Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Iron roses ❯ Maybe a light... ( Chapter 6 )

Warning: There's gonna be lot of pain in this chapter. Not the psychological one, the physical one. --> Scream while you still can [Author:kL] ~_^

Chapter 6: Maybe a light...

*Flashback*

"What are you doing here, Quistis?" --> Came[Author:kL] Rinoa's quiet, whispering voice from the couch beside the bed. She sounded more sleepy than irritated, but Quistis could tell she wasn't very happy to have her entering their own little universe. Quistis sighed and braced herself against the doorway, arms crossed.

"I thought I could have a little chat with Squall...about time compression...and quite --> a few things[Author:kL] ..."

"Quistis, it's almost midnight..."

Yes, Quistis thought, and if you knew Squall, you would know --> he's always reading [Author:kL] until midnight.

"Don't you have your own room, Rinoa? Why do you keep sleeping in his? He's not in danger anymore. We're going to be released in a week and a half."

"We are?" --> She[Author:kL] murmured. "Who told you?"

"Doctor Delves visited me today."

"Doctor Delves? That creepy man with the huge glasses?"

"He's not creepy, he's actually quite friendly, if you could take the time to leave this room and have a chat with him, you would know."

"Ugh..." Rinoa snorted. "So, why were you there?"

Quistis' cheeks reddened with sudden anger, as she fought back the urge to slap Rinoa senseless. During the Ultimecia thing, she had been able to see the young sorceress for what she really was - --> A[Author:kL] fragile, deeply romantic young woman who craved love and --> a[Author:kL] honest relationship to --> make out [Author:kL] for her sad childhood, her dead mother, her fucked-up father. She had seen her searching for ideals --> throught[Author:kL] Timber resistance, then --> war[Author:kL] against the sorceress, and finally through love.

--> A very suffocating love. Glowing in her eyes everytime she met hers. Something that looked like a total abandon to the power of her feelings toward the man who saved her. [Author:kL]

--> Something that looked like madness.[Author:kL]

But Quistis kept quiet. She didn't repeat the reason why she was there, knowing Rinoa only pretended to forget in order to piss her off and drive her out of their intimacy. --> Squall sleeping soundly, [Author:kL] his head cocked to the side, mouth slightly open exhaling a steady, comforting breath.

How Quistis envied Rinoa. Crazy or not, she had the soft body of a wonderful, courageous man to comfort her when she drifted off to sleep. Quistis' --> beed[Author:kL] was cold and silent. --> Resonations[Author:kL] of her empty soul.

"Quistis?" Rinoa's soft voice pierced --> throught[Author:kL] her fog of sadness.

Sighing, Quistis turned --> heels[Author:kL] and left the room, closing the door behind her. The empty corridors of the hospital greeted her with echoes. She wasn't usually allowed to leave her room past sunset, --> but, with [Author:kL] Dr. Delves' help, she could usually walk around whenever she wanted. He even had a set of keys made for her, so she could wander freely through the floor where she, Squall and Rinoa were kept. And she eagerly used the tiny bit of freedom that was so generously given to her.

Quistis walked to the tiny kitchen of the department and briefly rummaged in the fridge, pulling out a bottle of grape juice and a muffin. She then reached to the open window, letting the cold night wind ruffle through her undone hair, and the scent, --> the sweet scent, something like wet leaves and sleeping flowers, and liberty[Author:kL] . Yes, exactly. It smelled like running away. She wished she could open that window wide, let all the wind of Gaia engulf inside and float out on them.

But the window was solidly bolted, only allowing the glass to open to a quarter of --> it's[Author:kL] possibility. So, instead, Quistis pulled --> a chair under[Author:kL] the draft, where she could feel each wave of freedom wash over her. Uncapping the bottle of juice, she took a deep gulp and closed her eyes as the last remnants of the taste lingered on her tongue.

--> Everything tasted bitter to her anyway.

Fly away.[Author:kL]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~xXXx~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quistis woke up screaming, an almost unbearable pain shot through her right leg. The large needle, --> almost the size of a pencil[Author:kL] , retreated from the wound only to be shoved back once again in her --> thight[Author:kL] . She screamed again, unable to hold back the pain as her SeeD training taught her to. The voice, definitely a feminine one, ordered her once again to keep her damn mouth shut and to stay still while they finished the experiements.

Experiment. She had been snatched away from her life only to become a laboratory rat.

Out of the fog she had been floating in, Quistis recognized a few of the medical apparatuses she had been connected to --> in Deling [Author:kL] City hospital. One checked her pulse with a beeping sound, another one checked her blood pressure. The third one, she didn't --> recognized, seemed [Author:kL] to follow her moods. Each time the twitch of the needle inside her made her shudder with agony, the long white line would jump and a high-pitched beep would rip her ears. A pain reader? Connected where?

