The guards standing outside of the cell in D-District Prison were exchanging glances as they listened to the fuming man that they were guarding. General Caraway was not a calm, resigned prisoner. From the second they had locked him up, he had been cursing and yelling, beating the walls. The two men standing outside didn't know why the leader of the Galbadian military had been locked up, except for what they had read in the newspaper.
Of course, they had no idea that the General's daughter was the only remaining sorceress in the world.
The SeeDs could hear the measured steps of the marching soldiers before they could see them. Squall stood at the head of the waiting SeeDs, anxiously waiting for something, anything to happen. His nervousness made him jump when his cell phone started ringing in his pocket. A glance at the caller-id caused him to let out a relieved sigh.
"Quistis please tell me Seifer got there," the worried and worn out commander pleaded.
"He's right beside me. We're at the pub in Timber," she assured him.
"Can you guys get back?" Squall asked. "We're about to be in a lot of trouble and could use ya'll's help."
Quistis quickly stated that they would be on the boat and on their way back to Balamb in a moment. Squall thanked them and hung up as the marching feet moved closer. Rinoa shouldered her way through the ranks of the SeeDs to Squall's side, intent on joining the fight.
Looking down at her, Squall shook his head. "Rin, you have to go back. I can't let them get you. If you stay up here you might get hurt or captured."
Her brown eyes met his gaze evenly. "So could you," she stated calmly, keeping her fear for his safety hidden. "Squall I'm a sorceress. I'm the reason we're in this mess to begin with. Plus, having a sorceress on your side is a valuable asset. You know my magic abilities are a lot better than anything they have on their side. You have to let me do this," she said, staring him down. "Besides," she finished, "You are my knight. You won't let anything happen to me."
With a heavy sigh he nodded and she smiled triumphantly.
Standing on her toes she reached up and pressed a kiss on his cheek. "I'll be careful," she whispered in his ear before dropping back onto her heels.
With a deep breath he pulled Lionheart from its sheath and set his stance. "Here they come," he called to his SeeDs. As one, the mercenary army exhaled and readied themselves. Squall waved his blade in the air and they began to run forward. The Galbadian forces were caught off guard as they heard the supposedly unaware SeeDs moving towards them.
The two armies met with a terrible crash, Rinoa's magic adding to the chaos. Guns were going off, swords swinging through the air, spells flying towards their targets. Angelo was even in the fray, biting Galbadians as he ran around the battlefield. Rinoa had found a place near the wall where no one could come up behind her and there a good range of targets in front of her. She was careful to make sure Squall was as safe as she could keep him, healing him every few minutes and keeping his back safe. Once, seeing that he was surrounded, she cast Aura on him and watched Lionheart go to work on the Galbadians.
The SeeDs were doing well, holding their own, but the sheer number of troops arrayed against them tipped the odds in the favor of the Galbadians.
Rinoa heard Selphie's victory cry of "Booyaka" from across the foyer of the assaulted Garden and hoped there would be something to cheer about by the end of the battle.
Quistis was pacing nervously in the back of the small boat while Seifer readied it to take them back to the Garden. Glancing over his shoulder at her, he sighed and worked faster. Within a minute the boat was moving, gathering speed.
Seifer turned from the instruments and was surprised to find Quistis instantly in his arms. He pulled her closer, frowning.
"Quistis, what's wrong?" he asked, looking down at her. She didn't answer, just buried her face in the side of his neck. Shrugging, Seifer just held her as the boat sped toward the besieged Garden.
After a moment she moved her head up and he pulled back a little.
"You okay?" he asked, his hands rubbing her arms unconsciously. Looking down, she nodded and sighed.
Seifer looked down at the top of her head and let out a deep breath. He didn't know what to do. She wasn't talking to him and he didn't know what to say to get her to open up. He was new to this 'caring' thing. He was the first one to admit that he had been an asshole in the past but he had knew that he had changed and hoped that he and Quistis were close enough that she would feel comfortable talking to him about whatever was bothering her. He had confided in her. He knew that she wouldn't betray his trust. What was stopping her from doing the same with him?
"Quistis," he lifted her chin with his hand to look into her blue eyes. "What's wrong? Please tell me," he asked softly.
Quistis mentally did a double take as she stared at the man in front of her. He had changed more than she could have imagined possible. He was a different person than the smug, arrogant young man she had taught. He had, in some ways, reverted to his childhood personality; caring, noble, considerate, or as close as was possible for Seifer. That was not to say that he had lost his attitude. He was still full of pride, cocky, and still had a horrible temper sometimes. But he was trying to change. That was what was important. And she loved him for it.
Clearing her throat, she began to speak, her eyes never wavering off of his concerned green eyes.
"I'm worried about Rinoa and Squall and everybody else. They have to hold off the entire Galbadian army until we get there. And then, even when we get there we're only two fighters. There's no way that's going to make any difference," she said slowly.
