A/N: Hey guys… Tried a new format for this chapter. Not too crazy about it, but it helps with the thing FFnet has for getting the text all 'squeezed' up together. Lemme know if you prefer it that way.
No Ellone-Quistis commentary on this one, cause the groups pretty close to getting to her, so Elle will get her screen time in the next chapter, k?
BTW, the comic book reference was from 'Incal - Part 3: That thing down there', a fantastic comic book series, created by none other than Alejandro Jodorowsky and Mœbius, two masters of the 9th art. I guess not everyone is as obsessed and geeky as I am :-p
Last chapter summary: The group has split in two; Squall, Zell, Selphie and Quistis have located Rinoa and after a narrow escape, rescued her. However, Rinoa managed to free the Lunatic Pandora, enabling a new kind of terror to
A second chance
By: Sickness in Salvation
Chapter 31: The City of Esthar
"Oh, my Hyne…" Irvine gasped. The cowboy approached Seifer, gaping at the truly phantasmagorical view of Esthar City. "Esthar…" Edea said breathlessly. "Wow…" said Seifer "I never imagined it would be so b-"
The blond never finished his sentence however, as the elevator began moving again. The transparent panels moved away and railings appeared. The platform dropped down abruptly and followed a ropeway through the city. The small party all found themselves being thrown down to the floor by the breakneck speed. Edea's hands slipped to the ones of the two men plopped down on each side of her, gripping them firmly. Their skin was as cold and pale as hers, all three pairs of eyes open at full width.
As the platform moved around the city, Seifer's gaze caught the ones of random citizens of the city, traveling in pretty much the same way, only they seemed to be so accustomed to it that they didn't even flinch. In fact, they had caught view of the three bewildered passengers of that platform, grinning broadly at their discomfort. Seifer cursed inwardly as his stomach made another lurch, when the platform dove in again.
It followed the ropeway through a great part of the city, until it stopped abruptly making the small party fall forward on all fours. Irvine's eyes, which had been wide open during the whole 'trip' on the platform, where still as saucer-like as ever. He was panting, looking as if he'd just gotten out of the most terrifying roller coaster on the planet. And in a way… he had. "I. Do not. Like. Estharian. Transport means." he wheezed.
Seifer nodded his head in solid agreement. Slowly, he got up, dusting off his clothes and helping Edea up. Irvine soon followed suit, wobbling unsteadily all the same. The trio's surprise was quite great however, when a futuristic car stopped right in front of them. Seifer creased his forehead, gently pushing Edea back, while slipping a hand close to his weapon. The door of the vehicle opened and a man dressed in weird-looking clothes came out. He cast a fleeting look upon the small group, his eyes finally making a stop upon Edea.
"Sorceress Edea?" he asked. Edea nodded, gently rubbing Seifer's arm, to let him know it was OK. The blond moved out of the way, letting her pass. "We came to see Dr. Odine." Edea said, facing the man who'd spoken to her. At the sound of 'we', the latter scanned the tattered and slightly torn clothing of Seifer and Irvine with disdain. Both men narrowed their eyes back at him. Seifer clenched his fists. So far, he wasn't liking Estharians very much…
"…Please explain what this is regarding." the man requested eventually. "Of course."Edea complied "But I would really prefer it if I could talk to Dr. Odine himself." "Alright. Come with us please." said the man, stepping inside the car once again. Edea followed him, and Irvine, after sharing a look of apprehension with Seifer, stepped inside as well. The blond was last to get in, sitting opposite the man inside the vehicle, glaring at him and accidentally-on-purpose allowing his trench coat hem to slip down, revealing the handle of Hyperion. The man returned the glare and then turned away, looking outside the window of the speeding car.
The brief ride around the city gave the three visitors a much more stress-free view of the futuristic architecture of Esthar. The man who had met them before, gave the short comments on what they could see from time to time, mostly addressing Edea. Esthar looked by far the most interesting place in Gaia to live in. With technology that went beyond any ordinary person's imagination, a market that sold unique products as well as everything else you could find on any other continent and a seemingly peaceful society.
