I hate writer's block. That is all.
Book I, Part II: Mortal Conflict - The Zodiac Brave Story
Chapter VII: Fortitude
[March 18, 2152 | Trabia Garden, Second Floor, Classroom 1-D | 9:41 PM]
"I hate forms," I mutter, stepping out of the classroom Katanas had directed me to, several pieces of paper clenched firmly in my right hand. The form was relatively simple, as had been stated. Simply a form inquiring about most of the general information one might give to an employer. The thing about it was that it was long. Very long, and very detailed. As one might imagine, detailed exams don't sit well with me...at least, the written ones.
Shaking my head, I step into the elevator at the end of the hall, pressing the button labeled '1F' and listening as the elevator comes to life, whirring silently and descending to the level below without so much as a slight jarring. Advanced technology is such a great joy to see. Stepping out of the elevator, I turn to the right, only to nearly run headlong into Darius, who appeared to have been waiting for the elevator.
"You're in quite a rush. Got a hot date with Rikku?" Darius says, his ever-present smirk firmly in place.
"Cute," I retort, a smile creeping over my face. "What's that...it could very well be...do I detect a hint of jealousy, Darius?" I say in a somewhat mocking tone, intending for once not to let him get the better of me.
"Here I thought you were an innocent country boy with a sword. Now I know you're an innocent country boy with a sword, and a shield of naivéte. There might even be a faceplate of ignorance," he replies.
"Actually, I think I'm on to something," I continue. "For all your snide remarks, you're jealous that I actually have someone who cares about me. You hide behind that smirk, but behind it, you're a kid just like me, with insecurities just like anyone else. I think I'm on to something, Darius, and you know it."
Darius looks almost stunned, his smirk now gone to be replaced by an unintelligible look, accompanied by silence. Without saying anything, he turns away, leaving me standing with a small sense of happiness at finally outwitting the cocky Lightning Alchemist.
"...Ben?"
"What?"
A moment later, I figure out why Darius had gone silent. Apparently, he was contemplating the best location in which to punch me. As I stumble and fall, rubbing my jaw as I slide down the smooth metal walls of the Trabian hall, Darius stands over me with a look of pure anger.
"Don't ever. Ever.Compare me to you again."
With that said, he steps into the elevator, pressing a button and sending the elevator ascending once again as I pick myself up off the ground. The punch hadn't hurt as much as it had surprised me, catching me off my guard for once, but it did let me know that whatever I said had hit a nerve...and a particularly sore one, at that.
"...Well...I don't believe I'll bring that topic up again..." I mutter, rubbing my jaw once again and stepping down the hall towards the lobby.
[March 18, 2152 | Trabia Garden, Third Floor, Hallway | 9:44 PM]
Darius walked down the hallway in a sort of daze, headed back to his room. He'd die before admitting it, of course, but Ben had a valid point. Some small part inside of him was jealous. As he opened the door to his room, shutting it behind him and locking it while turning on the light, he sighed, a deep sigh full of regret and sadness. Removing his coat, he tossed it lightly onto the bed, sitting down at the desk and holding his head in his hands. The outing with Silvia the previous night, combined with Ben's words, had opened up memories...painful ones.
'Today would have been our second anniversary...'
--Flashback--
A carefree boy and an elegant young lady walked down the mid-afternoon streets of a small city in the Galbadian territory hand in hand, conversing and laughing with each other and generally enjoying each other's company. The boy, who appeared to be no older than fifteen or sixteen, suddenly stopped and pointed at a small café, grinning widely.
"That's the best café this side of Deling City! Café Uzuki!" he exclaimed to his lady friend, who quirked an eyebrow at the mention of the city. It wasn't unknown to her the feelings of discontent that the boy's family harbored for the resident rulers of the Galbadian capital city.
"Oh, Deling, huh?" she replied, looking over at him. "Then what's the best place around?"
His smile only widened. "Why, Rubedo's, of course! It's even more entertaining when the...ah...'social elite' drop by," he replied. The Deling family, of course.
The girl only shakes her head, still smiling. "You're something else, you know that?" Her tone is full of amusement...content.
The boy leads her towards the café, sitting down at one of the outside tables. A little more foresight, a little less exuberance, and maybe more time could have been bought...
The café had the feel of a quaint bookstore to it, that comfortable, serene feeling where conversation comes easily and flows between a party, leaving time a mere forgotten thought at best. Their waiter, a somewhat aging man dressed in a black kimono with a red sash, quickly took their orders and departed with efficiency as the two began chatting.
Their conversation began with the apparent quality of the café, quickly turning to more...worldly matters. The attempted assassination of the current ruler of Galbadian territory, Sorceress Edea, had been a failure, with those responsible apprehended and awaiting their fate. Galbadia was suitably outraged at the attempt...at least, those under Edea's command. Such as Seifer Almasy, the acting general of Edea's forces. The discussion shifted more, keeping both occupied between a few cups of hot chocolate and several assorted pastries.
Things...seemed to get a little fuzzy from there...
