Chapter 4 - Back to Garden

[Storyteller]

Posts missing.

[Storyteller]

uis~

Alyeena frowned. Timber?, she thought, Why would DotNA live there, and, if so...why Timber? What's so special about that place?

She glanced around the room. She could hear Rika's suggestion, and, smiling somewhat, Aly spoke.

"It sounds like a good plan to me," she said.

Colum smirked. He was glad to be getting the hang of this mission. Perhaps even Stardust would enjoy it.

As he glanced at his sister, hearing her talk, he smiled smugly. Nobody but them knew why she was calling herself Alyeena O'Donahue now.

"Stardust," Colum said quietly over the growing hubbub, "Care to take a stroll with me?"

He bit his lip, before raking a hand through perpetually messy hair, and taking a deep breath.

~*~Ten years ago~*~

"Col!" Dara called out to him, "Where are you going?"

He stopped. He had been heading out of the door, towards the Bika Snowfields, the wind was icy, blowing through the hut as he paused in the open doorway.

"Out," he replied, pushing past his sister. "And don't follow me..."

He frowned as Dara hurried after him. "What part of 'don't follow me' didn't you understand, Dara?" he asked furiously.

"Colum," Dara said quietly, glancing down at her distended stomach, in which the baby laid in rest.

"Oh, right," he said angrily, "It's always about the cold, isn't it, Dara?"

The icy wind blew around Dara's face so that tendrils of long black hair whipped her face with the ferocity of the wind.

'She looks cold', he thought, 'Oh well...C'est la vie,'

He stormed off into the snow, without another glance back at his sister, not knowing that the next time he saw her would be back at home in Balamb..

~*~Present Day~*~

Dara...The word was whispered by his GF as he hurried out of the room, anxious to get away from everything.

Shut up, Dove, he hissed inwardly.

/It's been a long time since you've uttered that name, why don't you call on me anymore these days?/ her voice was soft and pleading as he turned the corner, down to his dormitory.

Dara's changed, Dove...What is there I can do or say to tell her I still care? He had reached his dormitory, and stood in front of it, card key in hand.

Colum swiped the door open, before heading inside the sparse apartment.

It was so much different to the orderly apartment of Aly's.

Aly turned the corner, hurriedly as she entered the Doctor's quarters.

/So,/ her GF said slyly, /I believe it's been oh, five years since you've seen your Geni, right?/

So what, Freya? Aly hissed back, Don't make me relive that experience, please

She frowned as she turned into her rooms, quiet and dark as always. Hurrying to the light switch, she flipped it down. The lights always made her blink as they were switched on, as the glare and brightness was overwhelming.

[Storyteller]

Ani~


In Timber... There was no need for Stardust to worry about not having the mission after all. The sound of that place somehow lightened her annoyance. The closer to Adel, the better. She nodded as the Headmistress tried to elaborate the mission.

"Same team."

Stardust paused and gawked at Xu. The Headmistress looked stern. It didn't look like she was going to change her mind. She glanced at the SeeDs inside. There was no doubt; she was trapped with these lowlifes for now. She sighed irritatedly.

I knew it!

"I hope next time I see you, you have something that will give us a little hope. You're excused." Xu finished her sentence. After making sure everything was okay, she turned to Stardust at the corner.

"Ms. Infinity, is there something you want to ask of me?" she said in a low voice.

The pink head quickly looked at her. "Uh...It was nothing." She shook her head and saluted. " You can count on me." Xu cocked an eyebrow. "Very well."

It was then that Rika stood in front of the room suggesting that they all should meet in Balamb to take the Train. It wasn't a bad idea to her. At least she would be away with them even just for a little while. Tightening her arm bandages, she began to leave when Colum suddenly approached her.

"Care to take a stroll with me?" he said adding another irritation to Stardust. Her bad day kept getting worse and worse.

"I'm fine by my own..." Stardust hissed and went for the door. She still had other plans in mind.

[Storyteller]

Ash~


"Same team." The words echoed inside Blaze's head.

Blaze stood up and slammed her fist into the office's wall, creating a dent. "You HAVE to be joking. This isn't funny. We failed because of the team that we've been assigned to work with and we'll fail again." She grit her teeth.

"If that's the case, then fail. I am not rearranging teams. You're excused." Xu began to file papers on her desk.

Blaze stood in place for a moment, then spat her gum on Xu's desk and opened the door that Zacke had slammed. "Well we're not going to fail. I will die to see that we succeed." Blaze slammed the door even harder than Zacke had, vibrating the room.

Xu sighed and threw the gum in the nearest trash can. "That's the 5th dent that she's put into my wall this year. it costs money to repair those."

[Storyteller]

Auria~


Zacke waited in the room outside Xu's office, pacing back and forth, containing the urge to hit something.

His head shot up when he heard the door slam. A very furious looking Blaze strode out.

