Forgiving or Forgiven
Chapter 6
"Repeat, could Seifer, Fujin and Raijin head to the third floor. Thank you." The familiar Garden chime signaled the end of the message, as Seifer woke up to hear the last half of the message. He groaned, and looked at the red digits on the alarm clock next to his bed. It was 7 am. He got up, looking around the messy room to locate his clothes. Zell was asleep, and Seifer walked out of the room, being careful not to wake him. He knocked on Fujin and Raijin's door, to find that they had already left.
He walked along the almost deserted corridors, wondering how Fujin and Raijin would react to being re-instated as the Disciplinary Committee again. He made his way to the elevator, and pressed the button to call it. The doors opened with a ping, and shut again with the same sound as he pressed the button that would take him up to the third floor. He tapped his foot on the floor impatiently, waiting for it to stop.
When it did eventually stop, he marched out of the elevator and opened the doors to the office. There, he saw Cid sitting behind his desk, Squall standing in front of it, and Fujin and Raijin saluting in front of Squall. Seifer stood in the line in front of Squall, and also saluted.
"At ease. Now, Seifer has agreed to be re-instated as head of the Disciplinary Committee, with you as his helpers. Are you OK with that?"
Fujin and Raijin looked at each other, and then nodded.
"Good. Now, there is a mission that I want the three of you to go on. It's a stealth mission, and we need Fujin's hacking skills, and also Seifer and Raijin's strength in case the mission goes wrong. Are you up to it?"
Seifer, Fujin and Raijin nodded simultaneously.
"The mission takes place tomorrow morning. Be at the front gate at 0500 hours for briefing. Remember, try to be as inconspicuous as possible. Go to Balamb today, and find some clothes that you'll need so that you won't be noticed. Then, get an early night so that you can be up for the morning. Dismissed."
The trio made their way to the elevator.
"DANGEROUS?"
"It could be, ya know? Better be ready for anything, ya know?"
"What we're up against might be like the Magnus Humorous, so stock up on a lot of magic, especially High Level and Forbidden. They might save our lives."
"OK, ya know? Where are we getting money to go to Balamb, ya know?"
"SALARY,"
"I'm a level 10 SeeD, so I've got a paycheck big enough to pay for clothes, a train ticket to wherever we're going, and enough for breakfast in Balamb. Let's go to the salary desk, and I can get my paycheck."
They headed to the salary desk on the first floor, next to the dormitories. Seifer got his paycheck, and stuffed the money inside his trenchcoat. Then, they headed to Balamb.
At the gate, they met Orion.
"I'm coming with you," Orion said.
"WHY?"
"Help you out with what clothing you buy, and to keep an eye on you," he said, walking out of Garden. The posse followed suit, and they walked into the sunshine as they traveled down the road towards Balamb.
When they got there, Fujin and Raijin were given cold stares, but most of them were reserved for Seifer. He ignored them, walking into the town with his head held high, followed by Fujin, Raijin, and Orion. They entered the clothes shop next to the weapons guild, and started looking around.
After a while, they all met back together with assorted garments in their hands. Fujin had a tight-fitting black one-piece suit, with a zipper that went down to the lower back. Raijin had clothes to match the colour of his skin, with an army-style type vest, and combat trousers. Seifer had chosen only a black trenchcoat and black vest to go under it.
They walked to the counter, and placed the garments on it. The woman behind the counter froze, looking like a deer in headlights. Seifer looked at her, with an almost bored expression on his face. She finally managed to find her voice.
"You - You can't be served." she said stubbornly.
"WHY?"
"B-because you took over Balamb, and he," pointing to Seifer, "joined sides with the Sorceress and almost killed everyone!"
"And that's a good reason because?" Seifer said, starting to get annoyed with the woman.
"Because, you're a wanted murderer!"
"No, I'm not. I've been cleared."
"How do we know that we can trust what you say?"
"I was controlled by Ultimecia. I had no control over my actions, except joining sides with Edea. That I only did, because she was my childhood mother, when nobody else would take me in," he said, trying to look as calm as possible.
"Prove it. Describe what it was like," she said, arms crossed.
"Have you ever felt like you wanted to stop something, but didn't have the willpower to fight against it? Have you ever been raped? Have you ever had dreams come true before your very eyes, to find out that they weren't real? She used the things that I wanted the most against me, and made me think that the world was against her, so I had to protect her. She raped my mind, read every thought, and filled them with things to keep me under her control. Any action that I didn't perform to her high standards, the punishments came in: electrocution to the brink of death, cured, and then have it happen again. That is the torture I was submitted to, and that is why I was controlled." Seifer finished off her tale, trying to keep his emotions in check. He might of looked like a normal person, but it didn't fool his closest friends.
Her mouth hung open for a second, before she started to put their clothes into carrier bags, checking them off as she went.
"That will be...4000 Gil, please," she said.
Seifer reached inside his trenchcoat, counted out the appropriate amount of money, and gave it to the woman. He grabbed the clothes, and walked out of the shop, his trenchcoat flapping out behind him. Fujin and Raijin running after him.
