Notes: The recent lack of regularly scheduled update was due to me feeling wholly under the weather for a time, and just not being able to churn out what I felt was adequate for my continued work on this story. But now I'm back, despite a lot of business, to give you more.

Hyne's War: Chapter 28

Of all the things I expected out of life, a lecture from Alana wasn't even near the top of my list. She came to find me outside, pressed me about how Nida'd been acting lately. I guess this time it was more of us avoiding each other, but it was still mainly me. For all that she thinks we're equals, she is kind of smart. Noticed everything, figured it out. And she told me pretty much to get off my ass and do something. So I did. I went to find Nida.

He always beats me to the punch. I'll have to give him credit too. The boy sure can kiss.

We swore not to talk about it (though I didn't tell him about Alana), but I don't suppose writing's an issue. After all, this is just me talking to myself, right?

Now there's a crazy thought. I just hope I don't suddenly expect myself to respond.

Nida sighed and returned the journal to his pocket before reaching for the remains of his coffee. He froze with his hand halfway there as the conference room door slid open, dumping Irvine into the room, with an overly cheerful Selphie trailing behind him. As Irvine passed Nida he reached out, grabbed Nida's cup and downed it all in one go, before pulling a face.

"What the hell do you put in this?" Irvine demanded, looking utterly horrified.

"Sugar," Nida said with a smirk. "Ever heard of it?"

"He reacts the same to my coffee," Selphie laughed, moving to push Irvine into Xu's old seat at the head of the table beside Squall, then sitting between Nida and Irvine herself. "He's just terrible at mornings."

"Nothing new there," Nida chuckled. "He's still better than..."

A moment of silence and then Selphie was wrapping her arms around Nida's shoulders in a comforting, uncomfortably tight hug.

"If nothing else, he was a good SeeD," Selphie whispered in his ear before pulling away and resuming her seat.

"Damn good swordsman," Seifer confirmed from his spot next to Nida, turning his attention from Raijin and Fujin who sat across from them for the first time since the pair had entered. Why they were even here Nida wasn't sure. This was supposed to be a senior SeeD meeting, but since the two were to be assigned to him, there presence was probably justified. Did they know they were about to be given an unreasonable amount of power for people their age? They weren't even SeeDs, neither had taken their exams, had been on the track to do so this year. And Nida? He was only 19. How could Squall be putting this kind of power into his hands? How was he going to handle it?

With a sigh Nida looked up from the table and his gaze met the piercing red glare of Fujin's eye. Of everyone here, save Squall and Seifer, she seemed the most composed. Irvine had his head down on the table, grumbling. Selphie and Zell were both all but bouncing in their seats. Quistis looked predictably preoccupied, and Raijin confused by his own presence. But Fujin had all of the still calmness of Squall mixed with the self-assurance of Seifer. It was an unnerving combination that almost put Nida on edge. The way Fujin was sitting there, staring at him, almost made it feel like she was the only one really in control of the situation. More in control than Squall, less on edge than Seifer. Fujin could easily be a leader in her own right... had been now that Nida thought about it. Surprising how many times that was really coming up lately. Fujin had been a commander or something like that under Seifer in Galbadia. She knew how to work with enlisted men, knew how to get them to obey. She'd be his greatest asset in what came next, if she could handle airmen as well as she had foot soldiers.

"Quiet," Squall said, and that was all the warning any of them had before the screen started to roll down at the end of the table nearest Seifer and Raijin. It was time, then, for everything to begin. Great. Just what he wanted. Another long, drawn out meeting that would find some world leader shouting about something between when Squall started the discussion and their eventual relenting to his will.

There was only enough time to straighten Rupio, which once more lay on the table before him, before the screen came alive with not only the same leaders that had been there last time, but also the general now leading the Galbadian military, Minister Seagill, a Trabian that Nida didn't realize but assumed to be their General Rydel. And that didn't even begin to note the presence Headmasters Kramer, Martine of Galbadia and Justine of Trabia, and their acting SeeD Commanders, neither of whom Nida was particularly familiar with and both of whom technically reported to Squall. Even the head of the White SeeDs, Commander Reis Anders was visible in one corner. Needless to say the images of each individual was far more limited than it had been before. But it was needful, and Nida knew it. Easier to have military conversations in real time, especially when the military leaders would be as important for the following discussion as the civilian ones.

