Disclaimer: I do not own FF8 or any of the characters from FF8.
AN: YAY! So many reviews this time! Thanks everybody, that made my week =D *kisses all the ladies and shakes the guys' hands* err...anyways =P I'm done my exams so I can finally have a bit of peace and continue this story.
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Chapter 10: Fearsome Foe
Maybe it was because my teammates saw me attack, or maybe it was just a coincidence, but right after I came out of hiding, they shot out from their own covers and launched their own attack. They coordinated their attacks, the way a team should.
Harry's metasite was an ugly yellow color, the color of puke. He used an axe much like the type that people use to chop down trees, with a long handle and a single blade. It was actually a bigger version of a hatchet.
His companion, Jordan, was taller but less heavily built. Jordan's metasite was also yellow but it was a yellow that was closer to orange, sort of peachy. He held a standard cruciform, a cross shaped broad sword that the knights of old liked to use.
Harry and Jordan bashed straight through the front gates and started hacking down guards left right and center. Their attack was based heavily on pure strength, not that that's bad, but it would lead to a lot of trouble if they faced an opponent stronger and more powerful than they were. They didn't know how to adapt.
I had a more versatile style. Kiros trained me to be able to fight against any type of opponent. I ran along the wall and cut down the soldiers as they came. These guys all held sabers and no guns. They were ready for us, I could tell, guns would not do anything against metasites and they would just weigh down the guards so it was pointless for them to carry them. Instead, the guns were already attached to the wall so that they could shoot at us before we got on the wall to try to do whatever damage they could hope to do.
I was surrounded, one guy at the front and one at the back. Their skills weren't bad, I could tell they were well trained to handle metasites. The soldiers sort of hung there for a few seconds. I guess they weren't expecting to be attacked by a kid. But they quickly got over it, the guard in front charged me bringing his blade down to try to slice into my head. I smirked to myself and jumped onto the edge of the wall, my metasite gave me an enhanced sense of balance so it was a piece of cake to stand on the thin edge. The soldier didn't have enough time to stop his attack and he mistakenly cut his comrade instead, burying his blade into the Balamb- crafted armor. He was surprised as hell and his mouth was wide open. I took the opportunity to run my own blade straight through his skull.
I continued running along the edge of the wall because it gave me an extra height advantage. I just ran straight down the wall with my blade stuck out and it basically mowed down all the soldiers. By the time I was done, dead guards were laying all over the wall and the ground was slick with blood. I turned and watched Harry and Jordan continue to pummel deeper into the enemy headquarters.
I was about to stop them when my metasite alerted me of very faint footsteps. I was wondering why it would alert me of something like that since there were explosions and people running around everywhere. But by some twist of fate, my attention was drawn to ward a very faint running. Then I heard the footsteps stop and push off as if jumping. I looked around everywhere and then I saw him.
Harry and Jordan were too pre-occupied with killing their victims that they failed to see him. All I saw was a silhouette against the sun of a human-shaped figure but I knew at once that it was a metasite. The shadow quickly descended on my two comrades.
Harry looked up, but it was too late. The metasite was larger than both Harry and Jordan, almost as large as Ward. But unlike Ward, this metasite was as if he was made out of pure muscle and steel. He was a grey color with black interlocking plates that made up his armor. I could still see the organic tendrils of a metasite underneath the plates but I had never seen a metasite that looked like him. He lacked the characteristic markings that cover the body of most metasites so he looked almost robotic. He carried a long spear with a wicked serrated beam blade.
Harry was impaled upon the bright red blade. It pierced right through his metasite armor and smokey, yellow blood gushed out of the wound covering the battlefield. With a flick of his spear, the metasite threw Harry off. Jordan was shocked but he was a warrior so he put it out of his mind. I saw him raise his broadsword to take down his opponent but the metasite spun his spear around and jabbed it into Jordan's abdomen dropping him as well. The field was now drenched with a thin layer of metasite blood giving the whole scene a foggy, dreamlike look.
I knew that we had been ambushed. They knew exactly how many metasites we were going to send and had a metasite at the back waiting for us. They waited until Harry and Jordan were all the way into the base before striking so there was no hope of escape. But there was one thing they didn't expect. They didn't expect me to fight alone, they thought that a squadron would work together to punch through the front lines of the defense. The metasite looked around and he saw me at the top of the wall. I considered running but I knew there really was nowhere to run, he would definitely catch up to me. Also, Kiros told me to never turn my back from a fight, if I was going to die, I was going to die fighting him head on.
