Chapter 4: On the Way Back to Balamb Garden

[miyavi]

PAGE 3!!!!!!!1 We're just rolling along, aren't we?

---

Sho watched in morbid fascination as their newly-appointed medic dug into Curly Fries' body with increased fervor and absolutely NO finesse. He gripped the Ruby tightly in one fist in anticipation; he, too, would be facing sugery-slash-butchery from the stranger. He silently gulped once Polaris awoke, her words barely carrying over to him, since her voice was so damn soft.

"...much appreciated."

Polaris was softspoken now, docile, but Sho knew she was still tough as nails---hell, if he had woken up to someone shoving TWEEZERS inside him, he'd have screamed bloody murder like Blaze. But noooo, Curly Fries had to go and be all badass, not even squeaking and even saying "thank you" afterwards.

Sho winced inwardly; Polaris was more man than he was. And he was ALL man.

It seemed as if everyone had been treated; in fact, the wavy haired woman in the sexy executive's outfit looked like she was done with digging out bullets, but Sho knew that he couldn't walk around with a bullet in his knee. <Might as well risk it,> he thought, shrugging mentally, before speaking up.

"Aa, not to sound anticlimactic, but...uhh...could someone take the bullet out of my knee?"

[Stella]

Hope I'm not posting too much I'm just excited to play.

---

Stella dropped the bullet from the tweezers into the first aid kit with the other. Immediately she started cleaning off them off as the next man spoke.

"Would love to" she answered his request with a little sigh. Making sure her hands were very clean first she stood up and walked over to him, tweezers in hand. She almost felt like a torturer as she looked down at him.

"Right then" she said pulling his pants away from his knee and inspecting the bloody mess. Cracking her neck she plunged the tweezers in a fourth time.

"I suppose all of you should know, my name is Stella" she said softly not looking up from her work but still speaking to all of them.

[miyavi]

I'm excited that you're excited, Al!

---

"I suppose all of you should know, my name is Stella."

<Stella. That's a pretty name for--->

"HOLY FUCKING CRAP!!"

Sho managed not to bite off his own tongue as Stella jammed the tweezers into the open skin of his knee. But he was close. It hurt like hell, especially when he could feel the metal moving through cartilage, bypassing nerves, and searching, still searching, searchingforwhythefuckhasn'tshefoundthegoddamnbulletyet---

Sho bit through his lip at that moment, fresh pain almost making his eyes water. Luckily Polaris' Regen spell, though weakly cast, was still acitvated, and he could feel his lower lip already mending, just as he bit back another gasp of agony. His grip on the Ruby was so tight he was amazed it hadn't cracked into pieces.

[Blaze Sanaku]

Hell no, Al you're not posting too much!! We post this fast all the time XD thoughts are usually done in italics and when a GF speaks it's usually in slashes /blahblah/ but feel free to use whatever method you want.

---

Blaze burst out laughing at Sho's unrestrained curse. They were mostly healed now but this girl Stella, Blaze thought, should definently not be a surgeon.

"You three are seeDs, correct? You're in a seeD airship." Blaze noted, "Were you assigned to pick us up? We need to get back to Balamb."

Blaze looked at the ruby in Sho's hand, suddenly wondering why the hell he was the one allowed to hold on to it. If he was going to do one more idiotic thing, like pretend he had lost it, she'd take the ruby from him by force.

[Myacu]

"You three are seeDs, correct? You're in a seeD airship Were you assigned to pick us up? We need to get back to Balamb."



Tucking behind a stray lock of hair, Gemma looked up and nodded. "Yeah, we're SeeDs. We were sent on a special Opps. mission to pick up some SeeDs coming from Shumi Village. Judging by that last battle, we assumed you were the ones."


She rummaged through their medic sack, "Here, give this Potion to your friend," Gemma winked, "He's about to pass out." Wiping her hands across her shorts, she extended out one, "I'm Gemma Ridean."

[waterlily43]

Jun kept her mouth clamped as the Regen Spell Polaris had casted on her gradually mended her broken wrist, ribs, and fixed whatever was tormenting her insides. As Sapphy had rightly suggested, she needed to save all that yakking energy to concetrate on the healing. Besides whatever she said would probably be drowned out by the screams of pain coming from Blaze, Stardust and Sho. Polaris remained cooly composed and Jun had to take her hat off the girl.

After everyone had settled down, the new girls started introducing themselves--given their names anyway-- Jun finally mustered a bit of wits about her to speak up.

