Chapter 30: The White SeeD
Squall realized, at about the point where NORG's environment shelter sealed up and his Shumi followers scattered like leaves in a windstorm, that he was severely disadvantaged. While yes, he was armed, he had left his Guardian Force stones in his desk drawer, and therefore had no junctions. A single well-placed blast of magic or a bullet would end him, right then and there.
Apparently, NORG knew this, and two panels on the front of the dome opened and glowed, their lights directed squarely at Squall's position. Squall knew it was never a good thing when someone who was out to kill him was pointing something at him, and leaped aside as quickly as possible, his movements sluggish and weak without his junctions.
Rippling bolts of energy reached out at him, blasting forth from the glowing panels, and Squall was hurled away in mid-air to smash heavily into the wall opposite the dome. He impacted hard, feeling something give in his side, and the front of his shirt was instantly ablaze from the energy attack. However, a split second later the blaze was out as water began to pour from the ceiling with the intensity of a thunderstorm.
Lightning exploded before Xu, expanding outward and forming into the mighty wind and lightning entity of Quetzocotl, the eyeless snake-bird gathering electricity unto itself even as it entered this world. An instant later, a concentrated stream of electricity thundered from its chest, blasting directly into the dome's cover. The two halves that shielded the Garden Master from harm seemed to peel away and explode outward, flying like cards from a Triple Triad deck, revealing the shocked and enfuriated specter of the massive Shumi beneath.
"Fushiraru!" NORG thundered. "YOU-DARE!" He gestured forcefully at Xu, and magical wind and fire exploded from its massive, bloated fingers, lifting her up into the air and hurling her across the room. "YOU-THINK-THAT-YOU-ARE-THE-ONLY-ONES-TO-BENEFIT-FROM-ODINE'S-RESEARCH?" As it roared, another spell exploded, blasting Xu back and pinning her in place with a spell that froze time for her.
"You have junctions too?" Squall muttered as he rose, clasping the Revolver and tearing it out of its sheath. NORG laughed mockingly.
"Fisha," it stated. "I-WOULD-BE-A-FOOL-TO-PASS-UP-THIS-POWER, EVEN-IF-MY-MEMEMORIES-FAIL. ALL-I-KNOW-IS-RECORDED-HERE, SO-I-LOSE-NOTHING!"
"But you forget," Squall replied, shaking his head. "We are SeeDs."
"Bujira." NORG replied with sarcasm. "I-COWER."
Squall did not reply, instead closing his eyes and reaching out with his mind toward NORG. NORG blinked in momentary confusion, not understanding as Squall's mind touched the energies within the massive Shumi merchant and sorted through the energies within its body, separating and dissecting the powers until he found one energy source that seemed to move and exist on its own. He touched it, calling to it, and the energy responded eagerly to his mind.
NORG's heavy eyelids widened, almost revealing its eyes, when shimmering tendrils of blue light flowed from it to Squall, washing into his palm and flowing into his body, gathering into a stone that rested in his palm. He sensed the entity within the stone, and focusing, the power of the Guardian Force flowed into his mind, the alien awareness touching his thoughts with a cool, watery mentality.
"Leviathan," Squall muttered, knowing the entity's name, sensing the creature's identity through the ancient and endless eternal knowledge such forces embodied. NORG thundered something in protest, reaching toward Squall with its bloated hands.
Squall opened his eyes, looking upon the massive, impotent Shumi, the selfish coward that had intended to hand them all over to save its own hide. His rage at the betrayal rose, and for once, Squall let the fury flow, allowing hiss personal anger to well forth. This wasn't like the focused rage he'd unleashed at Edea, or the desperate fury he'd launched at Rinoa's attackers. This was personal rage, directed at his betrayer, something that Squall would have never unleashed before. But NORG had intended to betray them, the very people he had raised and trained within his Garden. Something about that level of treachery sent squall's soul boiling, and his emotions to their peak. Energy, the feelings of raw fury and hate, poured into his mind and from his soul, down through his limbs and into his weapon.
Time dialated as NORG reached for the controls within his dome, trying to unleash another blast of energy. Squall rushed forward, and NORG's fingers brushed a button. Destructive energy ripped forward, but it didn't touch Squall as he charged with blinding speed, leaping forward and onto NORG's pod in a heartbeat. His gunblade dove, weaved, and cleaved, the edge biting into NORG's robes and into the flesh beneath. Blood flowed, exploding from the massive Shumi's chest with each impact and slice, concussive blasts hurling chunks of the creature's flesh into the air. Squall chopped and chopped, his rage sending him into even greater fury as the blood flew and flowed, staining NORG's clothes and Squall's shirt and arms and pants as he attacked and attacked with unending fury.
