Chapter 14 - Bad News
A/N: There are many inner voices in this chapter... and they are represented by words in italics. I tried my best not to be confusing...... Oh and please review! Thank you!
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"Well done, good girl. Now you may retreat." Redrumiel stroked the brunette's hair in a patronising manner, if only to derive a sense of satisfaction of having her under his control.
"Yes... Master Redrumiel."
"I like the way you cut their heads... a masterpiece, if I might say so myself."
"You flatter, Master Redrumiel." Waterlily spoke in a tone as flat as that of a corpse's heartbeat.
A bloody tear escaped her eye, rolling down her left cheek. She did not lift a hand to wipe it away, nor did her expression change from its dull one to reflect the source of the tear.
"Waterlily... you know what I told you about disobeying my orders." His voice was severe, for he had expected total control even over her thoughts, and emotions.
"Please punish me, my Master."
She turned, with her back facing him without another word, and lifted her top up to expose her back.
Contrasting sharply against the fair skin were long, angry lines, still fresh in their redness... a painful sight at the very least for the viewer.
And yet, Redrumiel lifted not one eyebrow as he lashed a whip as thick as a baby Malboro's tentacle at her, covering the existing with newer ones.
One might even conclude that he enjoyed punishing the girl.
The force of one particular whip was powerful enough to buckle her knees, compelling her to fall to the ground.
She did not let out a sound to reflect the flaming agony that afflicted her flesh... for she was not allowed to. And even if she cried, it would only serve to increase the whips.
"Master Redrumiel..." Another voice sounded at the entrance of the hall, disrupting Redrumiel from his sadistic "ritual".
"What is it, Tanya? Can you not see that I am busy?"
"I am sorry, Master. Your presence is needed in the ZOK... your followers have awaited long for your address to them."
"Very well... I will be there in a short while."
"Yes, Master." She bowed respectfully, then started out for the exit.
"Tanya..." He called, to which she responded immediately with a full about-turn. "Do not get caught by the Great Lord."
"Be at ease, my Master. He is not in the ZOK today. For it was said that the AKU was in complete disarray. He had to go down in person to oversee the matter."
"Looks like my new General has been doing her job..." He smiled with a self-assured satisfaction. "Very well, you may go."
She nodded, and went for the opening again.
He turned to look at Waterlily with not a little dislike.
"Get up from the ground. You look like a crumpled dishrag. What did I say about the image a General has to maintain?"
"I'm sorry, my Master." She got up, but did not take her leave, hesitating for no apparent reason.
"Why are you still here? I do not remember advocating 'sloth' as an attribute you should possess."
"...Yes, Master." She turned to leave as well.
"You appear to be showing signs of disregarding my orders lately. Do not go too far, or you will suffer greater penalties for it."
"No... my Master. Your words are absolute laws to one. One does not dare to resist them, let alone question."
"Good... make sure you hold true to what you say. Dismissed."
She made her way out of the place with an almost staggered walk, for it was a strain for her to even move, as each step was accompanied by a piercing that reached to the deepest of her heart muscles.
I thought... she was the only one who could release me... but now she has fallen as well.
I... I don't want to kill anymore...
The scent... the coppery stink... I can't seem to get rid of it... neither can I wash clean my blood-stained hands...
Why did I ever listen to him?
He's a demon... I have no doubt.
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"Commander Leonhart, please report to the Headmaster's chambers immediately." Xu's voice announced over the intercom, bringing a surprised look to Squall's face.
"Cid's chambers?" He asked doubtfully, looking at his now-wife in puzzlement.
"Xu sounded a little funny... go take a look." Rinoa Leonhart nudged him a little, for she was curious too about the place her husband had just been summoned to.
"Whatever......" He shrugged his shoulders, having been rather jaded by numerous turns of events of late. He had thought himself to be immune to shocks by now.
He was proven to be wrong.
Very wrong.
He buzzed the bell on the door to his fatherly Headmaster's bedroom, tapping his foot impatiently for it to open. For he could not think of anything that would require him to appear at this place, no matter how he dug his brains inside out.
A pale-faced Xu opened it after a while, and gestured for him to go inside.
"What's this all about, X....."
He could not finish his question, for the sight before his eyes had shocked him beyond words.
When he tried to open his mouth, the words refused to come out, for he was dry-mouthed and blank of mind.
"What do we do now, Squall?" Xu's voice was weak, quivering, her legs trembling along with it as she hugged herself tightly, as if a bone-biting chill had assaulted her.
"I... don't know... call the gang here... please...." He spoke softly, but it sounded thunderous to his ears.
"But......"
"JUST CALL THEM HERE!" He shouted, then realising that he was directing his frustration to the wrong person, muttered a short apology.
"Okay."
She retreated from the room, glad to be rid of its sight, but her legs didn't want to listen to her... they felt as if the bone and muscles had been replaced by soft jelly instead.
Somehow, she made it to the intercom with much difficulty.
"Will the following SeeDs please report to the Headmaster's Chambers immediately: Rinoa Leonhart, Zell Dintch, Seifer Almasy, Irvine Kinneas, Selphie Tilmitt, Q..." She was about to mention Quistis and Celestine's names, but suddenly remembered that they were not capable of responding to her announcement.
For one was unconscious, while the other was missing...
She slumped onto the floor... sapped of her will, energy and whatever else that gave her the ability to stand.
Why is this happening to us? Blow after blow... without a moment's respite. Sweet Hyne... are you throwing challenges at us in hope of melding us into better people? If so... please stop... I would rather be weak-willed than to face such tragedy again......
