*Disclaimer* THEY OWNS ME! ALL OF THEM! I SWEAR!!!
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Chapter 11: Path of redemption
Alitas sighed and moved to pour herself another cup of coffee. It was her fifth since she had came to the small, comfy kitchen, at the point of dawn. The caffeine had since long ago stopped affecting her, but she needed the warmth and the familiar smell of the infusion she used to share with her boy every morning, or before he had to leave for a hunt. His goodbye kisses always strongly smelled of coffee
Allen. Her stomach churned at the thought of her son, and she had to briefly stand over the sink in case her frugal breakfast needed to get back to its origins. Allen had disappeared two days ago, while she was away inspecting the new aura-filtering facilities. She had found his bed made and empty, his belongings still there. Even the small backpack he always brought with him when hunting was still in the corner.
But night succeeded to day and then morning and he didn't show. For the hundredth time, the sorceress cursed herself for refusing to use her own blood and eggs in the process of his birth. Back then, she thought only a fair amount of her aura would do, and she needed minimum DNA relativeness for her future plans. Without any DNA bonding, it was impossible for her to keep track of her son. But Allen had always been a perfect, obedient child, and she never actually felt the need to keep him on a tight leash. She cursed herself again. She needed him. For several small reasons-his smiles, constant sweetness, his reassuring being, his total understanding of her personality- and for two big ones:
The first reason was, she would soon have gathered enough aura to give her life to her project. Right now, a few chosen scientists were working at refining the huge amount of aura gathered through Allen's travelings, and eliminating the last drops of memories and emotions contained in it, so it wouldn't affect Alitas's mind when injected into her. But such an unimaginable amount of magical power would have to be passed through a catalyst before entering her, otherwise her brain would end up fried like a chocobo legs. Allen, who shared the same aura as her, was the only one with the catalyst ability. He would take the magic flow inside him and redirect it to her. None of them would be hurt. Both of them would gain great powers. He was, of course, unaware of all this. Telling him would mean confessing she was merely robbing aura from the people he thought she was helping.
The second tore her heart in two every time she thought about it, since Allen disappeared. She needed Allen for her future, just like she had needed the man who was his father, and who died in full glory, in a (feu d'artifice) of beauty. Since she hadn't been able to bring this man into her bed, and to be loved by him, she planned to have the son instead. Her seductive, young features she wore were a trap, set to get him. She couldn't mistake the early signs of puberty on him-the rougher voice, the defining muscles on his arms, shoulder and chest, although he didn't seem to notice them yet. In the innocent childish face, she could see that other man starting to emerge. That other man who refused her and thought he could get away with it.
"Anyway, it shouldn't matter right now", she thought brushing away the memories and the uneasy feeling coming with them. After the aura transfer, their mutual bond would be enforced, and he would have to grow up a few more years before she'd get to seduce him. Maybe she'd have to erase his memory before she tried. And then she'd have a faithful, strong knight beside her, forever.
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A Headmaster's life has to be exactly like a Galbadian clock-flawless, fluid and well-seen. Cid Kramer already knew those three fundamental principles, having them beaten up into his skull by he loved and very persistent wife, Edea Kramer, former sorceress and now peaceful-looking magic teacher in Balamb Garden. After the end of the second sorceress war, Edea had chosen to quit her lonely life at the orphanage and join her husband in the rebuilding of the Garden's bases, along with the project of a new Garden based in Centra, where a serious monster population kept growing. She intended in creating several new classes of SeeD, making them less and less specialized, and ready to work in any condition. Blue SeeDs were their first attempt, and so far it worked very well. Hopes were very high to eventually turn SeeDs into a world army of peace maintenance, along with various other mercenary jobs.
Cid had taken his role as Headmaster of a growing SeeD community with force and pride, as always. However, the man was aging, and his solid, healthy principles were not necessarily appreciated amongst the young people who had to live with them. Edea knew, as she shared their life in most of Garden's places, as a teacher, a member of the community, and as a confident sometimes. Most students already forgave her for what she did during the sorceress war. It was easy, for those kids who ran around wearing powerful GFs in their brains, to understand the idea of being possessed. The kids were, for the most part, orphans, who grew up without the normal amount of love and care a child should receive. The rule that forbid bonding and love relationships between them weighted hard on their shoulders. Edea tried several times to talk her husband into changing his mind. But he was old-fashioned, and too proud to admit his wrongs. At first she found that charming.
Lately, Cid has been annoying the life out of her.
It wasn't a one-day thing. It started gradually. The man she shared so much with slowly lost its appeal to her eyes. Maybe it was because they weren't used to see that much of each other. Cid always stayed at Garden while she ran the orphanage. But they both hated it. They hated to be separated, and cried every time Cid had to go back to Garden. His short visits had always been the highlight of her life.
