Chapter 12 – Boulevard of Broken Dreams part 1
As with every one of Squall's episodes, after the main event things seemed to settle down considerably. Within two weeks time the Orphanage was completely done and refurbished thanks to the combined talents of Quistis and surprisingly Seifer. The Raganork was prepped and ready for the trip to Garden. The Gang stood out front looking at the house by the sea. There were no words exchanged between them for a moment. Just the sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks and gulls cawing. Before boarding, they all took a group picture that would be framed and given to Matron upon her return.
Three days after returning to Garden, Squall approached Selphie about putting on his final play. The young women warily agreed to the request.
Squall worked tediously with Seifer to prepare for the finale of the Iori Yagami experience. By now, I'm sure everyone thinks I've lost it. I'm tempted to just go back and tell them the truth but that may not go over so well. I fear I've done such a good job at setting them up and knocking them down that it'll be hard to swallow. This isn't the time for regrets.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Orphanage gang sat in Quistis' apartment discussing what to do about their friend. "I say we sit him down and make him confront his problems. I mean come on, you guys didn't see the way he was acting at the club, and I'm not talking about when he was dancing with you."
Selphie nodded her head emphatically.
"Yeah, we need to make an intervention or something because I think he's going to hurt himself… again."
"Zell honey what do you mean?"
"When he spent the night at my house he kind of pierced himself with safety pins."
Irvine quickly launched into an account of what happened at the club. Which was met by some rather stunned friends.
"That completely contradicts his behavior with me which obviously happened afterwards… Okay here's what we're going to do. We'll track down Squall and bring him back her for a talk, we won't involve Dr. Kawalski or Headmaster Cid unless absolutely necessary."
"Uh Quisty, I like you idea but perhaps it should wait. You see Squall's putting on another play in two days. Why don't we throw him a 'party' and talk to him then. He won't be as suspicious then."
"All right, that's fine. Are we all in agreement here?"
After a chorus of confirmation, they all left to mentally prepare for Squall's intervention.
Once again the Quad was packed with students and fellow administrators for the Squall's play. The Orphanage gang sat up front with Cid and Edea and most surprising of all Ma Dincht. They were all quite surprised to find a note on each chair with instructions to reach underneath their seats when they heard a certain line in the play. The SeeDs shared a look between themselves, hopping that they wouldn't find a bleeding heart or any other crude items that seemed proof of their friend's mental instability.
Squall stood backstage lost in thought. He looked disdainfully at the yellow sweater with the single black horizontal line across the chest. I can't believe I wore this as a child. Hearing the audience quiet. He looked over to Seifer. "You ready?"
"I'm never unprepared. The real question is can you pull this off and still have the right to call them your friends?"
Before walking out on stage, he shrugged in a noncommittal fashion. He doesn't know that that thought has came and went and reappeared throughout the whole ordeal.
The stage was dimly lit scarcely any scenery except for a large oak tree with peculiar black bark and iridescent silver leaves. Squall took a seat beneath the mighty oak and folded his body until his knees were drawn up to his chest and he his head lay upon them. A pale moon backdrop stood proudly in place behind the tree.
Moments later Seifer appeared on stage wearing his usual ensemble but his jade green eyes gave off an eerie glow. He stalked silently over to the young man.
"Oh the disenchanted youth of this age."
Startled, the young man's head shot up and took stock of the stranger before him. He edged instinctively away from the man, pressing himself against the tree in an effort to put distant between them.
Smirking slightly, Seifer edged closer noting the obvious discomfort.
"You are but a boy in the world of men, yet you are weary of what life has to offer."
His eyes narrowed slightly in a mixture of anger and confusion. His body tensed. "Who are you and what do you know of me? Leave me alone."
"I see you Leon, but you my call me Seifer."
Bracing one hand against the tree, he stood to his full height. "Listen Seifer, I'm not disenchanted with anything and I certainly don't have a death wish, so back the…"
In the blink of the eye, Seifer surged forward and wrapped a gloved hard over Leon's mouth, while the other held him by the shoulder against the tree. "Make no mistake boy, you intrigue me but that won't spare you from my wrath if it is provoked."
Leon struggled vainly in the surprisingly strong grip.
"You are determined to walk alone and I wish to see if you can stand up to your own expectations. However as you are now, time will not allow that." Releasing his grip, Seifer took a single step backwards.
