Shock and Ouragan's Truth
"It's Griever," Rinoa plainly said as she stared at the image of the griffon etched onto the floor. Both of them had been expecting so see a silhouette of the black eagle. However, seeing the Griever head burnt onto the metal was a very big surprise—especially for Squall.
"I...I don't believe it," Squall murmured as he knelt on the floor mesmerized by the Griever image.
"Squall...did you?" she asked as her mouth was gaped wide open at Griever's shadow. "Did you kill Dr. Odine?"
Squall looked at her, bewildered at what he had just heard from his love. "No! I didn't kill him! I was in Garden when this happened!"
Rinoa's body felt like lead. The only person she knew who bore the Griever symbol was Squall, and to this in the scene of the crime was all too much for her. "But who Squall? Who could have done this? I mean, of course you didn't do it but...Hyne! This all seems so scary. I want to believe you, yet there it is..." she said, dumbfounded by the image of the winged lion.
Squall stood up and put his hands on Rinoa's shoulders. He whirled her around to face him and firmly said, "Rinoa, as your knight and your lover, will you trust me?"
Rinoa didn't know what to say at the moment, so she merely nodded. Squall continued, "If you do trust me, then believe me. I didn't do this. We were at the Garden when this happened. It would be impossible for me to travel all the way to Esthar just to do something like this to Dr. Odine. The Ragnarok wasn't even anywhere near Garden, so there was no way I could have traveled all the way to Esthar."
"But..."
"Please Rinoa. I would never lie to you," he confirmed to her and himself. Squall was close to pleading right now. The only person in the world whom he trusted doubted him, and he couldn't bear the fact that it was happening to him.
Rinoa sighed and continued, "Squall, I believe you. But what about the others? What will they think when they see this? They might accuse you as a killer and I don't know what to do Squall. I mean, I can't just erase this with my magic. I could but it is evidence against the killer. Squall..."
Squall couldn't take it anymore so he took her into his arms and hugged her, wrapping his arms around her waist so tightly that it seemed like he was going to break it. "Please don't abandon me Rinoa. I...I...I can't live without you. Please trust me," he pleaded.
Rinoa whispered into his ear, "I love you Squall, and I'll never leave you. But I don't know what to do for the time being. I may have magic, but I cannot force people to believe that you weren't responsible for this. But I do trust you." She lovingly hugged him and caressed his spine.
Squall let go and asked her, "What are we going to do now?" For the first time in his life, Squall Leonhart was unsure of what to do. Most of the time, he daringly leapt into the battlefield with a perfect strategy that would bring them certain victory. This time however, he felt like he was between a rock and a hard place. With nowhere to run, he felt like he was trapped. No one had ever framed him before—except Seifer perhaps when they were still at war in school. Squall felt betrayed and alone.
"What about Ouragan? I'm sure he will trust you. I'm absolutely certain that he won't doubt you. Why don't we ask him?" she suggested.
"Hey Squall! Rinoa! Look at what I found here!" Zell shouted from the other side of the lab.
"We'll decide what we ought to do later. I think Zell's on to something," Squall told her. He was worried. This framing might have enough weight to put him in jail—and to separate him from Rinoa. He dreaded the thought, and so he decided that he and Rinoa should keep mum about this find for the time being.
"Squall, look at this!" Zell told him when he finally got there. "I found a camera here on this side of the lab, but the mechanism's totally busted. I mean, it's more like it has melted into black metal goo if you ask me. But I was able to find some tape and play it back on this device." Zell lifted one of the fine instruments Kiros had lent them earlier and put the spool of film into one of the hooks. After a few tweaks here and there plus some pushes of the button, the film began rolling and a computer generated hologram appeared in the air. Odine was alone in the laboratory, praising his demented experiments as usual. He had just finished mixing a few chemicals when a tall, imposing figure appeared behind him. After speaking with the person for a few minutes, claws were inserted into his bowels and the figure began twisting them around, masticating and shredding his innards like ribbons. Pools of blood fell onto the floor.
"Gosh, it's a miracle that he survived," whispered Zell as he looked at the gore displayed in the hologram. The figure retracted its claws from the doctor's belly and began casting spells around the lab, from Thundagas to Apocalypses and Ultimas. In seconds, the lab was destroyed, but luckily for Odine, he had hid behind the figure, so the final Ultima spell that wrecked the lab didn't touch him. At that point, it was just static, so they assumed that this was the part where the camera was ravaged by the energy of the criminal's magic.
