Author's Notes: Hurray for Chapter 2! I apologize that there were no original characters in the first chapter, it just seemed more important to build up the story first. I hope you enjoyed it but now you can have all of the happy interactions that you want! Enjoy and please review.
A Call of Tomorrow
Chapter 2: Reintroduction
"Do you understand the mission?" A scowl spread across the handsome features of Commander Squall Leonhart as he absently rubbed at the scar angling down across the bridge of his nose. It was five years old and had faded from the bright angry mark that it had once been but he knew that it would never completely go away.
The voice on the other side of the phone had a flippant but overall affirmative response.
"See that it's done and be set to rendezvous with me in twenty-four hours then," Squall replied before hanging up the phone.
He sat back in his plush chair, staring out the window of his spacious office. Five years ago, he had been a new SeeD. One of the elite mercenaries that helped keep the peace in their world. He had trained from childhood to be a living weapon. Today, he was a paper pusher. A decorated hero, Commander of Balamb Garden, Rank A paper pusher. He missed the feel of Lionheart in his hand, the heat of battle making the blood in his veins sing. True, he trained and practiced everyday but it didn't replace going on missions and fighting for his life.
His phone buzzed, a sign that his secretary was summoning him. Sighing, Squall leaned forward to press the flashing button.
"Yes, Elsa?"
"Your two o'clock is here, Commander. Shall I send her in?"
"Fine."
Squall stood, straightening his SeeD uniform and slicking his fingers through his hair.
In walked the very vision of a golden goddess dressed in a SeeD uniform, a golden whip coiled and attached to her belt.
The Commander's face brightened very slightly, enough for the woman to know just how much she had been missed. It broke her heart a little inside because for an instant, all she saw was the flash of a little brown haired, blue eyed boy standing in the rain, wondering why everyone he had ever loved abandoned him.
"It's good to see you again, Squall," Quistis Trepe said warmly, wrapping her arms around the Balamb Commander, ignoring the grunt. It brought a smile to her lips as she stepped back, surveying him up and down. He had put on a little weight, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He didn't have the overly skinny look of youth but had filled out into a powerful specimen of a man.
His cheeks tinted ever so slightly red, Squall just gestured to the chair in front of his desk and shuffled back to his own seat.
Eying his straightened back and bored expression, Quistis just shook her head and took the offered seat, setting a thin briefcase down next to her from which she pulled out two files.
"Here is the reconnaissance that my teams recovered in preparation for the mission," she said, pushing the files across the desk. "I didn't really see anything out of the ordinary but I'll have six SeeD on premise, including myself and Galbadia Lieutenant Markus Slader. We'll be overseeing three teams of four candidates each."
As Squall listened, his pale blue eyes scanned the information Quistis had offered. As expected, her reports were thorough and well-researched. Nothing else could be expected from Galbadia Garden's Commander. The thought of Quistis as their Commander still left a little twinge inside of him. She had left four years ago when the offer came in without so much as a word to any of them before she accepted. He knew he couldn't really blame her for wanting to advance her career but he had always thought she would advance that career in Balamb.
Rubbing a hand against his face, Squall nodded when silence filled the room, indicating it was his turn to speak. "We will be matching your numbers and Lieutenant Xu Estral and I will be overseeing the candidates. From what I understand, Trabia will also be matching our numbers, lead by Commander Gavin Harris and Lieutenant Selphie Tilmitt."
"Excellent. Rendezvous will be at eighteen hundred hours at the Centra site tomorrow," Squall continued. "Are all of your cadets and SeeD aboard? We'll be departing within the hour."
Quistis just nodded. "Everyone is aboard and room assignments have already been taken care of," she replied crisply.
Gloved fingers drummed against the old desk before Squall leaned forward to push his intercom.
"Attention Balamb Garden, begin departure procedures. We will be leaving in sixty minutes. See that all personnel are at their assigned stations before that time." Squall paused for a moment. "As you all are aware, we will be undertaking our annual joint mission in accordance to the Tri-Garden Constitution. We currently have a small delegation of SeeD from Galbadia Garden, along with their Commander and Lieutenant. Treat all visiting SeeD members and their candidates with the respect they deserve." There was another pause, like he wanted to say more, but instead chose, "Leonhart out."
