BREAKING THE MIRROR
Disclaimer – I don't own any of the FF8 characters etc, but I do however own some original characters that are going to be included in this story, and the imagination I have to give them life. Hope you like it…
Also huge thanks to Michael Kenny for letting me use a technique he invented (will use it in due time! Oh, and read his fics. Top notch!)
Chapter 8 – It Starts With A Name
'Everything starts somewhere. Everything.'
Squall slept, but it was not a pleasant sleep.
(Dream)
He attacks with speed, Squall has Haste but still, STILL he keeps up. He flies backwards. Squall aims his gunblade, the opponent dodges out the way. He spins and gains momentum. Squall is having a hard time against his opponent. He makes out no features, it seems to be a fog of sorts, but can attack. Squall clashes swords with the fog, but it seems to vanish and reappear again. Squall somehow goes faster. Now the fog is struggling, but suddenly disappears. Squall swipes at where the fog was…
And feels something hit him in the back. Falling he feels a sword being drawn out of his back. Then his slayer flips him over. He gets one good look at the fog at last, just before he wakes up.
It is himself.
(/Dream)
The day had come for the new President of Galbadia to be named. Garden was functioning normally, the student's going about their everyday business. Faculty teaching and Instructors training.
For 7 individuals though, everything had stopped. These 7, along with Headmaster Cid, Xu and Nida, sat quietly round a table in front of a large TV screen. The broadcast flicked on.
Seifer especially studied it with interest. As soon as the man appeared and read his name, that was all they needed. He was going to pay that bastard back for mocking him. Big time.
Squall sat next to Rinoa, who placed a hand over his. She squeezed it gently. Rinoa was more bothered about Squall than the TV, as she felt what he was dreaming, but like before, she decided not to mention it.
A Galbadian podium, identical to the one used in the Timber TV station, was erected. Various microphones of various colors sat on top of it. Two flags bearing the Galbadian crest hung peacefully behind it. An old man walks up onto the podium, shuffles some papers, and then taps the closest mike.
"Ah we have transmission. Good," he coughs. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the world, people of Galbadia, it is time to name the new President of Galbadia. To replace the late Vinzer Deling."
Seifer sighs audibly. Irvine sniggers.
"All these candidates have promised noting but a bright and prosperous future for the Country of Galbadia, and of course, the world."
"Hmph, he added THAT quite quickly," Zell grunts. A few nod their heads.
"So without further ado, let's name the man…" he shuffles with a few bits of paper. Seifer is right up close to the TV now. Cid orders him to sit.
"The new President of Galbadia is, Vince Gilned!" the man shouts these last two words. The SeeD's sit in silence as a man walks, smiling up to the podium. A man wearing an impeccably crisp suit, square jaw, and handsome features. Squall sits there, eyes open wider than normal. Seifer pounds the table with his fist.
"That's him! That's the bastard there!" he shouts. Vince smiles again and opens his arms, in a spooky echo of Deling himself.
"Thank you, my kind people of Galbadia. I am so honored to have been given this job and title. I assure you that there will be nothing but peace, prosperity and happiness for all Galbadians! By doing this, we can turn our attention to helping the rest of the world. As a matter of fact…"
He reaches out his pocket and produces a piece of paper. He signs it, then holds it up. The camera zooms into it. The title reads:
THE DECLARATION OF GALBADIAN REMOVAL FROM THE COUNTRY OF TIMBER AND TIMBERS RECOGNITION AS AN INDEPENDENT STATE.
Under it, is his signature.
Rinoa looks at it, slack-jawed. Vince carries on, putting the piece of paper down.
"Mr. Deling, I am afraid to say, was nothing but an idiotic despot who, pardon my language, didn't give a shit about no-one but himself. I however do. As a matter of fact again, I have already withdrawn the forces from Timber. Now our soldiers can be real soldiers, helping people rather than ruining them. Oh, and the D-District prison will become a proper prison for real offenders, not for people who speak their mind. I do believe that, if Deling were still alive, I would already be in jail for calling him idiotic. He would admit to being a despot."
Zell, Selphie and Quistis chuckle at this. The others remain silent, not believing what they are hearing. Vince carries on. Seifer is listening to every word that he says now. So is Squall.