The boy looked up from his cup and directly into the eyes of his companion. "I think...I think I..." The words seemed to hang in the boy's throat, as he gulped once, calming himself and trying again. "...I think I love you."
The last thing after that was the absolute look of astonishment on the girl's face...along with something else. It seemed like...worry.
She seemed to be struggling with a response, her mouth attempting to form words which would not come. At least, it was for one second. The next, a thunderous crack sounded from a distance off.
The creed all marksmen live by, especially in times of war - one shot, one kill. That was the only indication the boy had that she had been shot. The blood now staining his face, his clothing, the chair, the table...the only thing he had left as a memento of the one he had just professed his love to...
He sat, silently staring at the body of his friend, the one who meant more than a friend to him, as blood poured slowly from a gaping hole in the side of her head onto the ground below.
All around, people were running and screaming, trying to escape from a threat they couldn't perceive. The boy just sat there, gripped by shock, trying to come to terms with the shocking sight that he had just witnessed, denying that it had just occurred in front of his own two eyes.
And then, he snapped.
The boy stood up, slowly and deliberately. Wordlessly, he placed one, then both hands upon the blood-stained ground, watching as a magical flash surrounded him. A large, magical circle expanded over the ground, a transmutation circle, as the boy uttered one simple phrase.
"My love...my heart...take it with you to the grave."
The last thing anyone saw for two blocks was the flash of angry, magical lightning unleashing a fragment of its power on anything in the vicinity.
The damage was staggering. All around, homes, businesses, any and everything in the surrounding area was ruined, if not outright destroyed. The boy was not unharmed, his clothing torn and burned in places from the immense magical output. Slowly stepping out of the rubble of buildings, fragments of businesses...bodies, the boy limped down the road, a small shred of the DeValle family crest from his tattered clothing the only indication he had ever been there.
--End Flashback--
Another sigh escaped Darius' lips as he pushed aside the painful memories. He recalled the punishment he received for his actions. He also recalled the resulting military action that was taken against the DeValle holdings in Esthar. It was considered a personal message from Edea and Almasy...showing what happens when you mess with Galbadian holdings. After Edea and Almasy were defeated and forced out of Galbadia, the DeValle family began their move out of Esthar's city. The decision for Darius Sr. DeValle to fund and assist with the renovation of Trabia Garden was a smart move on the part of the family, as it ended up providing House DeValle with true stability for the first time since the reign of Adel ended.
Of course, none of this helped to assuage Darius' feelings about his actions. Instead of withdrawing into a deep depression, like most who suffered a traumatic event of the sort, Darius' personality went the opposite way. Blackmail, extortion, all sorts of 'dirty' and dishonorable actions, as well as becoming the head of House DeValle's underground front, known as Merchant's Alley...all of these went into the formation of Darius' new persona, one that his father accredited to him often.
All that...just to hide from his pain.
Taking a deep breath, he reached into a small drawer on his desk, pulling out a small blue stone and rolling it over in his hand. Feeling the power within, he shook his head before returning the stone to its place in the drawer and closing it, closing his eyes as well.
"It's already starting...but I guess none of them know that the whole thing is rigged..."
[March 18, 2152 | Balamb, Rinaul Coast | 9:42 PM]
"Lady Kisara."
The suddenness of the voice behind her caused Kisara to gasp slightly, turning and coming face to face with the relaxed figure of Will. The Pillar of the Future stepped up beside the goddess, who bowed in respect as he approached.
"Will...to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" she asked, her green eyes shimmering with intrigue, as well as what seemed like a small amount of sadness.
"I come with a message for you. The Mistress requests that you see her immediately. She knows of what you're doing, Kisara."
"Did you...?" Kisara began to ask, but stopped herself as Will shook his head.
"I did not. She knew before she summoned me. I can only assume she knew all along," he replies, ever calm. Kisara simply sighed, lowering her head in shame.
"It appears that my mission was a failure, then," she uttered softly. Will walked over, quietly putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Kisara. Even though you didn't succeed in what you were trying to accomplish...the fact that you were willing to try, despite the circumstances, is admirable. However, in a way, you did succeed. Freya has commanded me to gather all of the Holy Stones, so that they can be dealt with once again."
Turning to Will, Kisara looked honestly surprised at the statement, having not expected Freya to take such immediate action after her words earlier. Silently, she reached into her robe, pulling out the Taurus Holy Stone and handing it over to Will.
"If that is the case, then I wish you luck," she said, causing Will to smile.
"Thank you," he replied, watching as Kisara bowed once again before vanishing in a small burst of white light.
[March 18, 2152 | Trabia Garden, Arkives | 9:50 PM]
Arkives. The information storehouse of Trabia Garden. Holding facts and figures on everything from Trabia's business ventures, to notable biographies of famous people from all over the globe, it serves as a repository of data few sources in the world can match.
"So, this is Arkives," Naoki said, more to himself than anything. The building appeared to be similar to a great library in appearance...but more like a military hangar in size, having multiple floors from the outside appearance.
"Think we'll find anything we're looking for here?" Uriko interjected, looking up at the building with a hand on her hip.