Seifer was looking down at the city from the transparent window with a superior smirk on his face. Scoffing, he turned away 'Balamb's ten times better than that… Technology my ass… At least we don't have to wear flamboyantly gay clothes…'
Suddenly, the blond felt a vibration coming from inside his coat pocket. Immediately, he dug his hand inside and answered the call on his cell-phone, not even looking at who was calling him; he already knew. "What the fuck took you so long, Pubes?!" he snarled at Squall. The man glared at him in disapproval once again, but Seifer just ignored him. "Geez, calm down…" Squall replied in a worn-out tone "Quistis is fine…"
Seifer's cheeks turned a brilliant shade of magenta. Next to him, Edea and Irvine who had heard Squall's voice, grinned at each other. "I… I don't… I never said…" Seifer stuttered, but a look of enormous relief seemed to have taken over his face "Argh! Where the hell are you?!" he growled, quickly changing the subject of conversation. "We're on our way there. With the aircraft." Squall replied. "Did you get Rinoa? Is she OK?" asked the blond. "Yeah, we got her…" Squall replied somewhat gloomily "But her state hasn't changed. She's still in a coma…" "Oh, I see…" Seifer said, frowning "Well, we're on our way to see that guy Odine, so don't worry. We'll get Rinoa back." "Yeah, whatever…" "Oh hey, you should know something though." Seifer said "The entrance to the city is hidden. You'll have to let the aircraft go when you reach the Great Salt Lake. All machinery goes berserk after that point because of the electrical field close by. Cross the Lake and when you reach an end, find the secret passage. Just follow the buzzing sound." "The buzzing sound?"Squall asked. "You'll know what I mean. There's an electrical field that makes it look like nothing's there, but you'll notice a ladder and a passage that will lead you here, trust me." Seifer replied. "OK… I guess…" "See you soon." Seifer said, terminating the call.
He slipped the cell-phone back in his pocket, running a hand through his hair. "Everything OK with Rinoa?" Irvine asked. "Dunno…" Seifer replied, shrugging "She's still in a coma, Squall said. We'll see…" "So umm…" Irvine said, grinning mischievously "Is everyone alright?" "Yes." Seifer replied, arching an eyebrow, glaring at Irvine. "And Quistis?"Edea played along, resting a hand on Seifer's shoulder. It was her turn to receive a glare. "You got Matron in this, too?" he snarled at Irvine.
"We should be arriving at the Presidential Palace any moment now." interrupted the man, who had by now introduced himself as Eric Saunders. This time, even Seifer's look of contempt turned into awe, at the sight of the Estharian Presidential Palace. A glorious building, in tune with the emerald colorations of those around the city stood before them. Probably containing dozens of chambers, the massive Palace lay onto foundations that spread over vast surface, guarded by numerous sentries. The hovering vehicle descended lower and landed right in front of the Palace Gates. All four passengers stepped outside. Irvine tipped his hat and let out a low whistle.
"Wow…Esthar's President must be a real big shot…" he said "So… are we gonna meet him, or what?" he asked Saunders eagerly. "The President is currently… away." Saunders replied scornfully "But we've already contacted him and he has allowed you to spend some time in the Palace chambers to… rest." "That was really nice of him." Edea said smiling, addressing her two sons. Seifer merely shrugged "Could you please inform him later on that we are sincerely grateful of his hospitality?" she asked Saunders. "I will." he replied, giving Edea a warm smile, which Seifer didn't like one bit "Now if you'll please follow me…"
The trio followed Saunders down the gateway of the Palace, leading to the entrance. Once stepping inside, they were greeted by another platform, with which they'd become familiar during their entrance to the city. Upon seeing it, Irvine stopped dead on his tracks. "I am not getting on this thing." he said firmly.
Eric Saunders had to spend a decent amount of time trying to convince him that it was absolutely safe and quite different from the one they'd ridden to the city, as this one bore seats. Reluctantly, the cowboy followed Seifer and Edea, sitting onto the round 'couch' of the platform. He watched Saunders type something onto the panel and the platform transported them inside. Saunders was the first one to step off and offered his hand to Edea for help.
"I will now let you retire to your quarters." he said, as he saw three maids hurrying towards them "We'll discuss your problem afterwards, when Dr. Odine will return from his laboratory." "You should know…" Seifer said, stepping forward "We're expecting another party of five." "I will see to their treatment as well." Saunders replied.
The first maid approached Edea and after bowing slightly to her, led her down the corridors. Irvine arched both eyebrows and tipped his hat at the girl that approached him, ignoring everyone else and following the girl. "You'd better pray I don't inform Messenger-girl about this!" Seifer called at him.
He watched as Irvine tensed up immediately and stood up straight, no longer ogling over the young maid. The third one walked over to Seifer and smiled warmly at him. "If you'll please follow me, sir, I'll take you to your private room." she said. "Just give me a minute please." Seifer told her, turning his attention to Saunders "If you know what's good for you," he began in threatening manner "You'll stop drooling over Edea. Or else I'll make sure you'll be coughing up your own balls. Got me?" "Look at the pubic teenager, giving me heat…" Saunders scoffed "She is old enough to be your mother you know…" "She is my mother." Seifer said, glaring at him, grabbing a hold of the front of his shirt.
