Dawn Of The Eclipse
Irvine was having a very difficult time trying to suppress all the negative emotions bubbling within his insides. He needed to confess to someone and if this kept on, he would take any random hobo from the streets and recount his entire life. The tallish western-looking man had never felt so desperate to seek someone's council, or simply to know they were listening.
He had attempted to reach Rinoa at several occasions, to no avail. The girl neither answered her cellphone or her home phone, which sent him into a state of panic at the possibilities. She could be having a coffee, which isn't all that bad but she could also be on the edge of the roof of a ten story high building and this would induce unnecessary complications.
Of course, paranoia plagued him to the core and he began to believe he would die of worry for his younger and very frail sister. It was all built-up inside of him and was ready to explode; her unbalanced life, her unremitting love for Squall Leonhart, her tragic fall into the vortex that was consuming her soul entirely, her eventual destruction. These curses that he agonized over were all jumbled with his own issues; his failed love affair with Ellone, his step-father's expectancy to report everyone of Rinoa's move, the silence that had infected the relationship between he and his mother.Against his better judgment, he did not stop his arm from extending to reach the phone and dialing his mother's cellphone number. Linda Kinneas had loved her son, dearly, and had promised him that her ear would always be tuned to hear what he had to confess and this is what he was now putting his faith into.
"Hello?" A weary woman voice answered.
There are certain parts of a man that forever remain a boy. When Irvine heard the soothing voice of his mother, he collapsed under the strain that he had been bearing, "Hi mom." He managed to wheeze out.
Linda, now on a train home from Timber, had to smile gratefully, "Hello Irvine." She had needed to hear from him, just to know that a little part of her was still alive out there, in this terrifying world, "How're you?""I need to … talk."
"And I'm here to listen."
And so a tidal wave of regrets, anger, and fears collided down with the force of a tsunami. Linda, with patient ears, listened compassionately to her son's troubles. "And then there's Rinoa, holy shit, I can't reach her anymore, I can't help her and I don't know what will. I need to find something, someone … I can't see her like this anymore."His mother clutched her communicating instrument a little harder and her lips pinched together tightly, "Oh really …" It wasn't meant to come out as a drawl, but fortunately, Irvine was too anguished to notice.
"She … and don't tell any of this to James, she's … just … fallen for this … asshole. Ok, fine, he's never really done anything to me but … he's hurting her. And she's hurting him and I just don't get them." His mother cut him short, demanding him to begin with the beginning. So he did and by the end of half and hour, Linda Kinneas knew Rinoa and Squall's relationship from A to Z.
It surprised Linda that a little monstrosity like Rinoa could ever really love, and it shocked her that something like her could be dependant. With every intention of repeating the entire story to her husband, she bade Irvine good-bye, "I love you, honey, but my train just arrived at the station. Call me more often."
Irvine solemnly said his adieus, "Thanks, and I'm sorry for all this. I hope I'll speak to you soon. I love you." They were the last words he ever said to his mother.SQUALL WALKED OUT of the bank eleven million dollars richer, though this was only a temporary situation. He guessed Rinoa would most likely discover his trespassing into her account in a very unpleasant way and she would then proceed to attempt to find him so she may sterilize him in the most painful way possible. It was the last part that he feared most because he had seen her in frustrated to a blind rage and it was nothing to be reckoned with.
As he walked away from the bank, he noticed the change of scenery. The alleys became more frequent, darker. There were more homeless, leaning against buildings with their paper cups and plastic bags, begging for a quarter, a nickel, a dime. Some sat, cross-legged, and played a plastic recorder. The notes were unrecognizable but it didn't matter when you were a starving degenerate.
Dogs lay limply at their sides, their only companions in this unjust world. Even the animals were starving, their fur matted and sucked onto their ribcage. Some were out of their goddamn minds, muttering to themselves and swearing at pedestrians who weren't generous enough in their donations.
