Chapter 52 Epilogue (A.k.a. this is really the last chapter.)
A/n: Ah hah. You thought that the story had already ended, didn't you? Bear this in mind… if you don't see "The End", it means it hasn't. Now you know.
However, this is not to say that you have to read this chapter. If you are by any chance satisfied with the way the last chapter ended, and thought it a fitting stop on the series, by all means close the window and content yourself with it.
But, if like me you have to read everything that has been offered to you, regardless of the possible disappointment you might face after reading it, then follow me into the epilogue.
Some of you are probably cursing me for the lines left dangling at the supposedly "final chapter". Well, fret not. Here I come to the rescue, tying up some of the ends to the best of my effort.
Sometimes, I am left wondering if it would be better if I let it end just like that, but no. Cos I haven't written my final vision yet. It is something that has bugged me since I wrote the prologue of this story. It comes in pairs, although the scenes are totally different.
I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Soft lights.
Lavish drapes of fabric of which he did not know the material, cascading down from the ceiling, making gentle, swishing sounds as it brushed against the carpet.
Soothing, lulling music so faint, it could be mistaken as imaginary. Yet it invoked enough bitter-sweetness in the listener with the singing of the violin and harp, converging to produce so poignant a melody that it was comparable to an Angel's voice.
He pushed the drapes aside, going deeper into the room, expecting to find something.
No, someone.
Who it was, he had ceased to try guessing a long time ago, even though this dream had repeated itself over and over again, virtually every day, as soon as his head hit the pillows. He stopped guessing, because he knew that one day, it would come naturally to him. He had gotten used to the haziness that wrapped his brain in a wispy shell, and it wasn't that unpleasant to him any more.
He pushed through the last of the drapes, to find a white space waiting for him. The clop-clop of his shoes bounced off the walls, the echoes creating an illusion that the room was larger than had been impressed upon him on sight.
There was nothing else there. Not even a single light bulb, and neither was there any furniture that would indicate the presence of another person living there. There was just his lone figure staring into the empty, deafening silence.
"Hello~~~? Is anybody here?" He shouted into the room, even though he knew nobody would answer him.
"Here? Here? Here~~~?" The rear of his question was thrown directly back at him.
He shook his head, smiling despite himself. How many times had he come upon this scene already? Hoping to find her, and always encountering this room.
And yet, every time he had this dream, he would do the same stuff all over again, like the man in a movie he had watched, called "Groundhog Day" - Except he did not see himself breaking out of the pattern any time soon, if at all.
Gradually, he began to remember, in bits and snatches whom he was searching for. But it was all fuzzed up, as a fog seemed to transcend upon his mind each time he tried to recall further.
A blue lock of hair here, a mischievous grin there, but the one with most clarity was cold, hard eyes, and a similarly frigid mouth saying 'I don't love you anymore'.
It gave him a migraine that refused to subside no matter what kind of painkillers Dr. Kadowaki had given him.
"Through the hidden door
You shall find the one you seek.
Speak, my love, and it shall open."
Startled by the voice brushing past his ears, a break in the monotony of the dreams that he had previously experienced, he spun his head frantically in multiple directions as he tried to ascertain the source.
Still, there was no one.
"Speak of what?" He mumbled in puzzlement.
In a rare stroke of brilliance, he remembered that many riddles were not quite as complicated as they seemed.
"My love." He said, confident that it was the "keyword".
Sure enough, a faint door appeared on the northern wall of the room.
He approached it with caution, an aftereffect of his mercenary training that screamed at him never to trust an exit that appears too easily or suddenly.
"The heck? This is a dream for cryin' out loud!" He chided himself, his strides now firm and rapid, eating up the distance between him and the door.
He stepped through the door…
And simply gaped for a full minute.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"…cle Zell! Uncle Zell!"
"Wha…?" He blinked in a dazed manner, trying to recognize the woozy little figure stand in front of him, tugging on his shirt to awaken him. It turned to be Arial Almasy, the twelve-year-old daughter of Seifer and Quistis.
"Mom and Dad were looking for you!" The girl pouted. "I've been looking all over just to pass you this message!"
