All Garden was quiet as the previously busy students and staff stopped what they were doing as they heard a very annoyed voice ring out over the intercom.
"YOU WANT ME TO WHAT?!" Quistis Trepe, a current instructor at Balamb, advanced towards Squall, who was already starting to fear for his life from the moment he announced what she had to do and now it was even worse since she started to yell. "You want me to do what now?"
Squall slowly tried to regain his composure and looked away from what many would call "the face of doom". "I'm appointing you headmistr-"
"I KNOW THAT!!!!!" The blonde haired instructor stopped as she was at arm's length from him. "But what was the last part?"
"You have to take Seifer with you..."
"No. No way!" Quistis shook her head and proceeded to back off from him. "I'll take the job, but I will not go with...with...HIM!"
Squall started to protest, but stopped as he heard the "him" echo over the speakers in the hall outside his office and looked over to where his left hand was and lifted it up to show the intercom's light was green and not the usual red. He then slowly looked over at Quistis who had followed his gaze and nervously laughed before proceeding to turn it off and moved from the spot.
"Please Quisty?" He let his gaze fall and stay on her for the first time since he broke the news to her. "Please?"
"No, absolutely not! I will not work with him."
"Quisty!!! Please!"
"I won't! I refuse to! Besides...I DON'T LIKE SEIFER!" After realizing what she just said, Quistis tried to think of something else to erase the recent statement. "I mean...umm...you see..."
Squall stared at his former instructor before continuing. "I never said you did...and you don't have to. He's just going to be your assistant. Just...please! Take him! Get him out of here! Please Quisty?"
Ugh...how much longer is he going to call me that?! She stayed silent for awhile before sighing again. "Fine. I'll take him. BUT!" She shot Squall an icy glare. "If he makes one false move, I'm sending him back here. Got it?"
"But--"
"I. Will. Send. Him. Back." She turned to advance towards him once more. "Got it?" She smiled as Squall nodded slowly. "Good."
"Well...I'll tell you the rest in the morning before you two leave." Squall took his seat behind the desk and watched as his former instructor nodded and left, then reached for the intercom...
Quistis stepped out of the elevator as Squall's voice came over the speakers.
"All faculty and students, please ignore the earlier 'announcement'. We were just..." He fell silent for a few seconds. "...TESTING the system. Thank you."
Quistis laughed to herself and continued down towards stairs into the main hall when she heard her name being called ad turned to see a girl in blue coming towards her.
"Is it true? Are you REALLY leaving Balamb to go work at Galbadia?" The brown haired SeeD stared at Quistis, searching for an answer, but the look on her face showed that she knew it was true, but wanted to hear otherwise. "You aren't really leaving us...are you?"
"I'm sorry, Selphie." Quistis flashed a small, slightly sad smile. "It is." She stared at the girl as she looked down, dissapointment clearly visable on the young SeeD's face. "But...I'll keep in touch...and I'll even come to the Garden Festival, okay?"
Selphie slowly looked up and nodded. "You better! And don't forget!!" She smiled and ran off, turning once to yell a goodbye.
"Bye..." Quistis waved and headed in the opposite direction towards the dorms, looking up to see the night sky already visable. I should probably get some sleep...it's easier to talk to Squall when fully awake than-- Her thoughts were interrupted as she bumped into someone as she turned into the hall leading to the dorms. "Sorry...I wasn't paying atten-"
"I would say you weren't...Instructor."
Wonderful...just wonderful...Quistis quickly recovered and glared at the person she ran into. "Seifer...It's late and we're leaving in the morning for Galbadia. So you should go to-"
"We're? Who's this 'we're'?" Seifer, another former student of her's and also the head of Garden's Disciplinary Committee and currently her problem and a constant thorn in Squall's side. "Well?"
"There's myself..." She paused and then continued as he continued to stare at her in a way that said 'well hurry!' "...and you."
"You're kidding me...right?" Seifer stared at her and when she shook her head, he shook his head as well. "Great. Just..great!" He quickly kicked the small wall near him and pushed past Quistis, heading towards the training center, mumbling inaudible words along the way.
After watching him walk off, she recovered from this exit and continued towards her room, instantly falling into bed as she entered, hopes and fears of the task she was just given weighed heavily on her mind as she slept her last night at Balamb away.
A/N: FINALLY! This idea has been in production for 3 years now (at least). It originally was going to take place in Winhill but I thought about it just last night and decided that it would be Galbadia instead, since they don't have a headmaster for Garden there
But enjoy!