A young girl, about fifteen, dressed in scanty clothing entered a stripping bar. He felt a sudden gutting urge to stop her, to give her the money she needed to pay studies, food, a home, whatever. A saddened expression crossed Squall's face when he saw the bouncer smirk and pass her a baggie of cocaine, very subtly.
This city had a malevolent curse upon its head. Neither he, nor his money could counter that. No magic was as strong as the forces of corruption within man's soul.
Squall walked back to his car, feeling something he had never remembered feeling before. Compassion. Helplessness. Powerless. No, actually, now that he thought about it, it was a very familiar feeling. The want, the need for her.SEIFER WAS PAYING a visit to his sickly father in the family home, just as Squall was contemplating downtown Deling. The strawberry-blonde president of the Daily Post newspaper was visibly nervous, even to the maids who knew him little. He preferred avoiding coming to the manor and only visited when pressing business needed to be discussed.
Alphonsus, the head butler, came to him in the sitting room and beckoned him upstairs where his sickly father agreed to his presence, "He waits for you, sir."
The younger man reluctantly got up from his safe haven in the armchair and marched up the stairs and to the master bedroom like a fearful cadet in training. The founder of everything Seifer now owned was laying in bed, paler than the last time his son had seen him, "You worthless fool." The old, bad-tempered mossback coughed, "What's this stupid nonsense you've come to discuss now? My eyes may be bad but I can still distinguish the falling figures of this month's profits, you damn half-wit.""I'm sorry, father." Seifer lowered his head apologetically, "I promise that I'll bear better news for the company next time-"
"Don't insult me by calling me your father, beanpole!" The geezer roared and proceeded to a coughing fit.
Seifer immediately rushed to his father's side, "Don't … over exert yourself, father. You know you aren't well-""Don't you dare touch me!" His glaring venom eyes pierced into Seifer's disheartened ones, "Don't tell me what to do." Mr. Almasy's voice was a mere growl but his son got the point and backed up from the bed, "I don't care what you're up too and you clearly do not need me to validate further actions that you will be taking. But let me tell you this, son, my greatest mistake was overlooking Cain in this whole ordeal. You, unmistakably, are going to send the company in ruins."
Seifer took a step back, as if winded. He bit his lower lip to keep it from trembling. The words had left a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach. His voice became raspy and low, "I'm sorry."
"Why do you bother?" Mr. Almasy yowled, "I refuse to acknowledge you as my son, damn it, get out, failure!"
With a last glance, Seifer bolted out the room and out of the manor, quickly forgetting the tears he had nearly shed and replaced them with anger, contempt and thirst for blood.
AFTER HANGING UP with his mother, Irvine felt relieved but incredibly stupid and guilty for having betrayed Rinoa like that. He had literally divulged everything, including things that she didn't know he knew. Very personal, intimate things that she had only told Ellone and that, in turn, had been repeated to him.
If his ex-girlfriend found out what he had just done, he'd be as good as dead. If his sister found out what he had just done, she would shut down and self-destruct. Why had he blurted out all those things? Irvine rubbed his face with the palm of his hands, as if he had just wakened from a hazy slumber.
Putting aside his little blunder, he heaved himself from his chair and proceeded to exit the office for a quick lunch. His ear was hot from having the phone pressed to it for so long and he needed to stretch his legs for a bit.
Leaving the secretary in charge, he descended into the crowded streets of the city. Irvine strode a block and a half to a nice deli on the corner. He ordered a turkey sandwich with a hot soup and sat by the window, watching pedestrians walk by and carrying on with their regular daily business.He almost managed to forget about all the problems that buzzed in his head resiliently. By the end of his meal, he could smile again as a toddler waddled hurriedly trying to keep up with the longer strides of his mother. When the waiter came back with the bill, Irvine got up and went to the cash. He took out his bankcard and swiped it into the miniature ATM.
He composed his pin number, or rather, Rinoa's pin that she had chose for the company account way before he had even taken part in The Syndicate. Obviously, it was safe to say that he ignored the alphabetical worth of the numbers he punched in on the keypad.
"The transaction couldn't be completed." The waitress on cash duty replied, "Would you like to try again?"
