Echoes of Time:
Chapter 5: Questions.
By Sephiroth 4000
He had not spoken to her since
that night. A week had come and passed;
yet Squall had not spoken to her, since that night of relative openness. He had not spoken to anyone.
It only lacked an hour until
the parade started. Already, Rinoa
could hear the noise and bustle from outside, as revellers gathered.
She glanced up at the normally
quiet clock, but today it was the loudest thing in the room. That and the click of Quistis' heels,
as she paced up and down. The SeeDs
were utterly silent, composed. She
shivered despite herself, for each had a uniform blankness in their eyes, as if
already. . .As if already the battle was engaged.
Quistis spun around, to face
her erst while students. "What the HELL
are we doing?"
The leader of this mission
said nothing, only regarded her with empty blue eyes.
"You've had practically NO
field experience, and yet, we've been sent here! The Headmaster must be mad, either that or this is some subtle feint
on Garden's behalf, and we're the sacrifices!
I won't HAVE it. . ."
"Instructor." His voice was calm, measured, and
unbelievably cold. "You are a
SeeD. SeeDs obey orders. That is our. . .duty."
"That is your duty?"
Rinoa blurted, appalled. "Even if those
orders are stupid!?"
"That's our duty." Zell was less cold, but his light voice was
firm with resolve. "We obey
orders. No matter what."
Silence.
"I agree with the Instructor.
. .as much as I thought I never would."
Seifer drawled, his arms crossed against is chest, sky-blue eyes alight
with amusement. "It is our duty to
follow orders, blah blah blah. I've had
that bullshit quoted at me from Day One since I entered Garden. And bullshit it
is. Pity you boys take it so
seriously."
"And what are we supposed to
believe in?" Zell's voice was angry, with a sharp mocking edge to it. "You're romantic dream?"
Seifer's eyes narrowed, and
Rinoa sucked in her breath. The younger
blonde had scored, and both of them knew it.
"That's right." His voice was
lethally soft. "Believe in the
dream. It's better then fighting for
something that you don't even understand, ne?
So I believe. . .I am no mercenary, no matter what anyone says."
"It's time to go."
Aware of the startled gazes
that shot toward him, Squall inclined his head towards the clock. "It's time."
The gunshot cracked in
silence. Irvine held his breath;
watched it soar over the crowd, heard it streak through the air-
Saw the Sorceress deflect it
so very easily.
He turned to the two girls,
eyes dark in dread. "I. .
.missed." He prayed that he had missed,
prayed with all his soul, because if he had missed it would only mean it was
his fault, not that Sorceress was invulnerable, not that she was impossible to
wound, that Squall and Seifer and Rinoa would succeed anyway.
Selphie shook her head. "It was right on target. It wasn't your fault."
His shoulders slumped. A relief, it wasn't his fault, and yet. . .
Quistis looked around and
snapped out her whip. "Look out, we've
got company!"
The gunshot had failed.
It didn't register at first to
Seifer.
The gunshot had failed.
He shook his head, and
plunged into the crowd, following Squall who was already well ahead, eyes
intent on the parade float. He could
see the light flash off his rival's gunblade, as he used the flat to knock
people out of the way. How chivalrous of him.
But it was only Galbadian soldiers, so. . .Seifer followed his example,
aware of Rinoa's presence behind him.
Onto the Sorceress. . .and the dream. He would save them all.
There was only now.
Squall's awareness had fallen
away to just this; the fall and swing of his blade. He leapt up to the float, and ran; ran, gunblade singing
in a two handed swing; that's right, strike for the head, don't look into those
peculiar amber eyes. . .
The recoil from his gunblade
as it struck her shields shuddered up his arm, even as a blast of –fire? Ice?-
sent him flying. He recovered in mere
milliseconds, rolling to his feet, shaking his head to clear it. Seifer and Rinoa had finally caught up.
"Seifer!" He yelled. "Rough Divide!" The blonde nodded at his choice of tactics, even as the two
whirled, and struck the Sorceress from two sides, while Rinoa let loose her Blaster
Edge.
It continued, all three just
trying to wear away her shields, aware that time was slipping by, that her
soldiers would be coming they only had a little time hurry hurry. . .This the
most deadly dance of all, can't lose the rhythm, just dance, let your blade
sing it's song of death. . .Not a dance anymore, too fast, too much, a rush,
then back, waiting, circling. . .
He scored.
The gunblade sliced through
her shield, even as he sent a wicked Blizzaga spell up and through the shining
silver blade. He saw her reel, even as
he dodged out of the way of the counterblast, saw Seifer go in, Hyperion
screaming though the air for blood, saw Rinoa's star slice a line across that
ageless face. . .
Saw her fall back, smooth
perfect features contorting into a look of pure rage, even as her arm came up,
spirals of energy surging down, forming into deadly, clear spears of
ice. Her eyes wideneing, she arched
back. . .
And let them fly.
Squall spun; he could feel it
slide across his back, uncomfortable close, but so well evaded it did not even
cut the leather of his coat. He could
hear the dull thunk! as Seifer knocked the spears soaring his way out of
the air with Hyperion, to fall in fragments to the floor.
He spun out of the way. Seifer shattered them.
But she. . .She didn't. .
.There was no way for her to. . .
She simply looked at
him, at him, not Seifer, black liquid eyes narrowing in pain, but at the same
time they were huge in her pale face.
Her hands clutched uselessly at the spear that had entered just below
her breast. She looked at him, as if he
could tell her why, when in fact he had never known why. . .
Before she fell into darkness.
Author's Note:
Heyla! (Been reading too much Mercedes
Lackey *groans, and slaps head.*) So, anyways, what did you think? I've never really done a proper battle scene
before, and as so many people say, it's
hard. Apologies for the shortness of this chapter, this whole section
fell away with a thud from behind my writer's block. I was Unstuck for once!
Yay! Did it make sense? I was
typing in a mad fit, anxious to get it all out before I dammed up again. Thank you all for your reviews, especially
Lady-Mage Firebreeze (you actually answered my question).