Chapter Twenty-Six: The Secret of Balamb Garden
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Final Fantasy VIII no matter how much I wish they were my works. Any additional characters added are mine.
A/N: Hey, here's the next chapter. Sorry for the delay, it's been a manic start to the New Year so far, but one of my resolutions for this year is to update my fanfictions more regularly and try to stick to a pattern. Hopefully, nothing drastic will happen (fingers crossed) and I will finish this story sometime this year!
Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me thus far, and I am really glad you are enjoying it. Thank you also to those who left me lovely reviews and for those who have decided to give my fic a read!
Much love to all!
oOoOo
Squall pushed the button to open the lift and led them inside. He stared at the lift controls with a scowl as he fathomed there was no discernible keyhole. Zell, who was watching this moved over to him and looked at the panel. 'Part of it opens up,' he muttered, using his fingers in the slender space provided to pull off the hatch. In the small gap behind the hatch, there was a very old keyhole, filled with cobwebs.
Squall inserted the key, wholly expecting it to break when he applied force to turn it. However, it gave and clicked when it unlocked. They waited for a moment, but nothing happened. Squall sighed. 'This is wasting time,' he muttered, crossing his arms.
Unexpectedly, a mechanical grinding resounded in the lift and they turned when the doors closed. The lift began vibrating, the tremors causing Hermione to lose her balance somewhat and she reached out to the wall of the lift to keep her footing. When the juddering ceased, the lift started to descend slowly.
'That was disturbing,' Hermione murmured, eyeing the lift with doubt as she questioned how secure they were descending into the depths of a place which probably hadn't been used in centuries.
'Yeah, but it worked, and this is our only choice at the moment,' Squall said absently as he glared at the lift control panel.
Hermione frowned at Squall for a moment, before propping back against the wall of the lift. Square one again, she thought with a sigh as she looked at the floor dejectedly.
oOoOo
'This is ridiculous! It's been months! There has to be some way to get her back,' Ron barked as he combed the library in Hogwarts for anything that may be connected to Hermione's disappearance and where she might be.
Harry observed Ron in slight amusement as he appreciated that Hermione would be delighted to see him going through so many books, but he was apprehensive as well. Dumbledore hadn't had any luck with any of his own scrolls and books so far and time was ticking on. He had to wonder if time functioned differently where Hermione was. Had months passed for her as well? Or was it merely days? Harry swallowed a lump in his throat when the thought that it could be years entered his mind.
'Panicking will get you nowhere, Weasley,' Draco said, turning a page in the book he was looking through.
Harry glanced over at Draco, marvelling at the fact he was even there. Ever since Hermione vanished, the three of them had been striving to find out what happened to her. He had even gone home to get books from the Malfoy library which held all manner of things associated to the Dark Arts, but there were some which had references to portals and other worlds. Of course, Draco didn't let them get within an arm's reach of the books, but he had been going through them with a fervour which equalled Ron's. It was remarkable to see the blonde Slytherin wanting to help and demonstrating some concern for a Muggleborn, especially Hermione of all people.
Harry sighed and walked over to the bookcases to help Ron search them. He had spoken to Dumbledore again that morning and knew the old Headmaster was doing all he could to find out where Hermione was.
Unknown to the three students, Dumbledore scrutinised them from an orb in his office. 'Is it not cruel to keep them in the dark like this?' he questioned with a grimace as he peered into the corner where a mysterious figure was shrouded in shadow.
'If they find a way to Gaia all will be lost. She will return here with them…' the figure asserted, his tone pained.
Dumbledore nodded. 'And so, the cycle will persist,' he finished, laying the orb on his desk and moving to the window. 'Do you know what will occur when the cycle ends?' he asked, looking across at Gryffindor Tower.
The figure nodded sluggishly. 'It… has to be done. This curse… this prophecy… it must end. I-' he cut off as pain, like several heartbeats, enveloped his right arm. He sank to his knees, grasping his arm as he cried out.
Dumbledore turned to him with a grimace. 'And so, your affliction from the last cycle begins?' he asked regrettably, staring at the figure with pity.
The figure exhaled deeply as the agony receded. 'Yes, this is the beginning of this curse again. This can't go on… failure cannot be an option this time,' he whispered hoarsely, shaking his head as he stepped out of the shadows.
Dumbledore sighed. 'If she finds out the truth, like she always does, you know she may not go through with it. If she discovers what will happen after…' he trailed off, closing his eyes at the burden she had to bear.
'No… she cannot learn the truth,' the figure said, looking down at his hands.