But I had to let Galbadia know that there was trouble. They gave me a tiny emergency radio. It was attached to the belt I was wearing and had a one time use battery that allowed me to make one report back to the transport that brought us to Shumi Village. I quickly brought it out and pressed the transmit button.
"This is Squall Leonhart, circumstances have changed and the mission has become disastrous. I am now facing an unknown metasite who has just killed both my teammates. I am engaging the enemy now. Over."
I ended the transmission and then calmly launched myself from the wall down to ground level. The soldiers surrounded him like some sort of mob. Then I heard him speak.
"Hmph...he's just a kid." he said with a mocking, arrogant, tone. The soldier beside him decided to fill him in with some more info.
"Sir, that metasite was what slaughtered all of our forces on the wall." he said.
"Just lucky" replied the metasite "you guys can take him, don't waste my time."
I didn't let him get to my head. I knew the key to winning a fight like this was to not let anything get to me so I put the death of Harry and Jordan out of my head as well. I was focused only on what I should do to kill my opponent. I guess the soldiers had some confidence in him since three of them actually attempted to attack me.
I decided to let the metasite know that I wasn't 'just a kid' by taking out the three attacking soldiers. With startling efficiency, I whipped my blade three times and had three dead soldiers in front of where I stood. The metasite laughed a little.
"Alright. If that's really how you want to play. Let's play." he said.
He ignited his metablade spear and the soldiers around him cowered to the back leaving us a nice open plane to duel in.
I raised my blade and saluted him slowly. He laughed again, harder than he had before. Up close, he seemed even bigger than before, he towered above me. But I was determined to face him down no matter how big he was.
"You like to play by the rules huh? Fine, we'll do it by the book" he started to salute with his spear "my name's Sebastian Niamir, it's only customary to let your opponent know who you are, right?" he taunted.
"Squall Leonhart" I replied.
I wanted him to talk for as long as possible because in my mind, I was thinking of how I should go about fighting this giant. From what I had seen, he wasn't just big, he was fast and strong as well. This man was older than me and that made him bigger, faster, and stronger than me. But being older doesn't mean being smarter and that was the key to this duel. I had to fight smart. The only advantages I had were my brain and my weapon. A spear is an effective weapon for ranged attacks which make it effective against wild animals. Against a metasite or a human, the sword was still the weapon of choice because of how it can fight at long range with the point, or close range with the blade. That was the key. I had to get in close and take away the advantage he had with the spear. Sebastian Niamir would be too big to manoeuver if I could get through his spear. I always tried to mount the offensive so I lowered my blade and charged at him. It seemed as though getting through his defenses was easier said than done because he was skilled at keeping me at bay. I twisted around avoiding his thrusts and blocked some of them with Lionheart but I was losing ground. Eventually I saw an opening and dove in with my blade extended thinking the battle would be over. It was far from over, he was so fast that he saw me penetrate his defense so he let stopped gripping his spear with one hand and used it to punch me in the face. I didn't even see it coming because I was too focused on my own thrust.
He hit me so hard I flew backwards into the wall. I could feel the heavy concrete break apart as my body slammed into it. Pain shot through my back but it was immediately diminished as my metasite put it out of my head. I looked up just in time to see the point of my opponent's spear aimed directly at my head. Out of pure instinct I rolled out of the way and got to my feet with my sword held up in front of me in a defensive stance. I backed away to give myself some distance.
He was too fast and he anticipated my moves. My first attempt at closing the distance was almost fatal and I was pretty sure that if I tried again, I wouldn't be so lucky. I had to formulate another plan.
Looking at his weapon I came to the deduction that the only deadly part of a spear is the point. The other parts couldn't really kill me, not even hurt me very badly. I had to do something that he would not expect. This Sebastian guy was so tall that he couldn't thrust his spear straight out to hit me because I was so low to the ground. He would have to thrust downwards toward the ground in order to strike at me. That gave me an idea and that is exactly how I won that battle.
I steadied myself because I knew I would only have one chance and it required absolute focus to pull of the manoeuver that I was about to try. Instead of attacking, I stood my ground and watched as Sebastian approached me slowly. He was confident that he could beat me, he was in no rush so he walked towards me slowly with his spear held out in front. I could almost see him smirking underneath the mask his metasite created for him.
