Hey! I Could Be A Messenger From Hyne, Ya Know!-
A Misadventurous Romance Story
Chapter Twelve-Some Completely Boring, Unhelpful, and Totally Pointless Shit
AN~Mweh heh heh. Like the chapter name? Oh, by the way....*taps foot impatiently* 172, 173, 174, 175......... Okay! 175 reviews! Well, you're starting to see a pattern now, aren't you? Basically, a consistency with the amount of reviews I require before I update again. I know it just sounds like I'm using this as an excuse to either make your lives miserable by waiting for updates or get as many reviews as possible, but it's really not true. The truth is, I want to be sure that new people are constantly checking out this story, not just the same old regular people(even though I love you guys, too!^_^). So, tell everyone you know to check this out! If I get 25 'regulars' who keep reviewing every chapter, then you won't have to find new people! LoL. Anyways, on with the fic. The missile base mission this chapter, everyone! Yay! How's that for coolness? Okay, I know I'm retarded. Read on, everyone! ~tigerofthewind~
The next morning dawned, with the sun shining in from the east and illuminating my room. It was this early-morning sun, the type that glows more red than yellow. The whole mess that was my room looked like it was on fire.
I blinked my eyes slowly, just to check and make sure that it actually WASN'T on fire. I mean, that had happened once when I'd been smoking my occasional cigarette, and had forgotten to stub it out in the ashtray.
Oh, please. Don't get started on that whole "smoking is bad for you!" thing. Like, I do what I want? Got a problem with that?!
Anyway, the rather intrusive sunlight had fully awakened me. I wondered something:why the HELL didn't I have some sort of way to prevent this from happening? Note to self:GET BLINDS.
Blinked some more. Tried to sit up. Found my passage arrested by something warm and soft, but decidingly gangly. Oh, great. Tilmitt. I'd forgotten the not-so-minor detail that I'd let her fall asleep against me, all curled up like the retarded midget she was.
I think, if it had been any day but today, I probably would have given her a nice good shove onto the floor to remind her that my generous amount of common courtesy(What? It WAS generous, people!) was clearly wasted on her. But, seeing as how today was the day of our ultimate demise, I figured I'd let it slip.
Ultimate demise?! What the hell was I talking about?! That was very uncool of me. Of COURSE we weren't gonna die!
So, I made a highly audible grunting noise and pushed her onto the floor, feigning sleep like it was an accident.
Her lack of reaction was a bit disappointing, I'll admit, but it didn't really matter, because she woke me up anyway.
"Hey,"she whispered, pushing at my arm."Hey, come on, sleepyhead. We've got a lot to do---"
"Yeah, yeah, I know,"I muttered, not really looking forward to it. Stupid traitorous Galbadians. I used to RULE their asses! And now......well, I didn't want to think about that. Sitting up, I stretched out my back, hearing the satisfying crack and the satisfying wince that crossed Tilmitt's face.
"Apparently you enjoy inflicting pain not only onto others, but also on yourself,"she commented, straightening out her Garden skirt as best as she could.
"Of course,"I replied somberly. Duh! Something in her face altered a bit, but I couldn't tell what it was. I wondered if that happened whenever my mother said something to her in her mind.
Mmmm........Mother. Once again, the semi-comfortable(at least sane, I'll warrant you that) belief that my mother had died a coward and was gone from my life forever had been shattered in a mere matter of seconds. What was more, her presence was now currently occupying the single-handedly most useless person I had ever known.
But that's not the point. The point is, it wasn't that. If I hadn't been so doped up from lack of sleep, I probably would have said otherwise, but I could've sworn that the look that crossed her face was a look of gratitude.
"Well, even until the very end, you're still the same old Seifer,"was all she said. Pah! Like I'd let her think I was scared, anyway.
Don't get me wrong, losers! I WASN'T scared! But even if I was, you think I'd let HER know?! Heh......the thought was too ridiculous to even ponder.
I had gone to grab for my coat where it was usually hanging off the wall, only to remember that it wasn't there. Hmmm...... Despite myself, I had to shiver. It seemed like an ill omen, that. For as long as I could remember, I'd never gone into a single battle without that Dolletian coat.
Of course, it didn't do me a great deal of luck with it ON, either, so maybe it was for the best.
It wasn't until I had checked my junctioning that I realized that Tilmitt and I had no clue what the HELL we were doing. Sure, it seemed easy enough. Infiltrate the abandoned missile base, and stop the missiles. Clear-cut goal---with no idea how to achieve it.
I sighed. We were so screwed.
Tilmitt must've heard me(damn!), even though she mistook it's meaning for something else."I don't blame you for being tired,"she said, all bright and cheery and happy-like, considering how we may very well have been walking to our deaths. No, wait! What did I say about that?! Grrr. I seemed to be at an arguement with myself."I feel ready to drop dead on the spot."
(Well, I'm not that lucky),I reflected ruefully, my only outward expression being a disinterested shrug."Let's go."
'The Esthar missile base(currently abandoned) has at it's current disposal over 35 long-range missiles, 5 of those being atomic. Such an arsenal was ordered by President Laguna Loire as a last-means resort to fighting Sorceress Ultimecia, but was never used. Now it has become derelict. The base itself lies hidden behind heavy forests in the Millefeuille Archipelago, in the easternmost regions of Esthar.'
Enh. Some completely boring, unhelpful, and totally pointless shit. Those damn tutorials always were filled with stuff that like. I really felt like I needed a drink. And you know? I don't even drink!
Tilmitt was getting fidgety, looking out the window and biting her lip anxiously. She was making these constant little bouncing movements in her seat, not only causing the car to rock back and forth, but diverting my attention from the road, as well.
Bounce, bounce, bounce. Throb, throb, throb. Such was the pattern of her body and my vision, until I couldn't take it anymore.
"STOP DOING THAT!!!"I roared, making a sudden U-turn in the road with much squealing of wheels, to end up on the other side of the road. She stopped bouncing and stared at me, wide-eyed. I squinched my eyes shut and counted to ten, taking deep breaths and trying to penetrate the red that had covered my vision.
Breaking my thoughts, came a high-pitched, squeaky laugh."You look so FUNNY when you're trying to calm down!"
I decided to mess with her mind, and put on an expression of outward calm."And you look so wonderful..........."
Success! Her eyes starting getting big..........
"................when I envision you spontaneously combusting in all directions!"I shouted, irritation back on my face again. She dropped back into her seat and crossed her arms across her chest, petulant.
"You are such a butthead!"she muttered, but at least she stopped the infernal bouncing. Ramming the car rather violently into gear, I drove on.
The trail wasn't that hard to find. I mean, since the Galbadians were complete and utter shitbricks, they left their trail to the base completely open. Hey..........more accurately, why the HELL were they out here, anyway?! It was something that had escaped my mind. Why didn't they just use their own damn missile base.........?
I sifted through the holes in my memory, an aftereffect of both the stupid GFs(which I still used, sometimes in the hope that I'd forget all about being the Sorceress Knight) and Ultimecia's manipulation.
Ugh............manipulation. I hated that fucking term. It made me sound like I was just some puppet being forced to dance on strings. Which wasn't entirely true, you understand. True, there were some times I did things that I wouldn't really have done of my own will(shoving Rinoa into Adel like that and turning against my posse were one, kidnapping Elle was another), but I first went with Edea on my own. And that, was the truth.
