Finally the story is gonna start picking up. There should be some real action in the next chapter. I am trying to pull back from having so much dialogue, but its really hard. First, though, I gotta get Selphie, Irvine, and Squall to Dominion. XD I'm not sure, but I think that the story wants me to begin coupling people up. I won't call this a Seifer X Squall or anything yet. They have feelings for each other, but that doesn't mean they'll end up together. I have some pairings in mind, but we will see...plans they do change. :D
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Selphie ran down the path toward the dormitories. She was looking for Mehgan. If anyone is hurting it's her. Headmaster McCain was her grandfather. I wish I had time to really help with her grief, but... "Mehgan are you here?" She looked around for the girl that had been her best friend and roommate while she'd lived here.
"Selphie....is that you? Oh..I missed you so much." A tall, slim brunette ran over to Selphie and pulled her into a tight hug. "Did...did they tell you about Grandpa?"
"Yes. Are you alright?"
"It wasn't terribly unexpected. He was an old man and the last six months were very taxing on his heart. I will miss him, but I know he'd want me to carry on his work." Mehgan smiled sadly, her blue eyes watering. "It's his dream to help all the orphans in the world be all that they can be (1). He was positive that everyone of us has a purpose....we only need to discover it."
"I agree with him. Everyone has a strength deep within if they bother to look for it. I hate to do this during your time of grief...but..." Selphie bit her lip, feeling a little guilty.
"Selphie, what is it?" Mehgan looked at her childhood friend with concern. It must be important, else she wouldn't ask. She hates it when people are hurting and always tries to cheer them up.
"Well, I am being sent on a mission to that town your grandfather was so adamant we not go near....Dominion. According to Headmaster Cid, I was born there and he wants me and Irvine, who believe it or not is my cousin, to go there and discover our roots and to find out why Adel was so fascinated with it."
"Dominion...." Mehgan sighed, suddenly worried. "I really can't tell you much. Grandpa wouldn't tell me. I asked many times as you know. He would just say it was dangerous, which is basically saying nothing. I'm sorry I can't help." She shook her head. What was so secret, Grandpa? Why couldn't you tell us the whole truth? Huh? Selphie has a cousin?
"Its okay, Mehgan. I didn't really expect you to know. He was very stubborn sometimes. I wish I could stay and reminisce with you, but Squall wants to get there before dark." Gosh I feel bad...running out on her like this. Though, she seems pretty together despite everything. She was always strong like that. Selphie hugged Mehgan tight and whispered in her ear. "I will be back as soon as I can and we can have a proper reunion. I love you Meg."
"I love you too, Sephy." Mehgan whispered back. "Be careful. I don't wanna lose you too." Some things never change....Sephy is such a bundle of energy.
Selphie grinned. "You know me." She turned and headed back toward the main building. Mehgan laughed softly to herself and went back to work.
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Irvine looked through the offerings of clothing. "Geez...not much into style around here are they?"
"Irvine, just pick something that will fit. We don't have time to mess around." Squall hissed. "After the mission, we will head to Esther and you can get clothes that suit your delicate sensibilities." He rolled his eyes and leaned against the nearest wall.
"Fine. I guess these will do...at least they aren't in girly colors." Irvine held out a small pile of turtlenecks in various shades of gray and black and several pairs of heavy weight jeans.
"Let's go find Selphie and get out of here." Squall pushed himself off the wall and strolled toward the door."
"There you are," Selphie chirped. "I figured you would still be in here. Irvy is so very picky about the clothes he deigns to put on his body. Vanity, ya know." She teased, then started giggling when Irvine glared at her.
"Are we finished here?" Squall said, and when Selphie and Irvine nodded. "Good let's go." They quickly headed to the Ragnarök. As Squall started up the ship and programmed in the new flight plan, he asked, "Did you find out anything Selphie?"
"No...the only person who might have known didn't share the information with anyone. Not even his own granddaughter."
Squall didn't respond, but his lack of surprise was obvious. They took off and made the short trip to Dominion. When they arrived, he took a few moments to gather his thoughts. Seifer...are you here? Have you missed me as much as I have you? Heh...I don't even know why its so important to me. I never expected to miss you. Please...please be okay.
Selphie turned and looked at Squall. "Are you alright? We really should get moving, you know."
Squall shook himself slightly and headed out the hatch. He squinted at the brightness caused by the cloudless sky and gazed down at the small village that was lying below. Kinda reminds me of Winhill. Flowers everywhere, small cottages...yes...very similar. When Irvine and Selphie disembarked, they headed down the mountainside from the small clearing that they had found to land in. Reaching the village wall, they walked along it until they reached a large gate. Squall hit it three times with his fist.