Orion looked on in interest, before walking to a building that looked abandoned. He walked inside, and walked through a portal of some sort.
"WAIT!"
Seifer ignored the call from Fujin, and started sprinting towards Garden, carrier bag clutched tightly in his hand.
Fujin and Raijin ran after him, panting at the effort of running uphill.
Seifer came to the entrance of Garden, and ran through the front gate, ignoring the man who told him to show ID. He ran to his room, his eyes watering from what he just revealed to people. he ran inside, and slammed the door, before dumping the bag on the floor, and landing face down on his bed. His shoulders heaved as he started to have a panic attack, hyperventilating out of control.
Zell got up from his bed and walked over to Seifer, laying a hand on his shoulder, feeling as Seifer's shoulders heaved and shook. He recognized the symptoms of a panic attack from a first aid course he'd had to take, and instantly flipped Seifer onto his back. He raced around the room, and finally located a paper bag.
Lying face down, he felt Zell place his hand on his shoulder, the gesture doing little to calm him down. He started to fell faint, and, when Zell had flipped him onto his back, he started seeing dots in his vision. Zell left him for a moment, and he passed out.
Zell raced back across the room, paper bag in his hand. Seifer was still hyperventilating, so he placed the paper bag over his mouth and nose. Eventually, his oxygen and carbon dioxide levels righted themselves, and he started breathing normally. Zell checked his vital signs - he was breathing, had a heartbeat, and still had circulation. Zell opened the door to their dorm, to see Fujin and Raijin standing outside.
"Shut the door after I've passed through, and then come to the infirmary," he said, returning to the unconscious Seifer. He heaved Seifer over his shoulder in a fireman's lift, and walked carefully to the infirmary, Fujin and Raijin following.
"Dr. Kadowaki!" Zell shouted as he walked through the doors to the infirmary.
"What happened?" she asked when she saw him carrying Seifer.
"He ran into the room, and flopped down face down on his bed, and he started hyperventilating. I managed to stop it after he's passed out," he said.
"Put him on the bed," Dr. Kadowaki ordered, writing the information onto a clipboard.
Zell placed Seifer on the bed that she directed him to, and stretched his muscles.
Seifer heard people talking, but couldn't react to the voices. Somewhere, in his conscience, it was urging him to become a knight again...to the new threat.
Cliffhanger!!
How was it? What will Seifer do - join the sorceress, or fight against it?
Find out next chapter!
Ruby Dragon
Chapter 6
"Repeat, could Seifer, Fujin and Raijin head to the third floor. Thank you." The familiar Garden chime signaled the end of the message, as Seifer woke up to hear the last half of the message. He groaned, and looked at the red digits on the alarm clock next to his bed. It was 7 am. He got up, looking around the messy room to locate his clothes. Zell was asleep, and Seifer walked out of the room, being careful not to wake him. He knocked on Fujin and Raijin's door, to find that they had already left.
He walked along the almost deserted corridors, wondering how Fujin and Raijin would react to being re-instated as the Disciplinary Committee again. He made his way to the elevator, and pressed the button to call it. The doors opened with a ping, and shut again with the same sound as he pressed the button that would take him up to the third floor. He tapped his foot on the floor impatiently, waiting for it to stop.
When it did eventually stop, he marched out of the elevator and opened the doors to the office. There, he saw Cid sitting behind his desk, Squall standing in front of it, and Fujin and Raijin saluting in front of Squall. Seifer stood in the line in front of Squall, and also saluted.
"At ease. Now, Seifer has agreed to be re-instated as head of the Disciplinary Committee, with you as his helpers. Are you OK with that?"
Fujin and Raijin looked at each other, and then nodded.
"Good. Now, there is a mission that I want the three of you to go on. It's a stealth mission, and we need Fujin's hacking skills, and also Seifer and Raijin's strength in case the mission goes wrong. Are you up to it?"
Seifer, Fujin and Raijin nodded simultaneously.
"The mission takes place tomorrow morning. Be at the front gate at 0500 hours for briefing. Remember, try to be as inconspicuous as possible. Go to Balamb today, and find some clothes that you'll need so that you won't be noticed. Then, get an early night so that you can be up for the morning. Dismissed."
The trio made their way to the elevator.
"DANGEROUS?"
"It could be, ya know? Better be ready for anything, ya know?"
"What we're up against might be like the Magnus Humorous, so stock up on a lot of magic, especially High Level and Forbidden. They might save our lives."
"OK, ya know? Where are we getting money to go to Balamb, ya know?"
"SALARY,"
"I'm a level 10 SeeD, so I've got a paycheck big enough to pay for clothes, a train ticket to wherever we're going, and enough for breakfast in Balamb. Let's go to the salary desk, and I can get my paycheck."
They headed to the salary desk on the first floor, next to the dormitories. Seifer got his paycheck, and stuffed the money inside his trenchcoat. Then, they headed to Balamb.