So, I couldn't exactly recall what in Hyne's name had happened to the Galbadian's missile base. Feeling rather curious(or else I wouldn't have even bothered asking), I inquired as such of Tilmitt.
Her look was one of calculating confusion(most bizarre, at that)."You don't KNOW?"
Now I was just getting impatient."If I knew, then why the HELL would I be asking you, you worthless crack?!"
She didn't even get angry, merely frowned thoughtfully."When you............"She took a breath and started over. I wondered what the hell HER problem was."When you fired the missiles at Trabia, I didn't want the same thing to happen to Balamb."She said that part in a hurry; trying to spare my feelings, I guess. Mfft. What feelings?"So, I went to the Galbadian missile base in the hopes of trying to stop that from happening. Well, I guess I kinda got carried away, 'cuz....."She turned a bit red before continuing."......I set the self-destruct mechanism for the base. I put it on 30 minutes so we'd be safe, but then we got attacked and the soldiers locked us inside, and it really seemed like we were going to die."She shuddered."It was really scary."
Then she was all sunshine and smiles again."But, we used the very machine they attacked us with to stay safe from the explosion, and managed to make it back to Squall and the others, who had gone on ahead to warn everyone about the missiles. No one was even hurt!"
.....Damn. Another one of my plans, thwarted again. I wondered why they couldn't just die."......Oh. Just wonderin', I guess."
I had too many other things on my mind.
Before I could even fathom what was happening, the Esthar missile base loomed up ahead, trying to look foreboding in the shade from the trees. Hah. TRYING to look foreboding; nothing scared me and nothing ever would.
Something moving in the back of the Esthar army truck caught my attention. Oh, joy. (What lies beneath?)I wondered, almost bored. I fingered Hyperion propped up against the seat beside me.(A freak ambush? A procession of Estharian minstrels? The whole Dolletian Parliament?)
Wait, I didn't want to think about that last part. Damn Dollet and their ineffectual form of government. I slammed on the brakes(not really a necessity; I just wanted to give Tilmitt a nice little shock) and spun around to lift up a tarp that was in the back, Hyperion already drawn.
"What? What is it?"I heard Tilmitt's squeaky voice inquire of me. She was scratching at my shoulder, trying to use me as a lever to haul herself over the seat. It was kinda funny, watching her struggle.
I sighed, let the tarp drop, and settled back into my seat."Student No. 1014, Vienna Loire."
"WHAT?!"There were a few muffled thumps, and I could hear Tilmitt grunt as she managed to throw her petite upper body over the back of the seat and yank up the tarp. A muffled gasp, and another thump as she fell back over the seat into me, her elbows digging into my stomach."Vienna! What are you DOING back there?"
"Watch your damn elbows, Tilmitt!"I shouted at her, picking her up at arm's length(good thing she was so light). Her eyes enlarged fit to pop out of her head, and I had to laugh, shaking my head. Rather uncermoniously dropping her into her seat, I turned around coolly and sat cross-legged on the seat, facing Esthar's little First Daughter.
"S-Sir, I---"
Good. She had reason to be scared."Loire, explain."I put on my no- nonsense voice that had terrorized older and braver students than she. It had more than the desired effect; her eyes started rolling around in her head and she bgan gibbering nonsense. I wondered if I'd gone TOO far, seeing as students had never actually had SEIZURES at a mere question from me. Well, I guess there was always a first.
Tilmitt poked me."Are you sure she's okay?"
I scanned through her report as if I was actually on the IGN itself, so prominent was my visual memory."No records of health problems aside from a slight case of paranoia. Maybe this's a result of that?"So confused was I, that I actually let knowledge of the fact that I DIDN'T actually know everything in the world slip.
At that moment, Loire ceased her incoherent ramblings and got herself under control."S-Sir, I-I w-w-was w-walking along w-when I s-saw you a-and Instructor T-Tilmitt get into th-the c-car a-and I-I-I th-th-th- thought......"
She looked to be on the verge of tears. Almost inperceptibly, I nodded at Tilmitt, and she leaned over the back of the seat again to put an hand on Loire's arm reassuringly.
"It's okay,"she said, ever the optimist."Commander Almasy and I aren't MAD at you---"she could speak for herself, I was pissed---"we just want to know what you're doing here."
That seemed to get her under control again."I thought I-I'd follow y- you,"she stammered, looking down at her lap."Something'd b-been bothering m- me for awhile, a-and I..........."
Hmmm. Well, did THAT sound familiar? 'You see................something'd been bothering me.' Had to give her credit. I raised my eyebrows, ever-so- slightly."I'm impressed, Loire. Not many people have instincts that are as well honed as yours, and if they do, they rarely ever take them to heart. .........Impressive."
She didn't look remotely pleased, only as though she were waiting for something bad to happened. I figured; why disappoint her? So I added:"But you DID.............."
I stopped; frowned. Truthfully, I couldn't think of a single thing she'd done wrong. Well, a single thing that was stated as Garden policy, at least. I mean, interrupting a deadly mission and a gross invasion of privacy was one thing---
DEADLY mission?! Shit, I'd forgotten about that! The missiles were due to shoot off at any time! I couldn't take her back! But I couldn't bring her WITH us, Hyne no! Grrr, why does all this shit have to happen to me?!
"Got him, Vienna!"Tilmitt was saying, and gave Loire a high-five. I sighed. Women.
"Well, you're just gonna have to come along with us and die, then,"I said nonchalantly, whirling around to face the front of the car and starting it up again. Tilmitt frowned; Loire looked scared again.
"Where're we going?"she asked, this time managing to keep her stuttering under control.
I slammed on the accelerator."Esthar missile base."
"But WHY?"
I wondered if the vein throbbing on my forehead was visible, because Tilmitt took over from there."Seifer found out about a Galbadian plan to shoot missiles at our Garden,"she admitted quietly."They're planning to use this abandoned missile base, so we're going to go stop it."
"Oh..........."And Loire did the most surprising thing she'd ever done in her life.
She sat up resolutely, and drew her Nemeris."..................I'll help."
If the car veered a little at those words, I blame it on EHA, the Esthar Highway Administration. It's not that I was SURPRISED, I'm never surprised.
But I mean, come on! LOIRE actually slipping out from behind her blatant cowardice and offering to FIGHT? Damn, our situation must be a lot graver than what I thought it was.
Tilmitt smiled."Thanks, Vienna. But it's gonna be dangerous. It's your first time fighting real combat, isn't it?"A nod."Then, I'll give you a few hints before we start.........."
I inadvertantly rolled my eyes. This was going to be a helluva trip. Well, I certainly didn't intend to stand around all day and wait for my baggage to finish their girl chat.
The two guards didn't stand a chance. I was on them faster than flies to a dung pile, and I don't think they even had time to draw their crappy and ineffectual battle swords before they were dead.
Hyperion glowed red, as Tilmitt and Loire darted in behind me. I knew enough about computers and network systems to be able to dismantle the missiles on my own, but I was having too much fun dismantling Galbadian soldiers, so I let the two girls take it from there. It was a good chance for me to test out my skills; one of these days, I'd beat Squall in ungilded combat.