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"Squall?" Rinoa knew that something was horribly amiss the moment she saw him standing in front of the door, barring everyone from entering the room.
"Rinoa, all of you... it's better that you don't enter the room." Squall stared at them, the whites of his eyes covered with red lines while his face was as close to being colourless as biologically possible.
"Is something wrong, Squall? Tell us." Irvine gave a concerned look. His instinct told him that whatever went on inside the room wasn't pretty at all, by the reaction Squall was showing.
"They...they're dead..." He could only manage to stutter out the few words... words that brought back the sense of loss to gnaw at his soul again.
An oppressive depression hung in the air. None of them could move a single part of their bodies, be it the mouth, their eyes, or their limbs.
"Wh...o? What are you talking about? Let me in!" Selphie was the one who finally broke the frozen air, not wanting to believe what Squall had told them... she just had to see it for herself.
Irvine placed a restraining hand on her shoulder.
"But Irvy......" She started saying, but the sharp gaze he directed at her shut her up immediately.
Irvine had seldom given her any look other than tender ones (or exasperated ones when she scolded him for flirting).
It only served to show how grim his outlook on the situation was.
"Where's Seifer and Zell?" Out of the blue came a question from Squall.
"They sent Quisty to the Galbadian hospital."
"Call them. Tell them to return immediately."
Irvine nodded briefly, then headed for the nearest telephone.
"Selphie, you make a brief announcement over the intercom for all Instructors, SeeDs and Cadets to assemble at the basement hall."
"Where's Xu? She was the one who usually made the announcements."
"I do not think that she is well-disposed to handle that... she was the first to arrive at the..." He stopped suddenly, for he could not force himself to continue.
"Right away...Commander." Selphie headed for the same direction Xu had gone a while ago.
Are they really... dead? Oh Hyne... who did this? I could smell the stench of blood from the outside... what are we going to do without them? Both the Headmaster and Matron... why them? Why us?!!!"
She stepped into the elevator, her finger poised in mid-air, unable to press the button.
The door closed with a sound, usually delightful to her ears, now only a meaningless one.
She crouched onto the ground and covered her eyes.
Noooooooooooooooo~~~~!!!! Her inner voice screamed out, breaking the dam that was placed on her tears as they gushed forth with the speed and force of a massive waterfall......
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"I have news to announce. It will not be pleasant... be prepared for a rude shock.
This morning, we found our Headmaster and his wife murdered in their rooms."
A uniform gasp went around the neatly arranged lines standing in front of the stage.
"I urge all of you to put it behind us. Initially, we will feel enraged, depressed, lost, and a hell lot of other emotions. But we have to walk out of it, show our enemy what kind of stuff we're made for. We will not give them the benefit of seeing us fall and trip at the slightest obstacle. Let us be strong for each other.
I assure you that I will find the brutal slaughterer of our nurturers. But until then, life must go on. End of announcement."
He cleared his throat a little, for it was uncharacteristic of him to make speeches of such length.
An uncomfortable silence followed the click of the mike as he switched it off.
Then, one clap... gradually followed by a handful.
Finally, not a single person in the hall had his/her hands idle, as all of them gave Squall a rousing applause for his effort at addressing the Balamb Garden population.
But the applause was not for celebration.
It was for acceptance of the bitter truth that they had to continue, no matter that they had just been bombarded with blow after tragic blow.
There were a few who commented at the iron will of their Commander, now unanimously elected as their leader.
Rinoa took it all in.
But she knew that it was only a false front that Squall put up.
He must be questioning himself...
Questions like how he could have let this happened.
Questions like why he had to say these things, when he did not feel that way at all.
I want to run up to him, and hold him tight like a little child.
I want to share his pain, and mine with him.
But I cannot...
His heavy responsibility as Commander weighs so heavily on us...
Of what use are my Sorceress powers?
At times like this, they do nothing to help...
Oh... if exchange of these powers could bring back what we have lost, I would have gladly given them up...
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He clutched at his hair... the problems seemed to be coming to him all at once.
First, he had to come face to face with the murders of the two people who had been so important to him during his growing years. Two... in a morning alone... even a veteran SeeD like himself could not handle it.
On top of that... his biological father had given him a call.
He too, was suffering. From a virus attack of unknown strain... it was certain to be life-threatening.
If that wasn't enough, President Caraway had demanded for SeeD assistance to deal with the new danger to his administration, a terrorist group that threatened to destroy Galbadia if he did not give up his Presidency.
He felt old.
As if he had experienced a lifetime of sorrows in one day alone......
He did not feel like getting out of the cocoon that he hid in... to escape from the endless questions barraging him for solutions, answers, and whatevers...
It was snowing in his world... and he was standing chin-deep in it, unable to lift a finger to clear it away.
Tell me this isn't true...
Tell me that this is only a dream...
That in reality, all of us were alive and well...
Lunching at the cafeteria, trading meaningless jokes...
Is that something too faraway to hope for?
So dark in here...
I cannot see a thing.....
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She stares into the half-empty vial of purple liquid.
Master will be angry if he knows that I did not pour in all of the poison.
But he's always angry at me... nothing new...
And... my hand doesn't listen to me. It simply refuses to dump it all in.
Perhaps that is because it wants me to drink it.
Maybe I should listen to it.
Without second thought, she downs the liquid with one single swallow.
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A/N: Oh man... took me four damn hours to write this, just so I could turn it into something readable, at least. Think I need a rest... I have absolutely no idea how to continue the story. I mean, I have the main storyline, but to turn it into a full-fledged one is an uphill task for me!! I'm sure you can understand that kind of feeling... right? .