Started: March 31, 2000
Finished: April 6, 2000
Chapter 5:
Led Astray
. . . My life is so boring.
He turned over in his bed, struggling to find a comfortable position to lay in.
. . . What happened to all that past excitement?
His hands grasped his pillow and he pushed his face into its depths.
. . . . Oh, yeah. It all disappeared with Ultimecia's death. Now I'm just the commander of a Garden with nothing to do.
Squall Leonhart, finally realizing he shouldn't be lying around on a school day, sat up and stared out his window for a moment. The sun wasn't far in its daily journey, barely visible in the distance. Pulling off his sleeping clothes and slipping into his normal, black leather attire, he started off for the cafeteria, where he would most likely find his . . . friends. It still surprised him that anyone would want to be friends with a loner like him, but his comrades against Ultimecia had proven through their undying support that they cared. So they were his friends.
As he reached the cafeteria, he noticed a large group of students and SeeDs alike standing around, apparently surrounding something of interest. He noticed Selphie Tilmitt racing around the group, trying to see what was going on. "Selphie," he began, walking towards her, "what's going on here?"
"Oh, Squall!" she gasped, turning and racing over to meet him. "I'm so glad you're here! C'mon; you have to see this." She practically dragged him back to the group of Garden students. "Everyone, move it!! The commander's here!"
And like Moses parting the Red Sea, the students made way for their hero and leader, leaving a path to the heart of the students' attention. Squall strode through, Selphie tailing behind him in her short, yellow dress. It was a short walk, but the end of the journey left the dark-haired teenager in shock.
There, before his eyes, were two members of the ex-Disciplinary Committee and a very enraged Zell Dincht.
Like a hunter circling its prey, the short, blond SeeD stalked around the two, his blue eyes filled with anger. "Where the hell's Seifer?!" he yelled. "Wherever you two are, that bastard is!"
Fujin's eye twitched, but she did not speak. It was her silence that surprised Squall; she was usually loud to the point of deafening, defending her two friends or herself. Raijin was unusually grim-looking, not meeting anyone's gaze except for the bland look the floor returned to him. The quietness of the two seemed to irritate Zell further, and he punched the floor angrily. Instantly, the area quaked a little.
Squall stepped forward into the clearing. "Stop it, Zell," he ordered, grabbing the younger boy's shoulder. An almost-inaudible mumble was his reply. "Raijin . . . Fujin. . . What are you doing here?"
Fujin crossed her arms and frowned. "BUSINESS, NOT."
"I think it is my business," Squall retorted. "I thought you would have learned you're not welcome here anymore; not after what you did with helping the sorceress."
"We don't really wanna be here, ya know?" Raijin said in a low voice. "It's Seifer, and--"
"RAGE!" Fujin slammed her foot into Raijin's leg, and the bigger teenager was sent hopping around in a small circle. The seething, silver-haired girl narrowed her gaze on Squall. "LEAVE ALONE."
"Not until I get an answer," was the Garden Commander's reply. He remembered what Raijin had just said. "What's wrong with Seifer?"
"I'm sorry, Squall, but please step down."
Dozens of eyes turned to the source of the voice, and murmurs of reverent greeting rose up at the sight of Headmaster Cid. "HEADMASTER, HELP," Fujin said, her voice almost quiet, almost pleading. "HELP."
Cid adjusted his spectacles. "Fujin and Raijin, come along; we'll go see your friend." He noticed Squall still frowning at him. "Squall, Selphie, and Zell . . . all of you may come as well. You may want to see this." Then, addressing the crowd, he called out, "Will someone please get Instructor Trepe?"
Several people, students and SeeDs, separated from the crowd and ran from the cafeteria. As the small party consisting of three SeeDs, two ex-Disciplinary Committee members, and one Garden Headmaster left, the crowd broke up and went back to their breakfasts.
* * * * *
"All of this walking is getting old. . . I say we just blast through these damn walls and get outta here."
Rufus Shinra stopped and stared at the younger blond, blinking thoughtfully. "Even though that idea sounds a bit messy, it's a good idea. There's no reason to keep traveling like this."
"That's all fine and everything, but. . . Well, what kind of spells can break through a solid wall?" queried Algus, placing his palm against one black wall.
"Hold on. . ." Rufus withdrew the pouch from his pocket, pulling out several marble-sized materia. One orb stood out, bright yellow against the red and green materia. "An Enemy Skill Materia. . . Stand back. I'm going to try something."
"Enemy Skill. . .?" Seifer murmured, watching Rufus press the materia into a strange-looking, purple armband that adorned his left wrist. It had five round slots, four of which were connected with another.
After checking the materia one last time, Rufus raised his hand. "Micro Missile!" The materia flared to life, glowing gold as metallic bombs appeared, ramming straight into the wall. The explosion rocked the corridor, tiles falling from the ceiling and smashing into the floor.
"That was too strong!" Algus shouted, covering his head as tiles fell around him.
"Wh-- what the hell!?" gasped Rufus, suddenly feeling himself being dragged forward.
Seifer felt himself get knocked off his feet, his head banging painfully against the ground. He cursed, lifting his head quickly. "Rufus, what is that?!"
