Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ To Love You is a Crime ❯ The Dark Truth ( Chapter 4 )

A/N: Here are the review replies.

 

 

Keiner: You'll see why I put his family in when it never mentions his family at all in the game in this chapter. What I'm trying to do is think outside the box. Not everything has to be from the game you know? Oh, and I apologize if I seemed at all rude in my email. I was tired and having a bad day. Yeah, I know, bad excuse but…oh well. I hope you decide to keep reading.

 

 

Katiya Kramer: Thanks for reading my little ol' story. Heehee I feel so loved. Don't worry, I'll get to reading your story. Thanks for reviewing love!

 

 

Lady of the Lake 12: Oh wow…*blush*. You're too kind love! Actually when I first started this story I had no idea it was going to have all this stuff in it. It's insane how much got added to it. Well, thanks for reading love!!!

 

 

Dead Pollen: Yeah, as I told Keiner, you'll find out why I mentioned his family when they were never mentioned in the game in this chapter. I'll keep reading your story. I just hope I wasn't too hard on you with all the grammer critique. I'm just trying to help. I mean well. Keep at it! Thanks for R&Ring!

 

 

The Disclaimer from the first few chapters will be in effect for the rest of the story… now on the story.

 

 

Chapter Four: The Terrible Truth

 

 

Squall looked at the doctor in cold surprise. So it was Seifer. Why wasn't he surprised…that was sarcasm on Squall's part. He has always known that Seifer was going to do something like this. It was in his character. Seifer Almasy was a rotten kid even when he was little. Squall remembered, although vaguely, Seifer beating up Zell, making him cry a river. That wasn't the worst of it. He would pull Quisty, Selphie, and Ellone's hair, sometimes pulling is out of the roots. Squall wasn't saved from the angry boy…he was teased…as was Irvine.

 

 

Squall shook his head. Seifer what have you done? You almost killed the only woman who would give you a second glance and love you. Now you're running away like the coward you are. I'm disappointed in you.

 

 

Squall looked up into Dr. Kadowaki's eyes. She had pretty eyes, the middle-aged doctor. Her eyes were a dark, honey brown, with little specks of gold. Her face was a slightly wrinkled pear. Her nose was small, albeit dainty. Her mouth was curved in frown, understandable knowing the circumstances. Her black hair was pulled back into a tight bun at the back of her head. Her arms were wrapped around the white lab coat she wore for safety against dangerous acids and bases. It must have been hard work being a doctor.

 

 

The hospital was a large white building located in the center of town. It was almost like a labyrinth, with all those twists and turns in the hallways. It was extremely easy to get lost, and once someone did get lost it was hard to get back to where they started. A lot like the Tomb of the Unknown King. Hyne was it hell venturing through those long halls. The worst thing about the hospital was that everything was white: the walls, the marble floor that shined, the equipment, the doors, everything but the window, which were made of glass.

 

 

At this moment Squall was in laboratory unit with Dr. Kadowaki…his mother fiqure. She has already told the news of just who Quistis's attacker was. She looked like she was going to cry. Sensing that, Squall opened his arms for a hug. It was unlike him yes, but in life there were exceptions to one's rules. He patted her back in a comforting manner, trying to keep her from losing control over herself in a lab full of other scientists.

 

 

“Do you know what this means,” the doctor choked into his SeeD uniform. Squall nodded, but obviously, Dr. Kadowaki didn't see him nod. “Squall?” she asked again.

 

 

“Yes,” he answered without feeling. “I know what this means.” Apathy was both Squall's curse and blessing. He kept his feelings private from the world, only to be hurt later on when the person who cared about most was hurt by his lack of feeling.

 

 

Squall looked at her with inquisition. “How did you know his family had a history of mental illness?” he asked. “From what I can recall we never even knew he had a family. Weren't they killed by the sorceress?”

 

 

“Yes they were,” she answered shakily. “But we have records of them from when they were born until the time of their death. Mental illness was on his father's side, along with a violent temper.”

