------'-----,--- Damaged ------'-----,---
It was your average day in BalambGarden. Lunch hour had come and people had split into her different groups. Everyone at the Garden had always been so cliquish. Certain people only hung out in certain places. Even though they all wore the same uniforms, there was still rivalry amongst them.
The sounds of the Ragnarock resounded over the students sitting peacefully in the quad. Many of them looked up from their lunch to watch as the red ship landed on the field in front of the now stationary Balamb Garden. Everyone expected to see Xu or Zell standing at the top of the hatch when it lowered.
Many of them gasped or dropped items of food in surprise, when they say who was really there. Framed by the red outline of the ship standing tall and proud was Seifer Almasy. His telltale trench coat flared out around his legs, the red crosses blazing. Beside him stood a weak looking Quistis Trepe still wearing her blood drenched snow clothes. The two of them walked slowly down the walkway heading for the main gate. Their two blond heads were a matching pair that glinted in the sunlight.
Zell, Selphie and Irvine were following behind them Selphie talking excitedly. At the last possible moment, Seifer stopped staring at the steps leading up into the garden.
"I tried to kill everyone here" Seifer uttered softly. Quistis reached out slowly to put her hand on his shoulder. He shrugged away from her giving her an angry look. She yanked her hand back hurt sliding across her face.
"Seifer, we have to get you inside" Quistis said quietly.
"I tried to kill them all" he said coldly harshly, forking a hand hard through his hair.
"And we tried to have you executed in return" Quistis said reaching out to take his hand. He took a step back his hands curling around his Hyperion. Something inside Seifer snapped at that moment. He rushed forward in leaps and bounds his blade dragging hard across the metal floor.
"Squall!! I've come for you!" Seifer shouted his voice echoing through out the halls of the garden. His stance was one of years and years of stored up rage.
"Squall!!" Seifer roared again his voice booming out. Students rushed from their rooms, from the cafeteria to see what was going on. All eyes were on him. Quistis was shoving through the crowds of people, stumbling out behind him.
"Move" a voice called from the elevator area. Rinoa strode forward Squall's black leather jacket resting on her shoulders, the white feathers rustling. She looked every bit the icy sorceress, her eyes only on her former lover.
"Seifer" Rinoa said softly tears welling in her chocolate brown eyes.
"'Noa?" Seifer asked softly. It was a jolt to his very system to see her standing there in his rival's jacket.
"Squall is dead, don't you remember?" Rinoa said the cold brittle words escaping from her lips. The whole garden stood silent, none of them had heard those words uttered since the memorial service. Rarely did anyone speak of Squall's passing, let alone Rinoa Heartily.
"Squall... is dead?" Seifer whispered, the tiny sound reaching every ear in the crowd. He sunk to the ground in disbelief. The Hyperion extending from his grip, he stared at the blade. Pain contorted his face, and stained his eyes.
"Seifer, get up" Rinoa commanded placing her hands on her hips. The former knight didn't move but instead seemed to stoop lower towards the floor. Quistis glared at Rinoa, amazed at her lack of compassion. It was unusual for Rinoa to act like that. Sure, she had been cold since the death of her lover. But that was just ridiculous. Maybe Rinoa hated Seifer more then Quistis realized.
Slowly, carefully, Quistis lowered herself to the floor beside Seifer. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and he raised his head at the gentle touch. Their eyes met and Quistis was amazed at the tears rolling down his cheeks. It was a sight she never thought she would see. There was something seriously wrong with Seifer Almasy.
"Come on Seifer, lets get you out of here" She said, so softly that only he could hear it. Slowly they helped each other to their feet.
Both of them were weak and tired, a sad sight to be in front of the whole Garden. Carefully the two of them trudged through the mass of students and into the infirmary.
"Rita, get Quistis into a bed. I'll take care of Seifer" Dr. Kadowaki said as they walked in. Rita her assistant quickly moved forward ushering Quistis into a side room. Things never changed in the infirmary: hardly any students, the clean smell of antiseptic.
"Lay down, Hun" Rita said laying the former instructor down on the bed. Quistis had to admit to herself that it was nice to give her aching body a rest. Healing magic only did so much. The fatigue of the pain would be hitting her any minute now. She knew that from all the classes she had taught about the overuse of healing magic.
Suddenly Quistis heard Dr. Kadowaki scream from down the hallway. What in Hyne's name was going wrong now? Quistis hardly had time to leap from the bed and head down the hallway before Seifer went rushing by in a blur of grey. Quistis started after him leaving Rita to deal with the wounded Dr. Kadowaki.
Seifer rushed into the central part of the garden and grabbed the first cadet he saw. It was thin blond girl, and she looked scared out of her mind as Seifer held his gunblade to her throat.