I forgot… I was supposed to meet them to discuss the new lesson plans. Argh.
"Sorry, Ariel." He scrambled to get up, but in his rush managed to knock the back of his head on the hard plaster wall.
"Ow!" He winced, rubbing at his head where a bump had started to form.
"You're such a klutz, Uncle Zell!" Ariel giggled, tickled by the sight of him having trouble getting up on his feet.
"That's Instructor Dintch to you. Remember that, or you'll be charged for insubordination by the Disciplinary Department!"
"Yeah, yeah…" She kept in line with him as he hurried along the corridor to get to the East wing of the now-expanded Balamb Garden.
"Instructor Dintch… May I ask you something?"
"What, having trouble with lessons? That'll teach you for not paying attention during lectures!"
"It isn't like that!"
"Then what?"
The girl hesitated a little, appearing to have some difficulty with her question.
"Why are you still single?"
"What? Why are you interested in that kind of thing?"
"Cos there's been r…rumors—" She replied, her cheeks painted a bright but attractive pink.
"What kind of rumors?" Now I'm curious…
"T…that… you're gay." Her voice became tinier and tinier, disappearing almost completely at the very last, terribly sensitive word.
Oh no… not THAT kind of rumors!
"AM NOT!" He exclaimed.
He had understood quite well that his state of single-hood would set some tongues wagging. It did not help that all of his friends form the orphanage gang had gotten married when they were barely breaking twenties, and were having kids before they even hit the quarter-century mark. And it made him stand out, like a crane among a flock of chickens (although he should have been the chicken, given his oft-used nickname that Seifer used to call him, even long after his hairstyle was no longer standing up in the air.)
The girl beamed at him.
"Don't worry, Uncle Zell, I didn't believe them at all."
"Good, now listen. Uncle Zell's still single cos he's waiting for his Miss Right to appear." He smiled at her, completely forgetting the warning he had previously given her.
"Waiting for Miss Right?" She frowned in confusion, finding the concept too hard to grasp due to her tender age.
"You'll understand in a few years time." He ruffled her hair, and started picking up his pace.
Waiting for someone… huh…
"C'mon, I'm sure your Mom and Dad are really impatient now."
"Yeah. Mom was saying something about wringing your neck."
"Why didn't you say so earlier?!" He sped off towards the Almasys' office, with Ariel trailing slightly behind in his wake.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Chicken-wuss… as an Instructor you should know better than turn up one hour late for a meeting!"
Zell's eardrums were assaulted by a booming voice just as he was opening the door, and stepped a foot into the room.
"How'd you know it was me?" Zell was surprised.
Did the man have supersonic ears?
"The smell of hotdogs and beer precedes your presence." Seifer smirked, but immediately became stern upon spotting his daughter showing up behind Zell.
"Cadet Ariel Almasy! The students' briefing is in ten minutes. Shouldn't you be at the assembly hall instead of wandering around?"
"Aw… Dad! That's so unfair! I've only just found Uncle Zell! Can't you give me a little leeway?"
"Just because you are my daughter doesn't mean you can enjoy privileges. You should learn from Skylar. She follows her orders without any questions asked, regardless of her status as the Headmaster's daughter. But you –"
Ariel rolled her eyes at the mention of Skylar's name. This was the hundredth time she had listened to this lecture. She would be a fool if she were to stand around listening to it.
Granted, Skylar Leonhart was her friend, but with the constant comparison made by the adults between them, it came as no surprise that she would be sick of it, and even harbour a little resentment towards her.
"Skylar, Skylar, Skylar! Why do you have to mention Skylar Leonhart every time you see me? If you like her so much, why don't you adopt her then!" She yelled, stomping towards the door in a fit. "I hate you! Stupid Dad!"
"Ariel!" Quistis called after her, but was cut off by the slam of the door after her.
The bang that followed reverberated across the entire floor, startling many of those who were walking past the corridor. She ignored the curious, and some annoyed glares directed at her for disrupting the quiet with her willful slam, and stormed off towards the assembly hall in the central wing.
"She'll be the death of me!" Seifer shook his head, rubbing his temples to ease its throbbing.
