Chapter 25
Really Bad
(Zell)
Zell walked down the hall with the gray stripe running down the middle, on his way to the dormitories. Mindlessly, he turned at an intersection and went down the hallway towards the cadet dorms. He froze in mid-stride when he remembered that Ami was a SeeD now and had a new dorm in the SeeD hallway. He slapped the heel of his hand to his forehead hard enough to leave a red mark and spun around on his heel.
(Duh, Zell, jeez.)
Ami had become a SeeD only a few days prior—having successfully passed the Field Exam in Timber—and although she had finished moving all her things into her new single-unit dorm, she hadn't yet had time to decorate her dorm, so hers was one of the few blank wooden doors in a hallway otherwise crowded with bright colors, banners, posters, and other personal effects. He stopped at the closed door and knocked.
"That you, Zell?" her voice asked from inside.
"Yeah, it's me," he said.
"Come in," she said.
He turned the knob and stepped inside. Ami sat in the middle of her room, amidst stacks and stacks of books. Behind her was a pyramid of large cardboard boxes stuffed full with even more books. To her left was a bookcase only partially filled, as well as a small writing table. Her bed fought for real estate in the corner, surrounded by still more books, with a heaping pile of books upon it, and at least three more stacks next to the pile on the bed.
Zell was startled. He knew that Ami had a massive assortment of books, but he'd only ever seen her collection when it was neatly stored on her shelves. Now that it was spread all over her new dorm, it was like a bomb had exploded in a library.
(Has she even read all these books?)
(When did she have the time?)
His head hurt just thinking about all those words and sentences. He stood in the open doorway, looking for a place to stand that wasn't currently occupied by several books. He shut the door behind him as he stretched over one stack of books, then tip-toed between three towers of books, before finally finding a spot near the wall where he could crouch down on his toes without knocking anything over.
Ami smiled at him.
"Just alphabetizing my books," she said. She gestured at the chaos around her. "I tried to keep them all in order when I put them in boxes, but… you know. Stuff happens. Wanna help?"
"Um… sure," Zell said. He wasn't the smartest SeeD in Garden, but he figured he could at least manage to alphabetize a book collection.
(Can't be too hard.)
"All right," Ami said. "Now, I know it looks like mayhem in here, but there's a system." She began pointing around the room at the various piles. "For the most part, the fiction books are all alphabetical according to author. It starts with 'A' on my bed, going clockwise around the room in order."
"Gotcha," Zell said.
"Nonfiction books, on the other hand, are organized according to subject," Ami said. "So for that, I switched over to the library decimal system. You remember how that works, right?"
(Nope.)
"Um… sure," Zell said. Usually whenever he needed a book from the library, he asked one of the workers there to help him. The complex series of numbers and codes used to denote different subjects had never made any sense to him. His ignorance had always given him a convenient excuse to talk to Ami and ask for help, so he'd never seen any reason to learn the system.
"Okay, good," Ami said. "The point-zero subjects are on my bed too, and—just like the authors—are arranged in order going clockwise around my room."
(Well, I'm lost.)
"I decided to do something different with my school textbooks," Ami continued on, oblivious to Zell's increasingly vacant stare. "Those I'm going to arrange according to year and period. So it starts with my first year, first period as a cadet and goes in order, year by year, until it ends with my last period last year. I don't expect you to know all this, so let me handle the textbooks. Just be aware that the textbook piles have their own special order to them, so don't mix them with the nonfiction."
"Uh huh…" Zell said.
"The books from my childhood are here too," Ami said. She pointed to a corner of the room. "Those are arranged alphabetically by author as well, but they have their own section in the bottom corner of my bookshelf, so I don't want them mixed in with the regular books."
"Yup," Zell said.
"I also have my research papers, my books of maps, my mixing charts, and the notes I took from all my classes," Ami went on. "Those all have their own special piles here and there around the room. You'll see them when you find them. Just leave those to me, alright? You got all that?"
"Uh huh," Zell said. "So… 'A' is on your bed, right?"
Ami nodded.
"I think I'll start there then," Zell said.
He hopped, tip-toed, and shuffled his way over to Ami's bed and searched around until he found the pile of books that seemed earliest alphabetically. Beside the pile was a collection of textbooks. He recognized the book at the top of the pile, "Intro to Para-Magic." It was his first book on magic, assigned to him shortly after he joined Garden. He'd nearly flunked the course because he couldn't sit still and pay attention. Because of that, he ended up spending a lot of time doing punitive extra homework his first year at Garden.
(Bad memories there.)
"Can't believe you keep your old textbooks," Zell said. He rummaged around the 'A' books trying to find the beginning. "Does the library loan them out to your or somethin'? Like, a special bonus for working there?"
"Oh no, these are my personal collection," Ami said absently as she set a book from the box onto a nearby stack. "I buy them in town so I don't have to worry about whether or not a book I want is checked out. I hate being on the waiting list for a book. It's weird. I work at the library, but I don't often check out books. I like owning them, you know? I don't like having to give my books back when I'm done. I want to keep them all."
"Huh," Zell said. "Never knew that about you."
"I've also got this weird fear that something bad is going to happen to the library one day," Ami said, "And all the books in the library will disappear and mine will be the last ones left in all of Garden."
"So you're stockin' up for emergencies?" Zell asked.
"In a way," Ami said. She turned to look at him. He was holding two books, one in each hand, and zoning out. He snapped to alertness when he realized she was watching him.
"You want to do something else?" Ami asked.
Zell set the books down on the bed and turned to her. He scratched the back of his head.
"Well, I was gonna get a bite at the cafeteria, actually," Zell said. "I was gonna ask if you wanted to come with, but then I got sidetracked, you know? So many books…"
"Hmmm, I'm not that hungry, actually," Ami said.
Zell slumped his shoulders. "Oh… never mind then."
(Man.)