Behind him, the maid made a squealing noise, which made the blond let go of Saunders. He turned his heel and followed the maid down the corridor, noticing that she kept a safe distance from him at all times…
Seifer stepped out of the bathtub, wrapping a towel around his waist. The room he'd been led to about half an hour ago was something more than luxurious. He had his very own king-size bed with silky soft covers and a huge bathroom which had given him the opportunity of taking a real bath after so long. He pulled the chain, allowing the now lukewarm water to be drained to the last drop. He let out a sigh of relaxation and wiped the mirror above the sink clear from all the steam.
He stared at his reflection for a few seconds, before running a hand through his wet locks of hair. He then ran his fingers down his face, which bore a couple of minor cuts. Obviously remnants of the fight out in the Great Salt Lake… He sighed once more and rubbed his sore shoulders in comfort. He opened the door of the bathroom, stepping inside the main room, where a small surprise was waiting for him.
His clothes now lay upon his bed, sparkly clean. Arching both eyebrows, he walked over to the bed and picked up his jeans. The maid had reassured him that she would take care of them, but he wasn't expecting such rapidity. He lifted up his pants to his face and sniffed a whiff. They smelled clean to the core and he noticed that they were also sewn in the parts where Abadon's claws had ripped them. He could almost not see the seams. He made a mental note to thank the maid if he found her roaming around –he had the feeling he'd scared her a tad before- and went to answer the phone that was now ringing.
"Umm…Hello?" he said puzzled, unsure of who could be calling him there. "Hey man." came Irvine's voice from the other end of the line "Did I interrupt anything?" "No, what's up?" Seifer asked. "Just thought you might wanna come down to the Hall." said Irvine, chuckling "The others just arrived. I saw Saunders and he said-"
Seifer never heard the end of Irvine's sentence, as he hung up and sprinted over to the door. He'd just opened it, when he realized he was dressed in nothing but a towel. Cursing inwardly and sprinting back towards the bed, he flung the towel away and grabbed his boxers, yanking them up. He hastily tugged his T-shirt down, not bothering to dry his hair, resulting in smearing the neckline with humidity. He slipped his legs into his jeans and staggered to the door while buttoning them up, grabbing his boots that stood near the door. He pulled the key of his room out of the keyhole and slipped it into his pocket, while pulling his boots up during his struggle to get down to the Hall.
On his way down, he spotted a maid rushing along the corridor as well. The gears within his devious brain began to spin. "Hey wait!" he called to her. The maid stopped on her tracks, looking apprehensive.
"Are you going down to the Hall?" Seifer asked her. "Yes, sir. Can I help you with something? I'm in a hurry." she said nervously. "You're showing the guests to their rooms, right?" Seifer asked, smirking. The girl nodded "I'm in room 105. Is the one next to me by any chance vacant?" "Umm… I… I think so…" the girl said, staring at Seifer puzzled. "Good." replied the blond grinning "Now… I would reeeeeally appreciate it if you could show the blonde girl to it." he said, slipping a hand into his back pocket, retrieving a 100 Gil note "Can you do that?" The girl bit her lip and looked around her, before snatching the bill. "Great." said Seifer grinning "And remember; the blonde girl. Tall, with blue eyes." "Yes sir." said the maid, dashing down the corridor.
Seifer grinned and slipped his hands inside his pockets, resuming his walk down the hallway 'Ohhh yeah…'
"Irvyyyyy!" "Sefie!"
Selphie made a run towards the cowboy, jumping into his arms. The latter hugged her tightly in his embrace, then pushed her away gently, staring at her. "What the hell happened to you?" he asked everyone, who were gathered in the Hall.
All members of the small party aside from Rinoa, were smeared with soil, were cut and bruised. Their clothes bore either minor or major rips in numerous places and their faces looked worn-out. Rinoa was the only one looking half-presentable, but her face and skin were paler than ever and she was still deep into a coma. Squall was carrying her on his back, holding her thighs, while hear head drooped down to his shoulder motionless and her arms hung loose above his shoulders. Saunders was there as well, looking more scornful than ever at the sight of the state these four teenagers were in. Behind him, stood four maids, waiting to be given instructions.
"We'll talk about that shortly…" Squall said wearily "I think we all need a rest and then we can meet up and discuss what we'll do. But for now, I want to see Ellone. Where is she?" Squall snapped at Saunders. "Ellone…?" Saunders said, arching both eyebrows. "Calm down, Squall." Irvine said "Let's just get you to your room and then we'll-"
"Fine? FINE?! Is that what you call fine, Commander Puberty?!"
