I know I update quite often, but this will be the last one until Saturday at the earliest. I have to go to a funeral 300 miles away on Thursday.
Griever Weapon: I felt the same way. It goes from smiles and sunshine in Winhill to Laguna fighting Ruby Dragons in Trabia. I felt as though I just HAD to fill in the blank.
zornoid13: Here ya go.lady-rinoa: I'm glad you will.
QueenAdreena: I'm unemployed and spend all day playing video games. I have lots of free time on my hands. I hope you finish your next chapter soon.
WildfireDreams: You don't have to wait long for me. I'm lazy-the fast way!
CHAPTER 30: INVASION OF BALAMB
Squall was awakened the next morning by an announcement from Quistis.
"Squall, please report to the bridge immediately."
"What is it now?" Squall growled. He got dressed and headed for the bridge, where Quistis, Xu, and Nida Troy, the SeeD that passed with him in Dollet, were waiting.
"Greetings Commander." Quistis said.
"Don't call me that." Squall said.
"We thought you should have a title," Xu said, "So Quistis and I decided on commander."
"Sorry to carry things out on our own," Quistis said. "But Xu and I assigned duties."
"I'll take care of all the supplies needed in the Garden." Xu said.
"And I'll help take care of the students with Dr. Kadowaki." Quistis said. "You can just focus on our destination and Battle plans."
"Alright, I have some reports for you already." Xu said.
"Hey, Squall." Nida said. "By the way, you know the FH technicians that were fixing the Garden? They just finished, so we're ready to go at any time! Oh yeah, I'll be piloting the Garden. The technicians showed me everything."
"So, any suggestions on where to go?" Quistis asked.
"Hey, why don't we go back to Balamb?" Xu said. "We don't know what's happened since we left. Plus, Balamb might be the Galbadian's next target, it's a small port town just like FH."
"Sound's good to me." Squall said. "Nida, we're taking off, I'll direct you to our destination. announce the departure."
"May I have your attention please?" Nida said into the microphone. "This is the bridge, Garden will be leaving FH shortly, please prepare for departure. And now, I will hand the mic over to our leader, Squall."
"A speech? Forget it." Squall said. "Cut the mic."
Balamb Garden soon reached land, and stopped at the entrance to the town of Balamb. Squall and his group of six entered the town, to see it under Galbadian Observation.
"This town is under control of Sorceress Edea!" A guard said. "No one my enter or leave until our investigation is complete!"
"Dude, we need to get through, just let us in." Irvine said.
"Why, are you residents here?" The soldier asked.
"Yeah, I am!" Zell said. "Residents should be allowed to enter!"
"It's OFF-LIMITS!" The guard shouted. "No one gets in or out!"
"So we cant deliver a message either?" Squall said. "That's too bad, we have some information on Ellone." Those words immediately got the guards attention.
"What?" the guard said. "Do you actually know who she is?"
"Kind of," Squall said. "But we need to get in to confirm something."
"OK, you six can go in," the guard said, referring to Squall, Zell, Rinoa, Irvine, Quistis, and Selphie. "But just you! Take any information to the Commander, she's staying at the hotel." Squall and the others were able to enter, and Zell suggested that they check up on his Mom. Zell led them into the house.
"Ma, I'm home!" Zell said. Ma Dincht came out of the living room.
"Zell, how on earth did you get into town?" She wondered.
"It's all in the brains, Ma." Zell said. "We just said we had some info on Ellone, and the Galbadian butt-heads let us through."
"Is the sorceress here?" Squall asked.
"I noticed a woman with them," Ma Dincht said. "She was albino, gray hair, patch over one eye."
"Must be Fujin." Quistis said.
"So Raijin must be here too." Selphie said.
"Maybe Seifer too." Squall added.
"Leave everything to us, Ma," Zell said, "We'll get rid of those jokers." Squall and his crew left Zell's house and headed for the Hotel. where two guards were standing.
"We need to speak to the Commander." Squall said.