Squall looked at the device Zell was holding and an idea popped into his head. "Zell, remember that chemical Odine was working on?"
"Yup Squall! So what about the chemical? I'm sure the fire had evaporated all of it by this time," he told the commander.
"What if there's a pool of that lying elsewhere in the lab? Or maybe a stain of the substance? Maybe we can inspect it. I want to know what Dr. Odine was working on," he said.
Zell put the tape reading device back into his bag and pulled out a little square box that had an opening where liquids could be inserted. "Well, this baby has to be good enough to examine and read the chemical composition of that stuff. I'll go look for it and you guys just go back to Ouragan or Kiros or whomever is in charge and tell them about this new discovery of ours."
"And you didn't want to be the leader of this operation," Squall sarcastically said. "Alright, we'll contact them. Just call us if you find some results okay?"
"Yes sir!" Zell said with a quick salute. He immediately began looking around the devastated research area for the chemical stains.
Squall turned back to Rinoa and said, "Well, I certainly don't have Apocalypse spells. At least we have some proof."
Rinoa smiled and said, "See, I told you that somehow something will pop up and point out that my Sir Squall is no black knight."
Squall squinted and said, "Rinoa, no one was asking you to be corny."
She laughed and said, "I wasn't. You're being uptight again."
Squall grabbed her wrist and said, "And you're acting really cute."
"Shut up. I'm not," she playfully said while fluttering her eyes.
"We have work to do," he monotonically said.
Rinoa faked a frown and said, "Aw Squall! You're no fun!"
Squall laughed and took her by the hand, leading her back to the part of the lab where the Griever image was etched on the floor. "But one thing still puzzles me."
"What?" she asked.
"Who else uses the Griever symbol?" he wondered aloud as he placed a few sheets of metal over the image.
---------------------------
Squall and Rinoa used the lift to go back up to the main level of Odine's lab. Upon arrival, they both immediately began looking for Ouragan until Rinoa bumped into him inside the room where Ellone was once held captive as a child.
"Ouragan! Thank goodness we found you!" Rinoa panted as she held on to her knees for support.
"What is it Rinoa? You found something?" he asked the young woman. Rinoa looked up at the 6'5" giant in front of her and saw Quistis and Seifer inspecting a bunch of stuff out of the corner of her eye. "Good thing they're getting along. I guess that frog thing...oops! Ouragan...I forgot about him!"
"Um, I think Squall wants to show you something down there," she said as she regained her posture. "Squall! I found him!" she called out when she found Squall running around the second floor looking for Ouragan. Squall immediately ran to them both.
"Squall, you were looking for me."
"Yes Ouragan, I believe I may have found something in the basement lab," Squall informed him.
The three operated the elevator and entered the basement. Ouragan whistled and said, "This sure is a mess. So what did you want to show me?"
Squall led him to the place where they had concealed the sign, checking to see if Zell was still on the other side of the laboratory. When he saw Zell bending down to inspect something on the ground, he lifted the sheet of metal from the ground and showed Ouragan the sign.
"Is this what you were planning to show me?" asked Ouragan as he stared blankly at the image of Griever.
"Yes Ouragan," Squall said. "Well, I trust you and I think you know that I didn't do this. I may be a big fan of Griever but then this isn't any of my doing. I was in Balamb Garden when this happened. I'm sure you know what I am saying sir."
Ouragan bent down to touch the black silhouette embossed on the floor. "I know what you mean Squall," he softly said as he began tracing Griever's outline. "I really do, and don't worry, I trust you. However..." He stood up and a few blue sparks emerged from his fingertips. "We cannot let the others see this." The sparks flew out of his fingertips and touched the Griever image on the floor. A white light surrounded the image of the griffon and in seconds, it disappeared. When it was done Ouragan snapped his fingers and said, "That is by the way a new spell courtesy of Esthar Garden's magic department."
Squall and Rinoa just stared at him, shocked at what they had just seen. "Ouragan, why did you do that? That was evidence against the criminal," said Rinoa as she looked back from Ouragan to the erased image on the floor.
"You are questioning my motives Miss Heartilly? I am surprised at you. I thought you were afraid that the others might accuse Squall of killing Dr. Odine when he actually did not?" he asked her.