All heads turned around towards the source of the voice. Seifer was strutting down the corridor, heading to their direction, in a livid state. Quistis felt a tremendous amount of relief overtake her and she didn't manage to choke down a small smile that crept up on her lips at the sound of his words. Squall rolled his eyes; the last thing he needed right now was to hear Seifer's bitching…
"What the hell did you four crawl through before getting here?!" the blond said, finally reaching a halt in front of them. "Now's not the time, Seifer…" Zell mumbled, rubbing his sore neck "We have to rest first and then we'll talk." "OK, fine…" said Seifer shrugging. "Dr. Odine is here now, in case you want to see him first." Saunders piped in "I believe Sorceress Edea is conversing with him as we speak." "Right… I'll take Rinoa to him." Squall addressed the others "You go rest and I'll call to inform you about our meeting." "Great. Come on." Seifer said, grabbing Quistis's arm.
Zell and Selphie were already walking down the hallway to their rooms, when a maid approached Seifer and Quistis. "Umm… I'm supposed to show you to your room, Miss…" she told Quistis, shooting a sideways glance at Seifer. The blond recognized her as the maid he'd spoken to earlier. For a second, he thought she'd tricked him into taking his cash, but then he realized that she was just trying to do her job in front of Saunders and all he had to do was play along. Quistis was about to speak, when Seifer interrupted her.
"And which room might that be?" he asked. "Umm… Room 106." the young girl replied, showing him a brass key with the number '106' engraved on it. "Great." Seifer said, snatching the key from her hands "Right next to mine."
He turned his heel and dragged Quistis along with him, leaving her bewildered by what had just happened.
Squall stepped inside the lounge room, Rinoa still slumped onto his back. Edea was already inside, talking to a man, dressed similarly to Saunders. Probably a Presidential Aide… "…That is the reason I am here." Edea finished "I seek the doctor's help. I wish to be free of Sorceress Ultimecia's control."
The young Commander felt someone push him on the back to come through. Staggering a bit, he stepped aside, coming face to face with the oddest-looking man he'd ever seen in his life. They guy was ridiculously short, seemed to be foreign 'Hmmm… Maybe Trabian…' and wore the most extravagant colorful 'collar' Squall had ever had the misfortune to come across. From all the rumors he'd heard over the years, this could only be…
"Zat will be easy." the short man, Dr. Odine, said, entering the room. He shut the door behind him, casting a scanning gaze across the room, seeming to be particularly interested on Rinoa. Squall frowned and tightened his grasp on her a bit, as if trying to protect her.
"We just exorcise the sorceress." Odine went on, his eyes focusing on Edea now "There iz nothing Odine cannot do." "I leave everything in your hands." Edea said firmly. "So, you want to see Ellone?" the Aide said, looking at Squall. "Where is she? I have to bring Rinoa to her." Squall snapped "We need to see Ellone, now!" he demanded. "So, you will take Odine hostage?!" Odine said, looking incredulously at Squall "You are a fool." "I don't care!" Squall persisted "Just take me to Ellone!" "Do as he says." Odine said, shrugging "I give ze permission." "…Very well." said the Aide "But…" he began.
Squall glared at him; he didn't want to hear any 'buts' now! They had to get to Ellone as fast as they could! Otherwise they ran the risk of her becoming possessed again and they could lose her for good. Squall didn't even want to think about that possibility…
"…Ellone is not here." the man finished "She's at the Lunar Base." "Where's that?" Squall asked, frowning. "On the Moon…obviously." replied the Aide, arching an eyebrow. "Fine, take me there." Squall insisted.
The Aide turned and looked at Odine for reassurance. "I already gave permission." Odine repeated "But under one condition" he added" You must let me observe zis girl."
Squall looked at the doctor through narrowed eyes. He didn't like the sound of this… It made Rinoa seem like a guinea pig, open to experimentation for just about everything… But he was left with no choice… It was either that or they wouldn't see Ellone at all.
"Well?" said the Aide "We would need time to prepare before we take you to Ellone. So, you will leave the girl with us until then?" "Accept their offer, Squall." Edea urged him. "You'd better not do anything to Rinoa…" Squall threatened. He walked over to the sofa next to him, gingerly laying Rinoa down. He shot one last ominous glare at Odine, before making his way to the door. "We should be ready in about three hours." he heard the Aide say "We'll call beforehand and inform you."
