Queen of Souls
By Soul Hunter
Chapter Fifteen
He paced across the room restlessly, each step dragging heavily, feeling like it was weighed down by a pair of anvil-studded athletic foot straps. His mind was equally burdened with a grave turmoil brought about by recent developments. Before every turn, Cid Kramer would stop momentarily, heaving a deep breath as he pondered profoundly on the grim tidings. He couldn't help asking himself if he had done something so wrong as to lead one of his best charges on a seeming path to betrayal. Shaking his head, the confused Headmaster concentrated to purge his mind of the impure thoughts. It couldn't be, he nagged at himself. She was among his finest. It didn't matter if she had reason to or not. Her integrity was too strong, too inviolable to be seduced by any call to such a traitorous deed. No, not her. Of all people, never Quistis Trepe.
But what could possibly have brought her to act that way?
Edea just stared at her perplexed husband. She wanted to utter words to stay his anxiety, but she chose not to. They had been living and breathing each other for the most part of their eventful lives. And during the many years of conjugal coexistence, she had learned to discern when her voice has the ability to console him, and when it doesn't. The occasions had been few, yet dreadfully ominous. And she knew her husband too much to make an attempt at consoling him when she knew her efforts would net nothing. She remained silent to allow him his sullen musing. Besides, she thought, the very conflict raging in his psyche was also tearing hers asunder. She trusted the instructor too much to bring about a quick understanding of her flustering act.
Only when he broke the silence in the room did she choose to break hers.
"Where are they?"
"They're on their way." Edea curtly answered.
As if on cue, a troika of rapping sounds echoed from the door of his office. "Come in." She bellowed to welcome the newcomers.
Squall was the first one to enter though the opened door, followed by Rinoa, Zell, Selphie, and then Irvine. It had barely been hours since they came back from the Tomb of the Unknown King, where they were rescued by Deling police officers who responded to Headmaster Cid's request. They all looked weathered down by their unexpected ordeal, but Cid couldn't care less. This matter was much too important to delay.
"Commander, please give me your report."
"Do I have to?" The SeeD leader echoed with a tinge of sarcasm. "You know what happened out there, Headmaster."
"Come on, Squall. Work with me here. I know you're upset with what happened. I know you all are. But we can't just leave this be like it's some minor mishap that'll go away by itself. Quistis turned on all of you without so much as an explanation. Whatever made her act that way is something I deem too serious to be ignored."
"I'll say." Irvine mumbled. "Good thing she just gave me the sleep treatment." He furthered while looking at Zell and Selphie, focusing on their bruises.
"And what does that suggest, Irvine?" Edea joined in.
"Simple." The gunslinger retorted. "Quisty simply wants to immobilize us. The fact that she left Diablos junctioned to Squall means she never meant to inflict any serious harm."
"Yeah. And she turned off our communicators, apparently because she wanted us out of the way long enough to give her enough time." Selphie added.
"Give her enough time for what?" The martial artist impatiently blurted out.
"Squall, why don't you tell them?" Rinoa echoed. Everybody's attention subsequently focused on Squall, with the Headmaster eyeing him conspicuously.
"You have anything to share with the class?"
Squall exhaled resoundingly before commencing with his account. "I found an old parchment inside the crypt that supposedly housed the remains of the unknown king. It said something about a prophecy pertaining to our target, and how any group of warriors who would dare to challenge it will die."
"Why didn't you tell us this sooner, Squall?" Cid exclaimed, visibly agitated by the report. "If this is the reason behind her behavior, this explains a lot of things."
"I don't know, Headmaster. Sounds like bullshit to me." Zell countered. "I mean, Quisty's supposed to be smarter than that. Why would she even believe in some old hearsay?"
"I think she was talked into it." Squall continued. "Quistis wasn't alone in this. She's got someone helping her. This person was the one who attacked me."
"Helping her? Or pulling her strings?" The gunslinger intermitted.
