Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Resurrection - Rebirth of a Foe ❯ Breaking the News ( Chapter 13 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Chapter Thirteen - Breaking the News
Returning to Balamb Garden once more, Rinoa-Edea was left in the care of Dr. Kadowaki in the infirmary. It pained Squall to see Rinoa like this. Once again she had become the victim of another crazed attempt. Sighing, Squall brushed aside strands of loose hair from her cheek. Dr. Kadowaki sat at her desk and saw the young man's sad face. Many students from Balamb Garden paid a visit to the infirmary, there were the occasion when a student had wounded themselves in battle, but most of the time they just wanted to talk to someone grown up. Giving her hand a rest from the writing she was doing, Dr. Kadowaki pushed her chair back and placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Don't worry, Squall. Everything will turn out right in the end, you'll see. You have your own job to do, and I have mine. Leave the girl and Edea to me, and return to your friends; they're waiting outside for you." True to her word, Zell and the others were waiting outside the infirmary for him.
"What now, Squall?" Irvine said to their leader. "Odine beat us to the punch, and tried to kill us in the process!"
"Headmaster Cid needs to be informed of the situation," Squall said, his face thoughtful. "For the time being there's nothing else we can do. I'm still trying to figure out the significance of using Rinoa and Matron. Their role in all of this is unclear to me. Any ideas?"
"He used them as decoy, to distract us from what was really important," Seifer's voice spoke out. Although people were getting used to his presence, the fact that his existence was amongst them still brought wary faces every time he spoke. "What? Can't I say my opinions, or something?" he demanded from nobody in particular.
"Not that your opinions count for much," Zell muttered under his breath.
"What was that, Dincht? Care to say that louder and to my face?" Seifer challenged.
Zell, the one ever game for a good tussle obliged to repeat what he said when Squall interrupted with a stern look. "I think we have more important things at hand to tackle, other than each other?" he said.
"But Squall, Odine thinks we're dead," Selphie pointed out. "If he thinks we're out of the way, he'll go ahead with his plans."
"He's obviously underestimated the SeeDs," Irvine said smirking. "He's forgotten that there are people in this world who are smarter than he is."
"As for going ahead with his plans, Selphie, I don't think Odine will be in a rush to compress out world just yet. As long as he thinks he's in control, then there's no real threat to us yet." Squall reasoned.
"Want us to go with you to H.C's office?" Zell asked.
"It's OK, that won't be necessary," Squall said. "I'll be briefing him of the events that have taken place, and that Garden should be prepared for attack."
"And attack on Garden? Do you really think-" Quistis began. After her remark back at the Ragnorak, Seifer had become quiet and sub-dued - like Squall. For one thing, Quistis was not only visually good to look at; she was clever and good at holding a conversation.
"At this stage, Quistis, we should be prepared for anything. Odine was damn clever in setting up the deep sea research facility - he could try something sneaky like that again."
"Insane in the membrane," Zell stated shaking his head and crossing his legs. "Nuts, totally nuts,"
"Until I get further insight on what Cid's approval is, I'll meet up with you all in front of the Directory in an hour and a half. Till then, do whatever."
Scattering, Zell went in the direction of the Cafeteria, Selphie to the Quad, Seifer in search for Raijin and Fujin, and Irvine to the girl's dormitories to work his 'magic'. Squall turned with questioning eyebrows to Quistis. He would have thought she would have gone elsewhere, but no, she remained where she was.
"Quistis?" he questioned.
"Squall, I, uh, don't intend to go anywhere in particular. May I accompany you to the Headmaster's office?" she asked hopefully.
Nodding, he and Quistis rode the elevator to the third floor - restricted for only those who were permitted to those who had the permission from the Headmaster himself. Xu and Nida no longer occupied what was used to be Cid's office, which was then the bridge when it was found out that Balamb Garden was mobile, and then back to the Headmaster's office after the defeat of Ultimecia. Now that Balamb Garden was restored to it's rightful place - not far from the town of Balamb and the Fire Cavern on either side - there was no need for Nida and Xu to be on 'stand-by' should the Garden need to travel. They did however serve as the headmaster's 'personal assistants' and met Squall and Instructor Trepe just as they were about to exit the office, and them, enter it.