The energy began to slacken, but focused itself, the raw hatred funneling into Squall's blade for his final strike. He backed a step away from the shocked NORG and then charged in, his blade slicing up with a powerful cleave that split the lip of the dome in half and sliced up the Shumi's body. The energy blasted deep into NORG's body as the blade cut upwards, through its belly, up its chest, and out the top of the creature's skull. Bone, blood, and gray matter chased the blade up and out, and time returned to its normal state.
NORG seemed to stay in place for a long moment, its lifeblood and other various fluid flowing from its body, pooling around it within its dome, and then it settled back silently, face (or what was left of it) locked in a state of shock as its body released its life.
Squall panted for breath, his body suddenly empty from the exertion. Slowly, he stepped back, off the dome and to the blue floor. His chest heaving, he turned to Xu, who remained frozen in place by NORG's time-stopping magic. He reached into himself, using Leviathan's aid, and summoned forth a dispelling spell that restored Xu to her normal state. She blinked for a moment, looking in surprise on Squall's blood-stained form, then looked to where NORG lay in a pool of its own fluids. She glanced back to Squall, who turned around, scanning the interior of the room and the shocked and awed Shumi who had watched him so brutally tear NORG to pieces. He glared at each of NORG's followers, his blue eyes projecting his unended fury and rage, and furthermore, telling each and everyone one of them that to challenge him at this moment was to shake hands with Death itself.
Finally, after a long moment of cowing the Shumi with a simple glare and his bloody body and blade, Squall turned away and stalked out of the chamber, toward the elevator, which he wordlessly recalled and used to rise out of the chamber where the Garden Master had died a most bloody death.
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Kadowaki was checking out Squall's burns in the infirmary when the door slid open, and Rinoa almost burst in, looking around. Her eyes settled over Squall, and she seemed to visibly relax at his less-than-critical condition.
"Thank Hyne," she muttered, looking him over, noticing his muscular chest exposed from beneath the shirt. "Are you okay?"
"As fine as I can be," Squall replied. "You heard about the battle?" She nodded.
"Someone said you had gone to the infirmary, and I was so worried," she started to say. "I rushed over here as soon as I heard . . . ."
"He's in fine condition," Kadowaki relied with a smile. "Even without junctions Squall's pretty tough. Those burns should be healing soon. Keep casting healings spells every six hours, and take a healing potion with them, and things should be fine tomorrow."
"Thank you, Doctor," Squall replied, standing up from the examination table.
"So, who is this young lady who was so worried about you?" Kadowaki asked, glancing to Rinoa. "Did you finally pick up a girlfriend?"
"Actually," Squall replied, glancing to Rinoa, a slight grin on his face. "She is."
"What?" Rinoa asked, turning to him, surprise - and, Squall noted - a bit of curiousity in her tone. "Really?"
"Seriously," Squall replied, avoiding meeting her eyes.
"You mean it?" she asked, and Squall finally turned back to her, meeting her eyes.
"Seriously kidding," Squall stated with a grin. Rinoa blinked for a second, and exhaled in annoyance, shaking her head.
"Wow, I suppose that is a good one for you," she replied. Kadowaki, who had been watching the exchange, chuckled.
"You two look cute together," she stated. She glanced to Squall, then back to Rinoa. "Can you give me a moment? I have to speak privately with Squall. SeeD regulations don't allow private information to be overheard by civilians, even employers." Rinoa nodded and stepped out of the infirmary for a moment, and Kadowaki turned to Squall.
"What is it, Doctor?" he asked, and she looked back to the door Rinoa had exited out of, before turning back to him.
"Squall, you don't usually come to me for more than medical advice, unlike most of the students," she stated, sitting back on her desk.
"I don't need much else," he replied easily, putting his muscle shirt back on.
"Indeed," Kadowaki replied with a nod. "You are very self-reliant. But, I want to offer you some advice freely." Squall pulled the shirt down and looked to the doctor, listening.
"Sometimes life throws you something unexpected," she said. "Sometimes its good, sometimes its bad. And oftentimes its hard to distinguish which something truley is. But, regardless of whether these unexpected developments you find are good or bad, you're stuck with them. You'll have to try to make the best out of whatever you've been saddled with."
"I think I understand," Squall replied, and Kadowaki nodded.
