Unknown Fears

Quistis was devastated as she ran through the rain in her new blue dress. The day had come. Matron had told her 4 days ago that She would come. She. A woman with deep black hair and a very stern face that looks as though she has never smiled in her life. She would be coming today, coming to take Quistis away from her friends. Away from Squall. Sometimes Quistis wondered if Squall would care.

She hadn't told her friends. She couldn't bare to. Today she had to. Matron had told her to be strong and listen to her heart. Quistis got the feeling that Matron was as uneasy about She, Ms. Salima as she was.

Quistis continued to run. Her long golden locks flew behind her. The weight of the rain on her clothes and hair was tiring her legs quickly and she was sure that Matron would be upset when she found out Quistis' new dress was soaking wet. Matron had sewed Quistis that dress just for when Ms. Salima came.

Quistis spotted a movement. Suddenly, she stopped. She had to tell them that she was leaving. Squall merged from the trees and stepped under the roof that the ivory pillars held up.

Quistis let out a cry of happiness and swung her arms a round him. At first, Squall was shocked, he just stood there for minute, Quistis had buried her face into his shirt.

When Quistis started sobbing uncontrollably, Squall finally asked,

"What's wrong?" He took a hold of her shoulders and lifted her away from him. Looking into her tear-streaked face, he could tell something very was wrong, because he had never seen her cry except that time Seifer fell out of a tree and nearly broke his leg. Then she had cried. Cried for Seifer, even though Seifer was cold-hearted and sarcastic. He remembered it well because he, Squall, had laughed. Quistis went nuts then, said it wasn't funny and Squall was a heartless boy with no feelings. Even though later she apologized, her words stung him, and he's never regretted anything more than that.

"I am leaving." Quistis choked through her sobs.

"Leaving? Where?" But, he already knew the answer.

"I am getting adopted." With that, she broke completely. Quistis crumpled to the ground, curled in a ball with her knees pulled up close.

"I don't wanna go." She told him.

"I don't wanna leave you guys or Matron."

"Just think of all the fun stuff you'll do," Squall tried to comfort her. He wouldn't normally do this, but he couldn't stand to see her cry like that.

"You will have your own bedrooms and your own toys."

"Thanks, Squall," She replied, wrapping her arms around him again. This time he returned the hug.

"I have to tell the others."

"Want me to come?"

"No, that's okay." Quistis turned around and left him there.

The rain had almost stopped when Quistis ventured down by the water. Zell and Irvine was trying skip rocks on the water.

"Man, Zell, they make it looks so easy on TV." Said Irvine.

"Tch, I know watcha mean." Zell replied before spotting Quistis.

"Hey, Quisty. What happened to you? Ya look like your dreading your death." Irvine looked at him like he's the biggest idiot alive.

"What? It's what they say on 'Robotica'." He explained, referring to the cartoon the guys like to watch.

"Knock it off. I have something important to tell you guys." Instantly the hyper boys obey, nobody wants to be the one Quistis' mad at.

*********

Seifer Almasy sat bitterly on his bed. Squall had told him of Quistis' departure. Couldn't have been Zell? Or Irvine? Why did it have to be Quisty?

At first, Seifer had not believed Squall, but after Matron confirmed it.. Even though Seifer had never really gotten along with Quistis, he felt closest to her. After all they were the same age. Actually, Quistis was roughly to months older then he, because her birthday is the 4th of October and his is the 22nd of December. And Irvine is 9 too, he is older than Seifer, which is one reason why Seifer dislikes him, but younger than Quistis, because his birthday is the 24th of November.

All this was beginning to confuse Seifer. All that was really important was that he and Quisty had been in the orphanage before anyone else, and had known each other longer.

Seifer got up and started heading to his "Secret Place" which is a small cove by the water that no one else knew about.

Of all people Seifer was sure he could depend on Quistis, Now she was going to leave him. Just like his parents.

*********

Quistis raced through the orphanage. Ms. Salima was here and Matron was calling her. She couldn't leave yet, she just couldn't, not with out saying goodbye to Seifer. She knew Squall had told him, but where did he go?

"Seifer," she cried out, desperately.

"Seifer, please!" No answer.

"Quistis Trepe, get over here right now!" Scolded Matron.

"But, Matron, I can't find Seifer."

"NOW! Ms. Salima has a train to catch."

"Yes, Ma'am." She gave everyone a quick hug and walked behind Ms. Salima. Her small duffel bag seemed very heavy and she couldn't help but to cry. Big sisters weren't supposed to cry. She wished Elle was here, everything would be all right is Elle was here.

But Elle was not. She got adopted by a funny man, with long black hair.

How Quistis longed to be the big sis Elle was. Elle never cried about anything. When she was adopted, Elle was sad but she didn't cry, she just told the everything would be okay, and they would all see each other again soon.

"Oh, Hyne, hurry it up, Child." Ms. Salima called. Quistis walked a little faster as she and Ms. Salima boarded a train.

******

Seifer had heard Quistis calling. Calling for him. Seifer remember a TV show he had watched of GF- Guardian Forces- and their history. Siren. A beautiful maiden on a rock in the middle of the ocean. She would sing and play her harp whenever a ship would pass. Her melodious voice drove the sailors mad. The sailors would throw themselves into the ocean and attempt to reach the gorgeous woman.

To him, Quistis was like Siren, how he longed to hug her and tell her it's okay, to say he was sorry. But, no. That would make him weak. Feelings and pity should be saved for the people who need them.

He was going to throw away emotions and love, just like his parents threw him away. Even though he won't feel much joy and happiness, he won't feel much pain either.

Unlike most the other kids, Seifer remember some of his past, his parents. He remembered blood curdling screams when his father beat and shot his mother while he watched. Remembered being shoved into a tiny rowboat by his father, and being pushed off into the cruel, misty sea, while his father stood on the shore watching, grinning. At the age of two or three he had witnesses a gruesome murder and been abandoned, left at the mercy of the ocean for three days. He was more dead than not when Matron had found him.

Now, Quistis could not abandon him too.

*******