"Ouragan, as much as I appreciate you for erasing anything that would frame me for this murder, we can't do this. We have to report this to Laguna," Squall told him.
Ouragan laughed mockingly and asked him, "Laguna? And what will he do about this? Do you really think the President will effectively cover up for you? Do you actually believe that he has the power to clear your name Squall? He doesn't even rule Esthar directly, if I may say so myself. Do you even realize that the President and his aides aren't the brains behind Esthar? The truth is Esthar Garden is behind all the development Esthar has been enjoying recently. Our technology laboratories, and not those costly research centers commissioned by Adel and Laguna, were responsible for Esthar's many technological marvels. And the military? Esthar Garden! We train our soldiers to the point that the power of the Galbadian military coupled with Lunatic Pandora would be put to shame by a single soldier. Of course, when peace-loving Laguna took over the Silent Country and decided that it ought to appear as a wasteland to the others, he decided to ditch Esthar Garden's services." He sounded very bitter and angry now, with one of his fists clenched on his side.
Squall was trying to absorb all of the things he had just heard from Ouragan. The man actually hated Laguna, probably because his father had dismissed their services for nothing. Ouragan continued, "And just because he was able to seal Adel in that chamber by chance, the people praise him and turn him into some kind of hero. But what's worst of all, they made him President of our nation. Esthar was once the most powerful country in the world, even more so than Galbadia. We were feared by Deling City, as their inferior training could never outmatch our superior soldiers. When Adel took control however, she stopped utilizing the services of Esthar Garden. The sorceress actually thought that she could run that blasted city on her own! Can you believe that Squall?"
Squall was now feeling a bit scared. This wasn't like Ouragan at all. "Oura..."
"Oh please do let me continue," he rapidly said as he rubbed his right temple with his hand. "Commander Storm was actually the one who controlled Esthar before Adel became its ruler. Estharians are peace lovers, to be honest. They detest war, but they do feel a need to strengthen their military power in case something goes wrong. In this case, that loophole would be Galbadia. The Commander was reluctant to send forces to aid Adel, as he thought that these soldiers ought to be used only for defense. With that, the nation's contract with Esthar Garden was terminated. Soon, Galbadians began hiring our assassins to make attempts against Sorceress Adel's life. We were unsuccessful of course. Sorceress Adel was too much of a force to beckon with. And so the Adel resistance group in Esthar hired several top agents of EU Garden to do the job for them. One day, Commander Storm himself could never take it anymore. He thought that he himself ought to go assassinate the Sorceress. Then, your Galbadian machine gun-wielding hero jumps into the picture and pushes the dratted sorceress into the sealing chamber. Convenient isn't it? The glory of our academy taken away by a man like him. In time, Esthar Garden, the brains behind the machines and the country, began losing its contact with the Presidential council and the government. Soon, we were reduced to sending mercenaries all over the world to carry out some private collector's missions or to retrieve some stolen object. It is so degrading for my institute!" he spat as he said those last words.
"Laguna stopped emphasizing military strength. Development was becoming slower and slower, and soon, the only military objects in development were the guns of the Esthar soldiers. And what is funny is, we found out that some weapon files in our lab went missing. Someone had apparently pirated our work and sold the design to the Odine and Laguna labs! Oh what a joy! He takes away our glory! And he takes away our scientists! Our soldiers and specialists become mercenaries for hire, and the best Garden in the world is blown out of the picture. Come on and celebrate guys, our Garden has become a dud!" Ouragan made a mocking impersonation of a rich man and said in a British accent while gesturing a phone with his right hand, "Why hello, is this EU Garden? Why yes, I'd like to report a stolen car." His voice shifted back to normal and he continued, "Isn't that nice Squall? The best Garden in the world—the pinnacle of military training—is reduced to carrying out the jobs of its subordinates? Oh I am just overwhelming with JOY!" He stomped his foot hard on the floor and punched the wall with his right hand. To Squall's surprise and fear, the thick, double layer steel had a large dent about three inches deep where Ouragan's fist had met the wall. Rinoa cowered behind Squall when she saw Ouragan breathing heavily.
'Whoa! Are his hands made of steel?' wondered Squall as he approached Ouragan.