"If you get that, you'll get this," she added. "You'll have to make decisions sometimes on whether something is good or not so good. Many times this may be obvious, but sometimes its questionable. But always remember Squall, when something good does come your way, you'll never realize its value to you unless you recognize it. Its up to you to decide whether one of life's curves is a good thing or a bad thing. Make the decision correctly, and you'll better yourself, and maybe many others. But, decide wrongly, and you may regret it for the rest of your life. And if there's one thing that has cowed many great men, it would be that regret."
"I understand," Squall replied. "Thank you, Doctor."
"Not a problem. Also," she added, sitting down behind her desk. "Cid checked by right after he met with NORG. He wasn't feeling the best, though, and he went up to his office a little bit afterward. You should check in on him. That man works too much."
Squall nodded and left the infirmary without another word. He crossed Garden's truncated length and entered the elevator. He noted that few people were about at this time, though those that were moving around were gathered in hushed conversation, doubtless talking about the incident involving NORG . . . An incident which Squall was still having trouble coming to grips about. NORG had betrayed them, obviously, but what had he meant about Cid and Edea being married? And what had Cid meant when he stated that the "future is now"?
Squall didn't know, and that seriously pissed him off. He hoped Cid would have some answers; Squall felt as if he was being manipulated as part of some huge, unknowable scheme.
The elevator stopped at the third floor, and Squall stepped off. He entered the ornate doors of Cid's office, and once again noticed the huge central column that supported the platform high above, from where the Garden was supposedly controlled from. A quick glance around the office showed that Cid was nowhere to be found. Logically, Squall concluded that the Headmaster was probably up on the platform above, and the SeeD stepped over to the column. He tapped a panel along its side, and a single flat platform descended, lacking any railings or safety measures. Squall stepped onto it and the device rose to the top of the office and the platform near the ceiling. As it ascended, it made a faint whirring sound, one that was doubtlessly heard by Cid as Squall rose, for the older man seemed to be aware of Squall's approach as he stood in front of the control panel, staring off into the empty blue seas.
"Sir," Squall stated as the elevator acme to a stop. Cid glanced back over his shoulder, his face grimly solemn.
"NORG is dead," Cid stated, and Squall nodded. Cid looked back, away from Squall and out to the sea.
"So, Garden is finally in my hands again," Cid whispered quietly. "I feared this would happen at some point, that NORG and I would come into conflict." The Headmaster turned back to where Squall stood, and sighed.
"Undoubtedly you're wondering about all this, correct?" Cid asked. "I met NORG about thirteen years back, when I was running around trying to get the funds to build this place. He was a merchant, and a bit of a black sheep among the Shumi tribe, as he dealt in some rather unsavory practices that I only recently uncovered. He had the funds, though, and we began and completed construction of Balamb Garden. The only problem we had was that our money proved insufficient and we couldn't afford the costs associated with this place. That was when NORG suggested we hire the SeeDs out as mercenaries.
"Money came in, enormous amounts, enough to fully fund our operations and allow for the expansion of the organization," Cid continued, looking out over the ocean again. "But, with the money came a slow, subtle corruption that I never noticed until it was too late. I lost control. The higher ideals that Garden was supposed to stand for were lost, plowed under by NORG and his greediness. SeeD's true purpose was covered up and hidden from the students and SeeDs themselves."
"And what was that purpose?" Squall asked. Cid was silent for a long moment, before he finally managed to look back to Squall.
"To defeat the Sorceress," Cid said.
Squall was silent himself for a long while, digesting this fact. Mnay thigns began to fall in place for him at that moment. The esoteric training, magical usage, Guardian Force junctions, the assassination attempt, Edea's counterattack and NORG's fears . . . Much of it suddenly made sense. Garden had been intended to stop someone like Edea from rising to power. Garden was brought about to stop another horrible Sorceress War.
"SeeD will defeat the Sorceress," Cid stated, breaking the silence. "That is its intent, and its destiny. The many missions SeeDs are sent on as mercenaries are intended as training for the ultimate conflict if another Sorceress like Adel ever arises. But now that she has come forth, the true mission of SeeD has to begin. We must stop her."
"We?" Squall asked. "But you and Edea . . . NORG said that you two were married."
Cid's silence was even longer this time. The man must have known that this topic would come up. It had to be gnawing at Cid Kramer; how could he form, assemble, train, and direct a force that was now intended to destroy a woman he had, or maybe even now, loved?
"She was a Sorceress since her childhood," Cid finally whispered. "I met her while she was gathering children as part of an orphanage she was assembling after the war. We fell in love very quickly, and I married her, even knowing who and what she was.