Ami stood up. With her hands, she dusted off the skirt of her SeeD uniform. "Well, I can finish sorting them later. Let's go to the cafeteria. Maybe I'll just get something to drink."
"Alright!" Zell said, pumping a fist. Ami hopped over a stack of books and opened her dorm room door and stepped out into the hall. Zell danced his way between more stacks, almost knocking a few books over, then leapt out the door and joined Ami. She shut the door behind him, and together they walked towards the cafeteria.
It was only a brief walk. The hall leading to the dorms and the hall leading into the cafeteria were adjacent, meaning it took less than a minute for the pair to walk there. It was a little early for dinner and not many people were inside the cafeteria. Zell got excited when he saw that there was no line to the front counter.
(Oh yeah!)
A kitchen staff worker stood behind the counter, wearing a stained apron and a bored expression. She was wiping down the surfaces with a clean white cloth. He pranced up to her and put his hands on the countertop and smiled.
"Any hotdogs today?" he asked hopefully.
She shook her head. "Nope."
(There's never any hotdogs.)
Zell dropped his chin to his chest. Without looking up he said in a defeated tone, "What else ya got?"
"Canned mushroom soup," the lady said.
(Ugh.)
"Anything else?" Zell asked, looking up.
She shook her head again. "We're down to reserve rations. We haven't resupplied in days. It's nothing but canned this and canned that until we get back to town and stock up."
"That sucks," Zell said.
Ami tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and looked at her. She spoke in a whisper, "We're near Balamb right? Maybe we'll stop and resupply there and you can get some hotdogs."
"Yeah, maybe," Zell said. "I'm still gonna eat now though. I'm too hungry to wait." He turned back to the lady at the counter. "One soup, please."
"Student ID?" she asked.
"Oh right," Zell said. He rattled off his numbers. Ever since Xu had put the rationing system in place—shortly before Garden left for Timber—all students were required to present their Student ID numbers before getting any meals, to prevent people from taking more than their fair share. The lady behind the counter quickly punched his ID into a small terminal on the counter. She shook her head and turned to him.
"Sorry, you're already maxed out today," she said. "No more food until tomorrow."
(No way!)
"You're kiddin'!" Zell said, taking a surprised step backwards. He exhaled, settled down, and then tried to think of all the meals he'd had that day.
(Okay… I had breakfast this morning… and then I… umm…)
He couldn't remember how many times he'd eaten that day, or what he'd eaten. But the computer system wasn't going to lie to him. If it said that he'd already received his three rations for the day, then he'd just have to sit on an empty stomach until tomorrow.
(Man…)
"You can use my numbers," Ami whispered to him. But the cafeteria worker overheard her and shook her head.
"Nope," the lady said. "No borrowing IDs."
"Aww, man," Zell said. He looked at Ami. "Thanks anyway."
He turned and began to walk away from the counter.
"Sorry you didn't get any food," Ami whispered to him.
"Nah, it's alright," Zell said. "It was just mushroom soup anyway. Not like I'm missin' much."
From the corner of his eye, he saw Quistis sitting alone at a table at the far end of the room. Instead of leaving the cafeteria, he turned and began to walking towards her.
"You mind if I talk to Quistis real quick?" he asked Ami. She shook her head.
He made his way through the tables and around a couple of other students and then sat down with a thump across from Quistis. Ami gently pulled out a chair and sat beside him.
Quistis had a small, half-empty bowl of mushroom soup in front of her. She ate it without enthusiasm, putting spoonfuls in her mouth mechanically. She had a few documents spread out on the table and was busy reading them. She glanced up and nodded at the pair.
"Hello, Zell," Quistis said. She looked at Ami. "And you're… Ami, correct?"
Ami smiled shyly and nodded. "Y-yes, Commander. That is correct."
"First time I've seen you two together like this," Quistis commented. With a wry grin, she looked at Ami. "Zell talks about you all the time."
(I do not!)
(Wait… do I?)
(I don't know!)
Both Ami and Zell flushed red. Ami lowered her eyes and lifted her shoulders, while Zell struggled to stammer out some kind of argument. His words kept getting tangled in his mouth, preventing him from saying anything intelligible. Quistis smiled.
"I'm just teasing," Quistis said. "So what can I help you with?"
"I'm just… I was just…" Zell said, still trying to recover from his earlier embarrassment. He took a deep breath through his nose and composed himself. He cleared his throat too loudly, earning a couple of annoyed glances from around the cafeteria, then he began again. "I'm just wondering what the plan is. You've been really quiet since we got back from Timber. I wanna know what happens next."
"Indeed," Quistis said. She set her spoon down and pushed aside the remainder of her soup. "I've been busy. And as you can plainly see," she said, gesturing at the pale gray soup in her bowl, "Our supplies are getting thin. Our rations are down to only two meals a day and—"
Zell slapped the table. "Wait, what?"
Quistis glanced at him. "Didn't you hear the message? Only two meals a day until we resupply."
(Did I hear that?)
(Argh, I'm losing my mind!)
"Well, that explains why I'm already maxed out for today…" Zell said to himself.
Quistis continued. "Among other things, I've been debating whether or not we should stop in Balamb for a resupply trip, or if it's too risky at this point. Galbadia might be right on our tails, or they could already be at Balamb, setting a trap for us. If that's the case, then going back to the island could prove costly, if not suicidal. Or, if I choose to bypass the island, we may very well starve to death. There aren't very many other cities we could go that would be both willing and able to cater to our needs. It's a difficult choice."
"Really?" Zell asked. "There's nowhere to go aside from Balamb?"
"I've been considering the options," Quistis said. "But right now, I feel that it's in our best interest to stay away from Balamb for the time being and put some distance between ourselves and the Galbadians. Now that Galbadia is firmly in control of Timber again, that gives them access to Timber's extensive network of railways. One of which—as you know—goes directly to Balamb. It's no difficult matter for Martine to dump a battalion or two of troops right into the heart of the city in the hopes that we'll come by."