Did she missed that? She couldn't say. Her mind have been hazy lately, like she wasn't getting enough sleep. Still she slept a good ten hours per night, as she always did. Most of the time she slept alone, Cid being too taken by the Garden affairs to really mind sleeping. For a long time it worried her. Now it wasn't. She even caught herself thinking about his death, and what she would do afterwards, with a kind of serenity that only accompanied liberation. It scared her so much she actually had to take a day off and stay in bed, sorting carefully through her feeling for her husband.
In the kitchen they rarely shared but where all of his husband's neals were prepared by her loving hands, Edea placed the plate of fish and mashed vegetables on the table, careful about not burning her delicate fingers on it. The hidden compartment in the cutlery drawer slid open, then shut, empty.
Methodically, moved by habit, she repeated the choreography she had to repeat every day for a while. Open the vial. Count exactly five drops. Pour the drops in the meal. Mix well so the purplish color of the liquid can't be noticed. Sniff the meal to make sure the liquid's smell is not noticeable. Hope Cid won't comment that his dinner 'tastes funny' like he once did one day she had forced the dose.
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Two days ago, he still had some clothes left, and sanity. But now, he could hardly even remember how to put a foot in front of the other. The sharp pain of his shredded feet was no longer going to his brain, so he simply ignored it, although he left a trail of blood on his path now that his last float spell had been used.
All of this, he hadn't cared about, anyway. He was reduced to a wandering shadow, with deep blue spots under his eyes, and a full set of various bruises and cuts scattered all over his body. For two day he had lived like this, swearing he would never see the familiar world of his mother again. But as time passed, split open between pain, anger, hunger and longing for the warmth of his only family. He was just a kid, after all. And the love his mother held for him has been the only important thing for so long.
Those thoughts kept repeating, like a loop. One minute he loathed the woman like the most vile monster in the world, but the minute after he longed and cried to get back in her arms. And, without knowing it, his footsteps started leading him back to the only place where he belonged.
He had been staring at the wine-colored roofs for more than a hour, still trying to sort out his feelings, to decide whether or not he should go back to her. He was in a state that could easily be explained by a well-made story. He could pretend he'd gotten lost in the wood, or have been attacked by the monsters that still lives in the forest but rarely approach the inhabited part. His mother would swallow everything like chocolate, and everything would be back like the old times.
But did he wanted that? Did he wanted to go back to his old bedroom, in his old bed, like nothing happened, knowing people kept dying around him?
But did he wanted to be all alone?
Allen slowly hung his head until the chin hit his chest. He let out a long, shaky sigh
And then he felt the sharp, cold edge of a large sword against his nape.
"You have five minutes to make peace with Hyne before I fucking take your head back to my quarters." A low voice snarled in his ear.
Passed the initial moment of terror, Allen finally thought that death was an acceptable choice in the situation, and held still, waiting for the blow to come and pull him out of his misery. Unable to control them anymore, all the tears he had kept unshed since Erin's death gathered and exploded. He let them flow like a deliverance, not even thinking about wiping them off. To his own surprise, the blade sliced a bit through his skin, and was removed. Instead, a strong, leather covered hand gripped his throat and turned him over to face the stranger's face.
Bright moonstone eyes, reddened by apparent lack of sleep, flared at him. If they had been bullets he's been drop dead in the second, but the man just stood there, probably searching for the most painful way to kill the boy. The other hand held a gunblade tightly, knuckles white. Chocolate braids fell over his face.
"You're the one who too Quistis away." The man said, not a question. Allen had no idea who Quistis was, but he knew he was the one who snatched her. Just like everyone else in this place.
"Yeah." He finally croaked through the thin air he could get in his lungs "Forgive me."
"I am not forgiving you."
"I understand. Please believe me when I say I had no idea of what I was doing. It doesn't change anything, I know. But I need you to at least believe this. Now kill me. I can't handle it any more."
Silence followed his words, then green sparkles surrounded the weeping boy. Curaga that instantly closed his wounds, rested his tired and devastated body. Then something else-a buzzing inside his head, and a slight yellowish color added to his vision. Scan. The man was scanning through him to find any trace of lies. And apparently didn't find any, as his hold on his throat disappeared.
"What.." Allen began
"No fucking way I'm letting you out of my sight, boy." The brunette cut him. "But if you're telling the truth, I know a way to make up for everything you did."
"Anything. Ask."
Squall couldn't help a small frown at the kid's honest docility
"Okay.there a guy named Zell Dincht in the facilities. I want him out and beside me in an hour. Do you think it's possible?"
"Yes."
"Then go."
"Wait. Can I ask for something?"
Squall scowled at the boy, who seemed to shrink at the irritated glare. "What?" He spat.
