Ungrateful Mourning
By RenaLanford65
It's sad, but when you are in the military, there is no time to mourn the deaths of a simple, everyday soldier.
It was wartime for Balamb Garden. SeeD's and students rushed throughout the hallways frantically, their eyes bulging in pursuit of their weapons and armor. A single soldier stood motionless, his eyes trailing all who passed. It was as if he were searching for someone…or something. Squall saw this lone soldier and walked up to him.
"Your name." He commanded.
"Adam, sir." The young boy replied, saluting the Commander but not taking his eyes off of the panicked students.
"What is your station?"
"…There." Adam pointed-vaguely-towards the front gates, where students prepared to fight off the Galabedian army, prepared to die.
"You aren't going?" Squall felt himself getting annoyed at the boy's irresponsible behavior.
"Oh, I will be. I just wanted to ask the Commander if he could thank the school for giving me a home and an education."
"You shouldn't be so cynical." Squall felt like a hypocrite for saying that, when he did it all the time. "You could live." He instantly regretted his choice of words, but Adam paid no attention.
"Commander…I know I'm going to die." He replied, almost…hopefully.
"…"
"I'm in the first row, 5 feet away from the rest of the group, in a single line of soldiers that the Galabedians have to get through to get to everyone else. Surely, I will die." He smiled, his grim face showing contentment. "I just wanted to thank you…and now I have. So goodbye, and may immortality be with you." He saluted and left, not once looking back.
(What a strange person…)
Later, after the Galabedians were forced back, Squall strolled (well, not quite that jolly) into the Infirmary. He had heard from Xu that an underclassman had been injured, and, being the Commander, he went to go see how the six-year old was doing. On his way there, he heard Dr. Kadowaki sigh.
"He's not gonna make it."
No matter how much he had dealt with death in the past, the sense of it still made him queasy. Just because he was cold-hearted didn't mean he didn't have a heart. It was cold, but still, it was there.
So he went in to the unlucky person to note their name on the announcement. He hated to do it, but it was a requirement. A stupid requirement, but still a rule nonetheless.
It was ridiculous. He had to make as speech on those that died, a speech that consisted mostly of "They were indeed a spectacular person, their fighting skills at an extremely high level. They got along great with everyone, and their social skills were at a peak."
Maybe Headmaster Cid would make that speech, but Squall couldn't. What if Seifer, if he were still attending the Garden, had died? 'Got along great with everyone' would never suit his personality.
(I should do something different…)
Squall stopped thinking as he entered the tiny room. The boy whom he had been talking to-Adam-was lying there, covered in a blanket up to the neck. His face was paler than it had been. Squall figured almost all of the blood had been lost already.
"What-"
"Judging from his wounds, he died instantly. And also the time the wound occurred probably was…about an hour and a half ago." Dr. Kadowaki reported automatically as soon as Squall stepped in.
(That was when the battle first started. A few minutes after I talked to him.)
"A few of the living students nearby reported he was the first one struck down. But the strange part was…he had this strange grin on his face." She pointed to him. "And he still does."
(As long as I fulfill his wish, he should remain like that…)
He felt his heart lighten up, just a little, maybe.
"Thank you, Dr. Kadowaki." He smiled and left. He assumed the amused look on her face was the result of his smile, the smile he had never flashed before.
By a week later, he had discovered a way to further 'personalize' the death speeches. He wrote every student's name on a list, and students volunteered to write a short, 400-word speech for their friend. He didn't let anyone write Adam's speech, however. He decided to write it himself, and leave it anonymous. From his brief three-minute talk with the boy, he thought he knew quite a sufficient amount of information on the boy.
The day came when he had to announce the names and perform the speeches to the entire academy. He had no problem with it; he did speeches all the time.
"Haylee Weathers." He said. The writer for her hadn't done much for her friend, as the work wasn't well done.
(Ah well…)
He frowned and began to perform the words on the paper, without any feeling.
"Haylee was a great being. Maybe the most supreme being on this planet. She was worthy of living. It was unfortunate she died. By Territha Blackstone."
(Boy, did that one blow. Maybe just announcing them all in one big row and making one speech wouldn't have hurt. I could be doing something else now, that's for sure.)
