Music

Summary – (AU) Rinoa has always loved music. To her, it is something to enjoy. But when she enters the prestigious music school known as Balamb Garden, she meets someone who feels the exact opposite; to him, music is but an occupation.

Author's Notes – Written because music is one of the most wonderful things in the world, and so is Final Fantasy VIII. Hopefully this attempt at a romance-centered fic will work out better than my previous one.

Warning, if you don't like songfics, you might want to skip parts. I wrote this with the idea that one day, a cosplay group will turn it into a musical… Anyway, rather than making it awkward and disrupt the flow of the story, I'll try to keep it as believable as possible.

Disclaimer – If I owned Final Fantasy VIII, there would be a remake by now. I also do not own the songs I use in this chapter, and the credits for them are below. I do not claim to play every instrument that I will mention in this fic, so if you play the instrument and feel indignant about any blatant inaccuracies I have made, feel free to yell at me and tell me what is correct. XD

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Chapter I – The School of Music

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"Here you are, Miss! Balamb Garden!"

She opened the door of the taxicab and looked up in wonder. At the large, beautiful building in front of her. Balamb Garden, her new school. It stood tall and proud against the bright blue sky, and excitement bubbled up within her. She watched as a small crowd of people pushed their way towards the school, dragging trunks and luggage behind them, yelling and shouting all the time.

"Miss? Miss? You'll have time to gawk later, now you'd better get your things out before I drive off with them!"

Rinoa gave a start as the cab driver laughed at her awestruck expression. Smiling rather sheepishly, she pulled a black case out from where she had been sitting and followed him to the back of the cab, where he opened the trunk and lifted out her two bags. Arranging them so she could carry everything comfortably, Rinoa then took out her small blue purse and handed the driver his payment, with a generous tip. Then she took firm hold of her belongings, and walked towards the school.

It grew bigger as she walked closer, and soon began to look slightly intimidating. The noisy crowd that was walking around her didn't help, either. Swallowing, she made her way to the security guard at the front gate, and nervously handed him her registration papers.

"Rinoa-Caraway-Heartilly-first-year-student-Go-through-the-gates-and-head-into-the-central-building-You-will-meet-an-instructor-there-who-will-tell-you-what-to-do-next-Welcome-to-Balamb-Garden."

This was rambled out in one breath, as if the security guard had it permanently keyed into his head, and was spitting it out the way a computer produced information. Thankfully, Rinoa understood most of it, and entered through the electronic gates that opened when the security guard tapped a button.

Trying not to look too lost, Rinoa moved towards the open doors of the central building. To her relief, there were a handful of students hesitating on the doorstep, looking as clueless as she felt. Rinoa knew that they were waiting for someone else to go first, and if nobody did, they'd be stuck there for hours. Smiling nervously, she stepped forward and entered through the set of double doors.

The tentative footsteps behind her told her that she was right; they preferred to have someone to follow. Grinning slightly, Rinoa continued on down the path until she reached a sort of hall.

Shaped like a circle, it had six corridors leading out of the hall. A flight of stairs in the center led to a glass elevator that disappeared into the high ceiling. Green plants lined every walkway, bringing a pleasant, natural feel to the otherwise manmade environment. Water fountains filled the place, though the splash of water could barely be heard over the noise of the students in the hall.

Rinoa felt awestruck as her deep brown eyes took in every detail. The place was beautiful, so very beautiful. A garden, like the name implied. She was so fortunate to be accepted as a student. As she bowed her head slightly and thanked her lucky stars, her attention was captured by a young woman standing in the middle of the path.

She had long blond hair and serious blue eyes. An air of confidence radiated from her, and as she eyed the new students quietly, they instinctively grew quieter and stood up straighter.

She must be an instructor, Rinoa thought. But… she looks so… young! She was willing to bet that this regal young lady was not more than two years her senior.

Then the lady smiled. She suddenly looked a lot friendlier, like an older sister of some sort.