I watched his hands carefully, scanning for any signs of tightening and movement. He was almost upon me. I held my own weapon relaxed and casual because I needed my strike to be fast and precise, holding the sword tight would not help.
Suddenly Sebastian tightened his grip and thrust his spear forward. It was a movement designed to finish me off. It seemed like he wanted to finally end our little fight, and end it he did, but not the way he imagined. As he thrust his spear towards me I leapt up and used my perfect balance to stand on the handle of the spear. My weight caused the blade to drive into the ground and I used the spear as a staircase. I ran up the thin handle towards my opponents head and then brought my blade forward and with one jerk, cut Sebastian Niamir's throat. His blood was grey as smoke and it coated the ground like a thin layer of fog. I landed nimbly on the ground and watched as the warrior collapsed in death.
The remaining soldiers fled, taking whatever cars they had and leaving through the back doors of Shumi Village as quickly as they could. I walked up to the bodies of Harry and Jordan and saluted them. Then I bent down and began digging through the metasite armor to find their emergency radios.
Harry's radio got damaged by Sebastian's attack so I had to use Jordan's.
"Squall Leonhart again, I've defeated the enemy metasite and captured Shumi Village. Requesting a transport back to Galbadia and a clean up team for the Village. Over."
I was too tired to walk back to the base. I was mentally and physically drained but strangely proud of myself. I hadn't felt that much pride for a long time but at the same time I felt a shadow of darkness pass over me. I had seen two metasites ruthlessly massacred in front of me. I saluted the corpses of my comrades, the closest they would get to a proper burial. Metasites don't get proper burials, if anybody tries to disturb the body, it explodes. It's one of those defensive mechanisms you see in animals. It might sound sad, but the metasite always gets the last laugh.
Many people said that I was a strange, almost disturbing child simply because of how easily I could face death. Of course nobody would say this stuff in front of me but rumors spread and eventually it'll get back to me. I've heard that many people thought I would drift into the realm of insanity because I was suppressing my depression.
"Hell anybody would be depressed" was their argument.
It wasn't a bad argument at all, with all the deaths in my life, it's quite an ordeal for a kid.
The truth? Well, the truth is I think over time I just got used to it. It's only natural, tragedy and death has been such a commodity in my life that I learned to live with it. The death of my parents was the tip of the iceberg. Harry and Jordan were the next casualties. A ten year old shouldn't face such horrors. I tried to do what was right. What I thought was right.
Sebastian Niamir was my first opponent from Balamb. The way he acted and how he slaughtered the members of my Squad left me with a strange pit of anger within my stomach. I wondered how he could have acted with such cruelty, he was an adult after all. I wondered how a full grown adult could even have the thought of killing two teenagers and a ten year old pass through his mind much less actually carry it out.
Before, I thought that Galbadia was the enemy. But seeing people such as Kiros, Ward, Ellone, Emi, and Julia gave me second thoughts. Was Galbadia REALLY who was evil? They DID kill my parents...but that was just the retrieval squad doing it's job. It HAS been five years since they killed my parents. Could it really have been just an accident? No, it couldn't...the retrieval squad was given permission to kill resistance. They just did what was necessary...just like Sebastian Niamir...
I began to doubt myself. Doubt whether or not I should still subconsciously search for the retrieval squad captain that murdered my parents.
I came to the conclusion that I would continue my search for the honor of my parents. However, I would not hold my grudge against the entire Galbadia. There have been too many people that have treated me like a son, daughter, or brother that I have met in Galbadia and I could not, no matter how cold-hearted they said I was, betray them.
The transport came soon enough. A cleanup squad spread out and began piling the bodies up and taking them away. They would detonate the metasites when everything the wanted was either cleared away or protected. The explosions would be powerful but not strong enough to blow up chunks of the wall or anything like that.
Litz walked out to greet me and his face was chalk-white. The man with nerves of steel and balls to match looked like he had seen a ghost. He ushered me into the transport and began interrogating me. He didn't understand why nobody saw the metasite. They were sure that they had scanned the area and proved that it was safe. The only reason why a metasite as strong as Sebastian would be there was because they already knew we were going to attack...
Galbadia had never lost more than C class metasites to Balamb. The deaths of Harry and Jordan had been the most crippling blow Galbadia had ever suffered. Sebastian Niamir was an enigma, nobody knew where he came from or anything. One thing was for sure though, I was definitely going to be promoted to A class.