"I'll take care of the missiles!"Tilmitt shouted, and I could've sworn she was BOUNCING as she went by. She always bounced; I wondered if it was an accidental thing."I've been through something like this before, it's second nature to me! Back in a flash!"
There was fighting all around us. And by us, I mean in the sense of me and Loire, who had stayed behind to 'help'. The truth was, she wasn't much 'help'. And I didn't need any 'help'. Hyperion flashed it's death light as it clove the air, and I could see the little First Daughter struggling along behind me. I wondered how Tilmitt was doing. It wasn't as though I was WORRIED, and if I was, I was just worried that she might screw up royally and send us all to hell.
"Ahhhh!"I heard a scream.(Oh, great. Loire's in trouble. Just like I figured she would be.) She was trying to fend off a Galbadian soldier with a clumsy, one-handed parry, and if it weren't for the sheer incompetence of the army, she would have long since been dead.
There was fighting all around as I plowed my way towards her, shouting over the din:"FOR HYNE'S SAKE, LOIRE, CAST A SPELL!!!!!"
I could hear a squeak that was barely audible over the crowd."U-Ultima!"
Twenty soldiers around her were obliterated in a blast of green light. I wondered vaguely where the hell she got an Ultima spell. And, more correctly, how she'd managed to knock out half of our enemies just by casting it. MY magic was up to 255, and I still couldn't perform that feat yet.
(Well, no time to ponder.)I sliced through one more idiot who was running around screaming:"Long live Dictator Powell!" or some crap like that. If we were going to make a clean-cut exit, Tilmitt had better hurry up soon.
Loire had finally discovered an area of battle in which she was actually USEFUL in, and thus stood behind me casting all sorts of fun-happy spells while I finished off the remainder of our enemies. 'Twas a shame, really, they'd once looked up to me as they had this 'Dictator Powell' guy who was planning my untimely demise.
About ten more left to go."Rapture!"I heard a voice cry from off to my left, in a high-pitched, squeaky trademark I knew so well. And thus was the end of the Galbadians.
Tilmitt appeared, looking more than a little worse for the wear. A few cuts straggled down the sides of her face, and all up and down her arms and legs. Not to mention the countless numbers I probably COULDN'T see. Loire didn't look much better, and I supposed I didn't, either.
"T-T-Triple!"panted Vienna, casting the support spell on me, and I picked up her slack.
"Curaga."The swirling beads of blue and white light encompassed my vision, and I instantly felt better. Tilmitt gave out a sigh of relief.
"Phew! We made it. I set the error ratio to the highest mark, so we should be okay."
(SHOULD be.) But who was I to rain on their parade?
And suddenly, everything blurred red. My first thought was that I had passed out, and had somehow fallen into the carnage on the floor. My second was that I was still standing, and that an alarm bell was ringing through my brain.
'Self-destruct in 15 minutes. I repeat, all personnel evacuate the base immediately. Self-destruct in 15 minutes. I repeat, all---'
Loire began to run. I wasn't quite sure whether to call her a coward or admire her intelligence. At this point in time, I was pretty much leaning towards the latter. I grabbed Tilmitt."What the hell are you waiting for?! Let's go!"
Something akin to nostalgia had crossed her face, but at my shouting, she shook it off and darted into step behind me. And then I remembered.
"YOU!"I shouted at her, wanting to stop and grab her and shake her until she turned blue, but refraining myself in the light of our more obvious peril."You set the self-destruct mechanism again, didn't you?! Dammit, Tilmitt! After you knew what---"
This time, I stopped. Up ahead, the gates were closing."..............After you knew."I couldn't quite finish the sentence.
She stepped up beside me, and it was then that I realized that the top of her head barely reached my shoulder."I didn't do it. Because I knew."
Loire was running, turning around and shouting at us to hurry. Again, I grabbed Tilmitt by the arm and dragged her on ahead."Come on! We've still got a chance!"
This seemed to spur her into action, and she actually managed to get AHEAD of me. Something told me she had more to fear than I did. She was even catching up to Loire, who'd had about a five-second head start.
(The end.)
The gates slammed shut.
Tilmitt, who'd been running up ahead to put a race runner to shame, couldn't quite stop herself in time and bounced off the offending obstructions with a clang, falling to the ground. Loire was close behind her, and they lay on the ground on a heap.
"Shi---!"I skidded to a stop, steel-toed boots nearly sending up sparks as I did so. The younger girl hastily climbed to her feet and began pounding on the door.
"It's no use,"said Tilmitt quietly, propping herself up on her knees and staring blankly ahead."It's no use."
(The end. Liberi fatali.)
I knew ancient Centran; Matron had taught it to me.'Children of fate.' That was what I had thought. In a way, we were all bound.
I shook my head hard. What the hell?! What was I getting all philosophical for?! We still had time! Life's a pain in the butt, so feed it raspberries, people! Loire had the same type of look on her face."There's still hope, Instructor T.! They wouldn't make just one exit out of here, would they?!"
She stood up to face the two of us, and I thought she was finally going to get herself out of that pit of depression."Yes. They would. Especially if they knew this would happen."She closed her eyes."I feel sorry for those poor men.........."
I saw what she meant, even if she didn't understand it. A few stragglers were standing near the gate with us, beating at it futilely. Where they had come from and how I had missed killing them from the start, I never knew. 'Twas a damn shame, when I couldn't even knock off a few poorly trained men.
'If they knew this was going to happen................'
And I knew. Galbadia had planned the whole thing. I frowned."Tilmitt."She looked up at me, not saying anything."Did you.............see the missiles?"
She shook her head."..........No. I didn't go into that room."
(One suspicion down, one more to go.)"Those computers said...................EHA on them.....didn't they?"
A nod, a nod that sealed our doom and knowledge that our deaths would have been in vain."The Esthar Highway Administration."
A response; she gasped."You're joking."And I shook my head sadly.
"What, what's going on?"Poor, oblivious Vienna Loire.
Something about her seemed to set Selphie's resolve."There might still be missiles coming,"she said, her voice still weak but her eyes starting to come back into focus."We don't know that knocking us off was their only objective. Kill two birds with one stone. Garden's still in danger!"
(And this helps us...........how? All it'll do is set Loire into a panic.)
I honestly don't think she had any idea what was going on. Basically, we were screwed. I had no way of warning Garden, all my communications were back at the car. We were all going to die. It was useless.
No, for the last Hyne-accursed time! We WEREN'T going to die!
"They shouldn't suffer,"muttered Tilmitt distractedly, pacing around and glancing at the nine soldiers still standing by the gate."I mean, at least this way..........."
She looked over at me, and I knew what she wanted me to do.
"..........Loire."The ever-so-obedient First Daughter scurried over to me. She looked a little scared at the serious look on my face. I put my hands on her shoulders, meaning to be commanding or kind I have no idea."Turn around and cast Triple on me."
She never even asked questions, just did what I asked of her."Triple!"
(Why do I fight? Why do I try?)I looked at those men, and tried to tell myself it would be better for them this way. At least then they would never know how they had been betrayed.
"Death. Death. Death."
Fwish, fwish, fwish. The other men began to shout.
"No! Please, sir!"
"Hyne, please!"
"We were only under Dictator Powell's orders!"
"No! For the love of Hyne, DON'T!!!!!!!"
