Chapter 41 Jihl's Dark Past
Author Note: This chapter contains scenes of a fictionalized past of Jihl Nabaat as she tells her story. This idea came from listening to music and writing a better motive for why Jihl is so spiteful/etc. The song I wrote this chapter to was Waves by Dean Lewis. This chapter contains sadness, hardship, and more. Thanks for reading Kupo! Viewer descretion advised! If this goes into M territory let me know.
Lightning couldn't believe her ears. "I don't believe you; it was Caius."
Caius rolled his eyes, "If you'd listen, you'd understand. Clearly, you're still just like your rebellious teenage self, who was always getting in trouble. Now shut up, listen, and you'll hear your parent's little secrets."
"Stop mocking them Caius, my father trusted you enough that you were a part of his team and you were one of his best friends. The fact you were part of this mockery of my family name, you didn't care!"
Caius rolled his eyes.
"You've come this far, it's the least I could do before you, and your party here end up at Etro's Gate," Jihl pulled up a chair. "It's the least I can do since you've worked so hard., Long ago…" Jihl began.
Wooden swords clashed; as two teenagers hit and parried. Foreheads damp with sweat, as both kept up trying to finally end the spar. Both were showing signs of fatigue, but neither wanted to admit defeat.
The two sisters continued to spar until Jihl sent Zelda's wooden sword to go flying, as she towered over her older sister once Zelda fell backward. "And that's game, set and match. I win!" Jihl boasted, looking down at her older sister with glee.
"So, you did, Jihl. I'm surprised you actually beat me, and I didn't even use the strength of Ifrit to help. That was all you; you've really come a long way since our last spar."
"Dad helped train me. Plus, it goes to show if you use an eidolon that's considered cheating," Jihl said, wiping her brow as she offered her sister her hand; Zelda took it as Jihl helped her up.
"But the fact you're leaving for basic training soon… You're going to be a PSICOM specialist just like Cedric and Marcus. And I won't be able to join you until next year when I turn 18."
"Yeah, but I'm only going so I can work on my eidolon. I would like Ifrit to be a protector for everyone, and if I can't control my magic, what good am I? Plus, at boot camp, Cyrus Hawke and Caspian Farron are leading. When I heard Caspian Farron controls Odin at his fingertips, which is the coolest thing ever, I got excited. He said he can help me learn better control when I met him."
Both girls put their wooden swords into their makeshift sheaths.
"It's not fair you got an eidolon, and I didn't."
"Jealous Jihl? It's nothing to be jealous of. It can be burdensome at times, especially with extreme stress. Plus, Dad told me PSICOM would help me control it better. And the fact that Cedric had the beautiful Shiva as his, that's extremely special." Zelda felt her cheeks flush slightly.
"Yeah, but the Nabaat family name is special. We'll be on top of this town someday. I want to lead and be like Cyrus," Jihl smiled, "It'd be awesome to have respect and lead an entire army at my fingertips."
"That's an ambitious dream, sis. If you go to the top, then maybe I'll end up right behind you, and we'll work together."
"Do you think Mom would've been proud of us?"
Zelda smiled, pulling her sister close for a hug, "Yes. Mom would've been really proud of us. We've kept Dad in check all this time, and every day I feel she's watching over us."
"Yeah…" Jihl tried to get out of the sad conversation. "Our brothers won't have anything on the Nabaat sisters. We have been working extremely hard with those two gone. Dad is just impressed me, and you are stronger than they are. Plus, girls' rule, boys drool!"
"You say that now, but I bet you dream of them, sis,"
"A Brainiac like me? Dreaming of guys? Get out of here; you're crazy, Zelda."
"I'm only stating a fact."
A man came down the stairs, as they noticed their father, "Hello, father," both girls chimed gleefully. However, their father was looking slightly anguished more than anything.
"Girls… I don't know how to tell you this, but your brothers both passed away in the war."
The news came as a shock, as Zelda and Jihl could only cry. They hugged their father tightly, understanding that this news would bring devastation to the Nabaat family name. Months later, Alois Nabaat would take his life, leaving both of his daughters, joining his wife at Etro's Gate.
The news came as a shock, and only those closest to the family knew the Nabaat sisters suffered a tragedy. However, it left the question of where Jihl would be taken. However, with exam scores off the chart, she would be able to go to basic training with her sister at the early age of 16.
Boot camp was terribly difficult. Though Jihl was smart and could pass every test they handed her with flying colors, the fighting aspect was a lot harder on the teen. However, she would manage to defeat enemies older than her and face some terrible defeats herself. Jihl knew not to give up and used that attitude to keep her training up.
After grueling months of training, Jihl climbed uphill. The young Cadet wanted to be the very best, and Cyrus noticed the young Nabaat girl as she progressed.