Irvine shrugged; maybe he had made an error, "Sure." Though at the fifth try that yielded no results, his brow furrowed and he muttered a curse under his breath. His palms were beginning to get sweaty with nervousness, "I don't understand. Just a minute."The cashier seemed to frown down upon him and he blushed in embarrassment, "I have no liquid cash on me right now … just a minute. There's … got to be something wrong." He took his cellular phone from his jacket pocket and speed-dialed Rinoa's phone.
After two rings, she picked up, "Hello?"
"Rinoa, did you cut my freaking card?" His tone was nothing short of accusing.
She clicked her tongue in annoyance, "No Irvine, I didn't cut your 'freaking card'. Why?""Because I'm trying to pay with my lunch by using the company account and it won't go through. I don't have any money on me right now … just get to Simon's Deli and help me out, ok?"
Irvine didn't see her eyes rolling towards the heavens, "Ok … fine. Be there in two minutes."
She was true to her word. "You're probably screwing up." Rinoa snapped, very irritated at having been disturbed of her work. She took her own card, slid it in the machine and composed the pin, still to no avail. The waitress, whom was getting very irritated, attempted to clear up the murky problem, "It says there's insufficient funds.""HAH! I told you so." Irvine exclaimed and then his eyes went downcast in confusion, "Wait a minute, that doesn't make sense … my lunch cost twelve bucks, no more."
Rinoa pressed her knuckles to her lips, anxiously looking around. Finally, she reached in her purse, took out a twenty-dollar bill and handed it to Irvine, "I'm going to the bank."
"Wait, I'm coming with you." Irvine quickly handed the twenty to the cashier and waved away the change to chase after his stepsister, "What do you think happened?"
"I don't know." Rinoa's voice was quavering as she slipped into the driver's seat of her Porsche, "Probably something along the lines of eleven fucking million dollars disappearing!" Her tiny squeaks had manifested themselves in nervous shrieks.
Irvine buckled up in the passengers and didn't even have time to close his door properly before Rinoa had floored it. They sped downtown breaking all speed limit laws but being lucky enough to avoid patrolling police squads.The team practically ran up the bank's marble stairs, through the rotating doors and nearly colliding into an old woman, in their mad race to get to a teller immediately. "I need to know of the latest transactions in my account, where's your manager?" Rinoa managed in one breath.
Roughly three minutes later, they were sitting in the manager's office, Rinoa in something of a very foul mood at his explanation, "You see, miss, there was a young man who came in … very respectable looking, told me he was a friend of yours. He knew the account number, he knew the password and so, as a responsible employee of this bank, I was obliged to comply with his orders, which were to transfer all the funds to his own account." His speech and mannerisms were tense and skittish, "He … also had one of the valid signatures to complete a transfer."Rinoa was literally fuming, "So … you … let me see that signature!" He pushed an operation paper with the bank emblem as the heading. Rinoa's eyes scrolled down to the signature that clearly read 'Squall Leonhart', "I'm going to kill him!" She declared, bounding to her feet at once and slamming the paper down on the desk, "And you!" She pointed furiously at the bank manager, "Are going to take this signature and erase it from the archive, we will also meet at another time to discuss a new pin number and in the mean time, you better watch out for yourself in case I don't manage to retrieve my money!" With that she exited the room and the bank with quick, livid strides.
Irvine followed her, equally as enraged. When they were back out on the streets, he began bellowing ear-splittingly, "SO, YOUR LITTLE BOYFRIEND HACKED INTO OUR ACCOUNT AND STOLE ALL THE BLEEDING MONEY?! IS THIS THE MESSAGE I'M SUPPOSED TO RECEIVE?"
"SHUT UP!" Rinoa hollered back heatedly, "JUST SHUT UP!" They were causing a scene in the heart of the metropolitan and this was definitely not going unnoticed. Rinoa smoothed her anger over and replied back a bit more calm, "I will take care of this … and everything will function as it did before this little incident … ok?"