"Hi Gemma, Stella." She said, smiling softly with a small nod. "Thanks for the help. I think we were kinda close to having the Ruby snatched away by the Dotna scum. Suffice to say you have all saved us a hell lot of trouble and Xu from an anuerism." She finished, turning her smile into a slightly cheeky grin.

Speaking of anuerism... I wonder if she knows her 'secretary cum secret lover' is a Dotna high-ranking official...

{We'll soon see won't we...}

[waterlily43]

Rayden stared blearily at the SeeDs and assorted people around. He didn't know why he felt so sluggish and as a result, so useless today. Must have been something he ate. But that was all over.

Seeing that some people were still in obvious pain, he decided to do his bit, however little it was.

"Here...looks like you need this." He said with a quick smile while pushing a bottle of mega-potion towards Sho. "Share it with Stardust over there, it's all I have."

He turned towards Gemma. "I think you can save that potion for later." He winked, feeling some of his old groove returning.

[Myacu]

He could sense a little more "movement" in the back, and not necessarily from any kind of bloody injury. Actually it sounded like there was even a conversation. He could here Gemma talking to one. "You can give this Potion to your friend.."Jax blabbed. Well the presence of another Ridean had been too long ignored. Adjusting his goggles, he flipped on the loudspeaker.

"This is your captain, Ajax Darius Ridean, speaking. I have been commandeering this illustrious flight!"

[Polaris Lyn]

The conversations that took place around her was a soft buzzing to her ears; she had yet to cast Regen on herself and was still too weak to focus her magic.

"This is your captain, Ajax Darius Ridean, speaking. I have been commandeering this illustrious flight!"

Polaris shook her head slightly and forced herself out of her pain-inflicted trance. It was something she'd learned a long time ago, to force the mind to be occupied with something else so as not to be focused on pain...but the smooth male voice that boomed into her brain had snapped her train of thought neatly enough.

<Ridean, Ridean...that sounds familiar...that girl Gemma is a Ridean as well...>

It struck her. The name Ridean was very well-known, and also well-respected, within the Estharian community. A small smile tugged at the corners of Polaris' lips and she opened her mouth, finally to speak, to Gemma.

"Gemma Ridean...of Esthar?" she managed to say in her soft voice.

[miyavi]

"Thanks for the help," Sho managed in a somewhat shaky voice, taking the Mega-Potion from Rayden's grasp and administering half to himself. He felt it work into his bloodstream, quickly and effectively soothing away the pains and aches of battle. He thought about taking the rest, but one look at Stardust, unconscious and quiet for once, made him decide against it. He replaced the Ruby back in its hiding place in the inside pocket of his jacket.

"Aa, time to wake up, Sleeping Beauty," he muttered, managing to get onto his feet---residual pain, a result of his cells being assaulted by bullets, magic, and pseudo-medic girls with tweezers, hindered his grace---and make his way over to her. He sat down beside her and managed to cradle her upper body in his arm. He administered the rest of the Mega-Potion, waited for her to return to consciousness, and sighed---the minute she woke up and realized that she was in such a position with him, she'd surely poke him in the eye or something.

<And they wonder why chivalry is dead,> he thought morosely.

He glanced around, and saw with a pang, that the Opps were looking as miserable as ever. The little pixie girl, Van, was sitting still beside Blaze, her eyes dark. Sho felt a soft lurch in his heart---<I know how it feels to lose someone, too,>---and he reached into another random pocket, pulling out a small chocolate bar. He held it out to her tentatively.

"Hey," he murmured softly to her, "you okay, Pixie?"

[Myacu]

"Gemma Ridean...of Esthar?"

"Yes..."

It didn't surprise her. Her family was well-known throughout Esthar. Still, everytime she was recognized as "a Ridean", Gemma couldn't help but feel awkward. The name always preceded her, and often people could never look past the name, and recognizeher for her own merit. However, accomplished as Gemma was, she was never considered special. Just behaving the way a Ridean should. Before the Adel War, Gemma hoped to become involved in the political field. But if she ever took office, she had already decided that she would drop her last name. Gemma never wanted to be rewarded for what her father did. By becoming a SeeD, she had proven to the world that she can survive without having to rely on her family name.

Gemma gave the girl another glance. She seemed a little familiar... Without a thought, she rifled through her sack, finally fishing out a old photo. It was taken at a benefit function, and was one that always made her laugh. She had taken it herself. For the shot was of of thirteen year old Jax, head hung low, and his face turned up in an indisputable grimace, as he danced with a cute little girl wearing a blue satin dress.

Gemma's left eyebrow shot up and she took a second glance at the dark-haired girl, then back to the photo. Hercheeks puffed up into a gleeful grin.

She held up the picture.

