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"Laguna Loire" Quistis said pausing for a moment. The secretary stared up at her blankly with a dull set of brown eyes. It was obvious the woman hardly ever dealt with people, the way her gum snapped was simply obnoxious.
"The President, we are SeeD from Balamb garden and we want to see him. Now." Quistis said putting as much emphasis on the word now as she possibly could. The secretary stood up and rolled her eyes with a mighty sigh.
"There is no way you can be from Balamb, Hellooooo, Esthar has been closed for years" The secretary said sarcastically, placing a hand on her hip. Without another word Xu threw down a thick piece of metal bristling with wires and conductors.
"You might recognize this. It's a piece of your shield wall we just blasted through with the weapons on Galbadia Garden. Now, the President?" Xu explained calmly, the corner of her mouth twitching up into a grin. Quistis shook her head a bit remembering how Xu had ruthlessly told Nida to ram the shield wall and how the headmaster of Galbadia had responded. It had been simple to burst the wall to pieces with the big red garden, since the war it had been triple reinforced. The Garden most suited for war.
The secretary glared at the piece of the shield wall, like it was a dog about to bite her. Taking a few steps back she knocked lightly on the door behind her, which was opened moments later by a scrawny looking man.
"Ned, tell the President he has visitors" the secretary said to the man. Ned looks up at Xu and Quistis standing there for only a moment before turning and running down the hallway.
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"Quistis, Xu" Laguna said as they strode into his office giving them both a warm smile. He stopped short grimacing a bit as they glared at him, and Xu put her hand on her hip.
"I think you owe us an explanation, President Loire" Xu said. Laguna laughed feebly and scratched the back of his neck looking at the floor. There was nothing more but tension and silence in the room for a few moments longer.
"Where is Seifer?" Quistis demanded. Laguna looked up slowly, revealing the sadness in his eyes.
"He isn't well, Quistis..." Laguna said his voice trailing off. The President turned and walked across the room looking out the tall glass windows. The once strong and proud solider was now weighted down with the pains of guilt, and it was visible in every line of his posture.
"What did you do to him.. to us!" Quistis exclaimed angrily battling within herself to keep her calm. She wanted nothing more then to leap across the room and strangle the dark haired man.
"He killed my son!" Laguna roared spinning around in a few strides he crossed the room to stand in front her. Blue eyes met blue, the tension crackling between them.
"That does not justify your actions" Quistis said her voice holding a quite deadly edge. Sagging visibly Laguna took a step back.
"You're right" He admitted hanging is head, "He was wired long before he killed Squall"
"When did you do this to me?" Quistis asked through gritted teeth, flexing her forearm feeling the wires slide along her nerves.
"It wasn't me! It's not me anymore... its..." Laguna took a deep breath, "Ricker Deling"
"Vinzer Deling's son?" Quistis asked softly in a whisper, delicately raising an eyebrow.
"Laguna, the full story, please" Xu broke in, with a confused look on her face. The commander sighed softly, sitting down in one of the large chairs. Being an iron hard bitch all the time was really starting to get to the dark haired girl.
"You see during the war, Esthar worked with Galbadia after Vinzer's demise to find a way to augment our solders. Make them faster, and stronger. That way sorceress' wouldn't be a problem anymore" Laguna said softly, gazing out one of the large glass windows at his bright glass city.
"Ricker Deling was one of the top scientists on the project; he worked many long hours beside Dr. Odine in their lab in Shumi. Eventually they found a way to work metal wiring through out the entire body of a person, but the procedure was long and painful" The man spoke softly.
"Right after the Lunatic Pandora, right before Time Compression we captured Seifer. He was their first test subject that survived the procedure, but it left more then just scars on his body. It wounded his mind as well, somehow he had been coherent through the whole procedure" Laguna paused, lowering his eyes to the ground. It was a few silent moments before he spoke again.
"During Time Compression we lost him, only to find him again wandering the desert babbling like a mad man. He was covered in blood, in his fist clenched the necklace my son used to wear" The president stopped once again as his throat tightened, "I wanted to kill him right then and there, but it was Ricker who convinced me not to. Instead I closed Esthar to the world, retreating here"
"Ricker and Odine made discoveries in leaps and bounds after the war; eventually they discovered how to grow living tissue. Grow it like a plant in these huge specimen tubes, they were growing people. I was so angered and appalled when they showed me their perfect army; no one should mess with the human make up like that. I pulled Esthar's funding immediately and told Dr. Odine to return to the city" He continued explaining his voice finding a hard edge.