Without turning around, he nodded and exited the room, closely followed by Edea. The older woman sighed and laid a hand on Squall's shoulder. "I'll go get some rest now, Squall." she said "You should, too." "Yeah, I will…" he muttered. He watched Edea slowly walk away, when a maid ran to his side 'Do these girls here have radars, or what?' he thought 'How the hell do they know exactly when to come?!'
"May I show you to your room, sir?" she asked politely. Squall nodded and was about to follow her, when he felt someone pull him back from the sleeve, looking around in conspiratorial manner. He leaned close to Squall's ear. "Dr. Odine doesn't care too much about people." he whispered "Especially when they're subjects of research. You better make sure nothing happens to your girl…"
Squall arched an eyebrow and pulled away, following the maid down the corridor 'I'll kill him if anything happens to Rinoa.'
"So…to make a long story short, the place just collapsed like that and we barely escaped." Quistis finished.
Seifer was lying stomach-first on the bed of her room, resting his chin on his balled fist, listening to her story. At the same time, Quistis was going through her backpack, retrieving her regular clothing in order to change. She ran a hand through her hair, sighing in weariness as she rubbed her sore shoulders.
"I need a shower…" she mumbled. "Go take one." Seifer suggested "I'll be waiting here." "What for?"Quistis said, arching an eyebrow. "Squall will call later. And I can walk you down to the Hall, lounge… whatever…" Seifer said shrugging, a grin spreading on his face. "Alright…" Quistis said, smiling.
She slowly made her way inside the bathroom, closing the door behind her. Seifer heard the sound of a key turning into the lock. He chuckled 'Hmmm… I guess she doesn't trust me very much to leave the door unlocked…' Lying onto his back, he pulled his loosely laced boots off with the aid of his heels, crossing his arms behind his head. From inside the bathroom, he heard the sound of water running; Quistis had turned the shower on.
The blond let out a long-dragged yawn. This day had been far from relaxing so far and Hyne knew he could use some rest right about now. He closed his eyes, letting the rippling sound of water relax his mind 'I'll just relax for a bit… Until Quistis is done with her shower… Yeah… Just… relax…' His breathing became even, stomach slowly arching up and down rhythmically; he had fallen asleep…
Quistis stepped out of the shower, grabbing a near-by towel and wrapping it around her wet body. She wrung her hair damp, enfolding it within another towel with one swift move. She walked barefoot towards the sink, clearing the mirror from the steam with her palm, just enough to be able to view her face. She tucked a stray strand of hair that had 'escaped' inside the towel and gazed at her reflection. Her eyes bore black circles underneath them and tiny scratches appeared on her neck, face and the rest of her skin, witnesses of the rather grave ordeal she'd been through this day. And it certainly hadn't been easier for anyone else…
Her fingers moved onto the mirror again, nails grazing the smooth surface. Subconsciously, her index finger swirled down, creating a serpentine line onto the damp mirror. 'S'… Her gaze turned to the door and she grinned. Seifer had offered to stay and walk her to the meeting with the others. He could be really sweet sometimes… 'But only when other people aren't present…' she thought, chuckling. She unlocked the door and made a move to open it, when she realized she was dressed in nothing but a towel that barely covered anything. And her clothes lay on her bed, inside the main room 'Damn…' she cursed inwardly 'I should have taken them with me…'
Don't worry mistress; he's asleep…
Arching an eyebrow, Quistis slowly turned the knob of the door, opening it just wide enough to peer inside the room. Through the thin slit of her visual range, she saw Seifer lying onto the bed, indeed fast asleep.
'Thanks, Shiva…'
She stepped inside the room as soundlessly as possible, walking towards the bed to grab her clothes and go get dressed in the bathroom. Alas, the phone chose that particular time to ring, a sound that pierced the silence within the room like a deafening roar. Skidding towards the nightstand, where the phone device lay, as fast as she could, she picked up the receiver, casting a fleeting look over at Seifer 'Thank Hyne… Still asleep…' she thought. "Hello?" she spoke on the phone.
Next to her, Seifer stirred and slowly cracked an eye open; the ringing sound had woken him up. Quistis was standing to his right, back turned at him, speaking on the phone. Seifer arched an eyebrow at the sight of her clad in nothing but a bathroom towel; however, he decided to keep his awakening a secret. Otherwise, he had a feeling he'd be receiving the sharp edge of the deadly weapon he himself had bought for her. For the meantime, he would just eavesdrop on what she was saying…
"Hello?" Quistis said. "It's Squall." came the Commander's voice through the other end of the line "Just called to tell you about the meeting. Are you going to be ready in half an hour?" he asked. "Sure. Half an hour's fine." Quistis replied, nodding "Did you get some rest?" she asked in concern. "Yeah, I'm good. By the way, would you happen to know where Seifer is?" Squall asked "I called his room and he isn't there and he won't answer his cell phone either."
