Chapter 5 – Shock
The trip to Timber was fairly uneventful. After leaving the Great Plains for the Monterosa Plateau, ducking quickly through the Yaulny Canyon, the beautiful forests of Timber began to spring into view. Soon Angel, Dee and Rinoa were flying through the forests, their car hurtling down the empty road.
The most action they had seen was at the Gardens as they'd whipped past them, Rinoa's foot firmly planted on the accelerator. They had no time for a pit-stop, especially now, but Dee and Angel still craned out of the car to watch the flurry of movement within the facilities. People were rushing about between the two Gardens, the bodies already being taken out of both of them for 'processing'. Galbadia Garden was the biggest of all the Gardens, but with Balamb next to them, it was pandemonium as all the women of both Gardens tried to figure out what to do.
The girls talked little as Rinoa drove, half because they didn't know what to say, half because Rinoa was driving like a maniac. Any cars still on the road she swerved violently to avoid, the engine roaring as she shifted gears almost as mechanically as the car itself, like she was a part of it. Some of the cars were nothing more then burning wrecks, men driving places, trucks overturned on the side of the road, cars rolled to a stop on the side of the road, smashed into lamp-posts or walls...
What was there to say? Even Rinoa, determined as she was, stole a glance back to Balamb Garden in the rear vision mirror as they rushed past, the massive structure growing smaller and smaller as they sped forward. They all knew what was going on in each others heads – why? And, if not why...
They passed another car, this one with a woman sitting beside it, her dead husband in her arms, still holding him even after so long. A few SeeD students, sent down the road to look for any survivors, stood beside the wreckage, one talking into the radio the other carried on her back as the third crouched beside the woman, rubbing her back and speaking to her. The woman didn't look up until the car screamed past her, her hair whipping up with the wind, two faces peering back at her and getting sucked into those desolate eyes...
...When?
Rinoa suddenly switched on the radio. The usual sound of music was replaced by a female voice, talking in a calm, clear voice.
"Attention all residents of Galbadia. The cause of this epidemic is still unknown. If you have a male family member or friend who has been incapacitated by this illness, please take them to the nearest hospital, community centre or Garden. All deceased must be laid outside their house of residence for pickup. Failure to comply will risk the spread of disease. Anybody unwilling to relinquish their deceased may be forced to do so – repeat, anybody unwilling to relinquish their deceased may be for -"
Rinoa's slender finger stabbed onto the CD button, a CD loading from the stacker within the trunk of the Garden Car, playing something blissfully inane.
* * *
It was almost dark when they finally reached Timber. People continued to mill in the streets, causing Rinoa to slow down for the first time in at least three hours, quietly switching off the CD player as they approached the crowds.
Dee and Angel watched, helpless, as a large convoy of trucks carrying corpses cut across the road they were travelling down, the crowds filling the street parting to the side of the road to allow them passage. The roadside was flanked with many woman, almost shoulder to shoulder, young girls holding the hands of their mothers and sisters as they weeped openly, saying goodbye to their loved ones, fathers, brothers, sons...
Dee spoke quietly, breaking the silence brewing. "Its...its really bad...isn't it?"
"...Yep." Rinoa muttered.
"...Really bad..." Dee whispered again as she watched a mother collapse on the pavement, tears streaming down her face as her daughters, no more then ten each, helped her back up. Her wailing rose up above the other cries emanating from the crowds, possibly because Dee was looking specifically at her, and the young girl let her eyes fall to Rinoa's hair, still impossibly shining even in the street-lamp lights. "...Rinoa, could....could you turn the music back on?"
Rinoa's tresses didn't seem to shift one hair...before she slowly reached over to press the CD button again, some classical music ringing deep from the speakers, the music barely covering the lament outside the car as she pressed the volume button up.
* * *
The deeper they went into Timber, the less people they saw. The street-lights began to flicker on automatically, one by one, as they drove further, the people on the sides of the road shuffling along with their heads down. They were the slower of the crowds, the elderly, people who knew about death and pain. Dee watched as they looked up briefly at the car before looking back down, shuffling along slowly, one foot at a time. "...How far until the train station?" She asked nobody in particular.
"Not long now..." Rinoa said quietly.
