Rinoa's Wings

Chapter 3

The Trip to Balamb



So…it turns out Quistis did like me. But what was that final order all about? Looking across the dance hall I could see Zell eluding the disciplinary committee. He was doing a great job until he tripped over some dancers' feet. As he fell to the floor the DC had him. Pulling him away from the mad dancing couples, I noticed that Seifer really seemed to enjoy it. As they drug Zell off, I noticed my dance partner with Cid and Quistis. Her attention seemed to follow Seifer, and as I looked at her eyes…oh yeah! I gotta go to the "secret meeting place".

As I walked out of the dance area, and even the inauguration party, I could hear the music subside and the ringing in my ears begin to go away. I could just start hearing the crickets, and then I was able to smell the sweet night air.

I went to go get changed and meet Quistis. I was pretty tired considering I had drunk 2 and a-half glasses of champagne. I got changed… and then I was awake in my bed and it was morning. As my headache grew better, I could begin to remember things but after I had changed things began to blur and I only remember certain thing after that. The first thing I remember were feathers. Yeah, I think they were feathers. Only…they weren't moving. It was like they were fixed in place. And then as I watched them…they crosses a sword, no a gunblade. See I really was tired. Oh well.

So as you might imagine I don't remember much of the conversation between Quistis and myself. I only remember a little:

"Is it midnight yet?" Quistis asked. "Yes." I answered plainly.

"Oh well…now I am a SeeD. I'm just like you. Maybe we'll be assigned together." She said with what I can only assume as happiness but like I said I was getting pretty tired.

Even so, I remember that pretty clearly. I was thinking at the time why she sounded so happy.

Things blurred again in my mind and I remember hearing screams, and Quistis saying we should help. So we ran toward the sound, I kinda stumbled, and we found this huge…I mean just gargantuan…beast. As I tried to focus my eyes, I saw a woman behind the giant thing. She looked a little familiar but I couldn't tell.

We faugh a bit and I don't remember it being any big challenge, at least not to me. Then it was over, and two men dresses in white pajamas picked up the girl, thanked us, and left. In my state of mind I wasn't very curious to whom they were, or as to why they were wearing pajamas. Hmmmm.

Oh yeah the woman in trouble called us by name as if she knew Quistis and I.

So here I am in bed, WITH a hang over when I should be getting ready.

A big sound screeched through the room and when I could hear again, I tried to find out what it was. Apparently it was Zell telling me about my first mission, which as fate would have, he was on the same one. Oh yeah…I was really happy about that. Not.

After the ringing went away, I tried to get dresses and realized I was still in my clothes. I'm not ready for a mission I thought.

Walking to the entrance, I saw Selphie and Cid and a Garden personnel standing there.

Finally my head was clearing and I was ready to be briefed. But where was Zell. Wasn't he the one who told me to come? A subsonic sound answered my question. Standing on a T-board, Zell flew over what he could not dodge, and flew over to us. After his graceful dismount he tried to explain why he was late.

"Well…uh…I was trying to get some hotdogs…umm…you know before we went." He said nervously. He seemed to trying to distract the Garden Staff from noticing his ILLEGAL T-board. But to no avail.

"T-boards are illegal transports on Garden's premises." Said the Garden Staff. "Awwwwwwww MAN!!!!" was Zell's best response (and only response I might add).

"Zell I'll try and get it back for you, but you know YOU are SeeD's now and YOU are the ones who need to set the examples." Cid said with no real intention of doing such a thing.

"Tch! Fine!" Said Zell under his breath.



Blah, Blah, Blah, I thought as Cid explained today's mission. How boring. It was a simple if not tedious job for three fresh SeeDs. Then it hit me.

"Cid…" I started.

"That's Headmaster Cid!" Said the "polite" Garden staff.

"Headmaster Cid," I corrected giving the staff such a harsh glare that he temporarily looked stunned, " Is this just busy work for us beginner SeeDs?"

