Chapter 7 – The Estharian Mission (Part 1)
I had hoped to rest a little longer.
For the remaining of eternity, even.
But lately, I sense a disturbance.
Something terrible is going to happen to those that were close to me while I was alive.
Should I stop it?
I don't feel like caring.
This voice keeps taunting me, saying that she will soon take over whatever I had.
That I would be a walkover as long as I am asleep, oblivious to what was about to happen.
I struggle.
Why the hell won't they shut up?
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Another one of those dark, cloudy days… with the sky threatening to burst any minute with huge, bulbous drops of sky juice. Rainy season had come to Esthar, Balamb, and the world over. This was a strange thing to happen, as the seasons usually interchange across different continents. In fact, as I speak, the rain has already started pouring down heavily.
This is really not the kind of weather suited for missions, especially ones that require us to be outdoors most of the time. But hey, beggars can't be choosers, especially since this one had come directly from Esthar's president's request. That's right, Mr Laguna Loire, our dear Commander's father, had came personally down to Balamb Garden and asked for SeeD assistance.
As it turns out, there had been rumours of an evil force spreading across the region, threatening to overturn the government. Lately, there seemed to be a lot more dissatisfied citizens, who protest in huge crowds outside Mr Loire's residence. If this isn't cause for alarm, I don't know what is… hordes of strangely dressed folks parading in protests? Man… that must have been an eerie sight! Not to mention that Laguna… excuse my rudeness… was one of the most easy-going Presidents in our time! You just had to look at his clothes, speech… to be able to see that!
A conclusion came from Kiros (with the assistance of a …-ing Ward, of course). There must have been a mastermind in the background wanting the seat for him or herself! And obviously, this person must have been able to influence people easily, maybe to the extent of hypnotising them!
I agree with him. You should've seen the faces of those Estharian protestors… they look all zoned out, pupils dilated like hell. It gives off an eerie feeling, trust me on this!
What are we, the assigned SeeDs to this mission, doing outdoors then? All heavily decked up in raincoats and ponchos? Investigating a crazy group of protestors hardly needed us to venture out in the rain, does it?
These people were still campaigning loudly even as the sky juice came down in blankets! Does that seem normal to ya? The Prez was worried out of his mind for their mental and physical health! Either they were manipulated, or else they needed to be sent to the mental house!
Either way… our objective was to dig out the mastermind, capture him/her, and find some way to put things back to normal.
And we're doing just that… following these victims to their meeting place, so that we could discover who was the culprit behind this madness.
Instead, all we found was a huge crowd of Estharians bowing repeatedly in front of some kind of statue, calling out "Long Live our Great Mother!"
Damn, what a wild goose chase. Me and my team-mates, Seifer and Quistis, trudged back to the President's residence in gloomy moodiness, our faces as long as the floor and black as Matron's hair.
********
The three SeeDs were back at their mission Headquarters. After having reported the situation to Squall, Quistis started discussing about the incident.
"So… what do you guys think is happening?" Quistis stood in her usual position, arms crossed and one leg in front of the other.
"Beats me. Looks to me like those cult incidents." Zell answered, scratching his head as he usually did when he was particularly puzzled with something.
"For the first time in ages, Chicken-wuss, you might be right! Either that, or they knew that we were following them!"
"But how could they? Only the ones at the very top, Mr Loire, Kiros and Ward knew of our mission! None of those two would betray him even if a gun was pointed at them!" Zell exclaimed, punching his fist against palm to emphasize his point.
Looking at Seifer and Zell exchanging their remarks, Quistis could hardly prevent the giggle from escaping her lips.
Those two… I wouldn't ever have imagined that they would be able to talk in normal tones a year ago! Aww… it looks so cute!
In fact, the giggle did escape her lips.
They turned and looked at her with incredulity.
Now even their expressions match. Mmmph!!!
"Whatcha laffin' at, Quisty?" Zell asked, surprised that there would be anything funny about the situation.
"Yeah, were you hypnotised along with those nutcases as well, hmm?" Seifer went up to her and put his arms around her waist.
"No… I laughed only because the two of you look so cute together!" Quistis smiled, anticipating the outburst that would most certainly follow.
"CUTE? No one calls me, Zell Dintch, Martial Arts Master, veteran SeeD, cute!" Zell growled at her.
"Yeah, Chicken-wuss… we all know about your credentials, except for the veteran part. That I definitely do not agree."
"Are you tryin' to provoke me? I'm not fallin' into your trap. Now, as I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted…"
"RUDE?"
"Ar… shuddup Quisty… that just came out without my permission. Anyway, I think that blah blah blah blah…"
*********
We finally came up with a plan to deal with those protestors. Frankly speaking, I felt like barging in there and raiding the place, and suggested as much.
