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batsutousaiTitle: Sins of Our Young
Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII
Author: Batsutousai/![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
batsutousai
Betas: Shara Lunison/tsuki_no_suzu & Shivani/grazhir
Chapters: 6 of 10
Rating: T
Pairings: Seifer/Squall, Irvine/Selphie, hints of Quistis/Rinoa
Warnings: AU, minor canon-fuckery, Rinoa bashing, minor Quisty bashing
Summary: How the game could have gone if the writers weren't on crack and so set on everyone being straight.
A/N: This chapter sort of turned into a series of short moments during the days following the battle between the Gardens. Because nothing particularly huge occurs, but things are still happening, if that makes any sense?
-0-0-0-
Clouds Are the Future
-0-0-0-
Squall leaned against the wall and tugged off his boots before slipping into the infirmary. The door of Kadowaki's bedroom was cracked open and Squall crept past it and into the room Seifer was in. There, he set his boots on the floor next to the chair to one side before dropping into the uncomfortable seat with some relief.
It had been three hours before they'd been able to limp the three Gardens back to FH. The technicians had set up a second docking station out of another crane, expecting there would be repairs required, and Galbadia Garden was settled in there while Trabia took the first dock. Balamb docked their main entrance with Trabia, enabling passage between the two Gardens.
Even returned, their business hadn't been finished. Squall, Xu, Cid, Angelica, and Mayor Dobe had spent a good two hours debating what to do with those who had fought with Galbadia, not to mention the Sorceress and Knight closed up in solitary. There had been some discussion over what punishments Seifer would receive for his tenure as Edea's Knight, but Squall had been quite firm in his stance that the ex-Knight had suffered more than enough.
They'd mostly agreed over what to do with the Galbadians – Dobe and Cid both seemed to think they should get a second chance, and they'd managed to argue the rest of them around – but Edea and Rinoa's fates were still up for debate, especially since Rinoa had fallen into a coma. (That had required another long debate, this time with Kadowaki: The doctor wanted Rinoa in the infirmary, where she could keep an eye on her patient, but Squall didn't want her to have any freedom in Garden until they figured out how much of her actions had been because of Ultimecia and how much had been her. Kadowaki had sort of won, in the end; they'd set up a quasi-cell at one end of the infirmary and Rinoa had been placed in there. Squall had then proceeded to lose the argument about setting a guard on her, if only because the entirety of Garden was dead on their feet from the fight.)
Edea was a bit of a special case. Her claim of possession rang true to everyone, especially given her changed actions. Even believing that, there was concern that she could be possessed again, and none of them were certain how to protect against that. They'd spent a good forty-five minutes going back and forth about what wouldn't work, but none of them had any ideas for what would work.
Even after their meeting had been adjourned on that low note, there had been work to do in making certain the Galbadians understood what their second chance meant and figuring out a schedule for the repairs on all three Gardens. Then there was the hassle of seeing to the students and staff they'd left in FH, including Quistis. Squall still wasn't sure what to do with the young woman, and it showed, much to his shame. Angelica had called him on it and had no sympathy for his explanation over why he was having so much trouble deciding on a punishment.
"Shove her in solitary for forty-eight hours, then reinstate her as a level one SeeD and make her work her way back up the ranks," Angelica had snapped. "So maybe her actions saved the life of one man, and maybe you never ordered her not to message Rinoa, but she still knew better and her actions put two Gardens and a peaceful city in danger. She's not your foster sister, Commander Leonhart, she's a soldier. Treat her like one."
Squall had followed Angelica's directions without a word to Quistis, silently berating himself the entire time for letting his emotions get in the way of his job. He'd let a forgotten childhood friendship get in the way of doling out a sufficient punishment and it irritated him. It used to be that only Seifer could make him lose his usual calm, goading him into the most dangerous stunts and training duels, but he was suddenly finding himself fond of Selphie and torn over how to handle Quistis. He'd been honestly worried for Irvine, too, and full of regret for having forgotten him. Even Zell amused him more than irritated him, anymore.
'And then there's Seifer.' Squall leaned forward and rested his head against the edge of the bed his rival lay on, the exhaustion of the day catching up with him. 'I'm beginning to understand what Selphie meant when she said it was a comfort to have a pillow or something,' he thought drowsily. 'I spend all fucking day jittery and wanting to just stop by the infirmary, even though I know he's fine. I couldn't fucking sleep without checking in on you, you bastard.'
Kadowaki would skin him alive if she caught him in Seifer's room, but there was nothing wrong with resting his eyes for a little bit, right?
-0-
Squall woke the moment someone touched his shoulder. He turned his head and shot a glare at whoever had thought to wake him, only to be met with Kadowaki's disapproving face. 'Crap.'
"You have your own bed, Squall," Kadowaki pointed out quietly. "You should be there. Not sneaking into the infirmary over night."
Squall grunted and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Couldn't sleep," he admitted, knowing better than to try a 'whatever' on the doctor.
"I half expected to find you standing vigil over Rinoa's bed, considering how insistent you were that I place a guard on her," Kadowaki said, rolling her eyes.
Squall shook his head and leaned over to get his boots. "What time is it?"
"Ten 'til eight."
"Fuck." Squall sped up putting his boots on and jumped to his feet, combing a quick hand through his hair. They'd had another meeting planned for eight to discuss, again, what to do with Edea. Cid had promised to talk with his wife before coming to the meeting, so hopefully they'd actually have a proper idea of what they could do with her.
Of course, the meeting was in Mayor Dobe's house, a twenty minute walk through Trabia Garden and down the crane.
As Squall started past Kadowaki's desk, shifting his belts so they didn't hang as awkwardly without Revolver weighing them down, the doctor grabbed his arm and placed a pastry in his hand. "Eat that on your way."
"Thanks," Squall said sincerely before hurrying from the infirmary. He wasn't quite desperate enough to run, but he moved much faster than he might have otherwise. He silently blessed the time he'd spent yesterday in Trabia, since he'd learned a shortcut from the main entrance to their second floor deck.
He ran into Angelica on the crane and slowed to a walk to keep pace with her as he finished off the pastry. "You look like you haven't slept," the Headmistress commented as she finished pinning her hair back, which Squall was coming to recognise as a sign that she was irritated by something.
"I slept," Squall muttered.
"Sure you did."
Squall ran a hand through his hair, wishing he'd had time for a shower. "You look like you spent the morning threatening people."
Angelica shot him an over-bright smile. "How ever did you guess that one?"
Squall snorted. Like he hadn't seen the group of chastised students set to wiping down the main hall.
The Headmistress sighed and shook her head. "Some of my students decided to have an all-night party in FH. Some things were said and a brawl happened."
"At least it didn't happen before Dobe decided we weren't a pack of murderers that just needed a good bedtime story and more love from our parents."
Angelica laughed. "This is true. He was more irritated than furious, but I doubt either of us appreciated the four am wake-up call."
"Cid should cheer him up."
"I suppose someone has to appreciate Cid's sense of humour..." Angelica muttered as she pushed open the door of Dobe's house.
