Once all the men had woken up, Maia and I made breakfast for them, and then the two of us drove to Garden to speak with Xu, who was acting commander while Squall was on leave. Honestly, I didn't think he'd ever go back, not with Rinoa gone. He was pretty bad off. He hadn't touched his breakfast, and all he did was sit and stare out the window with a blank look on his face.
"You really think we can pull this off, Micala?" Maia asked as I pulled into my mother's parking space in the Garden garage.
"I guess we'll find out," I mumbled.
As per usual, I bypassed all formalities, headed straight for the commander's office and barged in as if I had the right. Xu looked up from her desk with annoyance and threw down her pen when she saw that it was me. Xu Kushimura has never liked me, not entirely because I'm a mouthy little smart ass, but also because of you, Daddy. I guess she never forgave you after the Sorceress War. Anyway, Xu had been the one who'd protested my enrollment at Garden more than anyone else. It had been Xu that sent me to the brig for any reason at all, and at the moment, she looked as if she wished to do exactly that.
"What is it Almasy?" she barked out at me and tucked a lock of salt and pepper hair behind her ear.
"Pardon the intrusion," I said as I took a seat in front of her desk. "But there is something I need to discuss with you, Kushimura."
Maia mumbled something about tact as she followed suit, but I didn't hear exactly what she'd said, and it didn't matter.
"Make it brief, I have a lot of work to do."
"Of course. As you know, both my mother and Rinoa Leonhart died yesterday," I began.
Unexpectedly, Xu's eyes welled up and tears began to spill down her cheeks. "Yes, very sad news. Your mother and I were friends . . . before she married your father."
"That's touching, Kushimura, but I'm not here to discuss that," I said and Maia smacked me in the back of the head. "Oww," I muttered as I rubbed the spot.
Xu stiffened and glared at me. "Then what is it?"
"Micala has become a sorceress," Maia explained before I could speak.
"You're the sorceress?" Xu asked and let out a hearty chuckle. "Oh, that's rich! So, Almasy, should I call the troops in before you open the floodgates to hell or do you plan to be a good sorceress?"
"Will you shut the fuck up and listen to us? Please?" I asked as I sat up. "I'm not really in the mood to dick around with you today."
"Watch your mouth, girl," she said, still chuckling, "Still, that's the best joke I've heard in a long time."
"Oh, it's no joke, Kushimura," I said and grinned at her. "I am a real Sorceress, like it or not."
Xu became serious and she stared at me. "This is for real?"
I nodded and I propped my feet up on her desk. "Sorceress Micala, at your service."
She placed her face in her hands and groaned. "Holy Hyne on a cross, we are so SCREWED!"
This made me laugh. I could tell what she was thinking without even asking, and I found it quite humorous.
"Can we continue?" Maia asked. "My grandfather is scheduled to arrive an about half an hour, so if we could hurry this along a little . . ."
Xu lifted her head and stared at the wall behind me. "This complicates
things," she muttered and focused her gaze on me. "As Squall is unable
to serve as commander at present, and I am only able to do so temporarily,
since I currently have custody of my grandchildren and don't have time,
I was asked to appoint someone in my place. Naturally, I wanted to
pick a top level SeeD with a good record and strong leadership capabilities
for this task."
"Kushimura, we don't have time for this," I prompted.
"Can it, Almasy. You listen to me first," she ordered. "Anyway, it was a difficult process, really, since many of our higher ranking SeeDs are in specialized fields and many of them are better at taking orders than giving them. So, I was faced with a difficult situation, you see, because you, Almasy, are the only one suited for the job."
I stared at her in disbelief. "Are you kidding?"
"I wish I were. I didn't want you to be our best option, I really didn't, but the fact remains, you are," she said. "However, in light of this news, that you're the new Sorceress, I am forced to choose another. An organization that was created to defeat the Sorceress can not have a Sorceress as it's commander."
"But if I wasn't a sorceress, you'd appoint me Commander?" I asked.
Xu nodded, albeit reluctantly. "That's irony for you, don't you think, Almasy?"
I chuckled and leaned back in my chair. "Crap. I always wanted to be commander."
"Yes, well, you're a Sorceress, which in my opinion is ten times worse," Xu said.
