Visions Of The Darkness

Chapter 7, The Ruins Of Memories

The sun was the only thing that wasn't shrouded in darkness in Balamb. Even in the morning when sunrise consumed the sky was full of the deceitful shadow. A strong gale whipped the serene Balamb waters and it's still empty shore while a clatter of dark clouds where soon coming to take the blissful sunlight away. Irvine awoke to the balcony doors opening with a forceful clutter of the two delicately formed sky blue doors crashing repeatedly against the turquoise walls. Quite shocked from his rude awakening, Irvine surveyed the scene; Malacia and Syke where nowhere to be seen and Quistis was laying in bed scrutinizing battle plans for the days ahead. Irvine walked to the guy's bathroom, the day's clothes in hand where he found a set of clothes just like his only in complete black with small gold decoration on it with a note written in a delicate cursive handwriting saying;

'Irvine, these are for you. Less conspicuous and yeah you can keep the hat.'

After discarding the note obviously written by Malacia, Irvine showered and changed into his new outfit. He left the guy's bathroom to find the rest of the group outside waiting outside for him. Lacia and Syke were dressed the same although Quistis was dressed in a black and gold copy of her usual outfit. Quistis stood next to Malacia near the balcony doors while Syke sat Seifer-like on the only chair.

'Well this is different…not our usual council of war but it will have to do…..I hope today goes well…..because if we go by the Garden's status now, things will be a lot less than ideal.'

Everyone having already said what they need to collected their bags, checked everything and walked down the hotel's staircase leading them to the lobby. Lacia turned to face the group as they stood in the middle of the empty lobby. "Everyone, you all know the psychic connect necklaces I gave you? Well this is how you use them; hold the charm in your hand and say the thing you most love to activate it, next speak the names of the people you want to communicate with and then put it on. When you want to communicate with someone think of their name and when you hear their reply in your head continue with what you want to say. I hope you all are clear with that. Now please set them ok?' said Malacia just remembering in time. The other's nodded all walking slightly away from each other so the communicators don't hear the other's answers. Malacia whispered her answer which was Syke Almasy into the device and then continued the rest of the programming. Syke whispered Malacia Juniper Leonhart into his and looked at her lovingly as he did so. Quistis, deep in thought whispered 'my friends' into hers.

'I wonder what the others said….there are so many options…..oh Selphie ……I hope you're alright. That's it …..Mine will be Selphie.'

Irvine then said Selphie softly into the device then finished programming it and walked outside the hotel where the others had gone after they had finished. Silently they walked all knowing where they where headed – Balamb Garden. When the got there, a little less shocked this time round, soft rain started to gently fall on top of them as they walked into the Garden. Malacia then gave the signal for everyone to split up; Syke with Quistis and Irvine with Malacia. Quistis and Syke then headed towards the Library and Training Centre while Malacia and Irvine headed towards the Infirmary and Quad. Irvine and Malacia climbed their way over the rubble that blocked their path as they then walked into what was left of the infirmary. The inside of the small office was a mess; the two filling cabinets where overturned and the desk was half demolished. Inside the conjoining room which held the recovery and treatment bed. The bed and side table where crush under a large chunk of the roof that had fallen there. Seeing that there was very little to salvage there, they did a final search of the filing cabinets. Irvine who was searching the first cabinet came across medical files for Seifer, Zell, Rinoa and one for himself. While Irvine was finding his files, Malacia had found medical files for Squall, Selphie and Quistis from the second cabinet. Irvine then looked thoughtfully at the files he held in his hands.

'All these peoples so called history I hold in my hands….even mine. Seifer I wish I could have known you better…..Zell….I wish we could have got along better…..wait ….here is Rinoa's file….when did she ever go to the Garden…even when I left she was only staying there not this mean….?'

Just as Irvine was about to open Rinoa's file Malacia's hand darted out and took it from him. "Irvine, you shouldn't look at them yet…I'll take these" Lacia said as she took all the files from Irvine's hand. He nodded and then gestured to leave the room. They walked out and then shimmied past half of a column that blocked the way to the Quad.

Meanwhile Syke and Quistis were searching through the Library

Quistis and Syke searched as best they could the not so destroyed Library. Syke tried to get the computer but failed then letting the very computer literate Quistis to have a go.

'Well I doubt the power will be working but I'll try….hmmm check all the cables and plugs….so far so good….ok…..the power is….on?...OK well this is so far great….right …just a little more….and I am on the net work!'

"I'm on the Garden network….I should be able to copy everything on to a couple of discs if we can find any." said Quistis as typed away staring at the screen. Syke grins as he opens his pack and slips out a small stack of mini discs. Q smiles professionally back at him while she copies out all the data on the network. While Q takes all she can from the computers Syke started to search through the books and articles. He started by going through the year books where he took all the photos of his father, his posse and the rest of people involved with the defeat of Ultimacia. Next he went through and took all the newspaper stories and article where he found of Irvine, Selphie, Rinoa, Quistis, Squall and his father. Then he researched the entire library for anything else but came up with nothing just as Q finished copying the network. She also took the laptop the library kept as a backup computer that she found in one of the desks shelves.

'Hmmm I wonder what we will find out from our little expedition….I'm not sure if I want to know any of this……you never know the secrets the future beholds and sometimes you never want to know…..'

Syke and Q then nodded silently as the left the library moving onto the Training Centre. As they did Lacia and Irvine moved on to the Cafeteria as they found nothing but rubble and destruction in the now dismantled Quad.