I closed my eyes."Death. Death. Death." Fwish, fwish, fwish.(Even heroes have to do things they don't want to do, sometimes.)
(..............And that is why I'm no fucking hero.)
They say last time pays all."Death. Death. Death."And Loire began to scream.
She rushed at me with her fists, dropping her Nemeris on the ground and beating futilely at my chest, screaming all sorts of obscenities at me. The last of the men dropped to the ground, their faces stretched open in the blank stares of death. Without even thinking, I pinned Loire's arms to her sides and held her there, until she finally gave up and fell back against me, sobbing blindly.
I had forgotten that she was only fourteen.
Tilmitt dropped Chandrakanan and twirled her Strange Vision around expertly. She looked over at me."You know what to do."
Again, liberi fatali. I did know, and dug around in my pockets for the key. The key that would send Esthar Garden into flight. I looked down at Loire and took her hand, dropping the heavy gold key into it before closing it back into a fist. Our hope rested with Vienna Loire.
Sad, ain't it?
Tilmitt was twirling her Strange Vision again."I can get the two of you back to safety.............even if my own life is forfeit."
Surprisingly, I reacted first."No way! You're coming with us!"
Loire gasped, but clutched the key tightly."No, Instructor T.!"
She was already casting the spell. Bluish-purple angel wings attached themselves to Loire and she floated out of the doomed non-existent missile base and away. I turned to her."Alright, Tilmitt, let's go."
Selphie smiled at me sadly."It won't work. I can't cast Rapture on myself."
Ten minutes.
"You can't even try?!"
"........Of course I've tried. It's never worked."Again, that smile."It's alright. I don't mind."
I snorted disbelief at this."You, the great lover of life, WANTING to die?"
She began to shake, and her eyes filled with tears."I don't WANT to die! I NEVER want to die! But you know what?! If it'll save everyone else, then it's something I'll do! I won't drag you down into this with me!"
(Why? You've enjoyed ruining my life on 13 separate occasions as far as I could tell. Why now?)
I went up to her and put my arms around her. Or, rather, ATTACHED myself to her. No sentiments here, people. NONE.".......All right. Give it a try now."
A faint glimmer of hope."You think it'll work?"
I shrugged."Anything's better than sittin' around here bein' useless and retarded."
"Okay............... Rapture!"
I felt the wings attach, it was never really easy to explain how they attached and what it felt like, you just knew that they were there. Flapped, lifted, flapped, flapped.............
We were about ten feet in the air when the wings suddenly vanished, and Tilmitt and I crashed down to earth. Just as my nonexistent luck would have it, I was on the bottom.
And Tilmitt began to cry."W-We're DEAD!"she sobbed, beating at me once again with her head."We're gonna die and it's ALL YOUR FAULT!"
"How so?"
"Because---because---you're so friggin' CALM, and it's busting up my rhythm!"That was a very UN-Selphie-like statement. I couldn't help but laugh. The lights were still going off on my head. Still, the next thing she said made my blood run cold.
"................I could have saved them."
She was, of course, referring to the guards that I had rather hurriedly slaughtered without giving any chances to defend themselves. I knew what she meant, though. Seeing Loire rush at me like that..........it really got me to thinking, something I avoided doing too much. Thinking too much would just make me look like Quisty.
(Why do we do the things we do? What if some things were never meant to be, and others, no matter what other events happen around them, will always come to pass?)Before I even knew what was happening, words were coming out of my mouth."It's alright. I'm the one who'll face eternal darkness in Nemeris, and blah, blah, blah. Well, at least I'll see Mother, then."
Up until then, I had avoided thinking about my mother. Tilmitt sighed."I miss Allanna."
I snorted ruefully and pulled her into a hug. We were going to die anyway, might as well ease her mind."Me, too."
Five minutes.
The base began to rumble and shake. So did Tilmitt."I-It's starting."
All it did was give me a headache. Pah! Bring on your crappy not-at-all- intimidating shaking! Although I really felt like I needed a cigarette, and I hadn't smoked in years.
Hmmm. The first time I'd lit one up, on that day down at the beach. A long time ago. I couldn't remember a lot of it.
(No, wait...........that's not right. Those two older kids were TRYING to get me to smoke, and I didn't..........why?)
More accurately, WHO CARED?! This was the point I seemed to be missing.
"You're not scared."
No, I wasn't. NOTHING scared me; could she have forgotten that so easily?"Of course not."I decided to drop the 'holier-than-thou' bullshit and for once in my life, be honest with her."I don't fear death. I mean, it's not as though I WANT to die, but..........I'm not scared of it, either."
"..............I wish I could be that brave."
(Or stupid.)But I chose not to say anything.
"I'll cast Rapture on just you, then."But she didn't move, and I really didn't think she would unless I asked her to.
"I don't care. Save your energy."
Three minutes.
"You know, I always admired you."
(Hmph.)"..........Really."
"Yeah..........I guess I couldn't help it. I wanted to fight with a gunblade for as long as I could remember, and seeing you and Squall be able to do it so well............. I was never really a match."A pause."I sparred with Squall, once. Naturally, I lost. When he didn't say anything, not even a compliment, just walked away, I started to cry. And I stopped my training."Another pause."I don't know why I'm remembering this now. And........well, why I'm telling it to YOU."
"No one else left to tell, I guess."I cast around for something nice to say about her. 'Twas only proper."You always were...................bouncy."(What? Lack of a better word.)
"Bouncy?"A shaky laugh."I guess that's the best I can expect, coming out of you."This time when she paused, I wasn't sure if she was going to talk again. If anything, I was HOPING she wouldn't."..................I never admired Irvine as much as I admired you. I mean, he said all the right, flowery things to me, but...........well, he seemed so aimless, so indecisive. You always knew what you wanted."
(Hah, and got it, too.)".....So?"
"I guess I liked that, that's all. And after awhile, I realized that I was getting too far in over my head, that Irvine was constantly............well, BOUNCING around from one stage of our relationship to the other. That's what made me talk about all this, when you said I was bouncy. It was funny; I thought that Irvine was the head of that department."
"And you know what else is funny? How much I could care less."
She didn't get mad, in fact, she LAUGHED! That's right, LAUGHED, and just burrowed herself deeper into my chest, like some sort of infectious bug."How much you could care less.......... Ha, ha, ha..........same old Seifer, even 'til the end..........."She exhaled largely."Thanks. I'm glad you're with me."
For some reason, because I wasn't entirely paying enough attention to stop myself, I laughed, too."Can't think of anyone else I'd rather die with."
I couldn't see her, but I FELT her smile. And then, the buzzing started in my head.
One minute.
And everything went white.