Kiros seemed shaken by the whole thing but at the same time he was also extremely happy. Trust me, if you haven't seen somebody who looks traumatized yet up to his ears in joy...let's just say you've never seen a funny expression...Kiros looked like he had a cattle prod up his ass but had gotten an early Christmas present at the same time. He came up to me and gave me a pat on the back then started asking me everything just like Litz did. But Kiros cared more about how I fought and how Sebastian fought rather than the nitty gritty details of the mission.
I saw Emi too, she had a scared expression on her face and just looked at me puzzled. I only caught a glimpse of her because Kiros ushered me off to the showers to clean up. Something about Emi's reaction made me think back to what she told me before. She said that I was going to get killed during the mission. Indeed I was supposed to get killed during that mission. Obviously, Balamb had intended an ambush that would have ensured their victory. Nobody expected me to defeat Sebastian. How had Emi known that the mission would have been a disaster? Was it just a coincidence that she thought I wasn't ready to join a class B squad? I didn't know at the time but I decided to go with my second choice.
That battle showed me that it is not which side we take or what army we belong to that makes us evil. Nobody is pure evil, but some people have their priorities set in the wrong place. The squad leader who killed my parents definitely had to pay. Little did I know, it wouldn't be very long before he DID pay...
AN: Finally finished this chapter! Once again I apologize for the slow update, I had a lot to do this week including three exams This chapter, as explained before, is an important one. Quite a few of you asked questions as to why Squall is helping Galbadia if they killed his parents. In this chapter I began to break apart that puzzle but it's still quite complicated so keep reading. Thinking up a way for Squall to beat Sebastian was tough because Sebastian (seemingly) had all the advantages. I had to do research *gasp* to find advantages that swords have over spears lol So you guys better appreciate it! =P jk. Thank you to all the reviewers this week and I hope you guys can keep it up! Shout outz:
Rhi-an: You're very welcome for the update =D Hope you enjoy this chapter and keep reviewing!
AngeFantasy: Thanks for telling me that I'm not losing readers =P That just makes me feel better hahaha! Lots of questions yet none that I can answer...yet lol There's still plenty more in this story and it's not that shallow so keep reading. I hope I answered some questions in this chapter. And I wish you all the best in your exams since I'm done mine hehe.
Selphie Tilmitt-Kinneas: Hahaha! I always try to add little tidbits of humor her and there in the story just to break up the dark tone a bit. Ward's eating was stuck in there for comic relief so I'm glad you didn't take it all serious and stuff (you didn't...right? =P). Thanks for looking out for errors, my fingers slip quite a bit since I'm really not skilled in typing -_-
XxMazLeonhartxX: Thanks for the compliments! Yeah I know Squall is out of character but it's done on purpose because I need him to be like that so he can change later. You'll see what I mean as the story progresses, for now, just enjoy and read ^_^
angel-brokensorrow: LOL you're welcome about the character development thing hahaha Thanks for the compliments on the last chapter. Hope you like this chapter as well =) And btw I can tell you right now that the dude in the picture is nobody important =P He's just put there to disguise as Julia's husband. It's a doctored pic meaning they took a picture of a guy and fixed it so that it doesn't look like him and it looks like a guy who doesn't exist so don't bother racking your brains trying to figure out who the guy is =P
Ari-Morrigan: You're a sharp one hehe kudos to you for picking up Emi's reaction to Squall fighting Balamb. I contained bits and pieces of foreshadowing in this chapter so keep your eyes open ~_^ Yes I like to let out little bits of the plot in each chapter so it sort of unfolds a little at a time and doesn't just come rushing out hahaha! Thanks for the review! And thanks for wishing me luck! I sure as hell need it =P
Etherealist: Really really! Hahaha! Well, now you know so that's okay =P I'll be sure to read your vampire fanfic ASAP. I'll try to update sooner so you don't forget huge chunks of the plot like that ~_^ Thanks for reviewing!
remote mine: Thanks for reviewing and your constructive criticism =) I tried to cut down on the run-on sentences. Sometimes I don't really realize I did it hahaha! So it's good that you can point it out to me. You're another one who caught the characterization in the past chapter, congrats to you and keep reading!
