Chapter 23 – Tiny light in the Darkness
A/N: Do you ever get the feeling sometimes that you're so weak you can't move your body… or lost your appetite and feel like sighing all the time? That's happening to me right now… but what the hell's causing it? Maybe I'm coming down with something… so if this chapter seems lackluster, please forgive me… Sigh…
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She thought that she could hear someone calling her name… faintly… so faint that it almost seemed to be a product of her imagination. And yet, it was a familiar voice, she just didn't know whose face to put to it...
She only knew that whenever the person called her, the heart seemed to tug violently in a curious way, as if someone had attached a couple of strings on it and pulled them in many different directions.
It was damn frustrating to her… she wanted to see what was causing the reaction, to look around for the source of the voice… but this thick, heavy mist covering all her senses barricaded her against the outside world.
The outside world… she had not come into contact with it for so long… that she had nearly forgotten about what it looked like.
Am I going to stay this way forever? No~~~! I cannot stand the thought of that happening… can't anybody pull me out of this maze? I only ask for something to guide me out of this… surely that isn't too much a request?
As if in response to her question, the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel appeared in the distance… a tiny one which most would have difficulty in spotting. But not our eagle-eyed Instructor, who wasn't like most people by any count.
However, the years she had spent training as a SeeD and the experience she had garnered to earn the top rank had given her an automatic wariness against taking things at face value.
In other words, she was suspicious if the light in question was one she could trust.
After studying it for some time, and finding that she wasn't making any progress whatsoever, she decided to follow it anyway.
"What use would it be moping around here, Trepe? If you don't take any risks, you won't get anything in return."
With a deeply drawn breath, she gathered her wits, and marched with a fierce determination in her eyes towards the direction of the light……. Without a single clue what laid in store for her.
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He kept calling her name, begging her to wake up… he would do anything for her if only she responded to his voice, hoarse from all that calling. He stroked her palm, covered her face with tender kisses, buried her head in his chest… trying to awaken her with the gestures he used to do for her… all of them futile attempts to rouse her from her long, deep sleep.
For the first time in his life, he did not know at all what to do. Even if he may have been lost in the past, he had never felt so useless before….
"Why… why won't you wake up Quisty? I want to see your eyes… your beautiful eyes… feel your soft touch… kiss your tender lips… but you deny me time after time… Are you planning to sleep a hundred years like the Sleeping Beauty? Tell me what to do… Quisty… I can't go on like this……"
He brought her left palm towards his face, and laid it against his cheek… trying to imagine what it would be like if she were to wake up there and then, and touch his face lovingly like she used to.
But that only brought the memories back… and a great deal of heartache along with it.
"Seifer." A thin voice whispered beside his ear, causing him to jump up from his inner world from the shock… for it was impossible for anyone else to enter the ICU Quistis was in.
Except… if that someone happened to be invisible, and had the powers possessed by Angels.
"Celestine… it's you…" He sighed, and turned towards Quistis again.
"You sound disappointed to hear from me."
"……………"
"I know… only Quistis' voice would be able to bring any real joy back into your life. And so I'm here to help."
"But how? Do you have anything in mind? I've tried every possible way there is, and still she's unconscious… the Doctor is starting to talk about pulling the plug…"
"Yeah... I have a plan. Getting it to work is the hard part." She replied hesitantly, and waited for his outburst.
"YOU HAVE A PLAN? WHAT IS IT? TELL ME QUICK!" He wanted to clutch her hand in his excitement, but found that she did not have a physical presence for him to grab. "What happened to your… uh…." He found it hard to phrase his question.
"My physical body? Oh… it's a long story, and I've got little time to tell it."
"Never mind that then. What is that plan you were talking about?"
She could tell that he was getting anxious, from the buckets of sweat he was shedding on his brow.
"Well… my reasoning is this: since Quis can't seem to wake up by herself, someone needs to get inside and pull her out!"
"Inside? You mean inside inside?" Seifer gestured with his fingers, pointing towards Quisty's chest to emphasize his point.
"Yes. Inside."
"B… but how are we supposed to do that? How does a person get inside another? That's preposterous!" Seifer shook his head, unable to believe that she could come up with such a ludicrous idea.
"That's where I come in." Celestine said with a wry smile.
"You?"
"I'm thinking of going in and pulling her out. Afterall… I was the one who got her into this mess in the first place…."
She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, trying to force something back.
"Celestine… it isn't your fault…"
"I don't know if it isn't…. which is why I must do my best to get her back, or I won't forgive myself.
Look here… first of all, since I'm without my physical body, it would be plausible for me to sort of dive into her mind or whatever."
"Wouldn't that be dangerous? What if you got lost inside, and couldn't return to your physical self? Then wouldn't you become unconscious, like her?"
"That is a risk I would have to take. Aaaah… no more protests. It is MY decision… and no one can change it."
