Aidan held his books under his arm, walking down the halls to his second period, History. He purposely wore a long-sleeved shirt to hide his scars, hide the mistakes he made a day's past. He decided to keep his eyes straight forward, but out of the side of his eye, he could see people stopping, staring, pointing, whispering. Did news really travel so fast in the Garden? Had it really been that big of a happening? Had they nothing better to speak of?
Turning on his heel, Aidan jogged up the stairs to the elevator, eager to escape from the public eye. Surely, he was popular, but never in this way. Never had he been viewed like this… a specimen. Eagerly, he jabbed the button next to the elevator doors, and waited impatiently as the transport came down from the second floor. Suddenly, he felt a new presence beside him, but avoided looking at him, shielding his panicked icy eyes.
"Are you feeling any better?"
Aidan finally turned his head to see Zell, a couple inches shorter than him, yet definitely a more awesome presence. He always seemed cheerful, hair spiked in its usual crest, bouncing slightly as he would should he be in battle.
"Yeah… I guess. Got a headache, but I doubt that's from getting knocked out."
"Heh, I know what ya mean," Zell said reassuringly. "You'll get used to the attention once you become a SeeD. Although, you'll be spending less time here, but attention follows you."
"Great," responded Aidan, and looked away, glistening eyes revealing his newfound depression.
Zell looked at him for a moment, then looked back away as the elevator doors slid open, revealing an empty shaft. Both of them walked in, and as the doors began to close, a small group of cadets ran up the stairs and lunged at the elevator. Zell stuck his hand in the closing doors to prevent them from closing all the way, and moved to the side to allow them to enter.
"Oh heeey, it's Aidan!"
"So you are alive! You'd never imagine how ornery that Dr. Kadowaki is… said you were 'recuperating', didn't want to accept any visitors after 15:00."
"Lame, huh? But it looks as if you're still that good ol' Balamb stud!"
"Heh… yeah, I'm fine," Aidan replied, blushing slightly as he realized that Zell was still in the elevator, and listening.
"And now you're in league with Irvine Kinneas! How much you can do in one day, I'll never comprehend," said the most boisterous friend, a taller student with dirty blonde hair and the frame of a cougar. Apparently, he didn't realize Zell's presence, either.
"Cameron and Marik got beat up more, I heard. Surprise there, the rivalry continues!" said the girl with jet-black hair, ruffling Aidan's hair and smiling affectionately.
"Rivalry? We don't have a riv--"
"—'Course you don't, babe. You and Cameron have been fightin' to top each other ever since the pre-Garden days. But hey, you only came out of that with a few scratches, while he got a concussion!"
"Hey, I heard Instructor Dincht did, too," another cadet interjected, this one a shorter male with short, red hair.
"Surprise, surprise! But hey, not all Instructors can be superheroes, am I right?" boomed the tall blonde, and all of the students laughed. All except Aidan, who now looked nervously over to his teacher in the corner of the elevator.
Zell simply smiled and raised a finger to his lips to keep Aidan quiet, and once the elevator stopped, all of the students filing out, Aidan moving to leave last. However, Zell's gloved hand reached out to stop him.
"Clearwater, no matter what happens, keep your studies in mind. Don't let the dumbassery of your friends make you make bad moves, alright?"
Aidan nodded resolutely and strode out of the elevator, leaving behind the smell of faint cologne in his wake.
"Besides," Zell said to himself, "I was once just like him…"
And with that, the Instructor stepped off the elevator, punching the air a few times before straightening his collar and bouncing lightly down the hall with a new confident edge.
- - -
Quistis smiled widely, glasses perched on her nose and hair bound tightly back into a French bun, an armful of papers gracing her presence. She wore a white top and a white skirt, which flowed elegantly as she took long strides towards the directory on the first floor, sunlight streaming in from the high windows of the Garden.
"Hey you, get to class!" she called down the hall, taking the time to shout at a group of late students. After they were out of sight, she began stapling the papers to the backside of the directory, facing the elevator so all who needed to see it could on their way around the halls.
"Hmm, I hope this is in order," she thought aloud, straightening each individual paper before stapling it to the notice board. Eventually, she came around towards the bottom of the board, where a poster for the Esthar Autumn Festival was stapled, and with interest she ripped it off, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose and peering down at the advertisement. Fireworks lit up the sky, and the usual purple, pink, and bluish glow of the city radiated underneath them.
"Huh, this is going on during the first batch of missions?" she asked, looking at the date with a frown. "Was kind of hoping I could pester Squall to go, but I wonder if anyone will be going… too much work to be done to have fun!" she exclaimed, balling up the poster and tossing it into the nearby trashcan.
"Tbbt… vacation," she murmured to herself later, after stapling the last paper of mission assignments. With a wary eye, she looked at the crumpled poster in the trashcan, then promptly hmphed before turning a high nose and striding away quickly, the clicking of her high heels fading away as she left the premises.
- - -
Irvine's eyes flickered up from his computer screen to see Selphie peering over the top of her flat-paneled monitor straight at him.
"What?" he asked with a boyish smile.
"What are you doing?" she inquired, and bounced up from her chair and walked around the computer area to come over to where Irvine was sitting. Immediately, Irvine clicked out of whatever he was looking at, and promptly Selphie pounced him, stealing the mouse from him and dragging back up what he intending to hide, taking a seat on his lap.
She was as light as air.
"Wha? This… are you signing up for classes, Irvy?" she asked, turning to face Irvine, her face on the same level as his.
"Hm? Oh, yeah… just a couple. Quistis mentioned that she thought it would do me well, seeing as how I skipped that whole SeeD routine thanks to our little adventure and training back home. I guess I missed a couple things, and I thought I might as well give it a try."
