Disclaimer: All Final Fantasy 8 characters, places and things all belong to Squaresoft and other involved companies. I own none of it. This fanfic is purely for the fun and enjoyment of others and myself. I make no money from it.
EMPEROR OF DARKNESS
CHAPTER 17
Rinoa Heatilly let a small sigh escape her lips as she finished zipping up her containment suit. She could barely control the butterflies that relentlessly attacked her insides. Constantly she told herself not to get her hopes up, to not foolishly believe in something that could just as easily break her heart, to not bear her soul only to have it fractured once more. She had told herself this a million times yet still she was failing miserably.
She lifted her Esther protection helmet and was just setting it atop her head when the door hissed open.
"Hey!" Came a cheerful voice from the other end.
"Hi Laguna." She replied flatly then returned her attention towards figuring out how to correctly line up her helmets safety locks with the collar of her suit.
"What's wrong?" the elderly man asked making his way towards her.
"You're asking 'me' what's wrong? After 'everything' that's happened?" Rinoa was more then a little annoyed.
"Hmm, you've got a point there. I guess what I'm trying to ask is why are you still so down in the dumps? We're on a rescue mission to save your husband. I'd have thought you would be more animate then this?"
"Well excuse my Mr. Psychiatrist if I'm not jumping in circular loops for you right now ok?!? Look I'm kinda pressed right now so can you just leave me be?"
To emphasis her point, the raven-haired woman turned her back towards him, still clumsily trying to place her helmet correctly.
Laguna let out a heavy sigh. "Look I know this is hard on you. It's hard on everyone believe me but the best think we can do right now is have faith."
"Faith???" This made Rinoa turn around so fast her helmet dropped listlessly to the ground. Laguna winced at the loud sound the helmet made on impact but also at the ferociousness of Rinoa's voice.
"In the last few weeks I've lost my father, the home I've grown up in has been burned to the ground, the world's falling apart, my best friend has been in a coma and I've had to cope with losing the one man I loved more than anything else in the whole world and your telling me to have faith???"
Laguna scratched the back of his head nervously. "Maybe we should talk about this. I lost my wife 20 years ago did you know that?"
"Yes! I've heard the whole story a dozen times from Squall and Ellone! You of all people should understand what I'm going through right now!"
"I do! Believe me, I know exactly what you're going through, probably more then anyone else around. But can't you see? That's why I'm trying so hard to reach out to you! Because I'm going through the same thing you are right now! You may not know this but Squall mean's a lot to me also! I'm grieving just as much as you are but instead of just giving up, I'm being confident! I have 'hope' that Squall is still alive! I believe it from the very bottom of my heart Rinoa and I will 'not' give up on him! Not now, not ever!"
For the first time, Rinoa found that she was utterly speechless in front of the man whom she had been close to hating only seconds before. She simply stared with wide eyes at the man as he continued to look directly into her soul with his penetrating, dark brown irises.
"What…What do you mean?" She finally managed out of her trembling lips.
Laguna suddenly took on his, all too familiar, friendly nature and raised his eyebrows dumbly at her.
"Huh?"
"What you just said. What did you mean by that?"
"By what?"
"You know! What you said about Squall meaning a lot to you. What are you talking about?"
Yet again, Rinoa received an unexpected shock. Instead of receiving a straight answer like she thought she would, she saw the most uncharacteristic look she had ever seen reach up to Laguna's face. 'Was that just,… sadness?' Yet in another second it was gone and Laguna was smiling brightly once again.
"Don't worry about that right now." He said comfortingly. "Too much information in such a short time can have a very negative affect on the mind ya know? And just before a rescue mission too! Tch, tch, tch. Just know and understand that we 'will' find Squall and everything will be 'ok'. Trust me and have confidence ok?"
Rinoa sighed, realizing that, like it or not, she wasn't going to get a straight answer out of him regarding that particular topic for quite some time. "Fine Laguna, it's a deal. So when do we leave anyway?"
"You've got half an hour still. Don't worry, things are going to come into focus real soon. You'll see."
Rinoa simply nodded then stooped low to retrieve her helmet. Laguna silently walked up to her as she once again, tried to put the massive thing over he head.