A loud scream again, as the needle was slid off her again, brought to a new spot marked with a red X up her waist, just beside her hipbone, and dove through the new flesh. Again, the loud beep. Quistis' head turned away from the newly opened wound, to stare at the wall.

--> Where she met [Author:kL] a mess of wires, plugs, and a huge mirror where --> her foggy eyes widened [Author:kL] as they met a shaven head. And a wire stuck against her bare skull.

Stuck? Rather plunged into...

She loudly gasped, for once oblivious of the pain. --> Beside her, the white line jumped in unison with her thought and cried for her. Beep.[Author:kL]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~xXXx~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The room was --> plounged[Author:kL] in darkness when Zell pushed the door open and peeked inside, searching for his friend and commander. It was also completely silent, excepted for the soft sound of an electric device humming in the background. Zell swore under his breath when an unidentified object --> stuck[Author:kL] his leg, almost making him fall over. The place seemed to be in a mess, another sign of Squall's bad shape. The commander was always as clean and tidy as a (*...touver comparaison), which was near obsession. And he usually forced his squad to do the same. Zell remembered how annoying it was, while --> in [Author:kL] mission, to have the commander checking the luggages and hotel rooms to make sure --> anything[Author:kL] was --> neaty[Author:kL] neat. Considering the commander had only been back for two days, the horrible messy state brough even more worries into the martial artist's mind.

Crossing small SeeD bed and the half-empty bookcase (the most of --> it's content laying [Author:kL] on the floor in front of it), Zell made his way to the bathroom door, one of the greatest --> privilege[Author:kL] of being a commander, and a blessing for the very --> prude[Author:kL] Squall. The lights were out there too, and the door closed yet very slightly parted. The sound of a shallow human breathing.

Shivering with anticipation he finally pushed the bathroom door open, pausing for his eyes to get accustomed to the surrounding darkness before searching for the brunette.

The body of the High Commander had apparently crashed boneless between the toilet and the bathtub, and stood there, in a half-sitting, half-fetal position, with his head slightly turned in the tub's direction so he could hide his face away from the intruder. --> Sun[Author:kL] rays filtered throught the closed curtains to gently brush his cheeks. His loud breathing was the only sign of his emotional state. Zell's hands clenched into fists as he finally gathered the courage to face him. Squall didn't move, didn't speak, didn't even --> breathed[Author:kL] , as Zell heard his air intake --> stopping[Author:kL] when he sat down in front of --> him, his [Author:kL] back pressed to the tub and legs sprawled in front of him. --> Silent as he was, but pressing [Author:kL] his questionning gaze all over Squall's collapsed form.

It took a few --> minute[Author:kL] for the Commander's gaze to lift and meet Zell's curious --> gaze[Author:kL] . A --> hundreds[Author:kL] interrogations swirled in the martial artist's --> mind but [Author:kL] for once, he couldn't get his blabber mouth to just open and ask. He couldn't. He feared Squall would break if he talked. He couldn't remember seeing --> his[Author:kL] that furious. Furious enough to show it, to crash a door, to walk away and hide in a dark room. What could be next? Squall throwing stuff? Squall yelling out an open window? Squall getting into a fight with him?

Squall crying?

The thought hit Zell as he noticed the first drop sliding down Squall's cheek. A single tear. Squall's face stayed of thick ice, not even moving to sweep the --> embarrassing proof of his fragility. [Author:kL] Zell fought the urgency to let his very open emotions show off. He wanted nothing more than grab his friend and crush him in a long, warm embrace, --> the one that help healing [Author:kL] the mind's wounds. But Squall wasn't like that. The Squall Zell had learned to respect and love was the kind who would merge with his pain and take it so deep within himself that it would be forever impossible to extract it. So Zell just sat there, --> following the drop of sadness [Author:kL] until it reached Squall's collar and soaked it.

At that exact moment, Squall's body jerked up from his prostrated position, looking like he had just woken up from a nightmare. It leaped forward, directly on Zell's --> laps[Author:kL] , and strong arms encircled the blonde's shoulders, holding --> hard against him[Author:kL] . Desperation seeped through him, and for once he seemed not to mind about sharing it with his --> friend-definitely [Author:kL] something Zell never thought he would see in this lifetime. Out of reflex, the blonde --> immediatly held [Author:kL] --> Squall[Author:kL] back and let Squall's head rest against his shoulder. He seemed --> to have [Author:kL] problems breathing normally.

"Squall..." Zell whispered in his friend's hair, arms still holding him very close against his chest. He felt the Commander's --> body so [Author:kL] tense he was afraid he might snap and broke in two if he moved. Squall didn't react to the sound of his name --> and just [Author:kL] held in silence. Zell repeated his name, and did not get any more response from him.