New courage filled him as he realized that the speech he had written was next. It was last, but he intended to make it no seem like that, so he had full attention. He hadn't known Adam for very long, but the boy had somehow inspired him to go on, especially after the discovery of the boy's death and exactly what had occurred. How early the boy had died, and how quickly.
Sure, to presidents who knew a little about fighting, they knew a dead body was discouraging to the other soldiers, but to the people who were protected, such as the underclassmen, they were heroes. Not just mercenaries, who did what they were told and nothing but, or who were heartless and cold-blooded, whose brains were like machines, who were mindless killers, but heroes.
That's what he, Squall was. That's what Adam was. That's what Haylee was. And all of the other mercenaries who had fought and died in their respected positions, or who protected and lived; they were too.
So this speech had to go on. By the look in their eyes, the other students were bored, as they were yawning, slumping, and talking. A few near the back were even sleeping.
"I need your attention." He said suddenly.
(I have to get people to hear this! Maybe they'll have more appreciation for the dead.)
He frowned bitterly at the crowd.
"I need your attention, now." He made it sound slightly threatening, but still calm. Once every pair of eyes was open and on him, he started.
"Adam Eien." He purposely announced it slowly, hoping the people who knew him would grow sad. They would most likely be the ones most affected with the words that were about to come next. One girl in particular, a raven-haired girl with assorted colored streaks throughout her hair and a pale complexion, darted her head around. When she didn't spot Adam's face, she began to cry and she leaned into the boy next to her, whose features Squall couldn't make out, besides his brunette hair.
Squall sighed, preparing to say his speech, the one he had worked so hard on…
"The everyday soldier is an unnamed hero. He faces the same dangers, the same threats, the same problems as we all do. He sacrifices his life just to be a part of the fight, just to do his duty, to protect his friends or family. He doesn't mind not being known. He only wants to protect those that matter to him, and in most cases, even those that don't. He wants to help, even if it means his life. He doesn't care about fame. He doesn't care about fortune. He's the best kind of warrior out there-the unknown one. And he doesn't even have to be a warrior! It could be a man who simply helped an elderly woman across the street or carried her groceries to her car. The best thing about him is he cares enough to do it for you. He doesn't want any of the fame or the fortune that comes with helping people. He wants to stay anonymous, to feel content with himself for helping that old woman. He only wanted to help, to feel good. He's an ideal hero. The unknown kind."
The entire audience clapped loudly, filling the quad with sound in every corner. Every single person had appeared to be listening intently, obediently. They were touched by the truthfulness of the speech, and by the intensity and the fire in Squall's eyes when he had recited it-from memory, it seemed.
(Now that I think about it, that might have been a bit gender-oriented…)
Squall blushed at the fact that he had referred to the 'great, unknown hero' as a 'he,' and nothing but. He guessed the point had gotten through, though, from the amazed look on the hundreds of faces before him, so it didn't matter.
(I guess I can be forgiven. I am a man; it's only natural for me to refer to ungendered faces as 'he.')
It was then Squall remembered what Adam had asked him to announce.
"Could you please be seated?" he expected a loud groan, but surprisingly got nothing but seated students and silence.
"Adam contributed to his own speech by asking me to tell you something."
Squall felt his heart grow even warmer.
"He wanted me to tell you all that he was thankful for the school, for giving him a home and an education. I'm sure he would also like to thank whatever lucky girl he knew-" The raven-haired girl smiled faintly through her tears, now seated on the very edge of her seat.
"And most likely all of his friends, who probably supported him. And whoever else touched his life, thank you. And to everyone who knew him, even if it was for three minutes…you knew an unknown hero."
The applause roared louder than before, and once again every hand was moving, every face touched with tears, all ears perked up.
And Adam was there, clapping with them.
Squall himself was an unknown hero.
Author's Notes: This was originally supposed to be taking place during the scene where Galabedia comes in to raid Balamb, but I realized later on that none of the things happening fit in with the storyline that early; for instance, Squall's smile. So I just made it an after-game fic. Sorry about the lack-of-mention for the other characters, but I was trying to emphasize Squall and Adam, and the others just didn't fit in with the story.
So I'm sorry about the lack of updates. It seems summer is a time for play, and nothing else, because no matter how hard I try, I can't get any work done. But I'll try harder, I promise, to bring my new idea to you all.