the only trucks the resident could have heard were those of Galbadian military trucks. "
"Enter into evidence Balamb Mission Report 01587A-76: Tromedian IGCS Infiltration. Written by Xu Chang, confirmed independently by mission team members and the late Cid Kramer, and orally confirmed by Commander Squall Leonhart." Taking the mission report, she handed a copy to each of the judges, then turned back to Squall.
"You said that the crew was ambushed, and that they received a hostile reception? But Commander, the death report had only personnel of the tower listed." Continued Quistis. "The tower personnel were hired by an impartial third-party source, weren't they?"
"The personnel on the sheets were all dressed in military uniforms and heavily armed," replied Squall. "Also, the bodies were found in an advanced state of decomposition unnatural for their first stated time of death. This was at first attributed to the intense mag-concentrations, heat, and electricity in the vicinity. After the Battle of Esthar, however, a second autopsy was performed on all corpses, and the biotoxin found in the Galbadian soldiers at Esthar was also present in the IGCS personnel at the IGCS."
"In other words, the staff was being controlled remotely?"
"In all probability, yes."
"Could you ruminate as to whom?"
"Objection!" Colimer bleated. "Speculation!"
"I'll rephrase." Replied Quistis. "Who was found to by the lead researcher and distributor of said biotoxin?"
"Odine's laboratories."
Quistis gathered another packet from the desk. "Enter into evidence Coroner's report 1AC-594878, autopsies done by Esthar and confirmed independently by both Trabian and Balamb specialists. This report confirms the presence of a biotoxin in both the IGCS crew and the Galbadian soldiers present at Esthar. The substances were found to be identical." She turned. "Thank you, your honors. No further questions."
Colimer stood as Quistis returned to her seat. "Redirect, your honors?"
"Go ahead, Colimer."
"Squall Leonhart, when you say eyewitness testimony, are you referring to that of a Mister Charles Drefford?"
"Yes."
"And where is Mr. Drefford today?"
"Dead. We have his signed statement, however."
"And did you happen to read his autopsy, Mr. Leonhart?"
"No."
"Besides the head damage that killed him, there was extensive cirrhosis of the liver present. Your witness was the town drunk, Mr. Leonhart. Tell me, how reliable are they, generally?"
"Objection!" Said Quistis, while flipping through her notes, furiously trying to find the article that prevented witness medical records from being released. She found nothing. "Defamation of a witness-"
"Your report is based upon what the man saw and heard. These senses are affected, even altered, when exposed to alcohol." Replied Colimer.
"Your objection is overruled, Miss Trepe," said Elisor.
Colimer smiled. "Galbadia calls Drake Winsburg to the stand."
Quistis blew a piece of hair out of her eyes as she slammed back into her chair. Doubt had been planted.
…
…
…
Leaving Rajin, Seifer had walked the streets of Esthar for a good hour, trying to find the main market square. The sound of construction and the gleam of metal assaulted his senses- by the time he reached his desired destination, he was in a sour mood. Selecting one of the three flower merchants that had set up carts outdoors, Seifer peered down at the selection, rubbing his temples.
"What can I get for you, young man?" An old man leaned over the side of his cart, peering over at Seifer with a pair of thick spectacles that magnified kind, dark eyes pillowed by laugh lines in his gnarled face.
Seifer glanced behind him. He'd never bought flowers in his life. What did people put on the graves of loved ones?
"I'm visiting someone…" He began.
"A female friend?" asked the old man.
"Uh...yeah…"
"Family or lover?"
Nosey old geezer. "I…well…."
"Lover then. Roses. Have you slept with her, or is this 'oil to grease the machine', so to speak?"
"Have I…what!" Seifer found himself blushing, which infuriated him even further. He hadn't blushed since he was eleven, damnit.
A hundred flower vendors in Esthar, and I get a perverted, nosey old geezer. It figures. I attract antiquated-weirdoes from all corners of the globe.
"Look, all I want is some damned flowers-" he started.
The man glared. "A flower is not just an arrangement of aromatic carbon chains, young man. A flower is poetry…a collection of velvet petals that encapsulate an emotion too beautiful, too pure to speak. The wrong flower can mean the wrong words. You would not wish to say the wrong thing to a beautiful woman, would you, young man?"
"Uh…well…no."
"Then how have you known this woman?"
Briefly, Seifer entertained the idea of hitting the man over the head with his sword handle, grabbing a random bouquet, and running. Still, he supposed…putting the wrong thing on Quistis' grave would be like saying the wrong goodbye…and he only wanted to say goodbye once.
"Tell me about her." Said the old man, eyes twinkling.
They called her an Ice Queen. She ate her eggs like a puzzle. She folded her socks. She had legs that went on forever. She had a mouth like a Trabian sailor when she was pissed off. She had cold feet. She stared down a tank.
"She's dead." Said Seifer, bluntly.
The geezer's eyes dimmed to a more somber sheen. "I see. Tell me, what was she like, in the living world?"
Seifer looked down at his feet. One more day, he thought. One more day and these questions of her can end.
"I dunno. She was…too beautiful to be a soldier, and she wouldn't have believed that."
"Hmmm…" the man tapped his wrinkled chin. "Yes, yes…those will do nicely. That will be twenty-five gil, please," said the old man, holding out his gnarled hand. Frowning suspiciously, Seifer dropped the gil into his palm.
The old man was muttering as he drew the bouquet together, gathering long stemmed flowers and tying them with a pale silk ribbon. "All flowers die. Their fragrance is temporary. Their beauty is but a moment, a smell, a petal, and then…they fade. In our mortal lives, we love and live like flowers. Or love is brief, beautiful, and terrible. You wear a sword, so I think that you are a soldier. You deal in death. I too, deal in death. You create it. I commemorate it. We compliment each other, in a way."
After a few moments, he held out his hand as the man handed him a beautiful white bouquet, its perfume faint but sweet.
"White roses with white lilies and hosta. Purity, humility and majesty mixed with devotion." The old man winked. "You may count yourself lucky, young man. Many never have the opportunity to carry the memory of such a woman…to remember the smell of such a flower."
"Yeah." Seifer tucked the parcel beneath his coat, the stems wedged between his hip and sword belt. "Where's the Esthar Memorial?"