"But seriously, her rebellious streak reminds me of someone." Zell said with a wry grin.
"Don't say it, Chicken-wuss, or I'll see to it that you get the nastiest time slots for your classes!" Seifer threatened, knowing very well whom Zell was referring to.
"Fine, I won't!" He held his arms out to demonstrate his "obeisance" to Seifer's threat. "Anyway, you were kinda harsh on Ariel. Spare a thought for her feelings."
"And comparing her with Skylar was a big mistake!" Quistis berated him, apparently having quite different ideas on the bringing up of their only daughter.
"What's wrong with trying to discipline her?" He turned upon them in a flash, his face flushed with anger at their blatant disagreement with him. "I'm only preventing another rebel in the making!"
"The only thing you'll ever achieve –" Quistis said coolly, crossing her arms at her chest, her even demeanor a complete foil against Seifer's agitated one "—is the breeding of another Leonhart/Almasy standoff! Hyne knows I've had quite enough of that!"
"Precisely what I was driving at! If you don't take her in hand now, there'll be one day she won't listen to a word you say."
And then you will blame me for failing to take her in hand, for not doing my duty as her father. He muttered to himself.
"What did you just say?" By then the temperature of Quistis' tone had dipped to several degrees below zero.
"Nothing." Seifer said hastily.
He had learned through the hard way how some careless words could eventually lead to full-blown cold wars between him and Quistis, and he was, suffice to say, perpetually at the losing end of it.
"Nothing? Do you honestly think you can fool me like th—"
" –Alright, cut it out, you two." Zell stepped in between them, effectively dumping a whole bucket of water into the crackling atmosphere between the couple. "You're heaping too much pressure on poor Ariel, on top of the burden of being your child!"
"What burden?" Seifer frowned at him.
"Only the fact that both her parents are incredibly famous, and oh, top-level veteran SeeDs who've saved the world. That ring a bell?"
Zell tilted his head towards them, wriggling his eyebrows in such a comical way that they could not help but laugh at him.
"Mmmph… we get what you're trying to say, Zell." Quistis wiped an errant tear away. "You're probably right."
"Of course I am!" Zell puffed out his chest proudly.
"How do you know so much about these kids? I can't even finish a decent conversation with Ariel. That—" Seifer paused, referring to his earlier exchange with Ariel "—was mild by comparison."
"It helps when you're not married with kids. Elevates you status to one of the 'cool folks', you get?" Zell said with a confident smirk.
But the smirk did not reach his eyes - they could see that quite clearly.
Quistis and Seifer exchanged a glance.
"Zell—" Quistis began. "—why don't you…"
"Didn't you guys want to discuss the change in lesson plans with me?" He interrupted Quistis, decidedly tired of the direction her conversation seemed to be heading.
"But—"
"We don't have a lot of time left. The first class starts in twenty minutes, and I'm sure Seifer doesn't want to be late for his."
"All right." Quistis sighed.
I'll find a way to bring this up again. He can't jolly well spend the rest of his life waiting for someone whom he can't even remember!
"I've decided to shift your afternoon class slot to the first lesson, which was supposed to be his lesson." She pointed to Seifer with her pen after marking a few words on her sheet of paper.
"Why?" Zell looked at Seifer in curiosity.
"I thought it'd be too rushed if I were to be in charge of the first lesson and the daily morning inspection that commences tomorrow, hence the change request."
"Why don't you just delegate the daily inspection to a subordinate? Weird that the Head of Discipline-cum-Vice-Dean has to do such mundane stuff."
"Chicken-wuss, only through close contact with the cadets can we detect early signs of indiscipline. And it's a job I want to handle myself. Besides, I know a traitor-in-making when I spot one."
"Suit yourself. Makes no difference to me."
"Well, if that's the case, meeting has officially ended. The students will be informed of the switch during the briefing , and I will distribute the amended lesson plan by fifteen hundred hours today."
"Which essentially means that you've already changed it without my consent. Good thing I ain't fussy about such things!" Zell growled in mock irritation.
"I'm sorry, Zell! We had a hard time looking for you this morning!" Quistis said apologetically.