AN~Sheez! Finally, after much, much ado, this chapter is out!*explodes from the effort*Meep. Well, the truth is, I liked the beginning of the chapter, then the sap at the end really got on my nerves.*growls* Well, I guess it can't be helped. Recommendation:go check out 'Sweet 'n' Sour' by PinkStarz and 'Gummybears' by SouthwestEggRoll(even though I'm sure everyone has already read those fics plus dozens more). They're both Selfers! Selfers rule.*smile* Anywhosen, I have NO IDEA what the next part is going to be about.(Well, I do, sorta.) So, any suggestions? Let me know! AND, I'll think of another prize for my 200th reviewer! So let's get to 200! ~Vereor Veritas~, ~*~tigerofthewind~*~
Chapter Twelve-Some Completely Boring, Unhelpful, and Totally Pointless Shit
AN~Mweh heh heh. Like the chapter name? Oh, by the way....*taps foot impatiently* 172, 173, 174, 175......... Okay! 175 reviews! Well, you're starting to see a pattern now, aren't you? Basically, a consistency with the amount of reviews I require before I update again. I know it just sounds like I'm using this as an excuse to either make your lives miserable by waiting for updates or get as many reviews as possible, but it's really not true. The truth is, I want to be sure that new people are constantly checking out this story, not just the same old regular people(even though I love you guys, too!^_^). So, tell everyone you know to check this out! If I get 25 'regulars' who keep reviewing every chapter, then you won't have to find new people! LoL. Anyways, on with the fic. The missile base mission this chapter, everyone! Yay! How's that for coolness? Okay, I know I'm retarded. Read on, everyone! ~tigerofthewind~
The next morning dawned, with the sun shining in from the east and illuminating my room. It was this early-morning sun, the type that glows more red than yellow. The whole mess that was my room looked like it was on fire.
I blinked my eyes slowly, just to check and make sure that it actually WASN'T on fire. I mean, that had happened once when I'd been smoking my occasional cigarette, and had forgotten to stub it out in the ashtray.
Oh, please. Don't get started on that whole "smoking is bad for you!" thing. Like, I do what I want? Got a problem with that?!
Anyway, the rather intrusive sunlight had fully awakened me. I wondered something:why the HELL didn't I have some sort of way to prevent this from happening? Note to self:GET BLINDS.
Blinked some more. Tried to sit up. Found my passage arrested by something warm and soft, but decidingly gangly. Oh, great. Tilmitt. I'd forgotten the not-so-minor detail that I'd let her fall asleep against me, all curled up like the retarded midget she was.
I think, if it had been any day but today, I probably would have given her a nice good shove onto the floor to remind her that my generous amount of common courtesy(What? It WAS generous, people!) was clearly wasted on her. But, seeing as how today was the day of our ultimate demise, I figured I'd let it slip.
Ultimate demise?! What the hell was I talking about?! That was very uncool of me. Of COURSE we weren't gonna die!
So, I made a highly audible grunting noise and pushed her onto the floor, feigning sleep like it was an accident.
Her lack of reaction was a bit disappointing, I'll admit, but it didn't really matter, because she woke me up anyway.
"Hey,"she whispered, pushing at my arm."Hey, come on, sleepyhead. We've got a lot to do---"
"Yeah, yeah, I know,"I muttered, not really looking forward to it. Stupid traitorous Galbadians. I used to RULE their asses! And now......well, I didn't want to think about that. Sitting up, I stretched out my back, hearing the satisfying crack and the satisfying wince that crossed Tilmitt's face.
"Apparently you enjoy inflicting pain not only onto others, but also on yourself,"she commented, straightening out her Garden skirt as best as she could.
"Of course,"I replied somberly. Duh! Something in her face altered a bit, but I couldn't tell what it was. I wondered if that happened whenever my mother said something to her in her mind.
Mmmm........Mother. Once again, the semi-comfortable(at least sane, I'll warrant you that) belief that my mother had died a coward and was gone from my life forever had been shattered in a mere matter of seconds. What was more, her presence was now currently occupying the single-handedly most useless person I had ever known.
But that's not the point. The point is, it wasn't that. If I hadn't been so doped up from lack of sleep, I probably would have said otherwise, but I could've sworn that the look that crossed her face was a look of gratitude.
"Well, even until the very end, you're still the same old Seifer,"was all she said. Pah! Like I'd let her think I was scared, anyway.
Don't get me wrong, losers! I WASN'T scared! But even if I was, you think I'd let HER know?! Heh......the thought was too ridiculous to even ponder.
I had gone to grab for my coat where it was usually hanging off the wall, only to remember that it wasn't there. Hmmm...... Despite myself, I had to shiver. It seemed like an ill omen, that. For as long as I could remember, I'd never gone into a single battle without that Dolletian coat.
Of course, it didn't do me a great deal of luck with it ON, either, so maybe it was for the best.
It wasn't until I had checked my junctioning that I realized that Tilmitt and I had no clue what the HELL we were doing. Sure, it seemed easy enough. Infiltrate the abandoned missile base, and stop the missiles. Clear-cut goal---with no idea how to achieve it.
I sighed. We were so screwed.
Tilmitt must've heard me(damn!), even though she mistook it's meaning for something else."I don't blame you for being tired,"she said, all bright and cheery and happy-like, considering how we may very well have been walking to our deaths. No, wait! What did I say about that?! Grrr. I seemed to be at an arguement with myself."I feel ready to drop dead on the spot."
(Well, I'm not that lucky),I reflected ruefully, my only outward expression being a disinterested shrug."Let's go."
'The Esthar missile base(currently abandoned) has at it's current disposal over 35 long-range missiles, 5 of those being atomic. Such an arsenal was ordered by President Laguna Loire as a last-means resort to fighting Sorceress Ultimecia, but was never used. Now it has become derelict. The base itself lies hidden behind heavy forests in the Millefeuille Archipelago, in the easternmost regions of Esthar.'
Enh. Some completely boring, unhelpful, and totally pointless shit. Those damn tutorials always were filled with stuff that like. I really felt like I needed a drink. And you know? I don't even drink!
Tilmitt was getting fidgety, looking out the window and biting her lip anxiously. She was making these constant little bouncing movements in her seat, not only causing the car to rock back and forth, but diverting my attention from the road, as well.
Bounce, bounce, bounce. Throb, throb, throb. Such was the pattern of her body and my vision, until I couldn't take it anymore.
"STOP DOING THAT!!!"I roared, making a sudden U-turn in the road with much squealing of wheels, to end up on the other side of the road. She stopped bouncing and stared at me, wide-eyed. I squinched my eyes shut and counted to ten, taking deep breaths and trying to penetrate the red that had covered my vision.
Breaking my thoughts, came a high-pitched, squeaky laugh."You look so FUNNY when you're trying to calm down!"
I decided to mess with her mind, and put on an expression of outward calm."And you look so wonderful..........."
Success! Her eyes starting getting big..........
"................when I envision you spontaneously combusting in all directions!"I shouted, irritation back on my face again. She dropped back into her seat and crossed her arms across her chest, petulant.
"You are such a butthead!"she muttered, but at least she stopped the infernal bouncing. Ramming the car rather violently into gear, I drove on.
The trail wasn't that hard to find. I mean, since the Galbadians were complete and utter shitbricks, they left their trail to the base completely open. Hey..........more accurately, why the HELL were they out here, anyway?! It was something that had escaped my mind. Why didn't they just use their own damn missile base.........?
I sifted through the holes in my memory, an aftereffect of both the stupid GFs(which I still used, sometimes in the hope that I'd forget all about being the Sorceress Knight) and Ultimecia's manipulation.
Ugh............manipulation. I hated that fucking term. It made me sound like I was just some puppet being forced to dance on strings. Which wasn't entirely true, you understand. True, there were some times I did things that I wouldn't really have done of my own will(shoving Rinoa into Adel like that and turning against my posse were one, kidnapping Elle was another), but I first went with Edea on my own. And that, was the truth.