"Take me away from here. Take me with you."
Squall was two seconds from knocking the kid senseless for asking such a thing. But he somewhat got a second look at his tears-streaked face and reality struck him that he hadn't found any trace of lies in his little head. The pain was one hundred percent genuine and for once, Squall felt strong empathy. Hadn't he felt that bad when Ellone went away? When time compression swallowed everyone he knew and he found himself all alone again?
".Okay. I will. Now go and get him. I'm waiting here."
Allen nodded and let a rare smile slip, then he ran down the hill.
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Seifer was sitting on the corner of the bed, drinking in the sight of Quistis sleeping. Although it wasn't very late in the afternoon, she kept asking for naps and he hadn't the heart to refuse them to her. Slowly, he reached up and touched the tip of the cloth that covered her skull, making sure it was in place. Quistis still couldn't endure the sight of her naked head, but the thick locks of golden blonde hair he had known were finally starting to grown back out. She was still weak, but eating normally, had small talk conversation, and even remembered a few things, like where Balamb was, and bits of the battle against Ultimecia. Seifer's ego was still hurt she couldn't remember him. He had spent all those years making her life impossible for the sole purpose that she could NEVER forget him, and those damn brain-suckers had done it in less than a week.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow night they would have to leave the hotel room and find something else. He had no idea what, but he hadn't announced it to her yet. She was like a child, needing someone to hold on to in everything. And even though she tried to act like the bossy instructor she used to be, Seifer knew it was only out of instinct. She couldn't even remember her instructor days.
Quistis let out a shaky sigh in her sleep, followed by a whimpering noise. Seifer instantly was at her side, waiting for the blow to come. It wasn't the first time Quistis had nightmares, and she usually ended up in a violent state where she would hit everything within her reach, then she would cry her heart out for maybe half an hour.
The whimpering slowly grew into yells, until she sprang up and ran out of the bed, only wearing an oversized T-shirt. Apparently not knowing that she ran, she crashed against a wall and collapsed, boneless, on the ground. At first surprised by the ususual violence of her reaction, Seifer soon followed her and kneel beside her, and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, hearing her ragged breath. Quistis angrily shook his hand off her shoulder
"Don't try this with me, Almasy!" she snarled in his direction.
Seifer was about to use one of his cocky replies when he remembered he never told his last name to the amnesic woman.
"W-what?" He stammered.
"You heard me! Get off!"
"Hey will you calm the fuck down?"
"Calm the fuck down? You fucking cost me my instructor license, you dumb fuck!!"
That's when Seifer decided to ignore the insult, and ask questions instead.
"Quis, what exactly do you remember from the past days?"
"You fuck."
"SHUT UP! That's important Quis! Where do you think you are? And when?"
"Stupid jerk, we're." She cut her sentence short, realizing the disposition of the furniture was all wrong, so was the scenery out of the window.
"where are we? This isn't Garden."
"What is the last thing you remember?" Seifer asked again.
"...time compression? That void..and silence..Am I just waking up from it?"
Seifer couldn't believe what he heard. He swore his ears were burning.
"Time compression was nearly four months ago, Quis."
"Four months ago?"
"Almost."
"Then where am I?"
Seifer's head fell onto his open hands, he signed to loud it almost tore his throat.
Explain..Explain what? She was supposed to hold the key to our problem!
Another look at Quistis' innocent eyes, stretched to perfect round orbs of azure killed him even more. So they were two in the dark now.
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The boy's presence went unnoticed, as always, when he slid into the first storage area and retrieved some dirty clothe to cover himself with. He had almost nothing left from his wandering in the woods, and needed to look as fresh and equilibrated if he wanted the people in the facilities to believe his story. He needed the people outside not to see him, knowing they would go directly to his mom. The longer she would think he was dead, the safer everyone would be.
Allen couldn't help the wince at the awful smell coming from the clothes. It smelled like sweat and dirty oil, with a hint of.blood? He ran to the nearest window and examinated the fabric at the light. Dark red and brown stains covered the kaki clothes. Allen's head spun like a spinning top until he fell on his knees and threw up everything his stomach managed to gather in the last few hours. Not even bothering to stand up afterwards he quickly stripped the offensive garment off and chose a new one, making sure this time it was reasonably blood-free.
If only he had gone through the storage areas sooner.
Shrugging the dark thoughts one last time, Allen composed a reasonably carefree face for himself, the one he used to wear around the place two days ago. Satisfied, he pulled the garment's hood over his too-recognizable bald head and got out. The rain was pouring again, making the muddy land even muddier and more slippery, happily enough, since the people around were too busy screaming and trying to stand straight to check on him. The boy quietly walked to the barn where people whose family name began by A to F lived. He knocked twice on the door, then waited two seconds before knocking three more times. The door immediately slid open, and a jovial- looking, middle-aged blonde nurse smiled down at him.