"I don't believe it either." he spat, looking at the ground. "This team is a joke. We're supposed to find three little gems, that could be anywhere in the world, and if we don't, Adel wins. That woman is insane." he continued pacing, running a hand over the top of his head, combing through his hair.

"She's not the one out there dealing with Stardust and Alyeena...she's not out there on the field. She doesn't know what it's like with this kind of pressure sitting on her shoulders." he fumed, getting louder.

He stopped pacing, his hands gripping the handles of the black nunchaku hanging around his neck and looked over at Blaze. "So what made you so angry?"

[Storyteller]

Spiffy~

"Agreed, we all need supplies and time to think the next move over," Sym answered Rika and moved to the door, which still hummed from Blaze's abrupt departure. The spike-haired woman had thrown quite the fit upon hearing the team situation, a sentiment that Sym shared in a way but was loathe to act on. Her other fit had done enough, thank-you kindly. She didn't want to be thought of as a complete bitch, only as a small one when she got mad.

That said, the mage made her way to her dorm, where she promptly collapsed on the sofa inside. So much for the shower, she needed the sleep more than anything. Needed it for her health as well as a way to try and forget. She knew inside, though, that she'd never forget.

[Storyteller]

Dark~

Once the Headmistress said "Same Team", literally everything blew up. Blaze, Zacke, and Stardust didn't like it one bit storming out of the room. Rika and Sym decided to head of to Balamb and the few left in the room were still pondering on the about the whole mission.

Defenders of the New Age... DOTNA as it was called was residing in the middle of Timber and now it was for them, a group of wild and uncontrollable, to try and take this team down even with the their own conflicts.

Terry had no choice but to have a migraine. Slowly standing up, while keeping a smile, he headed to the balcony and just stared at the open ocean. Slowly taking a deep breath of fresh ocean air before heading towards his dorm for a shower.

I guess I'll just go to Balamb with the other two...

[Storyteller]

Ani~


Closing the door of the office, Stardust headed outside. It was then that she saw Blaze and Zacke protesting at the corner. She passed by them silently, eyeing the two with dislike.

If there was someone who hated the mission operatives from the bottom of her soul; that someone has got to be Stardust. It was ironic. She wanted to be with the mission to slay Adel but she didn't want the mission itself. These teammates of her were like a huge rusty chain that kept pulling and pulling her down to failure. The only thing that was keeping her from quitting was her passion for revenge and her duty to the Headmistress. No more, no less.

She walked over the elevator and headed in. This time, she made sure she wouldn't go down with anyone. She wanted to be away from the lowlifes. Even just for a while until the mission continues.

As soon as she got off from the first floor, she turned right over the Infirmary's direction.

/Why are you so worried about that little hand of yours?/ Diwata barged in her thoughts. /Want me to heal you? You poor little thing.../ She laughed, teasing Stardust.

Get lost!

Stardust stopped in her tracks and stared at her bandaged right arm. It wasn't aching. She just wanted to make sure it wouldn't get in her way in the future so she could focus. But now, she didn't feel like going to the Infirmary anymore. It would just make her look weak. And she definitely wasn't weak.

"Get out of my thoughts..." she murmured as she changed direction. She decided to go to her dorm, instead, for a shower and then to the Training Center before she go to Balamb Town.

[Storyteller]

sh~


Blaze smiled, listening to Zacke's protest.

"I'm glad someone is seeing it my way," Blaze replied as Zacke paced back and forth along the hallway. She couldn't tell if Zacke was madder than she was.

"So what made you so angry?" Zacke asked.

Blaze fumed.

"WHAT MADE ME ANGRY!?!?! That starshit girl for one! That Colum freak for another. They're practically made for another." Blaze drew blood from her palms again. "I....I need...... ughhh." She kneeled down, clutching her stomach as if she were in pain. Her head swam the color red.

"I need to kill something or I'm going to go mad."

[Storyteller]

ari~

Rika felt there was no need for any more words, she had to get moving. She strode out of Xu's office without another word, and chose to fully ignore those outside. She had no time to deal with anyone else's problems. She pressed the elevator button, and waited as it ascended.

I think I'll just walk the way to Balamb, a few Bite Bugs never hurt anyone.

At that moment, she could feel the familiar tugging in the back of her mind.

All right, all right, I'll do it.

She cast a water spell, and twisted the silken droplets between her hands.

I would have thought you'd be tired of seeing water after this mission, Tempest.

As the elevator made its way to the third floor, she wondered how many items, and how much Gil she had in her dorm. This new upgrade was not going to be cheap.

[Storyteller]

Dark~

GRRRUMMMMGGBLE

Terry blushed momentary before deciding he definitely needed something to eat. Passing the huge doors of Xu's office and seeing the group of hot-heads, Terry smiled and waved at them before heading towards the elevator.