"Good morning!" Dobe called, eyes bright. Cid was grinning next to him and Xu had a 'what took you so long?' look on her face.
"Sorry we're late," Angelica offered as both she and Squall took seats on the floor. "Cid, how did your talk with Edea go?"
Cid sighed, his expression falling. "She's pretty certain that there's no way to keep Ultimecia from possessing her again while she lives, and dying means her powers will be passed on to someone else. Esthar supposedly has the technology to seal a Sorceress, but it sounds about as final as killing her, just without the chance of her passing on her powers."
"So it's a lose, lose situation," Angelica murmured.
"If it weren't for Ultimecia, Matron would hardly be a threat," Squall commented quietly. "There's got to be a way to beat her."
"Good luck with that one," Angelica replied drily.
"Even if we could, somehow, reach into the future and get rid of this Sorceress, what's to keep her past self from possessing Edea and causing trouble then? There's no way we can know which version of this Sorceress we're aiming for." Cid shook his head. "There are too many chances for failure."
Squall shrugged his understanding, but he kept the idea in the back of his mind, to turn it over again later. Even with Edea sealed, there were other Sorceresses that Ultimecia could possess; they would have to deal with her eventually.
"So Sorceress Edea wishes to go to Esthar?" Dobe enquired. "It's not an easy journey."
Cid nodded. "I'm aware. She's hoping to hire SeeD out for the job." He looked over at Squall.
Squall blinked. "Did she have someone in particular in mind?"
"I believe she wanted you, Selphie, Quistis, Zell, and Irvine."
Squall snorted. "Irvine can go or not as he pleases, as he's not SeeD. I can spare Selphie and Zell, no question, but I'm not letting Quistis go on a mission like that until she proves she's not going to bring another Sorceress down on our heads."
"Then go with and keep an eye on her," Cid suggested cheerfully, correctly reading Squall's own refusal to go.
Squall stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "Maybe you missed the memo," he said drily, "but I'm the SeeD Commander. You know, the one who sits behind a table and decides which SeeDs to send on what mission, or stands on the bridge and shouts commands in battle. I don't go on pleasant trips to inclusive countries just to watch a Sorceress be willingly sealed."
Xu let out a snort and covered her smile with one hand. Angelica just shot the Commander an approving smile.
Cid blinked a few times. "It's SeeD's duty to take care of any threats posed by Sorceresses," he argued.
"And so we will," Squall replied evenly. "Selphie and Zell can go with Matron to have her sealed and I'll approve it from behind my table. Threat taken care of."
"Cid," Xu said, laughter in her voice, "you're the one who made him Commander. You knew he'd be a hard-ass about his job."
"But... Edea wants you there..."
Squall rubbed at the scar between his eyes, irritated. "What she does or doesn't want doesn't change the fact that we have three Gardens in dock for repairs. It doesn't change that Galbadia Garden's chain of command has been torn all to shreds and needs to be built back up from nothing. There's also a Sorceress Knight in a coma in Balamb Garden's infirmary who's a potential threat, and I don't have the personnel to keep a proper eye on her." He gave the Headmaster a hard look. "I can't leave."
"I can spare you someone to watch the Knight," Angelica offered.
Squall shook his head. "Doctor Kadowaki won't let me post anyone who took part in the battle until tomorrow morning at the earliest. She's of the opinion that Rinoa's no threat for the moment, anyway. But thank you."
"What about after the repairs are finished?" Cid tried. "The Galbadia Garden problem should be sorted by then, so there wouldn't be anything–"
"What part of 'I can't leave' didn't you understand?" Squall replied, doing everything possible to keep his voice steady. "Once Garden is mobile again, we should head out to clean up the mess Ultimecia left behind, such as the soldiers in Balamb Town. I need to start sending SeeDs out on missions again so we have money to buy necessities. I can't just up and leave for however many days."
"I can handle the missions–"
"That's not the point," Angelica cut in before Squall actually lost his temper. "He has as much a responsibility to SeeD as you or I have to our Gardens. Just as you and I would never vanish for a week to go on a trip, Squall can't. Do all of us a favour and drop the matter."
Cid sighed and nodded. "Very well."
"I'll let Selphie, Zell, and Irvine know that Matron wishes for them to travel to Esthar with her," Squall offered.
"Just... go visit her before she leaves?" Cid requested.
Squall nodded and switched his mental focus to more important matters. "Galbadia Garden."
The other four sighed, Dobe louder than the others, but he'd agreed to sit in on all their meetings as an outsider without any preconceptions about anyone they might place in charge of the red Garden.
-0-
"Cid told me to come see you," Squall said as he stepped into Edea's cell. The door clanged shut behind him and the SeeD out in the hall returned to his position by the stairs, where he wouldn't overhear their conversation, but he would hear any shouts.
Edea motioned for Squall to sit next to her on the bed, which he did. She looked much more natural without the make-up, more like the woman he remembered in his hazy memories. "Do you know why I founded SeeD?" she asked.
Squall shrugged. "To deal with the threat of Sorceresses."
Edea smiled and shook her head. "Maybe... oh, thirteen years ago, a young man visited me. He'd come from quite the battle with a Sorceress, who followed him and passed her powers on to me. That young man told me he was a SeeD from Balamb Garden, and that I would be the one to found SeeD and Garden to defeat that Sorceress."
Squall frowned. "Time travel? That Sorceress, it was Ultimecia?"
"I believe so," Edea agreed.
"So she will be defeated in the future."
"She will be defeated by your hand, Squall," Edea replied gently.
Squall blinked at her a few times, then sighed. "That young man was me, then."
"It was." Edea reached out and smoothed down some of the fluff on Squall's jacket. "Looking just as you do now." She smiled at him fondly. "Do you understand why I want you with me when I leave for Esthar? If there's a chance that Ultimecia might be defeated en route, you need to be there."
Squall shook his head. "Matron, I can't just leave–"
"The only thing keeping you here is your own sense of duty," Edea murmured, tucking some hair behind his ear. "You should get a haircut."
Squall captured her hand between both of his, eyes serious. "My sense of duty makes me a good Commander," he insisted quietly, heart in his throat. "You're asking me to choose between the chance that we might have a shot at Ultimecia, and the people here who need me now. I can't make a choice like that, not with so much uncertainty."
Edea bowed her head. "I understand," she whispered.
Squall sighed and closed his eyes. "Selphie, Irvine, and Zell have all agreed to go with you the entire way. They're ready to leave whenever you are."
Edea nodded. "We can leave at dawn," she decided.
Squall squeezed her hand, then stood. "Goodbye, Matron," he offered before letting out a sharp whistle for the SeeD to come let him out.
Edea smiled up at him. "Goodbye, Squall. I'm proud of you."
Squall gave a brisk nod in acknowledgement, stepping from the cell.
He was about halfway down the hall when Edea called, "Squall?"
He blinked, then turned and slid the small window of her cell open. "Yes?"
Edea smiled up at him, tears shining in the overhead light. "Tell Seifer I'm sorry?"