"There you are!"
"Yeah, I just come back from the house. Mom was very relieved to see me." Allen forced a naïve smile out, to emphasize his words. "Poor Madam was worried to death, she turned every rock around here in hope you could be hiding under! Where have you been?"
"Got lost in the woods. You know I love them, but I got scared by a Wendigo and ran without looking back."
The nurse tsk'ed.
"Anyway, I need to get one of your residents. Mom said it was important."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, apparently he is a SeeD and mom want his frends to know he is here."
The nurse smiled, nodding twice with horribly fake confidence
Liar, you liar, just like everyone else, how come I never saw you were just playing a role? You're such a bad liar, you deserve to die, to have your guts rip-
"What's his name?" the warm, confident voice broke his trail of deadly thoughts.
"Dincht. Zell Dincht."
"Ah yes, pretty little blonde. I'll go get him."
The boy smiled and settled his body against the doorway, still stressed to death but doing his best not to show it. He had to work hard not to jump at every noise he heard behind him.
After several minutes of killing stress, the nurse came back with Dincht, holding his hand like she was bringing a child to his mother. Allen shivered-the man's eyes were empty, and slightly swollen from lack of sleep and maybe-just maybe- from tears. He was wearing the usual white stuff, and sneakers. The nurse made him sit on a chair the time to put some rubber boots over his shoes, then pushed him gently toward the kid.
"Here, you're going to follow mister Oran. He'll bring you back before dinner."
The blonde man nodded and confidently took Allen's hand. The boy shuddered, but smiled none-the-less and brought the man out with him.
"Bye!" he carelessly waved to the nurse while she closed the door behind them. Zell followed.
Allen started breathing again as soon as he didn't felt the nurse's gaze on him anymore. Then he started walking quicker. Every second counted.
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Fate wanted that Alitas chose this exact moment to stand up from her seat beside the table and looked out the window at the angry skies and the pouring rain. The flash of white clothes instantly caught her eyes, as she wondered what on holy hell this guy was doing outside alone, then noticed the short dark body that led him away from her sigh. Something immediatly looked wrong to her. She couldn't recognize the dark form through the heavy clothing, but he/she has a special way to walk. A slight limping seemed to affect his/her right legs, just like...
Just like Allen, who had gotten his right leg stuck between two logs while helping piling them, several months ago, and was still recovering.
She ran to the door.
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He was actually starting to believe he might get through it without a sweat. Zell was a docile as he was silent, and the few people that still dared to face the angry tears of the clouds were doing it running to the nearest shelter, especially when the first thunderbolt ripped the sky open. Allen jumped too, he always hated thunderstorm, and was positively frightened of loud noises. He tried to get to run, but the dumb man behind him kept sticking his feet in the mud and mumbling apologies each time it happened. The fumbling pair finally reached the limit of the barns area when a loud noise, that had nothing to do with thunder. It was yelling, loud yelling, and it seemed to follow his path. Briefly, he looked over his shoulder: A bunch of men, led by his mother, fought against the slippery ground to reach him.
He ran. Hoping Zell would be able to follow he ran without even a though about the utter hopelessness of the situation. He ran almost blinded by the water in his eyes, not knowing whether they were teardrops or raindrops.
Zell beside him fell and he had to stop to pull him back on his feet. The voices behind him almost licked his back as he started to run again, he swore he could feel their breath on his back. He knew it would be over in a few seconds. Zell would die and he would probably follow.
Another loud noise, this time a squeak that vaguely sounded like "Wark!" and a flash of yellow. A large bird was running in front of him, speeding down to reach the pair. Strong hands beside him grabbed Zell and lifted his limp form across the bird. Allen lifted his gaze to meet the familiar angry moonstone eyes. They were burning through him.
Allen knew that the man would leave him there and run away. The chocobo started to separate from him.
More tears gathered, sad at first, then relieved as the leather-clad hands finally drifted down and grabbed him by the collar. Allen marveled at the strenght of the man wh simply lifted him like a bag of potatoes, and threw him beside Zell, his body laying across the bird's body.
A thunderbolt tore the skies again, illuminating the unreal scenery. Without a word, Allen kissed his old life goodbye and closed his eyes, breathing the new scent of freedom and, just maybe, the sweetest hint of redemption.
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Whew! Please excuse the time it took me to finish this chapter, but school doesn't allow fooling around at the end of the semester :)
And, just in case, I am not giving up Wings of Forgiveness! I know I haven't updated that fic in ages, but most of my inspiration was for Iron Roses and since I didn't have the time to work on both fic...
Expect the next update to be for Wings. Promise (oh I shouldn't promise...)
