Chapter 16
"Everyone, cast aura on yourselves. We are going to need it!" shouted Quistis. Soon enough, everyone was shimmering with gold, and Squall was the first to attack. He used Renzokuken on the mechanical beast.
"Hardly made a dent!" he puffed and panted crouching on the floor.
[I]Now it's my turn to play…[/I] the machine said to itself. From the centre of its impressive frame, came a bolt of lightning, aimed directly at Selphie. She dived out of the way, and where she had been stood was a circle of flame. She could see clean through the smoking hole to the floor below. Unaffected by her close shave with death, she too took advantage of her limit breaks. She focused, and cycled through in her mind her available magic.
"The End!" she shouted and crossed the woods of her Shinobou. Flowers sprung from the ground, and the enemy was momentarily transported to a field of green. When transported back though, it was unaffected.
"The End doesn't work?" asked Irvine stunned. The machine powered up once again. This time it focused its energies on Quistis. She went to move, but was not quick enough. The laser hit her directly in the chest, and she was launched across the room and landed in a crumpled heap against the wall. Before anyone could go to her aid, it fired a short burst of lasers across the rest of the group. Selphie was hit in the thigh and collapsed to the floor in agony while Squall ducked out of the way. With two of his comrades out of action, Irvine made a bold move. He rolled across the floor and stood up behind the robot. He found a small groove in what could only be described as its shoulder bone. He thrust his rifle as far up as it would go. He gave a cheeky smile, and pulled off one single bullet. The recoil promptly blew him back, half way across the room, with his gun still stuck in the back of the beast.
"Dammit…" he said as he curled onto a ball, weaponless awaiting the counterattack, that shortly followed.
Gered and Zell, the two martial artists began a double assault. Zell used his fists to take on the higher regions, and Gered took the lower half with his spiked feet. Little did much damage, and were soon immobilised on the floor unconscious. Now, only Squall remained. The floating menace hung ominously in the air. It made its way toward Squall, and was backing him in the corner, slowly at first, then speeding up. For the first time in his life, Squall shouted the word he hated. The word that made him week, that made him human.
"Help!" he cried out. The doors burst open, and in stormed a troop of Estharian soldiers. Trained in the technology that was behind Mobile Type 9, they made little work of giving it some nice new air holes.
Squall was stunned. As the crumpled heap of metal fell to the floor, he managed to say, "Wha…?" Some of the soldiers went around to the rest of the team, and issued Phoenix downs, potions, and Elixirs. In no time the rest were up and walking, be it with a limp
"Mr Leonheart sir?" said a high-ranking soldier as he saluted. Squall stuttered for a moment until he found the words.
"Yes, at your service Sir." Squall said as he saluted.
"Sir no Sir!" said the soldier. Squall could tell he was smiling under the helmet. "Sir, We are at your service Sir!"
"I'm sorry?" said Squall confused.
"Sir, We were sent as a direct order from President Laguna Loire, Sir." Squall had a puzzled look on his face. "Sir, May I introduce myself. I am Captain Hojan Verson. These here are my men. Here is the written directive, Sir." He said as he handed over a piece of paper. Squall took it and read it through.
"Well I'll be…" Squall read through. Laguna had sent out twelve of the best darn soldiers in the entire Estharian military. And they were all at his disposal. They were at his command until he said so.
"Sir, what are your orders Sir?"
"Firstly," said Squall, "Stop with the 'Sir' rubbish."
"Sir, Yes Sir!" Squall groaned.
"Secondly, open up that chamber, and get that girl out." He pointed in the direction of the observation window.
"Sir. I think that you may not need our help with that job sir." Squall looked over, and saw Selphie tapping away at the miniature keypad she held and the built in keyboard simultaneously. A small crowd of soldiers had gathered round and was watching in amazement. One of the soldiers was leaning up against the wall unit, and said something along the lines of 'Are you free tonight?' Selphie just politely smiled and carried on typing.
"Defario!" The Captain shouted. Immediately, the soldier stood bolt upright. "These young uns' don't have no respect for the fairer sex." He sighed. "Any other tasks sir?"
"Yes." He said. "Find Odine. He must be here somewhere."