"She's busy." A guard said.
"But we have info on Ellone." Irvine said.
"Take it to the Captain," The other guard said. "He's currently out on patrol." Squall and his group then headed for the docks, where there were two soldiers and a dog, which was to sniff out Ellone.
"Where's the Captain." Squall asked.
"I dunno," Said the guard. "He WAS just fishing here. He caught a few and got really excited. Said he was gonna eat' em right away." Squall then turned back, where they saw white smoke coming out of Zell's house. Luckily, it was just from the stove in the kitchen.
"A strange man just came in here." Ma Dincht said. He wanted to use the stove to cook some fish."Squall had just missed him.
"Damn!" Zell said. "We need somewhere to think where he might go next." Zell had no choice. "Fine guys, let's go up to my room. It's not like I'm inviting you, it's just that we have no choice." Zell led the group up the stairs and into his room.
"This is my room, just don't get too comfortable." Zell said. Selphie whizzed past them all and sat on his bed.
"Yo, what did I JUST get done saying?" Zell said.
"Gee Zell," Selphie said. "I didn't think you were so...anal. You should feel privileged to have a pretty girl sit on your bed. Right Squall?"
"Whatever," Squall said.
"Hey Zell," Quistis said, looking at a T-Board leaning against his wall. "I thought the Garden confiscated your T-Board."
"When you reach my caliber, you gotta have more than one." Zell said.
"That reminds me of a story." Quistis said. "Zell was riding his T-board through the Garden once, but then made a wrong turn and ended up in the women's restro-"
"HEY, enough!" Zell said.
"Is that your Grandfather, Zell?" Rinoa asked, looking at a picture.
"Yep, he's my role model." Zell said. "He fought in the Sorceress War against Sorceress Adel. He never panicked, had a good sense of direction, and always kept a cool head in times of crisis."
"So basically, the opposite of you?" Squall asked.
"Yo Squall, why you dissin' me?" Zell asked.
"It's not very interesting," Irvine said. "For a guys room anyway." Irvine then saw something on the wall he liked, shotguns!
"Whoa, these are some of them old school rifles!" Irvine said.
"Those were my Grandpa's, don't even think about it." Zell said. Irvine pretended not to hear him as he admired them. "Well, I guess it's cool if you're just checking them out." Irvine reached out to touch one, when it went off! Luckily, it wasn't loaded, and there was nobody in the way.
"YO! The HELL you doin'!" Zell yelled as Irvine laughed like an idiot..
"I knew he would." Squall whispered. Suddenly, he thought of something, the dog at the docks! The Captain cooked some fish, and he could have the Dog track the scent! Quickly, Squall ran downstairs and found a bit of Fish leftover. He put it in the plastic bag, and then booked it to the docks, with the others not far behind. Luckily, the soldiers were distracted, and Squall had the Dog sniff the fish. The dog had the Scent, and led them to the Train Station. The dog ran in, and chased out the Captain; Raijin! Squall followed Raijin back to the hotel.
"Hey you," A soldier said. "Stand back, the commander's about to..."
"YEOWWCH!" Raijin said as he was thrown out of the Hotel. "Fujin, Control your temper, ya' know? I was patrollin' just like you told me, I even woke up the search dog sleepin' on the job, ya know?"
"RAIJIN!" He heard someone yell, that being Zell, who had five others with him.
"Whoa, what are you guys doin' here?" Raijin asked.
"We're here to liberate Balamb, ya' know?" Zell said. "I mean, um...We're here to liberate Balamb!"
"Seifer told us to give you a whoopin' if we saw you." Raijin said. He pulled out his Bo Staff, and prepared for a fight.
"Blind!" Squall said. Raijin was soon blinded by the spell Squall had just cast, which left him open for attack. Zell gave a roundhouse kick to his jaw, Quistis lashed him across the chest with her whip. Selphie bashed him with her Nunchaku, as well as Irvine with the butt of his shotgun. Rinoa prepared to fire her blaster edge, but Raijin was able to move, right where Squall put his gunblade to Raijin's throat. Raijin stopped in his tracks, Where Squall punched his lights out.