Turning a corner, the train station fell into view. Basically just a massive platform that sat in the middle of a large open ground within the centre of the town, there wasn't much to be said about the Timber Train Station. White cobblestones covered the ground, with neatly shined railings cordoning off the more dangerous areas of the rails. There was a large warehouse injected directly between all the little shops which surrounded the square where the trains and carriages were stored and repaired, and it was this that Rinoa aimed for. Driving up onto the empty walkway, the car roared across the open square before screeching to a halt before the massive warehouse doors, large treated red oak monoliths which kept vandals and hoodlums out of the train-yard.
Everybody got out of the car, Rinoa pressing her door shut as Dee leapt out of the back beside her. The raven-haired sorceress looked to the other girls. "Just give me a minute. There's still some freedom fighters floating around, and I need to make sure the coast is clear." With that, she walked towards the big doors, specifically to a smaller door built into the bottom of the left near the centre, and knocked on it haphazardly, as if knocking out a code.
She stood back and waited, crossing her arms under her chest as she did. Dee looked over to Angel. "...I thought that Timber was its own place now. Daddy said that it had its independence or something."
Angel nodded. "It does...but a lot of Galbadians think it was a bad idea for President Justice to give them back their independence. Galbadians are...a very opinionated people, and as such make...a lot of disagreements with the world. In general."
"Well, if the people didn't like the President giving independence away, why did they vote him into office?"
"...That another story. The President before President Justice was just as opinionated as the Galbadian people were, but...well, its like when your father and Irvine talk about cars. Its a subject they both like, but they both have different opinions about them, and they can have quite heated...discussions about them. And you know what happens then?"
"Daddy helps Uncle Irvine eats his ammunition."
"Yes." Angel said, nodding with an embarrassed smile at the memory as it played out again in her mind. "...Yes he does."
As this discussion played out, Rinoa waited impatiently by the door, chewing on her bottom lip as she tapped her foot. Men were dying all over the world and she was following procedure. A part of her wanted to bust the door down, but she knew this woman – if she did something like that she'd never get what she wanted.
She went to try the secret knock again, raising her fist to start rapping it against the door again – before the door opened, slowly, a large woman standing behind it with one beefy hand gripping the door-knob tightly. She was tall, over seven feet tall, muscular, with a thick neck and gigantic biceps. White hair surrounded her dirty face, smeared with dust and grease, some of which had ingrained themselves into the crows-feet around her eyes, which were grey like stone. She looked like an angry slab of oestrogen-fuelled meat, and as she looked down to Rinoa recognition glinted within her flinty eyes. "...Little Rin?"
"Hi Heidi." Rinoa said with a smile and a wave. "Can we come in?" She half-turned and waved her hand over to Dee and Angel, who both looked up at the woman with open mouths. "We need to check some stuff out on the train cameras."
"About the men all dying?" Heidi asked, gripping the edge of the door with her free hand for a moment as she looked down to the raven-haired sorceresses with awe – before opening the door fully, standing aside to wave them in. "Then please, come in!"
Rinoa turned and beckoned Dee and Angel to her quickly as Heidi turned and disappeared into the warehouse. Rinoa spoke through clenched teeth, lifting her hand to shield her mouth from the massive woman as she muttered to the girls. "Heidi's guarded the train station against Galbaidian invaders for longer then anybody cares to remember, and she gets offended easily if you don't show her respect because of it, so be careful of what you say to her or do around her."
Dee and Angel both nodded in unison. "I wouldn't wanna get on her bad side..." Dee whispered as she looked about the train-yard, marvelling at the gigantic open space. The trains were all lined up neatly on the other end of the warehouse, some in the middle of maintenance, others just sitting and waiting to be put onto the tracks. Directly in the centre of the yard was a small building, the structure seeming to have been erected from scraps from discarded trains – the walls were made of the train's side panels, the railings were from the train's safety railing, the steps leading up to the door were made of small sections of train-track, all placed up upon one another. It was quite a bizarre sight, made even more-so when Heidi pushed the door open with a bang, a small tray with several cups of steaming liquid resting upon it held in her gigantic hand. She gingerly walked down the train-track, carrying the tray before her as she approached the SeeDs and presented them with the tray's contents.
"Cup of tea?"
The girls all smiled politely, each taking one of the teacups and holding onto the saucer beneath it as well. Rinoa accepted her tea with a small thank you before speaking up as Heidi straighted up. "Er, Heidi, about the cameras...?"
"The computers are booting up, dear." Heidi said in her booming voice. "They'll be ready in a minute. You all look quite frazzled, though, so drink up! It'll make you feel better."
"Thank-you very much..." Angel said politely, sipping at her tea.