…
…
…
The Esthar Memorial consisted of a half-circle of stone slabs, with thousands of names etched into the gleaming rock. Emerald grass tossed in the wind around the stones, and in the middle, there was a small temple, where guests could pray or pay their respects. In the center, a single marble statue seemed to stand guard over the memorial, a white pillar shining like a beacon in the sun. The statue was braced against a platform, the smooth, marble swath of hair tangled in an imaginary wind. Determination had been cut into the marble eyes, and a firm set was etched in the white, glossed mineral lips. The statue was standing with a straight, defiant posture, whip coiled in one hand as eyes gazed off into the distance, fixed on the gates of Esthar. Her eyes faced where the sun would rise, and she was dressed in her SeeD uniform…the one she had died in.
An inscription at the base read:
Dedicated to Vice General Quistis Trepe….Hero of Esthar…Soldier and Savior.
The monument would have embarrassed her.
A single gatekeeper had been chosen to watch over the tombs, and the guard was exchanged every six hours. Aside from the visitors that came and went in mournful silence, the memorial was quiet…peaceful, with only the wind humming through the grass and whistling through the stones.
Mert shook himself awake as his head drooped yet again, and looked quickly around to make sure anyone hadn't caught him sleeping. Nothing wrong with a little nap, he told himself. It wasn't like anyone was going to walk away with one of the memorials. He adjusted the ceremonial rifle on his shoulder and continued his pace around the temple.
He glanced around to see that only one person was visiting. Thank Hyne. He couldn't afford to lose such a cushy job.
The visitor was a young man, staring up at the statue of the woman with an odd look on his face. He was tall, dressed in a white leather coat, the tail of which flipped up in the wind with every stray gust that wound through the stones. A large sword was slung on a belt across his back, and Mert was instantly suspicious. Nobody carried weapons without permits, and nobody had permits these days but soldiers. And this man wasn't dressed like a soldier. He looked more like an avatar or a rogue mercenary, half-bathed in the sunlight standing alone amongst the pure color of the white stones.
As the man grew closer, Mert could see more detail in the man's face. A fringe of blonde hair sprung down onto his forehead, partially obscuring an angry-looking scar that slashed down the middle of his face between his eyes. He looked like...
Impossible. That man was dead. It had been in all the papers. Mert could even recall the headline. Old war Criminal Seifer Almasy Turned Hero, Granted Post-Mortem Pardon by Garden Council.
Mert pinched himself and swore when it actually hurt. Nope. Not dreaming.
"There's no w-weapons 'llowed in the memorial." He surprised himself by speaking as the man approached him.
The man gave him a measured look, hard green gaze sinking into his before reaching up around his shoulder and slamming the sword down onto the counter. The blade was huge- a slice of heavy metal that ran nearly half the length of a man's body. A modified soldier's gunblade without the gun.
This couldn't be. He'd seen the picture in the paper. He'd seen the obituary.
The young man looked past him at the marble walls. "I'm looking for the marker of Quistis Trepe. I can't find it."
"But you're- you're Seifer Al-Al-Al-"
"Yeah, whatever." finished the young man, looking edgy. "Now tell me where Quistis Trepe's marker is. I'm getting impatient."
Mert gaped at him. "Bu-but you can't be Seifer Al-Al-masy. He-He's dead."
The young man rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'm Dick Smith, tax accountant. Now tell me where to find the fucking marker," he ordered, jabbing his finger into the book of names and stone locations. "It's not a national secret, is it?"
Mert blinked at him. A ghost. He was talking to a ghost.
"Mi-Mi-Miss T-Trepe don't got a marker."
The man's eyes narrowed. "And why the hell is that?"
Uh-oh. He'd made the ghost angry. What happened when you made ghosts angry? Did they curse you? Drink your blood? Steal your skin? "B-B-Because sh-she didn't die at Esthar, sir."
The young man grabbed a handful of Mert's coat and hauled him forward, knocking the heavy book onto the floor. "Then where the fuck is her gravestone?"
"Sh-sh-she-" Mert's stutter had reached new levels of stalling.
"Spit it out before I really lose my temper."
He hadn't lost his temper yet? Oh, shit.
"S-Sh-She d-d-doesn't have one."
The man looked as if he wanted to create a slab in the memorial for Mert. "Why the fuck not?"
"Be-be-because she isn't d-d-dea-dead, sir."
"She what?" The man promptly released him, and he fell to a crumpled heap on the floor. The young man staggered back, looking pale even for a ghost.
Mert was rambling now. "She's here in Esthar, at the Supreme Council hearing, sir. Balamb Garden vs. the people of Galbadia, sir, every Garden representative is there and I think they're, I mean, the Gardens're petitioning for the d-dissolution of the Galbadian government- it was in all the papers and-"
"Hold on a fucking minute. Quistis Trepe, the vice-lieutenant of Balamb Garden-"
"Y-yes sir, she stopped here with the others to pay her respects. It's in the ledger…s-she s-si-signed her name, paid her respects. The others with her…teased her about the statue." Mert fell to his knees and opened the ledger, trying to sift through the book to find the signature. "She walked around the stones with the others, touchin' em…she looked real sad-" His questing finger finally settled on a line of loopy print.
"See?"
The young man in front of him stared hard at the signature, his gaze a mixture of hope and disbelief.
Quistis A. Trepe
He'd seen enough red ink on his SeeD papers to know that handwriting anywhere. The flowers slipped from his hand, tumbling onto the ground beneath him.
Quistis. Alive.
Mert watched the wraith's expression change from woe to wonder, and in a flash, the ghost had him by the collar again. "You'd better not be lying to me."
Mert shook his head furiously. "N-no sir."
"Where is this conference?"
"It's in the city square, sir, on Main and Loire-"
But the young man had already grabbed his sword and turned around, walking, then running up the hill like his feet were on fire.
Mert hauled himself up to his feet, trembling, before he noticed the money note the young man had tossed at him- it lay crumpled among the flowers. The guys back at Zar's Tavern weren't going to believe this...he'd talked to a ghost, and the ghost had given him fifty gil for his troubles.
…
…
…
Drake Winsberg's testimony had proven both lengthy and damaging, and Quistis was relieved when the man stepped off the stand. Stealing a garbage truck certainly had not been SeeD's brightest idea…or finest hour.