"Welcome to Balamb Garden, where music is our life," she said in a clear, low voice. "I am Quistis Trepe, one of the instructors here. I hope that you will find your school years here enjoyable. For now, please come to me to sign your attendance on this list and collect your dormitory room numbers. Each of you will be sharing with a roommate, and any request for changes will need to go through the Head of First Years, whom you will meet later."

One by one, the five students came up and found their names on the list that Instructor Trepe held. Each received a little card with their names and a number on it.

Instructor Trepe raised a hand and waved to the elevator. "The dormitory lies on the path just behind that elevator. Walk around the fountains and you'll reach an open corridor. Just follow it until you reach a fork, labeled 'Male' and 'Female'. There will be signboards around to guide you to your dormitory rooms.

"You will be staying in the same room for all your years here in Balamb Garden. There will be cleaners in every two mornings to keep the dust and dirt away, but you must look after your rooms properly. One bathroom is attached to every room, and any towels or laundry you wish to have washed should be put in the bathtub before you leave for lessons every morning.

"Now, go, meet your roommates, and gather back here at 12 o'clock sharp. Punctuality is very important here. Once again, welcome to Balamb Garden."

Instructor Trepe finally ended her little speech, and waved them towards the dormitory. Giving a bow, Rinoa trotted off with her little group to walk around the circular paths. As she left, she heard the instructor start her speech again for another group of students that had just wandered in.

Poor Instructor Trepe. Imagine having to repeat that whole thing multiple times. Rinoa could not imagine doing it herself, though she had no problems with singing the same song multiple times. Smiling wryly, she walked behind the elevator and moved down the open corridor.

Green bushes and bright flowers decorated the short walls that closed off the corridor from the courtyard. Two openings further down allowed entrance to the grassy area just outside the passage. Wondering at the lack of current students walking around, Rinoa turned to the 'Female' path at the fork. She glanced at her little card, whispered "Delphinus 07", and kept her eyes on the hanging signboards as she moved.

The female dormitories had three different sections: Cassiopeia, Delphinus, and Virgo. Delphinus seemed to have twenty separate rooms. Rinoa went cautiously to room number 7, where the door was half open. Poking her head in slightly, she blinked as her eyes met the bright green ones of another girl.

The girl jumped up with a squeal and rushed over, grabbing Rinoa by the arm and dragging her into the room excitedly. Her short auburn hair bounced up and down as she moved, giving her the appearance of an enthusiastic little girl dressed as a buttercup.

"You must be Rinoa! I saw your name on your bed! I'm Selphie Tilmitt, and I'm so glad we're finally here at Balamb Garden!" she cried. She had a warm, friendly smile and a dimple that danced in her cheek. Her eyes were so warm and sweet that Rinoa couldn't help smiling back at this energetic girl.

"Hello, Selphie, it's nice to meet you," she said. "I'm Rinoa Heartilly. And I'm happy to be here too."

"I've loved music ever since I was small and my parents brought me to a concert. I didn't think I was good enough for Balamb at first, but now I'm here, I'm finally here, and I can't BELIEVE how lucky I am!" Selphie cried bouncing up and down. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and Rinoa felt the same excitement creeping into her.

Yes, she too loved music, and it was nothing short of a miracle that she was now in this famous school. Selphie laughed out loud in delight and began to dance Rinoa around the room. Her feet were light and agile, and Rinoa was soon breathless with trying to keep up in the random little dance, as they sang a random little tune.

"We're here at Bala-amb! We're here at Bala-amb! We're here at Bala-amb!"

"Selphie, stop. We have to unpack and meet Instructor Trepe back at the fountains!" Rinoa gasped, collapsing onto the floor.

"Entrance Hall. That place is called the Entrance Hall," Selphie chirped. "I was halfway done when you arrived."

Turning to her open suitcase, she proceeded to continue unpacking. Or rather, to drag everything out and throw them higgledy piggledy around. Grinning, Rinoa stood up and finally looked around her room.

It wasn't very big, yet it had enough space for them to do that little jig around without bumping into anything. The walls and ceiling were ivory in colour, and the reddish brown mahogany door stood out against them. A bluish grey carpet covered every inch of the floor. Two oak cupboards stood by one wall, and on either side of them were two twin-sized white beds, covered with soft white duvets. A small nightstand stood beside each bed, with a small dolphin-shaped table lamp on top.