"Sir." The Captain said as he saluted and walked away to brief his men.
"Squall," said Quistis. "What is going on?" Squall handed over the piece of paper. She read it. "All of them?" asked Quistis. He nodded. "Wow. We really should thank Lagu… I mean the President." Squall said nothing. He walked over to where Selphie was at the mainframe computer.
"Hey Squall. Almost done." He asked around to see how everyone was. Everyone was fine apart from Zell who complained that his neck hurt. Irvine called him a chicken-wuss, everyone laughed, and Zell didn't complain again. "Done!" shouted Selphie, as she typed the last digits on the keyboard. "So, who's getting her?" As if the question needed to be asked. All eyes focused on Gered.
"I'll go." He said, and walked out the door, to ride on the elevator to the confinement room. He pushed the door gently and stepped inside. The first thing to hit him was the blueness of it all. It was so blue it hurt his eyes. Yannie was asleep on the floor, still in her SeeD cadet uniform. The skirt was torn, and the socks had holes in them. Her hair was a mess, and resembled the way she was when she was first found.
He bent down and gently touched her shoulder. She jolted out of slumber, and sat upright. Terrified that it was another soldier, or that strange man with the needles, she almost cried when she saw it was Gered. He held his hand out, but she flung her arms around him. They stayed like that on the floor for a few moments until he slipped his arms gently beneath her legs and lifted her up of the ground. She was light to carry. He took her out of the blue room, never to return.
*********************
Squall watched the emotional scene. It struck a chord with him. Somehow, he could relate to it. Deep in his mind, a memory stirred. Of course, it was like the time he rescued… But none of that mattered anymore. She was in the past now. He should once again take Quistis's advice, and let her go completely. Letting go was the easy part. Living thereafter, that was hard. If only he could see her once more. The solution to all his problems, they lay within her.
How long had he blocked her out of his heart? Out of his mind? Perhaps this is how life is supposed to be, he thought. It's meant to be tough. Love is hard. Deal with it. But how could he deal with an emotion never shown to him? He had to go for her. She was the key.
Rinoa…
"Everyone, cast aura on yourselves. We are going to need it!" shouted Quistis. Soon enough, everyone was shimmering with gold, and Squall was the first to attack. He used Renzokuken on the mechanical beast.
"Hardly made a dent!" he puffed and panted crouching on the floor.
[I]Now it's my turn to play…[/I] the machine said to itself. From the centre of its impressive frame, came a bolt of lightning, aimed directly at Selphie. She dived out of the way, and where she had been stood was a circle of flame. She could see clean through the smoking hole to the floor below. Unaffected by her close shave with death, she too took advantage of her limit breaks. She focused, and cycled through in her mind her available magic.
"The End!" she shouted and crossed the woods of her Shinobou. Flowers sprung from the ground, and the enemy was momentarily transported to a field of green. When transported back though, it was unaffected.
"The End doesn't work?" asked Irvine stunned. The machine powered up once again. This time it focused its energies on Quistis. She went to move, but was not quick enough. The laser hit her directly in the chest, and she was launched across the room and landed in a crumpled heap against the wall. Before anyone could go to her aid, it fired a short burst of lasers across the rest of the group. Selphie was hit in the thigh and collapsed to the floor in agony while Squall ducked out of the way. With two of his comrades out of action, Irvine made a bold move. He rolled across the floor and stood up behind the robot. He found a small groove in what could only be described as its shoulder bone. He thrust his rifle as far up as it would go. He gave a cheeky smile, and pulled off one single bullet. The recoil promptly blew him back, half way across the room, with his gun still stuck in the back of the beast.
"Dammit…" he said as he curled onto a ball, weaponless awaiting the counterattack, that shortly followed.
Gered and Zell, the two martial artists began a double assault. Zell used his fists to take on the higher regions, and Gered took the lower half with his spiked feet. Little did much damage, and were soon immobilised on the floor unconscious. Now, only Squall remained. The floating menace hung ominously in the air. It made its way toward Squall, and was backing him in the corner, slowly at first, then speeding up. For the first time in his life, Squall shouted the word he hated. The word that made him week, that made him human.