"Are you finished?" I asked.
"For now," she said. "What was it that you wanted to discuss?"
"Well," I began, "Since I am a Sorceress, it's only right that I should have a reception with a parade and all, and I want to do it right here at Garden in a week from Friday. We could invite all the important people, you know, presidents, military generals, leaders of small independent nations. It would be a perfect opportunity for the both of us, you see, because I will be able to announce my title, and you will be able to shmooze with the bigshots and maybe even line up a few contracts."
What I didn't tell her was that I hoped such an event would lure Gideon to me so that I could kill him. If the plan worked, he would show up for it, and I had no doubt he'd make his presence known, though I was certain he wouldn't do it in front of the public. He still wanted everyone to think he was a nice guy, and it wouldn't be very nice to kill the most recent sorceress for sport in front of an audience.
Xu cocked her head at me. "That's an excellent idea!"
I was surprised. I'd expected a little more argument. "You must understand, though, I have perfectly selfish reasons for doing so."
"And those reasons are?"
"I might as well tell you," I said with a sigh and looked at Maia. I hadn't breathed a word about Gabriel and I to her, so this would be news to her as well. "Gabriel Leonhart and I have decided to get married. Rather than have two separate events, I thought we might save ourselves the trouble and do this all at once. So, I'd like for it to be an engagement party as well."
"Hmph. I thought the Leonhart boy had better taste in women, but
I think it's a fine idea," Xu said. "Please speak with Selphie Kinneas
about making the arrangements."
"Of course," I said as I slid my feet off the desk and let them fall to
the floor with a thud. "Thank you for your time, Kushimura."
"Any time, Almasy," she said and she returned her attention to her stack of papers.
"Oh, yeah," I said as I paused before the door. Maia had already
left the office and I was alone with Xu. "By the way, I'll call you
before I decide to open those floodgates."
Xu shook her head and waved me away with her hand, but I heard her
chuckle as I closed the door behind me. We spent nearly an hour discussing
the plans with Selphie Kinneas, who was bubbling over with excitement as
usual. She was thrilled to be put in charge of such an event, and
since it had been several months since the annual Garden Festival, she
was just itching to throw another party. She'd actually been considering
planning an event for no reason at all when we walked into her office.
As we headed back to the car, Maia stopped me. "When were you planning to tell me about you and Gabriel?"
"Are you angry with me?"
"No, I'm just surprised, that's all."
"Well, kid," I said and patted her on the back, "You're one of the
first to know, so feel honored."
Maia paused and stared out into space, as if deep in thought. Her expression was blank, like her father's had been this morning. I've always wondered what goes on inside their heads when they do that. They always seem to look as if their minds has totally left their bodies, as if there's nothing but a shell of them left.
"What?"
She looked at me and smiled slowly. "Before we leave, there's
something I have to show you. Come on."
"What is it?" I asked, curious.
"Just follow me," she said and dashed back down the hallway.
I followed her all the way to the training center which was nearly empty thanks to early afternoon classes and lunch periods. "You wanted to show me the training center?" I asked. "Maia, your surprises suck."
"Patience is a virtue," she said. "Let's find a T-rexaur."
"What?" I asked in disbelief. "Are you mad?"
She giggled and covered her mouth with her hand. "Mom gave me a gift the day I graduated. She told me to keep it secret and only use it if I had to, but I want you to see it because I think it might help us out."
"So show me already," I urged.
"We need a T-rexaur first."
It didn't take long for us to find one. It came at us, baring it's razor sharp teeth and it roared in fury, quite upset that we'd disturbed it. I drew my blade, ready to attack, but Maia held her hand out to stop me. "Wait," she said and she made an elaborate pattern in the air before her and from all around us came the roar of a lion.
I glanced down as I watched the form rise from the ground below us and he slowly rose into the air, magnificent and beautiful. Above us was the most gorgeous GF I'd ever laid eyes on. He appeared a lion, though in black and red and his mane of gray. Upon his back a pair of wings unfurled as he stretched from what must have been a long slumber . Cautiously, he flexed his talons and swished his tail. Then, he let out a roar of rage and slapped the T-rexaur with his claw. The creature shrieked and smacked the GF with it's tail, to which he responded with the most powerful attack I'd ever witnessed. The sky around us became twilight and the world began to spin with dizzying speed. Suddenly, the ground began to shake and a pulsar of sorts hit the T-rexaur, causing it to disintegrate into an noxious vapor before my eyes.