"My fault, okay? Sh!t, I'd better get going then." He moved towards the door swiftly, and pressed the square pad beside the doorframe, letting himself out as it slid open.
"Seifer! Next time you decide on a change like this, kindly remind me at least one day in advance! Prac—" Quistis' loud rant filtered out from the room, before it was shut out by the closed door.
Zell let a little smile curve his lips.
After so many years, they still haven't changed much.
He stole a glance at his watch, and realized to his horror that the possibility of turning up late for his first lesson was looming larger by the minute.
"Yikes! I'd better make a dash for it!"
Ten minutes later~
Zell walked out of his room with an armful of books, papers, and assorted teaching materials.
While the idea of Zell Dintch lecturing on theoretical subjects would be a source of infinite jokes when he was a young man, he had acquired enough credentials to refine his reputation to that of a less "himbotic' one.
The thought of his impending tardiness filled his mind making his feet move yet more urgently. He quickened his brisk walk to a run, his feet barely touching the floor as he hurried towards his class.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Late! I'm late! Stupid train delay!
Her heart working overtime with strenuous exertion, the girl looked frantically at her watch, and cursed under her breath when she saw the minute hand inch closer to the twelfth mark.
She had yet to get used to the recently implemented rule set by the new Dean of the Training Wing, Quistis Trepe. It required every student to be seated in his or her classroom ten minutes before lesson time…
And it was now way past those ten minutes.
"With some luck I might not get caught if I show up before the Instructor does." She prayed that she would be able to reach the classroom by then.
She took a sharp turn at the end of the corridor round the corner…
And promptly bumped into the flustered Instructor Dintch at the other side of the corner.
Books, papers, writing instruments and stationery of all sorts flew in every imaginable direction. Both went to retrieve the assorted straying items, mindful of mixing up with the other person's belongings.
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry…"
They apologized at the same time, and looked up in surprise when the sounds of their voices mingled.
"Here's your stuff." The girl thrust out her pile of tidily stacked papers that did not belong to her to the Instructor, waiting for him to exchange them with hers.
But he did not return the gesture, simply gaping at her.
The moment he set his eyes upon her, it all came back to him.
Each memory and scene, every line exchanged with his Blue-haired Angel came rushing back at him.
Images of the first time he saw her as a little boy, and meeting her for the second time that night in his dorm. And that of her teardrop sapphire exploding blindingly to reveal her spreading out and protecting him from a fatal attack… that depressing departure just before she went searching for Quisty…
And of course, the sharp stab of pain when she told him she didn't love him, followed by sweet, sweet relief when she admitted she was lying.
The utter despair when she drew away from their last embrace.
The urge to plea with her not to leave him barely suppressed by his last semblance of self-control.
It threatened to overpower him, those tidal waves that gushed up against the shore that was his chest, impossibly close to drowning him over.
The dream he had that morning sneaked in uninvited into his mind, weaving itself amongst the nostalgic images already running rampant in it.
Only then did he understand its meaning.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
He stepped into the room, and was greeted by the sight of two people seated at a round iron-wrought garden table. A game of Triple Triad was laid upon it. They appeared to be extremely engrossed in their game, not giving a sign that they knew of Zell's intrusion into their little space.
A single beam of golden light shining down from the sky focused upon them, obscuring a full view of their faces.
Am I transparent or something? He thought to himself, when they continued to give no acknowledgement to his presence.
"I WIN!" The taller girl suddenly shouted.
"That's only because I let you!" The other said with a sour expression, demonstrating her sore-loser mentality in its entirety.
"Did not!"
"Did too! I didn't use my 'Queen of Cheats' Lily Card!"
"That's your problem! I win Zell's Card!" She danced around ecstatically, showing off the card in an excessively exuberant fashion.
I recognize those voices! He thought in astonishment, now gawking openly at them.
The ray of light had dimmed considerably, allowing their faces to be seen clearly again.
"I'd lost to her even before we met…" The one with the weird contacts winked and smiled ruefully at Zell, and vanished without another word.
"Zell, don't fret. I'll be with you soon." The blue-haired one floated up to him, and pecked his cheek lightly.