"YOU'LL TAKE CARE OF THIS? OH? OH OK! I FEEL SO MUCH FUCKING BETTER WITH YOU ON THE CASE!" Just because she had lowered her voice, it certainly didn't mean he was going to do the same, "SO, YOU'LL BE TAKING CARE OF THIS TRANSGRESSION HOW, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY? WILL YOU BE KEEPING YOUR DIGNITY OR IS THIS JUST AN OCCASION TO JUMP DOWN HIS PANTS?" This caused a few more heads to turn in their general direction.
She didn't even bother to justify that with an answer. Or rather, she was afraid of what she might reply.
LINDA KINNEAS' ARRIVAL in Deling was very unceremoniously dealt with. Her husband had simply sent a limousine to pick her up at the train station and she was expecting no more than that. In fact, she'd be surprised if she arrived home and he wasn't even there to greet her.
Unfortunately, she did not realize that she would never make it back 'home' ever again. The enemy was at her tracks, and a lot closer than anyone anticipated. It had not been a procrastination for Nick and Cain to figure out where she would be, and when they found out, it didn't take them long to move into position.
When the driver opened the car door, she couldn't help remark how brilliantly green his eyes were. She smiled pleasantly. He was a new employee, perhaps. Cain proceeded to hauling her traveling suitcases in the trunk and then to taking his place in the driver's seat.
"Who are you?" Linda screeched as she saw the young man that was accompanying her in the backseat, "What are you doing here?" Her tone was of a nervous one, this had never happened before. What did he want?
Nick beamed in false comfort, "Don't worry, Mrs. Caraway, we won't harm you." The doors were locked and the car was driving. There was no escape, "We're just curious to know everything you know about Rinoa Heartilly Caraway."
A cold shiver ran down the woman's spine. A curl of sienna hair fell from her chic hairstyle onto her forehead. She briskly pushed it behind her ears and took a rattling breath, "Why?" Nick opened his arms as if to embrace her but he dropped them back limply onto the leather seat, "I think you can guess on your own. Your husband is a little harder to get a hold of … so we thought we'd intercept you before you sheltered yourself within impenetrable walls … so, back to the main topic." Linda spoke quickly and rashly, "I don't know much about her, I only know what I've been told." A malevolent smirk curled at Nick's lips, "And so, what have you been told?"RINOA QUICKLY DIALED Ellone's phone number as she was driving down an avenue. The journalist, who was working on an bleak article, answered after four rings, "Hello, Ellone speaking." She managed cheerfully.
"Give me your brother's cellphone or home number right now." She snapped impatiently.
"Wow … ok, hello to you too, Rinoa. I'm doing fine, thanks for asking, actually, I've been considering suicide because of this article that my boss ordered me to write but it's nice to know you're concerned, really. How're you?" Satire streaked Ellone's eloquent monologue.
"Cut the bullshit, Ellone, I'm serious!" Rinoa replied exasperatedly, "I need to speak to your brother immediately."
The other girl smirked, "Ahh, yes … I've foreseen this in my magic crystal ball of doom … heh heh heh …" Ellone sighed out a chuckle, "What did he do? Or rather, have you finally come to your senses and you need to organize a lovers' rendezvous?""No, you asswad, he just emptied my goddamn account!"
There were moments of inconceivable silence until Ellone broke into it rudely with hysterical laughter, "I see nothing funny in this!" Rinoa hissed back.
"Oooh …" Ellone wheezed, out of breath, "That's … just …" She managed another giggle and finally spoke coherently, "Right … ok … I knew he was going to do something, I never thought it was going to be this … serious. So … right … his number. He just got a cellphone, actually … uhm … 892-4920. Try that and if that doesn't work, go for 635-8493 … that's his home phone number."
"Wait, Ellone, I'm in a damned car!" Rinoa protested to this rapid number spouting. She signaled for Irvine to get a piece of paper and a pen and then dictated the numbers to him slowly, as Ellone was repeating them on the other end. When it was all done, she thanked Ellone and bade her a series of goodbyes and promises to call after she was done killing Squall.