Dumbledore smiled forlornly. 'She always does. In every succession she found out through various means. Whether by accident, circumstance or purpose… she will learn of it. Every counterpart failed and fell to darkness,' he paused and shook his head before turning to face the figure. 'You believe she will succeed this time?' Dumbledore asked him.
The figure sighed and pulled down his hood. Dark hair, a pale face drained by stress and distressed blue eyes were revealed. 'She has to…' he said, limping to the desk and setting a book down from where he took it from the pile Draco had retrieved from his home when he wasn't around. Dumbledore glanced at the title: "Gaia: Portals to the Other World".
oOoOo
Hermione was pulled from her thoughts as the lift rumbled and the lights went out. It screeched to a halt as the emergency lights came on, casting the lift in a red glow. 'What happened?' Hermione asked nervously, glancing at Zell who was assessing the control panel.
'Looks like it's busted,' Zell muttered, pressing various buttons. He tried the intercom, but nothing happened. He stood with an exasperated groan and looked around the lift. 'There should be an emergency exit,' he told them.
The four companions looked around the lift for an escape hatch as Squall knelt down to inspect a rectangular panel on the ground below the lift controls. 'Is this it?' he questioned Zell as the martial artist came to kneel next to him.
'Could be,' Zell muttered, clutching the panel and yanking it until it came off. He peered down into the hole which exposed the lift shaft and he gulped. 'It's a long way down,' he grumbled, moving away from the hatch.
Squall nodded. 'No point staying here,' he answered, looking down into the lift shaft before glancing at Hermione tensely. Will she make it down the ladder in her condition? He pondered but knew there was no way to go back up and no time. 'I'll go first, then Hermione,' he murmured, glancing back up at Hermione who frowned, but nodded. So, I can catch you if you fall… he thought uneasily as he slipped through the hatch. 'Nobody's been here for a while, so be careful,' he told them before disappearing into the lift shaft and grabbing the ladder.
Squall waited for a moment at the top as Hermione came out of the lift. He reached for her, wrapping his arm around her waist as she came onto the ladder next to him. 'You okay?' he whispered, receiving a nod from her as she tried not to look down. 'I can probably get down with you,' he murmured, peering down to see how far they had to go to where the lift should have stopped. 'Hold onto me,' he said, and she nodded, wrapping her arms around him and he gradually made his way down with her.
Hermione, on the other hand, was trying very hard not to let her traitorous mind drift to the shallower part of her brain, but the fantasising she hadn't been plagued by since that night in the forest near Galbadian Garden returned to her as Squall's grip on her waist tightened. She fought the blush that surfaced on her cheeks and fought instead to concentrate on moving her feet down the ladder alongside his so as not to throw him off. It was simple to do when she reminded herself that he didn't feel that way about her and instead she felt saddened by this knowledge.
That and Zell's curses from above them were a good distraction. 'Shit! Oh, shit… SHIT!'
'Zell! Pay attention to your footing!' Quistis chastised him, glaring up at him in irritation.
Squall rolled his eyes as Hermione let out a chuckle. 'Sounds like he's not doing too well,' she murmured, and he nodded distractedly.
Squall looked down before glancing up at Zell to tell him to focus, but his eyes fell on the lift above them which was trembling slightly. His eyes widened. 'We have to hurry!' he shouted, picking up his own pace as much as he could while holding Hermione.
The four companions rushed down the ladder and Squall shifted onto the ledge. He made his way to the opening before turning back to Hermione to help her. He pulled her into the safety of a dimly lit passageway before turning to look up at Quistis and Zell who were still making their way down.
Squall looked back at the lift as it gave another violent shudder before dislodging and making its way down the shaft. 'Hurry!' he yelled as Quistis just reached the ledge and made her way over and into the corridor. He looked back up at Zell who was scurrying down, but the lift was gaining speed. 'Zell!' he shouted, pulling back into the hallway so the martial artist could get in.
They waited, their breaths held as Zell swiftly leapt into the corridor, landing on the ground with a groan. The lift flew past the entrance of the passageway, coming to a shrieking halt at the bottom of the shaft. They all exhaled as Squall moved over to Zell and held out his hand to help him up. 'Let's not do that again,' Zell said shakily as he peered back out of corridor to the bottom of the shaft which still wasn't perceptible from this floor.
Squall placed his hand on his hip and frowned. 'We need to get back up, so we'll have to use the ladder,' he replied, before turning to look down the corridor they landed in. 'If we survive…' he added, crossing his arms.