Quistis lifted her brows very slightly. "Should we be worried about a poor reception?"
Squall grimaced and shook his head. "Not really," he replied slowly. "You, of course, will be given the highest respect as a former Balamb Rank A. You're one of us… but even after five years, there are still some slight prejudices against Galbadians. Not a single person here didn't lose someone they knew during the Second Sorceress War."
A small sigh escaped Quistis' lips as she nodded. "I can understand," she admitted. "Transferring to Galbadia after the War was as much about getting a fresh start as trying to help fix some of the resentments that existed between both Gardens," she said quietly. "The last four years haven't been easy but I do believe that this annual joint mission has been helping. Nothing can help bring people together faster than the bonds of combat, learning to trust each other to watch your back."
Squall managed a small smile. "If it can work for me, I suppose there's still hope for everyone else."
Warm laughter followed suit. "A joke from the great Squall Leonhart! I didn't think it possible," Quistis teased. She paused after a moment, her head cocking to the side. On the other side of the door were loud voices. She tensed, a hand snaking down toward her whip.
Squall also heard the commotion, half rising from his seat. His mouth opened to offer some form of warning but they never got out as the door burst open.
"-QUISTY!" the loud squeal pushed both Commanders back in their chairs by the sheer magnitude of joy that burst into the room.
Before she could respond, the blonde Commander was being strangled/hugged to death by a small slip of a woman with raven black hair.
"Rinoa… Rin… Ri… gah," Quistis managed to get out as she gently patted the young sorceress on the back, desperately gesturing for air.
Rinoa Heartilly eventually seemed to understand and she stepped back with a sheepish expression. "I'm sorry, Quisty!" she said, her amber eyes bright with apology. "Someone was supposed to call me when you got here but no, I had to hear about it from some of the Galbadian students when they were in the cafeteria." She shot an annoyed look in Squall's direction.
"We were just trying to get a little work out of the way before you came and monopolized her time," Squall protested but very slightly stepped behind Quistis so the other woman was standing between him and the huffing dark haired treasure before him.
"Likely story!" Rinoa huffed, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder. In the past several years, it had grown out and now shimmered down her back like a midnight cape draped over her shoulders. The years had been kind to the young woman, only enhancing her beauty with time as the last remaining vestiges of baby fat were lost to maturity and power. It lingered in the back of her eyes, constantly lurking in the dark corners of her soul.
Something inside Quistis shivered at the sight of the power shining out of her friend's eyes. She couldn't tell why, but a wave of dread passed over her. But then she just saw Rinoa again, full of smiles and love for everyone she met. With a sigh of relief, she gave the younger girl a more strength appropriate hug.
"It's so good to see you, Rin," Quistis said warmly. "I don't think I've seen you since we had that third anniversary party in Dollet." Her hand rested gently on the other woman's shoulder and amber met blue in sisterly affection.
Rinoa just beamed with delight. "I'm having a small get together in my room tonight," she chirped merrily. "I know Irvine wanted to see you too. We can all just have a blast together and I've already invited all of your Galbadian delegation. I've been stockpiling for weeks so we would have enough of everything for tonight!" The young woman clapped her hands together, bouncing happily.
Squall rolled his eyes and gently started pushing his girlfriend toward the door. "I'll give her all the details," he muttered exasperatedly. "I promise. But let us get some work done for now."
Rinoa grinned from under Squall's arm, waving a hand. "Dress nicely, Quisty! Go all out! It's a party afterall!" she called before the door got slammed in her face.
Squall rubbed at his old scar on the bridge of his nose. "I'll give you a thousand gil if you can give me a reason not to go to this party tonight…" he muttered, glancing over at Quistis pleadingly.
Quistis gave a loud snort in reply. "I wouldn't take a million gil to get you out of this," she replied cheerfully. "It's going to be far too much fun watching you squirm, Commander." Her smile was bright, happy and full of taunting glee.
Quistis sipped a flute of champagne as she watched Galbadian SeeDs try to mingle with Balamb's best and brightest, including two fabled heroes and the dynamic sorceress.
