Listen to your soul - Never forget your personality - Battle for Freedom - Nightmares and Failures lay ahead - Rejoice! Myths is still in the air - The fighting is not over - Gain your confidence - Challenge your rival - A better day lays ahead - Survive for your time is yet to come - A war would erupt - All for a rear item - Destruction... Corruption... Chaos... Betrayal... Death all lay in your path - Excel in your abilities - No one stops you - Stars of Twinkle
The Age of Meric
Episode 5: "TA 1 Party Survival"
"What a shame."
TA 1 turned backwards, to be face to face with Hector and his party. Rebel Night reached the city's center and saw TA 1 fine and with spider robot parts blasted all around. The auras faded away right after the battle and TA 1 didn't notice them.
"I knew they could do it."
Laguna whispered so they won't hear.
"BGH251F2 is one big motherfucker. It's impossible to defeat in direct combat. It's a wonder how those three did it."
"That confirms my thoughts."
"Which are?"
Laguna didn't reply but continued on staring at TA 1 and Hector's party. Kiros and Ward both sighed, turning their gaze towards them as well.
"What is it that you want!"
Hector laughed.
"Nothing. It's just that you're all alone here in Deling City."
Śohoob's eyes widened with Roy's and Nasran's.
"They actually withdrew without us."
"I guess BGH251F2 was a good move on the Galbadian Demons side."
"Galbadian Demons?"
"It's like your garden's Twinkler Elite."
Śohoob and his party stayed alert and steady when Seifer appeared with Fujin and Raijin. It was apparent that Seifer was the one to say that.
"History does repeat itself after all. It was in this city that we got Balamb's finest, Squall; Rinoa and the others with them. It is also here that we'll imprison Twinkle's finest."
Śohoob growled, wanting so much to strike but restraining himself.
"Over our dead bodies!"
"That can be arranged."
Laguna turned to his friends.
"They'll need a distraction if they're to escape. They can't face two parties at once. We still have the element of surprise at our disposal and it's too early to waste it."
"A grenade you have perhaps."
Laguna blinked, staring at Ward.
"A good idea I must say. Bravo."
Laguna took out one of his grenades, took off the safety and threw it in between TA 1 and Hector's and Seifer's parties. It exploded, blowing up dust that Hector's party and Seifer's party had to protect their faces. TA 1 took the chance and escaped, towards Rebel Night. However Rebel Night was hiding behind a statue and TA 1 passed by it, not noticing Rebel Night. Śohoob sheathed his blade for the moment.
Roy put his rifle over his right shoulder while he ran. Hector's party and Seifer's party quickly recovered from the surprise attack and chased after TA 1. Laguna threw a grenade in front of him and Rebel Night rushed off in the opposite direction, jumping behind some bushes. Hector's and Seifer's parties were blasted backwards onto their backs. Laguna grinned and rushed off with his party to gain and help TA 1 in anyway possible.
The galbadian army didn't challenge TA 1 as they left. The army knew that they were the only ones left with Rebel Night and so refused to challenge them. Besides, Firecross 1 had ordered them not to engage any parties left behind. TA 1 didn't notice that they escaped easily. It would be safer in Deling but outside in the wilderness was best. TA 1 would take their chance there. TA 1 left Deling with ease and entered the plains around it.
A few moments later Rebel Night left Deling as well. Both parties entered the forest and went deep into it, heading south. It was some time but TA 1 finally was fatigued enough to stop for the moment. All three members panted gently, each one leaning on a tree. Rebel Night was behind them, hiding in the trees.
"So... It actually happened."
"I can't believe Squall!"
"Such a mentor, I must say."
"Why did he order the withdrawal? I would like to know that!"
"Maybe because he knew of BGH251F2."
"How?"
"Another party sighted us fighting it and reported back."
"Didn't they realize that Squall might withdraw if they told him?"
"Apparently that's not what they had in mind."
"They probably wanted to help us."
"And instead we're left out here to rot and die."
"Hey! You were the one who knew that this was coming! One way or another. I don't think we're the only party that stayed left behind anyways."
"What do you mean?"
"That grenade couldn't have come from nowhere."