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Chapter 11: Path of redemption
Alitas sighed and moved to pour herself another cup of coffee. It was her fifth since she had came to the small, comfy kitchen, at the point of dawn. The caffeine had since long ago stopped affecting her, but she needed the warmth and the familiar smell of the infusion she used to share with her boy every morning, or before he had to leave for a hunt. His goodbye kisses always strongly smelled of coffee
Allen. Her stomach churned at the thought of her son, and she had to briefly stand over the sink in case her frugal breakfast needed to get back to its origins. Allen had disappeared two days ago, while she was away inspecting the new aura-filtering facilities. She had found his bed made and empty, his belongings still there. Even the small backpack he always brought with him when hunting was still in the corner.
But night succeeded to day and then morning and he didn't show. For the hundredth time, the sorceress cursed herself for refusing to use her own blood and eggs in the process of his birth. Back then, she thought only a fair amount of her aura would do, and she needed minimum DNA relativeness for her future plans. Without any DNA bonding, it was impossible for her to keep track of her son. But Allen had always been a perfect, obedient child, and she never actually felt the need to keep him on a tight leash. She cursed herself again. She needed him. For several small reasons-his smiles, constant sweetness, his reassuring being, his total understanding of her personality- and for two big ones:
The first reason was, she would soon have gathered enough aura to give her life to her project. Right now, a few chosen scientists were working at refining the huge amount of aura gathered through Allen's travelings, and eliminating the last drops of memories and emotions contained in it, so it wouldn't affect Alitas's mind when injected into her. But such an unimaginable amount of magical power would have to be passed through a catalyst before entering her, otherwise her brain would end up fried like a chocobo legs. Allen, who shared the same aura as her, was the only one with the catalyst ability. He would take the magic flow inside him and redirect it to her. None of them would be hurt. Both of them would gain great powers. He was, of course, unaware of all this. Telling him would mean confessing she was merely robbing aura from the people he thought she was helping.
The second tore her heart in two every time she thought about it, since Allen disappeared. She needed Allen for her future, just like she had needed the man who was his father, and who died in full glory, in a (feu d'artifice) of beauty. Since she hadn't been able to bring this man into her bed, and to be loved by him, she planned to have the son instead. Her seductive, young features she wore were a trap, set to get him. She couldn't mistake the early signs of puberty on him-the rougher voice, the defining muscles on his arms, shoulder and chest, although he didn't seem to notice them yet. In the innocent childish face, she could see that other man starting to emerge. That other man who refused her and thought he could get away with it.
"Anyway, it shouldn't matter right now", she thought brushing away the memories and the uneasy feeling coming with them. After the aura transfer, their mutual bond would be enforced, and he would have to grow up a few more years before she'd get to seduce him. Maybe she'd have to erase his memory before she tried. And then she'd have a faithful, strong knight beside her, forever.
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A Headmaster's life has to be exactly like a Galbadian clock-flawless, fluid and well-seen. Cid Kramer already knew those three fundamental principles, having them beaten up into his skull by he loved and very persistent wife, Edea Kramer, former sorceress and now peaceful-looking magic teacher in Balamb Garden. After the end of the second sorceress war, Edea had chosen to quit her lonely life at the orphanage and join her husband in the rebuilding of the Garden's bases, along with the project of a new Garden based in Centra, where a serious monster population kept growing. She intended in creating several new classes of SeeD, making them less and less specialized, and ready to work in any condition. Blue SeeDs were their first attempt, and so far it worked very well. Hopes were very high to eventually turn SeeDs into a world army of peace maintenance, along with various other mercenary jobs.
Cid had taken his role as Headmaster of a growing SeeD community with force and pride, as always. However, the man was aging, and his solid, healthy principles were not necessarily appreciated amongst the young people who had to live with them. Edea knew, as she shared their life in most of Garden's places, as a teacher, a member of the community, and as a confident sometimes. Most students already forgave her for what she did during the sorceress war. It was easy, for those kids who ran around wearing powerful GFs in their brains, to understand the idea of being possessed. The kids were, for the most part, orphans, who grew up without the normal amount of love and care a child should receive. The rule that forbid bonding and love relationships between them weighted hard on their shoulders. Edea tried several times to talk her husband into changing his mind. But he was old-fashioned, and too proud to admit his wrongs. At first she found that charming.
Lately, Cid has been annoying the life out of her.
It wasn't a one-day thing. It started gradually. The man she shared so much with slowly lost its appeal to her eyes. Maybe it was because they weren't used to see that much of each other. Cid always stayed at Garden while she ran the orphanage. But they both hated it. They hated to be separated, and cried every time Cid had to go back to Garden. His short visits had always been the highlight of her life.