Maia dismissed the GF and turned to me with a smile. "What do
you think?"
"What the hell was that?!" I cried in disbelief. How could Maia
keep such a powerful asset a secret? If it were in my possession,
I would certainly use it, for it must have been the strongest ever.
"That," she said as she turned back to where the T-rexuar once stood,
"was Griever."
I shook my head. "Griever's a myth. He doesn't exist."
Maia smiled at me. "Oh, he does exist, and he's mine."
Our instructors had always told us that there had never been such a GF as Griever, that he was just a story someone had made up to impress his friends with. "If that's the real thing, the where the hell did you get it?"
"Mom," Maia said. "Gabriel got the gunblade when he graduated. I got the big daddy of all GF's."
"Fine," I said, exasperated. "Where did your mom get it?"
"Time compression, from Ultimecia," Maia said and she looked at her watch. "Hey, they should be landing soon. We'd better go."
She was right. Laguna and Julian were to arrive at any minute in the Armageddon. I said a silent prayer that they had made it all right as we sped off towards the clearing located about a mile away from Garden. I didn't know what I'd do if something happened, and they ended up dead. As luck would have it, they were just about to land as I pulled up and I almost leapt out of the car in anticipation. It had been so long since I'd seen Julian, I could not wait a second longer to see him, for I worried that it might be the last time.
Julian was the first to disembark and I ran as fast as I could to him and threw myself into his arms. "How's my baby sister?" he asked as he squeezed me tight.
"As good as can be expected," I said.
"Let me look at you," he said and held me at arm's length. He looked me up and down and smiled broadly. "Hyne, Micala, you're all grown up! You look just like . . . mom . . ." With that, his mood changed. The sadness in his eyes was heartbreaking, and it was difficult to keep my emotions in check as I looked at him. He was no longer the baby faced kid I remembered, but a handsome young man, and it was a bit of a surprise. Daddy, he looked so much like you!
"Maia!" Laguna cried, diverting my attention away from my brother. Laguna Loire looked as feeble as one might expect a man of eighty might look as he stepped off the Armageddon with Ellone at his side. However, the mad dash he made to his granddaughter defied his age, and he scooped her up and spun her around. "How I've missed you Maia!" he cried as he showered her face with kisses.
Maia was quite embarrassed by his display of excitement and said, "Come on gramps, put me down. You're going to hurt yourself."
"May be old, but I'm not dead," he said with a laugh and he set her gently on her feet.
"Laguna, you shouldn't behave that way at your age," Ellone scolded.
"I'm not an old man," he told her, "so don't treat me like one. OOhhh, leg cramp!"
"Glad you all made it," I said. "I wish you all could have come under better circumstances."
Julian looked away, and I could see he felt guilty. He hadn't
made it for Aida's funeral, but at least he was here for mom's. I
couldn't really understand why he'd been unable to come the first time,
but I wasn't upset with him. Gently, I placed my hand on his arm
and whispered, "I'm glad you're home."
***NOTE***
DEC 29, 2002
I have expanded the dialogue between Micala and Gideon in the first
chapter. It's much longer than the original conversation, and I think
it's better. I have also made a few changes in the prologue, there
aren't too many changes there to speak of. I plan to go through the
chapters I have already posted and make a few changes since the holidays
have kept people away from their computers and I'm not getting much in
the way of reviews, so if you're interested, re-read them and post your
comments. If I re-write a passage of dialogue, I'll let you know....so
that if you want to read it, you can.
Also, my mother gave me a baby Iguana for Christmas and she needs a
name. Trouble is, I'm stumped. So, how about you guys help
me out and post a suggestion with your review? I'll dedicate a chapter
to you if I choose the name you suggest. How's that? The Iguana
is female, so don't give me any weirdness like Bubba or Brutus please....also,
as much as I'd like to, no FF names, either. I already have a pair
of chocolate labs named Raijin and Fujin....people already think I'm obsessed
with FF, so I kind of need to tone it down a little. That said, suggest
away!