At the gate, they met Orion.
"I'm coming with you," Orion said.
"WHY?"
"Help you out with what clothing you buy, and to keep an eye on you," he said, walking out of Garden. The posse followed suit, and they walked into the sunshine as they traveled down the road towards Balamb.
When they got there, Fujin and Raijin were given cold stares, but most of them were reserved for Seifer. He ignored them, walking into the town with his head held high, followed by Fujin, Raijin, and Orion. They entered the clothes shop next to the weapons guild, and started looking around.
After a while, they all met back together with assorted garments in their hands. Fujin had a tight-fitting black one-piece suit, with a zipper that went down to the lower back. Raijin had clothes to match the colour of his skin, with an army-style type vest, and combat trousers. Seifer had chosen only a black trenchcoat and black vest to go under it.
They walked to the counter, and placed the garments on it. The woman behind the counter froze, looking like a deer in headlights. Seifer looked at her, with an almost bored expression on his face. She finally managed to find her voice.
"You - You can't be served." she said stubbornly.
"WHY?"
"B-because you took over Balamb, and he," pointing to Seifer, "joined sides with the Sorceress and almost killed everyone!"
"And that's a good reason because?" Seifer said, starting to get annoyed with the woman.
"Because, you're a wanted murderer!"
"No, I'm not. I've been cleared."
"How do we know that we can trust what you say?"
"I was controlled by Ultimecia. I had no control over my actions, except joining sides with Edea. That I only did, because she was my childhood mother, when nobody else would take me in," he said, trying to look as calm as possible.
"Prove it. Describe what it was like," she said, arms crossed.
"Have you ever felt like you wanted to stop something, but didn't have the willpower to fight against it? Have you ever been raped? Have you ever had dreams come true before your very eyes, to find out that they weren't real? She used the things that I wanted the most against me, and made me think that the world was against her, so I had to protect her. She raped my mind, read every thought, and filled them with things to keep me under her control. Any action that I didn't perform to her high standards, the punishments came in: electrocution to the brink of death, cured, and then have it happen again. That is the torture I was submitted to, and that is why I was controlled." Seifer finished off her tale, trying to keep his emotions in check. He might of looked like a normal person, but it didn't fool his closest friends.
Her mouth hung open for a second, before she started to put their clothes into carrier bags, checking them off as she went.
"That will be...4000 Gil, please," she said.
Seifer reached inside his trenchcoat, counted out the appropriate amount of money, and gave it to the woman. He grabbed the clothes, and walked out of the shop, his trenchcoat flapping out behind him. Fujin and Raijin running after him.
Orion looked on in interest, before walking to a building that looked abandoned. He walked inside, and walked through a portal of some sort.
"WAIT!"
Seifer ignored the call from Fujin, and started sprinting towards Garden, carrier bag clutched tightly in his hand.
Fujin and Raijin ran after him, panting at the effort of running uphill.
Seifer came to the entrance of Garden, and ran through the front gate, ignoring the man who told him to show ID. He ran to his room, his eyes watering from what he just revealed to people. he ran inside, and slammed the door, before dumping the bag on the floor, and landing face down on his bed. His shoulders heaved as he started to have a panic attack, hyperventilating out of control.
Zell got up from his bed and walked over to Seifer, laying a hand on his shoulder, feeling as Seifer's shoulders heaved and shook. He recognized the symptoms of a panic attack from a first aid course he'd had to take, and instantly flipped Seifer onto his back. He raced around the room, and finally located a paper bag.
Lying face down, he felt Zell place his hand on his shoulder, the gesture doing little to calm him down. He started to fell faint, and, when Zell had flipped him onto his back, he started seeing dots in his vision. Zell left him for a moment, and he passed out.
Zell raced back across the room, paper bag in his hand. Seifer was still hyperventilating, so he placed the paper bag over his mouth and nose. Eventually, his oxygen and carbon dioxide levels righted themselves, and he started breathing normally. Zell checked his vital signs - he was breathing, had a heartbeat, and still had circulation. Zell opened the door to their dorm, to see Fujin and Raijin standing outside.
"Shut the door after I've passed through, and then come to the infirmary," he said, returning to the unconscious Seifer. He heaved Seifer over his shoulder in a fireman's lift, and walked carefully to the infirmary, Fujin and Raijin following.
"Dr. Kadowaki!" Zell shouted as he walked through the doors to the infirmary.
"What happened?" she asked when she saw him carrying Seifer.
"He ran into the room, and flopped down face down on his bed, and he started hyperventilating. I managed to stop it after he's passed out," he said.
"Put him on the bed," Dr. Kadowaki ordered, writing the information onto a clipboard.
Zell placed Seifer on the bed that she directed him to, and stretched his muscles.
Seifer heard people talking, but couldn't react to the voices. Somewhere, in his conscience, it was urging him to become a knight again...to the new threat.
Cliffhanger!!
How was it? What will Seifer do - join the sorceress, or fight against it?
Find out next chapter!
Ruby Dragon