"May I have one of those biscuits?" Dee asked, looking down at the assortment of cookies that had been spread onto the tray.
"Help yourself to as many as you want, dear." Heidi replied with a smile, the walls only shaking slightly.
Dee grabbed a handful and began to munch on them, her chewing loud against the silence that followed. Angel sipped her tea and looked about the train-yard, Rinoa obviously trying to keep her impatience in check as she gulped her tea noisily, downing it all within the span of a few seconds, clattering the cup against the saucer as she placed it back against the tray. "Boy, I really needed that! Now, the cameras..."
"Would you like another, dear?" Heidi said, cutting her off almost expertly, looking down at her expectantly.
Rinoa sighed, a hint of irritation peppering her reluctant "Yes please.", to which Heidi placed her hands together with glee and walked back into the shack, shutting the door behind her gently. Dee placed her cup down against the saucer and poked Rinoa in the rib.
"Oi, why cant we see the cameras yet?"
"Because," Rinoa growled, crossing her arms under her chest, "If we barge around acting like we own the place, Heidi's kill-sense will kick in and we'll get pummelled. Like I said, she kept the Galbadian invaders off the train lines all by herself for a very long time – she's like a steroid-abusing Behemoth on pure crack when she fights, but as meek as a kitten when normal."
"Wow." Dee breathed. "Impressive."
"She seems to be taking everything in stride fairly well as well..." Angel said.
"Well, its probably the medication, but she's also a raging..." Rinoa stopped herself, glancing to Dee before looking to Angel a little sheepishly. "...Well, you know."
"Know what?" Dee asked, chewing noisily on a biscuit, looking back and forth from Angel to Rinoa.
Rinoa sighed, placing her palm to her face. "You're gonna make me say it...you know, she's into batting for the other team."
A blank face met Rinoa's gaze. "Shes a friend of dorothy? Interested in wheelbarrows? On the other bus? She drinks from the furry cup!"
Angel began to laugh out loud, unable to hold in her chuckles as Dee looked from the exasperated Rinoa to the hysterical Angel in oblivious confusion. "What cup? This one? I don't get it..."
"Ah forget about it..." Rinoa said dismissively, waving her hand at Dee in exasperation. Angel turned away then, placing a hand to her mouth, trying to surpress her laughter...but for some reason she couldn't. She was compelled to laugh, her laughter beginning to become more erratic, her eyes wide as she fought to control herself, but found herself unable to. Her eyes darted to Rinoa and Dee, who looked to Angel with their own wide-eyed stare – before running to her side, Rinoa catching her as she half-fell into her arms, pulling her to a chair as Dee jumped to her side. "There there honey, its okay..." Rinoa whispered as she began to stroke Angel's hair
"Whats wrong with her?! Whats wrong with you?!" Dee exclaimed, her voice cracking
"I – I d – I don't – I dont know!" Angel managed to choke out as her body trembled, the laughter now replaced with an uncontrollable shaking, her hands coming around to rub her upper arms, clenching them tightly, as if her chest was about to burst.
"She's starting to go into shock." Rinoa said, turning and hollering out to the shack behind them. "Heidi! We need some help!!" She yelled – before her face fell, slamming her palm into her forehead. "Ah crap..."
Immediantly the door to the shack was blown off its hinges, flying over the girl's heads to slam into the massive wooden doors behind them. Heidi leapt out of the shack and slammed into the ground before them, her flinty eyes blazing with rage, veins bubbling with power as they stood out of her arms and neck, her meaty fists balled knuckle-white. "Where are they dear?! I'll destroy them!!" She roared, all the girl's hair flowing back in the wind as they all blinked up at the massive tea-delivering train-yard security/maintenance woman.
"No! Stand down Heidi!" Rinoa shouted, leaping in front of her and placing her hands on her beefy stomach, pushing her back as she started to stalk about the train-yard. "Angel's going into shock, we need something to help her calm down!!"
It was a complete one-eighty, Heidi's mood going from slavering beast to meek kitten in a heartbeat. "Well, why didn't you say so, dear?" She boomed gently, the veins in her muscles dissapearing as she patted Rinoa gently on the head before turning to Angel, crouching down before her to watch her hyperventilate. "Oh dear, you're in a state! Come now, a nice cup of cocoa and somewhere more comfortable to sit is what you need."