Did she missed that? She couldn't say. Her mind have been hazy lately, like she wasn't getting enough sleep. Still she slept a good ten hours per night, as she always did. Most of the time she slept alone, Cid being too taken by the Garden affairs to really mind sleeping. For a long time it worried her. Now it wasn't. She even caught herself thinking about his death, and what she would do afterwards, with a kind of serenity that only accompanied liberation. It scared her so much she actually had to take a day off and stay in bed, sorting carefully through her feeling for her husband.
In the kitchen they rarely shared but where all of his husband's neals were prepared by her loving hands, Edea placed the plate of fish and mashed vegetables on the table, careful about not burning her delicate fingers on it. The hidden compartment in the cutlery drawer slid open, then shut, empty.
Methodically, moved by habit, she repeated the choreography she had to repeat every day for a while. Open the vial. Count exactly five drops. Pour the drops in the meal. Mix well so the purplish color of the liquid can't be noticed. Sniff the meal to make sure the liquid's smell is not noticeable. Hope Cid won't comment that his dinner 'tastes funny' like he once did one day she had forced the dose.
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Two days ago, he still had some clothes left, and sanity. But now, he could hardly even remember how to put a foot in front of the other. The sharp pain of his shredded feet was no longer going to his brain, so he simply ignored it, although he left a trail of blood on his path now that his last float spell had been used.
All of this, he hadn't cared about, anyway. He was reduced to a wandering shadow, with deep blue spots under his eyes, and a full set of various bruises and cuts scattered all over his body. For two day he had lived like this, swearing he would never see the familiar world of his mother again. But as time passed, split open between pain, anger, hunger and longing for the warmth of his only family. He was just a kid, after all. And the love his mother held for him has been the only important thing for so long.
Those thoughts kept repeating, like a loop. One minute he loathed the woman like the most vile monster in the world, but the minute after he longed and cried to get back in her arms. And, without knowing it, his footsteps started leading him back to the only place where he belonged.
He had been staring at the wine-colored roofs for more than a hour, still trying to sort out his feelings, to decide whether or not he should go back to her. He was in a state that could easily be explained by a well-made story. He could pretend he'd gotten lost in the wood, or have been attacked by the monsters that still lives in the forest but rarely approach the inhabited part. His mother would swallow everything like chocolate, and everything would be back like the old times.
But did he wanted that? Did he wanted to go back to his old bedroom, in his old bed, like nothing happened, knowing people kept dying around him?
But did he wanted to be all alone?
Allen slowly hung his head until the chin hit his chest. He let out a long, shaky sigh
And then he felt the sharp, cold edge of a large sword against his nape.
"You have five minutes to make peace with Hyne before I fucking take your head back to my quarters." A low voice snarled in his ear.
Passed the initial moment of terror, Allen finally thought that death was an acceptable choice in the situation, and held still, waiting for the blow to come and pull him out of his misery. Unable to control them anymore, all the tears he had kept unshed since Erin's death gathered and exploded. He let them flow like a deliverance, not even thinking about wiping them off. To his own surprise, the blade sliced a bit through his skin, and was removed. Instead, a strong, leather covered hand gripped his throat and turned him over to face the stranger's face.
Bright moonstone eyes, reddened by apparent lack of sleep, flared at him. If they had been bullets he's been drop dead in the second, but the man just stood there, probably searching for the most painful way to kill the boy. The other hand held a gunblade tightly, knuckles white. Chocolate braids fell over his face.
"You're the one who too Quistis away." The man said, not a question. Allen had no idea who Quistis was, but he knew he was the one who snatched her. Just like everyone else in this place.
"Yeah." He finally croaked through the thin air he could get in his lungs "Forgive me."
"I am not forgiving you."
"I understand. Please believe me when I say I had no idea of what I was doing. It doesn't change anything, I know. But I need you to at least believe this. Now kill me. I can't handle it any more."
Silence followed his words, then green sparkles surrounded the weeping boy. Curaga that instantly closed his wounds, rested his tired and devastated body. Then something else-a buzzing inside his head, and a slight yellowish color added to his vision. Scan. The man was scanning through him to find any trace of lies. And apparently didn't find any, as his hold on his throat disappeared.
"What.." Allen began
"No fucking way I'm letting you out of my sight, boy." The brunette cut him. "But if you're telling the truth, I know a way to make up for everything you did."
"Anything. Ask."
Squall couldn't help a small frown at the kid's honest docility
"Okay.there a guy named Zell Dincht in the facilities. I want him out and beside me in an hour. Do you think it's possible?"
"Yes."
"Then go."
"Wait. Can I ask for something?"
Squall scowled at the boy, who seemed to shrink at the irritated glare. "What?" He spat.
"Take me away from here. Take me with you."