"Gentlemen. Ladies," Squall said, tipping his head slightly in greeting.

"Squall, how..." Laguna started to say, only to be cut off by Kiros's voice.

"Let's skip the pleasantries, Laguna," Kiros sighed, shaking his head. "With the numbers we've got here, I think we would all be thankful to skip an hour of dealing with everything. And I assume that an hour beyond what we've already got to do is something none of us will want to lose."

"Agreed," President Caraway said, his sentiment echoed by a nod from his own military advisor, General Rydel, and all three SeeD Commanders. "I assume everyone here knows what SeeD Commander Leonhart is suggesting here."

Mostly assent all around, though there were a few notable confused looks, such as that from Duke Freizan of Dollet, President Loire, Raijin, Headmistress Justine, and the representatives of FH, Timber. Interesting combination who weren't in the loop. The military leaders seemed to be aware, though they gave no indication of whether or not they supported the idea. But to have some of the world leaders, especially Laguna, unaware... This was going to be an interesting conversation as people worked their way through their shock.

"It was felt best by some that others should be kept from brooding over the discussion topic for too long," Kiros provided helpfully for Caraway.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Laguna demanded.

Several people rolled their eyes at that, and Nida didn't doubt that Squall was among that number. He wasn't really sure, busy as he was rolling his own eyes. Even he wasn't beyond questioning what the Esthari people were thinking when they kept calling for Laguna to lead them. But their decision was for them to make, and the rest of the world just had to live with it.

There was nothing to be done for it, though. Squall obviously had to go through the plan with those who had not been appraised of it before, leaving Nida to relax in his chair and feign attentiveness. Not that he really was paying much attention. Instead he pulled out the journal once more, hiding it in his lap and reaching for Siren to get her help in reading the text despite the dim light. She wasn't as good at enhancing his sight as she was at enhancing his hearing, but there were things that one just had to make do with.

Yeah, so I've thought a bit about it since the last entry. The idea of talking to myself is weird. So uh... I'm going to try something new. Okay? Yeah, so here goes.

Nida, I really think I'm starting to love you. Not in that fumbling hands and stolen kisses way either. I can't bear the thought of being apart from you, and it scares me. You don't, can't, know the truth of things. No matter how much I want it, I won't be able to stay at your side. It's the cost of being the heir of the people. Some day I'll have to leave. And the thought pains me. Even if I didn't have responsibilities to the people, to our legacy, to Boyce and the line of succession, bonds outside of the blood are discouraged.

Some day we'll let this go because we have to. All I can hope is that we grow out of it naturally.

"...an obvious traitor who killed a worthless ally to win your trust!" Duke Freizan was yelling when Nida finished the entry. Had he really been reading long enough to have made it through the explanation and hear the beginnings of the trouble? Or had the Duke cut in on Squall? Either way he was likely going to regret his boisterous tirade at Squall.

"If that's the worst you can come up with, I'm kind of let down. I was expecting better insults, Duke," Seifer said, sounding bored more than anything.

"And the other one," Freizan rolled on, as if Seifer hadn't even said anything. "First he attempts to escape your Garden with one of his friends, leading to the injury of many of your own people, then he poses as this Heir thing, he constantly disobeys your orders and..."

"Just stop," Nida said, shaking his head. "You're actually hurting my head with the level of idiocy you are displaying. Do us all a favor and shut up before someone decides to teach you just why it's important to respect someone who risked their life to protect your town."

"What are you even...?"

"SeeD Nomura gained his position through his efforts in retaking Dollet from the Galbadian forces sent by former President Deling," Squall said. "He was part of the first wave of Garden forces. In fact, Nomura was the one that took down the artillery unit to allow further insertion of our forces with minimal damage. He risked his life for you and your people, and you owe him respect for that if nothing else."

"SeeDs Xu and Elijah also fought that day, so do not tell me that involvement with that attack means anything," Freizan snapped.

"Don't speak of him in that tone," Nida growled, pushing back from the table. "You know nothing of the kind of sacrifice he made."

"And now he shows his true colors!"

"Shut up," Nida found himself snarling. "You know nothing, Freizan, nothing. This fight is far more complicated than you realize. Do you think these people are provoking a war because they want a fight? It's Boyce that wants to fight. Him that is forcing this, not his people. You can't even begin to understand the pressures that he can place upon those of Zebalgan blood. The level of compulsion he can inflict upon those with the blood..."