"I will," he promised, then slid the window closed again. He returned the salute of the SeeD as he passed the man, then started up the steps, running through his mental list of things he needed to do. 'I need to make sure the others know they're to leave at dawn and make sure the morning guard in the cells knows it's okay to let her out. I need to find a guard to watch over Rinoa starting tomorrow morning.'
Squall sighed to himself and stepped onto the lift, heading for the third floor. 'Should see about getting proper offices for both Cid and myself. We can't keep using the meeting room, especially not when he has staff meetings that need that room.' Xu, he knew, had been working out of her dorm room. He might have done the same thing, but it was easier for members of Trabia or Galbadia to find him on the third floor. And Selphie had sort of taken over his room. 'It'll be strange with Selphie gone for the time it takes them to get to and from Esthar. Nice to have my bed back, but strange.'
Cid glanced up when Squall entered the meeting room and offered him a tired smile. "One of the FH technicians dropped off some mail for us. Someone got word that Garden is docked here."
Squall nodded and started looking through his pile as he sat. There were a number of requests for SeeD, as well as a magazine for him, which he set off to the side. "Matron, Selphie, Zell, and Irvine will be leaving tomorrow morning at dawn, if you wanted to see them off," he offered.
Cid frowned. "You're not going?"
Squall sighed. "No. And, yes, she told me about the future me being the reason she founded Garden. I can't go."
"But–"
"Cid, if you don't drop this, I'll take my work to my room."
Cid snapped his mouth shut. He had no interest in receiving and directing people looking for the Commander.
Speaking of, the door was pushed open and a SeeD poked her head in. "Commander, could I steal a moment of your time?"
Squall nodded and stood. "In the hallway," he requested. "The Headmaster is distracted easily enough as it is."
Cid snorted and shot the young woman in the door a wink, making her grin before Squall waved her out.
-0-
"Squally," Selphie whispered, shaking his shoulder a bit.
Bleary grey-blue eyes glared up at her. "I just got to sleep," he muttered.
Selphie smiled. "That's what you get for sleeping in an infirmary chair, silly." She glanced down at Seifer's unconscious form – Kadowaki had put him under a magical coma to keep him from running out of bed before he was fully healed, something which he was well known for. "He'll be okay," she offered gently.
"I know that." Squall groaned quietly as he stretched, back popping. "Was there a reason you woke me?"
Selphie shrugged. "We're heading out shortly and I wanted to say goodbye," she admitted. "And maybe wake you before Kadowaki gets to you again." Her eyes sparkled, having heard through the grapevine that the good doctor spent most of yesterday complaining about the Commander sleeping in the infirmary instead of his own damn room like a normal person.
Squall snorted. "Whatever."
Selphie rolled her eyes and leaned down to hug him. "Never change, Squally. And get some real sleep in your room."
Squall waved a hand at her. "Get going. I'll try and keep Garden in dock until you return, but no promises if you take particularly long."
Selphie shot him a bright smile, then skipped from the room, waving over her shoulder.
Squall sighed and ran a hand down his face. He was still tired, but if Edea's group was heading out soon, there wasn't time for him to get any real sleep before he had to be upstairs for the SeeD mission briefs. There was time for a shower and something to eat, but no further sleep. "Being Commander is nothing but a hassle," he informed Seifer.
Expectedly, there was no response.
Squall snorted at himself and pulled his boots on before slipping from the infirmary before Kadowaki could catch him.
-0-
Squall pulled the door open and considered the huddled form on the bed in the cell. "Come on, up."
Quistis looked up at him with exhausted eyes. "I'm out?"
"Yes." Squall motioned her forward.
Quistis uncurled from the bed and groaned as her body protested the motion. Unwilling to test Squall's patience, she fought past her body's complaints and hurried out of the cell, asking, "What are you going to do with me now?" She'd spent the past two days wondering just that, actually. She hoped Squall would reinstate her, but the reality was that she'd screwed up pretty badly and should probably be left to fend for herself as a civilian.
Squall led the way over to a small locker and reached inside. He pulled out Quistis' whip, which he then handed over, much to her surprise and happiness. "You're still a SeeD," he allowed, "but you're level one and you won't be leaving Garden to go on any missions until you've shown me I can trust you again. You do not have permission to go into FH, but you can travel across to Trabia Garden."
Quistis nodded her understanding. "How am I supposed to prove you can trust me?" she wondered, holding her whip against her chest. She didn't like having Squall disappointed in her, especially considering their shared history. And wasn't it ironic how the instructor doling out too much praise was suddenly the one looking for it from her former student?
Squall shrugged. "How do you earn anyone's trust? Behave yourself and utilise your common sense." He turned towards the stairs. "Is that all?"
"Uhm, is Rinoa...?"
"She's in a coma in the infirmary," Squall said. "Yes, you may visit her, at Doctor Kadowaki's discretion." He glanced towards his watch. "It's dinner time. Go get something to eat."
Quistis followed him up the stairs and through the main floor, watching him move with a faint frown. It took her a moment to realise what was missing, then blurted out, "Where's Revolver?" When he looked back at her, eyebrow raised, she flushed, realising how inappropriate that question was.
"In its case, in my room," Squall allowed before starting up the steps to the lift.
"You're not eating?" Quistis wondered.
Squall sighed and looked back down at her. "I don't have time. Go eat, Quistis," he ordered before continuing his way up to the lift.
Quistis stared after him, chewing over her lower lip and worrying about how tired he looked. He looked like he wasn't getting any sleep, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was at all her fault. She took a moment to attach Slaying Tail to her belt, then turned towards the cafeteria, determined to ask around and find out what she'd missed over the past couple days.
Assuming anyone would talk to her.
-0-
Kadowaki sighed and shook her head at the brunet curled up in the uncomfortable chair at Seifer's bedside. She wasn't surprised to find the Commander sleeping in the infirmary again, just resigned. She was almost tempted to wake Seifer from the magical coma and damn the consequences so Squall would sleep in his own room, but she should only need to keep him under for another day and a half.
She glanced at her watch and checked the time against the schedule she'd asked Cid for yesterday of Squall's morning meetings. "Squall," she called.
The body in the chair jerked and a sleepy head popped up from the arms it had been resting on. A grimace crossed his face when he caught sight of her. "Doctor," he offered neutrally. As if he hadn't just been caught sleeping next to his rival's bed for the fifth morning in a row.
Kadowaki sighed. "Your first meeting is in half an hour," she informed him before turning and returning to her desk.
"Huh?" Squall checked his watch, then sighed and quickly pulled his boots on. "How'd you know that?" he asked, exiting the room.
"I asked Cid for your schedule. Here." She pushed a disposable plate of pastries and fresh fruit towards the edge of her desk.
Squall frowned at the food. "I'm not hungry."
Kadowaki narrowed her eyes. "Either you eat this now, or I declare you unfit for duty and you eat it while trapped in bed."
Squall sighed and picked up the plate to start on the food. "Whatever," he muttered, turning towards the door.