So, I couldn't exactly recall what in Hyne's name had happened to the Galbadian's missile base. Feeling rather curious(or else I wouldn't have even bothered asking), I inquired as such of Tilmitt.
Her look was one of calculating confusion(most bizarre, at that)."You don't KNOW?"
Now I was just getting impatient."If I knew, then why the HELL would I be asking you, you worthless crack?!"
She didn't even get angry, merely frowned thoughtfully."When you............"She took a breath and started over. I wondered what the hell HER problem was."When you fired the missiles at Trabia, I didn't want the same thing to happen to Balamb."She said that part in a hurry; trying to spare my feelings, I guess. Mfft. What feelings?"So, I went to the Galbadian missile base in the hopes of trying to stop that from happening. Well, I guess I kinda got carried away, 'cuz....."She turned a bit red before continuing."......I set the self-destruct mechanism for the base. I put it on 30 minutes so we'd be safe, but then we got attacked and the soldiers locked us inside, and it really seemed like we were going to die."She shuddered."It was really scary."
Then she was all sunshine and smiles again."But, we used the very machine they attacked us with to stay safe from the explosion, and managed to make it back to Squall and the others, who had gone on ahead to warn everyone about the missiles. No one was even hurt!"
.....Damn. Another one of my plans, thwarted again. I wondered why they couldn't just die."......Oh. Just wonderin', I guess."
I had too many other things on my mind.
Before I could even fathom what was happening, the Esthar missile base loomed up ahead, trying to look foreboding in the shade from the trees. Hah. TRYING to look foreboding; nothing scared me and nothing ever would.
Something moving in the back of the Esthar army truck caught my attention. Oh, joy. (What lies beneath?)I wondered, almost bored. I fingered Hyperion propped up against the seat beside me.(A freak ambush? A procession of Estharian minstrels? The whole Dolletian Parliament?)
Wait, I didn't want to think about that last part. Damn Dollet and their ineffectual form of government. I slammed on the brakes(not really a necessity; I just wanted to give Tilmitt a nice little shock) and spun around to lift up a tarp that was in the back, Hyperion already drawn.
"What? What is it?"I heard Tilmitt's squeaky voice inquire of me. She was scratching at my shoulder, trying to use me as a lever to haul herself over the seat. It was kinda funny, watching her struggle.
I sighed, let the tarp drop, and settled back into my seat."Student No. 1014, Vienna Loire."
"WHAT?!"There were a few muffled thumps, and I could hear Tilmitt grunt as she managed to throw her petite upper body over the back of the seat and yank up the tarp. A muffled gasp, and another thump as she fell back over the seat into me, her elbows digging into my stomach."Vienna! What are you DOING back there?"
"Watch your damn elbows, Tilmitt!"I shouted at her, picking her up at arm's length(good thing she was so light). Her eyes enlarged fit to pop out of her head, and I had to laugh, shaking my head. Rather uncermoniously dropping her into her seat, I turned around coolly and sat cross-legged on the seat, facing Esthar's little First Daughter.
"S-Sir, I---"
Good. She had reason to be scared."Loire, explain."I put on my no- nonsense voice that had terrorized older and braver students than she. It had more than the desired effect; her eyes started rolling around in her head and she bgan gibbering nonsense. I wondered if I'd gone TOO far, seeing as students had never actually had SEIZURES at a mere question from me. Well, I guess there was always a first.
Tilmitt poked me."Are you sure she's okay?"
I scanned through her report as if I was actually on the IGN itself, so prominent was my visual memory."No records of health problems aside from a slight case of paranoia. Maybe this's a result of that?"So confused was I, that I actually let knowledge of the fact that I DIDN'T actually know everything in the world slip.
At that moment, Loire ceased her incoherent ramblings and got herself under control."S-Sir, I-I w-w-was w-walking along w-when I s-saw you a-and Instructor T-Tilmitt get into th-the c-car a-and I-I-I th-th-th- thought......"
She looked to be on the verge of tears. Almost inperceptibly, I nodded at Tilmitt, and she leaned over the back of the seat again to put an hand on Loire's arm reassuringly.
"It's okay,"she said, ever the optimist."Commander Almasy and I aren't MAD at you---"she could speak for herself, I was pissed---"we just want to know what you're doing here."
That seemed to get her under control again."I thought I-I'd follow y- you,"she stammered, looking down at her lap."Something'd b-been bothering m- me for awhile, a-and I..........."
Hmmm. Well, did THAT sound familiar? 'You see................something'd been bothering me.' Had to give her credit. I raised my eyebrows, ever-so- slightly."I'm impressed, Loire. Not many people have instincts that are as well honed as yours, and if they do, they rarely ever take them to heart. .........Impressive."
She didn't look remotely pleased, only as though she were waiting for something bad to happened. I figured; why disappoint her? So I added:"But you DID.............."
I stopped; frowned. Truthfully, I couldn't think of a single thing she'd done wrong. Well, a single thing that was stated as Garden policy, at least. I mean, interrupting a deadly mission and a gross invasion of privacy was one thing---
DEADLY mission?! Shit, I'd forgotten about that! The missiles were due to shoot off at any time! I couldn't take her back! But I couldn't bring her WITH us, Hyne no! Grrr, why does all this shit have to happen to me?!
"Got him, Vienna!"Tilmitt was saying, and gave Loire a high-five. I sighed. Women.
"Well, you're just gonna have to come along with us and die, then,"I said nonchalantly, whirling around to face the front of the car and starting it up again. Tilmitt frowned; Loire looked scared again.
"Where're we going?"she asked, this time managing to keep her stuttering under control.
I slammed on the accelerator."Esthar missile base."
"But WHY?"
I wondered if the vein throbbing on my forehead was visible, because Tilmitt took over from there."Seifer found out about a Galbadian plan to shoot missiles at our Garden,"she admitted quietly."They're planning to use this abandoned missile base, so we're going to go stop it."
"Oh..........."And Loire did the most surprising thing she'd ever done in her life.
She sat up resolutely, and drew her Nemeris."..................I'll help."
If the car veered a little at those words, I blame it on EHA, the Esthar Highway Administration. It's not that I was SURPRISED, I'm never surprised.
But I mean, come on! LOIRE actually slipping out from behind her blatant cowardice and offering to FIGHT? Damn, our situation must be a lot graver than what I thought it was.
Tilmitt smiled."Thanks, Vienna. But it's gonna be dangerous. It's your first time fighting real combat, isn't it?"A nod."Then, I'll give you a few hints before we start.........."
I inadvertantly rolled my eyes. This was going to be a helluva trip. Well, I certainly didn't intend to stand around all day and wait for my baggage to finish their girl chat.
The two guards didn't stand a chance. I was on them faster than flies to a dung pile, and I don't think they even had time to draw their crappy and ineffectual battle swords before they were dead.
Hyperion glowed red, as Tilmitt and Loire darted in behind me. I knew enough about computers and network systems to be able to dismantle the missiles on my own, but I was having too much fun dismantling Galbadian soldiers, so I let the two girls take it from there. It was a good chance for me to test out my skills; one of these days, I'd beat Squall in ungilded combat.