Hermione frowned uneasily at Squall for a moment but looked away when she comprehended how true his words were. If they found nothing down here and the missiles hit… would they be entombed under Balamb Garden? Never to be found? She shuddered at the thought of what would occur if this was a futile mission.
'Come on, let's go,' Squall said, turning to walk down the corridor. There was a sizeable hatch at the end of the hall, which Zell had to open by using his brute strength.
They headed down another ladder into a long hallway. Squall looked around, gathering it was an old oil stratum and crossed his arms. 'This… could be problematic,' he grumbled, observing the oil remnants and the monsters ahead of them which would most likely be vulnerable to fire, but they were not exactly equipped to stop themselves from being injured if their spells backfired.
Hermione looked over as well and bit her lip as she pulled out her wand, perceiving the caginess in Squall's eyes for a moment before he blinked, and it was gone. So, he still didn't fully trust her magic? She glanced down at her wand before tapping herself on the head and her body glowed red for a moment before the magic seeped into her. They stared at her curiously. 'It's a fire-protection spell. It should help to prevent the fire from harming us providing we don't stay around it too long,' she clarified timidly, searching their faces to see if there was a flicker of anything that would tell her they didn't want her to cast magic on them.
'That sounds really helpful,' Zell supplied, striding forward and letting Hermione tap his head. He felt a prickling in his body as the magic evaporated into him. Quistis let her do the same to her and she grinned in thanks before moving down into the oil stratum with Zell.
Hermione turned to look at Squall who was watching her, his expression unreadable. 'Please, trust me. I wouldn't do anything to hurt any of you,' she mumbled, her voice small as if he was accusing her of something he hadn't expressed.
Squall tilted his head, taking a step towards Hermione and placed his hand under her chin to make her look at him. 'I know,' he whispered, and it almost felt like a caress to her ears. She shivered at the intensity of his gaze and the touch of his gloved hand under her chin, trying to recall the feel of his hand when it wasn't covered. He blinked, breaking the spell and took a step back from her. He nodded and she tapped his head with her wand, watching the magic vanish into him. With that done, he stepped into the oil stratum without another glance towards her and she sighed inwardly, closing her eyes for a moment before following them.
As they approached the monsters in the stratum, Hermione noticed they seemed to be lizards with bizarre faces and razor-sharp talons. 'Geezard,' Quistis illuminated, seeing the question in Hermione's mind before she could say anything. 'Usually they try to sneak-attack people but, due to the limited space and lack of hiding places, it can't get the upper hand on us,' she described, unfastening her whip from her belt and getting into a fighting stance. 'They are not hard to kill, but they move quickly and watch out for those claws. It can also jump, trying to get a bite in,' she added and Hermione nodded, getting her wand ready.
'They go down easy. We shouldn't need Para-Magic for them,' Zell said, cracking his knuckles and sprinting towards them. True to his word, he evaded them as they sprang at him before striking them a few times until they were down. Squall, Quistis and Hermione lowered their weapons, having not had to step in.
Squall rolled his eyes at Zell who beamed at him before gesturing ahead to the end of the oil stratum. 'Let's get going. The missiles could be getting close,' he said, taking the lead followed by Zell and Quistis while Hermione took up the rear.
The four companions came to a large circular room with another door on the opposite side. They followed it round and stared at the closed doors in the middle. 'What now?' Quistis invited, placing a hand on her hip as she motioned to the blast doors.
'There must be a way to open it,' Hermione muttered, walking to the door and trying to turn the wheel in the middle, but it wouldn't shift.
Zell moved over to Hermione. 'Here, let me,' he said, trying to turn it, but it was jammed. 'Damn, this thing won't budge!' he wheezed, trying again to no avail. On closer inspection, the door appeared as though it was stuck with hardened rust.
Hermione pulled out her wand. 'Get back,' she told them, and they moved back to the other side of the circular hall and observed curiously, albeit with a little fear. 'Bombarda!' She cast and the door exploded off its hinges into a small room. She shielded her face from the dust and debris which flew out towards her before looking in the room. Putting her wand away, she turned back to the other three and froze.
They were gaping at her with blatant terror in their eyes. Hermione looked away, tears filling her eyes as her shoulders slumped. She just wanted to help. She doubted they would ever fully trust her. After a moment, the first one to move was Zell and he came to stand next to her, peering into the room. He cast her a side-glance, noticing the tears on her cheeks and laid a hand on her shoulder, but she couldn't look up at him. 'Good thing you came with us, Hermione, or we never would have got through that door,' he said with a smile, before glancing back at Quistis and Squall pointedly.