"So what's the plan?" Zell asked. "If not Balamb, then where?"
"Trabia," Quistis said. "Garden is in crisis, and I want to bring us all back together."
"Us?" Zell asked. He frowned.
"The Time Compression Team, I guess you could call us," Quistis said. "The six of us who fought Ultimecia in her castle. I figure, since sorceresses are so important to current events, we should assemble the best squad for dealing with them. Squall and Rinoa will prove difficult to find—if they're not still in Esthar, they could be anywhere—but Irvine and Selphie should still be at Trabia Garden. Also, I was debating whether or not I should try to recruit the remaining survivors from T-Garden and bring them aboard here, both to protect them from the Galbadians, and to help consolidate and strengthen our forces for the inevitable battle between us and Galbadia."
(Inevitable?)
(I guess so. Martine probably ain't gonna let us go with just a warning.)
"But Commander," Ami said softly, as if embarrassed to be speaking. "If we're already having a supply crisis here, then how can we afford to take on all of Trabia Garden?"
Quistis nodded at her. "Yes, that is part of my dilemma. Thankfully, Xu kept detailed records of our inventory, so I can come up with a fairly accurate estimate of how long I can stretch our supplies. We don't have many extra supplies, but by cutting down our rations now, we should be able to support T-Garden for a while."
"Speakin' of Xu," Zell said. "How is she?"
Quistis' expression darkened. She shook her head. "No change."
"I see…" Zell said. He lowered his eyes to the table.
Quistis hurried to get off the subject. "Anyway," she said. "Despite what the ration cuts suggest, we're actually doing okay. According to Xu's records, we are well-stocked with nonperishable goods. She had planned ahead during our last stop at Balamb, and she realized that there might come a situation like this, where we would not be able to safely make port for days or maybe weeks. It's all canned soup, powdered milk, rice, and beans and so on but it will keep us alive. It won't be pleasant, but we should be able to make it."
"Well that's… um… good, I guess," Zell said. He thought about the prospect of having to eat mushroom soup for a month straight and his stomach turned. "So what's so special about Irvine and Selphie? Not that I don't want them around or anything, but I dunno how two people are gonna change a whole lot."
"I need moral support," Quistis said. "In every sense of the phrase. Right now, it seems like the general student body's opinion is against our ever having been involved in Timber. They regard it as a major mistake on my part. We probably have Mireya to thank for that." She glanced aside for a moment, the continued. "I can't lead if the students think I'm incompetent, and at the moment, it's basically just us and the Headmaster against everyone else. But Irvine and Selphie were always fairly well-liked here, especially Selphie. I figure if I get us all together again, we—"
She was cut off by a beeping noise that came from below the table. The three SeeDs exchanged confused glances for a moment. Quistis frowned and grabbed the radio she had clipped to her belt and set it on the table. It was beeping repeatedly in long, low, machine chimes that Zell did not recognize.
"That's weird," Zell muttered. He picked it up and turned it over in his hands. "Is it broken?"
A few other students in the cafeteria had heard the beeping as well, and they rubbernecked to see what the sound was.
"Attention," the radio said suddenly. Startled, Zell dropped the radio on the table where it clattered loudly. "Attention," it said again. "This is a special all-frequency broadcast from the President of Galbadia. Please standby."
(What the hell does Martine want?)
The message paused, then repeated itself from the beginning. The radio was loud enough for most of the students in the cafeteria to hear what was being said. Slowly, they rose from their seats and began to gather around the table, muttering to each other. Ami pressed in closer to Zell, shooting uncomfortable sideways glances at the crowd of people around her. Zell unconsciously put a protective arm around her shoulder.
"Attention," the radio said once again. "The President of Galbadia will begin speaking now."
There was a brief pause. What little conversation that lingered around the table died down as everyone strained to listen. Quistis nudged up the volume control on the radio so that everyone could hear. A moment later, President Martine's sonorous voice came over the speaker.
"Good afternoon," he said. "I am President Martine Dodonna, speaking to you all live from the heart of the city of Timber."
He hesitated a beat, then continued. "I am pleased to announce that the rebellion in Timber, led by the sorceress Ciel, has been effectively neutralized by the swift and decisive actions of our military. The sorceress herself has been captured and is now in prison, awaiting judgment for her crimes. Unfortunately, our forces arrived too late to prevent the sorceress from detonating a massive explosion from the roof of the Timber TV Station. She herself escaped the explosion and went on to cause significant collateral damage as she fought multiple battles against the G-Army across the city before she finally collapsed from exhaustion and was captured. The damage caused to the city was extreme and the number of confirmed casualties—both from Galbadia and Timber—steadily climbs as we pull more bodies from the wreckage. I pledge to assist Timber in the reconstruction process, and to ensure that the sorceress is held accountable for her criminal actions."
(So Ciel escaped the blast?)
He had done his best to try to forget as much of his mission in Timber as possible. Too much of it was confusing, bizarre, or uncomfortable to recall. He had—up until that point—assumed that Ciel had triggered the bomb when she could no longer fight, thus killing herself and as many G-Army soldiers as she could. But now that the news report stated that she survived, he recalled seeing that the bomb had a timer on it, allowing her to set the timer and leave, rather than dying in the blast.
Zell frowned. He was ashamed to admit it, but he was disappointed that she'd survived. While he bore no particular grudge against her, her death had simplified matters for him. Had simplified matters for the whole world, in fact. He remembered what she had told him in the recording studio, about how she would take him with her if she died in combat.
(Wonder if she meant it?)
"The devastation caused by just this single sorceress proves how dangerous the sorceress power can be," Martine continued. "Furthermore, the fact that she was so willing to harm her own citizens—the very people she claimed to be liberating—proves hypocritical and selfish sorceresses can be."