 

 

Squall lightly chuckled. “Like father like son huh?”

 

 

“Yes, I'm afraid,” she continued. “His mother was thought to be a nice woman, albeit wishy-washy though. She put up with an abusive marriage; her husband beat her quite often Her name was Raya I believe. Raya Almasy.”

 

 

“How do you know this?” Squall asked.

 

 

“We know because she came to a hospital complaining of bruises, fractures and lacerations. The woman always seemed so out of it whenever she did that I was told. It seemed she under the influence of something else.”

 

 

“What do you mean something else? Are you saying the woman was under the influence of alcohol?”

 

 

“No...drugs. We already know she was on a monoamine oxibase inhibitor for depression, Selegiline I believe. She was also on Valproic Acid for epilepsy. She had frequent seizures. It was a shame. She could hardly take care of herself, or even get a job. She was a homemaker. It was the father who did all the work. We believe she was on a hallucinogen when she entered the building. She complained of dark shapes in the corner, chasing her down the hallway. She was acting like a maniac. That could be due to the fact that her husband was beating her.”

 

 

Squall was getting impatient. “What hospital did she check into? Was it here?”

 

 

“No. It was the hospital in Esthar. She lived in Esthar.”

 

 

“Tell me more about Seifer's father. You've told me already that he was an abusive husband. What else is there to know?”

 

 

“Well, he worked as a mechanic on all the high-tech equipment one would see flying around. He obviously didn't get that much education in as a kid. His name was James Almasy. He looked a lot like Seifer. It was he who served in the Sorceress War as a soldier. Of course he was killed in action. Good riddance I would say. He was a terrible person. His wife, Raya didn't get off that easy. After giving birth to Seifer her epilepsy caused her to be hospitalized and eventually sent to a mental institution close. Seifer was then given to the orphanage. I feel so bad for that woman; going to a ward is a horrible way to end your life.”

 

 

“And Seifer is oblivious to this?” Squall asked, shocked that everyone was too stupid to tell the man the truth. He deserved to know what had happened to his parents.

 

 

“Yes. We were going to tell him once he became a SeeD so he could pay respects to his mother, but that never happened.”

 

 

“Of course it didn't,” he sighed. “So…what are we going to do now? We already know about his parents' tragic life and his…we have the information regarding Quistis's attacker! What are we going to do about it?”

 

 

“We should tell Quistis,” the doctor announced, pulling herself away from Squall. “It's obviously the right thing to do.” She wiped the small tears from her eyes. She loved Quistis more than anything in the world. She was almost her daughter. It was always Quistis who came to see her during her lunch break. How nice it was of her. Of course, Quistis never stayed the entire time as she wanted to see her other close friends. But it was safe to say that Quistis was a second daughter.

 

 

“Are you sure that's wise,” Squall raised an interesting question. Telling Quistis at this point in time would surely traumatize her as she had not even healed. “I think it would be best if we waited a while before telling her. Let her spend time with her friends. They love her so, myself included. Dr. Kadowaki, your intentions are good, but they could only lead to a disaster at this point in time. I hope you understand.” The doctor narrowed her eyes in approval. Although she obviously didn't agree with Squall, she wanted what was best for Quistis. And if telling her early would be detrimental to her health…she wouldn't do it.

 

 

 

Squall walked furiously throughout the streets of Balamb. Hyne, was he pissed. I can thank all of fucking Balamb for all my problems right now. How the fuck could they not have time to tell Seifer that his mother was in a mental institution and that there was in fact, someone out there that cared about him, even if she probably was out of her fucking mind. But at least he wouldn't have gone off the deep end and hurt Quisty like his damn father! Hyne, I wish I could kick Cid's ass right now!