A black, whirlpool-like portal lay on the other side of the corridor, sucking them into it at an alarming rate. "A void??" Algus choked out, clawing desperately at the smooth tiling.
"Damn!" Seifer brandished his gunblade, trying to embed it in the floor in an attempt to slow the drag. It scratched the surface, but did nothing more than that.
"Can things get any worse?" Rufus screamed, right before he was engulfed in the blackness of the void.
"I don't know. . .," Algus managed, falling victim to the void as well.
". . . I think it can," muttered Seifer cynically, right before he was lost to the darkness.
* * * * *
"NO!!" The alarm was evident in his voice as he stared at the scene before him.
His two equals rushed into the room. "What? What happened?" demanded the first.
"Shinra. . . That damn fool. . ." He pointed accusingly to the third. "Your chosen ruined everything!"
The second sneered. "Didn't I say to you that Shinra would prove to be surprising?"
The first blinked slowly at the query. "Yes, but. . ."
"Why blame Shinra, then?" the third asked, running a hand through his hair. "It was your fault for not doing something to prevent this."
Fists curled in frustration. "You two are always making me feel inferior. . ."
Sharp laughter erupted from third. "You chose the youngest and most naïve of the three. It's only natural."
* * * * *
He could only stare, unable to avert his eyes from the form lying in the infirmary bed. This was the guy that had battled them in the name of the sorceress less than two weeks ago? The one that had tortured them in Galbadia and taunted them on Lunatic Pandora? The one that had turned his back on everything he had believed in for his "romantic dream?"
. . . This was the one who had called them rivals and scarred him forever, now lying motionless before him?
". . . What happened to him?" he gave his question voice, finally ripping his gaze off Seifer to Dr. Kadowaki. The doctor looked tired, apparently having been woken up earlier to tend to the injured teenager.
"He was slashed multiple times across the upper body and burned rather badly," Dr. Kadowaki replied, shaking her head wearily. It sounded as if she had repeatedly given the report to different people, and Squall didn't have any doubt that she probably did.
"ATTACKER, UNKNOWN," added Fujin, standing close to Seifer.
"We weren't around when Seifer was hurt, ya know? He kinda ditched us back in Balamb," Raijin sighed.
"He ditched you?" Selphie repeated, uncharacteristically terse. "That can't be right. You guys are, like, his posse!"
Fujin and Raijin glanced at each other sadly. "We know that, ya know? But . . . he said he saw something back in the hotel."
"So he's woken up before?" queried Quistis Trepe. She stood rather close to Raijin, staring down at Seifer worriedly. Memories of Edea's orphanage drifted through her head, and she was reminded of times where she would reprimand the slightly-younger child. Bossy Quisty, they all called her.
"Yes," confirmed Cid. "He barely answered any questions before he fell asleep, however."
"SEIFER, EXHAUSTED!" defended Fujin, frowning deeply.
"Yes, yes, of course," Cid said with a nod. "When he awakens again, we can ask more of what happened. Whatever attacked him was quite crafty -- the wounds he received were severe, and yet didn't kill him immediately. He could have been murdered easily with wounds like these."
"Hey, don't say that!" Raijin yelped, staring at the headmaster. "It's bad enough we almost lost him, ya know? Don't start talking like that!"
Zell crouched in a corner of the room, glaring angrily at the ground. "I don't get it," he declared bitterly. "How can you two still follow him, huh? He put you through so much crap! Hell, he ditched you for Ultimecia!" He didn't like being around his tormenter at all, and being in the same room as him left him grouchy.
"UNTRUE!" Fujin snapped, glaring at the blond fist-fighter. "POSSE. . . ALL FRIENDS. LOYAL."
"She's right, ya know?" piped up Raijin.
The young SeeD in the corner snorted. "Why don't I think Seifer would say something like that?"
* * * * *
He moaned and awakened slowly, his head throbbing painfully and his body aching from smacking into the ground at an incredible speed. After a moment left to the darkness within his eyelids, Rufus opened his eyes to the bright sunlight around him. It took him a second to let everything focus, and he caught sight of Seifer lying on the ground -- grass -- not too far away from him. Algus sat next to the white-coated teenager, gazing at the area around him curiously.
"Algus? You've been awake?"
Algus blinked and aimed his gaze at the older blond. "Oh, you're awake," he murmured. He nodded, his crossbow lying in his lap. "I have been trying to figure out where we are. I'm not familiar with the area."
Seifer slowly was lifting himself off the grass, shaking his head dazedly. "Ever thought we might not be anywhere familiar?" he queried, rubbing a gloved hand over his eyes. "Ugh. . ."
"Well . . . it doesn't look like any place I've seen," declared Rufus, getting to his feet. "I don't even think there were any plains like this on Planet."
". . . Planet?" Seifer repeated, arching his head to look at the standing man.
". . . Yes. Planet."
"Your planet's name is Planet?"
Rufus looked at him strangely. "Well . . . yes."
Seifer let out a small laugh. "That's stupid."
Of course, that triggered an indignant glare from the white-suited ex-President. "Does your planet have a name?"
