The Heat
Chapter 1: Remembrance Of The Past
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. It belongs to Squaresoft. I just borrow them :)
It was beautiful. Everything in it. From the sands that warmed her toes, to the chilly wind that played softly with her hair, and caress her face. She smiled. Never in her life has she seen such beauty spread before her very, deep blue eyes. Being an instructor never gave her time to stop and look at Mother Nature. It was amazing, almost too gorgeous to be true. The sea shined like a chain of white pearls, and the moon gave the sea a mysterious, yet incredibly fascinated look. You didn't need to be an observer to notice that. At her right, the giggling sound of a young girl and a young boy caught her sight. They seemed so happy, so carefree…without worries or problems. How she wished to be a kid again. To enjoy all the wonderful things that the Earth offered her. Falling asleep underneath a tree surrounded by flowers, hearing the silent lullaby of the wind.
Quiet days always calmed her. Separating Seifer from Zell or Squall wasn't such an easy job back when she was young. She always remembered how every time with a headache, she will come to this exact spot, and just smell the fresh air. How sometimes, she danced with the petals that flew everywhere. She felt like if she was in Heaven. But she was twenty-two now. A matured young woman, who's also one of the famous Mercenary SeeDs who saved the world from a certain doom. She had no time to look around her. She had no time to appreciate nature and even less, falling in love.
She hated to admit it, but Rinoa was the reason why she stopped caring for man. Even though she lied about everything being a "brother-sister" jealousy thing, she really did cared for Squall. And Rinoa took that away from her…not that is was hers in the first place. At first she hated Rinoa a lot. She just couldn't stand the fact that she has won the strong heart of the Lion. But after a while, she began to love her. Who wouldn't? She was just so carefree and nice. That's when she let Rinoa enter the cold heart of hers, and help her care for her friends. Now they were inseparable. She was always there and Rinoa needed her and vice-versa. Just like if they were soul sisters.
For the first time in years has she returned back to the orphanage. It's been a while, a really while. Nothing was the same, yet the gentle wind never seemed to have ceased. She was glad that her Matron decided to throw a party as a celebration for the new reconstruction of the orphanage, since now she could take a little time off, and remember about her past. Since she was now an instructor, she hardly needed to use GFs, so most of her lost memories came back to her. From her cheerful times, through the tough and cold ones.
Sighting, she decided to take a walk. Even though the music coming from Edea's House wasn't very loud, it was still disturbing her thoughts. She wanted someplace where the only sounds that she could hear were those of the sea crashing into the rocks, and the soft music of the crickets. Wrapping one arm around her waist, Quistis Trepe stood up from the warm sand, and taking with the other her heeled shoes, she decides to find a more peaceful place to think.
"Fuck. If this temperature keeps on dropping, I'm going to freeze my ass up" murmured Quistis in between shattering teeth, as she tried to get warmth by hugging herself. This morning was so hot, that a day in the beach wouldn't satisfy the hunger of the sun to make tans, and now the temperature dropped so quick, that Quistis wasn't ready for it at all. Wearing only a bathing suit top and a long, flowery skirt was the only little warmth she got from the harsh cold.
She decided then to go back to the orphanage; maybe there she could get the warmth that she needed. Turning back on her heels, she stared to retrieve. Beautiful, blue eyes opened in shock, as Quistis realized the one thing she feared the most when she convinced her mind for a long stroll…getting lost. Searching from side to side, she tried desperately to find something that she remembered. A house, a particular tree…but nothing, only the endless sea and the now cold sand underneath her.
She cursed again, seeing at how things like this always happened to her at the wrong times. Needless to say, she didn't have a warm place to spend the night. Her shivering body begged her to rest; yet her mind, which told her to go on, took control. She knew that if she stopped, maybe because of her tiredness, her body would decide to go into a deep slumber, and she would die frozen for sure. She continued walking then, determined to find food and shelter. There's have to be someplace warm to stay for the night; she just refused to believe she will die like that. Not there, not now, not like that.
She shivered. The cold winds grew stronger each moment, as if it wanted to freeze her to death. Like if I was mad at her for an unknown reason. She couldn't stand the cold anymore and collapsed on the icy, sandy floor. She sneezed. Blue eyes opened shocked at the sight she expected the least…snow. She blinked several times, trying to deny what was happening. Snow? On the warmest place in the world? In July? What was going on?