Dee couldn't tell if Angel was still in shock or fearing for her life, the fledgling sorceress being picked up and cradled in Heidi's arms like a child before being carried away, off into the shack, Heidi tutting to herself at the state of the door for only a moment before stepping in. She called out to Rinoa and Dee from within. "You can come in now, I've tidied up. Oh, your cameras are ready as well."
* * *
The massive woman deposited Angel onto a large, plush chair situated within the middle of the shack, which faced a wall made entirely out of television screens, all of which were filming different sections of the trains and the train platform. Behind the chair was a small kitchenette, with a sink and a kettle, a pot bursting full of tea-bags sitting beside the kettle. A little fridge sat on the left of the kitchenette counter, a small CB radio sitting atop it. A door on the left of the wall of televisions seemed to lead into a bedroom, a gigantic yet neatly made cot sitting in the centre of the room. Heidi went into this room and pulled the thick blanket off the top of the bed, taking a moment to straighten out the sheets again before walking back into the main room, wrapping the blanket around Angel and tucking her in tight. "There you go dear, snug as a bug,." She said with a grin before walking over to the kitchen and, taking the kettle up with thumb and forefinger, filled it up from the sink.
As she brewed four cups of cocoa, daintily tearing open the sachets to tip them into the mugs, Rinoa sat down in front of the televisions, grabbing an electronic tablet from the side of the plush chair Angel rested in, the thick cord coiling along the ground to lead behind the televisions. She begins to tap the tablet with her fingers, the image on the televisions flicking breifly before changing – what had been completely empty platforms transformed into a busy station, bustling with people. "Okay. We're lucky, Heidi can only store a day or so of recordings into the computer before it gets erased – we should be able to see what happened this morning fairly well."
Dee sat on the edge of the chair in the centre of the room, looking down at Angel with a worried expression on her face. Although she had stopped shaking, she had begun to go quite pale. "Ma...you alright now?"
Angel glanced up to Dee, shooting her a weak smile and lifting her hand out from beneath the blanket to pat the girl's hand reassuringly. "...I've been better."
"What happened?" Dee asked quizzically. "One sec you were fine, the next..."
"It all just got too much for her, that's all." Rinoa said, her eyes fixed to the screen, scanning for any of the strange Browncoats which had attacked them on the train earlier. "The men, losing our lead, the...the boys." Rinoa said hesitantly, looking back to Angel, a sympathising look in her eyes. "... Some take everything in stride, and some...buckle."
Angel ducked into her blanket a little as Heidi handed her her cocoa. "...It just got all too much for a moment. I'm fine now." She said softly. "...I'm fine now..."
She had been taught about shell shock, battle fatigue, post traumatic stress disorder, whatever it was called in the SeeD manual. She'd even prepared herself for it. She wasn't stupid, she knew it was going to happen eventually....she just never guessed it would be this soon. Now she had calmed down, she actually felt embarrassed – she was supposed to be a SeeD, an elite warrior. This sort of thing wasn't supposed to happen to elite warriors...at least, it didn't happen to Zell...
Dee, satisfied her mother was going to be okay, accepted her cocoa from Heidi with a small smile, before looking to the TV screens. "Hey, isn't that them?!"
Rinoa had been rubbing Angel's leg gently, looking up to her and smiling apologetically, understanding what it was like to freak out occasionally when things got out of control – but her head snapped around when Dee shouted, spying the Browncoats arriving on the platform from a train coming from the north-west. "They're on the Deling City line." She said, looking at the time-mark on the bottom right corner of the TV screen they were on. "That's about two hours before your train even left."
There were around ten men, all dressed in brown coats and thick military boots, each with dark hoods pulled over their heads. Some carried weapons, others carried briefcases – the bombs. They stood in the middle of the platform, not talking to anybody, only talking amongst themselves. About half an hour after they arrived, several more Browncoats appeared from the crowds, joining them by shaking hands and giving hugs. Rinoa fast-forward through it all, people coming and going from the platform by the dozens, trains coming and going – but the group remained, growing larger, more and more Browncoats coming from the northern lines until their group was over twenty-strong.
"There's our train..." Angel whispered, pointing to one of the trains pulling in to the station. They knew it was theirs because of the bows and wreathes attached to the locamotive, as well as the first cabin, signifying the wedding taking place soon. Angel bit her lip in the effort to fight back tears. It was supposed to be such a happy day..
Three men disembarked from the train, spoke to the group on the platform for a few moments, before they all got on. Rinoa noted the time mentally before standing up to turn to Heidi. "Could you tell me where the nearest telephone is, please?"