"OHH YEAH! The Commander's gonna get a whoopin' too!" Zell said as he ran into the hotel, with the others not far behind. Fujin was inside.
"So I guess you're the Commander." Zell said. "Pack your bags and get the hell outta Balamb!"
"RAIJIN! DEFEATED?" Fujin said.
"That's right! Now where's Seifer and the Sorceress." Zell said. "You're all goin' down!"
"Fujin," Looks like you're on your own." Squall said. "Are you still willing to fight?"
"RAGE!" Fujin said.
"Bwahahaha. She's not alone!" Someone said. Raijin was up, and came in to help Fujin. "Major comeback, ya' know? I feel a lot betta, ya' know? I feel Invincible, ya' know?
"The hell? I thought we defeated you!" Zell said.
"Time to get Serious, ya know?" Raijin said. Squall, Zell, and Irvine focused in on Raijin while Quistis, Selphie, and Rinoa zeroed in on Fujin. In the midst of it all, Selphie drew something from Fujin, A GF stone! It had a pink gem in the middle. This GF was the GF of wind, Pandemona.
"You brought this on yourselves," Squall said as the six of the came back together. "Tsunami!" He shouted. The six of them disappeared as what could have been a comet flew across Raijin and Fujin's heads. Soon, it stopped, and water began to pour out of it, in the form of a snake. Suddenly, it took form, the form of the sea serpent GF, Leviathan! Leviathan climbed into the sky, carrying a chunk of land with it. At the top, Leviathan spewed out thousands of gallons of water down the chunk of land, making it into a waterfall. Which came crashing down, and washing Raijin and Fujin against the wall. They didn't know that Fujin couldn't swim, and the water knocked her unconscious. Raijin on the other hand, was still up.
"Let's try this new one," Selphie said. "Tornado Zone!" The six of them disappeared again, and a Tornado appeared! Out of the sky dropped the wind GF, Pandemona. It inhaled, bringing a bunch of air with it, and Raijin! Then it exhaled, causing another Tornado in the process, which carried Raijin up, and then dropped him, hurting his knee, and begging for mercy. About this time, Fujin woke up.
"Are the two of you taking orders from the Sorceress?" Squall asked.
"NEGATIVE." Fujin said.
"The sorceress has nothing to do with us, ya' know?" Raijin said. "We're workin' on our own."
"Own plan?" Squall asked.
"We're on Seifer's side, ya' know?" Raijin continued.
"That's up to you, but enough is enough." Squall said. "This isn't an internal Garden conflict."
"We can't back out, ya' know?" Raijin said.
"NEGATIVE." Fujin added.
"Seifer has a lot of followers, but we're his only friends." Raijin said. "We're a posse, ya' know? The Galbadian Soldiers are only followin' Seifer cause they fear the Sorceress. Without us, Seifer wouldn't have a posse. Ya' know?"
"If you guys stand behind him that much, tell Seifer to stop this frickin' nonsense!" Zell said.
"AFFIRMATIVE." Fujin said.
"We ain't no sell-outs, ya know?" Raijin said. "We're behind Seifer all the way."
"Ok, understood." Squall said. "So you want nothing to do with Balamb Garden anymore?" Raijin and Fujin nodded. "Ok, from now on, we're not gonna hold back."
"Hold on a sec!" Irvine said.
"Dont wanna talk anymore," Raijin said. "Kinda painful, ya know?"
"WIMP!" Fujin said as she kicked Raijin in the shin. "RUN!" Fujin then chased Raijin out of the hotel, taking the soldiers with them.
"You're just gonna let em' go?" Selphie asked.
"You cool with that?" Added Irvine.
"Friend or Foe, it all comes down to circumstance." Squall said. "That's how we were raised. Let's go." With that, Squall and his gang headed back to the Garden.