Zelda had taken a change of heart through her training, and it wasn't until the two sisters met up again that they realized they were both growing apart. Zelda was happy with her accomplishments; seeing her sister doing so well only made the older Nabaat sister happy.
However, Jihl was sad because it only seemed that Zelda has been hanging around Caspian Farron and his troop under the Guardian Corps, something no Nabaat has done in the past, but she could see how soft her sister actually was. After all these years, did Zelda let Jihl win just to boost her ego? Another straw broke that day, and that was Jihl's jealousy. Seeing her sister training with Caspian only made things worse as the two sister's relationship dwindled.
Several years later passed, and it was time for the graduation exam. Zelda had done hers the year prior, and now it was Jihl's turn. What happened after hearing her results was brought to the attention of both PSICOM and Guardian Corps alike. However, it also got her noticed by none other than a man she never thought she'd get seen by.
Upon graduation exam, Jihl went in for her test. Passing off the chart, she was eventually noticed by Cyrus Hawke.
When he called her into his office, Jihl felt at ease. "Do you know why I called you into my office?"
"No, sir. I've not been bullying another Cadet, sir. Whoever said I have, they lie, sir."
Cyrus chuckled at the young blonde in front of her, "Your score was off the charts. You really have a smart brain up in that head of yours, don't you, Jihl?"
"I always got straight A's in school, sir. If I brought home a grade of anything less than an A, I was punished, sir. I only had failed one exam in my life, and my father resented me for it. Alois was a hard father to please, but as his daughter, I learned from my failure. I was pushed even harder to keep up the standards, that graduating top of my class became a priority while my father was still alive. Finishing up schooling here, finishing up my graduation exams for PSICOM, I knew I had to work harder, and I did. All my training, all my talents would've gone to waste if I had stopped with my failure. I even put my emotions below me when you pushed me into the mud, but you know what, sir? I want to be the very best, and I want to lead, so do not tell me I failed, do not push me around, I want to be treated with respect, and at least do what my father did before me, with Alois as a Lieutenant. Give me that chance."
Cyrus noticed the fire and determination in the eyes of the blonde in front of him. He folded his hands under his chin and looked at her. "You're determined, not every day that I consider taking anyone under my wing. However, you show potential. I'll make you an offer you cannot refuse. If we have a deal."
The day Cyrus explained that he would want Jihl as his Sergeant, the young Nabaat said yes in a heartbeat. However, with her promotion, he also asked her to be his romantically, to which Jihl also said yes. Being in a relationship with a commander Jihl was able to climb ahead of her teammates, and being second-in-command only meant she got to see behind the scenes how PSICOM ran their operations.
Jihl was thankful that Cyrus had been hers. Dating him, she actually was happy. However, things started to change the moment Jihl and Cyrus heard about Caspian's adventures in Oerba. The Guardian Corps report detailed a village with a tribe full of magic users who lived peacefully. When the Nabaat sisters reunited, she heard about her sister's travels, as Zelda had a new light in her world. Wearing a necklace with a fang only made Jihl more curious.
"So, this fang necklace I'm wearing was from a woman in the tribe. She's rather special, and I know your letters spoke of your new relationship, sis. Congratulations. I just wanted you to know that I'm happy in mine. This woman is beautiful, perfect, and quite a skilled hunter. Her name is Rowan, and I wanted to know if you approved. It's not every day that I find someone as special as her, but I'm asking you for your blessing. I know Caius had gotten married to a tribeswoman too, but it would be nice to have your blessing."
The news came as a shock. Zelda had both came out and would be marrying a savage from unknown territory. Zelda had been gone for years, and she finally comes saying she wanted Jihl's blessing. The younger Nabaat felt like her heart was breaking in two. Zelda had been so set on finding someone who made her happy and left Jihl in the dirt. It was the worst feeling as Jihl felt spiteful, hateful, and incredibly lonely.
Telling Cyrus the news, the two plotted. In the following months, the attack on Oerba happened. Jihl and Zelda had faced off as enemies, especially when she found out they had captured Rowan and several tribes' members. War raged on, and several members of the tribe had been killed in their attempts to escape. However, it was thanks to Zelda and Caspian, and his men to get the group out.
The attack on Oerba not only caused the death of Mamoru and Mizuki, but it also drove the final nail in the coffin between Jihl and Zelda. To Zelda, Jihl was dead to her, mostly after learning that she had tried to off her fiancée. As Zelda recast her last name, the sisters never spoke again, only taking that of Zelda Yun after the siege. However, during the siege there had been news that Jihl miscarried a child. This would've been her and Cyrus' son. The announcement came as a shock.