"I will find out if you don't finish that plate, Squall Leonhart!" Kadowaki shouted after him.
Squall didn't doubt that for one minute, so he resigned himself to finishing the plate in spite of the way his stomach churned at the thought of food, especially food as high in sugar as what Kadowaki had given him. 'Why couldn't it have been a couple pieces of toast, anyway?' he complained to himself, nodding politely when a couple cadets stopped to salute him. 'I can stomach toast. Maybe.'
Squall knew he should probably slow down, considering his recent bouts of nausea – they'd started two days ago, a few hours before he'd let Quistis out of solitary, and he'd thought that had been the cause of it, but the nausea hadn't stopped – but he had too much to do, especially since another dream of Laguna had caught him yesterday. Once people realised Garden was docked at FH, the SeeD requests had come hot and heavy, especially after Ultimecia's brief reign made a mess of Galbadia. Two teams of three SeeDs each had been sent to clear out Balamb Town, and another four were cleaning up a couple messes Ultimecia had left for them in Trabia. Hyne knew how many teams were already in Galbadia, or how many more would be needed.
On the other hand, a couple of overly-helpful cadets had cleaned out one of the dusty offices on the third floor for him. Squall suspected Quistis had been the one to talk the group of teens into doing it for him, but he hadn't found the time or the energy to make inquiries along that vein. Honestly, he was just glad to have his own space away from Cid's tendency to hum while he worked.
The repairs to Trabia Garden would be finished some time that afternoon, and Galbadia Garden's repairs should be done tomorrow. The repairs to Balamb Garden's structure had already been completed, as had the repairs to the quad stage – a gift from Squall to Selphie which had about half of Garden waggling their eyebrows in a knowing fashion. Galbadia Garden, led by the newly-appointed Headmistress Xu, would leave as soon as their repairs were done, but Angelica had every intention in hanging around FH with Balamb until the team that had gone with Edea returned. Squall hadn't cared enough to ask the Trabia Headmistress why she was staying, but he had an idea it had something to do with Selphie. Either way, he didn't mind, and it was nice to have some other Garden people around while stuck at FH.
Squall finished the last pastry as he entered his office and dropped the paper plate into the bin next to his desk, then dropped into his chair and pulled over some papers. He had ten minutes before his first meeting; plenty of time to be productive.
-0-
Ultimecia huffed a bit as the boy she had her eyes on – and magic hooks into, for that matter – walked past the room with her current host in it without a glance yet again. From her host's memories, she would have thought that the pretty-boy SeeD would have been by her bedside from day one, making it extremely easy to make him do her bidding with her magic seeping into him.
But no. The little boy spent all his time worrying over her ex – and not dead, regrettably – Knight. She'd been forced to try petty tricks with magic to get him to come to her, but those weren't working, either. He should be feeling a terrible urge to come to her host's prone form, but still he resisted. It was driving her completely mad.
If only the handsome blond boy hadn't slipped her grasp. He'd been the perfect puppet, willing to do absolutely anything to fulfil his dream and win her approval, even destroy his home. And then, for no clear reason, he suddenly turned traitor. He'd let those blasted SeeDs escape and destroyed her missile base. He'd even been the one to let their mole into the building before they took off, knowing that the girl with him was friends with those SeeDs. He should be dead, but he'd survived because of some pretty little SeeD with a matching scar.
Oh, she'd learned a great deal about the pretty-boy SeeD, between her current hosts' memories and her ex-Knight. The blond had been absolutely enthralled by the SeeD, talking about him and their spars constantly. Even while she was torturing him, he'd held firm against her, trusting in the pretty little SeeD to swoop in and put an end to her. Her current host was so very torn about him, crushing on him for his looks, but hating him for his personality and lack of emotion.
Ultimecia had other options, of course. She didn't need the pretty-boy. There was a blonde girl who had taken to visiting and mindlessly speaking to her host's lifeless body who would do, and the guards who had been sent to watch the unconscious Knight-turned-Sorceress didn't change too often, giving her plenty of time to sink her hooks into them and send them to do her bidding. There was even the doctor, if she was feeling desperate.
But she wanted that SeeD. The one her ex-Knight was so very enamoured with. She wanted to use his pretty self to commit disgusting acts and break him, for breaking him would surely break her ex-Knight. And that little traitor deserved to be completely destroyed. She wanted him to suffer for his every act against her. She wanted him broken and bleeding, preferably by the hand of his precious rival. She needed that boy.
The blonde girl settled into the chair next to her host's body, smiling like the pitiful creature she was. "Hi, Rinoa," she murmured. "It's me, Quistis, again. I hope you don't mind me always coming to visit but, well... There aren't a lot of people willing to talk to me right now. I told you that already though, right?" She sighed and twisted her hands in her lap. "I wish you weren't in a coma, Rinoa. I wish I could apologise for the things I said to you that night, before we tried assassinating Edea. I wish I could prove to Squall that you're safe, so you don't have to be under guard like a common criminal.
"Squall seems to think you were Edea's Knight, actually." She gave a strained laugh. "Everyone seems to believe him, too, even though he has no proof. I have proof that Seifer was her Knight – probably still is, knowing him – but Squall has everyone believing Seifer is innocent. That boy hasn't been innocent for a day in his life. Even when we were kids, he was a jerk! Now Squall's got everyone believing him to be some sort of martyr or whatever, having stood strong even though Edea was cruel to him. Whatever."
The girl sighed and started talking about something that had happened the evening before in the cafeteria, but Ultimecia had already lost interest. 'So. The pretty SeeD has everyone believing the traitor is a good boy. Does he not know that the boy was so very willing to do my bidding? He was praktikally jumping at the chance to torture him in the prison. Has he forgotten his own suffering already? Fool boy.'
Ultimecia returned her attention to the prattling blonde next to the bed and smoothly slipped her magic under the girl's skin. 'No matter. I kan destroy the pretty SeeD without owning him. I will spread the truth, through this child. And then you, my toy, will kall down Adel for me to use. I tire of this weak body. Yes... Go forth and tell them the truth of that nasty traitor. Tell everyone of his kruelty. Destroy their image of him before he even wakes...'
Quistis' blue eyes dimmed as the Sorceress' magic seeped under her skin and filled her, taking all control from her without giving her a moment to fight back. 'No! What–?' But then even her tiny voice was silenced and her body left the infirmary to spread the story of Squall's torture. The one secret he'd never intended to share.
-0-0-0-
-0-0-0-
A/N: Muwahahahah!! XD
Ultimecia's kinda a crazy bitch. I think I like writing her.
Plot should return next chapter. And maybe a bit of slashing. Mmmm... Slash...