Selphie saw her surveying the room and grinned. "Beautiful, isn't it? So luxurious! And the beds, they're so…" She jumped on hers. "Sooooft!"

Rinoa laughed. Yes, it was a beautiful room. Though it wasn't much compared to her own room, she had already learnt that not everyone lived in a huge mansion. And she wasn't going to complain about this lovely place. Opening her luggage, she began to unpack quickly.

"I say, Rinoa, what have you prepared?"

"Prepared for what?" she asked absently, wondering why one of her socks had suddenly disappeared.

"The Orientation Show-Off Show! Haven't you heard of it?"

Rinoa turned quickly, her long black hair swinging. "No, I haven't. What is it about?"
Oh no, what have I missed out now?

"Well, it's not supposed to be anything much. See, when we introduce ourselves to the other first year students later, we're supposed to give a short and simple performance. Partly as an introduction, and partly to let the teachers around see what we can do," Selphie explained. "They told me to prepare something when I completed the final round of the auditions."

"I wasn't told anything like that," Rinoa said, beginning to feel slightly anxious. She could perform at average standard – at least, she hoped she could – but she still wasn't very used to performing alone. Not that she would breakdown or have hysterics like the extreme cases; just that she might falter and make a couple of mistakes.

"Well, never mind!" Selphie said cheerfully, patting her on the shoulder. "It doesn't have to be anything professional, really."

Rinoa smiled slightly. "How about you, Selphie? What are you doing for the… uh, Show-Off Show?"

"Weeeell… I uh… On the way here I prepared something, but it's probably not that good, so I'll stick to an old song," Selphie said quickly, hurriedly stuffing a small yellow notebook under her table lamp.

Rinoa raised an eyebrow inquiringly. "You wrote a song?"

"It's not really that good," Selphie said, looking slightly embarrassed. It was the first time since they met a few minutes ago that Rinoa had seen an expression other than "joy" on her face, and she smiled.

"I'm sure it's not bad, let me have a look!" she grabbed the notebook and flipped it open, even as Selphie grabbed her arm and protested.

"'We're Gonna Find It'. Go on, sing a little," Rinoa urged. "It looks nice."

Selphie hesitated, and then smiled nervously.

"But it's alright
Cause we just might
Find a way that's true…"

Selphie's voice was that of a contralto, warm and light. The melody she wrote was catchy, and Rinoa found herself humming along.

"Can't go back so we gotta go on
We'll stick together staying strong
There's a golden castle in our mind
And someday soon
We're gonna find it…"

Selphie stopped. "Rinoa! You have such a nice voice!"

Rinoa smiled, looking shy. "You think so?"

"I knew you were a singer as soon as I heard you speak. Breathe from the diaphragm, and out from the top of your head!" Selphie exclaimed dramatically. "But I didn't expect this really… nice voice."

Rinoa grinned ruefully. "It's not great, I know."

"Well, perhaps not," Selphie said honestly. "Not professional, but it's… nice. Hey, I know!"

"Know what?"

"You can sing with me!"

"What?"

"This song sounds like it'll be more suited for a duet, doesn't it? Come on, it'll be fun!"

"What? What?"

"If we start arranging it now… we should have just enough time to learn it before we meet Instructor Trepe! Come on!"

Oh… boy… Rinoa shook her head, and smiled.

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"Zell Dincht, and I'm a drummer!" the young man announced. He waved two drumsticks in the air, gave a dramatic bow, and leapt over to the drum set in the corner of the jamming room.

Then he started his little performance. Fast and loud, it made most of the other students move to the rhythm. Instructor Trepe watched him approvingly.

Rinoa closed her eyes. This drummer was amazing. She could see a story in his drumbeats, of heroes, battling their foes as their armour clinked and their horses stomped. Music truly was magical, especially when performed by these people, who truly knew the music.