Squall put a hand on Ouragan's shoulder and the EU Garden commander immediately softened upon Squall's touch. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have reacted like that. I...I just can't stand seeing our Commander's work go to waste." He turned to Squall and said, "If you want that image back on the floor, I'll put it back there. But I must warn you, Esthar Garden's council usually makes the final say on the verdict. And these people are strict. The President can only do so much. Oh well, since you want to..." He raised his hand and began reversing the spell until Rinoa held his arm tightly.
"Wait, Ouragan...we...we weren't thinking. Um, I didn't know you felt that way." Ouragan immediately stopped and waited for her to continue. Instead, it was Squall who said, "I appreciate your concern Ouragan, but I am not the kind of person who would run and hide from these things. I will face the council if need be. I hope you'll understand."
Ouragan sighed but smiled at Squall. "You truly are a noble person Squall. I am proud of you." He suddenly smirked and said, "But since I don't want any of my students getting in trouble for something they didn't do, we'll keep it that way. Anyway, see you upstairs!" He ran to the elevator and took it to the ground floor, waving at Squall and Rinoa as he ascended to meet with the others.
Zell was now finished with his inspection of the place and came back to Squall. He was carrying a machine on one hand. "Yo Squall! Done here! You wouldn't believe what I found but...whoa! Where did that huge dent on the wall come from?"
Squall and Rinoa shrugged and said, "Ouragan...really pissed off about this case."
"Oh..." Zell said. "Well anyhow, I think you'll be interested to see what I found back there."
He handed over the machine to Squall and turned it on. Squall blinked when he saw the results displayed on the screen and said, "Zell, are you sure these results are accurate?"
Zell punched the air enthusiastically and said, "As sure as my punch is strong...although not as strong as Ouragan's."
"What is it Squall?" Rinoa asked as she peeked at the screen on Squall's hand.
Squall gulped and forked her over the machine with the results in English. Rinoa's eyes widened and she said, "Oh no...he's can't! That's impossible!"
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Chapter 26 bites the dust! Um, read and review please. If you have any questions regarding the story (other than its outcome of course), do e-mail me about that. Anyhow, I'm going to work on the next chapter so please enjoy and review this one. Next Chapter: The Palace and the Academy
"It's Griever," Rinoa plainly said as she stared at the image of the griffon etched onto the floor. Both of them had been expecting so see a silhouette of the black eagle. However, seeing the Griever head burnt onto the metal was a very big surprise—especially for Squall.
"I...I don't believe it," Squall murmured as he knelt on the floor mesmerized by the Griever image.
"Squall...did you?" she asked as her mouth was gaped wide open at Griever's shadow. "Did you kill Dr. Odine?"
Squall looked at her, bewildered at what he had just heard from his love. "No! I didn't kill him! I was in Garden when this happened!"
Rinoa's body felt like lead. The only person she knew who bore the Griever symbol was Squall, and to this in the scene of the crime was all too much for her. "But who Squall? Who could have done this? I mean, of course you didn't do it but...Hyne! This all seems so scary. I want to believe you, yet there it is..." she said, dumbfounded by the image of the winged lion.
Squall stood up and put his hands on Rinoa's shoulders. He whirled her around to face him and firmly said, "Rinoa, as your knight and your lover, will you trust me?"
Rinoa didn't know what to say at the moment, so she merely nodded. Squall continued, "If you do trust me, then believe me. I didn't do this. We were at the Garden when this happened. It would be impossible for me to travel all the way to Esthar just to do something like this to Dr. Odine. The Ragnarok wasn't even anywhere near Garden, so there was no way I could have traveled all the way to Esthar."
"But..."
"Please Rinoa. I would never lie to you," he confirmed to her and himself. Squall was close to pleading right now. The only person in the world whom he trusted doubted him, and he couldn't bear the fact that it was happening to him.
Rinoa sighed and continued, "Squall, I believe you. But what about the others? What will they think when they see this? They might accuse you as a killer and I don't know what to do Squall. I mean, I can't just erase this with my magic. I could but it is evidence against the killer. Squall..."
Squall couldn't take it anymore so he took her into his arms and hugged her, wrapping his arms around her waist so tightly that it seemed like he was going to break it. "Please don't abandon me Rinoa. I...I...I can't live without you. Please trust me," he pleaded.