Behind Quistis, Seifer slowly peeked into his pocket, trying to view the small screen of his phone. It was still lit up and a small message appeared on the screen '2 missed calls'. A tiny icon of a music note being deleted with a line was visible next to the time, indicating that he had turned the sound off. He barely caught Quistis turning around out of the corner of his eye and slipped his hand back in place just in time, shutting his eyes again.
Quistis turned around and looked at him, blushing, then turned away again. "Seifer? Umm… Uhh…" she stammered "Oh yeah! He came over a few minutes ago… He… he said he was getting some… uhh… coffee. Yeah! Coffee. And uhh… came to ask me if I wanted any…"
Seifer carefully half-opened one eye again, grinning.
"OK…" Squall said, somewhat disbelievingly "But why won't he answer his cell phone?" "Oh, uhh… that." Quistis said, chewing the interior of her cheek nervously "He… He left it here! Because he's coming back… And I… I didn't hear it ringing because I just got out of the shower." "Alright…" Squall replied in the same tone "So you'll inform him about the meeting, too, OK? Just come down to the lounge room." "Yeah, alright. S-see you in a bit." Quistis said, putting the receiver back in place.
She ran a hand down her forehead, sighing in relief. "Why did I have to lie…?" she muttered out loud "It's not like there was something going on… I mean… Oh great…" She sighed again "Now I'm talking to myself… First sign of madness…" she mumbled, heading towards the bathroom again, grabbing her clothes from the bed.
Seifer carefully followed her with his gaze while she stepped inside the bathroom, not bothering to shut the door this time. From his position, he could just make out the upper left corner of the mirror in front of her. He watched mesmerized, as she removed the towel from her hair, long golden locks falling onto her shoulders. She brushed the knots away tenderly, then picked up a toothbrush and flipped her hair into a swift bun, temporarily holding it up by plunging the toothbrush in it. The top of her chest suddenly became bare, when she removed the towel from her body as well. Seifer swallowed with difficulty, letting out a shaky sigh. Her form disappeared from sight for a few seconds as she bent down, then re-appeared. The next thing he saw, was a pair of straps lined from her shoulders down to her chest. She turned around towards the main room and Seifer shut his eyes again.
Quistis stood behind the wall, poking her head out only, checking to see if Seifer was still sleeping. His eyes were closed and his chest was arching up and down again, making her deduce he really was asleep. Walking on tip-toes, she made her way to the bed again, searching as silently as possible in her bag. She grabbed a small bottle from inside, then glided back into the bathroom.
Seifer opened his eyes just in time to catch glimpse of her, before he saw part of her reflection on the mirror again. He watched her open the bottle she was holding and spray twice on front of her chest. Perfume… The scent soared into the room, reaching him and he took it in with one deep breath. He exhaled almost soundlessly, closing his eyes, letting out a tiny sigh 'Hyne… Lilacs…' He opened his eyes again slowly, watching her zip up the vest of her peach battle gear. She slid the toothbrush out of her bun, allowing her hair to fall down loose once more, only to be swirled up again, by one of her familiar hair-clips.
She exited the bathroom one last time, switching off the light behind her. She placed the perfume bottle back into her bag and looked at Seifer's mock-sleeping form, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. She kneeled onto the mattress, crawling over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Seifer?" she said softly, nudging him. Deciding to seize the opportunity of contact, Seifer didn't budge. "Seifer…?" Quistis tried again, touching his cheek with the tip of her finger "Wake up…" Letting out a sleepy moan, he turned over on his side, facing her, eyes still shut. Quistis sighed and playfully tapped her palm on his exposed cheek. "Hey… come on… wake up…" she whispered. When Seifer finally opened his eyes, Quistis's palm was still resting onto his cheek. He gave her a sleepy grin and turned his head to the side the slightest bit and kissed her inner palm.
"Promise to wake me up like that every day?" he muttered, grinning.
Quistis blushed and pulled her palm away, inching backwards. "Come on." she said, getting up from the bed "Squall called about half an hour ago and the meeting should get started any moment now." "OK, OK…" Seifer said, faking a yawn "Just gimme a sec…"
He got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom, spraying a handful of water onto his face, to freshen up. Returning into the room, he sat on the bed to tie up his boots and grabbed his trench coat slipping it on, walking outside the door of the room that Quistis had now opened. He stood behind her as she locked it, resting a hand on the side of the threshold. When Quistis locked the door and turned around, she came face to face with him and jumped up the slightest bit, looking down to her feet.