"I believe you've already met my brother."

[Polaris Lyn]

"I believe you've already met my brother."

Polaris stared momentarily at Gemma. "Really," she asked softly, before Gemma held up the photograph. A flash of recognition flickered across her eyes, but Polaris' lips twisted into a sad smirk. "I think you might be mistaken...I don't believe I'm the girl in that picture. The Ridean family is just famous...that's all."

She sighed as she leaned back against the wall. Her gaze dropped. "My name is Polaris Lyn," she said quietly. "And I'm a Balamb native."

[ani]

Stardust was ripped out of her daze by an excruciating pain when Stella pulled the bullet out of her. She let out a yelp and was back to consciousness once again. That was right. These fellow SeeDs just pulled them out of that painful battle with the DotNA leader. Still feeling a little woozy, Stardust barely heard their names. How the heck did she get this vulnerable? It was then that she felt someone lift her head to give her some potion.

I'm really so out of it huh... she told herself. She thought she just saw Sho administer some potion to her.

~*~

Vanesse waited till Blaze somehow found relief from the magic she gave her. She just didn't want to let her mind wander back to what just happened, but it seemed like she couldn't avoid it. She knew Deo and Jaime were on the same page as her. They were all in an emotional mess. Somehow, she wondered, what do they have to do after this?

"Hey," Vanesse looked up to see Sho, coming over to her. "you okay, Pixie?" He was offering her a chocolate bar. The gesture was nice. Too nice even. Vanesse mustered a small smile and shook her head. Normally, she would take the chocolate bar, but now, she just didn't feel like it.

"Yeah, I'm all right," she managed to say. "Thank you though."

~*~

Hadrian stood up and addressed the new faces. The chick named Stella was--he didn't know how to put it--but she sure had her way of with the tweezers. He was sorta glad he didn't get a bullet inside his body.

"Hey there, I'm Hadrian D'arcell," he said to the ladies, nodding slightly. "Nice to---" He didn't get to finish his words when the ship lurched and threw them off balance. Hadrian's back hit the metal wall and the red lights on the airship blinked rapidly.

Did we hit something? His eyebrows met.

[Jax]

Hands gripped firmly onto the leather steering stick, Jax maintained his focus on the sky's horizon. Every 5 minutes, he systematically scanned the looming windows and mirrors, checking for any sign of turbulence. That was the risk of flying. Every gadget, lever, and button must be precisely at the correct setting. To disturb the plane's "chemical balance," as Jax's flight teacher lonce said, can be fatal. But that was the thrill of flying, and knowing that the lives of otehrs rested on his shoulders created an adrenaline rush.

Right now, everything seemed right. The sky had cleared up, allowing them to soar through endless miles of blue.

"You make me feel..you make me feel! You make me feel like a natural ---Whoa!"

... the hell was that?

Looking at his side mirror, a brilliant bolt of red zoomed past the airship's leftwing. Then it was gone. Suddenly alert, Jax quickly searched the skies for whatever it was he had seen. Nothing. Minutes past and still the sky remained clear.

Probably just some dumbass pilot...got lost or something.

Silence. Until something violently crashed into the airship from the back. It must have been something massive from the huge jolt that nearly sent Jax flying from his seat, had he not been strapped down. Fumbling to flip on the loudspeaker, another quake ripped through the right wing. Jax frantically turned on the alert lights to warn his passengers of the threat they were facing.

The airship was now tilted, with the nose facing down. As items were sent sliding down the inclined plane, Jax smashed his head against the front window. Bracing the angry gash on his forehead, now beginning to ooze dark blood, he looked up into the snarling fangs of Bahamut.

[Stella]

What the hell?...

Thoughts were racing through Stella's mind as the ship lurched and she stumbled a bit catching herself on the wall. Something red streaked past the windows. A roar shattered through the outside air. As Stella righted herself she gazed out.

A length of red wing marred the pristine blue of the sky. She moved closer to the window pressing one had against it as she stared out. Of course Stella had heard of the huge dragon before, he was legend after all. But she had never guessed that Bahamut would be so gorgeous.

She turned quickly pulling Lyric and Rhyme out of their holsters, loading fresh magazines in one easy movement. The gold and silver guns felt smooth in her hands, reassuring. Glancing around at the others in the air ship she cleared her throat.

"All right, we've got to get him off our tail or else this was all for nothing. I need two or three of you that can fight to come with, we are going up" She announced loudly her velvet voice ringing out through the hold. Without even a paused she started moving toward the exit of the hold throwing it open and heading down the short hallway to the elevator to the roof level.

She didn't bother to look if anyone was following.