Zell and Quistis bristled at Martine's words, but said nothing.
(He's never met Rinoa or Matron.)
"Citizens of Galbadia," Martine said. "Citizens of the world. We have seen this disaster unfold time and time again in our shared past. Sorceress Adel. Sorceress Edea. And now, sadly, the name Sorceress Ciel will be forever burned into our collective unconsciousness. I refuse to stand by and allow more names to be added to this list of tyrants and murderers.
"It is with this in mind that I ask the nations of the world to assist me in capturing and detaining any and all known sorceresses," Martine said. "We cannot allow the tragedy in Timber to be repeated in other cities around the world."
The cluster of students around the table began to murmur. Quistis shushed them and turned up the volume on the radio.
"In our investigations, we have uncovered the identity of one confirmed sorceress," Martine said. "Her name is Rinoa Heartilly."
Zell sucked in a breath.
(He knows about Rinoa?)
The muttering around the table broke out again. Once more, Quistis called for silence, but the students were slow to comply. Zell, frustrated by the chatter, slammed his fist on the table, making Quistis' bowl of mushroom soup clatter and her spoon fall over. His outburst silenced the crowd.
"Until recently," Martine said, "She was a member of the Timber rebel group known as 'The Forest Owls.' During that time, she colluded with SeeD in a failed attempt to assassinate President Deling. Afterwards, she fled Timber and went into hiding. We have since discovered two facts. First, after her escape from Timber, she went under the protection of SeeD, where she has remained ever since. And second, we know that sometime during this interval, she became a sorceress."
(Jeez, he knows practically everything!)
Martine went on, preventing Zell from forming any coherent thoughts. "Evidence suggests that the Timber Sorceress Ciel and the Sorceress Rinoa have been working closely together since the beginning of the recent Timber rebellion, and that the Sorceress Rinoa may have played a role in the successful assassination of General Caraway."
(Yeah, right!)
(Total bull!)
"In any case, whether or not the Sorceress Rinoa is responsible for General Caraway's death, she is still a fugitive from the law, an attempted assassin, and a sorceress. I will give SeeD twenty-four hours to hand her over to justice. If they refuse, I will have no choice but to once more send our troops into battle against a sorceress. I do not wish for further bloodshed, but the sorceress Rinoa's crimes cannot go unpunished, nor can we suffer the presence of an unfettered sorceress in our midst.
"We are willing to entertain the possibility that the Sorceress Rinoa has been holding SeeD hostage and forcing them to participate in the Timber rebellion against their will. If that is true, then SeeD should consider this to be their opportunity to prove their true loyalties and hand over their enslaver to justice. I expect to hear from SeeD soon. If not, then I will assume the worst and behave appropriately."
There was a short pause, and Martine finished by saying, "For the rest of you out there in the world, I hope to have your full cooperation in this mutually beneficial operation. Together we can rid ourselves of the oppression of the sorceress threat and stave off further tragedy. Long live the nation of Galbadia."
A chime followed this last statement and the radio emitted only static.
Quistis reached forward and turned off the radio, then put her elbows on the table and tented her fingers in front of her face. At first, Zell thought that she as glaring at him, until he realized that she was deep in thought, staring intently at a point just over his shoulder.
"Um… what do we do, Commander?" one SeeD next to the table asked.
"One moment, please," Quistis said. She closed her eyes.
"Is Rinoa even here?" another voice asked. More voices joined in from all directions.
"Are we turning her over?"
"Are we going to fight?"
"Should we go back to Balamb?"
"Do we need to prepare for battle?"
"Please," Quistis said calmly, "I'm thinking. This is not a time to act rashly."
Zell noticed that, with the excitement of the radio announcement now over, the crowd around the table was beginning to disperse. Some were leaving by themselves, appearing deep in thought, while a few others were walking off in pairs and already having heated discussions about the topic. Zell saw Mireya turn and walk away. He watched her back as she disappeared into the departing crowd of students and exited the cafeteria.
(Huh. Didn't even know she was here.)
After a minute, the only ones left at the table were Zell, Ami, and Quistis. Quistis hadn't spoken in all this time and had barely moved. Zell could hear her breathing—deep, focused breaths. Ami sat beside Zell with her hands in her lap, and her eyes darting around the room. She started to say something, then bit it back.
Zell's curiosity finally overcame him. He asked, "Um… so what are we gonna do, Quistis?"
"I guess…" Quistis said. She folded her hands on the table. "I guess this revelation doesn't change our plans much. We were already on the run from Galbadia to begin with. Seems now our best course is to continue running. He has not changed the situation; he has merely upped the stakes."
"Um, Commander," Ami said, "Then… why did he bother making the announcement? I might be wrong, but it seems like he hasn't said anything new. At least, not concerning us."
Ami cut herself off before she said anything more. She seemed to regret having spoken at all.
"I suspect he's playing politics," Quistis said. "He realizes that he cannot launch a global war against all sorceresses without some level of external support. He's trying to use people's fear of the sorceress in order to earn support in other countries. Also, this announcement may have isolated SeeD from the rest of the world. Before this declaration, we probably could have found safe harbor with one of Galbadia's enemies, but now that everyone believes that we're hiding a sorceress, people are going to be less willing to trust us. They may even turn us in to the Galbadians."
"Why would they do that?" Zell asked.
"He's rephrased the terms of the war," Quistis said. "According to him, it's no longer Galbadia against SeeD. It's Galbadia against the sorceress, and that's an important distinction. People have mixed opinions about SeeD, but they're unequivocally terrified of a sorceress, and if they believe that we're protecting sorceresses while Galbadia is fighting sorceresses, they may choose to side with Galbadia."
"So you think, like, Dollet or Timber might join up with Galbadia?" Zell asked.
(We'd be screwed!)