I think that's it! *Phew* 8 reviews, hope you guys can keep it up! Thank you all and expect next chapter to be up next week! Btw, if I missed you, just let me know ~_^
AN: YAY! So many reviews this time! Thanks everybody, that made my week =D *kisses all the ladies and shakes the guys' hands* err...anyways =P I'm done my exams so I can finally have a bit of peace and continue this story.
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Chapter 10: Fearsome Foe
Maybe it was because my teammates saw me attack, or maybe it was just a coincidence, but right after I came out of hiding, they shot out from their own covers and launched their own attack. They coordinated their attacks, the way a team should.
Harry's metasite was an ugly yellow color, the color of puke. He used an axe much like the type that people use to chop down trees, with a long handle and a single blade. It was actually a bigger version of a hatchet.
His companion, Jordan, was taller but less heavily built. Jordan's metasite was also yellow but it was a yellow that was closer to orange, sort of peachy. He held a standard cruciform, a cross shaped broad sword that the knights of old liked to use.
Harry and Jordan bashed straight through the front gates and started hacking down guards left right and center. Their attack was based heavily on pure strength, not that that's bad, but it would lead to a lot of trouble if they faced an opponent stronger and more powerful than they were. They didn't know how to adapt.
I had a more versatile style. Kiros trained me to be able to fight against any type of opponent. I ran along the wall and cut down the soldiers as they came. These guys all held sabers and no guns. They were ready for us, I could tell, guns would not do anything against metasites and they would just weigh down the guards so it was pointless for them to carry them. Instead, the guns were already attached to the wall so that they could shoot at us before we got on the wall to try to do whatever damage they could hope to do.
I was surrounded, one guy at the front and one at the back. Their skills weren't bad, I could tell they were well trained to handle metasites. The soldiers sort of hung there for a few seconds. I guess they weren't expecting to be attacked by a kid. But they quickly got over it, the guard in front charged me bringing his blade down to try to slice into my head. I smirked to myself and jumped onto the edge of the wall, my metasite gave me an enhanced sense of balance so it was a piece of cake to stand on the thin edge. The soldier didn't have enough time to stop his attack and he mistakenly cut his comrade instead, burying his blade into the Balamb- crafted armor. He was surprised as hell and his mouth was wide open. I took the opportunity to run my own blade straight through his skull.
I continued running along the edge of the wall because it gave me an extra height advantage. I just ran straight down the wall with my blade stuck out and it basically mowed down all the soldiers. By the time I was done, dead guards were laying all over the wall and the ground was slick with blood. I turned and watched Harry and Jordan continue to pummel deeper into the enemy headquarters.
I was about to stop them when my metasite alerted me of very faint footsteps. I was wondering why it would alert me of something like that since there were explosions and people running around everywhere. But by some twist of fate, my attention was drawn to ward a very faint running. Then I heard the footsteps stop and push off as if jumping. I looked around everywhere and then I saw him.
Harry and Jordan were too pre-occupied with killing their victims that they failed to see him. All I saw was a silhouette against the sun of a human-shaped figure but I knew at once that it was a metasite. The shadow quickly descended on my two comrades.
Harry looked up, but it was too late. The metasite was larger than both Harry and Jordan, almost as large as Ward. But unlike Ward, this metasite was as if he was made out of pure muscle and steel. He was a grey color with black interlocking plates that made up his armor. I could still see the organic tendrils of a metasite underneath the plates but I had never seen a metasite that looked like him. He lacked the characteristic markings that cover the body of most metasites so he looked almost robotic. He carried a long spear with a wicked serrated beam blade.
Harry was impaled upon the bright red blade. It pierced right through his metasite armor and smokey, yellow blood gushed out of the wound covering the battlefield. With a flick of his spear, the metasite threw Harry off. Jordan was shocked but he was a warrior so he put it out of his mind. I saw him raise his broadsword to take down his opponent but the metasite spun his spear around and jabbed it into Jordan's abdomen dropping him as well. The field was now drenched with a thin layer of metasite blood giving the whole scene a foggy, dreamlike look.
I knew that we had been ambushed. They knew exactly how many metasites we were going to send and had a metasite at the back waiting for us. They waited until Harry and Jordan were all the way into the base before striking so there was no hope of escape. But there was one thing they didn't expect. They didn't expect me to fight alone, they thought that a squadron would work together to punch through the front lines of the defense. The metasite looked around and he saw me at the top of the wall. I considered running but I knew there really was nowhere to run, he would definitely catch up to me. Also, Kiros told me to never turn my back from a fight, if I was going to die, I was going to die fighting him head on.