She stood. "I wish to make a request. One of my witnesses is scheduled to return to the Esthar Department of Corrections in half an hour and due to the rather lengthy procedures of the opposing side, I request that my witness be admitted early."
Elisor looked up. "Does Galbadia object?"
Quistis thought for sure she was going to have a lengthy argument ahead of her, and was surprised when Colimer stood. "No objections, your honors."
Quistis frowned, but continued. "In that case, I call Dr. Odine to the stand."
She remembered going over the witness list with Xu, both girls sprawled out in the Esthar Inn lounge and running on less than an hour of sleep between them. "We can't call Odine, Xu." she'd said. "He's lost it."
"We don't have a choice." Xu had rubbed at her neck. "Selphie found him stuffed in a doorway at and managed to haul him out before it crashed. Apparently Seifer had put him there. The man's a few screws short of an erector set, but he's shaping up to be a key witness. He's the only one that can solidly connect solid Galbadian money with Adel."
As if on cue, Odine emerged from the side door, surrounded by guards and weighted down with arm and leg chains. He certainly looked….diminished without his usual attire.
There was a heavy look in his eyes, and the corner of his mouth was drooping, allowing a trail of spittle to work its way down his chin. Quistis approached the bench as the guards set him down.
"What the hell have you done with my witness?" she hissed.
"We tranq'ed 'im." The guard was unapologetic. "He's been trying to bite everything in site," he replied in a low voice. "Namely, us. They don't pay me enough to be some psycho's teething ring, honey."
Great. There went the tiny shred of credibility that the doctor had going for him to begin with.
Best to keep the conversation short.
"Dr. Odine, were you responsible for the reconstruction of the late Sorceress Adel?"
Odine's left eye twitched, his head swaying as he tried to look up at her. "I vos."
"And where did you receive funding for such endeavors?"
Odine's head was now beginning to slip to one side. "Zer vas…individuals in both ze Galbadian and Estharian governments….zat invested….Martine provided…sufficient facilities…raw materials…zey vanted to use a Sorceress as a veapon. Zey thought zey could reprogram her…as a kind of tabula rosa." He chuckled, spittle running down his lips to pool on his lap. "But she had…other ideas…as you could see."
Quistis resisted the urge to get a stick to prop her witness's head up. "By raw materials, Odine, do you mean orphaned and low-income children?"
Odine sniffed, his eyes rolling like well-oiled marbles in his skull. What the hell had they given him, a Wendigo-tranquillizer? "Eef zat eez vat you call ze live ones, zen yes."
There was no remorse in the doctor's eyes. She thought of the troubled children she'd met by the water, their arms, legs, and eyesockets stuffed with wires grafted to their bone structure, and Quistis had to resist the urge to beat her own witness. The sooner Odine got off the stand, the better. "No further questions, your honor."
"Your witness, Galbadia."
Colimer stood. "Dr. Odine, I've had the pleasure of reading your journal. Fascinating stuff, really. Tell me, Odine, you think of yourself as more of a creator than a doctor, don't you?"
"Vat vould you know about creation? Zis room is filled vith butchers...destroyers…"
"But you're a creator, aren't you, Dr. Odine?"
The older man's eyes stopped swiveling for a moment, coming to light with a cold, frightening intensity on the courtroom at large. "As far as you maggots are concerned…I am Hyne himself!"
The courtroom stirred.
Quistis wasn't sure who she felt like chucking her legal pad at more: her witness or the Galbadian council.
Colimer turned, a sneer lighting his face. "This witness is not mentally sound enough to stand trial. I respectfully ask that his testimony be stricken from the record."
"Your recommendation is noted, Colimer." Said Elisor. The guards returned, warily taking Odine's arms to lead him from the courtroom. The man was still mumbling, something about 'divine creation' and 'militant butchery'.
Quistis sank a little in her chair. This was not looking good. Balamb could procure a few character witnesses, and a few witnesses to the IGCS fiasco. Kadowaki's testimony had been particularly useful, along with her own findings from the DS. Research Lab. There was also Arya, of course, with her technical evidence, and Laguna, their prime character witness, but with Odine bottomed out and Drake Winsburg testifying that his small town had been terrorized….
"For our final witness-" Colimer droned.
Quistis drummed her pencil against her legal pad. Final witness. Finally.
"Galbadia calls Ceres Aryanna Morlisius to the stand."
The name on the witness list had been unfamiliar, but the list had identified the person simply as 'Galbadian soldier'. Quistis craned her neck behind her to see who would approach the bench. To her surprise, it was Arya that stood, and, without looking at any of them, walked to the front of the room with an armful of documents.
What? Xu mouthed.
I don't know, Quistis mouthed back, giving her a little shrug.
Ceres Aryanna Morlisius?
Squall, Quistis, and the others shared a look, frowning, as Arya was sworn in on the book of Hyne.
There must have been some mistake…
…and yet, the feeling in Quistis' stomach told her that the only mistake that had been made was theirs.
Colimer folded his arms. "Miss Morlisius, what is your specialty?"
The woman who called herself Arya cleared her throat. "Operating systems management and infiltration."
Colimer smiled. "You're a hacker."
"In a manner of speaking, yes."
"And you were not originally from Balamb Garden, were you?"
"No. I was a transfer from Galbadia."
"In fact, Miss Elsius, is it not true that you were sent as a cell for the Galbadian government shortly before the second sorceress conflict?"
All eyes were focused on Arya. Zell was gaping at her like a fish out of water. Both Squall, Xu, and Serabin were looking extremely pale.
Arya, however, stared straight ahead. "Correct."
The sinking feeling in Quistis' stomach had just become a lead weight that dropped clear to the bottom. Their case had just gone from shaky to absolute ruin.
Colimer, however, was glowing like a new bride. "And what was your mission while at Balamb Garden?"
"To infiltrate the Balamb Garden entity and to ascertain the military's technical, personal, and mechanical capabilities, as well as to investigate the possibility of a political and physical threat in Mr. Kramer."
Quistis glanced behind her. Zell's fists were balled, and his face was pale. Her other friends alternated between enraged and dumfounded. Quistis herself was unsure of where to start.
"During this time, you sent quite a bit of confidential information about Balamb Garden to the Galbadian government, did you not?"
"Yes." Said Arya quietly.
"Including, but not limited to, outfitting the Garden with a GS tracker, which allowed G-Garden the luxury of tracking Balamb Garden, correct?"