"Here." Laguna said patiently. "It goes like this…"
Within seconds the helmet clicked and was securely fastened atop Rinoa's head.
"See?" the dark haired man said brightly. "That wasn't so bad now was it?"
Rinoa gave a quick shake of the head then waved her hand. "Thanks Laguna. I'd really like some time to myself right now though. I'll see you in half an hour ok?"
"Sure!" He said enthusiastically. "Half an hour, not a second later. We'll be leaving out of the B1 loading dock so make sure you find you way there."
"Thanks. Bye."
"Bye." The President of Esther said before disappearing out of the room.
Rinoa sighed and sat down. No matter what anyone said, she still couldn't eliminate the cold lump of dread that had securely fastened itself over her heart.
****
Quistis Trepe ran her fingers quickly across the keyboard in the lookout room overseeing the B1 loading dock. She had been typing furiously for the past 4 hours, desperately trying to get the exact schematics for the layouts of the lower Garden area. There were some old blueprints hidden away in the Estherian files yet they were all spread out and it was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Suddenly the door to the room hissed open, breaking her concentration. She quickly turned around to see who it was. The door was silhouetted by a man with a tall and slightly muscular frame. He evenly walked up to her and Quistis had to bite her lower lip to prevent the gasp that threatened to erupt from her lips. 'He's gorgeous!'
Standing by at least 6'4 the man had broad shoulders and a lengthy yet muscular physic. His dark brown hair was slicked back with a few strands falling into the front. He was wearing the standard issue Estherian military uniform with a few extra encasements of armor at his shoulders, chest and attached to his boots. His eyes were sea blue and for a moment Quistis thought she would melt in them.
"Ahem!" He said, bringing her back to reality. "Sorry to bother you Instructor Trepe but I've been assigned to aid you in the mission task."
"It's not a problem really." Quistis said trying not to sound too relieved. "Truth be told, I was about ready to crack as it is. Finding all of the blueprints for the Garden is turning out harder then I expected."
"Finding?" The man asked quizzically. "But doesn't Esther already have saved blueprints for the Garden posted up already?"
"Yes they have them for 'A' Garden but not 'this' Garden. For some reason this one was special. All the separate design blueprints are not only extremely large but also extremely spread out. It's nearly impossible to find them all."
"Hmm, nothings impossible if you put your mind to it." He said encouragingly.
Quistis once again had to struggle to contain her emotions as she bit back a smile. 'I could really get used to this guy.' She told herself mentally.
"You know, I never caught your name." She said conversationally.
"Captain John Mauver. You can just call me John."
This time she didn't stop the smile that rose up to her face. "Only if you call me Quistis instead of all that Instructor garbage."
John let out a small chuckle at this. "Heh, well then it's a pleasure to meet you Quistis. I've only got one more question though."
"And that is?"
"Why are you the one doing this? I mean Yeah your working nav for the rescue team but it would make more sense to me if Laguna had requested that Intel go through all the digging for the blueprints by now."
"He did." Quistis said grinning slightly. "But they couldn't do anything because there was a security lock on Balamb Garden's access files. It couldn't be opened without a registered Official of Balamb Garden. Because neither Selphie, Rinoa or Zell knew the code, they had no choice but to ask me."
John rubbed his chin in wonder. "I see. So is it open to explore now?"
"Explore all you want." Quistis said, waving her hand towards the adjoining computer terminal. "All access routes are open and I could use all the help I can get."
"Great!" John said, taking the seat next to her. "I may not look the part, but I'm a pretty decent hacker when it comes to finding hidden files."
A small laugh escaped Quistis lips as she turned her attention back to her terminal screen. 'I definitely like this guy!'
****
"Ouch! Not so tight!" Zell warned as his wife redid the wrappings on his injured knuckles.
Sarah merely chuckled at her husband's antics. "Oh stop being such a baby Zell! It's not going to kill you." She said as she unwrapped his arm then wrapped it again lighter.
"It might!" Zell challenged with an amused smile. "Death by suffocation."
"On your hand?"
"Why not?" Zell laughed. "I use them to eat hotdogs and if they're wrapped too tight I might suffocate myself trying to get the hotdogs down my throat."