 

 

All the buildings seemed to melt together. Great, I'm hallucinating…or I'm dying. Hell, I don't care about WHAT happens to me right now. Anything that gets me out of the predicament I'm in. Secrets…there were too many secrets. No one was telling each other what they knew would be beneficial to one of their students. As much as he hated Seifer, he was a student, and as a student he had a right to know about his parents. Fuck. They could have at least mentioned he had a mother that was still alive! Would it be too complicated for him to know that he had a mother who probably cared about him? Yes, he would probably ask too many questions, and risk getting told the truth! What else were they hiding, that was what Squall wanted to know. Were there secrets about him…about Selphie, Zell, Rinoa, Irvine, Xu, Nida and Quistis that no one knew about it? This whole conspiracy sucked.

 

 

Squall stopped and sat down on a wooden bench to cool down. Hell, it was all he could do to calm down. He had worked himself into frenzy. He smiled at the passing people, knowing even they had better lives than him. He looked around. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, which was ironic judging by the events that had come to pass. All the buildings were made out of some sort of stone. The small homes that looked like large seashells were most likely made of limestone, with small stones for windows. They looked cozy though. He spotted all the shops littered around the area. They were practically the only things there, besides Garden. They were open and bustling with people as usual. Life went on it seemed. It didn't for Quisty; she almost died.

 

 

He entered one of the shops and looked at the newspaper stand. There had to be something, something in the news that mentioned Quistis's attack. He growled lowly so no one could hear. There was nothing, absolutely nothing. What's all this crap? Why isn't she in the news? Does she not matter? He threw down the paper, startling the shopkeeper. He decided it would be pointless to make a scene and left.

 

 

He breathed in and out. People didn't like disturbances. That's what he always knew. They wouldn't even help an unconscious woman lying in the mud. What kind of people were they to ignore such a thing? He looked out at the ocean. It had always made him calm. The giant blue waves crashing against the shore always held a sort of serenity, when everything else was hectic. Ha, he was calm again. The wind brushed against his cheek, ruffling his hair. Maybe it wasn't too late to change things.

 

 

Those people could be taught to tolerate homosexuals, bisexuals and transsexuals. It would take quite a bit of time, but yes it was possible. No one would stand for it though, because it was a change…a change from their usual lifestyle.

 

 

Squall ran his fingers through his hair. What was wrong with everyone today? He wanted to pretend for just one second, that everyone wasn't racist. That people actually cared about each other. He opened his eyes. It didn't work. Oh well, he continued to stare out at the sea.

 

 

“Squall,” a low feminine voice called. Squall turned around. It was Ma Dincht. He waved to her. There was someone who wouldn't judge even if you put a gun to her head. He approached her calmly. She was wearing a flowery dress, covered by a white apron. She was wearing dressy shoes, for what reason Squall didn't know. She never went anywhere.

 

 

There was a smile on her face when she saw the brunet commander. “Good afternoon Squall,” she greeted. “What brings you here?”

 

 

Squall gave her a slight smile. “I got bored of sitting in Cid's office and decided to enjoy the ocean. You can't exactly see it from the top of Garden.” Ma nodded and outstretched her arms. She was looking for a hug. Squall gave her a warm embraces and then pulled away.

 

 

“Would you like to come in for tea?” Squall chuckled and said “of course”. The round woman led him inside her humble abode. And it was very humble indeed. The walls were an ivory color. Everything was scattered everywhere. It was hard to imagine how Ma got around all day. He spotted the stairs that led to Zell's room. Ah, there were many memories there: Selphie, coming in, jumping on his bed and pissing Zell off. Of course at the time she thought it was cute. Selphie thought everything was cute. If an alien ship landed in Balamb and a little gooey alien came out she's still think that was cute.

 

 

The masculine woman pulled out a silver tea kettle and filled it with water. She turned on the gas stone and placed it on the burner. “I was wondering if you could help with something,” Ma asked. “I heard something around Balamb about Quistis.” Squall's heart almost stopped. “Is she alright? I heard she was raped and beaten?”

 

 

Well, finally someone knew something! Squall took her hand gently and looked into her caramel eyes. “She's fine. Right now he's staying in a dorm with Selphie, one of her close friends. After all they've been through together I don't think it's a bad idea. Seifer could come back to kill her,” he cringed. Damn, he just gave away the name he wasn't supposed to give away. Damn his ailing brain! Ma looked frightened.