XD
~Bats ^.^x
Chapters:
1 - Hiding Betrayal ||| 2 - Trying to Please Them All
3 - Every Little Earthquake ||| 4 - Faraway Reflections
5 - Guilty By Association |||6 - Clouds Are the Future
7 - Sins of Our Tongue ||| 8 - Every Hero Has a Path, Every Sinner a Future
9 - Gather Your Strength ||| 10 - Forever's Never Too Long
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Fandom: Final Fantasy VIII
Author: Batsutousai/
batsutousaiBetas: Shara Lunison/
tsuki_no_suzu & Shivani/grazhirChapters: 6 of 10
Rating: T
Pairings: Seifer/Squall, Irvine/Selphie, hints of Quistis/Rinoa
Warnings: AU, minor canon-fuckery, Rinoa bashing, minor Quisty bashing
Summary: How the game could have gone if the writers weren't on crack and so set on everyone being straight.
A/N: This chapter sort of turned into a series of short moments during the days following the battle between the Gardens. Because nothing particularly huge occurs, but things are still happening, if that makes any sense?
Clouds Are the Future
-0-0-0-
Squall leaned against the wall and tugged off his boots before slipping into the infirmary. The door of Kadowaki's bedroom was cracked open and Squall crept past it and into the room Seifer was in. There, he set his boots on the floor next to the chair to one side before dropping into the uncomfortable seat with some relief.
It had been three hours before they'd been able to limp the three Gardens back to FH. The technicians had set up a second docking station out of another crane, expecting there would be repairs required, and Galbadia Garden was settled in there while Trabia took the first dock. Balamb docked their main entrance with Trabia, enabling passage between the two Gardens.
Even returned, their business hadn't been finished. Squall, Xu, Cid, Angelica, and Mayor Dobe had spent a good two hours debating what to do with those who had fought with Galbadia, not to mention the Sorceress and Knight closed up in solitary. There had been some discussion over what punishments Seifer would receive for his tenure as Edea's Knight, but Squall had been quite firm in his stance that the ex-Knight had suffered more than enough.
They'd mostly agreed over what to do with the Galbadians – Dobe and Cid both seemed to think they should get a second chance, and they'd managed to argue the rest of them around – but Edea and Rinoa's fates were still up for debate, especially since Rinoa had fallen into a coma. (That had required another long debate, this time with Kadowaki: The doctor wanted Rinoa in the infirmary, where she could keep an eye on her patient, but Squall didn't want her to have any freedom in Garden until they figured out how much of her actions had been because of Ultimecia and how much had been her. Kadowaki had sort of won, in the end; they'd set up a quasi-cell at one end of the infirmary and Rinoa had been placed in there. Squall had then proceeded to lose the argument about setting a guard on her, if only because the entirety of Garden was dead on their feet from the fight.)
Edea was a bit of a special case. Her claim of possession rang true to everyone, especially given her changed actions. Even believing that, there was concern that she could be possessed again, and none of them were certain how to protect against that. They'd spent a good forty-five minutes going back and forth about what wouldn't work, but none of them had any ideas for what would work.
Even after their meeting had been adjourned on that low note, there had been work to do in making certain the Galbadians understood what their second chance meant and figuring out a schedule for the repairs on all three Gardens. Then there was the hassle of seeing to the students and staff they'd left in FH, including Quistis. Squall still wasn't sure what to do with the young woman, and it showed, much to his shame. Angelica had called him on it and had no sympathy for his explanation over why he was having so much trouble deciding on a punishment.
"Shove her in solitary for forty-eight hours, then reinstate her as a level one SeeD and make her work her way back up the ranks," Angelica had snapped. "So maybe her actions saved the life of one man, and maybe you never ordered her not to message Rinoa, but she still knew better and her actions put two Gardens and a peaceful city in danger. She's not your foster sister, Commander Leonhart, she's a soldier. Treat her like one."
Squall had followed Angelica's directions without a word to Quistis, silently berating himself the entire time for letting his emotions get in the way of his job. He'd let a forgotten childhood friendship get in the way of doling out a sufficient punishment and it irritated him. It used to be that only Seifer could make him lose his usual calm, goading him into the most dangerous stunts and training duels, but he was suddenly finding himself fond of Selphie and torn over how to handle Quistis. He'd been honestly worried for Irvine, too, and full of regret for having forgotten him. Even Zell amused him more than irritated him, anymore.
'And then there's Seifer.' Squall leaned forward and rested his head against the edge of the bed his rival lay on, the exhaustion of the day catching up with him. 'I'm beginning to understand what Selphie meant when she said it was a comfort to have a pillow or something,' he thought drowsily. 'I spend all fucking day jittery and wanting to just stop by the infirmary, even though I know he's fine. I couldn't fucking sleep without checking in on you, you bastard.'
Kadowaki would skin him alive if she caught him in Seifer's room, but there was nothing wrong with resting his eyes for a little bit, right?
Squall woke the moment someone touched his shoulder. He turned his head and shot a glare at whoever had thought to wake him, only to be met with Kadowaki's disapproving face. 'Crap.'
"You have your own bed, Squall," Kadowaki pointed out quietly. "You should be there. Not sneaking into the infirmary over night."
Squall grunted and rubbed a hand over his eyes. "Couldn't sleep," he admitted, knowing better than to try a 'whatever' on the doctor.
"I half expected to find you standing vigil over Rinoa's bed, considering how insistent you were that I place a guard on her," Kadowaki said, rolling her eyes.
Squall shook his head and leaned over to get his boots. "What time is it?"
"Ten 'til eight."
"Fuck." Squall sped up putting his boots on and jumped to his feet, combing a quick hand through his hair. They'd had another meeting planned for eight to discuss, again, what to do with Edea. Cid had promised to talk with his wife before coming to the meeting, so hopefully they'd actually have a proper idea of what they could do with her.
Of course, the meeting was in Mayor Dobe's house, a twenty minute walk through Trabia Garden and down the crane.
As Squall started past Kadowaki's desk, shifting his belts so they didn't hang as awkwardly without Revolver weighing them down, the doctor grabbed his arm and placed a pastry in his hand. "Eat that on your way."
"Thanks," Squall said sincerely before hurrying from the infirmary. He wasn't quite desperate enough to run, but he moved much faster than he might have otherwise. He silently blessed the time he'd spent yesterday in Trabia, since he'd learned a shortcut from the main entrance to their second floor deck.
He ran into Angelica on the crane and slowed to a walk to keep pace with her as he finished off the pastry. "You look like you haven't slept," the Headmistress commented as she finished pinning her hair back, which Squall was coming to recognise as a sign that she was irritated by something.
"I slept," Squall muttered.
"Sure you did."
Squall ran a hand through his hair, wishing he'd had time for a shower. "You look like you spent the morning threatening people."
Angelica shot him an over-bright smile. "How ever did you guess that one?"
Squall snorted. Like he hadn't seen the group of chastised students set to wiping down the main hall.
The Headmistress sighed and shook her head. "Some of my students decided to have an all-night party in FH. Some things were said and a brawl happened."
"At least it didn't happen before Dobe decided we weren't a pack of murderers that just needed a good bedtime story and more love from our parents."
Angelica laughed. "This is true. He was more irritated than furious, but I doubt either of us appreciated the four am wake-up call."
"Cid should cheer him up."