"Hello, Squall, Instructor," Xu said, nodding politely at both of them. "You're going to see the Headmaster?" Squall nodded in return to confirm this.
"I don't think you should disturb him," Nida advised, he then lowered his voice. "He's taking a snooze."
Too bad, this is important, Squall thought. "It's important that we see him now. Urgent even,"
"Oh, something happen that the rest of us SeeDs should know about?" Xu asked curiously.
"Nothing that we can't be handled," Squall replied coolly. You sure about that Squall? He asked himself. You underestimated Odine's capabilities, and look what happened.
Shutting the door behind them, Squall and Quistis stepped into Cid Kramer's office once again. They had been on this wild Chocobo chase to find Ellone, then Odine and then Rinoa and Matron for what, a few days? The days felt like years to Squall. It seemed such a long time since they entered this room and were briefed on their mission to assist in the Esthar parade. Some mission this has been, Squall thought sourly.
The middle-aged man slumped in his seat - his head resting on his desk. A faint snoring came from his direction. Coughing to catch the sleeping man's attention, Squall sighed when Cid continued to sleep.
"Sir," Squall said, still no answer. "Sir, Headmaster Cid!" he said more loudly.
"Hrmm, huh, what's that now?" Cid mumbled, rubbing at his eyes. "Oh, Squall, Quistis!" he exclaimed. "Pardon my disarrayed state."
"We have news,"
"Yes, Ellone, the girl. She had been found had she?" he said sitting up, devoting his attention to the two high ranking SeeDs in front of him.
"According to the President, yes. M findings later showed that Ellone had not just wandered off, but taken. Her return collaborated with Rinoa's disappearance who was at the Orphanage with Irvine and Selphie to keep an eye out for Matron."
"Yes, yes of course. I was informed of this before,"
Squall swallowed before speaking again. "When we informed of this, you were failed to be told that Matron, uh, Edea had been taken, also."
"Edea!" Cid started. "Where, where is she now? I must go find her."
"Sir, no!" Squall restrained the older man from leaving the office. "Ellone has explained to me, who has been behind her kidnapping and who is responsible of the taking of Rinoa and Edea."
"Well, who?!" Cid said impatiently.
"Doc-, doctor Odine," Squall said almost as if in confession.
"Him?! That, that nutcase?! Him?! What does he-, but why??" Cid implored.
"His true motives remain unclear still, but I-, we suspect that he is working under the demise of Sorceress Ultimecia." Squall informed.
"Ultimecia?!" I thought she was destroyed, you, the SeeDs destroyed her didn't you?"
"That does not appear to be the case, Sir," Quistis spoke up. "Irvine Kinneas and Selphie Tilmitt were present during the time Odine appeared at the Orphanage to take Rinoa and Edea. There was a second being present that being the sorceress. It was later that Irvine and Selphie noticed that Ultimecia was in a frozen state, she refused to blink. We suspect that her powers were negated this way, a similar technique to how the sorceress Adel was confined in outer space."
"What has Odine done to her, has Edea become sorceress once more?" Cid inquired, becoming urgent as every second passed by. Why was this happening again? This was all he needed right now. It appeared that the job of the SeeDs were far from over.
"No Sir, you remember that her powers were passed onto Rinoa. Well, Odine had this device that was able to combine Edea and Rinoa together as one. I suppose, and this is pure speculation-"
"Yes, yes Squall. Everything about Odine is pure speculation. That man is an enigma," Cid said grimly, his elbows resting on the desk and his hands joined together to form a steeple shape.