Sliding up on her right, her Lieutenant, Markus Slader, stepped in a toucher closer than was necessary for the social situation and nodded in the direction of Rinoa busily captivating the hearts and minds of those around her.
"So that's the sorceress, huh?" he asked quietly, gripping his glass as frothy foam slid down the outside. "Doesn't seem like a dangerous monster."
"Rinoa. Her name is Rinoa," Quistis replied warningly. "You'd do well to remember that while we are here."
Markus just shrugged, taking a swig of his beer, his grey eyes never leaving the form of the sorceress. "Thought they was supposed to be all powerful and dangerous," he mused. "This one looks like she couldn't fight off a fluffy blanket."
Quistis just smiled. "Looks can be deceiving," she said evenly. "Ultemecia never would have been defeated if it hadn't been for Rinoa's power. Remember that she holds the majority of sorceress power within her, something that not even Edea or Adel could claim."
The look of contempt changed to one of contemplation as Markus continued to stare at Rinoa, drinking his beer in silence. Quistis could honestly admit to herself that she did not personally care for Slader. He was brash, opinionated and put too much stock on appearances. It had taken months of her beating him into the ground during "friendly spars" before he would start to see her as a person worthy of his respect, let alone his commanding officer.
Quistis shook her head and moved further away, unable to stand his hot breath against her shoulder any longer. Per SeeD guidelines, she had brought not only her SeeD uniform for formal functions but attire appropriate for formal functions should the need arise for discretion. Because of her more cautious nature, she'd brought enough clothing for any type of mission, just in case. And because they were working with the University of Deling on an important archelogical find, she'd figured the chance would be high that she would need more formal clothing.
She wore a pale blue dress that left one shoulder bare, the other held with a delicate lace for a strap. It went down to a little above her knees and was paired with matching heels. Her shoulder length blonde hair had been swept up in a loose chignon with loose strands curled to frame her face. Everyone in the room could agree that she was stunning, though none had taken the time to tell her to her face.
As she glided through the room, she could see Galbadian and Balamb SeeDs slowly starting to extend a tendril of trust to each other, starting to share stories and open up to one another. It warmed her heart but the room was also stifling with it. Shaking her head, Quistis slowly made a beeline for the small balcony attached to Rinoa's room.
Outside, the chilly night air brushed over her skin, leaving goosebumps on the pale flesh. She breathed in slowly, remembering the sounds of Balamb and the smell of the salt water from the nearby ocean. She felt a tingle on the back of her neck but she wasn't worried and didn't bother to turn.
"I've really missed it here," Quistis said quietly. "Something about the sights and smells that I can never really get out of my head."
The footsteps came up beside her. "Maybe you shouldn't have left…" Squall replied.
"You knew I couldn't stay," Quistis replied, shaking her head. "I needed some distance…"
"From us? From me?" the hurt was evident in Squall's voice.
"No, not from all of you," Quistis said earnestly. "Just from… everything."
She turned, resting her back against the railing, staring back into the small party, seeing Irvine and Rinoa laughing with two of her SeeDs.
"I loved all of you but especially after everything that happened with Selphie and Irvine… after she left for Trabia with Zell, it felt like it was time to go." Quistis hesitated for a moment. "We were all started to drift apart and I wanted the chance for something of my own. I wanted… I wanted to find a home."
"You had a home," Squall replied. "And you left it."
His words hurt because deep down, she knew they were true. But she couldn't tell him the real reason she'd left. It would have hurt him too much. She couldn't tell him that she'd needed to get away from him because his position had been slowly suffocating her and drowning any chance she had of making something of herself. It would have killed her own ambition.
Squall's loyalty was a precious thing and it was one of the things that she loved most about him, but Quistis wanted to earn things for herself. If she'd stayed, the rumors that she'd gotten her Instructor's license back because she was one of his closest friends would have persisted. It would have eventually ruined her career and his. Every promotion she received would have been scrutinized by not only the staff and students but also by herself. She would always question whether she had ever really deserved to be where she was at.
She could say nothing and so she remained silent, just watching everyone else have fun while she looked in from the outside. "Have you heard from him lately?" she asked suddenly.