Sarah laughed merrily then rubbed her swelling belly. Zell's eyes turned towards her mid-section and a smile came to his lips. "How's our little camper doing in there?" He asked gently.
Sarah raised her eyes lovingly towards her husband. "He misses his daddy's touch."
Zell's eyes locked with hers as he gently caressed her belly. "I missed him too. I missed both of you."
She cast her husband a worried glance. "Are you positive you still want to go on this rescue mission with Laguna? I hear it's dangerous down there."
Zell's brow furrowed slightly. "You already know the answer to that. Squall is the closest thing I've ever had to a brother. I won't just abandon him when he needs me the most."
Slowly tears started to slide down her eyes. "…I know Zell but… promise me… promise me you'll be careful. Promise me you'll never leave me like you did before. I couldn't go through that again. I was so afraid…"
"I know honey and I'm sorry you had to go through that." Zell said with loving passion in his voice. "I'll never leave you again. I promise."
Slowly his lips met hers and they were locked in a passionate embrace as they held each other lovingly.
****
Time passed quickly and within no time at all, the rescue group was all assembled on the lower levels at the B1 loading dock. A huge makeshift connecting ramp had been hastily but also securely connected to the center of the massive garden. The area had been drilled and blasted open with the finest in Estherian explosives making a direct entrance to the lower levels of Balamb Garden possible.
Zell whistled at all the huge connection cables linking the two areas together. "They sure did a number on our home huh?" He said surveying the burnt and mulled exterior of the Garden ahead. Even though the giant ship was so big they only caught a glimpse at this direct portion of its hull, it was still in bad enough shape that it made the young seed burn with anger at how much damage the Galbadian soldiers had already caused them.
"When I get my hands on those bastards…" he said in fury clenching his injured fists, albeit carefully.
Laguna placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Easy, save the revenge for later sport. Right now we've got more important things to worry about."
"Yeah your right. It's just that, looking at what they've done and all we've lost, it makes my blood boil."
"I understand but right now a cool head is needed more then a hot temper right?"
"Yeah, no sense in wasting my energy when there aren't any enemies around to beat up."
"Exactly." Laguna chuckled. He caught sight of Rinoa out of the corner of his eyes then gently turned towards her.
"Hey there. You've been quiet the whole time. Are you sure you want to do this?"
Rinoa trained her eyes on him and the look she wore almost broke the man's heart. After a few tense moments she finally responded.
"I have to do this… If I don't I wouldn't be able to live with myself."
Laguna nodded solemnly.
"So I guess Selphie's not coming…" Zell said in a slightly dejected voice. This brought even more pain into Laguna's heart. He had been the one to approach the young girl about the proposition but if Rinoa was going through hard times, then the young festival girl was going through hell. Shortly after the Battle, Selphie had been dejected and moody. When the man had approached her she had warded it off as if it were trivial but he could see the pain evident in her face. He knew the truth. She was scared. Too scared of what she would find so therefore she had thrown him the cover that she needed to keep the remaining Balamb seeds in check while they took care of the situation at hand.
Laguna had let her off after she told him she was confident they would return victorious but he knew she was going through a lot. No longer was she the cheery, overactive young girl he had known three years hence. Now she was just a withdrawn shadow with a mind set only for the preservation of her comrades.
Laguna let out a sigh then straightened his containment suit as the two other Estherian soldiers came up to assist them in their search.
"I apologize for the delay Mr. President." One of the soldiers said, offering a salute. "Just making sure everything's in order and double checked."
"No worries." Laguna said mildly. "So are we ready to begin?"
"We've got a green light sir. We may proceed when ready."
A slight smile appeared on the Presidents face. Finally they could begin. He would find Squall and everything would be alright. "Let's get this show on the road then!" He said directing his arm towards the opening in the ship.
Together they all stepped forward and carefully entered into the burnt, charred remains of Balamb Garden.
"Quistis are you with me, over." Laguna asked through the communications device built into the side of his helmet.
"I read you loud and clear." Came the blond's muffled reply through his receiver.
"Alright give us a situation report. What's our current position?"
"Right now you're about 6 klicks away from the main entrance hall to the Garden. You're going to need to go east for about 3 klicks. Be careful because the footing is pretty bad halfway through. Once there, you should be cut off by a wall and another path should veer right. Assuming the structure held in place through the attack."