"Yes."
Selphie was now forcibly holding Zell down.
"It was also your job to access the trust of the Class A SeeD circle known as the heroes, and to assess the threat of both Sorceress Edea and later, Sorceress Heartily, yes?"
"Yes."
Quistis leaned on her hand, driving the heel of her hand hard into her skull. There was no way she could object to Arya's…Ceres'…. testimony. She hadn't objected to her when she'd seen the witness list, as she hadn't recognized the name and the witness was farther down the list, considered minor. Or so she'd thought.
Shit, shit, shit. Anger burned in her…anger at Arya, of course, but mostly at herself. How could she have missed this?
Easy. You were so busy trying to prosecute those in front of you, you forgot to look behind you.
It was Nida all over again.
"Were you ever detected?"
Arya shook her head. "Balamb and Galbadia both host an exchange program. Balamb had no reason to suspect espionage at that time."
"Still, they were infiltrated rather easily, weren't they?"
"…yes."
Colimer paced. "And you headed the Galbadian cell faction, did you not?"
Arya was wringing her hands. "My orders were to ensure that Nida Xiong and Brek Garek were not discovered as cells. My knowledge of them was that they were activated to investigate B. Gardens role in the IGCS failure, nothing more. We were all trained, specialized, but aside from my specialty, none of our operatives was known. The one glitch in the mission occurred when we were given orders about Serabin Glyphias, who was misidentified as a dormant cell. Brek Garek attempted to activate him, and he refused. Brek dealt with it…I assumed he had been paid off. I didn't think…"
Serabin narrowed his eyes from the second row.
"However, the rest of the surveillance ran smoothly?" interrupted Colimer.
"Balamb was distracted by the IGCS failure and later, the attack on Cid Kramer."
"And?"
Arya studied her hands. "And the cells were not discovered. The mission was a success."
Colimer was positively glowing. So, Miss Morlisius, Galbadian missionary, is it your opinion that Balamb Garden, for all its negligence, ignorance, and general incapability-"
"Objection!" Quistis was furious. Here, their case was going down the drain, and all she could offer up was the occasional objection.
Elisor sighed. "Get on with it, Colimer."
"Is it you opinion that Balamb Garden can, through its actions, be held accountable for both the IGCS failure and the battle of Esthar?"
The courtroom was so quiet; Quistis could almost hear her food digesting as they waited for the expected answer. Here it came. The killing blow.
Selphie and Serabin, who previously had been trying to contain Zell Dinct, froze, allowing the martial artist to worm through their grip and stomp out of the courtroom, past the guards, and out the witness door. Quistis winced as the door slammed behind him.
Zell…
Arya looked up for the first time since the questioning. "No, it is not."
This clearly was not the answer Sirri expected from his prized cell. Truthfully, it wasn't what Quistis had expected, either. He narrowed his eyes, starting to get to his feet before he was urged back down by the elder Glyphias.
Arya continued. "Nida Xiong and Brek Garek were not sent to Balamb to examine a conflict of interest. They were sent to wipe Galbadia's ass, and to make sure that Galbadia's private interests remained private."
New shock echoed throughout the courtroom. Except this time, it was on the Galbadian side.
Sirri balked. "I beg your pardon?"
Arya's normally pretty face was screwed up in anger. "Two cells were sent in with a different agenda. Brek Garek was sent to sweep up your loose financial lines, which you knew would connect Galbadia to Odine and Martine. Cid Kramer was growing suspicious of hidden cell activity, and he was starting to trace it, successfully. Nida was apparently ordered to neutralize the problem, but instead, he decided to get rid of him. As subordinate to Tech specialist Nida, I was to hand over all data and information to him when I returned the mission to AmmuCorp and BioTech. Fortunately, I kept records of my own."
Colimer approached the bench, doing his best to look intimidating but instead succeeding only looking overstuffed. "Miss Elsius, need I remind you that you took an oath, a sacred oath, to seek truth and justice in the name of the Galbadian government seven years ago? That you took an oath today, to tell the truth?"
Arya's, no, Ceres', eyes flashed. Gone was the meek and mousey librarian, and in her place sat the coiled and trembling form of a cornered and enraged mercenary. "Now my government is interested in the truth! The truth, gentlemen, is that the Galbadian government has been funneling money from arms dealers and terrorist factions since the new parliament has been elected! The truth is that the Galbadian Government wanted both Balamb and Trabia Garden wiped out in pursuit of a political and militant monopoly!"
"Objection!" Colimer was livid, seemingly ignorant that he was objecting to his own witness.
The woman formerly known as Arya ignored him. "There are scattered cells in the Estharian, Balamb, and Trabian governments! The goal of the new Galbadian government is the acquisition of all major government control through cell-subversion and an internal depletion of government funds. The men that-"
"Objection!"
"The men of Galbadia were willing to fund a superweapon to overthrow both Esthar and Balamb, and Trabia was next. When Eve01 activated independently, you tried to sweep your involvement under the rug-"
"Objection, your honors! This testimony is unfounded!" Sirri was now standing, furious.
"I…object to his objection!" shouted Quistis, not sure if she was actually allowed to do so. She was beginning to feel as if she were in the center of a three-ring circus, with no idea of which side the lions were on.
"Not unfounded, Sirri." Said Arya coldly. "I've been doing some digging of my own. Enter into evidence A045-9678, annual weapons reports from AmmuCorp and BioTech, inventory linking to Galbadian Garden and the construction of Weapon Eve01. Enter into evidence Odine's financial and personal log, evidence number 905.2E-" saying this, she slammed a stack of documents onto the counter.
Colimer approached the bench. "Your honors, those documents could have been tailored-"
Apparently Arya had been anticipating this. "As you'll notice, your honors, I went through the trouble of notifying Estharian and Trabian governments eight months ago, who also extracted information from the motherboards and sent it independently to the courts. I trust your honors received these documents prior to the trial."
"We have," said Elisor.
Sirri was trembling. His secret weapon had gone off…right in his face. Quistis felt like dancing.
"Your job was to tell the truth!" he screamed, face reddening by the second.
"I am DONE telling YOUR version of the truth!" shouted Arya.
Elisor banged his gavel so hard that the wood splintered from the podium. "I will not have this courtroom become a zoo!" Guards began to approach.