Quistis could feel his muscles bunch quickly in his shoulders before stilling. "Yeah."
"...How is he?"
"Still alive somehow."
Quistis smiled slightly. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me… the two of you always did have a survival streak about ten feet wide."
Squall scowled. Being compared to him in any way always set his teeth on edge. It was one thing to use him for his skills when he needed something quiet taken care of but it was another entirely to think of him as an equal.
"We need to meet with him tomorrow night, right before the meetup with Trabia," Squall said. "Something about this mission doesn't sit well with me and I want to know what the dark, dirty secrets are before we taken cadets in to that mess."
Quistis cocked her head to the side, her previous unease forgotten. "What do you mean? It's just a fluff mission. A little security and monster patrol of Centran ruins."
"I don't know… I've been having dreams lately," Squall admitted quietly. "Something about the Ruins. I see dark wings coming, turning everything to night. I reach for Rinoa but there's nothing there but feathers turning to dust. I know it has to do with the Ruins but I don't know why."
Quistis had no words because she had been suffering through similar dreams herself. Dark wings, suffocating night, blinding pain and then a burning that covered her in light. Burning. Burning. Burning bright until everything in her world combusted.
The blonde Commander shuddered in the darkness. "They're just dreams," Quistis said quietly. "They are just dreams, right?" It was hard to say when you counted a powerful sorceress as a friend and ally.
Squall shook his head. In his heart, he could feel that something was tied to Rinoa's powers and perhaps he was feeling the dreams more dramatically because he was the sorceress knight. He looked in through the door, smiling as he watched Rinoa telling a funny story to a Galbadian SeeD and the Galbadian Lieutenant. He felt her tilt her eyes in his direction and send a feeling of warmth and love toward him.
Are you bored already, my love? Rinoa sent toward the familiar mind of her knight with affection. At least you have some time to spend with Quisty. Cherish these days with her.
Squall rolled his eyes but responded in kind, These events are never as thrilling for me as they are for you. It's been good to see Quistis again but I can still feel like she's holding back from me.
Rinoa's gaze shifted slightly to include the lovely young woman standing next to her knight. Just trust her, my love. I can feel that her friendship will be very important to us in the days to come. She is the bright light in the darkness who can keep us safe…
The hard handle of the whip molded to her slender hand, her gloved fingers keeping a firm, yet delicate grip as the whip swung above her head before her wrist snapped, the tip cracking through the air. The golden barbs cut through the sparse plantlife on the Centran plains. Pausing, Quistis coiled the whip with practiced ease and returned it to its place on her belt as she removed her gloves to take a sip of water from the nearby bottle on the ground.
She took in a deep breath, the balmy sea air so different this far south of Balamb. She'd been raised not too many miles from this very spot, in a grey house by the sea. Her lips curved upwards as she thought about Irvine and Zell chasing Selphie through the house with old sacks on their heads. It had been all well and good until Zell let the sack slip too far and he couldn't see from his eyeholes anymore and chased Selphie right through a glass door. It all seemed a lifetime ago when she was so full of laughter and freedom.
Shaking her head, the bottle was tossed back to the ground and Quistis took up her whip once more, going through the slow motions before speeding them up to give the tip its cuttingly fast movement. If the barbs had caught anything but air, the sheer force could have broken bone or at the very least left behind deep cuts.
Next, she added in her footwork, taking hopping steps in each direction as she cracked the whip, faster and faster until it was almost like a dance that she performed with no one but her whip. It became an extension of her arm as she twirled through the air, snapping and coiling in quick motions.
And then it took a darker turn as Quistis imagined the cruel pale face of the dark haired, dark winged sorceress, the still bodies of her friends crumpled before her. She snapped the whip, leaving cuts against the white skin, taking feathers from those graceful wings, but it made no difference.
"Nooo!" Quistis cried out as she did a half coil of her whip before snapping it out to full length, giving the strike more power than usual to wrap around the dark monster's pretty pale throat to snap it. She tugged hard for the final blow but she wasn't falling slowly into darkness anymore and her whip was not wrapped around a dead sorceress's neck but around the hilt of Lionheart. With a quick jerk of her wrist, the whip's grip slackened and she returned it to her belt.
