Chapter 3 – Mounting Pressure
Author's notes: Disclaimer – I do not own FF8 and anything else that belongs to Squaresoft Inc. (Huh? Isn't that obvious?). The only thing I own other than that pile of dusty textbooks is a sketch of Zell which isn't worth anything but priceless to me…sigh… oops there I go drifting off again.
An announcement: This is going to be the last disclaimer I'll ever make for "Return to Me", cos I think it is really impractical and time wasting to repeat it every single time. So if you feel like reading one, by all means come back here and read to your heart's content. Arigatou Gozaimasu (Thank you very much).
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Stop. Whoever it is. Stop calling my name. Let me rest. I have laboured on for much too long, and now I wish to see nothing, and hear nothing.
Even if it is you who beckons me……
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Here I am at the Training Centre, slugging my guts out, oblivious to anything except for the monsters I'm battling with. I know it's against the rules to train alone, but right now, I can't face any of my friends, especially after that punching incident. Wahaha. I'm going nuts, and the only thing that I can do to stop my brain from getting fried is well, getting toasted in the sweltering heat of the Training Centre.
And it helps to keep my mind off the depression that weighs so heavily on my chest. If only my Dispel magic could cast it away, but alas… it is neither meant for something of such nature, nor is it strong enough to chase it away.
"Argh!!!" I shouted in frustration as the dreadful feeling tries to encompass me again, and vented it on the poor T-Rexaur, which was already three-quarters dead from all the vicious blows I had rained on it. I hardly needed an Aura spell to perform my limit breaks, and I was in perfectly full health! But aided by a stifling rage, they came fast and furious.
With an agonisingly pitiful moan, the T-Rexaur fell on its side, and disappeared, signalling its doom.
That was the tenth one today, I think. I really have to stop, or the Garden would have to start looking for a new source of monsters for the Training Center.
Just as well that I've decided to quit, for huge, splattering drops started falling from the sky, drenching everything in its way in no time at all.
I look upon the weeping sky for an indication of what to do. But hardly does anyone get an answer just by looking at Hyne above, does he or she? As was my case… sigh.
A SIGH? A SIGH FROM ME? The Martial Arts Master who prides himself on his resilience, his ability to bounce back at anything?
I'm so far gone, and I know it perfectly well.
A… where are you when I need you the most?
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Water Lily: Blah… I had to resort to clichés… blame it on writer's stupidity, virus of the cerebral department, whatever you want to call it.
The Dark Angel: Don't give excuses. Just admit that you suck.
Water Lily: Who are you? And how dare you insult me like that?
The Dark Angel (TDA): I rest my case.
Water Lily (WL): Come again? Don't talk in riddles! No one is allowed to talk to me in riddles!
TDA: You write me into your story and you don't even know who I am? Do you suck or do you suck as a writer?
WL: I was trying to create a cliff-hanger!
TDA: Yeah right. That is SO utterly convincing!
WL: And you weren't supposed to come out this early in the story anyway!
TDA: I'll come out whenever I want. And you had better let me appear in the main story soon… or else.
WL: Such a nag. *Yawn*
TDA: "DARK ANGEL BEAM!"
A blinding flash of something from out of nowhere struck Water Lily and leaves her babbling like an idiot.
WL: Gaaaaah~~~~ (Frothing at the mouth).
TDA: That'll give you a taste of my powers! Disgusting advocate of sloth!
Exits with his dark cape billowing in the wind behind him.