Meanwhile...
Seifer was walking along the path, heading back to the back door of the house, when he heard the roar of an aircraft overhead. He looked up and saw that it was the Ragnarök. There goes my nap. I guess I should go greet them. I doubt anyone else will. Hmm....should tell Dillon first though. I'm sure he'll wanna go with. He headed into the house and called out, "Dillon?"
"Yes, Seifer."
"I just saw a very familiar aircraft go by. We are about to have guests. I'm going to go....see who it is. Do you wanna join me?" he said with a slight smirk, perfectly sure of the answer.
"Naturally. I want to see if Irvine is among them. Besides, there is good reason to believe that you might have difficulties with the others here if I don't go." Dillon lips twitched. They are all scared of their own shadows anymore. Most haven't left the village's walls since long before the war seventeen years ago. He watched silently as Seifer grabbed his gunblade. Curious, does he think he'll need it? I suppose he might if they aren't here for...friendly reasons. They walked quickly through the village to the main gate and waited. A short while later they heard three loud bangs on the gate. Seifer motioned for Dillon to open it. Dillon smiled and obeyed the silent request.
The gate slowly opened with a loud creak and Seifer walked through it, apparent confidence seeping from every pore. "Well, well, well...looky who's come to play. If it isn't Puberty Boy. Did ya miss me?"
Squall saw that Seifer had his Hyperion out and at the ready. He let a brief smirk cross his face. "Miss your ugly face? Never." He braced himself just in case Seifer attacked.
"Seifer that is enough." Dillon said firmly. "Hello, what can I do to help you, young man."
Squall blinked at the sight that greeted him. He didn't know what to think. By Hyne...he looks... "Are you Seifer's father?"
Dillon started laughing and said, "No, I'm his uncle. I take it you know my nephew well?"
"Uncle?" Irvine whispered, his face paling slightly.
"Why...hello, Irvine." Seifer said with a mocking laugh. "Guess what I just found out, Cowboy."
"So ya know already? Somehow ah am not surprised. Ah'm guessing he told ya we're cousins. Are ya gonna introduce us or what?" Irvine tried hard to maintain his cool, but he was shaken by the knowledge that he had a living uncle. Oh wow...no doubt of this guy's relationship to Seifer...they're practically twins. Ah guess ah must take after ma mum's side. 'cause I sure don' seem to fit.
Dillon couldn't help, but be surprised at Irvine's appearance. I can see the Tilmitt in him, but other than height and eye color, he really doesn't much look like my family. No surprise they didn't suspect. I don't know why, but I kinda expected him to look something like Seifer. Sure as hell wasn't expecting him to be so pretty. "So you're Irvine. We've a lot to talk about. I want to know all about you."
"Ah'm sure we've both got questions to ask. Seein' as Seifer won' do it, ah guess ah'll introduce us. This here's ma friend and commander, Squall Leonhart, and this pretty little thin' is ma other cousin, Selphie."
"It's good to meet all of you. Shall we head to my house to talk?" Dillon said, barely able to squelch his excitement at having both of his missing nephews show up the same day, even if it wasn't as soon as he would have wished it to be. Its been nearly seventeen years since they were lost to us. I wonder where they have been, what they have done....so much to learn. Thank you Hyne for returning them to me.
Squall gave a brief nod. "There is much to discuss and not all of it is appropriate for every ear in this village. Please lead the way." He glanced at Seifer. He looks tired...and he's lost weight, but all in all he looks good. It was all he could do to keep himself from hurling himself at Seifer so that he could run his hands over him and make sure he was alright.
Seifer saw the glance Squall and the brief expression that crossed his face. What is this...was he actually worried...about...me?
They headed through the quaint little village to Dillon's house. Once they were all inside, Dillon turned to see Damon frozen in the doorway to the living room. "Damon?"
Damon was shocked by the sight of three strangers in his home. "Father? Who are these people?"
"Everything's alright, Damon. I'll explain once we're all comfortable. Why don't all of you go and sit down in the living room? I'll go put on a pot for tea, unless you would rather have something different to drink." They all indicated that tea was fine and followed a silent Damon into the next room.
Selphie and Irvine quickly grabbed the chairs leaving the sofa as the only remaining seating. Seifer flung himself none too gently onto one side of the sofa and reached up and pulled Squall down, forcing him to sit next to him. "Damon, go grab another chair, so that there'll be enough seating. You know where everything is...I don't." Damon nodded and practically ran out of the room. "Don't mind him. I think he's in shock." Seifer gave a small laugh. "This village doesn't get many visitors, hell, from what I hear it gets none."