I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Quistis winced at the word "beginner" but I was too intent on the answer to look directly at her and ask what was wrong. I mean how would it look to ask Cid…er…Headmaster Cid to hang on a sec' and check on Quistis.

"Well… It is and it isn't Squall, understand?" He said.

"No." I said bluntly. I mean, how else was I supposed to say it? NO! Mister Headmaster Cid Sir. I sure don't … golly! Uh no. I don't think that would go over well. Cid…er…whatever. Cid would probably send me to the infirmary to check my temperature and to have a scan done on me. Plus, that would seem stupid to say.

"Well…" He began again.

"Headmaster Cid? I'll explain this from here." Interrupted the Garden staff at his side.

Great, I thought an incompetent person trying to explain for another incompetent person. Just my luck. Now I was gonna be more confused than before. So instead of listening I stood there and looked interested. That in itself probably attracted some attention since I don't usually look like I care.

"Squall?"

See?

"Are you paying any attention? I said that the password is 'but the owls are still around'. Did you get that?" Repeated the staff.

"YES I DID!!!" I yelled at him. Frankly I was getting annoyed at his disrespect for me. I mean I wasn't anyone important or anything at the Garden, but I was carrying a five foot gunblade on my back. I figured if he wasn't respectful, then the next thing he SHOULD be is scared. Apparently he was neither. He stood there stone face after my explosion.

"Hmmmmm…" He said and left.

"Damn." I said under my breath because of the shear frustration of the matter.

"Squall…?" Cid started, and I was almost too quick to yell at him, but calmed down. "Yes Headmaster?" I replied as respectfully as I could muster.

"Squall I want you to have this. It has great power, but must be used with respect. So be CAREFUL." He wandered off with the garden staff, and I was happy to be rid of him. He can be annoying at times.

As we left the garden I noticed that Zell was looking surprisingly happy.

"What's up Zell? Why do you look like someone's about to give you gloves made with gold?" I asked.

"We are going to Balamb!" He yelled.

"…so?" I replied without much enthusiasm. I mean it's just Balamb.

"SO??!?! It's where I grew up! My mom is there and people I knew as a kid are still there!"

Not having any family of my own must have made me put a weird expression on my face because Zell looked at me with an even stranger face.

"And you are looking at me like that because….?" I asked.

"You don't seem happy, or even slightly interested in going to balamb." He said pinpointing my feelings on the matter perfectly.

"Im not. Frankly I really don't -"

"Care? There's something different for you." Quistis said attempting to finish my sentence for me.

I stopped in my tracks…

"Oh common Squall you know im just teasing you!" She said trying to make up, but it wasn't her remark that made me stop. It was what was bouncing up and down a few 100 meters infront of us.

"Quistis, what is it that bounces up and down, big, red, and made of fire?"

"Big, red, and made of fire…" She repeated, "Well that must be a – "

"BOMB!!!" Zell screamed and got into his fighting stance.

Quistis spun around only to be face to face with a bomb in it's first stages. I hovered up and down scant inches from it's face. Neither Zell nor myself could use Blizzard for fear of hitting Quistis so we stood their watching. The bomb stared at Quistis as if wondering if he should kill or just swallow whole our companion. The suddenly it just left. Bouncing up and down away from us, which was really all that was important. This whole event got me thinking though. Why was a bomb so far out from the cavern. We were crossing cooler climates, and bombs get weak in chilly conditions. So why would a bomb risk it's life to come all the way out here to greet us. We watched as it headed towards the forest between us and the cavern.

We stared at each other for a few seconds realizing how close Quistis was to becoming bomb food, and then slowly began to walk towards balamb. As we walked we were flung to the ground by a huge explosion coming from the forest. As we stood up we could see a huge portion of the forest in flames. I wondered that if we felt it, balamb garden must have as well. We stood up brushed ourselves off and walked towards Balamb with rattled nerves. I just hope we don't have anymore surprises ahead of us.