Instructor Trepe had brought them to one of the practice rooms, where a large array of instruments lay around. As Selphie had mentioned, she had made the students introduce themselves with music.

Rinoa had never received formal training as a child, and only knew a little bit about drums. Still, she could tell that this Zell Dincht had extraordinary talent, and she happily bobbed her head along to the music.

Zell ended his solo by fading out on the ride cymbal, and a chorus of applause rose. He spun one drumstick in his right hand, grinning. Hopping out of his seat, he struck a dramatic pose before Instructor Trepe shooed him away.

She waved another student forward. He smiled, showing white, even teeth as he stepped forward.

Rinoa stared at him curiously. He was tall, very tall. Long, wavy brown hair tied in a ponytail, sapphire eyes and a charming smile. He reminded Rinoa of a term she had often read of: 'Lady Killer'.

"I am Irvine Kinneas," he said in a low, growly voice that Rinoa suspected was put on. Quite a few girls in the group sat up with interest, their eyes fixed on him even after he reverted to his real voice.

"My instrument of choice is the bass, and today, let me bring to you a cover of the song 'That Thing You Do'."

He grabbed the electric bass lying by the side, already set up. Switching on the amplifier next to it, he adjusted a few knobs and checked the sound before he began.

It was a commercial song, interesting and catchy, and a few students began to clap along.

"You, doing that thing you do
Breaking my heart into a million pieces
Like you always do
And you don't mean to be cruel
You never even knew about the heartache
I've been going through

Cause it hurts me so just to see you, girl
Around with someone new
And if I know you you're doing that thing
Everyday just doing that thing
I can't take you doing that thing you do…"

Very charming voice, pleasant to the ear. Applause and a few random cheers came, and Irvine struck a pose like Zell did, except that his was a lot more flamboyant than Zell's.

"How flashy," Selphie muttered.

"But he's good, isn't he?" Rinoa asked, smiling. He seemed like an interesting person to get to know.

"Yes, he is. Doesn't mean he's not a show-off," Selphie replied, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Rinoa laughed. Instructor Trepe then beckoned to Selphie, who grabbed Rinoa's hand and stood up.

Suddenly, Rinoa didn't feel so happy anymore. These students were amazing. Highly talented. What if she made a fool of herself? Or worse, what if she ruined Selphie's song?

Selphie smiled at her suddenly worried face, then passed her a classical guitar lying in a corner.

"Don't worry, Rinoa. Just enjoy this," she whispered. Then she raised her voice. "Good afternoon, everyone! I'm Selphie Tilmitt, and this is Rinoa Heartilly. We bring you an original composition called 'We're Gonna Find It!'"

Selphie's own shyness seemed to have faded away. She was a born performer, who did best when she had an audience. Once again, Rinoa felt inspired by Selphie's big smile and clear voice.

That's right. Enjoy. Music is fun. Her fingers strummed an E major 7 chord.

Selphie's voice began. Sweet, energetic, and light.

"Here we are, far from home
A little bit hungry and a little alone
But it's alright, yes it's alright…"

Rinoa joined in, harmonizing cleanly.

"Cause in this room, there might be friends
Can't see yet how this story ends
But it's all right, yes it's alright
We can start anew

Can't go back, so we gotta go on
We'll stick together staying strong
There's a golden castle in my mind
And some day soon, we're gonna find it

We're gonna find
The perfect place for us to be
Hear our melody set free
Climb the highest mountain just to see
To see

Can't go back, so we gotta go on
We'll stick together staying strong
There's a golden castle in my mind
And some day soon, we're gonna find it
We're gonna find it
We're gonna find it
Someday soon…"

Once again, there was a small storm of applause. Rinoa looked up. Most of the audience was clapping and smiling. They had enjoyed the song.

"They like it!" Selphie whispered in delight, an infectious grin threatening to split her face.

Rinoa smiled back.

Music, she thought, is really wonderful.

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"And that concludes our tour of the classrooms. You may make your way to the cafeteria for dinner or return to your dormitories. Meet at the Entrance Hall at 7 o'clock, where we shall gather in one of the Performance Halls for the Headmaster's Address. Dismissed!" Instructor Xu called.