"I find this soldier in contempt of the Galbadian army, and I want her removed and tried for treason!" shouted Sirri, gesticulating wildly, his face now resembling something akin to a tomato with a sunburn.
Arya glared at Sirri. "Better an honest prison cell than soldier to a corrupt state," she spat coldly.
Sirri had lost it. "You double-crossing bitch-"
Elisor stood. "I've heard enough!" He pointed to Sirri, robe billowing. "The next person that so much as blinks out of turn in this courtroom will be held in contempt!" The elder judge returned to his seat, face mottled. The other judges leaned in, conversing briefly before leaning back in their seats.
Quistis stood. "Balamb has…no questions for this witness, your honors." Truthfully, she wouldn't know where to begin.
In truth, Balamb's side of the courtroom was too dumbfounded to blink, and the Galbadian side too shocked. They all sat, staring, as Arya….Ceres, walked calmly from the witness stand, and took a seat in the back by herself, folding her hands in her lap and looking pale and shaken.
"Balamb?"
Quistis turned back. "Yes, your honors?"
"Your next witness?"
"Yes….of course. Forgive me, your honors. Balamb calls Serabin Glyphias to the stand."
The young man, after offering her a reassuring smile, walked calmly to the front of the room. After all that had just happened, and with what Serabin was about to do, she gave him immense credit for his stoicism.
"Serabin, Galbadia's main contention, other than their now deflated argument of Balamb's ineptitude and corruption, seems to be concentrated in the financial realm, does it not?"
"Objection! Speculation!" bleated Colimer.
Quistis was thankful that she didn't have her whip at that moment…had she been in possession of it, it would have been wound around Colimer's thick throat.
"Sustained. Get to the point, Miss Trepe."
"Serabin, if you would explain to the council, why are funds no longer a point of contention?"
Serabin smiled. "Certainly. Section 4A-5D8012 states that in the event of the conviction of a politically corrupted individual whose wealth has been derived from the misappropriation of public funds, those funds may be applied to another institution in the event of a court ruling."
"It is under this law that, pending rightful conviction, I propose to liquidate the marked Galbadian assets for their illegal appropriation of funds to go towards the renovation of both Galbadian and Balamb Gardens, as well as the rebuilding of the IGCS center. The rest of the money is to go to a scholarship fund for students of any Garden who wish to enroll. All funds will be in a public account, the contents of which any citizen can view and track at any time."
"Thank you, Serabin," replied Quistis. "No further questions."
At this, both Harven Glyphias and Pennsel Garek looked pale. Harven got to his feet, but Sirri motioned him back down. Sirri glanced over at Serabin.
Colimer got to his feet. "Serabin, as Galbadian Headmaster, surely you can understand the plight of ambitious men-"
"Your presumption, Mr. Sirri, that I can relate to men like yourselves in any aspect is insulting." Snapped Serabin. Harven Glyphias was looking at his son as if he had never seen him before in his life. Sirri simply looked furious.
"What I do understand" continued Serabin, "Pertains to the laws set forth by our predecessors to punish those who abused the trust and responsibility that was placed upon them. These are laws that you soon become intimate with."
"You ungrateful snit…" whispered Glyphias senior. Quistis and Squall glanced over at him.
"My missions, before my own…incapacitation…by Galbadia's sleeping cell team, led me to discover the nature of the accounts being distributed to Odine and his research. The money, with the evidence Miss Ceres so helpfully provides, can be traced back to several prominent Galbadian figures who had access to the account, and therefore had knowledge of it. However, the most interesting thing about the account is the nature of its origin- an account wired through Trabia to Winhill International, and managed exclusively by one Barlk Sirri."
Barlk Reginis Sirri looked as if he had just swallowed a hand grenade.
"The account has been only recently made active, and, so as not to attract attention, has made a minimal amount of transactions. However, there is one transaction that will be of particular interest to the court." Serabin held up another sheet of paper. "This transaction was made approximately one day before the IGCS system terminated and the Gardens lost complete function…the day that it is speculated that rogue terrorists infiltrated the IGCS to wire the building. On this day, two hundred and fifty thousand gil was wired from this account to a Trabian account that only Mayor Drake Winsberg, mayor of Tromedia, had remote access to. I would be interested to hear the reason for this exchange, as Galbadia already pays a set lump sum for its vehicle occupation and there was no announcement made of such a transaction on public record, where it would have been required by law to be."
It was Mayor Drake Winsberg's turn to look anxious.
"At any rate, there is a substantial amount left in the account." Serabin picked up a sheet. "$4.5 trillion, three hundred and fifty million gil. This sum," continued Serabin, undaunted. "Should your honors accept the proposal, is to be called the Cid Kramer Trust Fund."
"I object," snarled Harven Glyphias, knocking over his chair as he got to his feet.
"Sit down, Mr. Glyphias," ordered the High Council head.
But Harven had already fixed his eyes upon his son. He was standing, arms rigid at his sides.
Serabin's outward expression was indifferent, but Quistis could see the something flash briefly across his eyes as he turned away from his father. It might have been disgust.
The Head Judge motioned to one of the bailiffs. "Have this man removed. I want him held in contempt of court." The guards nodded, and promptly dragged a screaming Harven Glyphias from the room.
"You are dead to me, boy!" shouted Harven. "Dead! DEAD! And I will make it so!"
Sirri was stammering, his face a blotchy shade of red as he stood. Quistis thought the expression made him look like a sputtering tomato. "High Council, you may have permission to search any and all of the public Galbadian funds. I assure you, every gil can be accounted for-"
Quistis summoned up her remaining strength. It was now or never. "Permission requested to approach the bench. As the defense rests, I wish to make my final statement to the court."
Diirk, the Trabian judge, looked up. "Permission granted." The judges had evidently given up on procedure at this point. Supreme Council cases were otherwise known to run like clockwork. Thus far, this case had been nothing but a well-oiled mess, and Elisor saw it for what it was.