Quistis shook her head. "No, that's unlikely," she said. "The major governments are probably going to stay as neutral as possible in this. They won't back either Galbadia or us, for fear of getting caught in the crossfire. But then again, Martine doesn't need official support from any government. He only needs the people to be afraid. A handful of panicked citizens here and there around the world can do more damage than the G-Army could, especially to a relatively small organization like SeeD. There may be other possibilities as well, but I won't speculate just yet. Not until we see how this develops."
Zell puffed out his cheeks. All this strategy talk was going over his head. He liked it better back before Squall and Quistis were made Commanders. Before anyone talked much about politics and stuff. It seemed like everything had been simpler then. Not easier—they did, after all, travel across generations of time to fight a nearly immortal sorceress—but simpler nonetheless. They had clear goals and direct plans to achieve those goals. Now it seemed like everything had gone blurry, and Zell really had no idea what would happen next.
Unable to think of anything else, he asked the only question that seemed relevant to him at the moment: "So what do we do now?"
Quistis closed her eyes and kept them shut. "First," she said, "We have to make sure Garden is unified and informed. All those other students who were listening in to the announcement are no doubt repeating the message to all their friends. It's likely that—in retelling the story—they're also forgetting important details, or perhaps making things up entirely. If we don't get a handle on this situation soon, Garden will be a chaotic mess of misinformation. My job is hard enough as it is without everyone being confused about the objectives."
"Gotcha," Zell said.
Quistis opened her eyes, stood up, and grabbed the radio. She pushed the talk button.
"Nida, do you read?" she asked.
Up on the third floor, on the bridge above Headmaster Cid's office, Nida was busy piloting Garden. He had one of the spare radios along with him so he could keep in contact with Quistis at all times. After a moment's pause his voice responded with, "Yes, Commander?"
"Call an assembly in the quad," Quistis said. "Make sure you tell everyone that attendance is mandatory. And get the Headmaster to meet with me in the cafeteria immediately."
"Understood," Nida said. "Anything else?"
"Not at the moment," Quistis said.
"Do you want me to come down to the quad too?" Nida asked.
"Yes," Quistis said.
"Then what should I do about Garden?" he asked.
"Park it where it is," Quistis said.
"Balamb is almost in sight," Nida said. "You want me to park it in our old spot?"
"No, just leave it in the ocean. It's best to avoid the island for now."
"Understood."
She turned off the radio and clipped it to her belt.
"What should I do?" Zell asked, standing up. He didn't like that Martine was trying to get people to turn against Rinoa and SeeD, but he liked that Quistis seemed to have a plan in motion. He liked that things seemed to be happening and appeared to be under control. It energized him when he was part of the mission.
The intercom chimed and Nida's voice came over the cafeteria speakers.
"Attention," Nida said calmly. "All students, immediately report to the quad for an assembly. Attendance is mandatory. Again, all students to the quad. In addition, will Headmaster Cid meet Commander Quistis in the cafeteria. Thank you."
The intercom chimed again as it shut off. The floor shifted under their feet as Garden eased to a stop. Quistis turned to look at Zell.
"You should do the same thing you did the last time we had an assembly," Quistis said. "Check the grounds and make sure that everyone attends. I don't want people sleeping in their dorms or off in the training center during this. Meet me back at the quad when you're finished."
Zell snapped off a quick salute. "Gotcha!" he said. He smiled at Ami, and then spun around and jogged out of the cafeteria.
Outside, in the central area of Garden, students were already filing down the halls and heading towards the quad. Zell ran, zigzagging through the students and saying, "Sorry, sorry," whenever he bumped into people—which was quite often. As he jogged past the students, he heard snippets of conversation. Most of them were confused about why there was an impromptu assembly, but a few others had already heard portions of the latest news and were excitedly spreading the story around.
As Quistis had predicted, some of the stories that Zell heard were slightly mistaken, if not downright false.
"Galbadia's declaring a war on the world!" one student said.
(What? No they're not!)
"Rinoa's in Esthar, leading the army!" another said excitedly.
(What the hell?)
(No one even mentioned Esthar!)
He went to the dormitories first, running down the halls, knocking on all the closed doors and peeking into the open ones. He shouted, "Assembly in the quad!" several times at the top of his lungs.
Since it was the middle of the day, the dorms were almost empty and no one was sleeping. When he finished his tour of the dorms, he ran out and gave a cursory glance through the parking lot, just to make sure no one was hiding there for some crazy reason. After that, he moved on to the training center, clearing out a pair of cadets who'd missed the announcement, then dodging around a particularly aggressive Grat to check in the secret area behind the training center. It was empty.
From there he searched the library and the infirmary, finding no one in the former room and only Dr. Kadowaki and the comatose Xu in the latter room. He doubled back to the elevator and rode up to the second floor and then ran around the long circular hallway, glancing in all the classrooms. Evidence of SeeD's last battle against G-Garden was most visible in the classrooms, many of which had not been cleaned since the attack.
All in all, his efforts were largely unnecessary. What few students he found in the halls had already heard the message and were on their way to the quad. Zell hurried them along, but ultimately his encouragement wasn't needed or appreciated. After finishing his tour, he went back down to the first floor and jogged to the quad.
The quad still had the stage set up from when Headmaster Cid made his announcement concerning SeeD's new goals. The stage was ready to go, with a podium placed at the front, complete with a microphone and two speakers placed at the front corners of the stage. Quistis stood behind the podium, tapping the microphone to make sure it was live. A few dull thumps came from the speakers, confirming that the sound system was in order. Behind her, Headmaster Cid and Edea sat on metal folding chairs. In front of Quistis, in the remaining area of the quad, the collected student body of Garden had massed together in a large, amorphous lump of blue cadet uniforms and black SeeD uniforms. It was a big crowd by SeeD's standards, but when compared to the might of the entire G-Army, Garden was practically a ghost town.
Zell ran to the stage and vaulted up on top of it without breaking stride. He approached Quistis and, for the sake of setting a good example to the others, saluted her.