"We were happy, myself and Edea," Cid continued, his voice becoming more even as he looked out across the sea and into his past. Something about the ocean did that for people. "We ran our orphanage together, happy to live out our days, until one day when she began speaking of something called Garden. The idea seemed to have come to her suddenly, and the idea was intriguing. I began to take on her dream and set out to construct Garden to protect the world and prevent any more orphans form being left behind due to the suffering another Sorceress might bring. But I became afraid that one day SeeD may end up opposed to my beloved Edea . . . .
"She laughed and told me that would never happen," Cid whispered again. "How ironic."
Squall stood beside the Headmaster on the platform in silence, both men looking out at the flat blue carpet of the ocean as it drifted slowly past. Neither the SeeD nor the headmaster spoke, both considering the precarious position that had been thrust on them. They were, quite literally, being asked to save the world.
The faint whirring of the platform broke both men out of their silent thoughts, and they turned to see Xu standing on the elevator platform, her face taut with concern and worry.
"Headmaster, Squall!" she stated immediately the moment she saw them. "There's a ship inbound toward the Garden, moving fast toward the Quad!"
"Galbadians?" Cid hissed.
"Or worse," Squall muttered, grasping his gunblade's handle. "It could be . . . Edea."
"What type of ship?" Cid demanded, horrified by the prospect.
"A single craft, long, sleek," Xu replied. "White hull with an unusual set of solar panels and sails." Cid seemed to relax visibly, letting out a relieved sigh. He turned to Squall, and nodded.
"We must greet them," Cid replied. "Squall, Xu, come with me. If they have come here, it must be urgent."
"What are you talking about, sir?" Squall asked as Cid stepped toward the elevator. Cid paused, glancing back to his SeeD subordinate.
"The White SeeD."
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Xu had described the ship well. The craft was long and sleek, maybe two hundred feet in length, with a narrow, tapered prow. It featured a bridge arcing over the main deck and a series of cabins in the back. On the deck appeared to be a number of crew, clad in white jumpsuits with black boots and belts, and white headbands. Squall recognized the outfit, and more importantly, the dark-haired man wearing a pair of tonfas on his belt.
"Trent!" Cid called out to the man squall had encountered on the night of his graduation. The man nodded in reply, standing near the railing of his ship, which must have been at least thirty or more feet below the level of the Quad's outermost platform, where Squall, Cid, and Xu stood.
"Headmaster!" he replied. "May we come on board?"
"Please, my friend," Cid replied with a smile. "I would not shut you out in such times!" Trent nodded and turned to a pair of associates. Then, as one, the trio of white-clad men leaped into the air, flying wards gracefully through the long distance to land easily on the Quad. Squall noted this action with more than a little interest. Did they have junctions as well?
"What business brings you here?" Cid asked. "And more importantly, how did you find us?"
"We were seeking you in Balamb, but we heard news from the residents that the Garden had taken off and flown out into the ocean," Trent replied. "We knew about Garden's secret and it was fairly easy to catch up with you, considering how far you have drifted."
"News from Galbadia?" Cid asked, to which Trent nodded.
"The Galbadian fleet is out in force," Trent replied. "We came to Balamb to recover Ellone, but with Garden afloat it will be only a matter of time before the Galbadian navy finds her."
"They're seeking Ellone?" Cid asked, shaking his head. "Why?"
"I have no idea, Headmaster," Trent replied. "But Galbadia's new general is leading the pursuit, and from the reports, they have uncovered the secret within Galbadia Garden as well, and have mobilized it."
"They have control of Galbadia Garden now?" Cid asked. "This is bad."
"The navy is combing the sea around Balamb, Headmaster," trent pressed. "They wish to find Ellone, for whatever reason. We cannot let them fall into their hands."
"I understand," Cid replied with a nod. He turned to Squall and Xu. "We need to find her, quickly."
"Ellone?" Squall asked. He paused for an instant, a flicker of memory following that name. Brown hair, warm, brown eyes, wearing blue, full of life and protective . . . .
"Hurry, Squall," Cid replied. "You should know her."
"I should?" Squall replied. He caught another flash of memory, a warm hand pressed into his, and that face . . . A face that matched that of the little girl he had seen in Laguna's dream at Winhill.
After a long moment, Squall nodded, and turned away, hurrying down the Quad. Something told him that he had to find Ellone, whoever she was, and not just to bring her back to Cid. Something deeper and more primal demanded he find her. If Squall had known what this demand felt like, he would have realized that it was a sense of security and warmth, of intimacy. It was the feeling of family.
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She was in the library. He knew she would be there, though how he knew it was unsure. Squall knew, somehow, deep down, the Ellone had loved books and reading. So it was thus that he found himself walking down the silent halls and aisles of the library, the lush green carpet and still silence of study undisturbed by disruptive noise. The library was entirely empty, save for the cadet behind the desk, but Squall knew that Ellone was somewhere.