"We won't know unless we go in," Sumiko replied, stepping towards the building. Naoki and Uriko followed her inside, looking around at the interior of the structure as they entered.
The inside of Arkives was much like a massive library, dwarfing anything most people would ever see in terms of sheer volume of information. Rows of books and oaken shelves lined the walls and interior of the main room in a neat, orderly design, leaving room for several desks and tables around the outside edge of the room and near the door.
"May I help you?" an older lady asked, obviously the librarian for the floor.
"Yes. We're looking for information on a man calling himself 'Seeker,'" Naoki explained, causing the woman to nod.
"Personal biographies and information are on the second floor," she directed, pointing to a staircase at the back of the room.
"Thank you," Sumiko said, motioning to Naoki and Uriko to follow as she walked to the back of the room, past several Trabian students lingering between shelves of books. As she moved to go up the stairs, however, a tall man dressed in a grayish-teal uniform stopped her. Sumiko turned, noticing the man's sidearm and badge that identified him as a member of the security force for Trabia Garden as the man spoke.
"May I see your identification cards, please?" the guard said in an even tone, looking over the three.
"Identification?" Naoki repeated, looking over at the guard, who nodded.
"All floors past the first floor are off limits to civilians. You must have a Trabian I.D. card to access the second floor, and a SeeD I.D. card or higher to proceed to the third."
Naoki kept a level expression on his face, though his body language obviously showed some disappointment at being so close to their goal before being abruptly turned away.
"I understand. I apologize for the trouble," he said.
"Quite all right. Most civilians don't realize that particular fact about Arkives," the guard explained, dismissing it with a wave of his hand. Naoki nodded at the guard before the trio turned away, heading back towards the entrance to the building.
"I can't believe it," Uriko muttered, looking over at the two beside her. "We were this close, and now we can't get in. Lovely."
"Naoki...he said we had to have a Trabian I.D. card, right?" Sumiko asked, stopping and turning to the older boy.
"Yes, he did," Naoki replied, stopping as well and examining the look on Sumiko's face. "...You believe we should enroll as students?" he asked, realizing what Sumiko was insinuating.
"Why not?" she said, shrugging. "Think about it. We can not only get information about this guy, we can get in some training while we're here. After all, this place is a Garden, you know. These guys are supposed to be the elite. It can't hurt, wouldn't you agree?"
"For once, she comes up with a good idea," Uriko chimed in, causing Sumiko to sigh.
"Oh, stifle it, Uriko," Sumiko said, making a face at the girl before pushing the doors to Arkives open and stepping out into the cold Trabian air.
[Ethereal Realm, Palace of Creation]
Kisara walked up to the doors leading into Freya's chamber with more than a small amount of trepidation. After all, she had essentially disobeyed a direct order from Freya herself in going to the human realm. The two guards standing in front of the doors stood aside as Kisara approached, the magically-enchanted doors opening of their own volition to allow the Ethereal Mage entry.
"I have come as you requested, Mistress," Kisara said, bowing before Freya, who simply motioned for Kisara to stand.
"I am glad that Will found you, Lady Kisara. I have things I wish to discuss with you," Freya responded, a small smile on her face.
"I am listening, Mistress Freya," Kisara said, standing solemnly in front of Freya.
"You have heard of my decision to gather the Holy Stones through Will, have you not?" Freya asked, leaving Kisara to nod slowly. "Then you should know that is why I summoned you here. I stated that we were not to interfere with the mortal realm unless it became necessary, did I not?"
"Yes, Mistress," Kisara replied sullenly, looking down.
"Now then, might I ask what prompted you to disobey my judgment and go to the mortal realm, Lady Kisara?"
Kisara looked up, her expression a combination of nervous and fearful, before beginning to speak.
"I...I had been watching the events on the mortal realm for a time. When I saw the Taurus Holy Stone nearing seizure...I couldn't sit back any longer and watch. I felt that if I did nothing now, I would be unable to act if the situation became dire. That is why I went to the mortal realm, Mistress," Kisara explained. Freya nodded slowly, seeming to contemplate this.
"While your intent was admirable and honorable...your actions were hasty and unbefitting of a mage of your skill. How could you be sure that the Taurus was in danger?"
Kisara had no reply for the statement, instead casting her eyes downward once again as Freya continued.
"However, your actions did reveal to me that the Holy Stones may well be in peril. Therefore, I have sent Will to reclaim these artifacts. I have also deliberated on your punishment for disobedience. Lady Kisara, I hereby ordain that you are forbidden to return to the mortal realm until I have decided otherwise. Perhaps the time you will have to think about your actions will help you sharpen your judgment in the future."
"As you will, Mistress," Kisara responded softly, nodding slowly to Freya. She felt bad for her actions, but was also relieved in a sense, knowing that the punishment could well have been much more harsh.
"You are hereby dismissed," Freya said to the Ethereal Magus, causing Kisara to bow a final time and turn before exiting the chamber sadly.
Kisara's in trouble. Poor her. As always, please read and review.