But I had to let Galbadia know that there was trouble. They gave me a tiny emergency radio. It was attached to the belt I was wearing and had a one time use battery that allowed me to make one report back to the transport that brought us to Shumi Village. I quickly brought it out and pressed the transmit button.
"This is Squall Leonhart, circumstances have changed and the mission has become disastrous. I am now facing an unknown metasite who has just killed both my teammates. I am engaging the enemy now. Over."
I ended the transmission and then calmly launched myself from the wall down to ground level. The soldiers surrounded him like some sort of mob. Then I heard him speak.
"Hmph...he's just a kid." he said with a mocking, arrogant, tone. The soldier beside him decided to fill him in with some more info.
"Sir, that metasite was what slaughtered all of our forces on the wall." he said.
"Just lucky" replied the metasite "you guys can take him, don't waste my time."
I didn't let him get to my head. I knew the key to winning a fight like this was to not let anything get to me so I put the death of Harry and Jordan out of my head as well. I was focused only on what I should do to kill my opponent. I guess the soldiers had some confidence in him since three of them actually attempted to attack me.
I decided to let the metasite know that I wasn't 'just a kid' by taking out the three attacking soldiers. With startling efficiency, I whipped my blade three times and had three dead soldiers in front of where I stood. The metasite laughed a little.
"Alright. If that's really how you want to play. Let's play." he said.
He ignited his metablade spear and the soldiers around him cowered to the back leaving us a nice open plane to duel in.
I raised my blade and saluted him slowly. He laughed again, harder than he had before. Up close, he seemed even bigger than before, he towered above me. But I was determined to face him down no matter how big he was.
"You like to play by the rules huh? Fine, we'll do it by the book" he started to salute with his spear "my name's Sebastian Niamir, it's only customary to let your opponent know who you are, right?" he taunted.
"Squall Leonhart" I replied.
I wanted him to talk for as long as possible because in my mind, I was thinking of how I should go about fighting this giant. From what I had seen, he wasn't just big, he was fast and strong as well. This man was older than me and that made him bigger, faster, and stronger than me. But being older doesn't mean being smarter and that was the key to this duel. I had to fight smart. The only advantages I had were my brain and my weapon. A spear is an effective weapon for ranged attacks which make it effective against wild animals. Against a metasite or a human, the sword was still the weapon of choice because of how it can fight at long range with the point, or close range with the blade. That was the key. I had to get in close and take away the advantage he had with the spear. Sebastian Niamir would be too big to manoeuver if I could get through his spear. I always tried to mount the offensive so I lowered my blade and charged at him. It seemed as though getting through his defenses was easier said than done because he was skilled at keeping me at bay. I twisted around avoiding his thrusts and blocked some of them with Lionheart but I was losing ground. Eventually I saw an opening and dove in with my blade extended thinking the battle would be over. It was far from over, he was so fast that he saw me penetrate his defense so he let stopped gripping his spear with one hand and used it to punch me in the face. I didn't even see it coming because I was too focused on my own thrust.
He hit me so hard I flew backwards into the wall. I could feel the heavy concrete break apart as my body slammed into it. Pain shot through my back but it was immediately diminished as my metasite put it out of my head. I looked up just in time to see the point of my opponent's spear aimed directly at my head. Out of pure instinct I rolled out of the way and got to my feet with my sword held up in front of me in a defensive stance. I backed away to give myself some distance.
He was too fast and he anticipated my moves. My first attempt at closing the distance was almost fatal and I was pretty sure that if I tried again, I wouldn't be so lucky. I had to formulate another plan.
Looking at his weapon I came to the deduction that the only deadly part of a spear is the point. The other parts couldn't really kill me, not even hurt me very badly. I had to do something that he would not expect. This Sebastian guy was so tall that he couldn't thrust his spear straight out to hit me because I was so low to the ground. He would have to thrust downwards toward the ground in order to strike at me. That gave me an idea and that is exactly how I won that battle.
I steadied myself because I knew I would only have one chance and it required absolute focus to pull of the manoeuver that I was about to try. Instead of attacking, I stood my ground and watched as Sebastian approached me slowly. He was confident that he could beat me, he was in no rush so he walked towards me slowly with his spear held out in front. I could almost see him smirking underneath the mask his metasite created for him.