"I suppose someone has to appreciate Cid's sense of humour..." Angelica muttered as she pushed open the door of Dobe's house.
"Good morning!" Dobe called, eyes bright. Cid was grinning next to him and Xu had a 'what took you so long?' look on her face.
"Sorry we're late," Angelica offered as both she and Squall took seats on the floor. "Cid, how did your talk with Edea go?"
Cid sighed, his expression falling. "She's pretty certain that there's no way to keep Ultimecia from possessing her again while she lives, and dying means her powers will be passed on to someone else. Esthar supposedly has the technology to seal a Sorceress, but it sounds about as final as killing her, just without the chance of her passing on her powers."
"So it's a lose, lose situation," Angelica murmured.
"If it weren't for Ultimecia, Matron would hardly be a threat," Squall commented quietly. "There's got to be a way to beat her."
"Good luck with that one," Angelica replied drily.
"Even if we could, somehow, reach into the future and get rid of this Sorceress, what's to keep her past self from possessing Edea and causing trouble then? There's no way we can know which version of this Sorceress we're aiming for." Cid shook his head. "There are too many chances for failure."
Squall shrugged his understanding, but he kept the idea in the back of his mind, to turn it over again later. Even with Edea sealed, there were other Sorceresses that Ultimecia could possess; they would have to deal with her eventually.
"So Sorceress Edea wishes to go to Esthar?" Dobe enquired. "It's not an easy journey."
Cid nodded. "I'm aware. She's hoping to hire SeeD out for the job." He looked over at Squall.
Squall blinked. "Did she have someone in particular in mind?"
"I believe she wanted you, Selphie, Quistis, Zell, and Irvine."
Squall snorted. "Irvine can go or not as he pleases, as he's not SeeD. I can spare Selphie and Zell, no question, but I'm not letting Quistis go on a mission like that until she proves she's not going to bring another Sorceress down on our heads."
"Then go with and keep an eye on her," Cid suggested cheerfully, correctly reading Squall's own refusal to go.
Squall stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "Maybe you missed the memo," he said drily, "but I'm the SeeD Commander. You know, the one who sits behind a table and decides which SeeDs to send on what mission, or stands on the bridge and shouts commands in battle. I don't go on pleasant trips to inclusive countries just to watch a Sorceress be willingly sealed."
Xu let out a snort and covered her smile with one hand. Angelica just shot the Commander an approving smile.
Cid blinked a few times. "It's SeeD's duty to take care of any threats posed by Sorceresses," he argued.
"And so we will," Squall replied evenly. "Selphie and Zell can go with Matron to have her sealed and I'll approve it from behind my table. Threat taken care of."
"Cid," Xu said, laughter in her voice, "you're the one who made him Commander. You knew he'd be a hard-ass about his job."
"But... Edea wants you there..."
Squall rubbed at the scar between his eyes, irritated. "What she does or doesn't want doesn't change the fact that we have three Gardens in dock for repairs. It doesn't change that Galbadia Garden's chain of command has been torn all to shreds and needs to be built back up from nothing. There's also a Sorceress Knight in a coma in Balamb Garden's infirmary who's a potential threat, and I don't have the personnel to keep a proper eye on her." He gave the Headmaster a hard look. "I can't leave."
"I can spare you someone to watch the Knight," Angelica offered.
Squall shook his head. "Doctor Kadowaki won't let me post anyone who took part in the battle until tomorrow morning at the earliest. She's of the opinion that Rinoa's no threat for the moment, anyway. But thank you."
"What about after the repairs are finished?" Cid tried. "The Galbadia Garden problem should be sorted by then, so there wouldn't be anything–"
"What part of 'I can't leave' didn't you understand?" Squall replied, doing everything possible to keep his voice steady. "Once Garden is mobile again, we should head out to clean up the mess Ultimecia left behind, such as the soldiers in Balamb Town. I need to start sending SeeDs out on missions again so we have money to buy necessities. I can't just up and leave for however many days."
"I can handle the missions–"
"That's not the point," Angelica cut in before Squall actually lost his temper. "He has as much a responsibility to SeeD as you or I have to our Gardens. Just as you and I would never vanish for a week to go on a trip, Squall can't. Do all of us a favour and drop the matter."
Cid sighed and nodded. "Very well."
"I'll let Selphie, Zell, and Irvine know that Matron wishes for them to travel to Esthar with her," Squall offered.
"Just... go visit her before she leaves?" Cid requested.
Squall nodded and switched his mental focus to more important matters. "Galbadia Garden."
The other four sighed, Dobe louder than the others, but he'd agreed to sit in on all their meetings as an outsider without any preconceptions about anyone they might place in charge of the red Garden.
"Cid told me to come see you," Squall said as he stepped into Edea's cell. The door clanged shut behind him and the SeeD out in the hall returned to his position by the stairs, where he wouldn't overhear their conversation, but he would hear any shouts.
Edea motioned for Squall to sit next to her on the bed, which he did. She looked much more natural without the make-up, more like the woman he remembered in his hazy memories. "Do you know why I founded SeeD?" she asked.
Squall shrugged. "To deal with the threat of Sorceresses."
Edea smiled and shook her head. "Maybe... oh, thirteen years ago, a young man visited me. He'd come from quite the battle with a Sorceress, who followed him and passed her powers on to me. That young man told me he was a SeeD from Balamb Garden, and that I would be the one to found SeeD and Garden to defeat that Sorceress."
Squall frowned. "Time travel? That Sorceress, it was Ultimecia?"
"I believe so," Edea agreed.
"So she will be defeated in the future."
"She will be defeated by your hand, Squall," Edea replied gently.
Squall blinked at her a few times, then sighed. "That young man was me, then."
"It was." Edea reached out and smoothed down some of the fluff on Squall's jacket. "Looking just as you do now." She smiled at him fondly. "Do you understand why I want you with me when I leave for Esthar? If there's a chance that Ultimecia might be defeated en route, you need to be there."
Squall shook his head. "Matron, I can't just leave–"
"The only thing keeping you here is your own sense of duty," Edea murmured, tucking some hair behind his ear. "You should get a haircut."
Squall captured her hand between both of his, eyes serious. "My sense of duty makes me a good Commander," he insisted quietly, heart in his throat. "You're asking me to choose between the chance that we might have a shot at Ultimecia, and the people here who need me now. I can't make a choice like that, not with so much uncertainty."
Edea bowed her head. "I understand," she whispered.
Squall sighed and closed his eyes. "Selphie, Irvine, and Zell have all agreed to go with you the entire way. They're ready to leave whenever you are."
Edea nodded. "We can leave at dawn," she decided.
Squall squeezed her hand, then stood. "Goodbye, Matron," he offered before letting out a sharp whistle for the SeeD to come let him out.
Edea smiled up at him. "Goodbye, Squall. I'm proud of you."
Squall gave a brisk nod in acknowledgement, stepping from the cell.
He was about halfway down the hall when Edea called, "Squall?"
He blinked, then turned and slid the small window of her cell open. "Yes?"