She quivered once again and sighed. No time to think of that right now. She was freezing frosty and she needed some warmth. She tried standing up, but she was too weak and cold, and so she fell on the sand again. Hyne, was she going to make it alive? She thought. It would take more than a miracle, too impossible to believe. Who was stupid enough to be wandering around here in this freezing weather?
And so did the truth hit her. She wasn't going to make it alive. The only thing she could do now was rest there…and prayed to Hyne that this wasn't her last night on Earth. That she was strong enough to stand few more hours until she was rested enough to go on. Like a slick cat, she walked on both of her legs and arms to the nearest tree around her. Sitting herself up, she hugged herself in hope of finding some warmth in her now frozen body, and felt asleep.
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"Hyne, where could she possible be?! It's bellowed zero and she wasn't dressed appropriately to stand this harsh cold!" Squall practically yelled, his face showing concerns rather than angriness. "Are you sure you have looked everywhere?"
"Yes. But I'm serious man, is like if the Earth has swallowed her or somethin'" Zell responded as he sat down on one of the sofas in Edea's living room.
Squall sighed.
Now he was really staring to panic. What if Quistis got kidnapped or something? After all, a lot of people resented SeeDs even though they saved the world. People were just too weird and hard to understand. A munching and later on coughing sound broke the silence between the young Elites. Zell apparently has taken one of the hot dogs placed on the desk in front of him, and like typical old Zell, he was choking on them. Rinoa and Selphie quickly went to his aid, with Edea's laughter in the background, Irvine only grin. Squall on the other hand, just placed his hand on his face and wished so badly to be the one choking Zell right now.
"There. I just wonder how you can eat in a time like this! Quistis is missing, you know? Eek, mega bummers, I sound like Raijin!!!" Selphie chirped.
Gulping on the glass of water that Edea brought him from the kitchen, he dried his lips and more relieved now, placed the half-full glass of water on the table…just in case he starts choking on them again, and shrugged.
"I can't help it. I always eat when I get nervous." He justified.
"No wonder they call you Chicken Wuss" Irvine declared. Strong fists clenched and the Martial Artist was on his feet ready to punch Irvine. It took the desperate voice of Matron Edea and the rough and angry voice of Squall to settle him down. Irvine only smirked.
"You two are going to stop now or I'll be forced to use discipline on both of you, understood?" Squall snarled.
"But he…"
"UNDERSTOOD?!" Squall repeated.
"…Yes" Zell murmured as he took another hotdog to control his anger. He looked at a smiling Irvine and took a big bite of his food.
Rinoa paced nervously from one side of the room to the other. Just when she thought that everything was going to be okay after Time Compression, this happened. She loved Quistis dearly. She was like a big sister to her. Always helping her out in her studies when she needed it the most and teaching her new things. Quistis wasn't exactly a sorceress, but since she had studied so much about them, when Edea was too busy with the new orphanage, Quistis always helped her out. She always took time for her, and she really did appreciate that. She also remembered when she got sick once. Quistis got so scared. She even made her favorite dessert, baked apple pie, just to make her feel better. Rinoa just have to find her no matter what. She just resisted believing that something wrong was going on.
Squall sighed once again, worried of his girlfriend. He had never seen her like this. She was always so carefree, and now, she could of been offered a cigarette and she would of have accepted it, just to calm her nervousness. He walked towards her then and wrapping his arms around her, he kissed her temple. She buried her face on Squall's coat, and that's when she stared to cry. He smiled. She did cared for Quistis as much at he thought she did, and this just proved it. He wished they could go on the search for Quistis, but with the terrible storm outside, that would be impossible. So he did the only thing he could possibly think of at the moment…pray…
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He was freaking cold. The soft snow combined with the strong wind hit his face like a cube of frozen water. For his point of view, the wind howled like a pack of hungry wolves. Starving to kill someone. Eager to kill him. Just as he made his way towards his little cabin, he tripped over something. He cursed to himself as he tried to clear his view and look for the responsible of his fall. Blue eyes opened wide as he noticed that the something was actually a someone. He took his finger-less glove and touched her delicate face and then her wrist to find any kind of pulse. And he did… a low one too. Carefully, he placed his strong arms underneath her and lifted her up. He smiled as he took her to his cabinet.
AN: Some of you might find this familiar and it is. I just rewrote it a bit. I haven't worked on this fiction for ages!! My apologies. Don't worry chapter two will come shortly. Please read and review. Thank You.