Hermione kept her eyes down as Squall and Quistis walked past her, still cautious of the power she held. After a few moments she heard a scraping noise and she squinted into the room to see the three of them turning a huge valve. Behind her, the circular doors in the middle of the room started opening, exposing another ladder they would need to climb down to proceed. She wiped the remnants of her tears away as they came back out of the room and gazed down into the depths of the Garden.
Zell whistled. 'Long way down,' he grumbled, pulling back from the railing and moving to the ladder.
'What do you think we'll find down there?' Quistis questioned, crossing her arms as she looked down the chasm anxiously.
Squall shrugged. 'We won't know until we find out,' he answered, his eyes moving to Hermione who was staring down into the depths with a scowl. He sighed, knowing she would usually jump in with some form of contribution, but her lips were drawn in a thin line. He looked away, knowing their reactions were a little uncalled for. They knew she was a Sorceress and held devastating power at her fingertips, but she had only ever utilised it to support them. It just stunned them to fathom just how formidable she was.
Zell took the lead and began making his way down the ladder, followed by Quistis. Squall moved to the ladder and was about to head down, but when he glanced back at Hermione she hadn't moved. Frowning, he walked back over to her. 'Herm-'
'I'm going to go back,' Hermione whispered, her tone sharp and she didn't look up at Squall.
'Why?' Squall asked softly, tilting his head as he attempted to see her face.
Hermione shook her head. 'Because I don't think I'm necessary or wanted,' she choked out, tears filling her eyes. 'I think it's time I left,' she added, glowering at the floor.
Squall felt like someone had dropped a cube of ice down his back. He didn't know what to say or how to show her that wasn't the case. 'No,' was all he managed to say, and Hermione looked up at him with pained eyes brimming with tears. His expression softened and he reached for her, but she withdrew away from him. He sighed and turned to the barrier. 'We promised we would protect you,' he stated, shaking his head. 'But all I've… we've done is hurt you and push you away,' he hesitated as he glared down into the depths of Garden, unable to see where it ended. He could make out Zell and Quistis still making their way down gradually, but they kept glancing up at them curiously.
Hermione glanced at Squall's back, before looking at the door which would take her back up to the lift shaft. 'You will never trust me,' she whispered, and he turned to look at her. 'Every time I pull out my wand, you'll think I'm about to turn and attack you,' she said miserably, folding her arms across her chest as if to protect herself. 'I think… I'm better off on my own,' she added, looking down as the tears escaped from her eyes.
Squall swallowed, quickly realising that was the last thing he wanted. If she was to leave now… he would go after her regardless of the missiles advancing towards them. He would never cease searching for her. Even if it meant the home he grew up in was left to burn in his wake. This revelation shocked him to his core, and he didn't know what had made him even contemplate it, but it was as instinctive a reaction as breathing.
Before he could stop himself, Squall moved over to Hermione until he was so close he could smell the shampoo in her hair and feel her breath tickling his chin. 'Give me… give us another chance,' he said, feeling somewhat pathetic at the evident pleading in his tone. 'We just weren't prepared for what you were going to do,' he added, reaching up and wiping a tear that was making its way down her cheek. 'Don't leave. I'll do better,' he whispered, gazing into her eyes, begging her to stay.
Hermione frowned and took a step back from him. Will they ever trust me, though? Or will I always be just another "Sorceress" to be feared? She asked herself, wondering what would be easier.
They have grown up on stories of evil Sorceresses. It is instilled into them and they will always fear you for what you could become. It is a fleeting reaction when you use magic, but it passes. They do and will trust you, but you must remember this has always been the way of this world, Griever responded for Hermione, making her eyes widen at the unexpected reply to her thoughts.
Squall watched Hermione, noting the internal struggle she was having. Could Griever be real? Is she genuinely hearing him in her mind? He asked himself, tilting his head curiously. There was once a time he would have given everything to be able to communicate with Griever and learn so much from him, but he gave up after years of following blindly and never finding him.
After a moment, Hermione nodded before looking at Squall. 'After this is done, we all need to talk,' she whispered, before moving to the ladder without another glance at him.
Squall closed his eyes, feeling relieved but he knew Hermione was still upset with them. He realised he would have to be cautious if he didn't want her to go. Where are these thoughts coming from? He wondered suddenly, frowning as he reached for the ladder to follow her down. If she left… I would be fine. It's not like I haven't been left before… he thought, feeling even more puzzled as he tried to recall a time when he was left.
Ignoring his thoughts, Squall turned his focus to the mission at hand. He would deal with whatever Hermione wanted to talk to them about when it came to it. For now, they had to find what was below Garden and see if it was something that could protect them from oncoming missiles.
