Disclaimer - I don't own the characters, only the plot bunnies. The
characters belong to Squaresoft; I only play with them. Set after
Ultimeca's defeat, Quistis is has her license back, but will she lose it
over unrequited love?
Chapter one - Time Compression and Strawberry Perfume
Quistis was hurt, but who could blame her. If you had traveled through time and space, doing everything in your power to save someone all for nothing, you'd be pissed too.
After the SeeD ball, there was nothing. No talking in the halls, no dropping in and out of each others rooms, and not even as much as a smile. It was like it was all a show. She had been Rinoa's knight, defended her when no one else would. But now it was Squall. IHe/I was her new knight, I he/I would protect her from all the worlds evil, while Quistis was tossed away like a broken toy. But that was all over now, there was a new class of students to teach, a new Garden of SeeD's to raise.
Quistis almost floated into her class. She was happy her license had been reinstated, and no one would take it from her now. Smiling, she greeted the cadets and picked up the class list to make sure everyone was in the right spot. While Trabia was being rebuilt, cadets were being trained at Balamb and it was confusing. People were turning up for the wrong classes, or in the wrong rooms, so role calls were essential. Looking down the list, her heart jumped to her throat, "Heartily, Rinoa."
She looked to the front row, to find Rinoa sitting there smiling tranquilly back at her "Here, Instructor Trepe." What was Squall thinking? Did he want her to go crazy and take her license back? Quistis was fuming in the inside, but cool and calm as ever on the outside.
"I had no idea you were applying to become a SeeD?"
"Well after all that's happened I felt it would be logical to become a SeeD. I mean, Squall is fully supportive of me. He's so encouraging."
"Commander Leonhart is supportive of ALL cadets, no matter his relationship to them!" Quistis sneered back. Rinoa couldn't spell logical, never mind act logically. Did Squall put her up to this? She would find out no matter what, and then all hell would break loose. During the lesson, she tried to avoid Rinoa's eyes. Every time Quistis glanced up, she would see her staring at her, smiling, like nothing had happened.
That night, Quistis sat on her bed flicking through a photo album of all the old time. "Nothing but memories here" she thought sadly. "What if Squall had been her knight, instead of me. would things of been different?" Wiping away a tear, she thought of a conversation they had shared before Time Compression.
"I'm scared Quistis, what if we never see each other again?"
Taking Rinoa's hand, they jumped through one of the portals to find themselves at the Orphanage. Pulling her close, inhaling her strawberry perfume, Quistis whispered in her ear -
"I'll be here."
"Why?" Rinoa wrinkled her nose in thought
"I'll be 'waiting' ...here"
"For what?"
"I'll be waiting ... for you... so" Quistis smiled
"If you come here, you'll find me?" Rinoa looked hopefully
"I promise" Rinoa flung her arms around Quistis, momentarily letting go to pick a flower to place behind Quistis's ear. Leaning forward, their lips met, tasting each other's soft flesh.
The words echoed cruelly through Quistis mind, as the flower slipped to the floor. It was her only memory of the kiss she would ever have left.
Chapter one - Time Compression and Strawberry Perfume
Quistis was hurt, but who could blame her. If you had traveled through time and space, doing everything in your power to save someone all for nothing, you'd be pissed too.
After the SeeD ball, there was nothing. No talking in the halls, no dropping in and out of each others rooms, and not even as much as a smile. It was like it was all a show. She had been Rinoa's knight, defended her when no one else would. But now it was Squall. IHe/I was her new knight, I he/I would protect her from all the worlds evil, while Quistis was tossed away like a broken toy. But that was all over now, there was a new class of students to teach, a new Garden of SeeD's to raise.
Quistis almost floated into her class. She was happy her license had been reinstated, and no one would take it from her now. Smiling, she greeted the cadets and picked up the class list to make sure everyone was in the right spot. While Trabia was being rebuilt, cadets were being trained at Balamb and it was confusing. People were turning up for the wrong classes, or in the wrong rooms, so role calls were essential. Looking down the list, her heart jumped to her throat, "Heartily, Rinoa."
She looked to the front row, to find Rinoa sitting there smiling tranquilly back at her "Here, Instructor Trepe." What was Squall thinking? Did he want her to go crazy and take her license back? Quistis was fuming in the inside, but cool and calm as ever on the outside.
"I had no idea you were applying to become a SeeD?"
"Well after all that's happened I felt it would be logical to become a SeeD. I mean, Squall is fully supportive of me. He's so encouraging."
"Commander Leonhart is supportive of ALL cadets, no matter his relationship to them!" Quistis sneered back. Rinoa couldn't spell logical, never mind act logically. Did Squall put her up to this? She would find out no matter what, and then all hell would break loose. During the lesson, she tried to avoid Rinoa's eyes. Every time Quistis glanced up, she would see her staring at her, smiling, like nothing had happened.
That night, Quistis sat on her bed flicking through a photo album of all the old time. "Nothing but memories here" she thought sadly. "What if Squall had been her knight, instead of me. would things of been different?" Wiping away a tear, she thought of a conversation they had shared before Time Compression.
"I'm scared Quistis, what if we never see each other again?"
Taking Rinoa's hand, they jumped through one of the portals to find themselves at the Orphanage. Pulling her close, inhaling her strawberry perfume, Quistis whispered in her ear -
"I'll be here."
"Why?" Rinoa wrinkled her nose in thought
"I'll be 'waiting' ...here"
"For what?"
"I'll be waiting ... for you... so" Quistis smiled
"If you come here, you'll find me?" Rinoa looked hopefully
"I promise" Rinoa flung her arms around Quistis, momentarily letting go to pick a flower to place behind Quistis's ear. Leaning forward, their lips met, tasting each other's soft flesh.
The words echoed cruelly through Quistis mind, as the flower slipped to the floor. It was her only memory of the kiss she would ever have left.