Cid thought deeply, deliberating on the possibility that she was in fact being manipulated by this other individual Squall mentioned. More than a year has already passed but he still felt somewhat paranoid to the subject of enthrallment. Even despite the trustworthy account of his best SeeDs, the longsuffering Headmaster couldn't completely erase from his mind the harrowing loneliness and blunt fear that dominated most of the days that he lived through while his wife was enthralled by the future-based sorceress. And though the paranoia had grown less, he still twitched once in a while whenever Edea fell in a ponderous state. Meeting their destinies had taxed his aging heart, and he has yet to fully recover from the trauma.
The possibility that this strange mystery man might be controlling Quistis scared him. Given the tidings, he started to consider the decision of recalling the entire SeeD corps to send them after her. He had already requested the Estharian task force to find her. Now he realized it might not be enough. Only a few moments ago, Cid was concerned merely for observing Garden rules against desertion. Now he was worried about the instructor's life.
"The arrest order may not be quick enough, Edea." He voiced out to his wife. The five SeeDs wondered audibly after hearing that remark.
"What arrest order?" Selphie snapped out. They were then interrupted when the twin doors suddenly burst open to a furious Dr. Kadowaki.
"Cid, what in the world is the meaning of this?" The physician exclaimed vehemently. "I heard Xu and Nida talking about the arrest order you issued for Quistis. What is that for?"
"Garden Code: Article 21, Section 12." He curtly returned. "And I don't mean to be rude, Doctor. I know you're just trying to defend her but don't you think you're overstepping your bounds a little?"
"Headmaster, after all these years of her unqualified loyalty and dedication to you and Balamb Garden, don't you think it'd be wiser to consider that whatever made her do that was more than a damn good reason? Don't you trust her enough for that? Besides" She trailed off while tossing a glance at Squall. "She's got a lot on her mind lately."
"That is not the issue, Doctor Kadowaki. This is not about my trusting Quistis or not. This is about abiding to our laws. But" Cid's voice softened. "That's hardly our main concern right now. Considering this new information we acquired, I have reason to believe that her life may be in danger."
Picking up the phone, the Headmaster dialed a number that was scrawled on the face of his notepad. He spoke briefly, with the others wondering whom he was talking to. He then put down the phone with a rigid look in his face.
"I just informed General Pischke of Camp Tetsuo that you will be coming over once more to assist in the task of apprehending Quistis. Now I know you still don't favor the idea so let's put it this way: this has now turned into a rescue operation. Do whatever it takes to get her back. As soon as you've accomplished that part of the mission, proceed to your original objective and hunt down that mass killer."
They all acknowledged the order in unison. That was when Cid first became mindful of the missing personnel.
"Wait a minute why is Seifer not with you?"
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They stood defiantly in the midst of humming mechanical resonance that mixed with the whistling echoes of the warm wind. Each with their muscles tensed, each clutching their weapons tightly as if their lives depended on it. And they did. Facing more than a dozen gunships and artillery carriers, Quistis and Hunter prepared themselves for the worst. They knew that the next few moments will decide whether they continue to live or not. They had nothing to rely on now except their keen senses as warriors. They may be among the best, but even the finest of them would doubt their chances in the face of such tremendous odds.
Hunter clenched his teeth in frustration. He wasn't new to this scenario. With his body and mind honed to absolute perfection, threats like this didn't pose much of a concern for him. The rigid training he underwent as part of his development presented far worse challenges than this. He was confident of himself and his abilities. But right now, all the confidence he could muster wasn't enough to ease his anxiety for his beloved's safety. If he could have it his way, Quistis would be a million miles away from this hellhole by now. But she had to be adamant in being by his side. He should be flattered, but he wasn't. Right now, all he wanted to do was to get her out of harm's way.
"I'm sorry I dragged you into this, Quisty." He uttered. "Should've known better than to let someone else fight my war."
