Chapter 52: Liberating Balamb
"Galbadia floats too?" Irvine exclaimed. We were all on the bridge, heading to Balamb where we found Galbadia Garden floating over the place. "I hope everyone's okay."
"We need to infiltrate the place somehow," Squall stated. "We need the Garden to be out of sight, who knows what they'll do if they spot us," He went quiet, he better be thinking of a good plan. "We can't all go in, it will be too suspicious."
"Why would they attack Balamb anyway?" Rinoa asked.
"FH and Balamb are both harbour towns, maybe that has something to do with it?" Quistis wondered aloud.
"If I remember right wasn't there a girl, Ellone, on board?" Lucifer asked, leaning on his cane while pondering. "Weren't the Galbadians looking for her? If they're going for harbour towns then that must mean they're looking for boats, like the ship of White SeeDs," I stifled and laugh at that word. My mind is in the gutter something awful. "No one ever answered my question on that: they said there were Edea's SeeDs, why would we allow them to take Ellone away? Well fair enough they won't be working for Edea if Galbadia is still looking for her but surely that would have brought some suspicion."
"It did but it was an order from Cid, we had to follow it," Squall grumbled. "We need to form a team to infiltrate Balamb and drive them out."
"I'm going, my family's in there!" Zell volunteered.
"As much as I'd like to go, I've got some important business to attend to," Lysander explained.
"Look I'll go," I finally spoke, kind of shocking everyone. "If Galbadians are there then Seifer must be, since he's the Sorceress' Knight he's bound to be there, in the Garden. Remember she was going to use that as her base? If we can find him maybe I can talk sense into him." There wasn't only that: Fujin and Raijin were no longer in the Garden. Obviously when we told them to help everyone to evacuate they did so. They were most likely still in Balamb.
"Sure that's a good idea?" Zell asked.
"If he gets angry he can take it out on the Galbadians," Irvine shrugged. "What do you think Squall? This a good team?" I still wasn't happy with Squall being leader but if he can prove he's a good leader then I'll let it lie.
"Zell, Dante and I will go into Balamb, then," He announced. "Keep the Garden at a far a distance as you can. When we're finished or are overwhelmed we'll contact you to collect us. We'll head to the front entrance to be dropped off; we should be able to land safely soon enough."
Getting into the town was simple enough. We just told them we had information on Ellone and they told us that once we give the information to the Commander they'll leave the town. Thing is, the Commander didn't want to be disturbed so we had to find the Captain to then tell the Commander what we know and then things will go from there. Why must things be so complicated? This was just overly stupid I mean, no wonder nothing gets done in politics with all of this 'Pass It On' rubbish.
"We have been here for an hour and a half, where is the bloody Captain?" I groaned. "You think the soldiers would tell us, unhelpful bastards."
"Keep your mouth shut, you don't know what these guys will do," Zell hissed. We were sitting at the harbour trying to sort out the information we had gathered so far. Not even the citizens were helping in case something bad happened. "I don't want anyone getting hurt here."
"They're big boys, I'm sure they can handle a bit of name-calling," I rolled my eyes at him as Squall looked at us to tell us to shut up. "We can't just sit about. Can't we just charge into the hotel and tell the Commander to piss off?"
"You go do that if you want to get killed," Zell scoffed.
"Both of you stop fighting, we need to work together," Squall ordered. I wasn't in the mood to argue which was strange to say the least. Normally I'd be mocking the pair of them at this point but I had no energy in me. "We just need to ask around again to find the Captain, we've got very little to go on." I looked up and pointed ahead.
"You think the nice Galbadian soldiers will help us if we ask nicely?" We acted calmly, not drawing our weapons. We just stood up and waited for them to speak to us. Hopefully we hadn't done anything wrong but it's us we're talking about, we've more than likely done something wrong.
"We're looking for a Dante Finnly," One of the soldiers stated. Oh this wasn't good. It wasn't me, I swear.
"I'm Dante Finnly," I rose my hand.
"The Commander wants to see you," Oh shit, what did I do? "Direct orders from her, don't keep her waiting."
"Okay, I'll go," I didn't argue. I didn't turn back to the guys to tell them I'd be okay. I honestly didn't care enough. I'm sure they'd get me if they really had to. Well they probably would since I'd be with the Commander. "So is it okay for me to ask why I'm important enough to see the Commander?"