Rinoa whispered into his ear, "I love you Squall, and I'll never leave you. But I don't know what to do for the time being. I may have magic, but I cannot force people to believe that you weren't responsible for this. But I do trust you." She lovingly hugged him and caressed his spine.
Squall let go and asked her, "What are we going to do now?" For the first time in his life, Squall Leonhart was unsure of what to do. Most of the time, he daringly leapt into the battlefield with a perfect strategy that would bring them certain victory. This time however, he felt like he was between a rock and a hard place. With nowhere to run, he felt like he was trapped. No one had ever framed him before—except Seifer perhaps when they were still at war in school. Squall felt betrayed and alone.
"What about Ouragan? I'm sure he will trust you. I'm absolutely certain that he won't doubt you. Why don't we ask him?" she suggested.
"Hey Squall! Rinoa! Look at what I found here!" Zell shouted from the other side of the lab.
"We'll decide what we ought to do later. I think Zell's on to something," Squall told her. He was worried. This framing might have enough weight to put him in jail—and to separate him from Rinoa. He dreaded the thought, and so he decided that he and Rinoa should keep mum about this find for the time being.
"Squall, look at this!" Zell told him when he finally got there. "I found a camera here on this side of the lab, but the mechanism's totally busted. I mean, it's more like it has melted into black metal goo if you ask me. But I was able to find some tape and play it back on this device." Zell lifted one of the fine instruments Kiros had lent them earlier and put the spool of film into one of the hooks. After a few tweaks here and there plus some pushes of the button, the film began rolling and a computer generated hologram appeared in the air. Odine was alone in the laboratory, praising his demented experiments as usual. He had just finished mixing a few chemicals when a tall, imposing figure appeared behind him. After speaking with the person for a few minutes, claws were inserted into his bowels and the figure began twisting them around, masticating and shredding his innards like ribbons. Pools of blood fell onto the floor.
"Gosh, it's a miracle that he survived," whispered Zell as he looked at the gore displayed in the hologram. The figure retracted its claws from the doctor's belly and began casting spells around the lab, from Thundagas to Apocalypses and Ultimas. In seconds, the lab was destroyed, but luckily for Odine, he had hid behind the figure, so the final Ultima spell that wrecked the lab didn't touch him. At that point, it was just static, so they assumed that this was the part where the camera was ravaged by the energy of the criminal's magic.
Squall looked at the device Zell was holding and an idea popped into his head. "Zell, remember that chemical Odine was working on?"
"Yup Squall! So what about the chemical? I'm sure the fire had evaporated all of it by this time," he told the commander.
"What if there's a pool of that lying elsewhere in the lab? Or maybe a stain of the substance? Maybe we can inspect it. I want to know what Dr. Odine was working on," he said.
Zell put the tape reading device back into his bag and pulled out a little square box that had an opening where liquids could be inserted. "Well, this baby has to be good enough to examine and read the chemical composition of that stuff. I'll go look for it and you guys just go back to Ouragan or Kiros or whomever is in charge and tell them about this new discovery of ours."
"And you didn't want to be the leader of this operation," Squall sarcastically said. "Alright, we'll contact them. Just call us if you find some results okay?"
"Yes sir!" Zell said with a quick salute. He immediately began looking around the devastated research area for the chemical stains.
Squall turned back to Rinoa and said, "Well, I certainly don't have Apocalypse spells. At least we have some proof."
Rinoa smiled and said, "See, I told you that somehow something will pop up and point out that my Sir Squall is no black knight."
Squall squinted and said, "Rinoa, no one was asking you to be corny."
She laughed and said, "I wasn't. You're being uptight again."
Squall grabbed her wrist and said, "And you're acting really cute."
"Shut up. I'm not," she playfully said while fluttering her eyes.
"We have work to do," he monotonically said.
Rinoa faked a frown and said, "Aw Squall! You're no fun!"
Squall laughed and took her by the hand, leading her back to the part of the lab where the Griever image was etched on the floor. "But one thing still puzzles me."
"What?" she asked.
"Who else uses the Griever symbol?" he wondered aloud as he placed a few sheets of metal over the image.
---------------------------
Squall and Rinoa used the lift to go back up to the main level of Odine's lab. Upon arrival, they both immediately began looking for Ouragan until Rinoa bumped into him inside the room where Ellone was once held captive as a child.