It took them a while to reach the bottom of the ladder. Squall and Hermione looked around for Zell and Quistis, noticing they were at the bottom of the stairs, gazing around. They descended the stairs into a vast spherical room with a colossal pillar in the middle. 'Bloody hell,' Zell said, looking around and Hermione was struck by the similarity to the way Ron would always say that when he was confronted with something as incredible as this.
'Who would have thought this was underneath Garden,' Quistis said in astonishment, scanning the enormous room stretched out before them.
Squall placed his hand on his hip as he regarded the room. How the heck has this remained hidden down here? Why hasn't it been used since the Garden was built? He pondered, frowning at his surroundings as they walked around the pillar trying to find a way forward. They came to a halt next to a lever which Squall pulled, but nothing happened. A dead end? He asked himself as he inspected the area for anything that might help. Their eyes fell on another ladder on the side of the pillar.
'Man, another ladder…' Zell complained with a sigh, shaking his head.
Quistis grimaced. 'It doesn't look very secure, but I guess we have no alternative,' she said, trying to see where it would lead them.
Hermione followed the path of the ladder which would take them to a corridor above and across to a room. 'There's a room up there,' she murmured, pointing up and they looked over.
Squall frowned and sighed as he walked over to the ladder. 'I'll go look,' he said, reaching for the ladder.
'Wait, Squall,' Hermione said, making him turn to look at her. 'Are you sure? This ladder doesn't look safe,' she said, eyeing it nervously.
Squall looked up the ladder and shrugged. 'What choice do we have at this point?' he asked, grasping how harsh he sounded and closed his eyes. 'I'll be okay,' he said softly after a moment and made his way up the ladder.
The three of them observed Squall's progress, hoping that the ladder only looked unstable and would hold him. As he got about midway up the ladder, the bolts holding it to the pillar came away and it collapsed, falling to the side. As the top of the ladder crashed through a window above, he clung onto the bars to keep himself from slipping. Gritting his teeth, he hauled himself up and around the ladder until he was on the other side breathing heavily and looking at how high up he was. Sweat beaded on his brow as he slowly made his way towards the room.
Hermione gulped as she watched, her eyes fixated on Squall. When the ladder collapsed, her heart leapt into her throat at the thought of him plunging to his death. If she'd thought about it, she could have applied magic to reinforce the ladder, but she had to question if the route leading to the room would have crumpled anyway. If Squall had managed to get to the top, he could have easily fallen through the floor in the corridor above them and there would have been nothing they could do to save him. She breathed in relief as he made it to the window of the room and disappeared inside.
Squall explored the room interestedly. It looked like some form of control room with several monitors and a switchboard which could be operated. He frowned as he stared at them, not understanding how they functioned or if they were even still operational. He spotted a power button and pushed it, frowning when the switchboard flickered to life and he stared at it in surprise.
A monitor came on showing Squall a shaky image of the lever he tried to pull, which didn't work. His eyes shifted to Quistis, Zell and Hermione who were waiting nervously for him to come back down. He pressed another button which displayed a diagram of the pillar and area bordering it. The picture moved, demonstrating that the floor could open around the pillar and he pushed another button when he was prompted to do so.
Below them, the ground quaked and the metal floor rapidly opened to expose the level beneath the one they were on. Squall frowned and moved towards the door, the hallway up ahead catching his eye. The path up ahead collapsed after that collision. I can't go back that way, he thought, turning back to the window and groaning. It looks like I'll have to use this ladder again, he thought, not thrilled at the prospect of plummeting to his death should the ladder split in half under his weight. He shook that morbid thought from his mind and grabbed for the ladder, climbing back onto it. As he made his way down, he strove not to look down. He was not afraid of heights, but it was now a much longer way down than it was before the floor opened.
When Squall reached the base of the ladder, he hopped off and landed on the ground next to Zell. He drew in a shaky breath as he stood upright. 'Squall, that was close! You all right!?' Zell asked him, looking at him with something akin to admiration.
'Yeah…' Squall muttered, closing his eyes for a moment as he calmed his nerves.
As soon as Squall was safe, Hermione wanted to run to him and pull him into her arms just so she knew he was there and real, but she held back. 'I'm glad you're okay,' she whispered instead, stepping over to the railing and eyeing the next floor.
Squall glanced over at Hermione with a frown, understanding she was still troubled by their reactions earlier. He shook his head, knowing he shouldn't have expected anything more from her. He pushed away his slight disappointment, still not entirely sure why he was feeling this way and moved back over to the lever he tried previously. When he pulled it this time, part of the barrier moved to the side and exposed a ladder which would take them to the floor below. More ladders… he thought, a little agitated. If he never saw another ladder after this mission, he would be a happy man.