Quistis collected the items on her desk and approached the High Supreme Council with several stacks of stapled paper, handing them out in turn. "I have no doubt, your honors, that if you were to check the public Galbadian funds, that every cent would be accounted for…theoretically. What you won't find, however, is this Winhill International bank account 1865203-9859, from which wired money arrives daily and what Mr. Glyphias was speaking of. Each feed in this account can be traced, with some difficulty, to a member of the Galbadian government, and amounts to well over fifty billion gil. The account can also be traced to several well-known arms deals and terrorist factions. This account has been in use for years, and contains money from many illegal bribes, laundering, and other drug and weapons deals that, sadly, have no legal basis in society." Quistis turned around, her hands behind her back. "Another area of interest is the mechanism placed under the control of one very large industry. That of Darwin Drosskow's computer network."
Her gaze never wavered as she procured a small disk from her pocket. "This disk contains Odine's research done on Project Eden, which resulted in the resurrection of Adel and the subsequent destruction of thousands of lives and millions in property damage. Interestingly enough, it also contains enough evidence to incriminate both you, Darwin, and fifteen of Galbadia's cabinet members in this somewhat…misguided investment." She threw the disk onto the desk. "There are over fifteen thousand copies of this information hidden in generic computers everywhere, should anyone choose to attempt to sabotage this information."
Darwin stood, calmly. "Your honors, I was paid only for services rendered regarding the IGCS as well as several Galbadian security systems. I had absolutely no idea that I was receiving payment from such unlawful sources."
Harven was glaring at Darwin as if he wanted to rip out his throat, fighting the guards at the doors. "You self-preserving son of a bitch-"
But Quistis wasn't through. "Regarding Mr. Drosskow, it should also be of particular interest to the Supreme Council that the Sorceress Adel had access to the IGCS system months ago. This system was designed exclusively by Darwin Drosskow, so I doubt he can claim to be ignorant of its operation."
The young man smiled condescendingly at her as he stood. "My dear, you should know with your apparent extensive knowledge in technology that a highly technical being such as Adel would have been able to access even my system."
Quistis held up a sheet with thousands of lines of codes. Months of preparation were finally beginning to come together…endless nights filed with caffeine and line after line of tedious documentation…
"This feed, recovered from the Galbadian communications mainframe, shows a line of access attempts by the virus 110100Eve01001, which we now understand to be Adel's signature code."
Darwin did his best to look bored. "Again, I fail to see the relevance, miss. If the statistics on the Adel superweapon are true, then that creature could have run millions of code lines per second. In a few months, she certainly would have had access. GenEden was, after all, as much of a program as a living weapon."
"Oh, it wouldn't concern me that she eventually found the codes, Mr. Drosskow. Even as advanced as your technology is, it isn't impenetrable. What worries me," continued Quistis, fixing him with a hard gaze that had lost all traces of admiration, "Is that Sorceress Adel needed to attempt access only once."
"That proves nothing but that the statistics were in her favor," he replied, but Darwin's eyes had narrowed, and he had lost his cool demeanor.
"Let it also be known that statistically speaking, you are the owner of 2 out of 2 major failed security systems in the past year, those belonging to the Estharian Shield system, and those of the IGCS system, both whose failure owed more to convenience than chance." Quistis glared at him. "I propose, also that the nature of the Estharian Shield factor be investigated."
"Your proposal will be taken into consideration," said Elisor, scanning the packet and leaning to confer with the other judges. "Stay on task, Miss Trepe."
"You fool!" snarled Darwin under his breath. "I'll teach you to drag my name through the mud!"
At this, Quistis smiled and said calmly through her teeth, "When I get through with you, Drosskow your name will be the equivalent."
"That will be enough," Elisor said, looking at both Quistis and Drosskow sternly.
Darwin sat back down, glaring daggers at Quistis. Towards the back, Quistis could hear 'Ceres' muttering something about a Trabian horse.
"The next person that steps out of line in my courtroom will be held in contempt." Said Elisor, looking up from his documents.
"Understood, your honors." Quistis bowed slightly. "Permission to continue?"
Elisor leaned back in his chair, looking both exhausted and resigned at the same time. The proceedings were so far out of order that the judge (and the rest of the council) had apparently given up any pretense of organization. "Granted."
"I've come today not to profess Balamb Garden's innocence, but to demand its retribution from guilty hands." She gripped the edges of her desk, and swayed only slightly against a momentary spell of dizziness. She'd been standing up too long, something that Kadowaki had warned against. However, she maintained her posture. "Both Balamb and Esthar will be rebuilt, in addition to Galbadia Garden's repairs." She shifted, then looked directly into the eyes of Darwin Drosskow.
"This is not a conflict of independently governed military bodies. This is an example of corrupt governments, and corrupt men. Galbadian politics have grown weak at the hands of weak men. It is under insurmountable evidence that Galbadia should be tried and convicted by the international court. As per the law of international court, I, Quistis Trepe, acting on behalf of Balamb Garden and of every honest citizen of every government, file a complaint against all current members of the Galbadian government, Armond Desari and Gomeri Slavanti of the Estharian Senate, Tromedian mayor Drake Winsburg, and Winhill representative Barlk Sirri under evidence of-"
THUNK. A large stack of papers landed on the desk.
"Illegal correspondence, funding and planning confirmed with Dr. Odine, M.D."
THUNK. Another large stack followed.
"Recent AmmuCorp records revealing secret funding and spending under project GenEden, as per this conspiracy-"
THUNK. With every loud slap onto the table in front of her, Quistis imagined a nail in the coffin of the corrupt and greedy men that sat beside her. She imagined a bullet in their heads.
"GenEden, failed military invention constructed under illegal processes, funding by illegal means, and executed under false and foolish pretenses."
THUNK.
"I'd also like to enter the newly acquired evidence of Ar- Ceres Aryanna Morlisius as supplemental evidence that reinforces our theories of internal government corruption. This, your honors, was the cause of the destruction for which Balamb is being accused. In reality, were it not for Balamb Garden and the perseverance of its leaders, I venture that none of us would be here today in the pursuit of justice. It is therefore that I, Quistis Trepe, acting as representative, demand justice for all deserving persons that stand before you, and request all those guilty that stand before you also." Finishing her speech, she bowed respectfully before the judges, fighting a wave of dizziness and exhaustion.
She had done all she could.
When she straightened, Elisor also stood, his face a mask of rage and indignation. The other judges were standing as well, their faces a match for their elected leader save for those of Doughston and Norris, Galbadia's pocket-judges. Theirs was heavily masked, and leaked fear with every nervous dart of their eyes.
Colimer also stood. "Galbadia also wishes to present its closing statement."