"Nida..." Irvine said, sounding almost worried, but Nida shook it off.

"Compulsion? Hardly. These people have free will," Duke Freizan said, smirking to himself.

"Then I assume it's tied to magic," Martine said, and Freizan frowned as the Galbadia Garden Headmaster spoke. "And before you attempt to talk your way out of that, think about the other strange magics we've seen these last few years. Argue all you like, but I've seen the tapes of Mrs. Kramer's presentation to Deling City when she was possessed. Other than the outright proof suggested by possession, there was the mind control of President Deling, and Miss Heartilly."

"That is obviously not the same thing. Controlling an individual and a large group of people are two different things," Freizan said.

"You're hardly in a position to know the difference," Quistis cut in, shaking her head. "Forgive me for saying it, Your Grace, but you've had no experience with any form of magic, be it para-magic, sorcery, or other special gifts such as those possessed by Miss Ellone Loire. Nida is familiar with para-magic, and has been taught about both sorcery and special gifts. If he believed that the power was enough to achieve what he says, then it was."

"I hardly think that we should be turning our military forces over to someone like him," Freizan shouted, and Nida just rolled his eyes.

"Good thing that your opinions have nothing to do with me. Dollet doesn't have any air forces," Nida countered.

"How dare you? I demand that you remove this man from our discussions!"

"Duke Freizan that is hardly..." Quistis started to say, only to be cut off by Squall.

"Nomura, you have far better things to attend to than listening to this ranting, correct?" Squall asked, sounding infinitely more patient than Nida felt.

"There are retrofitting procedures on the Ragnarok that need to be arranged. For once it might just be better for someone to do something to help us win this fight without having to go through a giant fucking committee concern."

With that Nida rose, feigning more confidence and self-control than he'd rightly possessed at the moment. He took a moment, slow and deliberate and with all eyes on him, to life Elijah's sword from the table and slide it into the sheathe he wore. Finally, with a crisp and flawless execution, Nida saluted Squall despite his injured arm, turned on his heel, and strode from the conference room. It wasn't until the door slid shut behind him that he let out a pained sigh and started to rub at his shoulder. As satisfying as it had been to do the little display of military precision, it had cost him a deal of pain. Not just now either. He didn't even begin to delude himself, Fujin would punish him later for injuring himself just to show off.

Sighing, Nida started down the hall and towards the elevator. Part of him wanted to reach for Elijah's journal, to seek some answers there. But it had gotten him nothing but pain before this, and he didn't need any more right now, not when there was a war to deal with. Not when the only thing he could do to help was take the chance Squall offered him and run with it. The only thing he could offer was the service that should have been expected from him from the start. Service of a SeeD and a pilot, not some poor lost kid trying to figure out just what it was that had driven his love to murder people they had known. People who looked towards them for guidance and protection. Since the moment it had occurred to anyone that he might be this Heir, he'd lost everything he'd striven for in his life. And in the end he hadn't even lost them for some legacy he was even supposed to fulfill.

That was the hardest thing to deal with, Nida realized as he waited for the elevator he summoned to arrive and bring him back to the main level of Garden. Since he'd woken up in the infirmary he hadn't had a single smoke dream. Not a single clear dream. And yet not a single peaceful night either. All his dreams had been either of that day with Elijah and Boyce, standing in the dark room facing the swordsman in red, or dreams of a stone arch filled with a faint blue light. No glimpses of the future, or of possible ones. As if Hyne himself had decided that now that the proper Heir had taken up his mantle there was no need to show the future to the spare son. Was it too much to ask that fate not toss him aside like a newspaper the second the evening news came on.

Well that is a relatively poor metaphor, my dove, Siren chuckled, and Nida cast at her the best mental impression of a glare he could manage.

I didn't ask you,he snapped back as the elevator door finally opened.

No, but it is my job not only to protect you, but to guide you.

And just what is that supposed to mean, anyway? Salamander mentioned helping as well. Help how?

Oh, my dove, I wish I could tell you, but...

But it isn't the place of the spare son to question? Way to make me feel like a red-haired step-child, he hissed at her, entering the elevator and confirming his identity with another palm scan before ordering the elevator up to the main level.