He threaded among the aisles until he found his way to the back, along the study tables lining the curving wall at the far end of the library. And there, seated at one of the tables in the corner, idly reading a book, was a young woman.
He recognized her instantly; the brown hair and blue blouse of the woman who he and Quistis had rescued in the Training Center just a week ago. She seemed so quiet, so peaceful, almost radiating an aura of serenity, that Squall hesitated to approach, fearful that he would break the spell around her. Finally, he slowly approached, his footfall silent on the carpet yet sounding like he was beating a steel drum with each step.
The woman seemed to sense the approach of someone, and glanced up behind herself. Squall looked into those brown eyes, and a flood of feelings and emotions came back, jumbled and confused. Squall blinked and pushed them aside, instead focusing on this woman before him.
"Squall?" she asked, looking him over. Squall blinked, not understanding how she knew his name, or how he knew her. He had to know her . . . how else could she evoke such feelings in him, feelings he had pushed away so long ago?
"Ellone?" Squall asked, and she nodded. "Ellone from Laguna's dream? You know him?" The young woman smiled faintly.
"I'm surprised you don't remember,' she whispered. "Uncle Laguna . . . I really do love him."
"Do you know what it is I've been experiencing?" squall demanded, and Ellone nodded.
"The past," she replied, looking away, as if turning aside the veil of time and space and looking into a distant place, her eyes flicking around as if analyzing a scene frozen in time. "Its hard to explain, Squall. Even I don't understand."
"Then its real," Squall muttered, and she nodded. "Laguna is real." Ellone was silent for a long moment, and finally she stood.
"Then why?" Squall asked as she did so.
"Squall," she whispered. "You can't change the past, but if you could, wouldn't it be worth a try?"
"Changing the past?" he asked, confused. "What are you talking about? Are you the one who . . . ."
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I need you for this. You're the only one so closely connected to him anymore."
"Its not my problem!" Squall snapped. "Leave me out of it!" He stepped back, and sat down in one of the chairs nearby.
"Don't count on me," he muttered. "I don't want to bear your burden."
Ellone stood silent for a long time as Squall sat there, looking up at her. He was honest; he didn't want to bear her burden, at least, not yet. He had so many other concerns on his mind, not the least among them being protecting Rinoa, the fate of his comrades at the missile base, and this war with Edea. It was too much for him.
"Squall, I'm sorry," she whispered, stepping past him. She stopped beside Squall, dropping a warm hand onto his bare shoulder, the shirt still charred from the battle with NORG. She bent down close to his ear.
"But . . . Squall, you're my only hope."
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Whoo. Now THAT chapter was fun. I especially loved Squall's "OMGZ DIE NORG DIE" thing.
And now, without further ado, I present to you, by popular demand, the new and (not really) improved shout-outs! I don't have much time left before this update, so I've only got time to hit the reviews for the last chapter. Ask away with your reviews for the next chapter, and ye shall be rewarded with a delicious shout-out.
Prodigy: Once again, the man. Military exams suck, though I haven't gone through any lately. Sorry I haven't reviewed your work lately, its just that with all this ROTC work, compounded with a job, college, and writing fanficcery that I don't have time to read much. I've actually been hitting Peter Marcroft's work, though, and it is very, very good. Thanks for referencing me.
DBZ Fanfiction Queen: Glad to see you liked the chapter. One of my favorite parts was writing Squall remodeling his gunblade into, yes, you guessed it, Lionheart.
The reason why (I, at least) have Fujin and Raijin tin the Garden is simply becuase unlike Squall, they aren't SeeDs, just cadets, at least from what I gathered. I guess cadets get sent on missions as well from time to time, even if it is just a carrier run.
This chapter should have answered some of your questions about the scene in the library. I cut out the extra bit in the last chapter because I wanted to get to NORG and kill his fat ugly ass, and the scene didn't really fit in well with the chapter structure in any logical sense. Thus, it got axed.
Kaiser-Kun: Fine, here's your stupid shout-outs. Happy? HUH? Also, I'm not Army, I'm Marine. We jarheads take that as a sign of pride, darn it.
Daniel Wesley Rydall: Sorry Xu didn't kick as much ass as you owuld have wanted her to, but she is going to play a role in the FH arc and also the Battle of Centra.
OniRazz: Haa! cliffhanger! Also, I've already stated this in Synthesis, but yes, Sephiorth, along with Red XIII, and two other major characters from FFVII will be playing important roles. Cloud will not. (actually, Cloud is my least favorite character from FFVII, believe it or not)