"Ouragan! Thank goodness we found you!" Rinoa panted as she held on to her knees for support.
"What is it Rinoa? You found something?" he asked the young woman. Rinoa looked up at the 6'5" giant in front of her and saw Quistis and Seifer inspecting a bunch of stuff out of the corner of her eye. "Good thing they're getting along. I guess that frog thing...oops! Ouragan...I forgot about him!"
"Um, I think Squall wants to show you something down there," she said as she regained her posture. "Squall! I found him!" she called out when she found Squall running around the second floor looking for Ouragan. Squall immediately ran to them both.
"Squall, you were looking for me."
"Yes Ouragan, I believe I may have found something in the basement lab," Squall informed him.
The three operated the elevator and entered the basement. Ouragan whistled and said, "This sure is a mess. So what did you want to show me?"
Squall led him to the place where they had concealed the sign, checking to see if Zell was still on the other side of the laboratory. When he saw Zell bending down to inspect something on the ground, he lifted the sheet of metal from the ground and showed Ouragan the sign.
"Is this what you were planning to show me?" asked Ouragan as he stared blankly at the image of Griever.
"Yes Ouragan," Squall said. "Well, I trust you and I think you know that I didn't do this. I may be a big fan of Griever but then this isn't any of my doing. I was in Balamb Garden when this happened. I'm sure you know what I am saying sir."
Ouragan bent down to touch the black silhouette embossed on the floor. "I know what you mean Squall," he softly said as he began tracing Griever's outline. "I really do, and don't worry, I trust you. However..." He stood up and a few blue sparks emerged from his fingertips. "We cannot let the others see this." The sparks flew out of his fingertips and touched the Griever image on the floor. A white light surrounded the image of the griffon and in seconds, it disappeared. When it was done Ouragan snapped his fingers and said, "That is by the way a new spell courtesy of Esthar Garden's magic department."
Squall and Rinoa just stared at him, shocked at what they had just seen. "Ouragan, why did you do that? That was evidence against the criminal," said Rinoa as she looked back from Ouragan to the erased image on the floor.
"You are questioning my motives Miss Heartilly? I am surprised at you. I thought you were afraid that the others might accuse Squall of killing Dr. Odine when he actually did not?" he asked her.
"Ouragan, as much as I appreciate you for erasing anything that would frame me for this murder, we can't do this. We have to report this to Laguna," Squall told him.
Ouragan laughed mockingly and asked him, "Laguna? And what will he do about this? Do you really think the President will effectively cover up for you? Do you actually believe that he has the power to clear your name Squall? He doesn't even rule Esthar directly, if I may say so myself. Do you even realize that the President and his aides aren't the brains behind Esthar? The truth is Esthar Garden is behind all the development Esthar has been enjoying recently. Our technology laboratories, and not those costly research centers commissioned by Adel and Laguna, were responsible for Esthar's many technological marvels. And the military? Esthar Garden! We train our soldiers to the point that the power of the Galbadian military coupled with Lunatic Pandora would be put to shame by a single soldier. Of course, when peace-loving Laguna took over the Silent Country and decided that it ought to appear as a wasteland to the others, he decided to ditch Esthar Garden's services." He sounded very bitter and angry now, with one of his fists clenched on his side.
Squall was trying to absorb all of the things he had just heard from Ouragan. The man actually hated Laguna, probably because his father had dismissed their services for nothing. Ouragan continued, "And just because he was able to seal Adel in that chamber by chance, the people praise him and turn him into some kind of hero. But what's worst of all, they made him President of our nation. Esthar was once the most powerful country in the world, even more so than Galbadia. We were feared by Deling City, as their inferior training could never outmatch our superior soldiers. When Adel took control however, she stopped utilizing the services of Esthar Garden. The sorceress actually thought that she could run that blasted city on her own! Can you believe that Squall?"
Squall was now feeling a bit scared. This wasn't like Ouragan at all. "Oura..."