Never, sweet Eagle. Never.

The words were different this time. Different from any other time he'd ever heard Siren speak—which now that he thought about it was still a relatively new thing—different from the sound of any other guardian force. And the strangeness didn't end there. There was a touch, almost feather light, on his cheek. Nothing was there though, nothing around to touch him. Still the sensation was there, and a moment later, after nothing but blinking, he wasn't alone in the elevator. With him stood the familiar and half-transparent form of Siren. The ethereal woman stood there beside him, he wings folded in tight to her body, and one of her hands lifted with its fingers resting upon his cheek. The air of the elevator smelled of a sea breeze in Winhill, and her touch was soft like feathers.

"Siren," he gasped, half in shock, recoiling from her touch. "Okay, this is it. I've gone mad. Someone call Kadowaki, and maybe Veringas. I'm sure he'd be interested."

Now that is hardly polite, dove,Siren said, her lips pouting and wings fluttering a bit in indignation. Isn't it proper for a gentleman to greet a lady gently.

"Yeah, well this gentleman is no longer certain of his mental state," he countered, backing up against one of the elevator walls.

I assure you that you are completely sane, or as near to it as you have ever been. Due to my placement in your mind I am in more of a position to observe your mental status than any other.

"But if I am going crazy, wouldn't my own mind tell me that?" he pointed out, flinching as the guardian approached and again brushed her fingers over his cheek.

If my reading of your mind and history are correct, then no doubt you remember your work in that course on mental warfare tactics. You also learned within this structure to better tell when mental attacks are being used against you, did you not?

"Yes. So?"

When you are actually debating whether or not you are sane...

"Then you probably aren't," Nida sighed, shaking his head. "That doesn't make this any easier."

Few things will, my hawk. Few things will.

"Why are you here?"

To reassure you. I cannot explain to you your role in the time that approaches. What I know of it is limited myself. It is, if you will forgive my saying so, before my time. I am of the younger branch of the powers created by the one you know as Hyne. I am not privy to his thoughts. But I know you are important. It is something I am certain of in every bit of my existence. There is a place for you, Nida. You just have not been placed into it yet. Be relieved for that.

So much easier said than done. Hard to be relieved when you didn't know just what it was that you were supposed to be relieved by. He wanted to ask more, to know just what it was that Siren was alluding to. But what felt like suddenly, like too soon, the elevator let out the sound that announced that it had arrived at its destination, and when he blinked, Siren was gone. All that was left was a few wisps of magical energy in the air that he could only see because he was junctioned with the GF. Pale blue wisps that made him think, for just a moment, of the stone arch of his dreams. The thought was rapidly gone, though, left behind in the wake of the opening doors, and with a sigh Nida strode out into the main area of the Garden. Just what he needed. More mysterious words from his GF, which got him no where. Which answered nothing. Still, they were oddly comforting.

Siren, oddly enough, kept quiet after the little exchange. No matter the prompting or cajoling that he employed to get more out of her, the GF remained silent, almost stagnant in his mind. As if she was resting, or was worn out by the effort of manifestation. If that had been what it was, rather than some manipulation of his mind, some hallucination prompted by the will of the spirit that resided in his head. It was almost tempting, all things considered, to replace the spirit into the safety of the mithril harp he wore, but something told him he needed her close, just as she needed to be. Maybe the manifestation, which was normally fueled by the GF in a battle for attacking, had cost her quite a bit to pull off outside of battle. It could be that she needed his mind as a safe place to recover. Either was he'd discuss it with Veringas later. For now he had a task to see to, whether he thought it would get him anywhere or not.

"Could you pass me that ammeter clamp?" Nida asked, pitching his voice a loudly as he could handle with most of his head in what pretty much amounted to a rather complex fuse box in the Ragnarok's cockpit. Too much louder and the sound of the words bouncing around in the box might have given him more of a headache than he already had. Any quieter and there was no guarantee that his assistant would hear him. Still, to reinforce the request, to make sure that his assistant was paying attention, Nida took the chance to rap his fingers against the side of the rolling board he was stretched out on.

A moment later there was an answering set of shivers as his assistant tapped the side of the board in response. The ammeter slapped easily into his palm, and as he reached out to pull the tool into the electrical board to test one of the wires he wasn't sure was running hot and thus causing a short in the display, he was forced to swallow a shout of pain as something collided with his shin.