"I'll take care of the missiles!"Tilmitt shouted, and I could've sworn she was BOUNCING as she went by. She always bounced; I wondered if it was an accidental thing."I've been through something like this before, it's second nature to me! Back in a flash!"
There was fighting all around us. And by us, I mean in the sense of me and Loire, who had stayed behind to 'help'. The truth was, she wasn't much 'help'. And I didn't need any 'help'. Hyperion flashed it's death light as it clove the air, and I could see the little First Daughter struggling along behind me. I wondered how Tilmitt was doing. It wasn't as though I was WORRIED, and if I was, I was just worried that she might screw up royally and send us all to hell.
"Ahhhh!"I heard a scream.(Oh, great. Loire's in trouble. Just like I figured she would be.) She was trying to fend off a Galbadian soldier with a clumsy, one-handed parry, and if it weren't for the sheer incompetence of the army, she would have long since been dead.
There was fighting all around as I plowed my way towards her, shouting over the din:"FOR HYNE'S SAKE, LOIRE, CAST A SPELL!!!!!"
I could hear a squeak that was barely audible over the crowd."U-Ultima!"
Twenty soldiers around her were obliterated in a blast of green light. I wondered vaguely where the hell she got an Ultima spell. And, more correctly, how she'd managed to knock out half of our enemies just by casting it. MY magic was up to 255, and I still couldn't perform that feat yet.
(Well, no time to ponder.)I sliced through one more idiot who was running around screaming:"Long live Dictator Powell!" or some crap like that. If we were going to make a clean-cut exit, Tilmitt had better hurry up soon.
Loire had finally discovered an area of battle in which she was actually USEFUL in, and thus stood behind me casting all sorts of fun-happy spells while I finished off the remainder of our enemies. 'Twas a shame, really, they'd once looked up to me as they had this 'Dictator Powell' guy who was planning my untimely demise.
About ten more left to go."Rapture!"I heard a voice cry from off to my left, in a high-pitched, squeaky trademark I knew so well. And thus was the end of the Galbadians.
Tilmitt appeared, looking more than a little worse for the wear. A few cuts straggled down the sides of her face, and all up and down her arms and legs. Not to mention the countless numbers I probably COULDN'T see. Loire didn't look much better, and I supposed I didn't, either.
"T-T-Triple!"panted Vienna, casting the support spell on me, and I picked up her slack.
"Curaga."The swirling beads of blue and white light encompassed my vision, and I instantly felt better. Tilmitt gave out a sigh of relief.
"Phew! We made it. I set the error ratio to the highest mark, so we should be okay."
(SHOULD be.) But who was I to rain on their parade?
And suddenly, everything blurred red. My first thought was that I had passed out, and had somehow fallen into the carnage on the floor. My second was that I was still standing, and that an alarm bell was ringing through my brain.
'Self-destruct in 15 minutes. I repeat, all personnel evacuate the base immediately. Self-destruct in 15 minutes. I repeat, all---'
Loire began to run. I wasn't quite sure whether to call her a coward or admire her intelligence. At this point in time, I was pretty much leaning towards the latter. I grabbed Tilmitt."What the hell are you waiting for?! Let's go!"
Something akin to nostalgia had crossed her face, but at my shouting, she shook it off and darted into step behind me. And then I remembered.
"YOU!"I shouted at her, wanting to stop and grab her and shake her until she turned blue, but refraining myself in the light of our more obvious peril."You set the self-destruct mechanism again, didn't you?! Dammit, Tilmitt! After you knew what---"
This time, I stopped. Up ahead, the gates were closing."..............After you knew."I couldn't quite finish the sentence.
She stepped up beside me, and it was then that I realized that the top of her head barely reached my shoulder."I didn't do it. Because I knew."
Loire was running, turning around and shouting at us to hurry. Again, I grabbed Tilmitt by the arm and dragged her on ahead."Come on! We've still got a chance!"
This seemed to spur her into action, and she actually managed to get AHEAD of me. Something told me she had more to fear than I did. She was even catching up to Loire, who'd had about a five-second head start.
(The end.)
The gates slammed shut.
Tilmitt, who'd been running up ahead to put a race runner to shame, couldn't quite stop herself in time and bounced off the offending obstructions with a clang, falling to the ground. Loire was close behind her, and they lay on the ground on a heap.
"Shi---!"I skidded to a stop, steel-toed boots nearly sending up sparks as I did so. The younger girl hastily climbed to her feet and began pounding on the door.
"It's no use,"said Tilmitt quietly, propping herself up on her knees and staring blankly ahead."It's no use."
(The end. Liberi fatali.)
I knew ancient Centran; Matron had taught it to me.'Children of fate.' That was what I had thought. In a way, we were all bound.
I shook my head hard. What the hell?! What was I getting all philosophical for?! We still had time! Life's a pain in the butt, so feed it raspberries, people! Loire had the same type of look on her face."There's still hope, Instructor T.! They wouldn't make just one exit out of here, would they?!"
She stood up to face the two of us, and I thought she was finally going to get herself out of that pit of depression."Yes. They would. Especially if they knew this would happen."She closed her eyes."I feel sorry for those poor men.........."
I saw what she meant, even if she didn't understand it. A few stragglers were standing near the gate with us, beating at it futilely. Where they had come from and how I had missed killing them from the start, I never knew. 'Twas a damn shame, when I couldn't even knock off a few poorly trained men.
'If they knew this was going to happen................'
And I knew. Galbadia had planned the whole thing. I frowned."Tilmitt."She looked up at me, not saying anything."Did you.............see the missiles?"
She shook her head."..........No. I didn't go into that room."
(One suspicion down, one more to go.)"Those computers said...................EHA on them.....didn't they?"
A nod, a nod that sealed our doom and knowledge that our deaths would have been in vain."The Esthar Highway Administration."
A response; she gasped."You're joking."And I shook my head sadly.
"What, what's going on?"Poor, oblivious Vienna Loire.
Something about her seemed to set Selphie's resolve."There might still be missiles coming,"she said, her voice still weak but her eyes starting to come back into focus."We don't know that knocking us off was their only objective. Kill two birds with one stone. Garden's still in danger!"
(And this helps us...........how? All it'll do is set Loire into a panic.)
I honestly don't think she had any idea what was going on. Basically, we were screwed. I had no way of warning Garden, all my communications were back at the car. We were all going to die. It was useless.
No, for the last Hyne-accursed time! We WEREN'T going to die!
"They shouldn't suffer,"muttered Tilmitt distractedly, pacing around and glancing at the nine soldiers still standing by the gate."I mean, at least this way..........."
She looked over at me, and I knew what she wanted me to do.
"..........Loire."The ever-so-obedient First Daughter scurried over to me. She looked a little scared at the serious look on my face. I put my hands on her shoulders, meaning to be commanding or kind I have no idea."Turn around and cast Triple on me."
She never even asked questions, just did what I asked of her."Triple!"
(Why do I fight? Why do I try?)I looked at those men, and tried to tell myself it would be better for them this way. At least then they would never know how they had been betrayed.
"Death. Death. Death."
Fwish, fwish, fwish. The other men began to shout.
"No! Please, sir!"
"Hyne, please!"
"We were only under Dictator Powell's orders!"
"No! For the love of Hyne, DON'T!!!!!!!"
I closed my eyes."Death. Death. Death." Fwish, fwish, fwish.(Even heroes have to do things they don't want to do, sometimes.)