That silenced the younger man, and Algus chose this time to interrupt. "Seifer, do you have any clue where we are?"
Almost glad that someone had changed the subject, Seifer jumped to his feet, taking a quick look around. ". . . Well, to be completely honest, I do know where we are."
Two pairs of blue eyes blinked in surprise. "Really?" echoed the other two.
"We're in my world . . . on the continent of Balamb. Balamb Plains."
"Huh. And here I thought we were somewhere that none of us would recognize," Algus muttered.
Seifer shook his head and started off in one direction through the plains. Rufus looked after him. "Where are you going, Seifer?" he queried.
The teenager shot him a glance over his shoulder. "I've been following you around too much, Ruf." Rufus straightened at the nickname, and Seifer smirked. "I don't like being the follower -- I'm sure you've noticed that by now. Besides, I know this place a lot better than either of you two."
Unknown to Rufus and Algus, Seifer had absolutely no idea which way they were going.
* * * * *
"Should we stop them, or at least set them on the correct course again?"
A set of green eyes focused on the first. "Why should we? All our past chosen have been so . . . dull and unexciting. Perhaps we'll get a challenge from these three."
The second glared at the speaker, the third. "A challenge may cost us."
The first laughed darkly as he scrutinized his two comrades. "There is no way those three could beat us. . . They possess no Arts."
"Just because we have Arts doesn't mean anything," reminded the third, running a hand through his hair. "Don't be cocky."
"Yes, don't be cocky," agreed the second. "That's my chosen's job."
* * * * *
"Hey, didn't we pass that blade of grass a few minutes ago?"
"Ha, ha, Rufus," Seifer said sarcastically as he frowned at the older man. "I know where we're going."
Rufus Shinra wasn't convinced. "Is that why you're always stopping and looking around? Because you know where we're going?"
"Shut up!" Seifer snapped. "I know where we're going!" Thankfully, he caught sight of a forest in the distance. "C'mon. Maybe if we reach that forest, I can tell where we are exactly."
"So you don't know where we're going," Rufus said flatly.
". . . . No comment."
The two other blondes groaned and followed the ex-leader of the Disciplinary Committee.
* * * * *
It was nearing 4:00 when Zell watched Squall walk into the cafeteria. The dark-clad teenager sighed and slumped into a seat next to him. "What's bummin' you, man?" Zell queried between bites of his beloved Balamb Garden hotdog.
". . . That's a stupid question and you know it," Squall muttered.
Zell frowned. "Seifer?"
"Yeah. I've been in the training center since noon trying to get him out of my head," Squall admitted. ". . . He shouldn't be here. Not after what he did."
"Then why don't you complain? I mean, you're not the commander of Garden for nothing, right?"
Squall shook his head. "Headmaster Cid's being firm with his decision. Besides, it's inhuman to throw out an injured person."
". . . Sometimes I wonder if that bastard's human to begin with," Zell growled. "Dammit, you know what he did, Squall. He led so many people to death back at that Garden battle."
"I know . . . but that doesn't change the fact that he's in the infirmary at Cid's order. We can't do anything about it."
Zell shoved the rest of his hotdog in his mouth to keep himself from snapping back a reply.
* * * * *
". . . It looks like something happened here," remarked Rufus.
"This is too eerie," Seifer hissed, shaking his head as he looked at the dead Bite Bugs and the Caterchipillar. "Would you believe I did this last night?"
"How is that-- Oh, I remember. . ." Algus looked at Seifer in awe. "So it wasn't just some sort of dream?"
"These are two real lives I'm living," replied the scarred young man, running a hand through his short blond hair. "I don't know how it's possible, but now we've crossed over into my other life." He strode forward and pointed to the dark splotches that stood out against the hard dirt. "This is where I fell unconscious after my look-alike beat me up. Right before that, he used my Limit Break and slammed me into this tree." He pointed at a tree, which now sported an impression in its side. "I lost Hyperion. . . There it is. . ." He dashed toward another tree, pulling free an exact copy of the gunblade at his waist.
"Well, that's enough proof for me," Rufus announced. "We've all been thrown into the Twilight Zone."
Algus blinked and gazed at the older man strangely. "The Twilight Zone?" he queried. "What's that?"
Rufus shook his head. "Never mind." He watched as Seifer strapped the other gunblade on his back, then queried, "Well, Seifer, where are we going next?"
Seifer gave the most wicked smile Rufus had ever seen on the younger man right then. "Where else would I go with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?" When the two gave him pointed looks, he continued. "Balamb Garden."
* * * * *
". . . Did you hear that?"
The third nodded gravely. "Apparently Almasy's other body wasn't killed off."
"I thought he was dead," defended the second. "No mortal should have survived a low-level Shitay spell at close-range, let alone an Icestorm spell."
"Well, Almasy did. You are getting sloppy," commented the third.
"Shut up. . ."
The first interrupted. "What do we do now? This situation has begun to unravel."
"Like any good tapestry, it is never too late to salvage," reminded the third.
"So what're we going to do?" pressed the second.
"Call out the Immortals."
Now we're getting somewhere! ^_^
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