"We might catch the mastermind off-guard and find something useful!"
"Nice try, Chicken-wuss. But that would only make things worse by setting his or her guard up. Besides, we have neither the authority nor the right to do that."
"Why can't you use another nickname instead? Chicken-wuss sounds so jaded. Dontcha have any creativity?" Yeah… it sounds so tired that I've even gotten use to it, not getting a slightest bit of annoyance even if he repeats it ad-nauseam.
"Naaah… I think it suits you the most." He smirked as if he was programmed to do so.
"Ahem… can we get on with the discussion please?" Quisty glared hard at us.
"Look, how about this? I'll send some of my men undercover to pose as victims. In that way, we can then find out what's really going on." The President, who was still laughing quietly at our little exchange a moment ago, offered a solution.
"Uh-uh. That's too dangerous. They might get manipulated themselves." I shook my head in seriousness.
Seifer, apparently thinking hard about something, spoke up.
"I propose that we'll be the ones who infiltrate the mastermind's base."
Laguna looked at him for a long time, while Kiros and Ward exchanged little glances.
"If you're sure of it, young man, then I have no objections."
Quistis and I looked at Seifer and nodded accordingly. I put my hand on his shoulder and gave a squeeze, which I hoped was encouraging.
"Thanks." He mumbled with his head bowed.
Almost looked as if he was about to cry.
"Then, let's go!" I shouted, slapping him on the back.
***********
"Do we really hafta wear this?" I scrunched up my face in absolute disgust. "At least give me one in dark blue!"
"No can do, Chicken-wuss. They only come in pastels. Argh!" Seifer replied in a exasperated voice, and looked at me with a "I-think-it-sucks-too" expression.
"Oh, quit whining like little kids and get on with it!" Quisty too, was struggling with a green one. Green… happens to be her least favourite colour.
"Let us suffer in unison!" I declared, took a deep breath, and slid into the floor length, canary-yellow Estharian garb. Yuck… yellow was a colour I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole under normal circumstances.
"You ain't the only one in yucky colours! Look at mine!" Seifer grumbled, gesturing at his pink one.
"Bwahahahahaha! It suits your skin! Lookin' pretty!" I guffawed until my jaw feels like it was gonna drop off.
"Shuddup, Chicken-wuss…" was the only thing he could manage.
"Let's go, before I do something murderous." Impatient no-nonsense Quisty to the rescue.
As we started out for the door…
"No… Zell. Don't go… it's dangerous!"
I could hear something, so faint, it sounded like a breeze brushing past my cheek. I looked around me to search for the source. I know this voice. I know I've heard it…before.
Disappointment so crushing it tears at the heart… not only was there no one, not even a sense of her presence lingered.
As if to say what I had heard was merely a figment of my imagination.
"Zell, are you coming or what?" Quisty called out from the door, rapping her knuckles on it hardly.
"Yeah, I'm coming!" I shouted back.
Touching the sapphire in my pocket, I gave it a little caress… maybe to reassure her that everything would be fine.
*
No……*
WL: Hey, Zell, what's up?
Z: Nothing much. W'ussup w' you?
WL: (Draping an arm around his neck) I wanna ask you a question.
Z: (Throws it off him quickly) Ewww… get your arm off my neck, disgusting slob.
WL: You hurt me.
Z: I was kiddin'! Here, you can drape it on again!
Water Lily proceeds to do that.
WL: Now Zell… tell me this. Why do you people think that the mastermind is one person, and not a group or organisation? You three seemed to have agreed on it without any discussion.
Z: Duh! Even a kid knows that one person can mass-hypnotise a large cult, but a group can't hypnotise another group of people?!! There would be deviation in the degree of influence! And that spells failure!
WL: (gazes in awe) Ooooh… Zell! You're so smart, cute and sexy! Lemme kiss you! Muah…
She attempts a kiss with pouted lips.
Z: Get away from me!!(Tries very hard to push her away.)
*Piiiiiiiiiak!!!* The sound of a huge slap echoes across the room.
WL: Ouuuuuuuch!!! (Holds a hand to her cheek, which is imprinted with a five-finger mark.)
Celestine: Serves you right for trying to kiss my Zell. MY ZELL!
Z: A!! You're back!
C: Only for a short while. I need a break, man. And call me Celestine… while we're out here, that is.
WL: End of chapter.
Z&C: HEY! No fair!!!
WL: Shut up.
A/N: Whoo boy… this story is going to be so long. To give you a taste of how long, let's just say that we are only up to half of it. Groan… remind me never to write on paper again.