"Stop talking like that, Hunter." She shot back. "Believe it or not, I'd rather be beside you while facing a million guns than be back to my old life. I'm I'm a lot happier this way, despite the circumstances. If I am to die, I might as well die here with you."
"Now you stop talking like that, babes. I'm just concerned about your safety. I promised to protect you, and I give you my word that we'll both get out of this in one piece. I'm just sorry that you have to go through all these on my account."
"Silly boy, I'm having the time of my life." She teased. "Sure beats making all those lesson plans."
An echoing voice reverberated from the flagship carrier, demanding them to lay down their arms. But instead of the gesture to surrender, the warrior couple firmed their stand. Hunter's eyes darted fiercely as he prepared himself for the worst. Quistis held her breath. Nothing could be more terrifying than the cognizance of a situation that couldn't be described in any other way aside from 'sitting ducks.'
The armored beasts roared to life and began moving towards them.
"Rock and roll it is" The dark knight whispered.
Multiple thumps reverberated as mortar fire filled the skies with ribbons of trail smoke left in the wake of explosive shells that blazed toward the two warriors. Not wasting any time, the intruder and the instructor sped off toward different directions to avoid that earth-shaking conflagration that subsequently ensued. The deafening explosions that nearly tore through their assaulted ears muffled the sound of their rapid running.
Ignoring the loud blasts, they each singled out the enemy gunships nearest them. Using his powerful legs, Hunter pushed hard against the ground, propelling himself to a soaring leap while twisting impossibly in mid-air to avoid the ten-inch bullets fired by the turret machine guns. Landing like a cat on top of an Iron Clad, he quickly pulled out the Twin Jutte and plunged its sharp blades into the round covering of the exit chute. With a mighty tug, the intruder pried the door open, after which he tossed in three flash grenades that subsequently detonated to stun the soldiers controlling the gunship. He then leaped off from the disabled machine as it screeched to a halt.
A tearing whine cut a swath across the air as Quistis turned to catch sight of the missile speeding toward her. Instinctively, she cracked the Save the Queen toward the projectile and caught it within the bullwhip's unbreakable coil. She heaved to spin the missile around her twice then swung hard, releasing the warhead toward a collision course with another artillery carrier. The SeeD was already dashing toward another target when the missile she hurled destroyed the carrier. Pouring all her concentration, Quistis unleashed a powerful Tornado spell that caught three gunships within a tempest of raging winds, buffeting them violently within the merciless maelstrom and sending them crashing against each other.
"What do you think you're doing, you stupid imbeciles?!?" Captain Gargant screamed in disgust into the radio receiver. "There're only two of them and they're trashing us like we're nothing! Infantry, make yourselves useful and attack! Gang up on them if you have to!!!"
Obeying the frantic command, foot soldiers armed with swords and automatic rifles popped out from the disabled gunships to attack the instructor head on. Quistis saw the horde approaching her from all directions and quickly took action, casting a Quake spell to knock them off their feet. Those who weren't felled by the magically conjured tremor were thrown back by staggering waves of compressed sound as she followed up with her Ultrawaves.
Unfortunately, in a battle like this the weight of number has the tendency to slowly get the upper hand no matter how proficient the combatants were. Quistis was too immersed in marking the positions of the enemies that she didn't notice another Iron Clad preparing to attack her from behind. She cried out in intense pain when the blistering force of its pulse laser connected hard at her back. In the midst of deafening explosions, Hunter heard her agonized scream.
"QUISTIS!!!" His enraged holler exploded through the din. With a sudden burst of speed, the dark warrior launched from the scrapped remains of a gunship he had just destroyed and frenziedly ran to her aid. But a strong force suddenly jarred him when a burning slug tore through his right shoulder, causing him to smash face first into the sandy ground. Blood trickled from his nose and mouth as he struggled to pick himself up. Now enraged beyond belief, Hunter's burning eyes fixed on the war machine rolling after him.