"I was told by my headmaster to stay away from here...all the students at Trabia Garden were."
"Selphie, you were at Trabia Garden?" Dillon said as he walked into the room carrying a tray with a tea pot and several mugs on it. "I'm surprised that they took you, seeing as you're a sorceress."
"W-what? I'm not a sorceress." Selphie whimpered, her eyes wide with shock, fear, and denial.
"I knew the moment I saw you. There's nothing to be worried about. I'd never hurt you, nor would anyone in this village. This is probably the only place in the world where you are truly safe. Nearly half the women here are of the Blood."
"The blood? What the hell are ya talkin' about?" Irvine snarled, his protective instincts inflamed. "An' Sephy isn't a sorceress."
"You're saying it like it's a bad thing. There's nothing wrong with having a natural ability to use magic. It's a gift and it runs in families. Most sorceresses never cause problems. In fact, your mothers were both sorceresses and your fathers were their Knights. That is the way it is among our people. We are the last living descendants of the Centra."
"Centra? Like the southern continent?" Squall's eyes flashed slightly as he asked. Somehow, I am not surprised. Selphie has always been very good at magic. It's easy as breathing for her. Makes me wonder about Quistis as well...she too is adept at magic.
"Yes, our people came from there originally. I'm sure you heard what happened to make us leave there." he said with sad eyes. Our home destroyed by our own arrogance.
"The Lunar Cry destroyed it...or so we've been told." Irvine said...his anger fading at his uncle's calmness. "I guess one of our questions has been answered. We know why Adel was fascinated with this place and I'm assuming her interest in Winhill was similar. She was getting up there in years and knew she needed a vessel to...move into. A girl from here would have been the perfect choice for her new body."
Dillon froze, eyes blazing...cold anger boiling through his veins. "So that was why she came here...that foolish woman actually thought to try that. I knew she was insane, but I never suspected her capable of such...evil." So, that's why the elders sent the children away...why didn't they just tell me?
"You knew her?" Seifer was startled, until he realized....That's right...Ultimecia did say Adel was from here. I wonder how she knew that.
"Unfortunately, yes. She was from the Listell clan. More sorceresses have gone bad in that clan then in any other. No one is sure why. There are two only members of that clan left that I know of other than her. You sorta met one of them earlier, Seifer. The gatekeeper, Leroy...Adel....is his daughter." All of them sat up in shock. They had all but forgotten that even sorceresses had families. "No one knows for sure what happened to Adel. One day she simply disappeared."
"She is dead." Squall said flatly. "She was frozen in space for seventeen years, but fell to earth around four months ago with the Lunar Cry that hit Esthar. She was revived by Ultimecia and attacked one of the members of our team. We killed her."
"Well, that's one burden we no longer need to bear." Dillon closed his eyes for a moment, sending a prayer to Hyne in thanks. I still can't forgive them for keeping my nephews from me. I understand what they were trying to accomplish, but.... He knew he could have protected them if he'd been given the chance. ...Adel had no reason to go after the boys. They should've been in my care. "So that is one issue dealt with. Is there anything else that needs discussing?"
"Yes." Squall said. "I need to speak to Seifer...privately, if I may." It would be easier alone. I've a feeling he might react...strongly.
Seifer began to get nervous and even a bit scared. "There ain't nothing that can't be said in front of my family. Just spit it out." Oh Hyne...here it comes. He's gonna tell me their gonna turn me in.
Squall sighed. Dammit, Seifer "Very well. I've a message from the President of Esthar. He's offering you asylum." At my request...he trusts that I know you. I-I told him that you were innocent.
Seifer jaw dropped. His shock was complete. "You're fucking kidding me, right? Like I'm gonna believe that load of shit." Seifer stood and stalked out of the room heading once again for the garden. I wasn't expecting that...I-I thought for sure they were here to...to....take me to prison.
Squall hissed softly in frustration. I knew he'd react this way. I guess I'll just have to convince him. Dammit...he should knows well enough by now that I'd never kid about something like this. "I'm gonna follow him. Please give us some time alone." Everyone nodded, the silence in the room complete.
TBC
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Sorry this story is gonna be so long but hard as I try I can't seem to shorten it much. Oh yes...as to the (1) I borrowed from the Army Reserve slogan xD. I don't own that or anything else you recognize.