Zell decided that for now, it would do. But Squall would have to answer his questions soon, as soon as those warm arms of his would be off his shoulder. Which, he finally thought with a smile as Squall shifted slightly in a more comfortable position in Zell's embrace, could wait as long as possible.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~xXXx~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Allen stared at his half-full (or half-empty) plate, spoon in hand. He had just finished building a castle with the daily ton of mashed potatoes his mother fed him. The two towers were a little bit --> unstables[Author:kL] , and the ditch around it, filled with pepper sauce, was beginning to melt, but it was the most beautiful he had done so far.

Satisfied with his latest creation, the young boy pulled a small pickle out of the jar, and planted it in one of the towers' higher window. Like it was waiting for the prince's great --> apprearance[Author:kL] . --> Allen then turned his attention to the army of boiled carrots parked in front of the castle's gates, some of them riding a piece of turnip, but most of them on foot. In the middle of the army, the prince, a magnificent fried sausage, eagerly drank the sight of his longtime love and future wife[Author:kL] .

"Stop playing with your food, Allen, you're thirteen, for Hyne's sake!"

Mom's voice --> splurt[Author:kL] out of the haze of his imagination, as a wooden spoon dive right through the castle, destroying one of the --> tower[Author:kL] , the banquet room, the armory, the King's room, and collapsing half of the market place. The army soon drowned in the flow of watered potatoes, the princess went to hide inside what was left of the castle, and the prince ran away.

--> Deceived by the coward he had chosen as a prince, Allen snatched it from amongst the dead soldiers and quickly swallowed it. [Author:kL]

"Not hungry anymore, Moogle?" --> His[Author:kL] mother asked, hand slightly --> touched her son's shoulder. He felt himself wince in annoyance at her mom's use of his childhood nickname-or so she said, since all memories from these times were hopelessly lost.

"It's cold." He mumbled.

"It wouldn't be cold if you stopped playing with it. You're worrying me, sweetheart."

Allen sighed and looked up to meet his mother's concerned gaze. The woman was short and delicate, and looked like she was twenty-five althought she obviously wasn't, since the birth certificate stated she had him at this age. Still, her beauty was absolutely stunning. Her heart-shaped face, milky skin, deep blue eyes framed by naturally thick and dark eyelashes that forbid the use of make-up. Her smooth, feminine forms she tried to hide under looses and dark dresses. When she talked, even him couldn't take his stare away from her full, sexy lips. She was his first love, the overprotective, too dependant woman who made him felt like he was the most precious jewel in the whole world. Allen knew that love had to be like that.

"And I hate when you drift away in the dreamland while I'm talking to you."

The boy snapped out of his mindless admiration and smiled at her, throwing his arms around her slender shoulders, maybe a bit too heavily, because she let out a startled gasp and stumbled in his loving embrace. They held each other for long minutes, over his cold plate. Two souls meant to understand each other but disconnected to the rest of the human kind.

"You saw the little girl?" Allen asked, his face still buried in her sweet-scented hair.

"Yes, I did. This morning. What's her name again?"

"Erin. And?"

"She's gifted, just as you thought. Not a lot, but I should be able to bring it forward with a little practice."

"Is she...doing well?"

"Very well, Moogle. She's doesn't want to remember her past life. She also ask about you to come visit her in her room..."

"I will."

"Not now. I don't want any disturbance over her. She needs calm, and concentration."

"I AM calm and concentrated, mom."

Her rich, deep laugh filled his ears and his heart sang with joy.

"You're also young and late for your work, Moogle. You want something for the night?"

"Nope, I never eat while on duty." He joked, a slight smile crawling on his lips.

"Then shall I drive you to the Train station?"

"Sooner the better."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~xXXx~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Meanwhile, behind Allen's house)

The twelve young bald women stopped walking at the sound of the whistle they were accustomed to obey to. The file stood there, in front of the dark wooden wall, shivering in the cool spring air that still smelled like snow from the mountains standing not so far away from the small ranch. They were only dressed in oversized white long-sleeved shirts that matched the pale complexion exhaustion and sadness gave them. In front of them, two men, probably as young as they were, but already growing older from the pain that surrounded their lives, slowly called each name, waiting for the murmured reply. One of them had short dark blonde hair, blue eyes and a beautiful baby-face that held the attention of more than a few women and men around him. His name was Brandon. The other was a tall, long-haired squeleton, with nothing more than bones and flesh that led the others to nickname him "Reaper." That was kind of appropriated, considering the job he had.

Brandon checked the list one last time, before nodding to the man neside him. Reaper nodded back and pulled something from the long black trench coat that partially hid his bony forms. The women gasped when the small silver gun was set in their direction. Brandon snapped his fingers, and Reaper fired.