"Let's hope so. What else?"
"Once you've taken the new path it should lead directly to the area beneath the main entrance. Once you get there be very careful. Multiple fractures in the lower level may prevent access but if you're careful enough you should find a ground latch leading to an even lower level. If you take that it will lead all the way to the area directly below the bridge. I guess the designers were pretty crafty in doing that. Whatever the reasons, the area below the bridge is pretty big surprisingly. If all goes according to planned, you should have an easy time locating Squall and any other survivors there and getting them out."
"Ok, understood. Well let's cross our fingers and hope this works." Laguna said then took a tentative step forwards. The search had begun.
****
Rhazenak lowered his head in a bow of respect while kneeling before his emperor. As always the area was dark. Huge pillars surrounded the throne room. The only light traveling into the area was from the few candles set atop the deus in which the throne seat rested. The lights reflected off of dark armor making the emperor appear even more menacing if such a thing were possible. Rhazenak found his hands were trembling like always whenever he was in the presence of this man. Zeilak commanded fear and obedience from his servants. He fed off of the power it inflicted upon all before him and he basked in its magnificence. The scent of molten wax and flame were the predominant scents of the room like always. It seemed Zeilak had a fetish for that particular atmosphere. Rhazenak would not be one to make that assumption boldly however. He knew better then to make any accusations of this man lest he lose his head.
"What have you to report my Sorcerer?" Zeilak asked in an ominous voice that reverberated throughout the giant room creating even more echo's. Once again Rhazenak shivered at the malice and dominance integrated in that powerful voice. He could almost taste the raw power issuing forth even if he was only speaking.
"My Emperor" Rhazenak began in a calm and controlled voice. Over the years Zeilak had fashioned him well. Even though he was terrified by the man, Rhazenak had trained well enough to hide such emotions before his emperor. He had learned to control those emotions and to lock them away as was his philosophy that all emotions were pointless and a hindrance to greater untapped potential.
The hand resting on his knee clenched slightly as he continued. "My Emperor I am sorry to report that our forces assigned to the annihilation of Balamb Garden have failed. They were utterly wiped out."
The room became deftly silent and Rhazenak found that he was becoming more and more tense with the passing of each second. Rhazenak did his best to repel the aching sensation of fear that continued to assault him. Zeilak's wrath knew no bounds and he was unsure of how this news would affect his Emperor. Thus he continued to wait, beads of sweat beginning to form at his temples.
"How were they destroyed?" The Emperor finally spoke in a smooth and controlled voice.
Rhazenak almost let out a sigh of relief but held it for fear of annoying Zeilak. "I am not all together sure but I've received rumors that in the last minutes they were aided by the help of the Estherian army."
"I am not surprised. I should have targeted more firepower to that disreputable country. They are becoming quite the hindrance to my plans."
"Shall I lead an assault my liege?"
"No not yet. Let them have their way for now. It is truly of little difference to me. Right now I will waste no more of my resources on exterminating those measly seeds. They are injured enough and I am sure they are licking their wounds."
"Sire, what do you have in mind?"
"For now we will continue to build our empire here in Galbadia. Besides, we will need time to fashion our new warrior correctly."
A slight frown of disgust assaulted Rhazenak's expression and he did his best to hide the malice in his voice when he responded. "You mean that traitor seed? My Emperor please tell me. Why do we need such a lowly whelp? He is of no value to us, he couldn't even defeat Squall Lionhart. He's utterly useless!"
"Do you question my decisions Rhazenak? Do you 'dare' doubt 'me'?!?"
Rhazenak quickly bowed his head once more and clutched his fist to his chest in salute. "No Sire of course not. Never. I just wonder on the man's capacity to serve us. He may still bear ties to his former comrades."
Suddenly the air became engulfed in loud cruel laughter and Rhazenak had to do his best to not cover his ears. The sound was horrible and evil. He could feel the vestiges of his heart tearing asunder as the awful sound continued.
"Do not concern yourself with our new addition. I can assure you when I am done with him, his 'loyalties' will be to me and me alone. He will pledge ultimate fealty to my rule. In this, you can be certain."