She took in a deep, shuddering breath, discreetly wiping tears from her eyes under the guise of sweat.
"I didn't think we were meeting for another forty-five minutes," Quistis said briskly, removing the clip that held back her golden hair and running her fingers through it.
"That was true… about thirty-five minutes ago," Squall replied, sliding Lionheart back into his sheath. "I just came looking for you and you seemed… off. I wanted to see what was wrong."
Quistis smiled almost bitterly to herself. Once upon a time, she would have been grateful for Squall to worry about her, but now… she could barely look him in the eyes. The memory of the dark winged sorceress floated through her head again and she shuddered. In her dreams, she no longer saw the hideous features of Ultimecia but of the trusting brown eyes of Rinoa.
"It's nothing," Quistis replied, quirking a smile as reassuringly as she could manage. "I guess this mission has me a little more on edge than I had thought it would."
Finally finished with combing out her hair with her fingers, she twisted her hair back up into its fishtail again, letting two tendrils hang loose to frame her face. She brushed dust off of her long rose skirt and matching vest and readjusted the long maroon dragonskin gloves that protected her arms from the sharp barbs of the whip.
Quistis offered Squall a small smile, trying to take the edge out of her sharp tone. "I guess it's just a little weird being all back together again. But good. I've really missed you guys. Maybe I feel guilty that I didn't keep in better touch when I left."
Squall shook his head, a hand resting lazily against his gunblade hilt. "It's fine." He hesitated before continuing. "It's been… weird the last few years. Rinoa says it will be good that we can all work together again on a mission." The mention of the raven haired sorceress made his lips turn upward. "And I agree. I've… I've missed you."
Quistis knew it was a hard admission for him to make - he was so restrained with his emotions that claiming to need or miss anyone was a difficult thing to say. But it warmed her heart to know that he hadn't just cast her off in his sullen anger for her leaving. They were as she had always truly wanted them to be, finally. A part of each other's lives. Friends. Family.
Squall checked his watch and get a grunt. "We need to get to the meeting place now," he said. "We're supposed to meet up in five minutes. We should be able to make it." He glanced over his shoulder to Quistis with a teasing look. "Up for an endurance run?"
He took off across the barren plains towards the distant coast, Quistis giving a little laugh before she barreled after him, her blonde hair whipping behind her in the breeze.
Both Commanders were a little out of breath when they arrived on the bluffs overlooking the sea. Squall swiped his dark hair out of his eyes before proceeding to the edge and dropping down out of sight. A small cave opened up from the cliff face, allowing relative privacy and little chance that they would be stumbled upon. It was a place he had discovered as a small child on a picnic with the rest of the orphanage. Him and one other.
Quistis was a little hesitant as she dropped down as well, catching the cliffside with her hands and angling her body to swing in to the open mouth of a cave about five feet down. It was hard to see the opening from this angle so she had to plan and hope that she hadn't misjudged her approach or else it would be a much longer drop down than she anticipated. She gave one hard swing before letting go and held her breath.
She had planned her angles fairly well and as she came sliding in, a strong arm caught her waist to pull her the rest of the way in. Quistis grunted slightly at the pressure, falling forward and taking her helper with her. They both fell into the soft sand floor of the cave, her head bouncing off of a broad chest protected by a heavy vest and a black trench coat.
As Quistis looked up, she knew that the person under her wasn't Squall. He was too broad for her childhood companion's thin, lithe form. That only left one choice. She found herself staring in to the annoyed green eyes of Seifer Almasy.
"You've put on a few pounds, Instructor," Seifer groaned as he stood, dropping her from his lap and onto the sand. He gingerly touched his chest, grimacing. "Maybe even more than a few. The Paper pushing lifestyle does not suit you."
Quistis scowled in return, rising to her feet as she brushed the sand from her clothes. She had never been over 120 in her life so she knew that Seifer was just trying to push her buttons but it still annoyed her for some reason.
Squall just shook his head. "Enough. What intel do you have for us?" he asked, his voice cutting through the small cave with his intensity.