"Must kill the blond woman" Seifer uttered his voice crazy with pain. He laughed, his whole body shaking in response.
"Seifer, stop this!" Quistis said exasperated. There was just too much going on - too much pain and too much of this insanity. He turned slowly and looked at her, his eyes clicking. He dropped the cadet, her limp form dropping to the floor. She glanced up at Quistis for only a moment before taking off at top speed.
"Mission statement, Kill Quistis Trepe" he said slowly his voice methodical and tight. He took one jerky step towards her. She took a step back in return, terror violating through her body. Seifer could be a very scary man.
"No, Seifer, don't you remember me?" she asked hoping to get into his head. He flew forward then tackling her to the ground. The blade of his Hyperion bit into her arm, spreading her blood across the marble floor.
"Gotta kill. Must kill. All I can do is kill" Seifer breathed heavily. Then suddenly all his weight fell limp on her. Quistis then saw the long grey tranquilizer drat protruding from his neck. Her eyes trailed up to the second floor balcony where Irvine stood a gun in his hand. Smoke still rose from the barrel as he raised it slowly and tapped it against the brim of his hat.
With a sigh Quistis fell limp against the floor, almost oblivious to the weight of Seifer.
"This has to be done, Quistis" Xu said softly her voice cracking across the meeting room much like Quistis' very own Save the Queen.
"So you are going to drag him down to the MD level and cage him like an animal?" Quistis asked coldly folding her arms over her chest. She eyed Xu coolly, awaiting an answer. Her arm was covered in her own blood, the sleeve of her snowsuit in tatters. There had been no time to change.
"That is what he is Ms. Trepe, an animal. One that is highly dangerous and one that we can not control" Xu responded, a prim smile coming to her face. Quistis wanted nothing more then to ram her fist into the brunette's nose.
"Seifer will not like being in any kind of containment, he will rebel" Rinoa broke in from her chair. She leaned forward pushing her hands along the wood of the table.
"I don't think it would be a good idea to make him angry" Quistis agreed softly turning her glare back to Xu's chestnut eyes.
"I am the Headmaster and I say he is being imprisoned until we can figure out what to do" Xu said.
"Yeah, what exactly do you plan on doing with him?" Irvine asked. Seifer was spread out on the floor beside him still knocked out from the tranquilizer gun. The gun had been reloaded and the barrel now rested against Seifer's neck. The trigger rested casually by Irvine's finger.
"The meeting of the United Council is in a few days. Since Seifer belongs to Esthar, it will be up to them what to do with him" Xu replied nodding curtly as if everyone should have known the information.
"Does that mean the Garden will be leaving for Deling City soon?" Rinoa asked looking up. The United Council always met in Deling City, all the Garden flying there for the occasion. There was always a big dinner, and then a long council meeting. Then the next day there was a huge party. It was an event that people around the world looked forward to.
"We move out first thing tomorrow morning, so I suggest we all get some rest" Xu advised all of them as she leaned over to straighten some papers on the table.
"Xu, can I be placed in charge of Seifer's recovery until the Council meeting" Quistis asked.
"Ms. Trepe, that delicate job is to be handled by a SeeD. If you have forgotten you are on probation. I will be assigning someone else to the task" Xu said not bothering to look up at Quistis. Irvine and Zell picked up the helpless, unconscious Seifer and pulled him from the room. Quistis followed in their wake all the way down the MD level.
They dropped him in the center of the room and slowly a giant cage was lowered down over him. It hit the ground with a loud metallic clank that reverberated through Quistis.
"You commin', Quis?" Zell asked as he and Irvine headed for the elevator.
"I'll catch up later" Quistis said softly. The two men left her alone in the presence of one of the most wanted criminals ever to walk the land. The blond woman moved forward reaching out to wrap her hands around the bars.
She looked down at Seifer for a long time, watching his soft breath. It scared the hell of her to see him so helpless, so lost. Quistis wasn't sure why she had the aching feeling to help him. Maybe it was because she had failed him before.
Failed him as an Instructor, and failed him as a witness at the execution trial. Her words had not been enough to save him, none of theirs had. The real question was: why hadn't Esthar gone through with the execution they had fought for so hard?
"Good night, Seifer" she said softly. Quistis turned and left him there alone in his prison. She trudged up to her dorm room. As she walked in she was suddenly over washed with the feeling of disappointment. She had left everything back in Shumi.
Collapsing on the bed she closed her eyes and allowed sleep to take her at last. Tomorrow she could try and help Seifer, no matter what Xu said.
It was only a few short hours later a male voice booming over the intercom stirred her from her slumber.
"Attention, code red. I repeat cod red. All medical staff to the MD level immediately"
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Authors Notes:
Sorry for the cliffhanger, well not really but you know ;).
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