"C—"
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Cel—"
"Hello! Can I have my things back? I'm terribly late for my class!" A voice jolted him back to reality, prying his mind from its trip down memory lane back to the present, albeit a little harshly.
He had heard the same voice in the dream. Not only her voice, her every feature was identical.
Even that little downward curve of her lips whenever she was annoyed at him was indisputably the same.
"Here…" He handed the things back to her reluctantly, but not before glancing briefly at the header.
[Basics of Mission Protocol] Class 2.6 Location: East Wing Room 6
Instructor: Seifer Almasy
Isn't that supposed to be the class I'm swapping with Seifer?
"Hold on, Miss!" He stopped her just as she was about to run off.
"What now?" She turned on her heel, her face contorted with annoyance.
"Are you by any chance attending Instructor Almasy's lesson at eight hundred hours?"
"So what if I am? I'm late!" She turned roughly, wanting to leave, but was stopped by Zell again.
"That class has been switched with Instructor Dintch's class, [Tactical Mission Planning] to one in the afternoon."
"WHAT? Why wasn't I informed?"
"Did you attend the students' briefing this morning?"
"No…" She mumbled in embarrassment. "Was late. Told ya."
"Don't worry, the Instructor for that class won't be mad at you for being late."
"How would YOU know?" She retorted fiercely, still blissfully ignorant about the identity of the person in front of her.
But not for long, though.
"Because—" He paused for dramatic effect. "I am Instructor Dintch!"
He grinned widely at her.
He had finally found her, after thirteen long years.
Thirteen years of loneliness, of guessing, and most of all, of keeping that place beside him vacant, if only for her return.
For the first time, the tables were totally turned on Celestine.
He was no longer the one with the faded memories.
No longer the younger one.
He was smarter than her.
And most importantly, it would be him protecting her this time, not the other way round.
If he wasn't so darned dejected by her failure to recognize him, he would have whopped with joy.
"Follow me." He said, secretly relishing the confusion her pretty face showed, and started walking off, leaving her staring off behind him.
Thus begins another budding romance between a student and an instructor. It was one that rivaled the popularity of the other insanely famous Student-Teacher relationship in Balamb Garden – Quistis and Seifer Almasy.
Will she remember the times they shared together? Or will she fall in love with him all over again?
You decide.
More often than not, when one tries to tie a loose end, another appears.
No matter what the case, they would remain as lovers, even though her memory of him was slightly altered. But the link between them could not be severed.
Because she managed to find him, and he managed to find her, in the vast ocean that was their lives, no matter how many times they separated. Because they had held true to their promises.
I promise that no matter what happens, I will come and find you, and bring you back safely in my arms again.
I'll be back… I promise…
I promise to be the Hero that belongs to you, and only you forever.
I promise to be your Angel for as long as our lifespan permits
I promise.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Narrator (cameo by Damien Silvergrace): So… after reading all that, don't you feel an urge to bash in the Author's face for letting you down with such a tasteless ending? I understand how you feel, cos I feel the same way too.
Anyway, forgive my rambling. My purpose here today is to update you readers who are eager to know what is to become of our favorite SeeDs (and one Cadet) in Balamb Garden.
Irvine and Selphie Kinneas, aged 34 and 33, were promoted to the Head of Weaponry and Public Relations respectively, with Selphie holding double posts of PR to the media, and Head of Cadet Recruitment. They have a pair of twins aged nine, Trevor and Andrew, who had managed to inherit the most distinctive qualities of their parents.
Squall Leonhart was the youngest Headmaster to be voted into position by the Council at age 33, despite his own protests (very weak ones, if I may say), due to the competence he had demonstrated in leading Balamb Garden under the title of Commander. Rinoa Heartilly-Leonhart declined to hold any important position, but it was well-known to all that she influences, or has quite substantial say in many of the decision her husband makes. They have a daughter, Skylar, aged twelve, and a son, Arian, aged ten. The daughter had inherited her father's relatively cool attitude towards the world at large, while the son retained his mother's sensitivity. A case of mixed identities? I really cannot tell.
Seifer Almasy (ahem… hey Master), 34, had recently been promoted to Vice Dean of the Training Wing in Balamb Garden, after two years of being the Head of Discipline, reprising the role he had forsaken some sixteen years ago.