Seifer smirked as he answered, "We make a lot of difference. It's us. The Galbadians don't stand a chance once we get there."
Quistis laughed at his statement, looking up at him.
"Seifer, you'll never change, will you?" she asked with a smile. He smirked again as he looked down at her.
"Of course not, no one would want that."
She released him, her worry abating for the moment and he turned back to the controls, the smirk dropping off his face. He knew exactly what they were heading for. She did too. They would be ready. They were SeeD.
The young guard was terrified as he faced the fuming General Caraway. The old man was towering over the thin youth who had come to give the general his dinner. Placing the plate on the small table, the guard backed slowly away from the visibly furious prisoner. Just as the man opened the door General Caraway lunged at him, wrestling the smaller man's gun away from him.
Pointing it at the frightened sentry, the general moved out of the cell and locked the shaking guard inside. The gun stayed in his hand as he moved through the levels of the compound, heading for the top level.
He was a man on a mission and the people he encountered knew it. His eyes were fiery and his expression told everyone that he wouldn't tolerate any opposition.
The top floor was quickly emptied as the general stormed in. The guards had been ordered to keep him in the prison; now that he was out they were not going to stop him from leaving. Better to let him go and be thanked for it later when he returned to duty than he get released later and he punish them for locking him up.
Scanning the control board, Caraway flipped the switch for a communicator. The frequency had already been set to talk to the invading Galbadian troops. Pressing the button, he began issuing orders.
Squall rocked back on his heels as he blocked a heavy strike from a Galbadian swordsman. Suddenly, the man's radio began squawking as someone spoke on the other end. His opponent's surprise gave Squall a chance to knock the man over the head, quickly ending the fight.
He grabbed the radio from the man's belt and listened intently to the voice on the other end. Instantly he recognized the sound of Rinoa's father's voice. He held the button down and answered the call.
"General, this is Commander Squall Leonhart of Balamb Garden."
Leonhart, how did you get this radio?
"I…um…just knocked out the guy carrying it," Squall explained rather sheepishly. Behind him, a thunder spell knocked out a soldier coming toward the unaware commander's back. Turning around, Squall met Rinoa's gaze. He glanced down at the radio in his hand and began to slash his way across the room towards Rinoa's spot on the wall.
"So, why are you calling General?"
I'm trying to stop the battle. I escaped from my cell and am trying to order a 'cease fire.' The president ordered this attack. I have to stop it.
"Hang on, I might have an idea," Squall stated as he reached Rinoa's side. Taking his finger off the button, he leaned over to talk in her ear.
"Hey, is there anyway you could cast a Stop spell over the whole room?" he asked quickly, praying to Hyne that his plan might work.
Rinoa looked confused but nodded as she looked at him.
"I can try," she said. He kissed her quickly as he handed her the radio.
"After you cast the spell tell your father to issue his orders on the radio," he told her as his fingers turned up the volume on the handheld.
Her eyes were wide but she nodded and concentrated. Squall turned his attention back to the battle as he waited anxiously for the spell to take effect. He heard her say the spell right before his body locked up, rigid and unmoving. Through his unblinking eyes he could see that everyone else in the room was trapped in the same state as him.
Rinoa gave Caraway the announcement that the battle was on hold, at least temporarily, and released the button for him to make his own announcement.
This is General Caraway speaking. All Galbadian forces are to withdraw from Balamb territory immediately. Any disobedience will result in severe punishment. Commander Leonhart has assured me that there will be no retaliation if Galbadia pulls out now. Repeat: all remaining Galbadian forces are to retreat immediately.
With a wave of her hand, Rinoa released the spell and the stiff combatants in front of her relaxed. She handed the radio back to Squall and he thanked the General for his help and watched tensely as the Galbadians formed up ranks and began to march out of the Garden.
Before the invaders could reach the door, Seifer and Quistis bolted in, both of them ready for heavy combat. Hyperion was swinging through the air alongside Quistis' Save the Queen as Rinoa cast another quick Stop spell on the two newcomers.
"It's okay," Squall said quickly from the other side of the room. "They were just leaving. Caraway got free and ordered a retreat."
After a nod from Squall, Rinoa released the spell and Seifer and Quistis relaxed. They exchanged looks and moved out of the way of the retreating Galbadians. Selphie, Irvine, and Zell moved across the room to where Squall and Rinoa were standing, Seifer and Quistis close behind them.
The group stood together in silence for a moment before Selphie spoke up.
"So, I guess your mission was a bust then?" she asked Seifer and Quistis.
She only smiled widely as an angry Seifer was instantly restrained by the rest of the group.
AN: My chapter ending are always lame. But I can't think of where else to end it. I tried to add more of Seifer and Quistis' feelings in this chapter. Let me know how I did. Happy Holidays! Please review!