"Grenade..."
Śohoob rubbed his chin. Nasran and Roy stayed quiet for the moment, they stared at each other, realizing what Śohoob and each other were thinking. They nodded at each other but didn't say anything about it.
"When do you think they'll show up?"
"My best estimate is most likely at night when we're fast asleep."
Roy put his rifle next to him, having it lean on the tree that he was leaning on.
"We need the rest anyway. Tomorrow if they'll appear, we'll all need to think of something to get out of this mess. We'll be organized tomorrow."
"We're just going to sleep like this in the ground?"
"We have no other choice Nasran."
"You're the captain."
"That I am."
'There must be something good in leading men and it can't be all bad.'
TA 1 all dozed off to sleep with the stars shining above them. Once they were all fast asleep, Rebel Night approached them carefully. When they talked with each other, they whispered.
"I wonder if they know of us."
"They probably do. They probably know it is us through the grenade I threw as a diversion."
"Let's all take our positions, shall we?"
Laguna put a thin cloth over Śohoob's body. Śohoob was in the middle; to his right were Nasran and his left Roy. Kiros dealt with Nasran, covering him up and Ward dealt with Roy, covering him up. Laguna carefully and gently moved his machine gun away. Rebel Night climbed the trees that were in front of them. They all sat on a branch that would hold them and that was high enough. They stared into the horizon, all through the night, blinking from time to time.
"This is going to be the first night with no sleep."
Ward yawned.
"We've got to stay awake to protect TA 1 down there."
"I hear you Laguna."
Back in Twinkle Garden, Karen was lying on her stomach, in her private on her bed. She was sobbing softly onto the pillow. She heard a knock and whispered the reply.
"Come in."
Squall and Rinoa knew their daughter well and knew her answer even before Squall knocked. Rinoa gently closed the door behind her. Squall sat down quickly on his daughter's bed.
"It's O.K. to cry you know."
"Dad?"
"And your mom."
"Mom!"
Rinoa was sitting closer to Karen's head. Karen quickly embraced her tightly. Rinoa was taken by surprise but returned the embrace.
"It's O.K. dear. Everything would be fine."
Rinoa gently and softly patted Karen's back. Slowly, Karen's sobbing died down. She let go of her mom and dried her tears.
"Do you really think Śohoob's O.K.?"
"I have enough trust in him for him to survive and keep his party intact."
"I wasn't asking you dad! Coming from the one who ordered the withdrawal!"
Squall sighed, lowering his head.
"You didn't put me in his party because you were afraid of losing me if this happened! I'm sure enough that Śohoob and his party are still intact and that they survived."
"Kar... BGH251F2 is impossible to defeat in direct combat."
"But what if TA 1 did the impossible and did defeat it in direct combat!"
"I don't know anyway how."
"Talk about a mentor leaving his apprentice behind!"
Karen growled and dug her head back into her already tear-soaked pillow.
"Just leave me alone... Leave me alone until he returns and embraces me... Never to let go again."
Karen said that with her face on the pillow. Rinoa and Squall both sighed, getting up. They left her room with Squall closing the door behind him.
"Śohoob..."
'At least you have the necklace I gave to you as a gift.'
Śohoob woke up next morning, feeling a thin blanket over his body. The early sunlight of the morning poured through the trees, waking the other two up. Roy grabbed the blanket.
"Where did this come from?"
By pure instinct Śohoob looked up into the tree that he was leaning under and faintly saw Laguna. Śohoob stared at him, pointing upwards. Roy and Nasran followed his motion and looked up their trees. Roy saw Ward above him, high up in the tree; Nasran saw Kiros above him. TA 1 glanced at each other and nodded at one another. Śohoob nodded to Roy. Roy took his rifle out and fired a careful shot ahead of him. Rebel Night definitely heard it.
The next thing TA 1 knew was that Rebel Night was in front of them, on the ground.
"Good, you three are awake."
"Laguna? You and your party are still here?"
"Why?"
Laguna sighed, shrugging.
"I don't know. For more than one reason I'll tell you but I'm not going to tell you them."
"Did Squall and the others really withdraw?"