Quistis Trepe-Almasy (ahem… My Lady heh), also 34, was appointed as the Dean of the Training Wing. Balamb Garden's fall in mercenary business had resulted in a shift in the focus of its activities, now concentrating on the training and education of future leaders of the world.
The Almasys have a daughter, Ariel, aged twelve, and of course, you would have read above that she had inherited her father's rebellious streak and stubbornness… and her mother's golden hair (what a cutie she is…).
Zell Dintch, 33, accepted his position as Head of Mission Operatives after much coercing and bribery, both of which were relatively unsuccessful, but was later persuaded merely with a teary tantrum from his girlfriend.
As for Celestine Angelwing… or rather, Cadet Christie Whitefeather, she remained clueless to this day about her past life, oblivious to the extent she was linked to these seven people from the orphanage gang.
*Shifts seamlessly from Narrator Mode to Angel/Supporting Cast Mode*
The Amnesia Spell she had cast upon them had eroded throughout the years, finally vanishing six months ago when she relinquished her status as an Angel and opted to become a human instead, to the greatest regret of those in Angel Land.
Her successor, said to be the reincarnation of a certain Lord Shin, had valiantly attempted to restrict her, but with little success.
Even though yours truly is more than a little disappointed with her decision to become human, at the same time, the feeling of an enormous burden lifting off could not be missed.
No longer do I have to waste my energy maintaining the Amnesia Spell , or zap others in the Garden if they so happen to mention her. The presence of other residents in B-Garden who still remembered her had not been factored into her consideration when she left, and I was the one who cleaned up after her, as usual. All it took now was a hasty explanation from Zell and friends whenever anyone addressed her as Celestine, which was infrequent, and so not a major problem.
But… she does not remember me, or even see me.
I cannot physically appear in front of her, for the presence of Angels is merely a myth, or at most, a distant concept to her now.
Not only that; in order not to raise alarmed questions in the minds of those who were not present in the AKUZOKSEI War era, I had to restrict my visual appearances in this world.
Which is just as well. The more I see her, the more I am reminded of a truth I loathe to face.
Things can never be the same again. Not for me, not for them.
Farewell, this is truly the end.
-THE END-
Okay… I've finished it. Got a huge burden off my mind.
I inspected my story. I look at the reviews. Then it hit me that the only reason I got more than a hundred was due to the massive volume of chappies I have, not because it was particularly outstanding or whatever. And I realized I look like such an idiot when I went about gloating and gloating. BUT I will not let that affect my writing. I shall continue to write, cos I still have some very loyal readers and reviewers who show their support without fail. I dedicate the entire series to you. *sniff* I love you, I really do.
As for my next project… I don't know. You just have to watch my bio page for updates. Tell you what. Why not you just say in your next review that you wish to be informed when my new story comes up, and I will duly send you an email when I've posted it? Good, ne?
I wish to thank the following in no order of preference (but in alphabetical order):
- Ani-chan
- Black Widow1
- Cat
- CelesteSpring a.k.a. Rendezvous
- Cherry6124
- Dintchbaby
- Emilystrange
- FlamingCross
- Jasin
- Jeangab057
- Kelani2539
- leelee
- Michael Kenny
- Mistress Rikku
- Parizz
- Pierson
- Prodigy
- Punkygal
- Quistis88
- Quisty Almasy
- Raging Dragon
- Shootinstar
- SilverAuthor
- Soul of Flame
- star112
- Starletta
- Stupid Guy (I don't think you're stupid though…)
- Terra5
- The Notorious Naurwen
- tigerlilyevans
Phew… long list there ehehehehe. Well… that's about it, I think. If I missed out anyone, please, I'm terribly sorry.
Of course, I mustn't forget my loyal advisor, Arfy... ^_^x
Okay, that's all folks. Hope to see you at the new story, and I hope you'll resume your invaluable support over there as well.
Have you ever missed someone so much that you wished to pluck him from your dreams, and hug him as tight as you can? If you have, then you're lucky. Cos you have that someone in your life.
- By some very wise person.