Lunging forward, Leon tried to spear the mysterious man only to fall face first into the grass. He quickly began to rise, but was quite surprised when Seifer grabbed him by the back of his shirt and yanked his head back until his weight was being supported by his knees. Seifer didn't relinquish his hold upon his neck.
As Leon growled out curses and threats all the while snarling and fighting to get out the oppressive hold, Seifer waited until he ran out of steam.
Chuckling slightly, he spoke. "That was a spectacular display of masculinity."
The statement only served to incite Leon's anger anew, using that as a distraction, Seifer yanked the young man to his feet and wrapped an arm possessively around his waist while using his other hand to once again cover his mouth. Leon's eyes widened momentarily at the possible implication and he stilled before his movement became frantic. Smiling maliciously, Seifer's pair of razor sharp fangs protruded from his upper and his lower jaw clamped down on Leon's jugular.
After his thirst was quenched he relaxed his grip and looked around the forest with red tinged lips. Raising his gloved hand to his mouth he bit into his own wrist and held the wound to Leon's mouth forcing the young man to drink. Simultaneously thunder rumbled in the distant.
"It seems that the heavens have spoken, you are now Squall a member of the Order of the Blood Red Cross."
It was the last thing Leon heard before succumbing to the numbing darkness.
The red velvet curtains closed and a student appeared on stage, Quistis recognized her as the girl from before that had left the strange doodle in class. Standing nervously before everyone, her voice shook slightly as she spoke. "That completes Act 1 of Boulevard of Broken Dreams. Act two will begin in 15 minutes time. Thank you for your patience. Concessions will be served at this time." The young girl practically scurried off the stage.
Once the lights in the audience were brought back up, Edea looked eagerly at the reactions of her children. I have an inkling of what's going on but I wonder if they'll figure it out for themselves. There's still at least another act, it may be too early to tell.
"Did you see those fangs on Seifer and the way he practically mauled Squall! That was freaking awesome!"
"Vampires are so cool and now Squall's going to be one! I can't wait to see what happens next! Did you think it was cool Quisty? Though, you don't think he thinks he's a vampire now do you?"
"Well that certainly was intense. But I doubt he sees him self as a vampire." Vampires, should I have expected anything less for those two? Though I think Seifer enjoyed his role a bit too much. Those smiles certainly were chilling.
"I second that, I think the dialogue was pretty decent too…" The cowboy trailed off lost in thought. He didn't notice Quistis nodding empathetically to his observation. Hm, that outfit certainly looks familiar though. Where have I seen it before? Looking around as if the answer was found in the audience his eyes landed on Edea and then it connected. Oh course the orphanage, that's what Squall wore the day Ellone left! Oh my, I wonder if anyone picked up on that yet? I'll just wait till the play is over.
Edea smiled secretly to herself, upon seeing Irvine's eyes light up she knew he made the connection. Irvine was always extra perceptive.
After many students and professors returned to their perspective seats, the lights dimmed once again signaling the start of Act 2.
The first few chords of a guitar flowed from the speakers accompanied by a voice that assaulted the audience as the curtain drew apart.
I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes
But it's home to me and I walk alone
I walk this empty street
On the Blvd. of broken dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk alone
I walk alone. I walk alone.
Squall stood atop a replica of a miniature world. To his right a huge screen stood nestled in the starry night patterned backdrop. Dressed in his black leather pants, with the infamous inter-weaving belts, white T-shirt and the leather jacket with the fur lined collar, Leonheart casually rested over his shoulder as he walked forward in a leisurely pace. The scenery around him rotated with every step, changing from night to day from wilderness to suburb and city. The griever ring swayed back and forth as he moved.
I walk alone. I walk alone.
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shadow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone
After another rotation the world around him transformed into a city block much like the extravagant metropolis of Deling. The lights dimmed considerably on stage cloaking him in darkness. The screen in the backdrop flickered on and a scene began to unfold.
I'm walking down the line
That divides me somewhere in my mind
On the borderline of the edge
And where I walk alone
Read between the lines of what's
Fucked up and everything's all right
Check my vital signs to know I'm still alive
And I walk alone
Squall continued to walk down a city block, however his travels soon lead him to a dark alley that had a dead end. Before he could contemplate his next move, a nondescript door opened up to the left of him. Whirling around he melted into the shadows and watched as a young man with short spiky blonde hair walked out of the door carrying a small package that he held protectively under his arm. Following silently as the young fellow made his way back to a rather small house.