"Direct orders from Seifer," One soldier said. I might be going on the Garden and see him. I hope so, I hope so. "But right now the Commander wants to ask you a few questions." I nodded and I was escorted up to the hotel and to the Commander's room. I was pushed inside when the door opened and as soon as it shut I turned around. Fujin crossed her arms and her face stoic.
"... Dante," She said shortly. I felt like jelly when I saw her. Honestly I... everything I was thinking just went out the window. Fujin... you're the Commander. That must mean Raijin's the Captain. That means they're all on the opposing side. The silence had gone too long now, I had to say something. Anything.
"Please do not be mad at me," My voice sounded so broken it was embarrassing. Fujin's eye stared me down. I don't know what was going on in my head but nothing was processing through it, I couldn't handle this, I couldn't handle it! "Fujin when did this happen? Do you know where Seifer is?"
"Sorceress," She answered. She paced about the room before turning to me again. "Concerned."
"I should have left with you and Raijin!" I suddenly exploded. "Going against Seifer was one thing but all three of you! I can't! I can't do this!" I breathed in but it didn't calm me down. I was shaking like a leaf and was pacing around madly. "No Fujin I can't do this! Why are you all on the other side?"
"Calm down!" She shouted at me. I was still shaking but I did as I was told. "Posse, not Galbadia," I looked down, falling onto a seat. They weren't on the other side. We just wanted Seifer to get his Dream. I still could process this... I couldn't stop shaking. "Why?"
"I don't know why I just don't defect!" I shouted, clutching my head. "I have no loyalties there! I don't know why I just can't!" I couldn't defect. No matter how much I wanted to I couldn't. I had no loyalties to any of them but I... why...
We heard crashing from downstairs and Fujin picked up her weapon and headed downstairs. I couldn't even move it was... something inside me broke. That was it. I was... I was disgusted with myself. I was backstabbing my friends by not being on their side. Seifer may have left me in that lab in the Prison but he let me go, I'm sure it was him who let me go. Why did this have to happen to me?
I felt as if I was in a trance; that I wasn't controlling my body as I walked. I went down the stairs as the fighting was finishing.
"Enough is enough, this isn't an internal Garden conflict," Squall said.
"We can't back out now, ya know?" Raijin said. "We're a posse. We're Seifer's only friends, besides Dante. The soldiers only follow Seifer because they fear him, ya know?" I kept quiet and unseen but I was just... I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "We're behind him all the way."
"Then why don't you tell him to stop this nonsense?" Zell asked. Both of them nodded but I knew they would help with Seifer's Dream.
"Fine, if you want nothing to do with the Garden then we can't argue otherwise," Squall said with his arms folded. "Next time we won't be holding back." They nodded and left. No I can't do this!
"Guys wait!" I shouted. They turned around and all eyes were on me.
"Dante we understand what you've gotta do, you know?" Raijin said. "Seifer told us not to attack you. We may not be on the same sides but we're still a posse no matter what. We don't wanna talk now though... too painful, ya know?" Fujin looked at Raijin before kicking him.
"Run." I just stood at the bottom of the stairs in shock. I was frozen, not like a few minutes ago when I was shaking uncontrollably. This couldn't be happening.
"Are you sure about this?" Zell asked. I knew he was talking to Squall.
"You can't choose your enemies," He said. "It all comes down to circumstance." There was the snap again. Without warning I lunged towards Squall and hit him square in the nose, bursting and making him stumble backwards holding his face. I jumped back from Zell who was enraged by my sudden assault.
"What the fuck are you doing Finnly?" He growled at me.
"It's easy for him to say that you can't choose your enemies!" I bellowed, my voice screeching and breaking. "He has no idea what it means! Fujin, Raijin and Seifer were never his friends, they were mine! How do you think I feel? I'm the one who has to fight against my friends not you lot!" I could tell there were loads of people who could hear us, not that I gave a toss.
"Then why don't you just go over to their side?" Zell bellowed back.
"You know what I wish I fucking knew Dincht!" I clenched my fists to stop the acid pouring from them again. "I wish I fucking knew!" When I stormed out of the hotel and away from Balamb the rage depleted and was replaced with a deep depression. I walked slower and hung my head and started to shake again. Why couldn't I figure out what was stopping me from defecting... why were my friends against me... didn't they care? No, no they do care, they won't hurt me... just... just why?