'Come on, we have to hurry,' Squall said urgently, moving to the ladder and beginning the descent to the lower level.
The others followed Squall, hoping this ladder would hold them long enough to get to the bottom. When they reached the ground below, relieved at making it safely, they scanned around for the way forward. Zell indicated to a steel blast door ahead of them which was the only way to go. There was a bridge leading across to it and on their side there was another switch. He pulled it, and the steel door raised slowly.
Hermione peered down into the water next to the bridge, detecting there were bubbles forming on the surface. 'We should be careful,' she whispered, nodding to the water.
Squall looked down and nodded in agreement. 'Be ready for anything,' he told them, receiving nods from them.
They slowly sidled their way across the bridge and just as they approached the central point, two slimy creatures emerged from the water, clambering up onto the bridge and obstructed their route forward. 'Shit,' Squall muttered, quickly examining them for any sign of weakness. He hastily cast the Para-Magic "Scan" on them. 'They're vulnerable to fire,' he told them, nodding to Zell who stood back and a glow encircled him. Quistis rested her hand on his shoulder and the glow became brighter.
Hermione pulled out her wand, glancing quickly at Squall. 'Let me help,' she said to him and he nodded, moving back towards Zell to cover him while he summoned. She made sure they weren't near her before pointing her wand towards the creatures. 'Incendio!' she yelled, shooting flames towards them and they shrieked as fire licked at them. She dodged as one of them squirted something black at her, and she stared at the ground in revulsion at the black sludge before recognising it was oil.
Behind her, Zell was ready with his spell. 'Oh, great Ifrit, I summon thee to lend us your aid,' he uttered, punching the air in front of him. Hermione watched with wide eyes as he vanished to be superseded by a hulking beast enveloped by flames. He reminded her of Griever, in a way. Ifrit marched past her towards the creatures who were expelling oil at him, but it was only serving to bolster the flames encircling him. The beast roared as a molten ball of earth emerged from the ground and pushed him up into the air with it. Once high enough, Ifrit leapt into the air and clobbered the ball of molten rock back down to the ground towards the creatures. Hermione's eyes widened and she sprinted away from it to avoid being caught in its wake.
When Hermione looked back, the bridge was scorched, and a huge chasm was in the place where the creatures were. Zell was on one knee, breathing heavily as perspiration shone on his brow. She moved over to them. 'Are you okay?' she asked, receiving a nod from him as Squall clutched his arm and helped him to his feet.
'That was exhilarating!' Zell chuckled, before bending over and coughing harshly.
'I would say to take a break, but the missiles could be here any minute,' Squall said, frowning at Zell before looking at the door ahead of them. 'And now we have a broken bridge to navigate,' he added with a sigh.
'I'll be fine,' Zell said, waving him off and straightening up. 'Lead on.'
Squall nodded and jogged towards the broken bridge, shuffling across a narrow part in the path, which was still intact, but crumbling. When he made it across, he turned to help Quistis and Hermione as they reached his side before grabbing Zell's arm to pull him over as the slither of path collapsed into the water below. 'We can figure out how to get back after we've checked out what's ahead,' Squall said and they nodded, rushing towards the door and to another ladder.
Up in the clouds, looming closer to Balamb Garden, the missiles split apart from each other and eye mechanisms within them opened and thinned their lenses. Their trajectory altered as they travelled towards land, their target ahead of them.
The four companions reached the base of the ladder and made their way into a room with a colossal machine. They gaped at it for a moment before walking to the control panel and eyeing all the peculiar buttons. In the middle, detached from the control panel was a single column with a dial. 'Looks like we're here…' Squall said, trailing off as he looked at the controls. Now how the heck are we supposed to figure this out? He questioned, staring at it in bewilderment.
Zell moved over to the control panel and gazed at the knobs and buttons. 'Oh man… what the hell do we do now!?' he yelled, wondering what the descriptions said. It appeared to be in another language.
Hermione looked around frantically, trying to find something which could enlighten them as to how it was intended to operate. Maybe if I use magic? Would it frighten them again? She questioned, fingering her wand.
Squall moved to the central column and stared at the dial. How am I supposed to know? Even the headmaster doesn't know, he thought, replying to Zell's question in his mind. He took a deep breath and shifted the dial clockwise a few times, before placing a hand on his hip when nothing happened. He tried again, with the same outcome as the other three watched in curiosity.