"So he returned bringing Seifer with him, the former sorceress Knight who was now more then a vegetable in a test tube" Laguna stopped and shook his head with a sigh.
"Ricker got into Esthar, killed Dr. Odine, and kidnapped Seifer. I discovered it all moments to late, as soon as I discovered that Miss Trepe was in Shumi I knew they would try to kill her or make them one of their own. And they did, didn't they?" Laguna asked finally turning to look at Quistis when he asked the question.
"Yes" Quistis answered curtly, clenching her fist.
"How did Ricker get to you, I can't imagine it was easy" Laguna asked raising an eyebrow.
"There was a doll, I guess it must have been placed in the ruins for me to find. When it broke some kind of green gas came out and knocked me out. But what I don't understand is that Seifer was there, and he was very intent on killing me" Quistis responded remembering their scuffle in the small hut in Shumi.
"In his trek from Esthar to Shumi, Ricker was Seifer was taken from him" Laguna answered softly.
"So there is a third player in all this?" Xu asked raising an eyebrow.
"Indeed, and I only have a very small idea of who it may be" Laguna said with another sigh. He buried his head in his hands for a few moments, not sure where to start talking again.
"Ricker had a daughter; she was very young only about ten. Those archeologists in Shumi were digging up an ancient ruin, a Sorceress' castle. Ricker somehow found a way to harness the power of a sorceress from the bones found within. That power he implanted into his daughter" Laguna said. Stunned silence filled the room. A ten year old sorceress.
"But why would she take Seifer and send him to kill me?" Quistis asked.
"I don't know, my only guess is that she is crazy with power and resents her father. So she wanted to stop whatever he was doing at all costs. I'm sorry Quistis but I don't know why he wanted you, other then perhaps for revenge" Laguna answered her softly, finally coming to his chair to sit. He gazed at the two women, looking very tired and very old.
"Do you have any idea where Ricker or his daughter are now?" Xu was the first to speak up, hesitantly breaking the silence.
"No, we have a few leads.. but nothing substantial" Laguna said looking over to the dark haired woman. The commander of the fallen Balamb Garden only nodded in response, gazing out the window.
"Seifer. I want to see him" Quistis said firmly standing up.
"I don't think that's such a good idea" Laguna responded his voice trailing off as she gave him a rock hard glare. He reached over and pressed a button on the intercom.
"Ned, will you take Miss Trepe down to see Mr. Almasy" Laguna spoke into it, his voice ragged and tired.
"Tomorrow then, we will reconvene Mr. Loire. We need to plan our next course of action" Xu said standing up, running her hands over her skirt to smooth out the wrinkles.
"Yes, of course" Laguna said with a sad smile, as she turned and strode from the room. A moment later Ned came in to lead Quistis away and the president was left alone to weep.
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Ned slowly opened the metal door revealing a long hallway. Metal floors, metal walls except for one side that was glass with tiny holes in three rows along the bottom.
"He's the only one in there, can't miss him" Ned said closing the door behind him. Quistis looked around the sterile hallway, breathing in the sent of cleanliness. Slowly she started to move down it, her boot heels making tiny clanking noises on the floor. Passing cell after cell she stopped to gaze into each one all of them looking the same. A simple bed, a toilet with some plain toiletries, a sink mounted to the wall, and a simple shelf to hold whatever personal items the prisoner might have.
It sparked a deep anger to know that Seifer was locked up here like a common criminal. A secret prison deep within the presidential palace. Quisits was fuming by the time she reached the last cell, stopping to gaze through the glass, to look at him.
Seifer sat against the wall, the only thing in this cell that had been cleared away. His knees pulled up to his chest, his head resting on his arms. Curled into a little ball there, leaning against the wall. He looked so fragile and broken, she simple wanted to take him away for ever. It was not right to lock up a man with such a free sprit; it was like caging the most wild of lions.