The students began to leave the hallway in small groups.

"That was amazing!" Selphie exclaimed. Rinoa nodded in agreement. They had just finished a tour of Balamb Garden, which was as big as a palace. Best of all were the classrooms where they were currently located at. They could see older students having lessons through a rectangular window in every door, and if one listened carefully enough, some of the music could be heard from inside the classrooms. They were, as Selphie said, amazing.

"What are you going to do now, Rinoa? Dinner?" Selphie asked. Rinoa shook her head.

"I'm going to do a little more spying first, if you don't mind. I haven't seen any piano classes yet."

"Oh, go ahead! I'll save you a seat in the cafeteria! Later!" Selphie called, waving she ran off after the rest of the students.

Rinoa smiled. Selphie was so friendly. If it weren't for her, she probably would not feel so comfortable here in Balamb. It was nice to have friends. She watched fondly as Selphie stumbled, squashing Zell as she fell.

Laughing, she walked down the now empty hallway. She could hear a jumbled mass of sounds as they came from different rooms. Each room produced the sound of only one type of instrument, which was the main difference between them and the practice rooms. Guitar, trumpet, glockenspiel, timpani… Aha! The sound of a piano! Rinoa hurried to the room.

Unfortunately, the window of this room was blocked. Several random chords and notes were played, as a low murmur of a human voice came through the slit in the door. Probably a teacher explaining to a student, Rinoa thought.

Apart from her voice box, the piano was the first instrument she had learnt to use. Her mother, Julia, dearly loved music and had made it a part of Rinoa's life for as long as she could remember. Before she married General Fury Caraway, Julia lived by playing the piano at a bar. Now, as the wife of a rich and powerful man, she was no longer required to work for a living, but she never stopped loving music, and Rinoa had inherited that love.

Hearing nothing more from the room, Rinoa turned to go, when a rather frustrated voice burst through the door.

"If you think you're so good, show me!"

She blinked. There was the abrupt scraping of a chair, then the music began.

Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu in C sharp minor. The first opening notes, the octave. The light semiquavers. Beginning in allegro agitato, the pianist was swift but accurate, managing the cross-rhythms perfectly. The rubato was beautifully natural throughout. Strong and powerful, it continued on the grand movement, flowing warmly as it slid into the softer part.

D flat major. Moderato cantabile. Gentle, but clear. The light touch, the soft notes…
Then a repeat of the first part, moving quickly, swiftly, but strongly and firmly, gaining warm heaviness and rising in volume, the crescendo, until…

Slowly, it grew quieter and more mysterious. Semiquaver notes blending beautfully together, softly… softly… the gentle melody fading away… the final note hanging in the air…

A shout broke through it.

"All right so you may have skill, but you… with an attitude like this… I just… You'll… ARGH!!!"

The door clicked. Rinoa fled, running as fast as she could until she reached the elevator. Listening to a lesson was probably not a crime, but she knew instinctively that an angry instructor would not be thrilled to see someone eavesdropping on his quarrel with his student.

And Rinoa could not understand why the instructor was so frustrated. It was so magnificent, so grand, so… perfect.

Balamb Garden, thank you for accepting me as a student.

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As usual, my beginnings are all crappy. =_=

Originally, I was going to make this chapter longer, but it's already much longer than my usual works.

Did you like it? Share your thoughts! Because if no one enjoys music the way I do, or if I'm hopeless at conveying music through words, then I might as well not continue. ^^;

Cheers!

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14 November, 2008
Friday

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Fantaisie-Impromptu in C# minor, Opus posthumous 66 --- Frédéric Chopin
That Thing You Do --- The Wonders
We're Gonna Find It --- By Selphie Tilmitt. Nah, belongs to Mattel Entertainment's Musical "Barbie and the Diamond Castle".

…Don't give me that look. My younger sister is at the 'watch Barbie movies' age, and the songs of the musicals aren't bad, really.

…And my friend says I should add this in fine print: This fic is a Squall/Rinoa fic.

DIVIDERS ARE HATE.