Rage mixing with desperation, his body suddenly radiated bright gold rays as he prepared to execute his limit break attack. Hunter roared like a cornered lion while slapping together the Twin Jutte to form a single blade, which then started to pulse with tremendous Holy force. Seeing what was about to happen, the soldiers controlling the gunships immediately jumped clear and away from the machines. Complete silence engulfed the battlefield when the Judgment Cannon crackled to life, unleashing catastrophic magic energies directly into the mechanical adversaries, shredding them into tiny ribbons of burnt scrap metal.
Taking advantage of the confusion, Hunter managed to reach Quistis.
"Hey, you're hurt!"
"N-No, I'm okay." She stammered. "Just a little stunned."
They then looked up to see themselves surrounded by gun-wielding Galbadian soldiers and the remaining operational artillery carriers. Both weakened by the intense battle, Quistis and Hunter tentatively lifted themselves up, unsure of what to do next. They both knew that continued resistance in such an outgunned and outnumbered situation would be foolish. It didn't look good for them at this point.
A voice suddenly rang out, startling both them and the soldiers.
"STOP!!!"
Surprised by the unexpected resonance, the two combatants gazed in dumbfounded fashion when the war machines suddenly halted and the soldiers complied immediately. Whoever hollered that order was, he had to be someone with authority to be able to stop what's left of the regiment. That, or he had to be someone who commanded much fear among the Galbadian ranks. Quistis subsequently found out that it was the latter.
"They're mine." He declared obstinately, with the Galbadian soldiers gawking at him with awe. Most of them knew Seifer from the old days of the second Sorceress War, and they were quite aware of the temperament he normally displayed especially when someone became insolent enough to defy his orders. He was not one to be trifled with.
"Anyone who so much as breathe on a trigger guard will answer to me. And you all know what that means." He glared haughtily at the soldiers.
"Seifer" Quistis muttered as she recognized her gray-clad comrade. "Why am I not surprised?"
"I don't know, instructor." His usual snide voice echoed. "Maybe you knew in the back of your mind that you couldn't hold me down just like that. Now why don't we all become nice boys and girls and surrender. There's a standing order for your arrest, instructor. And I'm here just like the loyal SeeD I am to carry it out."
"I'm sure you're having a great time." Quistis sneered back. "And what if I refuse?"
"I was hoping you'd say that." Seifer said with a fierce glare in his eyes. "I've been aching for a rematch."
"Wow." Hunter blurted out. "Look who's here, the royal pain in the ass."
The grin on Seifer's face disappeared upon hearing the dark knight's insulting remark. He wasn't one to take such words from people whom he considered strangers.
"I don't believe we've met." He echoed with a dark expression. "Would you mind giving me your name before I ram all your teeth down your throat?"
"Don't bother asking for it. It won't do you any good after I cut your tongue off." Hunter snapped back, matching Seifer's slurring tone. "And just so you know, you'll have to go through me first before you could even lay a finger on Quisty."
Quistis then glared and pushed her beau slightly aside.
"What do you think you're doing? Look at your shoulder, you're in no condition to fight him."
"This is the break we need, babes." Hunter whispered back. "It looks like his ego is too huge to allow anyone to interfere, so that means I can keep him preoccupied while you cut back to the Ragnarok. I saw the bikes stashed in the cargo bay. Get them, then"
"I told you, I'm not leaving without you!" She objected.
"No, of course not. Get them, then come back for me here."
The instructor stared intently into his eyes, as if measuring his sincerity. Her anxiety was somewhat quelled when the dark knight winked back at her reassuringly. Quistis gave one look at him before proceeding to step aside.
"Well, what do we have here? You two spend one night alone and now you're lovey-doveys? Damn, I never thought I'd live to see the instructor hit on someone else other than Sq"
"Can it!" Hunter exclaimed. "You gonna fight or what?"
"So you're that eager to die." Seifer shot back. "All right, don't mind if I indulge you."
Again, nothing was heard but sheer, metallic echoes as the Twin Jutte and the Hyperion prepared for the death match.
End of Chapter Fifteen