Hermione walked over to Squall. 'Any suggestions? Do you have any idea what this does?' she asked, merely curious, but she could tell he was getting frustrated.
Squall ran his hand through his hair in irritation. 'I don't know! What else can I do!?' he yelled, banging on the controls with the side of his fist. Hermione frowned, placing a hand on his arm gently and he turned to look at her before closing his eyes. 'Is there nothing we-' he was cut off as a rumbling shook the room.
The four companions looked up as the turbines began to spark and rotate, coming to life. The floor began to tremble and quake before it ascended up past the moving turbines. In his office, Cid gasped as the floor underneath him began to tremble and glow. His eyes widened as the floor opened and he was unexpectedly on a platform with Squall, Hermione, Zell and Quistis. They were carried up to the top of the Garden to what appeared to be a cockpit.
Hermione stared out the window in amazement as the glossair ring floating above the Garden began to glow brilliantly before broadening and descending towards the ground. As it cut into the earth, the Garden began to move, rising from the ground to levitate in the air. Dust encircled the hovering Garden like a hurricane, and she gasped as through the debris she spied the missiles heading straight for them. 'Oh no! The missiles!' she cried, pointing out the window.
Squall followed Hermione's line of sight, noticing the missiles as they climbed high into the air collectively before plunging straight for them. The Garden shuddered as it began to glide out of the way, causing the missiles to collide with the ground where it was still lodged in the earth only moments ago and he shielded his eyes from the blinding explosion. The debris triggered by the Garden rising from the ground became a denser cloud which caught up and engulfed it as it flew across the plains of Balamb. It increased velocity, making it out of the debris into dazzling sunlight.
Hermione blinked, the abrupt change in light stinging her eyes after being in the dark and dim levels beneath the Garden for what felt like hours. She gazed out at the plains of Balamb in awe, scarcely believing the Garden was mobile. 'This is… incredible,' she whispered, unable to keep the smile from her face.
Squall took a breath and shook his head. 'We're moving!?' he yelled, in disbelief of what was occurring.
Quistis helped Cid to his feet from where he had fallen when the platform rose out from the floor of his office. He gazed out the window, his eyes wide. 'I see… so this is the secret…' he trailed off, a small grin tugging at his lips. Another thought struck him then. 'The students! They must be in a panic!' the headmaster said, turning to the lift which had emerged with the platform.
'We'll go check it out and make sure everyone's okay!' Zell offered, running to the lift.
'I'll stay with Cid,' Quistis said and they nodded, making their way down to the headmaster's office.
They headed towards the lift and pressed the button to call it up to the third floor. 'I wonder if it still works,' Zell mused, unsure of what happened to the lift after it fell into the depths of the shaft.
To their astonishment, the lift appeared and opened. They got in cautiously, recalling what happened the last time they were in it. Zell shuddered as he tried not to think about how it almost killed him. He blanched when the lift trembled somewhat before descending to the second floor and when the doors opened, he almost sprinted out to get away from it.
Hermione peered around, observing some of the damage to the structure of the Garden when it had moved. There were plant pots strewn about on the floor, having toppled over, and paperwork fluttered about the hallway in the breeze from an open door to one of the classrooms. Students jogged around the hall, gazing out windows in awe or chatting to their friends and the instructors about what was happening. Some were excited, while others were panicking.
It was chaos.
Squall walked over to one of the instructors who was trying to take control of the situation. 'Any casualties?' he asked, looking around at the mess in the hallway.
The instructor arched an eyebrow at Squall. 'Nothing significant. A few broken bones and bloody noses. Nothing Dr Kadowaki can't handle,' he answered, shaking his head. 'What the heck happened? Nobody said the Garden could fly!' he yelled, seizing up some papers from the floor as they flitted by them.
'Yeah, we didn't know either. It just kind of happened,' Squall countered, not wanting to be grilled on what they found far below Garden. He could still scarcely believe it himself.
A girl, who was jogging around the corridor trying to collect the paperwork, halted next to them. 'Hey! Have you been outside yet? It's amazing!' she said, before proceeding to the classroom. She turned back at the door. 'Just go down the hall and check it out!' she said, indicating down the hall and winking at Squall.
Squall raised an eyebrow at her before nodding and turning to the others. 'I guess we could see what's going on,' he said, and they agreed, following him down towards the exit at the end of the hall.
Zell pushed the door open and they walked out onto the balcony outside. 'Whoa! This is cool!' he shouted as he ran to the wall and peered over the edge, seeing the glossair rings spiralling far below them and propelling them forward.