"Hey, by the way…" Seifer said, lifting her chin up with a crooked finger. "What?" Quistis asked. Still holding her chin with two fingers, he leaned in and pressed his lips upon hers. He brushed his tongue inside her mouth swiftly, then pulled back gently. "…welcome back." he finished, winking at her.
He moved away and began pacing down the corridor. Quistis was left frozen in spot, still holding the key in her palm, not having moved a single millimeter. She touched her lips with the tips of her fingers and bit them gently, before Seifer's voice reached her ears again.
"You comin'?" "Yeah…" Quistis said breathlessly and followed him down the hallway.
The six mercenaries along with Edea were sitting around a table inside the lounge room, which had kindly been offered by the Estharian President for their brief meeting. The man himself was, however, still nowhere to be found. The Presidential Aides had informed them that he was 'away' on business and tremendously sorry that he couldn't meet with them.
"…So basically that's what happened." Squall finished narrating the incidents that had taken place at the Deep Sea research Center only a few hours ago "As you can all see, we'll have to split up in two groups again. Some of us will go to the Lunar Base to see Ellone and accompany Rinoa. The rest, will stay here." "And do what?" Selphie asked. "Well…" Edea piped in shyly "The matter of suppressing my powers is still at hand…" "I'll stay behind with you." Seifer interrupted. Edea beamed at him. "Good." said Squall "I've been informed that besides Rinoa, only two of us can go to the Lunar Base-" "We'll go." Irvine offered sportingly, wrapping an arm around Selphie's shoulder, who nodded. "And one of them is going to be me." Squall continued, arching an eyebrow at him. "Oh…" Irvine said, rubbing the back of his hair "…Right." "So… Who wants to come?" Squall asked. "I'll come." Quistis said determinedly.
Seifer's head snapped up.
"Irvine just asked to go." he said, frowning. "Well…" Quistis said shrugging "I figured that since he and Selphie were separated last time, they'll want to spend some time together…?" she asked, grinning. Selphie and Irvine reciprocated the grin. "Hey, Wuss."Seifer said, turning his attention over to Zell "What about you?" "Sure, I'll go!" Zell said excitedly. "But I just offered to go…" Quistis said, narrowing her eyes slightly at Seifer.
All pairs of eyes rested upon the blond for a few, silent seconds. He was trying to maintain his composure, but Quistis was more than certain his blood was boiling inside. Why, she had yet to figure… "Fine, you go." Seifer snapped "Are we done here?" "Yes…" Squall said, arching an eyebrow "We're done." "Good." said Seifer, getting up from his chair abruptly.
He strode over to the door and disappeared behind it, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
"What the hell got into him?" Zell asked.
Edea's gaze immediately fell onto Quistis. The blonde sighed and got up, exiting the lounge room as well. She saw Seifer walking down the hallway ahead of her, hands tucked into his coat pockets. "Seifer!" she called.
The tall blond stopped in his tracks, turning around. He frowned and rested his back against the wall behind him, waiting for her to catch up with him.
"What?" he said when she approached him. "I believe I should be asking that…" Quistis said, crossing her arms "What just happened back there? Why did you get upset?" "Why do you want to go to the fucking Lunar Base so bad?" Seifer asked, pursing his lips. "Excuse me?" Quistis asked, frowning. "Just…" Seifer said, running a hand through his hair, looking away. He kicked the wall behind him "Just let me go. You stay here with Matron." "Why?" "Why not?" "But you said you wanted to stay and protect her." Quistis said. "Yeah, whatever…" Seifer said shrugging "I'll go to the fucking base; I don't mind." "Don't you think it would be best if you stayed and led the other team?" Quistis suggested "Since both you and Squall are Commanders, shouldn't each of you lead one team?" "OK fine. I'll stay. Just let Dincht go." Seifer retorted. "Why?" Quistis repeated. "Why not?" he spat back again.
Quistis sighed.
"This is getting ridiculous, you know…" she said, shaking her head. "Is there a reason you keep trailing after Puberty Boy?" Seifer said, changing the subject suddenly. "Trailing…?" Quistis said, frowning eve more. The whole conversation was beginning to annoy her. "Yeah. Wherever he goes, you immediately wanna go, too." Seifer said "What's the deal with that? Fancy him?" Seifer asked, forcing out a smirk. "Are you out of your mind?" Quistis said, beginning to raise her voice. "Am I?" Seifer retorted, sneering sarcastically. "I don't know what in Hyne's name got into you al of a sudden, but I'm not in the mood for idiotic quarrels." Quistis spat at him, turning her heel.