"I've heard enough." Said Elisor, his face both blotched and disgusted. He slammed his gavel onto the large oak desk, and the sound reverberated throughout the courtroom. He pointed a long finger towards the Galbadian side. "Escort these men to the E-District prison sublevel B to await Galbadian, Estharian and Balamb persecution, who may claim their grievances in turn. You will be made examples of, gentlemen, make no mistake of that. The funding mentioned by Balamb will be considered. In the meantime, take these men from my sight," he spat.
The court officers came forward, and Elisor continued. "Balamb's license is to be reinstated, and will await the prosecution of the Garden Council for operation under a suspended license. And Balamb, make no mistake in my ruling: the moment you become more hired hand than impartial peacemaker, you, too, will see your swift end."
Light broke in Quistis' heart, poignant and powerful, and she felt tears come to her eyes.
The guards came forward to take the arms of both Sirri, Winsberg, and the other Galbadian senators, and the Supreme council Judges filed out, the doors slamming shut behind them.
The courtroom erupted, and Quistis found herself instantly surrounded by her friends, who were all shouting, smiling, and hugging one another.
She found herself joining them, laughing as they circled her, patting eachother. As Irvine and Squall embraced her, lifting her up, she was sure that somewhere, on that eternal shore, Cid was smiling.
…
…
…
After the tv and photo-crews had left, the group turned towards the exit; towards their hotel and promise of food, drink, and modestly-funded celebration. The other soldiers would be awaiting the good news…she saw Xu hand the cell phone over to Squall, and saw him hold the phone away from his ears as loud cheers erupted over the phone. Apparently the crew had gathered in the Esthar lounge to hear the good news. There'd no doubt be a party awaiting them when they returned, and Quistis, though exhausted, found herself looking forward to it. They'd been in the dark far too long. It was time for a little light.
Mostly, however, she just wanted to get out of her heels.
Sirri was struggling against the guards, his face a mottled mixture of fear and rage. His eyes were fixed on her. "I'll have your head for this! You'll be dead in a week! All of you! The dogs will be eating your face in an alley…my assassins will take their time with you, girly, you and that traitor bitch Ceres-"
His speech was cut off by Squall's fist, which had sprung free of his sling to snap Sirri's head back. The wet splinter of cartilage meeting bone was sickeningly sweet in the long hallway, and Sirri slumped in the guard's grasp. More guards came forward to haul the Commander away, who was now gripping his arm in pain.
Squall's eyes met hers. "Bail me out, won't you?" he asked calmly.
Quistis smiled. "Of course."
"He beat me to it!" Rinoa shook her head as she appeared behind her, laughing, and put her hand on Quistis' shoulder as she watched her boyfriend being led off. She waved. "See you soon!"
The rest of the group laughed as the spectators filled out around them.
Ceres, however, cast them a sad look filled with longing as she turned to go out the doors. The others followed after, still unsure of what to make of Arya's…Ceres'…transformation from ally to enemy to savior.
Zell was waiting outside. His jaw was clenched, fists balled at his sides. "All this time…" he said, softly. "All this time you've been dicking us around, pretending-"
Ceres shook her head. "Zell, no, please listen to me. It wasn't like that! I-"
Zell's fists were shaking. "You betrayed us. You betrayed Cid." His face twisted.
"No, Zell! I didn't know about that! Please! I was only doing my job-" She took a step forward.
Zell took a step back, looking at her with cold revulsion. "Which was what? To find the weakest link and crawl into bed with him?"
Ceres recoiled as if he'd slapped her. "It wasn't like that. It…it was never like that. Don't you see why I couldn't tell you?" She whispered, tears streaming down her face. "You said…you said you loved me. That wasn't a lie, was it?" She reached out to him, and he jerked back.
"Don't touch me." He snapped. "I don't know you. I don't know anything about you. I don't even know your name." Turning, he stalked back into the crowd, storming towards the door.
Quistis started after him, but Rinoa held her back, laying a hand on her arm. "You have a conference in five minutes," she said. "I'll talk to him."
Irvine watched Rinoa go with surprise. "Uh, I'll go too, I guess," he said finally, disappearing.
Ceres stared up at Quistis, her dark eyes shimmering with tears. "Let me help you with Drosskow. Please. I have records…access numbers…"
Quistis didn't respond, but began to walk past her. Even if she had saved their asses, Ceres had also hurt Zell, who was like a brother to her. She was currently unsure of where to place her sympathies.
Ceres grabbed her arm. "Please. Let me go with you, and I'll understand if you never want to speak to me again afterwards."
"Are you sure you're not on another mission for somebody else?" asked Quistis cuttingly.
"I deserved that," said the hacker, tears slipping from her eyes. "I deserve all that and more. But please. Let me help you. Cid was like a father to me, too."
Quistis looked into Ceres eyes, and saw only grief there. Grief, and earnest appealing. Without Ceres' testimony, they still could have taken down Galbadia…but they also likely would have been taken down themselves.
Quistis continued walking. "Fine. Come along. You're lucky this institution specializes in second chances."
…
…
…
Supreme Council Courtroom, Clerk's Office
Darwin Drosskow was waiting for her in the small clerk's room of the Supreme Courthouse, glaring at her with enough venom to fell a Marlboro. A few seedy-looking associates were there with him, looking apprehensive.
Good. Let the bastards sweat.
Quistis and Arya sat. Serabin, Xu, and Davin Korbeil all filed in behind them, hands clasped. They would act as witnesses.
"May I ask the occasion for this little impromptu meeting, Miss Trepe?" spat Darwin. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Pleasure? Drosskow, when I get through with you, you won't know your ass from your elbow.
Quistis offered Drosskow a venomous smile of her own. "This is purely a business meeting, Mr. Drosskow. A typical business meeting involves the transaction of desired goods or services."
"I know what a business deal entails, mercenary." Drosskow folded his hands. "And you want what, precisely? You can certainly understand, Miss Trepe, that the Drosskow Corp. is not inclined to negotiate under the threat of blackmail. My records are completely clean. I'll invite the auditors myself. Besides, you've already dragged my name through the public court. Forgive me if I'm wrong, I do believe you've already exhausted your bargaining power with me."