(..............And that is why I'm no fucking hero.)
They say last time pays all."Death. Death. Death."And Loire began to scream.
She rushed at me with her fists, dropping her Nemeris on the ground and beating futilely at my chest, screaming all sorts of obscenities at me. The last of the men dropped to the ground, their faces stretched open in the blank stares of death. Without even thinking, I pinned Loire's arms to her sides and held her there, until she finally gave up and fell back against me, sobbing blindly.
I had forgotten that she was only fourteen.
Tilmitt dropped Chandrakanan and twirled her Strange Vision around expertly. She looked over at me."You know what to do."
Again, liberi fatali. I did know, and dug around in my pockets for the key. The key that would send Esthar Garden into flight. I looked down at Loire and took her hand, dropping the heavy gold key into it before closing it back into a fist. Our hope rested with Vienna Loire.
Sad, ain't it?
Tilmitt was twirling her Strange Vision again."I can get the two of you back to safety.............even if my own life is forfeit."
Surprisingly, I reacted first."No way! You're coming with us!"
Loire gasped, but clutched the key tightly."No, Instructor T.!"
She was already casting the spell. Bluish-purple angel wings attached themselves to Loire and she floated out of the doomed non-existent missile base and away. I turned to her."Alright, Tilmitt, let's go."
Selphie smiled at me sadly."It won't work. I can't cast Rapture on myself."
Ten minutes.
"You can't even try?!"
"........Of course I've tried. It's never worked."Again, that smile."It's alright. I don't mind."
I snorted disbelief at this."You, the great lover of life, WANTING to die?"
She began to shake, and her eyes filled with tears."I don't WANT to die! I NEVER want to die! But you know what?! If it'll save everyone else, then it's something I'll do! I won't drag you down into this with me!"
(Why? You've enjoyed ruining my life on 13 separate occasions as far as I could tell. Why now?)
I went up to her and put my arms around her. Or, rather, ATTACHED myself to her. No sentiments here, people. NONE.".......All right. Give it a try now."
A faint glimmer of hope."You think it'll work?"
I shrugged."Anything's better than sittin' around here bein' useless and retarded."
"Okay............... Rapture!"
I felt the wings attach, it was never really easy to explain how they attached and what it felt like, you just knew that they were there. Flapped, lifted, flapped, flapped.............
We were about ten feet in the air when the wings suddenly vanished, and Tilmitt and I crashed down to earth. Just as my nonexistent luck would have it, I was on the bottom.
And Tilmitt began to cry."W-We're DEAD!"she sobbed, beating at me once again with her head."We're gonna die and it's ALL YOUR FAULT!"
"How so?"
"Because---because---you're so friggin' CALM, and it's busting up my rhythm!"That was a very UN-Selphie-like statement. I couldn't help but laugh. The lights were still going off on my head. Still, the next thing she said made my blood run cold.
"................I could have saved them."
She was, of course, referring to the guards that I had rather hurriedly slaughtered without giving any chances to defend themselves. I knew what she meant, though. Seeing Loire rush at me like that..........it really got me to thinking, something I avoided doing too much. Thinking too much would just make me look like Quisty.
(Why do we do the things we do? What if some things were never meant to be, and others, no matter what other events happen around them, will always come to pass?)Before I even knew what was happening, words were coming out of my mouth."It's alright. I'm the one who'll face eternal darkness in Nemeris, and blah, blah, blah. Well, at least I'll see Mother, then."
Up until then, I had avoided thinking about my mother. Tilmitt sighed."I miss Allanna."
I snorted ruefully and pulled her into a hug. We were going to die anyway, might as well ease her mind."Me, too."
Five minutes.
The base began to rumble and shake. So did Tilmitt."I-It's starting."
All it did was give me a headache. Pah! Bring on your crappy not-at-all- intimidating shaking! Although I really felt like I needed a cigarette, and I hadn't smoked in years.
Hmmm. The first time I'd lit one up, on that day down at the beach. A long time ago. I couldn't remember a lot of it.
(No, wait...........that's not right. Those two older kids were TRYING to get me to smoke, and I didn't..........why?)
More accurately, WHO CARED?! This was the point I seemed to be missing.
"You're not scared."
No, I wasn't. NOTHING scared me; could she have forgotten that so easily?"Of course not."I decided to drop the 'holier-than-thou' bullshit and for once in my life, be honest with her."I don't fear death. I mean, it's not as though I WANT to die, but..........I'm not scared of it, either."
"..............I wish I could be that brave."
(Or stupid.)But I chose not to say anything.
"I'll cast Rapture on just you, then."But she didn't move, and I really didn't think she would unless I asked her to.
"I don't care. Save your energy."
Three minutes.
"You know, I always admired you."
(Hmph.)"..........Really."
"Yeah..........I guess I couldn't help it. I wanted to fight with a gunblade for as long as I could remember, and seeing you and Squall be able to do it so well............. I was never really a match."A pause."I sparred with Squall, once. Naturally, I lost. When he didn't say anything, not even a compliment, just walked away, I started to cry. And I stopped my training."Another pause."I don't know why I'm remembering this now. And........well, why I'm telling it to YOU."
"No one else left to tell, I guess."I cast around for something nice to say about her. 'Twas only proper."You always were...................bouncy."(What? Lack of a better word.)
"Bouncy?"A shaky laugh."I guess that's the best I can expect, coming out of you."This time when she paused, I wasn't sure if she was going to talk again. If anything, I was HOPING she wouldn't."..................I never admired Irvine as much as I admired you. I mean, he said all the right, flowery things to me, but...........well, he seemed so aimless, so indecisive. You always knew what you wanted."
(Hah, and got it, too.)".....So?"
"I guess I liked that, that's all. And after awhile, I realized that I was getting too far in over my head, that Irvine was constantly............well, BOUNCING around from one stage of our relationship to the other. That's what made me talk about all this, when you said I was bouncy. It was funny; I thought that Irvine was the head of that department."
"And you know what else is funny? How much I could care less."
She didn't get mad, in fact, she LAUGHED! That's right, LAUGHED, and just burrowed herself deeper into my chest, like some sort of infectious bug."How much you could care less.......... Ha, ha, ha..........same old Seifer, even 'til the end..........."She exhaled largely."Thanks. I'm glad you're with me."
For some reason, because I wasn't entirely paying enough attention to stop myself, I laughed, too."Can't think of anyone else I'd rather die with."
I couldn't see her, but I FELT her smile. And then, the buzzing started in my head.
One minute.
And everything went white.
AN~Sheez! Finally, after much, much ado, this chapter is out!*explodes from the effort*Meep. Well, the truth is, I liked the beginning of the chapter, then the sap at the end really got on my nerves.*growls* Well, I guess it can't be helped. Recommendation:go check out 'Sweet 'n' Sour' by PinkStarz and 'Gummybears' by SouthwestEggRoll(even though I'm sure everyone has already read those fics plus dozens more). They're both Selfers! Selfers rule.*smile* Anywhosen, I have NO IDEA what the next part is going to be about.(Well, I do, sorta.) So, any suggestions? Let me know! AND, I'll think of another prize for my 200th reviewer! So let's get to 200! ~Vereor Veritas~, ~*~tigerofthewind~*~