As Heidi led Rinoa out to the train-yard telephone-box affixed to the outside of the warehouse, Dee grabbed the tablet, sitting back down next to Angel. Pressing fast forward, the girl watched everything speed up, her eyes darting to and fro from screen to screen. "What are you looking for?" Angel asked – before Dee pressed play.
On the screen, Zell came bolting down the train tracks, jumping onto the platform and bolting through the crowds, people being knocked aside like chaff in the wind as he slid down the escalator. Angel's eyes were wide in wonder as he jumped into the Kisaragi, used a bit of 'Dincht Magic' as he would call it, and sped off after the train.
"He was in a hurry..." Dee said with a grin, looking down to Angel, who was smiling through her tears.
"Yes he was..." She whispered, wiping the tears away with the palm of her hand – before gasping as the screen became filled with terror. As soon as Zell had vanished from the screens, all the men on the platform began to cough, splutter, then keel over, twitching spasmodically as their women crouched beside them or stood over them, some shrieking in horror, others shaking them and trying to rouse them, others running to find help. "T-turn it off..." Angel gasped, grabbing the tablet from Dee's hands and stabbing her finger on the stop button so hard it cracked the screen.
She threw the tablet away, letting it clatter to the ground before pulling her knees up to her chest, hugging them to her tightly as Dee put her arms around her, her own tears flowing as she apologised to her surrogate mother, telling her everything will be alright...
* * *
"That's the time." Rinoa said into the phone, Heidi craning down to look at her within the darkness, the two women light only by the one street-light hanging over the telephone box. "Try cross-referencing it to some street cameras leading to Deling Station. You might be able to figure out where they are coming from."
"I know the procedure, Rinoa. Thanks." Quistis replied curtly from the other end of the phone, causing Rinoa to grit her teeth. She listened to Quistis say something to Selphie, waiting patiently. "Whats it like over there?" Quistis asked suddenly. "You made good time."
"Oh, you know..." Rinoa said sullenly. "...Death and mayhem everywhere. Its all quite peachy."
"I sense a bit of friction from you, Rinoa." Quistis said. "This is hard on all of us, you know."
"You think I dont know that?!" Rinoa growled into the phone...before taking a deep breath, waving her hand as if to push her anger away. "This isn't productive. We shouldn't be fighting..."
As her voice trailed off Quistis replied, her voice a little quieter. "...I know. I'm sorry. I just..." She paused breifly. "...I dont know how you all did it..."
"And thats definitely not productive." Rinoa said suddenly, cutting her off. "We need you to stay strong, Quis. You're leader now."
Quistis remained silent. Rinoa wondered if she had said the wrong thing briefly, but before she could ask her if she was alright, Quistis spoke up, her voice a little cold. "We have them. Selphie tracked their progress from the train to the outskirts of the city. According to the Deling official here, they come from an castle that was finished being built about six months ago, just outside the city limits, so technically its on Galbadian soil, but not part of any Deling City amenities."
Rinoa waited with baited breath as Quistis excused herself for a second to talk to the official. This was the break they needed, she knew it!
The excitement in Quistis' voice said it all. "...According to the Deling offical, as well as some Galbadian SeeDs here, its occupied by a group of agoraphobic people who believe that Universal travel will bring the end of the world."
"Gotcha!" Rinoa exclaimed in excitement. I'll be speaking to you soon, Squall! She thought to herself. "We'll start on our way back right now!"
"Dont bother. Galbadia Garden and the Galbadian Military seems to have things secure here – i'll send Balamb Garden down to you. It'll be quicker then you driving back."
"Wow, thanks Quistis! We'll head off now, meet them down the road. We have no time to waste!"
* * *
Less then an hour later, Rinoa, Dee and Angel had boarded the Balamb Garden and were working within the infirmary. As they had entered Dr. Kadowaki had approached them all. She looked gaunt and pale, exhausted from dealing with the crisis for so long. "Just so you all know, the boys haven't gotten any better, so don't ask, and we still don't know what's causing this – so I need you to scrub up and help out as best you can."
"But..." Rinoa started, looking down the infirmary to see if she could see Squall -
"No buts!" Dr. Kadowaki screeched, causing them all to jump. "We are in a crisis and we cant afford to let three pairs of hands go un-empty, so take a body and do what you can!"