"Very well my liege. It is, of course, your decision."
"Correct. Be careful next time on how you address my plan's Rhazenak. This has been the second time I have detected a note of defiance in you. If you do not take care to fastened your tongue as well as your stray thoughts I may be forced to execute you. Remember your place!"
"Yes of course Sire. I shall not forget."
"It would serve you well not to. Now, as for your orders. I want you to round up all remaining Galbadian soldiers still loyal to Caraway. If they prove to be too persistent against our special 'influence' then dispose of them. Once all new recruits are aligned, see to it that they are properly trained and that all is in order. Once you are done with that, I want you then to investigate more information on the Lunatic Pandora. I will not lose that prize to Esther."
"As you wish sire."
As the dark cloaked man left his emperor's chambers, all returned to silence in the dark realms of the throne room leaving Zeilak to plot more destruction and annihilation for the world to bear.
****
Laguna nearly stumbled to his knees in exhaustion. The excavation group had been traveling for nearly eight hours now and the trip was taking its toll on the entire team.
Rinoa rushed immediately to Laguna's side and helpfully propped him up. "Laguna? Are you ok?"
"Yeah I'm fine." The Estherian President replied, giving her a weak smile. "I appreciate the concern but I'm quite alright. Just kind'a tired but I'll live."
"We're all tired man." Zell said a few feet away. "Just hang in there and we'll make it."
"Lt. Jameson, how much further till we reach the designated area."
One of the two Estherian soldiers stepped forward giving the president a crisp salute. "Sir, not much further now. A few yards at most. We should expect to see a huge tunnel then further down, a locked door barring the entrance to the area directly below the bridge."
"Sheesh you've been saying that for hours now!" The President whined. "Ever since we took that lower tunnel from the area below the main hall, we've been walking down this narrow tunnel for what seems like ages."
"That is odd." Added Rinoa. "Had we not had outside information, this tunnel looks like it could go on forever…"
Zell lightly touched her shoulder. "You're saying you think Squall and the others could have possibly come this way?"
Rinoa lowered her head slightly, a dejected frown forming on her face. "It's possible…" She said softly.
"Let's not give up hope just yet!" Laguna said walking forward once more. "We've still got quite a ways to go."
Without another word, the elderly man quickly sped up his pace walking quickly down the corridor and surprising them all.
"Wow…" Zell said in awe. "Just a minute ago that guy was lurching over in exhaustion and now he's moving like a speeding bullet. Gotta admire his tenacity."
"That's our President for you!" One of the Soldier's said, smiling proudly.
"Let's just catch up with him already!" Rinoa said then rushed off.
"Sheesh!" Zell commented after her. "Now she's the one speed walking. Must be something in the air down here or something?"
The other two soldiers merely shrugged and so the three of them resumed their trek albeit at a lower speed.
"Laguna wait up!" Rinoa heaved, catching up with him at the front of the group.
"Oh I'm sorry. Am I moving too fast for you Rinoa?"
The woman simply shot him a meaningful glare which spoke louder then words.
"Ooook forget I asked."
Laguna lowered his pace slightly and the two of them continued to walk in silence. Laguna shifted nervously after a few minutes, not entirely sure why Rinoa had insisted upon walking with him.
Rinoa noticed his tension and sighed heavily. "So are you ever going to tell me?"
"Tell you what?" Laguna asked trying to play stupid.
"Enough games already Laguna. You know damn well what I'm talking about!"
Now it was Laguna's time to sigh. "I guess it's useless to try and avoid it huh?"
"If you don't tell me, it's only going to get worse for you."
Laguna chuckled slightly at this. "Yeah I noticed…"
"So… What are you waiting for?"
Another sigh escaped the man's lips.
"Squall and I have a rather… unique relationship."
Rinoa raised an eyebrow making a funny expression. "Unique?"
"Don't give me that look! I'm not talking about anything like that! Sheesh young people today!"
Rinoa's face quickly became flustered. "Stop beating around the bush and just spit it out already!"
"I suppose you may hate me for this. I'm sure Squall will when I tell him. I've been trying to avoid it for so long… but I guess that only makes it worse huh?"
"Laguna…"
"Rinoa… I'm Squall's father."