"Oh please do let me continue," he rapidly said as he rubbed his right temple with his hand. "Commander Storm was actually the one who controlled Esthar before Adel became its ruler. Estharians are peace lovers, to be honest. They detest war, but they do feel a need to strengthen their military power in case something goes wrong. In this case, that loophole would be Galbadia. The Commander was reluctant to send forces to aid Adel, as he thought that these soldiers ought to be used only for defense. With that, the nation's contract with Esthar Garden was terminated. Soon, Galbadians began hiring our assassins to make attempts against Sorceress Adel's life. We were unsuccessful of course. Sorceress Adel was too much of a force to beckon with. And so the Adel resistance group in Esthar hired several top agents of EU Garden to do the job for them. One day, Commander Storm himself could never take it anymore. He thought that he himself ought to go assassinate the Sorceress. Then, your Galbadian machine gun-wielding hero jumps into the picture and pushes the dratted sorceress into the sealing chamber. Convenient isn't it? The glory of our academy taken away by a man like him. In time, Esthar Garden, the brains behind the machines and the country, began losing its contact with the Presidential council and the government. Soon, we were reduced to sending mercenaries all over the world to carry out some private collector's missions or to retrieve some stolen object. It is so degrading for my institute!" he spat as he said those last words.
"Laguna stopped emphasizing military strength. Development was becoming slower and slower, and soon, the only military objects in development were the guns of the Esthar soldiers. And what is funny is, we found out that some weapon files in our lab went missing. Someone had apparently pirated our work and sold the design to the Odine and Laguna labs! Oh what a joy! He takes away our glory! And he takes away our scientists! Our soldiers and specialists become mercenaries for hire, and the best Garden in the world is blown out of the picture. Come on and celebrate guys, our Garden has become a dud!" Ouragan made a mocking impersonation of a rich man and said in a British accent while gesturing a phone with his right hand, "Why hello, is this EU Garden? Why yes, I'd like to report a stolen car." His voice shifted back to normal and he continued, "Isn't that nice Squall? The best Garden in the world—the pinnacle of military training—is reduced to carrying out the jobs of its subordinates? Oh I am just overwhelming with JOY!" He stomped his foot hard on the floor and punched the wall with his right hand. To Squall's surprise and fear, the thick, double layer steel had a large dent about three inches deep where Ouragan's fist had met the wall. Rinoa cowered behind Squall when she saw Ouragan breathing heavily.
'Whoa! Are his hands made of steel?' wondered Squall as he approached Ouragan.
Squall put a hand on Ouragan's shoulder and the EU Garden commander immediately softened upon Squall's touch. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have reacted like that. I...I just can't stand seeing our Commander's work go to waste." He turned to Squall and said, "If you want that image back on the floor, I'll put it back there. But I must warn you, Esthar Garden's council usually makes the final say on the verdict. And these people are strict. The President can only do so much. Oh well, since you want to..." He raised his hand and began reversing the spell until Rinoa held his arm tightly.
"Wait, Ouragan...we...we weren't thinking. Um, I didn't know you felt that way." Ouragan immediately stopped and waited for her to continue. Instead, it was Squall who said, "I appreciate your concern Ouragan, but I am not the kind of person who would run and hide from these things. I will face the council if need be. I hope you'll understand."
Ouragan sighed but smiled at Squall. "You truly are a noble person Squall. I am proud of you." He suddenly smirked and said, "But since I don't want any of my students getting in trouble for something they didn't do, we'll keep it that way. Anyway, see you upstairs!" He ran to the elevator and took it to the ground floor, waving at Squall and Rinoa as he ascended to meet with the others.
Zell was now finished with his inspection of the place and came back to Squall. He was carrying a machine on one hand. "Yo Squall! Done here! You wouldn't believe what I found but...whoa! Where did that huge dent on the wall come from?"
Squall and Rinoa shrugged and said, "Ouragan...really pissed off about this case."
"Oh..." Zell said. "Well anyhow, I think you'll be interested to see what I found back there."
He handed over the machine to Squall and turned it on. Squall blinked when he saw the results displayed on the screen and said, "Zell, are you sure these results are accurate?"
Zell punched the air enthusiastically and said, "As sure as my punch is strong...although not as strong as Ouragan's."
"What is it Squall?" Rinoa asked as she peeked at the screen on Squall's hand.
Squall gulped and forked her over the machine with the results in English. Rinoa's eyes widened and she said, "Oh no...he's can't! That's impossible!"
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Chapter 26 bites the dust! Um, read and review please. If you have any questions regarding the story (other than its outcome of course), do e-mail me about that. Anyhow, I'm going to work on the next chapter so please enjoy and review this one. Next Chapter: The Palace and the Academy