Hermione's eyes widened as birds glided past them alongside the Garden, struggling to keep up with its speed. She gazed over the wall in amazement and couldn't help the smile from spreading on her face. Squall came to stand next to her, but his expression was not as enthralled as hers and Zell's. He scanned the plains and raised his eyebrow before stepping back towards the door. 'Looks like everything is fine. Let's head back,' he told them, crossing his arms.
Hermione sighed, glancing at Squall in slight disappointment before heading back into the Garden with Zell trailing behind her. Squall noticed her expression, but chose not to comment as he followed them in. He was about to make a comment about how they needed to get back to let the headmaster know everything was okay when they spotted Xu sprinting down the corridor.
'Squall!' Xu cried as she reached them, leaning her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.
'I thought you evacuated,' Zell said with a raised eyebrow, crossing his arms.
Xu shook her head. 'I didn't get an opportunity. We managed to get some of the students out and they made for Balamb Town, but the Garden started moving before everyone could leave,' she clarified, before turning back to Squall. 'Anyway, there's an emergency! Get back to the bridge! The headmaster needs you!' she yelled, pointing down the hall.
'Quistis is with him. What's happened?' Squall questioned, frowning at Xu suspiciously.
'There's no time! Just go!' Xu snapped, turning tail and rushing back down the hall.
They followed her and got in the lift, taking it back up to the headmaster's office. They went back up to the bridge where Cid was eyeing the controls in distress. 'Squall! The controls aren't responding! I don't know what to do! We're going to crash into the town of Balamb if we don't do something!' he cried, his voice panicked.
'We have to do something!' Quistis yelled, leaning on the railing and staring at the town which was looming nearer as the Garden flew towards it.
Zell placed his hands in his hair, his eyes wide with concern as he gaped at the town where he grew up. The town were his mother was and so many people he knew and cared about. Hermione watched him tensely before closing her eyes and taking out her wand. She had to do something, even if it frightened them.
'Squall, can you think of anything?' Cid was soliciting and Squall was shaking his head.
No! How should I know!? Squall yelled in his mind. 'DAMN!' he yelled, moving for the controls, but noticed Hermione pointing her wand at the panel and he froze. Her eyes were closed in concentration, a wind whipping at her feet and a bead of sweat trickled down her temple. She furrowed her brow, chanting something under her breath. Abruptly, she stopped and collapsed to the ground. 'Hermione,' he whispered, rushing to her side.
A deep rumble was heard as the Garden began to shake violently, flinging them off balance and they reached for the railings to keep upright. 'Whoa! What was that!?' Zell barked as the quaking halted.
'Look! We're turning!' Quistis cried, pointing out the window as the Garden decelerated, beginning to pass over Balamb before manoeuvring to the right, away from the town towards the sea. 'Oh no…' she whispered, clutching onto the railing. 'Brace yourselves!' she shouted.
'Everybody hold onto something!' Cid hollered, wrapping his arms around the centre column of the control panel.
Squall clutched onto Hermione in one arm as he grabbed onto the railing. The Garden's bottom fin brushed the water of the Balamb harbour before landing with a crash in the water. The entire structure shuddered intensely before settling in the water and drifting out to sea sluggishly.
Cid stood after a moment and peered out the window, letting out a relieved breath. 'I think the worst is behind us for now,' he said, shaking his head. 'Squall, everyone, a job well done,' he added, turning to smile at them.
Squall was still kneeling on the ground holding Hermione with a frown on his face. 'Hermione?' he whispered, caressing her cheek before trying to feel for her pulse, finding a very weak one.
'Is she…?' Quistis trailed off, tears filling her eyes.
'No, but I need to get her to Dr Kadowaki,' Squall countered, picking Hermione up into his arms and departing from the bridge.
Quistis followed them, instructing Zell to remain with Cid for now. He nodded, watching them go nervously before turning back to Cid. 'What did she do?' he asked him, shaking his head.
'I don't know, but whatever it was must have sapped her energy significantly,' Cid responded, crossing his arms.
'Do you think the Garden is on its own course?' Zell asked, gazing out at the vast ocean spread before them.
'It was before the mechanism stopped, but now we are just drifting. We will need to work out how to manoeuvre the Garden so we may as well relax for the time being and consider what to do now,' Cid replied, clasping his hands behind his back. His eyes moved back to the lift, intending on visiting Hermione once Dr Kadowaki has attended to her.
oOoOo
A/N: Well, I hope you all enjoyed that. A bit more insight into how Squall feels, but he doesn't quite understand it yet. Maybe in the next chapter! And I promise the wait will not be as long!