During this time, a child was taken from Caius, and that was his daughter. She had been taken to Bodhum Institute, where we had her prodded and poked like a lab rat. She was experimented on because of her Eyes of Etro and cloned. Caspian did the only thing he could do, and the experiment child was taken, like Zelda, Rowan, and the other tribes' people fled with the child.
However, with Jihl in the hospital and working from there, Cyrus eventually cheated on her. The new woman, a magic caster, the one thing that Jihl and Cyrus hated, only became his new girl. Jealousy had broken Jihl. And with it, she plotted revenge. When the news went around that Cyrus' new girlfriend went missing, he had known it was Jihl. However, making it look like assisted suicide, plotting the evidence on Cyrus, Jihl had watched as the leader of PSICOM was taken to jail as she stepped up in his place as a lieutenant colonel. The leadership became her own, as she would get her revenge.
Cyrus noticed as Jihl entered the interview room. "What do you want, wench? The fact you planted evidence just so you could use me and take my position? That's ridiculous! You're no PSICOM leader!"
"I told everyone to leave for the day, so I could be alone with you,"
"Oh yeah?"
"How could you do that to me, Cyrus, after our wedding? After I miscarried our son? The fact that you would rather be with a younger woman than me? You messed up by cheating on me."
"You didn't tell me you were pregnant. When I heard you miscarried, you shut me out like I was a dog with fleas. What else was I supposed to do? Sit there and twiddle my thumbs? I was at a bar, and that's where I met Mary."
"Oh, so she had a name? Last I checked, you messed up Cyrus. You cheated and broke my heart."
"It's not my fault you shut me out. I wanted to be there for my wife, but clearly, she had treated me like I had not existed. Jihl, I loved that determined young adult you were, but our years together showed me how sadistic you really were. It's like you got pleasure seeing me hurt."
Jihl scrunched up her face, "And you're one to talk. You would go out with your drinking buddies when we were supposed to be on dates. Commander or not, you also started to become rather hateful towards me."
"Like I said, I was sorry."
"Sorry doesn't change the fact you cheated. Sorry doesn't change the fact you messed up. Sorry only gets you in trouble, and I'm taking good care of PSICOM now. Maybe even better care seeing you are here."
"Jihl…"
"Don't Jihl me!"
After their meeting, Cyrus was no more. However, Caius had been around when it happened. He was doing his rounds for Caspian when he noticed Jihl covered in blood. When he heard the truth, he agreed to help her. However, it would only cause problems down the road.
"And you see, Cyrus betrayed me. So long story short is I blackmailed Caius. When he tried to tell Caspian the truth, even after he learned about his daughter, I knew he wanted revenge. I gave him the freedom that he could hurt them, but he was too good for it. So, I took matters into my own hands, just like I'll do with you and your little girlfriend here, and on top of that, Raines. While he was a fun guy to keep around, it's a shame you were part of this scheme Farron. Your family has a habit of poking its nose in the wrong people's business."
The fact Lightning had the truth only made her blood boil as her nails dug into her hands in her bonds as she tried to lunge at the colonel and failed. "I'll get revenge on you. I'll see if you hang for your crimes, Jihl!"
The colonel smiled and knelt down, getting in the pinkette's face, before roughly grabbing her chin. "You're in no condition to make demands, Farron. You have a silver tongue. It'd be a shame if I took it. Shut up, and take your just deserts."
Caius could only watch, and part of him felt worse knowing that Jihl had been in control of him emotionally, mentally and even took the power of his vulnerability. However, something started to break in the Ex-Sergeant's heart as he began to let Jihl's truth get to him. This wasn't solving anything, but could this be the step he needed to make things, right?
The only thing he knew at that moment as he had been gone for nearly seven years, only going on with the plans of this wicked woman. Caspian had trusted him a long time ago, and now he could only watch the corrupt commander of PSICOM as she roughed up his niece he should've been protecting. His immortality, his daughter, everything that led up to this point, all wasted because he was spiteful over something he couldn't understand.
Would this his change of heart? Caius didn't know. All he knew was, he had the power in his hands to change fate and right now felt conflicted, even if he didn't show it on his face.
As Jihl's radio buzzed, she answered. "What?"
"Several of our men have been attacked by a rebel party! You got company Colonel Nabaat."
"I'll be right up."
With that, Jihl smiled, "Do I trust you enough to watch after this group? Or are you just gonna stand there and twiddle your thumbs, Caius?"
"I'll be fine, Jihl."
"Good. I'll be back soon. Then we can finish off these brats."
Looks like the truth is out of the bag Kupo. Jihl told her story. Up next, will Caius help Lightning and Fang escape, or will he go along with Jihl's plans? Find out in chapter 43 Hero's Sacrifice. The final few chapters are here! Thanks for reading.