In that instant Rinoa's world stopped. She nearly dropped her supply pack in shock as she simply stared at the elder man with wide eyes.
Laguna squirmed under the young woman's intense gaze.
"Y…you're what?"
"Yeah I know this is a surprise to you. Hell, it will be a hell of a surprise to Squall when I tell him."
Quickly Rinoa's expression darkened and she glared at the President with angry eyes. "So you mean to tell me you've known all this time and you never once told Squall any of it?"
"…I… Rinoa…"
"What kind of a father are you? I may not have appreciated my father all the time while I was growing up but at least I knew who he was and I knew he cared for me! At least I had the comfort of knowing someone loved me!"
"…I… You're right. There's nothing I can say but that I am sorry."
Rinoa still looked at him in shock. Still glared at him angrily. "Where have you been all this time? Why didn't you ever once attempt to find your son? Didn't you care for him at all?"
"YES!" The man nearly exploded at her. "Of course I cared about him! He's my 'son' for crying out loud! I've always cared about him! I've always wanted to find him, to see what kind of a man he was becoming! But I was denied that privilege…"
"Denied? What do you mean?"
"I mean when I came to Esther. During the time… the time Raine… you know… anyway during that time, I was in Esther trying to liberate the country from Adel's rule. I don't know, I guess I was trying to do what was right. I couldn't just sit by and watch people idly suffer before my very eyes and do nothing about it. When I finally discovered what had happened to my wife, it had to have been about two years after the war. I had been made President of Esther. Responsibilities fell on my shoulders. I had no real choice really. At any rate, they had told me it was through childbirth. Immediately I asked where my child was and if he survived. They could give me no answer. I tried searching around, looking for any sign. After a while, I guess I simply gave up looking. I had assumed he had died along with his mother or at best, he was somewhere were I would never find him. At the time many important things were going on. The preservation of peace and tranquility was threatened in Esther and I was told only I could rectify it."
The man sighed once more as he finished his story. This time the sigh was such that it seemed as if his very essence were sucked away with his breath. He sighed sagely, staring at Rinoa with broken eyes.
"I know any excuse I could give is not sufficient. The fact still remains that I've abandoned my son. Three years before I officially met you all, I learned that my son did in fact exist from information I received from Ellone. I was elated of course but at the same time ashamed. How could a man face his own son and tell him he had neglected him because he simply gave up on him? How do you think that would have made him feel? I figured my son would be better off simply not knowing and perhaps in the end he would lead a much happier life if I just stayed out of the picture."
"Laguna…" The name drifted softly from Rinoa's lips filled with emotion. No longer did she glare at the man with angry eyes but looked into his deep brown irises with sympathy and sorrow.
"I've ruined enough lives already." The man continued. "Squall doesn't need me…"
"Yes he does…" Rinoa interjected softly then increased the intensity of her voice. "Yes he does! Squall needs his father. He needs to know. I've been married to him for three years! Believe me I know! I've heard the stories he's told me! He may not act it and he will certainly be mad but he at least deserves the right to know! Don't you think so?"
Laguna swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded softly. "You're right…"
"Good!" Rinoa said firmly. "Because when we find him, you'll tell him everything won't you? You will tell him all that you've told me and everything will be ok!"
Laguna's eyes widened in shock, realizing what she was saying. "Rinoa… you mean…You finally agree with me?"
"I won't give up on Squall! You've helped me realize just how foolish I was acting. If there's even a slight chance that my husband may still be alive I will not deny him! We haven't found a body which means there's still hope!"
A smile quickly formed on Laguna's face. "That's the spirit Rinoa THAT'S THE SPIRIT!"
A determined smiled formed on the young woman's face. "Let's find my husband and then get the hell out of here!"
"You got it!" Laguna said proudly, once again resuming his pace.
For the first time in a long time Rinoa realized she was happy. She was feeling better and more secure in the knowledge that somewhere there was still a chance her husband was safe. 'Please don't let us down Squall.' She said to herself mentally. 'Now you can't die! Too many people are depending on you! Please… hang on my love…'
::::::::::To Be Continued::::::::::
Author's note: Thanks for reading and please stay tuned for chapter 18.