"Uh, as I was saying, I believe that the purpose for which Odine has combined the bodies of Rinoa and Matron is because Rinoa's body is too frail whilst she has the power of a sorceress. Edea however is physically more stronger but minus the power, therefore uniting the two." Squall finished.
"This is terrible," Cid spoke softly.
"We are doing everything we can, Sir," Quistis offered. "We have managed to retrieve Rinoa and Edea. They are at the Infirmary with Dr. Kadowaki right now. I am afraid that the task was not easy. We have clearly underestimated his capacity to do harm to the world. On rescuing them we deactivated a self-destruct mechanism and barely made it on time."
"All is well, amongst you all, I hope?" Cid asked. "I would deeply regret anything happening to you particular SeeDs."
That is why we became SeeDs. We were trained to become mercenaries weren't we? To defeat the Sorceress? We were taught and made to realise the dangers of our duties and the missions we were assigned to. Squall thought. "We managed to get away without harm, Sir," Squall confirmed. "Instructor Trepe had a narrow escape though,"
Squall, don't. Don't say what I think you are going to say. Please... Quistis begged in her mind. To hear Squall commend Seifer for his 'heroic' deeds would be totally wrong - un-Squall like.
"We were fortunate enough to have someone audacious and brave like Seifer Almasy, on board the Ragnorak, Sir. It was he who saved Instructor Trepe from being caught in the blast. He rather recklessly clung from a rope, whilst holding onto Quistis. We have him to thank for, for Instructor Trepe being with us now." Squall explained. After all he's done, I'm commemorating him?? It sounds cynical coming from me. Seifer and me always had our differences since childhood, are they ever going to be sorted out between ourselves?
"Seifer Almasy, eh?" Cid said sounding surprised, his eyebrows highly arched in disbelief that Squall thought that they would permanently migrate to his forehead. "You Squall, approved of him being here amongst the Garden community and your fellow SeeDs despite him being an accessory to Ultimecia's scheme to compress our world? It was you who deemed it suitable to allow him to walk freely and work in conjunction with Garden, am I correct?"
Squall knew that this was going to happen. The question of whether his actions were the correct ones to make. "Yes Sir. I made those decisions under the influence that Seifer would be given a second chance, much to the displeasure of my fellow SeeDs. In my own terms I have not consented for Seifer to stay with my team of SeeDs, Sir. I guess you could say that Seifer is 'tagging' along. Though he has proved himself useful and a worthy team-mate, as illustrated with him saving Instructor Trepe," he said.
"This is what you believe, Squall?" Cid asked.
This was interrogation of the sort Squall disliked. Cid Kramer was finding it hard to believe that he, Squall Leonhart would learn to accept and tolerate Seifer - to give him a second chance he felt that he didn't deserve. Cid wanted to be sure. Who was it that created that scar across Squall's forehead? Who was the one who turned against the Garden community and sided with the 'dark force', under the impression that he would be fulfilling his 'dreams'? For Seifer there was no escaping the fingers that pointed at him. "Yes, Sir," Squall confirmed.
"That's all I wanted to hear. So long that it was your sole decision Squall, then I can't argue with that."
"Seifer has his own reasons for joining us, Sir. He sees seeking revenge on Ultimecia more of a personal vendetta, rather than an act to get rid of an iniquity that poses as a serious threat to the world." Said Squall.
"What exactly is being done about the current situation?" Cid said pressing on. His concern for what would become of his wife and the nuisance that was Odine, increasing.
"We have had no further leads yet, Sir. Our initial plan was to search for Lunatic Pandora, whose whereabouts remain to be seen. There has been no siting of the large structure since we last entered it a year ago." Squall informed. "During my briefing with you Sir, the other SeeDs, them being Zell, Selphie and Irvine as well as Seifer are around and about. It would seem that the best course of action now, is to start hunting for Lunatic Pandora. There is every possibility that Odine may have returned to the scene where Ellone's powers were last used."
Cid Kramer nodded, nudging his wire-framed glasses back up to the bridge of his nose. "Better get going then," he said.