"We'd better consult with Chicken-wuss first. I cannot be responsible for the consequences if anything were to happen to you."
He was about to reach out for the
telephone when Celestine stopped him.
"NO!!!" She shouted with a pained expression and wild-eyed look.
He was downright puzzled by her reaction… for if he remembered well she and Chicken-wuss had not been seeing each other for a long time... and this was a rare chance for them to meet again... so why did she display such panic then?
"Don't even ask." She said darkly. "Anyway… if my memory serves me correctly, I believe I have left a small sachet in Quis' cardigan pocket. Have you seen it?"
"Is this the thing you're looking for?" He reached into a pocket on his battered coat, and brought out the little cloth bag. "I thought that this must be something important, so I kept it myself."
"How clever of you! Now is the time to utilize the thing inside. Will you please take the contents out for me? Carefully, you hear?"
As if handling a delicate porcelain doll, Seifer gingerly opened the button on the sachet, and slid the family heirloom of the Silvergrace Clan out.
"What in Hyne's world is that?" Seifer peered at it with an intense stare, having never seen the word on it before.
"It is what we call a Stone of Protection in Angel Land… very much like a Protect plus Shell stone, only it's much more powerful than that."
"And what has it got to do with you going inside Quisty?"
"Be quiet and listen to what I say. Now firstly, you must rub the stone many times, until it glows."
Seifer did as Celestine instructed, and very soon, the stone emitted a faint, bluish light.
"Woah…"
"No time to be impressed… I only have a few hours to spare, alright? Next, repeat after me.
Stone of Protection, Shed your Light… Erect a Shield, around this Angel. Keep her safe… From Creatures of Dark… Thy pride shall be majestic, thy mission fulfilled…"
Seifer, thankfully possessing a good memory, repeated word for word of the verse to break the seal on the stone.
As he finished his last word, "fulfilled", as if by magic, a translucent shield formed a bubble over Celestine, encasing her entire body.
"Now… before I go… in case I'm unable to deliver this message on time… tell Damien… that Redrumiel's nest is in Strider's Islands."
"Redrumiel? Strider's Islands?"
She could almost visualize the question marks turning above his head, doing a little dance…
"Don't worry… he'll understand what it is. Right… I should get going…"
"Good luck… and take care."
She did not reply, for she had already used up all her concentration on her next feat.
Placing her hands on Quistis' temples, she focused on trying to get herself sucked into the blonde girl's mind… or body… or whatever it was that contained Quistis' consciousness.
After several strenuous efforts, she opened her eyes.
And found herself in a pitch-black expanse, with no source of light except for the one emitting from her shield, for which she was thankful.
How am I supposed to find Quis like this? I can't even see a thing more than one meter away from the shield!
However, she was not about to give up.
Oh well… I have to watch my step and grope around… and pray to Hyne that no remains of that Evil Seed continue to rot here…
Shine brighter, my shield… perhaps Quis might even be able to spot your glowt, and save us a lot of work…
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And thus begins Celestine's journey in her friend's mind… body… whatever… (Squall: Hey, don't snatch my line!)
What do you think she would find in there?
Nothing too peachy, that's for sure.
For in every single soul, there shall be a shadow that lurks in the deepest confines, waiting to pounce on anyone, whenever it has the chance.
Next installment, stay tuned to see how Celestine grapples with Quistis' shadow, as well as her personal monsters… Nyahahahaha… the end is to come soon. (I warned you, didn't I?)
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Well, this chapter was meaningless enough… :-/ my brain is breaking down…
I would like to thank the following people, where appreciation has been long due and never given:
Quistis88 – You are the most conscientious reviewer I have ever seen! It seems that every single chapter, you are there, giving me support. I thank you with the bottom of my heart! *wipes a disobedient tear*
Quisty Almasy – Your reviews are very encouraging too! It helps me along the way when I get stuck!
Jeangab057 – Thank you! You're cool too!
Anime-diva – Ah… a mutual fan of Anime! Thanks for your encouragement!
Pierson – I am touched that you took all the effort to read back all the stories! Must have taken a long time and really stiff shoulders to do that! I shall try to get my hands on a PS2, FFX, and play them asap so that I can review your fic… I really really want to review it!
CelesteSpring – It was refreshing to see someone with a name similar to one of the main characters in this story.. hehehe and so glad you weren't turned off my the dramatics. Thanks for the reviews!
Shootin'star – I know you're there, silently reading and supporting my fic… thank you thank you….
EmilyStrange – One of the pioneer reviewers… enough said… like having an old friend when you're a newbie on the scene (technically Iam)
Cherrry6124 - Kill me if I'm wrong… but I think you're my very first reviewer (Since the days of Angel with a Broken Wing)! Wahaha! Thank you!
And to all whom I did not mentioned but have reviewed… thanks to all of you as well.
What a long-winded bore… but I had to do it, or my brain won't function.