I watched his hands carefully, scanning for any signs of tightening and movement. He was almost upon me. I held my own weapon relaxed and casual because I needed my strike to be fast and precise, holding the sword tight would not help.
Suddenly Sebastian tightened his grip and thrust his spear forward. It was a movement designed to finish me off. It seemed like he wanted to finally end our little fight, and end it he did, but not the way he imagined. As he thrust his spear towards me I leapt up and used my perfect balance to stand on the handle of the spear. My weight caused the blade to drive into the ground and I used the spear as a staircase. I ran up the thin handle towards my opponents head and then brought my blade forward and with one jerk, cut Sebastian Niamir's throat. His blood was grey as smoke and it coated the ground like a thin layer of fog. I landed nimbly on the ground and watched as the warrior collapsed in death.
The remaining soldiers fled, taking whatever cars they had and leaving through the back doors of Shumi Village as quickly as they could. I walked up to the bodies of Harry and Jordan and saluted them. Then I bent down and began digging through the metasite armor to find their emergency radios.
Harry's radio got damaged by Sebastian's attack so I had to use Jordan's.
"Squall Leonhart again, I've defeated the enemy metasite and captured Shumi Village. Requesting a transport back to Galbadia and a clean up team for the Village. Over."
I was too tired to walk back to the base. I was mentally and physically drained but strangely proud of myself. I hadn't felt that much pride for a long time but at the same time I felt a shadow of darkness pass over me. I had seen two metasites ruthlessly massacred in front of me. I saluted the corpses of my comrades, the closest they would get to a proper burial. Metasites don't get proper burials, if anybody tries to disturb the body, it explodes. It's one of those defensive mechanisms you see in animals. It might sound sad, but the metasite always gets the last laugh.
Many people said that I was a strange, almost disturbing child simply because of how easily I could face death. Of course nobody would say this stuff in front of me but rumors spread and eventually it'll get back to me. I've heard that many people thought I would drift into the realm of insanity because I was suppressing my depression.
"Hell anybody would be depressed" was their argument.
It wasn't a bad argument at all, with all the deaths in my life, it's quite an ordeal for a kid.
The truth? Well, the truth is I think over time I just got used to it. It's only natural, tragedy and death has been such a commodity in my life that I learned to live with it. The death of my parents was the tip of the iceberg. Harry and Jordan were the next casualties. A ten year old shouldn't face such horrors. I tried to do what was right. What I thought was right.
Sebastian Niamir was my first opponent from Balamb. The way he acted and how he slaughtered the members of my Squad left me with a strange pit of anger within my stomach. I wondered how he could have acted with such cruelty, he was an adult after all. I wondered how a full grown adult could even have the thought of killing two teenagers and a ten year old pass through his mind much less actually carry it out.
Before, I thought that Galbadia was the enemy. But seeing people such as Kiros, Ward, Ellone, Emi, and Julia gave me second thoughts. Was Galbadia REALLY who was evil? They DID kill my parents...but that was just the retrieval squad doing it's job. It HAS been five years since they killed my parents. Could it really have been just an accident? No, it couldn't...the retrieval squad was given permission to kill resistance. They just did what was necessary...just like Sebastian Niamir...
I began to doubt myself. Doubt whether or not I should still subconsciously search for the retrieval squad captain that murdered my parents.
I came to the conclusion that I would continue my search for the honor of my parents. However, I would not hold my grudge against the entire Galbadia. There have been too many people that have treated me like a son, daughter, or brother that I have met in Galbadia and I could not, no matter how cold-hearted they said I was, betray them.
The transport came soon enough. A cleanup squad spread out and began piling the bodies up and taking them away. They would detonate the metasites when everything the wanted was either cleared away or protected. The explosions would be powerful but not strong enough to blow up chunks of the wall or anything like that.
Litz walked out to greet me and his face was chalk-white. The man with nerves of steel and balls to match looked like he had seen a ghost. He ushered me into the transport and began interrogating me. He didn't understand why nobody saw the metasite. They were sure that they had scanned the area and proved that it was safe. The only reason why a metasite as strong as Sebastian would be there was because they already knew we were going to attack...
Galbadia had never lost more than C class metasites to Balamb. The deaths of Harry and Jordan had been the most crippling blow Galbadia had ever suffered. Sebastian Niamir was an enigma, nobody knew where he came from or anything. One thing was for sure though, I was definitely going to be promoted to A class.