"All here," he said, not the slightest bit winded after his long jog. Quistis nodded, and Zell turned around and began searching the crowd for Ami. He saw her thin white hand rise up in the sea of students and wave at him. He smiled and hopped down, then made his way over to her, walking sideways to cut through the students.
"Couldn't get any closer to the stage?" Zell asked when he was next to Ami.
She shrugged. The spot she'd chosen was closer to the middle of the group than the front. It was close enough for Zell to have a clear view of Quistis and the stage, but he would have preferred being in the first row if possible.
(Meh. Whatever.)
"Attention, everyone," Quistis said, her voice reverberating in the twin speakers. The chattering in the quad faded gradually and then died. "I've gathered you all here today for some important news. Less than a half hour ago, President Martine of Galbadia released a public statement over all radio frequencies. During his speech, he declared the situation in Timber to be resolved, and announced that he had the Timber sorceress in custody. Given what we saw in Timber, we have no reason to doubt his claim."
Light murmurs broke out in the group. Quistis squashed them with her amplified voice. "However," she said, leaning forward a little and lightly gripping the sides of the podium. "The most important part—as far as we are concerned—was the fact that he directly issued SeeD an ultimatum: deliver Rinoa Heartilly within twenty-four hours or face the consequences."
All around Zell, voices broke out, expressing a variety of emotions and responses. He could pick out a few words here and there, but no whole thoughts or statements. Quistis paused for a moment to let the initial wave of chatter wear off. Then she spoke again.
"Obviously, we shall not submit to the Galbadians," Quistis said, "So we will do nothing except continue with the plan that was already in place. We are to continue our flight from Galbadia, and evade any patrols we may come across. There's a chance that President Martine will be honorable and wait the full twenty-four hours before sending his army after us, thus giving us a fair head start. But I am not willing to risk Garden's safety on Martine's honor. We are—"
"Excuse me!" a female voice in the crowd said. Zell looked around, startled by the interruption. A short distance away, students were stepping aside to make room for a student approaching the stage. Zell stood on his tiptoes for a better look, but whoever it was stood a bit shorter than the average student and wasn't visible in the crowd just yet. He spared a glance up at Quistis, who had narrowed her eyes as she watched the student approaching the stage.
"I am not taking questions at this time," Quistis said coldly. Zell caught a glimpse of black hair through the crowd and thought he recognized the student approaching the stage.
(It's Mireya?)
Ignoring Quistis, Mireya approached the stage and climbed upon it. The Headmaster rose from his seat, but Quistis raised a hand to keep him where he was. He sat back down. The acting SeeD Commander stepped away from the podium and approached Mireya.
They exchanged words for a few seconds, both of them glaring at each other and speaking quickly, but not loudly enough for Zell to hear. After a few moments, Quistis crossed her arms and stepped aside, allowing Mireya to approach the podium. She leaned forward to place her mouth next to the microphone, but kept her body and her face turned towards Quistis.
"I think we should discuss this matter," Mireya said. "As a group. This is too important to leave to your judgment alone."
She backed off from the podium a pace, allowing room for Quistis to speak a response into the microphone.
"What's goin' on?" Zell asked Ami. Ami shrugged.
(This is weird…)
Quistis spoke into the microphone. "It isn't that I'm against the idea of a group decision, but the fact is, I don't see what there is to discuss. The matter seems rather plain to me."
Instead of responding to Quistis directly, Mireya approached the microphone and tried her best to angle her body so that she was facing the Headmaster behind her while still talking into the microphone.
"Headmaster," Mireya said. "On this very stage, you talked about your desire to eventually hand over SeeD to your students. Is that correct?"
He frowned, confused by the change of subject, but then nodded, both to Mireya and to the crowd.
"So then," Mireya said. "Would you think it is fair for us take a vote on whether or not to hand Rinoa over to Galbadia?"
The Headmaster looked aghast. Edea raised a hand to her mouth. Quistis crossed her arms and glared at Mireya. Gasps and mutters broke out in the audience. Someone in the back cheered.
(She can't be serious!)
"The hell?" Zell muttered. Beside him, Ami shuffled around, trying to get a better view through the crowd.
Mireya continued on.
"I don't think I'm overstating facts when I say that this is not only a matter concerning SeeD's future," she said, "But concerning our very lives. I believe the students should have a say in this, as it affects both our general policy and our ultimate goals."
Without waiting for Mireya to yield, Quistis approached the podium and spoke into the microphone, her body facing towards Mireya. Both of them now stood on either side of the podium, with the microphone between them.
"This whole argument is irrelevant," Quistis said. "Rinoa isn't here. It doesn't matter if we want to hand her over or not. We simply cannot comply with Galbadia's ultimatum, so we must prepare for the inevitable consequences. We're wasting time here."
"The argument is not irrelevant," Mireya replied. "For one, it is possible that we will find Rinoa before the twenty-four hour deadline. If we do, we obviously can't have a fair debate on this matter while she's here at Garden with us. So we must settle this issue before we find her. And for another, this debate represents a broader issue. This argument will determine not only our stance on Rinoa, but on all sorceresses in general. It is an important discussion, and I feel we cannot delay it any longer. You've already called an assembly. Why not discuss it now?"
Quistis sighed. Mireya stepped back from the microphone, but Quistis did not immediately move in to take it. Instead, she turned to the Headmaster, her eyes questioning. The Headmaster scratched the side of his cheek, then rose to his feet and approached the podium. Both Quistis and Mireya moved aside to allow him room.
As he spoke, Headmaster Cid faced the students gathered below him directly, rather than speaking to the two SeeDs on stage. His eyes were sad as he spoke, but he seemed resolute and firm.