IT WAS AN hour later that Rinoa called her old lover and it was from her apartment that she dialed the number. After Irvine had been whisked from her home, she sunk herself into the couch and cautiously dialed his number. She was nervous, afraid … but quite excited at the same time to be able to hear his voice again. Of course, she denied this.
"Hello?" His course voice answered the cellphone, much too quickly for her to recollect from her thoughts. His voice was just so … so … seducing, even when it wasn't trying to be, "Hello?" He asked again, a little annoyed that this might be another kid without a social life making a prank phone call.
"Yeah, hi." Rinoa greeted numbly. She had to restrain her hand from slapping her forehead, 'Brilliant Rinoa, brilliant … now he thinks you suffer from Trisomy 21.' She thought critically to herself.
"Oh hey, what've you been up to lately?" Squall drawled snidely.
He made her knees buckle and the desire that she had suppressed for so long submerged in an explosive tidal wave of fire. She shut her eyes tightly. This wasn't the time. It wasn't the opportune moment to blurt out how much she was physically craving him. So, as an ideal defense mechanism, she decided to pick a fight with him, "Oh, nothing really interesting. Some ass-hat stole eleven million from my account. Other than that, everything's pretty much a-ok."
He genuinely laughed on the other line and she nearly melted, "Oh yeah?? Someone snatched eleven million from your grasp? Wow … he must be one amazing, clever guy."
Rinoa's eyebrow cocked up skeptically, "Do you need an ego-boost or something? Gee, Squall, you never struck me as an attention-whore.""Now, don't get me wrong, Rinoa." He warned unnecessarily, "I'm just stalling so this conversation doesn't turn into frighteningly serious waters."
"Too late." She announced snappishly, "What is it that you want from me?"
She could hear his smirk through his tone, "The question you should be asking is where can we meet.""I think we're both readily mature to solve this over the phone, don't you think?" Rinoa rebounded nervously. She didn't know what would happen if she were to meet him in person. Her desires were too strong and exposing them to him would only lead to more pain and weaknesses.
"No, actually, I'd really much rather we met in person." Squall imposed, knowing very well what was going through her mind. He knew she was apprehensive, and he knew the tone of voice she was using was a mere mask. It had once been part of a game they had played, though she seemed to have forgotten. Squall was well aware of what she wanted but would not give. Out of pride, out of independence? He wasn't really sure.
"Well, I'd much rather take care of this over the phone." She pressed on, confirming Squall's hypothesis, "And since you've already screwed everything over for me, couldn't you bend to this little request?" Rinoa's tone was cynical but still uneasy.
"No." He answered curtly, "Since I've got eleven million dollars that I may not have the intention of giving back, you're going to come to me. Got that, sweetheart?"
"Kiss my ass!" She snarled harshly.
He satisfied her with an answer to her vulgarities, "I knew you'd see things my way."
Author's Pointless Rambles: Hello again. I hope you liked the lucky chapter number thirteen (oooh, aaah). So, as you may have guessed, this is the last chapter before they actually meet after. I'm very sorry for the delay and stalling … but it had to be done. Speaking of stalling, I haven't written in a very, very long time. I'm running out of chapters to post … heh … heh …
So, once again, the retarded legend.
a) Whee, happiness is calling bingo! And this is bingo! Yay!
b) It was adequate to humor me for a short while.
c) Uhm … yeah …
d) I'll pay you $50 if you never write this crap again.
Now … I promise to post ANOTHER chapter WEDNESDAY (as in … TWO whole days before I'm supposed to) if I've got 21 reviews for this chapter. Yeah, 21 reviews for chapter 13 by WEDNESDAY and ohmigosh, I'll update faster. Aren't I the life of the party?
If you guys are feeling particularly nice, please go visit my friend's newly established webcomic CANADIAN BACON - www . freewebs . com / eatbacon (minus all the gay spaces in between) I'm featured as one of the main characters along with my other friends so have a look at the comics, join the forum and vote for us so we can be all popular and stuff. I would love you forever if you did.