Edea smiled up at him, tears shining in the overhead light. "Tell Seifer I'm sorry?"
"I will," he promised, then slid the window closed again. He returned the salute of the SeeD as he passed the man, then started up the steps, running through his mental list of things he needed to do. 'I need to make sure the others know they're to leave at dawn and make sure the morning guard in the cells knows it's okay to let her out. I need to find a guard to watch over Rinoa starting tomorrow morning.'
Squall sighed to himself and stepped onto the lift, heading for the third floor. 'Should see about getting proper offices for both Cid and myself. We can't keep using the meeting room, especially not when he has staff meetings that need that room.' Xu, he knew, had been working out of her dorm room. He might have done the same thing, but it was easier for members of Trabia or Galbadia to find him on the third floor. And Selphie had sort of taken over his room. 'It'll be strange with Selphie gone for the time it takes them to get to and from Esthar. Nice to have my bed back, but strange.'
Cid glanced up when Squall entered the meeting room and offered him a tired smile. "One of the FH technicians dropped off some mail for us. Someone got word that Garden is docked here."
Squall nodded and started looking through his pile as he sat. There were a number of requests for SeeD, as well as a magazine for him, which he set off to the side. "Matron, Selphie, Zell, and Irvine will be leaving tomorrow morning at dawn, if you wanted to see them off," he offered.
Cid frowned. "You're not going?"
Squall sighed. "No. And, yes, she told me about the future me being the reason she founded Garden. I can't go."
"But–"
"Cid, if you don't drop this, I'll take my work to my room."
Cid snapped his mouth shut. He had no interest in receiving and directing people looking for the Commander.
Speaking of, the door was pushed open and a SeeD poked her head in. "Commander, could I steal a moment of your time?"
Squall nodded and stood. "In the hallway," he requested. "The Headmaster is distracted easily enough as it is."
Cid snorted and shot the young woman in the door a wink, making her grin before Squall waved her out.
"Squally," Selphie whispered, shaking his shoulder a bit.
Bleary grey-blue eyes glared up at her. "I just got to sleep," he muttered.
Selphie smiled. "That's what you get for sleeping in an infirmary chair, silly." She glanced down at Seifer's unconscious form – Kadowaki had put him under a magical coma to keep him from running out of bed before he was fully healed, something which he was well known for. "He'll be okay," she offered gently.
"I know that." Squall groaned quietly as he stretched, back popping. "Was there a reason you woke me?"
Selphie shrugged. "We're heading out shortly and I wanted to say goodbye," she admitted. "And maybe wake you before Kadowaki gets to you again." Her eyes sparkled, having heard through the grapevine that the good doctor spent most of yesterday complaining about the Commander sleeping in the infirmary instead of his own damn room like a normal person.
Squall snorted. "Whatever."
Selphie rolled her eyes and leaned down to hug him. "Never change, Squally. And get some real sleep in your room."
Squall waved a hand at her. "Get going. I'll try and keep Garden in dock until you return, but no promises if you take particularly long."
Selphie shot him a bright smile, then skipped from the room, waving over her shoulder.
Squall sighed and ran a hand down his face. He was still tired, but if Edea's group was heading out soon, there wasn't time for him to get any real sleep before he had to be upstairs for the SeeD mission briefs. There was time for a shower and something to eat, but no further sleep. "Being Commander is nothing but a hassle," he informed Seifer.
Expectedly, there was no response.
Squall snorted at himself and pulled his boots on before slipping from the infirmary before Kadowaki could catch him.
Squall pulled the door open and considered the huddled form on the bed in the cell. "Come on, up."
Quistis looked up at him with exhausted eyes. "I'm out?"
"Yes." Squall motioned her forward.
Quistis uncurled from the bed and groaned as her body protested the motion. Unwilling to test Squall's patience, she fought past her body's complaints and hurried out of the cell, asking, "What are you going to do with me now?" She'd spent the past two days wondering just that, actually. She hoped Squall would reinstate her, but the reality was that she'd screwed up pretty badly and should probably be left to fend for herself as a civilian.
Squall led the way over to a small locker and reached inside. He pulled out Quistis' whip, which he then handed over, much to her surprise and happiness. "You're still a SeeD," he allowed, "but you're level one and you won't be leaving Garden to go on any missions until you've shown me I can trust you again. You do not have permission to go into FH, but you can travel across to Trabia Garden."
Quistis nodded her understanding. "How am I supposed to prove you can trust me?" she wondered, holding her whip against her chest. She didn't like having Squall disappointed in her, especially considering their shared history. And wasn't it ironic how the instructor doling out too much praise was suddenly the one looking for it from her former student?
Squall shrugged. "How do you earn anyone's trust? Behave yourself and utilise your common sense." He turned towards the stairs. "Is that all?"
"Uhm, is Rinoa...?"
"She's in a coma in the infirmary," Squall said. "Yes, you may visit her, at Doctor Kadowaki's discretion." He glanced towards his watch. "It's dinner time. Go get something to eat."
Quistis followed him up the stairs and through the main floor, watching him move with a faint frown. It took her a moment to realise what was missing, then blurted out, "Where's Revolver?" When he looked back at her, eyebrow raised, she flushed, realising how inappropriate that question was.
"In its case, in my room," Squall allowed before starting up the steps to the lift.
"You're not eating?" Quistis wondered.
Squall sighed and looked back down at her. "I don't have time. Go eat, Quistis," he ordered before continuing his way up to the lift.
Quistis stared after him, chewing over her lower lip and worrying about how tired he looked. He looked like he wasn't getting any sleep, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was at all her fault. She took a moment to attach Slaying Tail to her belt, then turned towards the cafeteria, determined to ask around and find out what she'd missed over the past couple days.
Assuming anyone would talk to her.
Kadowaki sighed and shook her head at the brunet curled up in the uncomfortable chair at Seifer's bedside. She wasn't surprised to find the Commander sleeping in the infirmary again, just resigned. She was almost tempted to wake Seifer from the magical coma and damn the consequences so Squall would sleep in his own room, but she should only need to keep him under for another day and a half.
She glanced at her watch and checked the time against the schedule she'd asked Cid for yesterday of Squall's morning meetings. "Squall," she called.
The body in the chair jerked and a sleepy head popped up from the arms it had been resting on. A grimace crossed his face when he caught sight of her. "Doctor," he offered neutrally. As if he hadn't just been caught sleeping next to his rival's bed for the fifth morning in a row.
Kadowaki sighed. "Your first meeting is in half an hour," she informed him before turning and returning to her desk.
"Huh?" Squall checked his watch, then sighed and quickly pulled his boots on. "How'd you know that?" he asked, exiting the room.
"I asked Cid for your schedule. Here." She pushed a disposable plate of pastries and fresh fruit towards the edge of her desk.
Squall frowned at the food. "I'm not hungry."
Kadowaki narrowed her eyes. "Either you eat this now, or I declare you unfit for duty and you eat it while trapped in bed."
Squall sighed and picked up the plate to start on the food. "Whatever," he muttered, turning towards the door.