She brushed by him, making her way down the hallway and back towards her room.
"FINE!" Seifer yelled behind her "Have a good time out in FUCKING space with Commander Puberty!"
Squall and Seifer stepped out of the flying vehicle that had brought them to the Lunar Gate first. The rest of them, Edea included, followed right behind. Squall seemed to be deep in thought, while Seifer was still brooding, not uttering a single word. They approached the shiny glass doors, where a man was standing on guard, clad in a military uniform. "Welcome to 'Lunar Gate'." he said "Our staff is waiting for you inside the complex."
Squall nodded while Seifer ignored him and the group walked to the doors, which opened automatically. Inside, they were greeted by a woman, dressed in a grey uniform. The words 'Lunar Gate' were sewn in black on the left side of her chest. "We've been expecting you." she said, smiling at them "This way, please."
Squall and his party followed the girl, when a bark made them all turn around. Angelo, Rinoa's pet dog ran into the room. Squall grinned gloomily and kneeled down to the floor, as the brown-furred dog approached him and sat down, looking at him. Squall rested one palm onto the animal's head, patting it tenderly 'It's gonna be ok. I'll take care of Rinoa.' he thought, somehow certain that the dog could hear him out.
"Are you done there?" Seifer said wearily. Squall stood up and nodded "Lead the way." the blond said to the woman. They followed her down the lobby and into a room, where another man was waiting for them, standing a few feet away from a pod. "Are you the ones taking off?" he asked them. "Yes." Squall replied laconically. "OK, this way." he said, motioning towards the pod.
Squall approached it and turned around to the man again.
"Distance-wise, it's pretty far, but you'll be there in no time. You'll be there by the time you wake up." he informed them. "Where are we going?" Squall asked. "Let me give you a quick explanation about the whole process." the man said "First, we need you to enter the capsule inside the pipe. Here, you'll undergo the 'cold sleep' process. Once this process is complete, your capsule will automatically be loaded into the booster. After that, we launch. You should be there by the time you wake up. Leave the rest to the staff once you get there…Well, that's about it in a nutshell. I won't say there isn't any risk involved. What do you want to do?" he asked, waiting for reassurance. "Let's do it." Squall said firmly. "OK, you need to decide who you're taking." the man said "The girl in blue has already undergone 'cold sleep' and has been loaded in. There's room for one more." "That would be me." Quistis said, stepping forward. "OK then, those who are going, get in." said the man.
Squall gave everyone a casual wave and stepped inside.
"Bon voyage!" Irvine called, grinning. "And be careful!" Selphie added. Quistis approached the pod next. "Watch out once you get there, k?" Zell called. Quistis smiled at him. "We'll see you again soon." Edea said reassuringly.
Quistis's gaze fell upon Seifer, who looked at her for a few seconds, then turned away and gave her a half-hearted wave. Sighing, she stepped inside the pod.
Seifer watched through the glass ceiling as three mall pods sped away into the distance, leaving out a snowy white trail of exhaust smoke. The pods soared higher and higher, until they were nothing but dots in the sky. The blond Commander looked down at his feet and cursed inwardly.
"Man, I hope everything goes well…" Zell said, eyes still locked upon the blue sky. "They'll be fine!" Selphie said in what sounded like an awfully casual voice, but the apprehension was visible in her eyes. "I think they're in good hands." Irvine agreed. "Let's pray for their safe return." Edea said, sighing "OK, shall we go?"
No sooner had the Matron spoken these words, than Angelo howled and sprinted outside the lobby. Seifer arched an eyebrow.
"What the…?" he muttered. "Heeey, come back!" Selphie said, running after the dog. "Geez! What's up with her?" said Irvine, following Selphie outside. Zell, Seifer and Edea made a move to run outside as well, when a minor earthquake startled the ground, accompanied by a distant rumbling.
"WHOOAA!!!" Zell exclaimed, trying to maintain balance "Let's go outside!"
The rest of the group rushed outside led by Zell, only to be greeted with the sight or Irvine and Selphie stunned, staring at the clearing before them in awe, while Angelo continued to bark and howl like mad. It didn't take them long to realize what it was that had gained their attention… A gargantuan, black structure was floating in mid-air, following a steady direction towards… Esthar.
A/N: Just a relaxing chapter of sorts. Nothing too exciting happens, but I've got a couple of surprises for the next one. Till then, cya!
ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF 'A SECOND CHANCE':
As Squall, Rinoa and Quistis travel into space, the rest stay behind in Esthar, only to face a danger like none the grand city had seen for over seventeen years.