II - Omens In Light
Balamb woke many days later. He was staring at an unfamiliar ceiling in an unfamiliar room that smelled like blood and medicines. He didn't even have to look around to know that he was lying in the Shinra Infirmary. This is where he had come for the injections, and the only room that would, or even could, treat his wounds.
"Are you all right?" Luther asked. Balamb lifted his head to see his comrade, bruised and bandaged from head to toe sitting in a chair at the foot of the bed. Balamb didn't remember much, but he was sure that Luther wasn't heavily wounded when they began their retreat from the Wutai.
"I'm well." Balamb replied. "How long have I been here?"
"Almost two weeks." Luther said. "I was starting to think that you wouldn't wake." Luther chuckled to himself and stared blankly at the floor in deep thoughts. Luther explained to Balamb how the Wutai had been more battle-ready. It was likely that most of the men in the Wutai continent had been sent to invade Midgar. "They send more everyday." Luther continued. "They send men… materia… weapons… we can't win this war…"
Balamb swung his legs over the bed so he could stand, but he still felt weak, so he only sat. A sudden daze came over him as he recalled the night in the grassy plains where Jupiter was supposed to be built. The sight of the leather clad soldier still haunted his mind. Balamb somehow recognized the figure, like a brother that he had not seen since childhood.
"What happened in the grasslands?" Luther asked as if he had known what Balamb was thinking about. Balamb stood despite feeling tired, and opened the cabinet where his weapons were always stored when he was in the infirmary. He grabbed his sword, Cannibal, and examined it, checking whether it would be ready for battle against the Wutai.
"I didn't have anything to eat before the battle… I was fatigued." Balamb lied. He didn't want to let anyone know what he saw. He didn't want anyone to think that he was going insane among battle.
"You don't go comatose for twelve days because of fatigue." Luther replied. "What happened out there?" But Balamb only fastened his sword in place and left the room, leaving Luther alone and in silence.
Balamb walked through the halls of Shinra HQ, his steps echoing among everyone else's. He passed a hall that looked out over the continent and saw the Midgar Military preparing for battle against the Wutai. Never had Balamb seen the military assemble so many men for a single battle. Soon, he would be among them on their journey to the eastern shores to confront the Wutai threat.
"Balamb." Ferric called from down the hall. "I didn't know that you were discharged." Balamb stood tall, trying to look as though he hadn't just awakened from a twelve day coma.
"I wasn't." Balamb replied. "When does the army leave?" Ferric looked at him unsurely, not knowing if he would even be able to wield the Cannibal in his hands.
"We'll be sending two waves of assault." Ferric began. "At 21:00 hours, I'll be leading the first legion of soldiers. The second legion will leave an hour after."
"I suppose this was Asher's idea?" Balamb asked, but Ferric didn't immediately reply. He instead stepped closer to the window and gazed out over the army that Midgar had built. The day was without a sky as large ominous clouds blocked out the light of the sun and sullen the world about Midgar.
"Asher was killed last week." Ferric replied. "No, this wasn't his idea, it was mine. As second in command to Asher, I take the place of general." Ferric spoke calmly with wisdom in his voice, like he'd aged several years while Balamb slept. "This is what he would've done."
"Who will be leading the second legion?" Balamb asked.
"One of my lieutenant generals will." Ferric replied. "But if you're ready for war, you're more than welcome." Balamb looked at the clouds building above them.
"We need to leave before 21:00." Balamb said. "It will be raining soon and we don't want to be caught in the darkest mile in the rain." Balamb continued down the hall, leaving the general to overview his army.
"By the way, your president Shinra convinced the Midgar City board members to relinquish full control of any martial services to the head of weapons development for Shinra Weapons Co." Ferric said to Balamb. "We're no longer the Midgar Military, we're the Shinra Army."
The darkest mile was the midway point through the trail in the mountains. In the darkest evenings, it was impossible for anyone to see through the shadows in that one-mile stretch. The first legion had been able to cross the darkest mile before the sun had set completely, but the second legion didn't have their luck.
"At least it's not raining." Balamb said to himself as they crossed the shadowed trail. But the clouds were billowing and lightning began to cast flickers of light along the mountain path. The downpour would fall soon.
In a light cast from the clouds, Balamb made out a figure in the shadows stalking away. He signaled the generals to keep moving while he leapt from his chocobo and scurried into the darkness. Balamb moved slowly and quietly between the boulders that made up a natural labyrinth, closely listening for any type of sound. He came into a clearing in the jagged maze of rocks where he heard a sound but not one he was expecting. In the shadows in front of him, he harked a whisper; a familiar, yet unrecognizable voice.
Balamb listened closely to the voice, and heard one word. "Brother…" was whispered and in a light cast from above, Balamb saw a quick glimpse of a silver-haired figure. He panicked and fell to the ground in fear, struggling to free the Cannibal from its sheath. He quickly cast a weak spell to light the area, but when he did, he saw that he was only one there.
He felt adrenaline pulse through his veins and caught himself panicking. He stood and relaxed himself the best he could before he returned to the legion of men that was marching across the wider paths.
When he rejoined the army, he instructed the generals to move quicker and to "be aware". He spent the rest of the darkest mile glancing between boulders and listening for anything that sounded like a whisper. But there were none.
The rain began to fall just as they left the darkest mile, and it fell for the rest of the night.
End Of Part II