The scene shifted and Squall continued to hold the youth under constant surveillance. One night as he stood atop a building, his object of fascination stood far below helping his mother into a car. As the car drove off, Seifer appeared behind Squall smirking devilishly, flashing his fangs.
"It seems I was right after all, you can't adhere to you own rules. By the end of this night you will have turned the chocobo boy."
Squall remained quiet.
Seifer's laugher could be heard cutting through the night air as he jumped off the building and vanished. The image faded to black.
I walk alone. I walk alone.
I walk this empty street on the blvd. of broken dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I'm the only one and I walk alone
My shadow's the only one that walks beside me
My shadow heart's the only thing that's beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
'Til then I walk alone
As the lights lifted on stage, Squall was standing to the right of a tall cabinet holding a custom collection of dolls. Seifer stood off to the left of it. The cabinet housed a yellow chocobo etched with black tribal markings, a cactaur sporting a black cowboy hat, a tonberry with glasses and a moogle wearing a yellow jumper.
"I've given you the gift of time to see if you could cope with it. Loneliness is a funny thing isn't it? You thought you were impervious to its bitter sting and yet from this collection we can see that you weren't immune to its call."
Shifting his weight from one foot to the other Squall held his stance of nonchalantness.
Seifer circled Squall and the cabinet once before stopping in front of it and running his gloved fingers over the glass that protected the dolls.
"To your inevitable disbelief I didn't come here to gloat." Turning his head to regard his childe, whose eyes remained revited to the floor, he continued. "I came to offer up my condolences, it seems that each of your chosen companions have betrayed your confidence and trust. Leaving you alone once more." Moving to the left of the cabinet, Seifer came up behind Squall and placed a hand on his shoulder before backing up and melting into the darkness. "You know where to find me if you should so need me…"
Turning quickly, Squall punched his glove handed through the glass of the case and grasped the chocobo doll around the neck and pulled it out. "I should hate you, I shouldn't care." Dropping the doll from his grasp, it squeaked softly on impact. Pacing back and forth in front of the cabinet, he held his hand to his brow in deep contemplation. "I won't destroy you, but I will get even." Sighing to himself, he looked down at the doll and picked it back up and returned it to the case. "Perhaps in time all will be as it should…" Walking off stage to his right, the light dimmed once again but the curtains remained open.
Moments later, the lights turned back up and Squall appeared on stage left appearing as he had begun to recently dress. The red bondage pants, white oxford shirt, black jacket, and cocker were in place, but this time he had the Griever ring attached to the choker. Approaching the cabinet he picked up the chocobo once again, before pushing the case over.
The leader of the Blood Red Cross was nowhere in sight but his voice carried across the stage as he narrated. "Squall is a real force of nature. Deceptively calm whilst raving on the inside. Bothered by his friends' betrayal but lacking the drive to truly distant himself, he has changed the rules of their game and turned it to his favor. Praying upon them as any predator would, he instills them with a cornucopia of emotions."
Thunder flashed in the distant blanketing the set into darkness after its absence.
Moments later the light flashed four more times. One could make out the figures of the dolls lying on floor beside the overturned cabinet.
The Chocobo's wing lay impaled with a safety pin.
The Tonberry lay wrapped up by a blood red rose.
The Cactaur lost all of its needles.
The Moogle's red ball lay torn and forgotten near the cactaur.
The thunder boomed and flashed sporadically causing his movement to seem short and choppy as he suddenly appeared in the middle of the dolls. Then the rain came and he tugged off the jacket and shirt. Reaching down he removed the straps off the pants. Clutching the wet garments to his chest he let out an anguished scream. Instantaneously, the lighting ceased, he dropped the clothes and seemingly evaporated into the shadows.
Seifer's voice was once again heard. "The deepest wounds don't come from our darkest enemies but the ones that we trust the most. However in those moments we are but gluttons for pain and often go back for more because it's never easy to say goodbye."
The curtains fell and the house lights were raised.
AN: Chapter 12 part 2 coming up soon. I guess you can tell I'm a bit of a Green Day fan. This chapter and chapter 11 took me the longest to initially write. BTW, I actually drew some images to go with this fic, just the tonberry, chocobo, moogle and cactuar as they are in the play. I still have to scan and upload them. They'll probably be up when I post the second part of this chapter. You can check it out on my site under the Celebrity Skin section. On an odd note, after writing this I wanted to read a good and long FFVIII vampire story…
Oh yeah and answers to reviews in part two of Blvd. of Broken Dreams.