Kiros seemed shaken by the whole thing but at the same time he was also extremely happy. Trust me, if you haven't seen somebody who looks traumatized yet up to his ears in joy...let's just say you've never seen a funny expression...Kiros looked like he had a cattle prod up his ass but had gotten an early Christmas present at the same time. He came up to me and gave me a pat on the back then started asking me everything just like Litz did. But Kiros cared more about how I fought and how Sebastian fought rather than the nitty gritty details of the mission.
I saw Emi too, she had a scared expression on her face and just looked at me puzzled. I only caught a glimpse of her because Kiros ushered me off to the showers to clean up. Something about Emi's reaction made me think back to what she told me before. She said that I was going to get killed during the mission. Indeed I was supposed to get killed during that mission. Obviously, Balamb had intended an ambush that would have ensured their victory. Nobody expected me to defeat Sebastian. How had Emi known that the mission would have been a disaster? Was it just a coincidence that she thought I wasn't ready to join a class B squad? I didn't know at the time but I decided to go with my second choice.
That battle showed me that it is not which side we take or what army we belong to that makes us evil. Nobody is pure evil, but some people have their priorities set in the wrong place. The squad leader who killed my parents definitely had to pay. Little did I know, it wouldn't be very long before he DID pay...
AN: Finally finished this chapter! Once again I apologize for the slow update, I had a lot to do this week including three exams This chapter, as explained before, is an important one. Quite a few of you asked questions as to why Squall is helping Galbadia if they killed his parents. In this chapter I began to break apart that puzzle but it's still quite complicated so keep reading. Thinking up a way for Squall to beat Sebastian was tough because Sebastian (seemingly) had all the advantages. I had to do research *gasp* to find advantages that swords have over spears lol So you guys better appreciate it! =P jk. Thank you to all the reviewers this week and I hope you guys can keep it up! Shout outz:
Rhi-an: You're very welcome for the update =D Hope you enjoy this chapter and keep reviewing!
AngeFantasy: Thanks for telling me that I'm not losing readers =P That just makes me feel better hahaha! Lots of questions yet none that I can answer...yet lol There's still plenty more in this story and it's not that shallow so keep reading. I hope I answered some questions in this chapter. And I wish you all the best in your exams since I'm done mine hehe.
Selphie Tilmitt-Kinneas: Hahaha! I always try to add little tidbits of humor her and there in the story just to break up the dark tone a bit. Ward's eating was stuck in there for comic relief so I'm glad you didn't take it all serious and stuff (you didn't...right? =P). Thanks for looking out for errors, my fingers slip quite a bit since I'm really not skilled in typing -_-
XxMazLeonhartxX: Thanks for the compliments! Yeah I know Squall is out of character but it's done on purpose because I need him to be like that so he can change later. You'll see what I mean as the story progresses, for now, just enjoy and read ^_^
angel-brokensorrow: LOL you're welcome about the character development thing hahaha Thanks for the compliments on the last chapter. Hope you like this chapter as well =) And btw I can tell you right now that the dude in the picture is nobody important =P He's just put there to disguise as Julia's husband. It's a doctored pic meaning they took a picture of a guy and fixed it so that it doesn't look like him and it looks like a guy who doesn't exist so don't bother racking your brains trying to figure out who the guy is =P
Ari-Morrigan: You're a sharp one hehe kudos to you for picking up Emi's reaction to Squall fighting Balamb. I contained bits and pieces of foreshadowing in this chapter so keep your eyes open ~_^ Yes I like to let out little bits of the plot in each chapter so it sort of unfolds a little at a time and doesn't just come rushing out hahaha! Thanks for the review! And thanks for wishing me luck! I sure as hell need it =P
Etherealist: Really really! Hahaha! Well, now you know so that's okay =P I'll be sure to read your vampire fanfic ASAP. I'll try to update sooner so you don't forget huge chunks of the plot like that ~_^ Thanks for reviewing!
remote mine: Thanks for reviewing and your constructive criticism =) I tried to cut down on the run-on sentences. Sometimes I don't really realize I did it hahaha! So it's good that you can point it out to me. You're another one who caught the characterization in the past chapter, congrats to you and keep reading!
I think that's it! *Phew* 8 reviews, hope you guys can keep it up! Thank you all and expect next chapter to be up next week! Btw, if I missed you, just let me know ~_^