Before he could even roll free of the console so he could tend to his leg and yell his assistant, there was a set of hands around his ankles, and Nida was being pulled free of the console. Well, that could only mean one thing. And, sure enough, the second his head was free of the console Nida was greeted by the scowling face of Fujin, and the grinning one of Raijin down by his legs.

"Some people just say hello," he grumbled as he kicked at Raijin's grip, shaking the large man off and getting a chance to sit up on his own. "Or is kicking someone a greeting in Galbadia?"

"SILENCE!" Fujin snapped, ordered really.

"You know, by all rights I'm your commanding officer now, so you really shouldn't..."

Nida didn't even have the chance to get the words out. Instead he had just enough time to brace himself to keep from wincing as Fujin's booted foot once again collided with his leg. Say what you wanted about her, Fujin sure knew how to put some force behind a kick.

"Stop that!" he shouted, wincing and grabbing at his aching leg. "Do you have no respect for the chain of command?"

"NONE," she admitted, shaking her head. "WHY?"

"Why what?"

"Why didn't you tell us what was going to happen, ya know?"

Nida groaned and pushed himself to his feet.

"In my defense, I only found out a few hours before you."

"EXCUSE."

"Obviously!" he said, throwing up his arms in exasperation and instantly regretting it. The pain in his shoulder only flared up at the action. Just how was it that he'd managed to savage his room and not notice the pain? "I got up early to meet with Squall. I only had enough time after said meeting to to fetch Seifer, under orders, for Squall. If you want to yell at someone, I suggest him. He didn't tell me either, and he knew last night at the least."

"But if you were gonna be our boss, it was your job, ya know?"

"When was I supposed to do it? When you came in? Good morning Raijin, Fujin, Sleep well? Good. And by the way I'm going to be a general in charge of a united air force and you two are my seconds? Yeah, great way to announce. I'm sure it would have gone over well. Better Squall do it when and how he likes."

"And leave us shocked?" Raijin asked.

"If he feels it best, then yes."

"Some commander you are."

"I'm not in the mood for this," Nida mumbled to himself, moving to sit in one of the cockpit chairs. It was only then that he noticed his assistant, a young engineer out of FH, was still there and looking positively mystified. Well, Nida really couldn't blame him Few people in Garden spoke to him like the numbers of the disciplinary committee now were. Especially not on board the Rag or in any of the mechanics areas. The only people who did were other senior level SeeDs and the chief FH and Esthari engineers who had been training him in the piloting and care of both the Garden and the airship. With a sigh he waved the engineer away, a chance the younger man took thanks to a glare from Fujin. Poor guy deserved better than that, but Nida really didn't feel like dealing with the pain that would come of reprimanded Fujin.

"So I'm to assume the meeting is over then?" he asked, turning the seat to fully face the strange pair he was left with. "And you two decided to take back up your sitting duties?"

"IDIOT."

"How in particular did I earn the comment this time?"

"It ain't like we're just here to act like your guards, ya know," Raijin said, shaking his head. "We are more than that now. Got ourselves brief commissions and all that. Officers and all that. Which means we're your seconds, ya know? Right hand and all that. Came because it's our duty."

"We're yours to command, even before it's in officially," Fujin agreed, dropping into a more normal tone of voice. "So what can we do?"

Nida smiled and pushed himself up out of the seat. "You know I'm going to have to work you hard. There's a lot we've got to do to be sure this baby is ready for the kind of strain shem ight be in for."

"Goes without saying," Raijin agreed.

"Well then... Let's get to it. Fujin, you're more flexible than Raijin, and I could use another set of hands helping me out in here. So I would suggest going to change into something you don't mind getting dirty. Raijin, I need more engineers here than I've got right now. Get to Squall's office and tell him I need my student crews out of their classes for the next few days. I also need some to shuttle in the regular FH crews, with a guard detail to make sure they don't get hit when they land. Got it?"

The pair nodded, Raijin immediately turning on heel and making for the lift that would take him into the belly of the Ragnarok and out into the landing ground beyond. Fujin stripped off her coat, threw it over a chair, and gestured for Nida to proceed. All Nida could do was shake his head and smile as he guided her towards the panel she'd pulled him out of and started to outline what needed done.

Maybe this would work out better than he could have hoped.