"It disappoints me that something like this is even up for debate," the Headmaster said. "Rinoa is one of us and, until just now, I assumed that the decision to defend her at all costs would come automatically. I thought that we would protect her as we would protect any other student at Garden. But yes, Mireya, I do agree that the students themselves should ultimately make this decision. I don't believe it would be right for me to force you all to defend her against your will, especially in light of recent events."
He took a step away from the podium and glanced at Mireya. She took his place and spoke.
"I disagree with you on one point, Headmaster," Mireya said into the microphone. "Rinoa is not one of us. She is a sorceress. And SeeDs are trained to defeat the sorceress. Therefore, by our very nature, she is our enemy."
A low thunder of voices rolled over the crowd. Zell hoped that he would hear everyone boldly taking Rinoa's side in this matter, but he was surprised to hear that most of the students seemed confused and uncertain, and a more than a handful seemed to think that Mireya had a point.
(But… but…)
"Maybe she's right," a student beside Zell said. "Maybe we should ditch the sorceress."
Zell moved to refute this argument—perhaps with his fists—but Ami clutched his arm and kept him silent. He choked down his anger and turned back to the podium as the conversations around him slowly dimmed.
(Fricken hell.)
Finally, Cid approached the microphone and spoke.
"You're misinterpreting that statement," the Headmaster said calmly. "The wording is very precise, you see. When the phrase says, 'the sorceress,' it is referring not to all sorceresses, but a specific one: the Sorceress Ultimecia. SeeD is meant to defeat her in particular. We are not bound by code or by creed to fight all sorceresses in the world. You are mistaken in that belief."
(Welp, he's got her there.)
But to Zell's surprise, Mireya didn't seem at all put off by Cid's answer. She replied quickly, as if every step of this debate had already been planned out.
"The Sorceress Ultimecia," Mireya said flatly. "That invincible sorceress from the future who, if I remember the story correctly," she turned and faced the crowd. She narrowed her eyes in feigned confusion, "travels backwards in time and possesses other sorceresses, to make them commit acts of evil for the purpose of compressing all of time into a single moment." She looked back at the Headmaster. "Am I forgetting any details, or is that all?"
Quistis and the Headmaster paused, but then nodded to affirm her statement. Mireya's tone was mocking and cynical, but nothing she had specifically said was incorrect, or even misleading. That was the whole story, as far as anyone knew.
(Gotta admit, it does sound crazy.)
Mireya sighed. "I don't believe it. It's preposterous."
Zell clenched his jaw, wishing that he was on stage to argue alongside Quistis. Meanwhile, Quistis approached the microphone. "I know, it's a very difficult story to believe, but it's all true. You must believe me. What reason would we have to lie?"
Mireya shrugged. "I don't need to convince people that you have a motive to lie. You need to convince us that you're telling the truth. You need evidence to do that. Do you have any? Any at all?"
Quistis hesitated and glanced away. Zell's own mind raced as he tried to think of a way he could—without any doubt—prove the existence of Ultimecia. If he figured out a way, he would rush the stage and shove the evidence in Mireya's sneering face.
(But how am I gonna prove it?)
Ultimecia left no traces. She possessed the bodies of other sorceresses, leaving no marks, no evidence, no signs she ever existed. Ultimecia came from the distant future, and no one currently alive would still be around when she was due to be born. And now that Ultimecia was defeated, it was even less likely that SeeD or anyone else would uncover evidence that she had—or would—exist.
(Man, how do you prove the fricken FUTURE?)
He couldn't. It was impossible.
"Perhaps someday we'll have proof of our claims," Quistis said into the microphone. "But for now you'll just have to trust us. The account of the events surrounding Ultimecia, Edea, and Esthar in the past few weeks is all true and unbiased."
Mireya shook her head. "That's not good enough. We were taught that SeeD must oppose the sorceress. You claim that 'the sorceress' is this figure from a far distant future. But while you talk about this mystical figure that you cannot prove, real sorceresses in our time are wreaking havoc across the globe. Adel and Ciel have destroyed cities and started wars. SeeD should not be working with sorceresses. We should not be working for sorceresses. And we definitely should not be harboring sorceresses."
To Zell's dismay, a growing number of students around him erupted in cheers and cries of encouragement. Many clapped as well. Quistis looked out into the crowd and saw that she was losing support quickly.
(I gotta say somethin'!)
Zell's face grew hot with frustrated, impotent anger. He had no plan, no real argument, and no evidence to support Quistis' side of the debate, but to sit idly by would have probably given him an aneurism. He started to move towards the stage, but once more was stopped by Ami's hand.
"What are you doing?" she whispered.
"I gotta say somethin'!" Zell said. "I was there, Ami. I know Ultimecia's real!"
"But you can't prove—" Ami started to say, but Zell had already broken free of her grip and began to work his way through the crowd. Startled students glared at him as he moved forward, but their stares only enhanced his anger and fueled his determination to press on. After a moment, everyone on the stage noticed his approach. Quistis' eyes widened, and she made a short waving motion with her hand, trying to deter him from approaching.
(Grrr…)
He leapt up onto the stage, taking a stand beside Quistis.
"Zell, perhaps you shouldn't…" Quistis whispered.
He ignored her and stepped up to Mireya. He didn't stand very close to the podium, but his voice was loud enough so that the microphone picked him up easily enough.
"Ultimecia is real," Zell said. His voice nearly cracked. "Me, Quistis, Irvine, Selphie, Squall, and Rinoa were all there. We saw it for ourselves."
Mireya was unimpressed by his anger. "Can you prove it?" she asked calmly.
"Well, no!" Zell said. He slammed his hand on the podium. "But how'dya prove the future?"
"My point exactly," Mireya said. "No one can possibly prove that Ultimecia exists. Or did exist. Or will exist."
"SHUT UP ALREADY!" Zell hollered. Even without the microphone, his voice would have carried throughout the quad. Perhaps even Dr. Kadowaki in the infirmary could have heard him. Mireya was staggered by his shout, but otherwise seemed unaffected.