"They sure did. The six of us are the ones left behind."
"But weren't your party by Ragnarok during the withdrawal?"
"We covered Twinkle's students' withdrawal and stayed behind. We urged Squall to leave us behind."
Śohoob sat up in his spot. He took the thin blanket off and put his knees up and hugged them.
"What now?"
"I suggest we stay here, out of Deling for a few days and fight here and in the plains. In the right time, we'll head back to Deling and finish the mission that we are supposed to do."
"Sounds like a plan to me but it isn't going to be easy. This is going to take time. Are you leader here Laguna?"
Laguna shook his head.
"Here you're the captain. I didn't catch your name."
"Oh yeah... Name's Śohoob Actonal. This is Nasran... and Roy."
"Pleasure to be working with you captain."
Śohoob blinked.
"So I'm commanding this little squad?"
Laguna nodded.
"Sure are. We, Rebel Night, would follow you; fight with you; obey you and protect you until we're back on Twinkle Island."
"And even then we'll still be your first backup."
Śohoob smiled. He took Karen's necklace into his hand, staring at it.
'I'm O.K. Kar, as is TA 1. Laguna's party, Rebel Night, is with us. We're just going to finish the mission and come back in a couple of days. Wait for me.'
Roy stood onto his feet; put his rifle over his right shoulder. Nasran stretched and stood onto his feet. Śohoob was the last to stand on his feet.
"O.K. Let's move out!"
FIVE DAYS LATER...
During the previous five days, TA 1 and Rebel Night have become seasoned plains and forest fighters. TA 1, under Śohoob, renamed it to Trackers. Trackers and Rebel Night became excellent tree climbers and quick in readying their weapons. Both parties trained in using the weapons as hooks. Through Śohoob's survival pack, both parties survived under. The two parties slept in the open on the bare ground and grass with only thin blankets over them.
In the forest, Trackers withdrew Mamigrol, renaming him to Soul-Warrior 5, from the Tree of Myths they faced in the forest, Mamigrol was a guardian force. Another guardian force they directly faced off in battle was Galaxy, renamed to Soul-Warrior 4. Śohoob excelled in his Lirf Kestir and Owl of the Forest attacks; Roy excelled in his Setis Emas; Nasran in his Anki Hunal. Trackers found out about their auras and excelled in them.
Now, both parties charged into Deling with the weapons ready. Both parties blinked. Citizens were walking by, pointing and staring at both parties. Mora came up to them.
"Nasran? What are you guys doing here?"
"Right back at you."
Mora shrugged.
"I got out of Firecross 2, Hector's party. My younger brother took my place. The galbadian army and Firecross 1, Seifer's party and Firecross 2 withdrew back to Galbadia Garden."
"So Deling is out of occupation?"
"For three days now."
Śohoob sighed.
'A terrible waste of time.'
"Where is the garden now?"
"No clue. Hector and Ray didn't tell me anything. I haven't been in contact with them since then."
"Now you're living here?"
"I have no other place to go."
"You can come back with us."
"Where?"
"To Twinkle Island. You can become a Twinkle garden student and maybe a Twinkler Elite."
"Really?"
Śohoob nodded.
"We won't joke around about such an offer."
"Alright! I'm in."
A slight breeze shifted near the city and Trackers and Rebel Night with Mora rushed out of Deling. Above them Galbadia Garden was floating. Śohoob quickly unsheathed his blade and tied a rope firmly around it. Trackers and Rebel Night each had a secure walkie-talkie. Laguna did the same with his machine gun; he tied the other end of the rope around his waist, firmly and tightly.
With Galbadia Garden directly above them, Śohoob spun his rope quickly and launched it upwards. The blade stuck in deeply into the garden. Laguna fired a shot and was lifted with Kiros and Ward hanging on. Mora; Roy and Nasran took hold onto Śohoob, who was holding the rope. The garden flew on, taking Trackers and Rebel Night with them. Śohoob's blade withdrew the rope upwards and it pulled Śohoob and his party up with ease.
Laguna opened a shaft close by him as did Śohoob. The two parties entered the shafts with their weapons and closed the shafts behind them, heading towards the unknown.