He had years and years of practice at the service of this ranch. He practically never missed. One bullet for each forehead, sending them quick to the ground, surprise and horror forever carved in their face. The corpses piled at their feet, while the dark wood slowly drank the splashed blood. No bullet trace. Everything had been quick, and easy. Bradon proceeded to pile up the corpses on a small trailer attached to a pick-up car. Reaper, sitting on the driver seat, contacted someone on the screeching CB radio.

"Where to put them, Lo?" He asked in a low voice.

"How many?" Came the female voice between fits of screeching.

"Twelve."

"Number ten can't handle that much. We're directing you to number fourteen."

"Fourteen? Are we that far yet?"

"I'm afraid."

"Okay, fourteen then. Send me the map, will you?"

"Kay."

A few more screeching and the small screen on the control panel blinked to show a greenish electronic map. A red point flashed where the pit number fourteen had been dug.

"Shit, Lo, it's more than twenty kilometers away from here! Couldn't you just find some place even farter, so we could burn away our gas even more? Shit..."

"Miss asked it that way. She wouldn't want her son to stumble upon them while playing. It would disgust him."

"Like they aren't disgusting enough when they're still alive." Reaper mumbled under his breath.

"What?"

"Nothing, I was talking to Brandon. We're going."

"Let us know as soon as you're finished."

"Yeah, kay. Over."

Reaper turned off the radio, muttering obscenities as Brandon, sweaty from the work, collapsed on the passenger seat.

"You covered them with the tarpaulin?"

"Yes, I did. What's going on again? Heard you speak loud."

"Ten is full, so are all the under until fourteen. It's twenty-two kilometers east."

"Shit."

"Indeed."

"We have that much...shells so far?"

"We've lost count, I guess. Already been months since Miss started it. And she is still unsatisfied with the results."

"You actually talked to her?"

"Nope. Lo said it. She already ordered a few more pits."

"Damn..."

And that sealed their conversations. Back to his old emotionless self, Reaper reached long skinny fingers to start up the engine, and crushed the accelerator, sending the pick-up roaring throught the sunset-veiled path to fourteen. A few of the workers turned their gaze from work to silently watch the car and the macaber burden getting rapidly swollen by a cloud of dust.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~xXXx~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mmmkay sorry it took me so long...a time-consuming job and demanding boyfriend does that to you lol...I'm starting school tomorrow but it isn't really going to change my habits since my lucky ass got only 2 days of school per week *ducks avoiding flying bottles*

And I know Seifer isn't in the chappy, can't you all forget him for a minute, eh?? ;-)

Anyway....

*Holds up sign* "WILL DROP PANTS FOR REVIEWS!!"

I'm screaming, I'm screaming. ;)

came

a few other things

he always reads

she

a

an

make uo

throughout the

the war

This is a great line, Aequa. I can see some foundation of this in the game.

Aah, this is good…

Squall slept soundly;

bed

Resonance

through

heel

but with

It seems you didn't finish the sentence. "The sweet scent" does what? I really like this description, btw. "Something like wet leaves and sleeping flowers" - that's beautiful.

its

a chair to sit under

Lovely.

MADRE DE DIOS! That sounds so freakin painful! *shudders*

thigh

in the Deling

recognize; it seemed

Her eyes met

she saw her foggy eyes wwiden

You really are amazing with these closing lines. This is very effective, and the imagery is great.

plunged

struck

on a

everything

nice and (?)

its contents lying

privileges

prudish

The sun's

breathe

stop

Clarify who the "his" in this case is.

He remained silent, but pressed

minutes

one

hundred

mind, but

him

Beautiful. So Squall is human too, eh?

one that would help in healing

following the drop of sadness with his eyes

lap

them hard against him

friend - definitely

immediately patted

Squall's

to be having

body was so

and was just

unstable

appearance

What a darling little boy! And what a vivid description of his castle! I love it (and him)!

brought him

towers

Muahahaha! Death to all cowards!

his

touching

nickname - or what she said was his nickname

all his

he

although

forbade

loose

dependent

from the rest of mankind

asked for

he

train

obeying

skeleton

appropriate

beside

form

Aaaaahhhh!!! Nazi bastards!!!! *stabs*

he

came

who's screeching?

Are we still that far?

screeching noises

farther, so we can waste out

wants

doesn't

onto

many

macabre

What did I tell you about your ending sentences? *jaw drops, arms flailing, completely in awe of Aequa's emotional manipulation…*

Lol! To tell you the truth, I completely forgot about him. Your chappy was excellent, and I say that even though I haven't read the rest of the fic yet. After I send this off to you I'm going to FF.N and hunting you down, cause it sounds like a brilliant piece. I need some questions answered anyway…why the hell was Squall all messed up? Who has Quistis captive? Where's Seifer? And who is the evil Nazi woman with the cute son??? Very curious. But oh so good!!!

ROFL! Oh you will, eh? *nudge*