"Seifer" Quistis whispered softly, at the sound of her voice his head snapped up. He rushed forward, pressing his hands against the glass. Tired bloodshot green eyes looked her up and down, no longer containing any of the spark they once held. His clothes gone, plain white garments hanging limply off his strong body.
"Quistis" he said so softly his voice barely reached her through the glass.
"Yes, I'm here Seifer" she responded back, placing one of her hands against the glass matching his.
"You have to get me out of here..." he pleaded with a broken whisper. Her breath hitched in the back of her throat, tears coming unbidden to her eyes.
"I'm trying" she stammered out, trying not to sob. Normally she was a strong woman, but the past week was almost too much for her. Seifer searched her eyes, before slowly sinking to the ground. He looked so absent of life, she couldn't stand it. Dropping to her knees she sat beside him, only the layer of glass separating them.
"I'm sorry, Qusitis. I know you loved Squall..." Seifer said suddenly, his fingers going to the openings in the glass. Reaching out to brush against hers. His skin rough, the calluses not gone from his years holding a gunblade.
"I'm sorry... For.. everything.." he whispered. She simply stared at him, unable to voice the emotions churning inside of her. All she could do was keep her fingers to the glass, touching his.
"I just wanted to be someone who mattered to.. you... to everyone" he said so quietly, leaning his head against the glass. His body suddenly racked by sobs, the sound of his anguish tearing from his throat.
"Oh Seifer" she said huskily, it killed her to see him like this. It reminded her of when they were children, whenever one of them got hurt they would always cry. But never Seifer, he always stuck his chin out and bore the pain like a badge of pride. Even on the night when he came to the orphanage, when his parents has just been murdered he didn't cry. It was a new sensation to Quistis, and all she wanted to do was to help him.
"It won't let me go Quistis, the pain won't let me go. You have to help me, no one else will. No one can understand till they have wires" his voice was torn almost breaking at each word, his sobs hard and aching. She couldn't handle it anymore, rising to her feet she ran down the hallway slamming the door open. Ned stood there looking shocked, and he took a quick step back seeing the fury on her face.
"Let me in with him" Quistis said stonily. Ned shook his head wildly taking another step back; the assistant to the president knew that she meant business.
"President Loire said that no one goes in that cell" Ned said. Quistis sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Fine Ned, I won't get you in trouble" she said. Quistis started to turn around, but then suddenly spun slamming her fist into his chin. He reeled back, not even having enough time to register shock. Ned slumped to the floor, his keys jangling loudly at his waist. Yanking them off, she turned and ran back down the hallway. Frantically she found the glass door of Seifer's cell and opened it, leaving the keys hanging in the lock.
"Seifer" she said rushing into the cell. He stopped sobbing and looked up at her, slowly rising to her feet. She gazed up at him, remembering suddenly how tall he was. How imposing his form was, how strong he had always been.
Wordlessly he moved forward and pulled her into his arms, holding her close and tight. Quistis could feel the wires moving beneath his skin, but she could also hear his heart beating. This was real, he was real and so was she. They were not grown in a test tube, simply puppets in a game.
But they had been tossed aside, broken. She stepped back and gazed up into his eyes, seeing the confusion there.
A silent vow was made between them then.
No longer would they be puppets to anyone.
No longer would they be nothing but Broken Dolls.
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Author's Notes:
Omfg. What's this you say? An update. Why yes, that is what it looks like. Even I am a little suprised actually. I've been very busy with just life over the past six months. My boyfriend of four years broke up with me at the end of June, so of course I had no insperation to write anything romantic. Then I moved to a new house, which was increadbly stressful. During the move I fell and twisted my angle, spraining really bad. So I was laid up for awhile. Now finally I have found some peace and I hope that I can get back to working on this at a more regular pace. On December 16th I am going to England and I hope I can update at least once more before I leave for the holidays, so I'll be trying ;).
Wanted to say thanks to some people who have urged me on to write, and whose reviews have ment very much to me over the past few hard months. Rose, who leaves anon reviews but has left me some really great ones, sorry for keeping you waiting for so long. Yori Kiri, finalfantasygrrl, Black Wolf Meleny, and Sheylan all deserve mentions for keeping my spirts up. Also a big thanks to Sickness in Salvation who was the 100th person to add me to their favorite authors list. You've all helped me reach a goal I've been working towards for almost two years.