Seeing as Zell and Squall already had people attending them, Rinoa, Dee and Angel had to help others. There weren't much left – many of the boys who had held on the longest were the oldest SeeDs, their sweats and frothing mouths swept and cooled dilligently. A lot of the younger children hadn't made it, a pile of body bags lying in the side of the room. There were groups of girls forming chains to take them out to the Quad, laying them all out side by side – they had only just began to double-stack when the girls had arrived. Although Rinoa had desperately wanted to stay by Squall's side, she allowed Angel to work in the infirmary, tending to the sick men but keeping one eye on the women circling Zell's supine form, constantly checking his breathing and IV drips.
The work quickly sapped Rinoa's good spirit at finding the lead. Each bag her and Dee carried outside contained a small child. Dee worked without saying one word – neither did any of the other SeeDs and students who had been assigned the task.
What was there to say?
* * *
For the first time in what seemed like days, Rinoa spoke up as Dee and her walked away from the Quad. "...Cant wait to get out of here..."
"Tell me about it..." Dee replied, her chin jutting out, trying to keep the tears inside.
It was something they would not want to talk about again for a long time.
As they entered the main hall and started to walk down to the Infirmary, Rinoa's eyes widened as she spied someone walking in from the Foyer. "...Matron?"
Matron Edea still looked as beautiful as she had when Ultimecia had taken over her. She had traded in her skin-tight silk dress for a grey smock, her hair long and flowing behind her, impossibly straight. She had her hands clasped tightly before her, her eyes locked to the ground. She was flanked with several White SeeDs, who parted, all bowing before Rinoa as she approached Edea. "Matron..." Rinoa breathed.
Matron looked up to look deep into Rinoa's eyes, and then Rinoa felt true anguish. The pain that Edea contained in her eyes fell all the way down into the pit of her soul, and it took all of Rinoa's strength to choke back a sob. The older woman placed her hand on Rinoa's shoulder, touching her forehead to hers – before walking past, elegant and gracious once more, alighting the stairs to the elevator, disappearing within flanked by her White SeeDs.
"Oh sweet Hyne..." Rinoa whispered, stumbling back to let Dee catch her. "...Let us find a way..."
* * *
Quistis looked up to see Rinoa, Dee and Angel drive up in the Garden car. Selphie and Fujin stood back from where they had been conferring with the G-SeeDs on the side of the road. There were several cars parked outside the very thick, very tall, very shut drawbridge. Quistis drew in a breath as she watched the girls exit their car – the dawn was quickly approaching, and none of them had had any rest whatsoever. "Hi guys." She called. "Gather here."
Quistis, Selphie and Fujin had been working all night, digging through records and deeds, finding out everything they could about the castle that stood before them, ominous in the slowly receding twilight. After they had done, they had helped the G-SeeDs begin their headcount along with the Galbadian military, so figure out something resembling a body-count. Their night had been just as arduous as the others. All the women looked at one another, each noting the unbrushed hair, the unkept clothing, the smell eminating from all of them...
"Here's the facts. This land was bought by a wealthy Estharian about a year ago. He paid in full, no reason given other then his statement of the world ending because of the Universal War and the Universals that were visiting. He didn't seem to be a danger, however, so people just ignored him as an eccentric. Plus, he began to employ a lot of people from the city – it was easy money, close to home, plus it was a bit of a tourist attraction, so the government turned a blind eye as well."
The rest of the girls all looked down at the papers before Quistis. They all looked beaten, exhausted. They dont need to know the fine details. Quistis scolded herself. Just tell them the plan.
"Okay. What we're going to do is..."
She was interuppted by a student, the young girl sprinting up to the group, everybody raising their weary heads to look at her. She was gasping for breath, sweat pouring from her face, her hair in tangles around her face. Quistis vaugely recognised her as one of her students. "...Cara. What is it?"
"Instructor..." Cara gasped. "...Its...Its Commander Squall...he's..."
Rinoa's eyes went wide – before they burst into white flame, her wings billowing out from her back to fling themselves down, shooting her up into the air and away, papers flying everywhere.
Quistis just kept looking down to Cara, unaware of the shock and anguish that was moving through the group. "...And the rest?" She asked quietly, almost reassigning herself to the news.
Cara looked up to her from where she was leaning on her haunches, still gasping for air – before shaking her head and letting her face drop. "...And the rest."
* * *
Wow, finally got this one out. Thank you for all your patience and support. I apologise for any spelling or grammer errors, and I hope to update again soon. How is my drama? Its been so long i think i might have forgotten to write!!