"Help!" he cried out. The doors burst open, and in stormed a troop of Estharian soldiers. Trained in the technology that was behind Mobile Type 9, they made little work of giving it some nice new air holes.
Squall was stunned. As the crumpled heap of metal fell to the floor, he managed to say, "Wha…?" Some of the soldiers went around to the rest of the team, and issued Phoenix downs, potions, and Elixirs. In no time the rest were up and walking, be it with a limp
"Mr Leonheart sir?" said a high-ranking soldier as he saluted. Squall stuttered for a moment until he found the words.
"Yes, at your service Sir." Squall said as he saluted.
"Sir no Sir!" said the soldier. Squall could tell he was smiling under the helmet. "Sir, We are at your service Sir!"
"I'm sorry?" said Squall confused.
"Sir, We were sent as a direct order from President Laguna Loire, Sir." Squall had a puzzled look on his face. "Sir, May I introduce myself. I am Captain Hojan Verson. These here are my men. Here is the written directive, Sir." He said as he handed over a piece of paper. Squall took it and read it through.
"Well I'll be…" Squall read through. Laguna had sent out twelve of the best darn soldiers in the entire Estharian military. And they were all at his disposal. They were at his command until he said so.
"Sir, what are your orders Sir?"
"Firstly," said Squall, "Stop with the 'Sir' rubbish."
"Sir, Yes Sir!" Squall groaned.
"Secondly, open up that chamber, and get that girl out." He pointed in the direction of the observation window.
"Sir. I think that you may not need our help with that job sir." Squall looked over, and saw Selphie tapping away at the miniature keypad she held and the built in keyboard simultaneously. A small crowd of soldiers had gathered round and was watching in amazement. One of the soldiers was leaning up against the wall unit, and said something along the lines of 'Are you free tonight?' Selphie just politely smiled and carried on typing.
"Defario!" The Captain shouted. Immediately, the soldier stood bolt upright. "These young uns' don't have no respect for the fairer sex." He sighed. "Any other tasks sir?"
"Yes." He said. "Find Odine. He must be here somewhere."
"Sir." The Captain said as he saluted and walked away to brief his men.
"Squall," said Quistis. "What is going on?" Squall handed over the piece of paper. She read it. "All of them?" asked Quistis. He nodded. "Wow. We really should thank Lagu… I mean the President." Squall said nothing. He walked over to where Selphie was at the mainframe computer.
"Hey Squall. Almost done." He asked around to see how everyone was. Everyone was fine apart from Zell who complained that his neck hurt. Irvine called him a chicken-wuss, everyone laughed, and Zell didn't complain again. "Done!" shouted Selphie, as she typed the last digits on the keyboard. "So, who's getting her?" As if the question needed to be asked. All eyes focused on Gered.
"I'll go." He said, and walked out the door, to ride on the elevator to the confinement room. He pushed the door gently and stepped inside. The first thing to hit him was the blueness of it all. It was so blue it hurt his eyes. Yannie was asleep on the floor, still in her SeeD cadet uniform. The skirt was torn, and the socks had holes in them. Her hair was a mess, and resembled the way she was when she was first found.
He bent down and gently touched her shoulder. She jolted out of slumber, and sat upright. Terrified that it was another soldier, or that strange man with the needles, she almost cried when she saw it was Gered. He held his hand out, but she flung her arms around him. They stayed like that on the floor for a few moments until he slipped his arms gently beneath her legs and lifted her up of the ground. She was light to carry. He took her out of the blue room, never to return.
*********************
Squall watched the emotional scene. It struck a chord with him. Somehow, he could relate to it. Deep in his mind, a memory stirred. Of course, it was like the time he rescued… But none of that mattered anymore. She was in the past now. He should once again take Quistis's advice, and let her go completely. Letting go was the easy part. Living thereafter, that was hard. If only he could see her once more. The solution to all his problems, they lay within her.
How long had he blocked her out of his heart? Out of his mind? Perhaps this is how life is supposed to be, he thought. It's meant to be tough. Love is hard. Deal with it. But how could he deal with an emotion never shown to him? He had to go for her. She was the key.
Rinoa…