Waiting for the elevator to reach the main floor Terry started flipping his dagger around, practice for the hands as he always thought of it. Man this is just getting me more hungrier!

Hmmmm... what's good around here? Terry thought before heading off at a random direction thinking about food the whole time. Thinking of only his stomach, he unknowingly headed straight into the training center...

[Storyteller]

Spiffy~

Why didn't I take my pills? I hate the dreams, I should've taken the meds before falling over. Instead. . . Sym shuddered, grabbing her knees as she sat up on her couch. The nightmare had done a very good job of frightening her into alertness, and since then the woman hadn't been able to get another wink of sleep in, Just when I needed it too. I just hope no one heard me scream. . . that would be too embarrassing to explain. A battle-hardened SeeD crying like a little girl from a bad dream. She'd laugh if she saw me now, you know.

/But she can't see you, that's the way your father wanted it. He knew what he was doing, /Die-sha explained, a comforting and familiar presence that Sym needed, /Maybe if you exhaust yourself you won't dream. Go out and fight something, Lady, it'll do you some good./

"You know, that'd probably work," She whispered and got up, the blades on her gauntlets unfurling as she moved. A T-Rexaur would probably present enough of a challenge to make Sym tired, and if that failed then she'd find something on the way to Balamb to fight.

[Storyteller]

Auria~


Zacke started to respond to Blaze, when the door to Xu's office opened again.

Out strolled Terry. Zacke watched him walk by. He gave a cheerful smile.

Doesn't that guy ever quit? Does nothing bother him?

"Why don't you kill him." Zacke muttered to Blaze with an amused smirk on his face, when Terry was out of earshot. "Or at least maim him, so he'll stop smiling..."

/You shouldn't suggest such things Zacke, she might follow through./

Argh...shut up Iris, it was a joke.

He walked over to Blaze. "Stomach hurt?"

[Storyteller]

Bunny~
Tomoe hadn't accepted the invitations to sit by Wildwish and Sym, but she wished she had when Xu had announced that they would be continuing the mission with the same team. Mercutio, Infinity and Blaze had all snapped and raged, and Tomoe knew that they--well, Blaze, at least--needed time to relax and calm down. Which meant that oh yes, thank Hyne, I can finally get my shower!

---Tomoe's dorm...---

"Oh, yes, I love the smell of berry lotion. Better than that disgusting green stuff." Tomoe ran a comb through her still-damp hair, then began to lace up her second pair of hiking boots. She had ditched her muck-covered clothes at the laundry room and was meanwhile wearing her SeeD uniform. "I wonder if Blaze is still mad..."

/Blaze? Mad? Noooo, that can't be,/ said Obsidian's voice in her mind. /She's such a lovely, sweet-tempered girl./

"Oh, shut up, Sid." Tomoe rose to her feet and began plaiting her long black hair. "I think I'll leave my clothes in the dryer and go to the cafeteria for something to eat."

/Why tell me? GFs don't need food./

Yeah, well, you're the only one in this whole group that'll talk without going on the fritz. So we're stuck with each other, Gravija boy.

/...I know,/ the GF said dryly. /Wouldn't have it any other way./

"Yeah, now whaddaya say to a hamburger, large frenchies and a big shake?"

/Sure, why not, I won't be the one that'll balloon into a hippo./

"Oh, fuck you!"

[Storyteller]

Ash~


Blaze stared at Zacke's outstretched hand as if he had just stuck it into something smelly. Then she swat it away.

"Thanks, but I don't trust your kind." She stood up. "I think I may have ingested some of that muck shit." Blaze saw Terry's figure head past the cafeteria toward the training center.

Well, he's going to be fighting monsters anyways. What's wrong with one more? Blaze rethought Zacke's comment about maiming him and she smiled.

"That might not be such a bad idea Mercutio." Blaze withdrew a bag of crispy M&Ms from her pocket. "TERRY!" She yelled. Terry turned at the call of his name with that stupid grin still plastered on his face. Blaze tossed the bag of candy up in the air and caught it on it's way downward. She tossed it again. And again. She could feel Terry's eyes on the bag as it traveled up and down.

"I'll give you this if you manage to beat me in a fight." Blaze called out as a few junior classmen scrambled out of her path. They all knew that a fight was drastically different from a duel. Terry tried to turn away in a polite decline but Blaze wasn't one to accept that kind of behavior. She chucked the bag of m&ms towards Terry and it hit his head with a thunk. He turned around with a face no longer smiling.

Great, now he's going to try and talk it out with me

/You're going to get expelled from the Garden/ Deathstrike hummed inside Blaze's head. /What detention would this be. The 20th this year?/

Shut up. I got put in detention just for slapping a junior classmen on the back in a friendly manner

/That was not a friendly slap. He hacked up blood and had to be put in the infirmary for spine damage/

Blaze ignored her GF. "Whatcha say, Terry?" She asked