"Now that that has been cleared up, it's time for some bad news. I am afraid that the lovely tower that was being constructed, as a landmark for a new era was a tad destroyed. By a couple of certain individuals I might add."
Squall and Seifer exchange looks. On the TV, Vince face is one of seriousness.
"Now, I do not want warmongering, nor a lynch mob to go after them. As a matter of fact, I am not even going to give their names. As these 2 individuals know who they are. Yes, and I know they will be watching. Let me assure you of this, you will be found and brought to justice. What you did was irresponsible."
Seifer snorts "Yeah, right, whatever."
"And I assure you, that you will have your chance to plead your case under fair rules and in a fair environment. I make this personal because my life was endangered during this melee, but if it was not for my personal bodyguard, I feared I would have perished."
"Yadda yadda yadda…"
"Shut up Seifer," says Squall, Seifer looks at him. Squalls face is one of concentration. Seifer and the others catch what he is doing. Vince face is still one of seriousness.
"So I offer these 2 individuals this. If you see me, or send a message, we will arrange to meet, and you can plead your reasons. I'm sure you will have thought of something by now. If not and I am sorry to put such harshness on such a momentous occasions, but I will send out people to look for you. You will not be able to hide."
On this note he smiles again. "So as I said, thank you, and let us reign anew and live life to the fullest!"
He gets down off the podium and leaves as a huge babble of noise erupts from reporters. The cameras follow Vince to a door, as he opens it, a boy is waiting, before the camera is abruptly shut off. Static fills the room. Xu turns the TV off. Cid turns to them. All he sees are 5 faces of thought, and 2 of anger.
"Well, now we know. Seifer, is that him?"
Seifer snarls. "Yeah, that's him alright. Motherfu…"
Rinoa cuts in "Why didn't he give your names? Or even where you were?"
"Because he sent us a secret message through that speech of his. He knows who we are all right, and he knows where we are from. He's giving us an ultimatum."
"Ultimatum?" asks Xu.
Squall sighs slightly, and leans forward on the table. "Ok, first of all, he said ' they will be watching' he did this because he chose to go worldwide with this, to get our attention, rather than just keeping it in Galbadia then going to the world media. Secondly, he said 'we will be found' as he knows where we are, like I said before." He sits silently as Irvine speaks up.
"Got ya Squall, I wasn't paying attention but I did after. He said 'fair rules and fair environment' that means he wants us to…"
"Fight Mirror one by one, in a location that nobody would ever go to" interrupts Quistis who surprised everyone by speaking. Squall nods.
"Exactly. Also this. It's pretty obvious he only wants me and Seifer to go. Hell, he asked for it. And if we don't, well, it looks like he'll send not 'people' but he'll send Mirror after us, because he knows Mirror can take us" he grits his teeth. "As much as I hate to say it."
"Are you going to go to him Squall? Seifer?" asks Selphie, looking a bit spooked.
The two of them look at each other again. A silent conversation passes between them. He struggled against us, we saw it, between all that arrogance and bravado. And then there was the Limit Break…
"I think we should send Gilned a message alright," says Zell "that we should all go and kick his ass together. Or better still, let him send his merry mob, because I'll just destroy them."
"Your confidence is impressive," says Cid, "but it's not that easy. I will say this now to all of you" as he speaks the others sit and listen in perfect attention. The fact that Cid doesn't tell them to 'knock it off' means what he says is serious.
"I have a very bad feeling that this is going to be more than just a 2-on-1 fight between this Mirror, Seifer and Squall. I fear that everyone will be involved, and I mean everyone. The whole Garden, maybe even the world."
"Why do you think that Headmaster?" asks Nida. Cid turns to him.
"Look at the facts. Look at what that tower has that Squall described. Look at what they have 'made' with Mirror. Think what will happen if he sends him and the Galbadian army. The Garden may not survive."
"Then we do only one thing," Quistis says, standing up. "We go after Mirror, or vice-versa, but draw the fight away from Garden. We fight at a place that no-one goes to, like I said before."
"Any places that fit the bill?" asks Irvine. Quistis nods her head.