"I don't doubt that Drosskow Coorp is airtight, Drosskow." Quistis smiled. "But I think the Xyionn organization would be happy to fund Balamb's regenerative endeavors, don't you? You're familiar with Xyionn rather intimately, I believe?" Saying so, she held up a disk. In reality, the disk contained nothing more than Irvine, Zell and Gzarth's mission reports…but Drosskow didn't know that.
"Our last op team got quite an inside look at your establishment, Drosskow, as I'm sure you know. In return, their contribution and the operatives of your organization need not be made public. Unless, of course, Xyionn refuses to contribute-"
"Blackmail, Miss Trepe? Are you actually blackmailing me?"
Quistis inclined her head "Why, yes. I'm pleased that you've caught on so quickly."
Darwin's lip curled. "Is there no low to which Balamb is not willing to sink?"
Quistis' smile was cutting. "I don't think that the leader of a hedonist society is in a position to lecture others about their methodologies. Don't you agree?"
Arya stood. "Furthermore, Mr. Drosskow, Xyionn uses a rather primitive account transferal system to siphon money from your more affluent members." Arya held up a disk of her own. "Account 595-07182479 of Trabia International, am I correct? I have it in my system as we speak. I could easily put in a line feed to our Balamb accounts. Or, if you refuse, I can have the money scattered to the four corners of the planet, or made public. It's your choice."
"You'll pay for this." Snarled Drosskow.
Quistis' eyes narrowed. "With all due respect, I think you have our roles reversed, Mr. Drosskow. You see, no one in this room is afraid of you. In fact, you are sitting across from a group of the world's finest mercenaries. I should think you would prudently adopt a little fear yourself, lest you become a missing person. People disappear every day, after all." From behind her, both Serabin and Xu exchanged a look…and smiled, both very glad that the woman in front of them was on their side.
"How much?" Came Drosskow's voice, low with defeat.
"I'm so glad you asked." Quistis shifted her weight as she set down a large stack of paperwork, reveling in the pained look on Drosskow and his associates' faces. "Gentlemen. We have a big day ahead of us." A ghost of a smile graced her lips, not friendly but cunning.
"Shall we get down to business?"
…
…
…
She wore her hair down. She liked the weight of it on her back, soft silk between her shoulder blades. She had started to dismantle her suit- the coat and skirt lay draped over a hotel chair, and she'd partially unbuttoned the white shirt and put on a pair of jeans she'd picked up at an Esthar thrift shop. She couldn't remember the last time she'd worn jeans, and enjoyed the casual feel of the fabric against her legs. The others would expect her back at the celebration soon. But, for now, she wanted to change her shoes and take a small break from the festivities.
Cerberus followed her through the small room, tail wagging. Her room hadn't been cleaned in weeks owing to his presence: the maids were scared of the dog, for whatever reason, and refused to come in unless both parties were out of the room. Quistis really couldn't understand why- Cerberus was harmless, really. She was sure that the hotel management didn't want to harbor the dog any more than they wanted the homeless dogs of the Balamb military, but Laguna Loire had ordered that the Balamb soldiers be accommodated at any cost.
For Quistis, 'accommodation' meant having Cerberus with her. The dog had grown on her- he was a solid, warm weight on her feet every night, and a comforting presence by her side during the day. And, she reasoned, if Rinoa could keep Angelo, why couldn't she keep a small pet as well?
Feeling festive, she rummaged around in her mini fridge before selecting a mini-bottle of liquor and pouring it over a complimentary plastic cup filled with ice. She took off her shoes and went out on the small veranda, pressing her feet up onto the iron fence and cooling the swollen appendages against the metal. Cerberus joined her, settling down at her feet with a loud yawn. She scratched him behind the ears before leaning back in her seat.
She stared out at the Estharian skyline, feeling the evening sun burn into her cheeks as it set. The warmth spread through her, and she relaxed for the first time in months.
Esthar was a beautiful city, but her heart wasn't in it. She was anxious to return to Balamb, with its fishing harbors lined up along the ocean, the smell of the salt-spray and the emerald fields stretching on for miles. She loved the quaint little towns scattered around the island, and the people, less hurried, most accustomed and friendly to the military. Even time seemed slower there, less urgent.
She thought of Garden, a thought that pleased her immensely. Plans were already being made. In two weeks, the limited construction crews they could afford to hire would be mobilized, along with all available students and soldiers, who would be doing purely voluntary labor. Everyone would be helping out: Selphie was going to be on the tech committee, along with a few others: Squall would be directing traffic so to speak, and the rest of them had all been put on the labor-crew, and would be painting, helping with wiring, and laying the flooring. Of course, there would be specialists present too: they were simply the (unpaid) grunt work.
She chuckled at Squall's expression when he found out he'd re-fractured his arm fracturing Sirri's face. She'd laughed at him in the hospital, too...she couldn't help it. A cast would have to go on for another eight weeks, ensuring that the Commander would keep his arm still. She remembered the look on his face at the Esthar hospital after being bailed out by both her and Rinoa, when his arm was being slathered in plaster-it was both petulant and mirthful. "It was worth it," he muttered, glaring at the doctor, who was lecturing him for his lack of caution.
Impulsively, she'd leaned over and hugged him for the first time in their lives, and he'd returned it wholeheartedly with his good arm. From behind them, unnoticed, Rinoa smiled, and clasped her hands together.
Quistis signed and slouched in her chair. She was anxious to go home…and surprised she thought of it that way. Still, home was not a structure, or a physical place- it was where her brothers and sisters were, her adopted family- the only family that she had left.
She swirled the ice in her glass and put her bare feet up on the steel banister, savoring the sunset. She let old memories roll over in her mind. Since the coma, she remembered more things….strange, distant things, thin slices of memories that seemed so remote they might have been a part of another, imagined, life. Still, they were pleasant, if faint…
A woman with strawberry blonde hair, making lemonade in a small, cramped kitchen, singing along to a scratchy record…
Chasing Irvine through the garden, weaving through the pillars and laughing…
Jumping up and down on a bed, watching a pile of gil waver like a wave and dreaming she was by the ocean...
Setting off fireworks in the middle of the night, sneaking back into the house and getting caught anyway...
Walking by the water, spinning in circles until the ocean and the sky became a great, wonderful blur-
An older man's smile, steady against the sea and sky.
Quistis gazed up at the setting sun, a smile flitting across her tear-stained face. "We did it, Cid…"