"You don't know!" Zell said. "You're just… you're just sayin' crap! You can't just…"
His anger overrode his thoughts, and suddenly he found that he had no idea what he was trying to say, or what point he was reaching for. A few moments passed, while Mireya patiently waited for him to finish his statement. Words failed him, so he punched the side of the podium. It splintered along the side, leaving a small dent where his knuckles hit.
"Are you done?" Mireya asked.
The burning of anger in Zell's face changed to the burning of embarrassment when he realized that everyone in Garden was staring at him. Some, he could hear, had even begun to whisper. He heard a few laughs, and suddenly found himself wishing that he could dive into the ocean and live under a rock at the seabed for the rest of his life. His eyes even flicked out to the sea, watching the small waves roll past the quad.
(This was a bad idea.)
Quistis placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Defeated, he stepped aside. Once more, Quistis approached the podium.
"Have you proved your point?" Quistis asked Mireya. "I think you've derailed this conversation for long enough now. Whether or not Ultimecia is real has no bearing on the current situation."
Mireya took the microphone.
"It's a matter concerning SeeD's purpose," Mireya said. "All our lives, we've been training to fight a sorceress. You claim that the sorceress is from the future and has already been defeated. I claim that there are very real, very powerful sorceresses in the present that we can and should use our training to oppose. One of them is Rinoa. The other is Ciel. Perhaps there are more in the world. But whoever they are and wherever they are, SeeD should stand in resistance of them. We are among the few in the world with the appropriate ability, skills, and equipment for dealing with sorceresses. And I say it's time we stopped playing both sides."
Another chorus of applause and cheers broke out at this last statement, even louder than before. Zell looked out into the crowd sheepishly and saw that nearly three of every four students were visibly in agreement with Mireya. Only a handful remained silent.
Quistis played one last card. She approached the microphone and said, "Galbadia cannot be trusted to keep their word. This may all be a ploy on their part to lure us out into the open. We have no way of knowing what they'll do to SeeD after they have Rinoa in their hands. And I believe it's best we never find out."
This argument carried weight to it, and Mireya's enthusiastic supporters quieted down. After a moment, Quistis managed to silence the crowd while she waited for Mireya's response.
Mireya did not seem affected. She shrugged, approached the microphone, and said, "We don't need to deliver her personally. We can tell the Galbadians her last known location and then leave them to do the heavy lifting. Or perhaps we can ignore her entirely. I'm not trying to suggest that we throw in our lot with the Galbadians. I'm only suggesting that we stop aiding people who are harmful to SeeD's objectives and interests. I don't think we have any obligation to put ourselves at risk to protect Rinoa."
Her answer got the crowd back on her side. Looking out into the audience, Zell could see that the support for Mireya's side was crushing. Zell's hands balled up into fists and he wanted to say something else, but nothing came to mind. He glanced at Quistis, but she was still. The Headmaster and Edea shared looks of defeat. No one, it seemed, had anything left to say.
(Damn it.)
Mireya seized the moment. "By show of hands," she said. "All in favor of turning Rinoa over to the Galbadians?"
Hands sprung up all around the quad. There was no need to take a tally; the support was overwhelming.
"All opposed?" Mireya asked, more as a formality than anything else.
Only a handful of students had the courage to raise their hands. One of them was Ami, her hand halfway raised up, only slightly above the level of her head. She glanced nervously around, as if ashamed of her vote. Zell caught her eye, smiled, and then raised his hand as high as it would go. Quistis, Cid, and Edea joined him.
(I don't care if it's not popular.)
(I know what's right.)
Mireya, unable to hide the pleasure in her eyes, turned to Quistis. "It seems we have a clear majority," she said. "SeeD does not want to waste its time, its resources, or its people supporting sorceresses anymore. I'm glad we had this discussion. You can carry on with the rest of your speech now."
Triumphant, Mireya stepped away from the podium and hopped down from the stage, blending into the crowd. A few students congratulated her, and some wanted to shake hands. Quistis stepped up to the microphone and spoke.
"You're all dismissed," she said softly. "There's nothing else."
And with that, the crowd began to break apart, filing back up the steps to the central ring of Garden. Zell watched them go, with a mixture of feelings. He was embarrassed most of all, but also angry and confused. He felt betrayed. As if SeeD had just voted against him personally, rather than against Rinoa.
(They voted against my friend.)
(That's almost the same as voting against me.)
He turned to Quistis. She seemed to have frozen behind the podium, both hands gripping the edges. She watched the students shuffle out of the quad with an unreadable expression on her face.
"Stupid…" she said. "Stupid, stupid."
"What, Mireya?" Zell asked.
(I guess she is kinda stupid, in a way.)
"No… me," Quistis said. She shook her head. "I never should have allowed her to speak. I didn't know… I thought that it would reflect poorly on me if I dismissed her, so I allowed her to have a turn at the microphone. I thought she was going to attack me, attack my policies. I was ready for that. But when she brought up Rinoa… The thought never crossed my mind that SeeD would turn against her. How stupid of me."
"No one saw that coming," Headmaster Cid said gently. "I thought that Rinoa was well-respected and liked around school."
"She is!" Zell said. "Or, she was. I dunno."
(What the hell just happened?)
Quistis seemed not to hear anyone. "At our core, we're a military school. We're not a democracy. I shouldn't have let her speak, and that vote was a farce. I'm the SeeD Commander, and if I issue the order to protect Rinoa, they still have to obey."
Cid shook his head sadly. "You know that would only make it worse now. The students would turn against you."
Quistis bowed her head. "I know. I'm just… I'm just angry."
"Understandable," Cid said. "But like you said, you're the SeeD Commander, and students will still be looking to you to lead them. So what is your plan?"
She turned away from the microphone. "The plan hasn't changed," she said. "We're going to Trabia. And hopefully we won't encounter Squall, Rinoa, or the Galbadians on the way there."