Squall was two seconds from knocking the kid senseless for asking such a thing. But he somewhat got a second look at his tears-streaked face and reality struck him that he hadn't found any trace of lies in his little head. The pain was one hundred percent genuine and for once, Squall felt strong empathy. Hadn't he felt that bad when Ellone went away? When time compression swallowed everyone he knew and he found himself all alone again?
".Okay. I will. Now go and get him. I'm waiting here."
Allen nodded and let a rare smile slip, then he ran down the hill.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~xXXx~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seifer was sitting on the corner of the bed, drinking in the sight of Quistis sleeping. Although it wasn't very late in the afternoon, she kept asking for naps and he hadn't the heart to refuse them to her. Slowly, he reached up and touched the tip of the cloth that covered her skull, making sure it was in place. Quistis still couldn't endure the sight of her naked head, but the thick locks of golden blonde hair he had known were finally starting to grown back out. She was still weak, but eating normally, had small talk conversation, and even remembered a few things, like where Balamb was, and bits of the battle against Ultimecia. Seifer's ego was still hurt she couldn't remember him. He had spent all those years making her life impossible for the sole purpose that she could NEVER forget him, and those damn brain-suckers had done it in less than a week.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow night they would have to leave the hotel room and find something else. He had no idea what, but he hadn't announced it to her yet. She was like a child, needing someone to hold on to in everything. And even though she tried to act like the bossy instructor she used to be, Seifer knew it was only out of instinct. She couldn't even remember her instructor days.
Quistis let out a shaky sigh in her sleep, followed by a whimpering noise. Seifer instantly was at her side, waiting for the blow to come. It wasn't the first time Quistis had nightmares, and she usually ended up in a violent state where she would hit everything within her reach, then she would cry her heart out for maybe half an hour.
The whimpering slowly grew into yells, until she sprang up and ran out of the bed, only wearing an oversized T-shirt. Apparently not knowing that she ran, she crashed against a wall and collapsed, boneless, on the ground. At first surprised by the ususual violence of her reaction, Seifer soon followed her and kneel beside her, and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, hearing her ragged breath. Quistis angrily shook his hand off her shoulder
"Don't try this with me, Almasy!" she snarled in his direction.
Seifer was about to use one of his cocky replies when he remembered he never told his last name to the amnesic woman.
"W-what?" He stammered.
"You heard me! Get off!"
"Hey will you calm the fuck down?"
"Calm the fuck down? You fucking cost me my instructor license, you dumb fuck!!"
That's when Seifer decided to ignore the insult, and ask questions instead.
"Quis, what exactly do you remember from the past days?"
"You fuck."
"SHUT UP! That's important Quis! Where do you think you are? And when?"
"Stupid jerk, we're." She cut her sentence short, realizing the disposition of the furniture was all wrong, so was the scenery out of the window.
"where are we? This isn't Garden."
"What is the last thing you remember?" Seifer asked again.
"...time compression? That void..and silence..Am I just waking up from it?"
Seifer couldn't believe what he heard. He swore his ears were burning.
"Time compression was nearly four months ago, Quis."
"Four months ago?"
"Almost."
"Then where am I?"
Seifer's head fell onto his open hands, he signed to loud it almost tore his throat.
Explain..Explain what? She was supposed to hold the key to our problem!
Another look at Quistis' innocent eyes, stretched to perfect round orbs of azure killed him even more. So they were two in the dark now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~xXXx~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The boy's presence went unnoticed, as always, when he slid into the first storage area and retrieved some dirty clothe to cover himself with. He had almost nothing left from his wandering in the woods, and needed to look as fresh and equilibrated if he wanted the people in the facilities to believe his story. He needed the people outside not to see him, knowing they would go directly to his mom. The longer she would think he was dead, the safer everyone would be.
Allen couldn't help the wince at the awful smell coming from the clothes. It smelled like sweat and dirty oil, with a hint of.blood? He ran to the nearest window and examinated the fabric at the light. Dark red and brown stains covered the kaki clothes. Allen's head spun like a spinning top until he fell on his knees and threw up everything his stomach managed to gather in the last few hours. Not even bothering to stand up afterwards he quickly stripped the offensive garment off and chose a new one, making sure this time it was reasonably blood-free.
If only he had gone through the storage areas sooner.
Shrugging the dark thoughts one last time, Allen composed a reasonably carefree face for himself, the one he used to wear around the place two days ago. Satisfied, he pulled the garment's hood over his too-recognizable bald head and got out. The rain was pouring again, making the muddy land even muddier and more slippery, happily enough, since the people around were too busy screaming and trying to stand straight to check on him. The boy quietly walked to the barn where people whose family name began by A to F lived. He knocked twice on the door, then waited two seconds before knocking three more times. The door immediately slid open, and a jovial- looking, middle-aged blonde nurse smiled down at him.