 

 

“Seifer,” she gasped. “Seifer did that? Where is he now? Is he still lurking around? Hyne I don't feel safe anymore!” Squall patted her hand in order to comfort her.

 

 

“Don't worry. I'm sure he's not going to attack you. Quistis seemed to be his only victim.”

 

 

Only victim…

 

 

If she was his only victim then he would be in hiding. That pretty much eliminated any change of ever finding him. That also meant he must have really hated Quistis when he committed that deed. But…if he hated her so much why did he date her? He must of hated her towards the end of the relationship. That would make sense.

 

 

“But why?” she continued to gasp. “Why did he do it? What did that poor woman do to him?”

 

 

“That's what we're trying to figure out.”

 

 

But we're failing…

 

 

Squall knew it would be a million in one chance if they ever found Seifer. That man wouldn't be found if he did not want to be found. It was just the way he was. He was always like that. For example, when he defaced a school statue and didn't show up for weeks. The man was a coward.

 

 

“What if he tries to kill Quistis? Who will stop him?”

 

 

No one…because he's strike when no one's around to protect her…

 

 

Seifer Almasy was not only a coward, but a slime ball as well. Squall knew he would give anyone a chance to protect Quisty. He would strike when she was the most defenseless…at night. The kettle let out a wailing sound that told Ma it was boiling. She turned off the stove and pulled some of the hot water into the mugs. The grabbed a couple teabags and dumped them in the cups. She gave one cup to Squall. “Do you like sugar and creamer in yours?” Squall put a teaspoon of sugar and creamer in there. He didn't care much for sweet drinks.

 

 

Ma took a sip and continued her questioning. “Is there anyone watching Quistis at the moment?” Squall nodded as he was drinking his tea.

 

 

“Yes there is. Selphie. Selphie Tilmitt. You remember her right? She's the small brunette girl who's also a friend of Zell's. She helped us save the world, like it matters at this point in time,” he groaned.

 

 

Ma's face lit up at the mention of Selphie. “Oh I remember her. She's a cute one isn't she? Always smiling and trying to make other people happy. She's such a sweetheart. Sometimes I wish her and my Zell would get together sometime. They would make a wonderful couple.”

 

 

Who cares about how cute they would look together? We're here to talk about Quistis, not other people's lives.

 

 

Squall coughed. “Yeah, she's nice, but whatever. How come I haven't seen this in the news? It seems like it would be a really big deal, as it's extremely close to home.”

 

 

Please don't make anymore stupid comments. Please answer my question.

 

 

“I don't know,” she answered. “I guess it's too upsetting. And you know how people are Squall. They don't like to be upset. People like to pretend that everything's fine and dandy, when it really isn't. I don't agree with it either, but opinion doesn't matter. I don't have any power. No one in this town does. You kids do, only because you're in the military. Of course being in the military means that you can get people to do what you want through force. That doesn't always work. However, in this case I wish you would use force. Something needs to be done. People get away with everything nowadays. Every morning, I wake up and walk down the street. I hear racist, sexist, and homophobic comments from every corner. It makes me want to spit. And that's not the worst of it. Did you know the children are beginning to talk that way? Five year old kids…were calling this man a `faggot' and this woman a `dyke'. Who do you think teaches these kids this? The parents, that's who, and no one even cares.”

 

 

Squall listened on intrigued. “Do you think it'll ever change?”

 

 

“Never,” Ma laughed. “People don't like to change. It's sad. I hate to think that our society is one big black hole but it's true. Why can't people realize what they're doing to each other?”

 

 

“Maybe it's because they're too blind to see what they're doing?” Squall suggested. This woman had a lot of knowledge.

 

 

“I'll say that's the case. But that's no excuse. People aren't toys. When you break them, you can't just pretend like it never happened…”

 

 

A/N: Thank you for reading. Leave a review on the way out. I love knowing what my readers think…good or bad…it doesn't matter as long as you're stating your opinion.