"I will find out if you don't finish that plate, Squall Leonhart!" Kadowaki shouted after him.
Squall didn't doubt that for one minute, so he resigned himself to finishing the plate in spite of the way his stomach churned at the thought of food, especially food as high in sugar as what Kadowaki had given him. 'Why couldn't it have been a couple pieces of toast, anyway?' he complained to himself, nodding politely when a couple cadets stopped to salute him. 'I can stomach toast. Maybe.'
Squall knew he should probably slow down, considering his recent bouts of nausea – they'd started two days ago, a few hours before he'd let Quistis out of solitary, and he'd thought that had been the cause of it, but the nausea hadn't stopped – but he had too much to do, especially since another dream of Laguna had caught him yesterday. Once people realised Garden was docked at FH, the SeeD requests had come hot and heavy, especially after Ultimecia's brief reign made a mess of Galbadia. Two teams of three SeeDs each had been sent to clear out Balamb Town, and another four were cleaning up a couple messes Ultimecia had left for them in Trabia. Hyne knew how many teams were already in Galbadia, or how many more would be needed.
On the other hand, a couple of overly-helpful cadets had cleaned out one of the dusty offices on the third floor for him. Squall suspected Quistis had been the one to talk the group of teens into doing it for him, but he hadn't found the time or the energy to make inquiries along that vein. Honestly, he was just glad to have his own space away from Cid's tendency to hum while he worked.
The repairs to Trabia Garden would be finished some time that afternoon, and Galbadia Garden's repairs should be done tomorrow. The repairs to Balamb Garden's structure had already been completed, as had the repairs to the quad stage – a gift from Squall to Selphie which had about half of Garden waggling their eyebrows in a knowing fashion. Galbadia Garden, led by the newly-appointed Headmistress Xu, would leave as soon as their repairs were done, but Angelica had every intention in hanging around FH with Balamb until the team that had gone with Edea returned. Squall hadn't cared enough to ask the Trabia Headmistress why she was staying, but he had an idea it had something to do with Selphie. Either way, he didn't mind, and it was nice to have some other Garden people around while stuck at FH.
Squall finished the last pastry as he entered his office and dropped the paper plate into the bin next to his desk, then dropped into his chair and pulled over some papers. He had ten minutes before his first meeting; plenty of time to be productive.
Ultimecia huffed a bit as the boy she had her eyes on – and magic hooks into, for that matter – walked past the room with her current host in it without a glance yet again. From her host's memories, she would have thought that the pretty-boy SeeD would have been by her bedside from day one, making it extremely easy to make him do her bidding with her magic seeping into him.
But no. The little boy spent all his time worrying over her ex – and not dead, regrettably – Knight. She'd been forced to try petty tricks with magic to get him to come to her, but those weren't working, either. He should be feeling a terrible urge to come to her host's prone form, but still he resisted. It was driving her completely mad.
If only the handsome blond boy hadn't slipped her grasp. He'd been the perfect puppet, willing to do absolutely anything to fulfil his dream and win her approval, even destroy his home. And then, for no clear reason, he suddenly turned traitor. He'd let those blasted SeeDs escape and destroyed her missile base. He'd even been the one to let their mole into the building before they took off, knowing that the girl with him was friends with those SeeDs. He should be dead, but he'd survived because of some pretty little SeeD with a matching scar.
Oh, she'd learned a great deal about the pretty-boy SeeD, between her current hosts' memories and her ex-Knight. The blond had been absolutely enthralled by the SeeD, talking about him and their spars constantly. Even while she was torturing him, he'd held firm against her, trusting in the pretty little SeeD to swoop in and put an end to her. Her current host was so very torn about him, crushing on him for his looks, but hating him for his personality and lack of emotion.
Ultimecia had other options, of course. She didn't need the pretty-boy. There was a blonde girl who had taken to visiting and mindlessly speaking to her host's lifeless body who would do, and the guards who had been sent to watch the unconscious Knight-turned-Sorceress didn't change too often, giving her plenty of time to sink her hooks into them and send them to do her bidding. There was even the doctor, if she was feeling desperate.
But she wanted that SeeD. The one her ex-Knight was so very enamoured with. She wanted to use his pretty self to commit disgusting acts and break him, for breaking him would surely break her ex-Knight. And that little traitor deserved to be completely destroyed. She wanted him to suffer for his every act against her. She wanted him broken and bleeding, preferably by the hand of his precious rival. She needed that boy.
The blonde girl settled into the chair next to her host's body, smiling like the pitiful creature she was. "Hi, Rinoa," she murmured. "It's me, Quistis, again. I hope you don't mind me always coming to visit but, well... There aren't a lot of people willing to talk to me right now. I told you that already though, right?" She sighed and twisted her hands in her lap. "I wish you weren't in a coma, Rinoa. I wish I could apologise for the things I said to you that night, before we tried assassinating Edea. I wish I could prove to Squall that you're safe, so you don't have to be under guard like a common criminal.
"Squall seems to think you were Edea's Knight, actually." She gave a strained laugh. "Everyone seems to believe him, too, even though he has no proof. I have proof that Seifer was her Knight – probably still is, knowing him – but Squall has everyone believing Seifer is innocent. That boy hasn't been innocent for a day in his life. Even when we were kids, he was a jerk! Now Squall's got everyone believing him to be some sort of martyr or whatever, having stood strong even though Edea was cruel to him. Whatever."
The girl sighed and started talking about something that had happened the evening before in the cafeteria, but Ultimecia had already lost interest. 'So. The pretty SeeD has everyone believing the traitor is a good boy. Does he not know that the boy was so very willing to do my bidding? He was praktikally jumping at the chance to torture him in the prison. Has he forgotten his own suffering already? Fool boy.'
Ultimecia returned her attention to the prattling blonde next to the bed and smoothly slipped her magic under the girl's skin. 'No matter. I kan destroy the pretty SeeD without owning him. I will spread the truth, through this child. And then you, my toy, will kall down Adel for me to use. I tire of this weak body. Yes... Go forth and tell them the truth of that nasty traitor. Tell everyone of his kruelty. Destroy their image of him before he even wakes...'
Quistis' blue eyes dimmed as the Sorceress' magic seeped under her skin and filled her, taking all control from her without giving her a moment to fight back. 'No! What–?' But then even her tiny voice was silenced and her body left the infirmary to spread the story of Squall's torture. The one secret he'd never intended to share.
-0-0-0-
A/N: Muwahahahah!! XD
Ultimecia's kinda a crazy bitch. I think I like writing her.
Plot should return next chapter. And maybe a bit of slashing. Mmmm... Slash...
XD
~Bats ^.^x
1 - Hiding Betrayal ||| 2 - Trying to Please Them All
3 - Every Little Earthquake ||| 4 - Faraway Reflections
5 - Guilty By Association |||
7 - Sins of Our Tongue ||| 8 - Every Hero Has a Path, Every Sinner a Future
9 - Gather Your Strength ||| 10 - Forever's Never Too Long
..