"One. Only one."
"Well? Seifer says.
"The Deep Sea Research Center. In the middle of the Ocean."
No one says a thing. There is silence. Broken only by the soft noise of outside and the buzz of the lights. Squall also stands up.
"Yes, its perfect. We seem to have no choice, though I wish I knew what Gilned is playing at, not mentioning our names, and giving us a secret message." He sighs heavily. "Right, this is what we do. Send him a message telling him the place and date of our 'meeting', and tell him to bring Mirror. I am sick of this. And say that after Mirror is gone, he is too, he is going to get tried for killing those SeeD's, stealing from Esthar, and conducting secret lab tests."
"Got ya," says Xu, standing up, saluting, and bustling off out. The others begin to depart. Squall is left alone with Cid and Rinoa.
"Squall, penny for your thoughts?" the old mans smiles warmly. Squall looks up at him, serious.
"Seifer said that Gilned is going to claim vengeance for his father against someone. I have no idea who his father is, or who he is going for. I would assume it's me or Seifer, as he has been most interested in us two mainly."
Cid nods. "He has been very crafty about this. Remaining discreet and not making much noise. His name has been kept from us until now. But I think he is also worried, I feel that sending this Ultimatum after you two are a sign because he didn't count on you getting away. I think he wants to 'clean up' so to speak."
Squall salutes and turns to go, before he does, he says one sentence to the old man.
"No, we are going to clean him up. He is not getting away with this."
And he walks off out. Rinoa, silent and quietly puzzled, follows him.
(Squall)
He stands in the lift. He is aware of Rinoa watching him. She probably knows about my nightmares, he thinks. I wonder what else she knows?
As if on cue, she speaks.
"Squall, you sounded so, confident in there. You really think you will win this time? I mea…" she is cut off, as she sees Squalls face, He is grinning slightly.
" I feel we have, I mean, we have been training so long, we feel stronger. Mirror is strong, but he's not invincible. One of us will destroy him. One of us."
"What if someone dies? That will be horrible, especially if it's-"
She is cut off as Squall places a hand beneath her chin and kisses her, immediately she has her arms around his neck. Pulling back slightly, he is grinning more broadly. She too grins.
"Call that an insurance policy."
***
Vince Gilned reads the latter sent to him.
Location: Deep Sea Research Center
Date: August 24th
Time: 13:00hrs
Persons: S, S, R, Q, S, Z, I
He smiles. Everything was going to plan. He hands the paper to Mirror. Mirror grunts and tosses it back onto the table.
"I am not waiting. I can't be bothered hanging about waiting. I want him now. Squall, I want him."
Vince narrows his eyes. "I know you do, but we must-" He is shocked as Mirror smashes a fist into the table. The letter shears in two under his fist.
"No! You have NO idea how much that got to me! You said that I would not be harmed! That they could do NOTHING I can't do! Yet Squall Leonhart did! How do you know they can't ALL do what he did? I've heard stories about them, about Zell quadrupling his strength, about Irvine firing out bullets SO fast that anything near him is turned to cheese. About what that little girl Selphie can do, you said that she has the most powerful Blue Magic ALIVE! She has magic that makes me look like NOTHING! I know she will never get the chance to use it but if she ever done…"
He breaks off. Vince fixes his tie, and looks into the manic eyes of Mirror. Thinking for a moment, he decides what to do.
Give him his time.
"You DO realize that, when I give this order to you, our friend will not be pleased? As a matter of fact, they may decide to abandon our deal and destroy us. You know what they can do."
Mirrors eyes waver a bit. But he says nothing.
"Fine. Then I give you this order. Fuck this 'meeting'. Go to Balamb Garden, and destroy it. Bring back the 6 of them to me. They do not have to be alive or whole of that's what you want. Just bring them back."
Mirror smiles, and bustles off.
Vince watches him go a tiny tendril of fear uncurling in his stomach.
What have I done? They will not be pleased at this…
(A/N: That's all the talk over for now. The next chapter you may find a bit disturbing. But I feel that the way the story is going to be written there will be a few casualties. Don't know whether to kill a character off yet. There will be deaths, just a matter of whom…
All reviews/comments welcome)