"There you are!"
"Yeah, I just come back from the house. Mom was very relieved to see me." Allen forced a naïve smile out, to emphasize his words. "Poor Madam was worried to death, she turned every rock around here in hope you could be hiding under! Where have you been?"
"Got lost in the woods. You know I love them, but I got scared by a Wendigo and ran without looking back."
The nurse tsk'ed.
"Anyway, I need to get one of your residents. Mom said it was important."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, apparently he is a SeeD and mom want his frends to know he is here."
The nurse smiled, nodding twice with horribly fake confidence
Liar, you liar, just like everyone else, how come I never saw you were just playing a role? You're such a bad liar, you deserve to die, to have your guts rip-
"What's his name?" the warm, confident voice broke his trail of deadly thoughts.
"Dincht. Zell Dincht."
"Ah yes, pretty little blonde. I'll go get him."
The boy smiled and settled his body against the doorway, still stressed to death but doing his best not to show it. He had to work hard not to jump at every noise he heard behind him.
After several minutes of killing stress, the nurse came back with Dincht, holding his hand like she was bringing a child to his mother. Allen shivered-the man's eyes were empty, and slightly swollen from lack of sleep and maybe-just maybe- from tears. He was wearing the usual white stuff, and sneakers. The nurse made him sit on a chair the time to put some rubber boots over his shoes, then pushed him gently toward the kid.
"Here, you're going to follow mister Oran. He'll bring you back before dinner."
The blonde man nodded and confidently took Allen's hand. The boy shuddered, but smiled none-the-less and brought the man out with him.
"Bye!" he carelessly waved to the nurse while she closed the door behind them. Zell followed.
Allen started breathing again as soon as he didn't felt the nurse's gaze on him anymore. Then he started walking quicker. Every second counted.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~xXXx~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fate wanted that Alitas chose this exact moment to stand up from her seat beside the table and looked out the window at the angry skies and the pouring rain. The flash of white clothes instantly caught her eyes, as she wondered what on holy hell this guy was doing outside alone, then noticed the short dark body that led him away from her sigh. Something immediatly looked wrong to her. She couldn't recognize the dark form through the heavy clothing, but he/she has a special way to walk. A slight limping seemed to affect his/her right legs, just like...
Just like Allen, who had gotten his right leg stuck between two logs while helping piling them, several months ago, and was still recovering.
She ran to the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~xXXx~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He was actually starting to believe he might get through it without a sweat. Zell was a docile as he was silent, and the few people that still dared to face the angry tears of the clouds were doing it running to the nearest shelter, especially when the first thunderbolt ripped the sky open. Allen jumped too, he always hated thunderstorm, and was positively frightened of loud noises. He tried to get to run, but the dumb man behind him kept sticking his feet in the mud and mumbling apologies each time it happened. The fumbling pair finally reached the limit of the barns area when a loud noise, that had nothing to do with thunder. It was yelling, loud yelling, and it seemed to follow his path. Briefly, he looked over his shoulder: A bunch of men, led by his mother, fought against the slippery ground to reach him.
He ran. Hoping Zell would be able to follow he ran without even a though about the utter hopelessness of the situation. He ran almost blinded by the water in his eyes, not knowing whether they were teardrops or raindrops.
Zell beside him fell and he had to stop to pull him back on his feet. The voices behind him almost licked his back as he started to run again, he swore he could feel their breath on his back. He knew it would be over in a few seconds. Zell would die and he would probably follow.
Another loud noise, this time a squeak that vaguely sounded like "Wark!" and a flash of yellow. A large bird was running in front of him, speeding down to reach the pair. Strong hands beside him grabbed Zell and lifted his limp form across the bird. Allen lifted his gaze to meet the familiar angry moonstone eyes. They were burning through him.
Allen knew that the man would leave him there and run away. The chocobo started to separate from him.
More tears gathered, sad at first, then relieved as the leather-clad hands finally drifted down and grabbed him by the collar. Allen marveled at the strenght of the man wh simply lifted him like a bag of potatoes, and threw him beside Zell, his body laying across the bird's body.
A thunderbolt tore the skies again, illuminating the unreal scenery. Without a word, Allen kissed his old life goodbye and closed his eyes, breathing the new scent of freedom and, just maybe, the sweetest hint of redemption.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~xXXx~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whew! Please excuse the time it took me to finish this chapter, but school doesn't allow fooling around at the end of the semester :)
And, just in case, I am not giving up Wings of Forgiveness! I know I haven't updated that fic in ages, but most of my inspiration was for Iron Roses and since I didn't have the time to work on both fic...
Expect the next update to be for Wings. Promise (oh I shouldn't promise...)