Quistis crossed her arms, glaring at Seifer with two cold blue eyes. Two years ago, Squall had approached her with a potential side project that if it worked would be beneficial for both Gardens but if it failed had the chance of ruining both of their careers. She had accepted and he had led her to a secret meeting with Seifer, along with Rinoa.
"What the hell is he doing here, Leonhart?" Quistis' voice was loud and angry in the Fire Cavern as she pointed to the dark shape of Seifer Almasy. "That man should be locked up in a jail for a very long time for what he's done."
To her surprise, it had been Rinoa who came to his defense. "Quistis… you can't understand the bond between a sorceress and knight." She looked sadly in Squall's direction. "It's a bond that cannot be broken. The knight is sworn to protect his sorceress and he will do anything she commands once the bond is formed, even if he knows that it's wrong."
Squall rubbed at his face, ignoring everything else. "Quistis, Seifer has come to me with a proposition. He knows that stepping back into society isn't likely because of everything that's happened. Even with the word of a sorceress, there are too many who wouldn't understand the toll of being a sorceress' knight and they'll condemn him. They'll kill him. Seifer wants a place in this world, even an invisible one. He's been putting together a black ops group that can operate outside of the law and provide us with opportunities that would otherwise be frowned upon by the Tri-Garden Council."
"You're talking about a Black SeeD group," Quistis interrupted, her eyes wide. "You want to form an illegal Black SeeD group. Why involve me?"
Seifer just smirked. "Black SeeD for the Black Sheep of Garden," he taunted. "You know that politics are becoming a bigger and bigger issue and you idiots can't even wipe your own ass without getting authorization from the Tri-Garden Council."
"Why involve me, though?" Quistis asked again.
"Because you know this man just as well as I do," Squall replied. "Because if you think he's too far gone to be trusted, I'll believe you. Because I need the support of at least one other commanding officer from the Gardens to have a chance at making this work."
Quistis nodded slowly, understanding. "As the official Tri-Garden Council Secretary, you want me to fudge some paperwork to get you the supplies you'll need without drawing attention to what you're actually doing."
Squall just shrugged. "You know as well as I do that with the red tape we now have to push through, lives could be saved if we have a group that can act without needing to bend over backwards."
"Quistis, please…" Rinoa's voice was soft in the background. Despite the warmth of the cavern, she was running her hands up and down her arms as if she was chilled. "There's something coming and… I know that we need this. Please. Redemption comes in all forms and even Seifer Almasy deserves the chance. He was as much a pawn as the rest of us in what happened."
Quistis sighed, glaring at both Squall and Seifer. "Neither of you play fair," she growled out. If Edea and Rinoa had earned a second chance after being manipulated by Ultimecia, then she supposed that Seifer did too, especially if what Rinoa had said was true about knights.
"Fine!" Quistis snapped. "But this had better work, Leonhart, or else it will be both of our careers going to the chopping block if someone finds out about this."
"Always in such a rush, Commander," Seifer demurred as he bent down to retrieve some files from a small bag on the ground. All black gear hugged the former knight's trim frame, down to a sweeping black coat with dual crosses on the shoulders. He looked as fit and arrogant as he always did on their rare meetings.
Annoyance flashed through Squall's eyes but he made no comment. He had been dealing with the man's antics for quite a while now and was used to wanting to punch him in the face.
"Here's the intel I dug up on the members of the dig team, along with what security measures are in place and potential points of weakness. What, exactly, they're looking for has been harder to figure out though I think it has something to do with some of that crazy bastard's theories." Seifer paused and ran a hand through his shining blond hair. "The lead scientist, Errol, is one fucked up piece of shit. A lot of complaints from grad assistants for his behavior. Nothing concrete though. He always managed to make complaints disappear. He's a leading expert in the field of Ancient Centra so not many are willing to stand up and proclaim that he's a perv."
Quistis rolled her eyes as she stepped in close enough to read over Squall's shoulder. She'd read a few papers regarding Errol's theories about the Old Gods of Centra and Hyne's usurping of their power. It had always sounded more like fantasy than fact to her but she would never claim to be an expert.
"Has there been any unusual activity at the dig site that should affect the mission?" Squall asked absently, his eyes running over sketches of the area and guard layouts.
"Not really, just the murder…"