"Is some woman making you do this? Are you getting paid? Do you have a really loud alarm clock? Are you up to date on your medication? Are--"
"—Selph, I don't take medication."
"That's not the point!" she exclaimed, pouting cutely. "It's just crazy to see the infamous Irvine 'guns and women' Kinneas actually apply himself to something more than his rifle or his bedtime affairs! Yer scarin' me boy," she finished in a southern accent, mimicking a movie the two had watched a few nights ago.
"Well, we're all bound to change eventually. Might as well do it now so nothing will distract me later on, you know?" the sniper said with a mischievous smile.
"Right. Well, too much distracts you already," Selphie reprimanded, turning his head with her hand after his eyes became locked on a glittering necklace that hung 'round her neck. Irvine simply chuckled warmly.
"Lets see here… Advanced Guardian Forces 201… good, can never understand Leviathan what with that hissing and all… Psychology, slacker class… Advanced Magics and Other Advanced Magical Things… sheesh, could they make these course names any longer… hmm, looks like you'll be quite busy soon enough, Tex!"
"Yeah, I suppose… what work I can't do because of missions I'll actually have to do on missions, depending on the manner of the job. So much work…"
"Hey Mr. 'Bound to Change', don't give up already! You're already good at this stuff anyway, you've just gotten a bit… rusty over the past couple of years."
Like you're one to criticize, Girl!
Selphie grumbled, forgetting she had Cactuar junctioned.
No one asked you!
Well if someone did, I would tell them that you could take a couple lessons too. Especially that Guardian class! Perhaps it will teach you some respe—
Selphie smiled as the ramblings of the Jumbo Cactuar faded, and the warmth of a familiar friend filled his place.
Hey there, Carbuncle.
Good moooorning! Sheesh, looks like Cac' woke up on the wrong side of the… well, whatever cactuars sleep on this morning.
You're telling me.
Selphie rolled her eyes as the sounds of Irvine playing an online card game filled her mind, and with a sticking out of the tongue, she got off of him and bounced back to her computer, wondering if she would ever get her report done at this rate.
- - -
Good afternoon students and SeeDs, this is Instructor Quistis Trepe speaking. As you head to lunch, take note that mission assignments have been posted at the Directory on the first floor. As always, a small handful of cadets have been assigned novice missions with either one of their Instructors or two other SeeDs to improve their know-how and the like. Also, hot dogs won't be served for lunch today. There was a debacle in the kitchen, leading to the disposal of all of the pork. Or whatever those things are made of. That is all.
"What!" exclaimed Zell, crying out loud and beginning to panic.
"Chill out Zell, you've had hot dogs nearly everyday for the past four years," Nida counseled, eyeing the Instructor with a raised brow.
"This is nonsense!" Zell continued on, quickening his pace towards the cafeteria.
"Yes, maybe if we walk there faster, the cafeteria ladies will reward us with diseased hot dogs!" Irvine gathered, mocking Zell as he picked up speed.
"… what? This can't be right…"
"What? What's wrong?"
"Supposedly I'm going on a mission… with Instructor Trepe! To the Galbadia Forest!"
"Oh ho ho, you lucky dog, you! Why, I'd kill just to have her as a teacher…"
"Well Zach, it could be worse. You could be forced to clean out the Ragnarock with only a toothbrush and a half a bar or soap, or something."
Irvine's sensitive ears picked up the mention of his friend's name, and both he and Nida stopped to look at the students and SeeDs gathered around the backside of the directory board. Irvine began to walk over, but Nida grabbed his wrist.
"Don't bother. You're not assigned to any missions, neither is Selphie or Zell or Squall or anyone. I am though, gotta do some clean up work at the Tomb of the Unknown King. Seems as if there were some more monster wars, and it's gotten pretty messy over there."
"So… what am I supposed to do? Not more reports!" Irvine cried, his face showing pain as he thought of spending another minute in front of a glowing monitor.
Nida simply smirked, and noticed the one the other students were calling Zach, who had apparently found his other partner for the mission. Her name was Miriam—perhaps Marian, and she was of medium height, with straight black hair and straight bangs that came to the very tips of her eyelashes. Her figure was slender, her skin was more on the pale side, and her eyes were dark, enhanced by her eye makeup.
"Reminds me of Squall," commented Nida with a slight smile as her eyes widened in surprise, face turning a light pink.
"Eek! Instructor Trepe! Is this some kind of test? Are we being graded? I wonder what mother will say."
"She'll probably say that you should stay in the kitchen where you belong!" commented a short cadet with feathered hair, and before she would reach to smack him Zach stepped in front of her and began talking quickly, the entire body of students and SeeDs growing bigger and bigger like a swelling muscle.
"This is probably going to get ugly, better get going before we drown in a mob," Nida pointed out, and Irvine simply nodded, continuing back around towards the cafeteria. The excited yells and calls only grew louder as they got further away.
- - -
"Do you know what this meeting is about?"
"I don't know what this meeting is about, do you know what this meeting is about?"
"No idea. Do you know what this is all about?"
"Nu uh. I wonder if anyone knows what this is about…"
"How do you not know what this is about! You're the Headmistress!"
Xu wrinkled her nose and shrugged in ignorant bliss.
"Hey, that doesn't mean that I can figure out what's in the head of that Leonhart."
The group of SeeDs murmured in agreement, and the double oak doors to the Commander's office opened regally, the office empty, however. The SeeD by the name of Dmitri led the procession into a side room, with a long conference table with none other that Commander Leonhart sitting at the head.
"Ooh, this must be very important business. When's the last time we had a meeting?" Selphie chirped.
"Yesterday," Xu replied simply, and Selphie began pondering if she even showed up as all took a seat at the table.
Squall exhaled heavily and thumbed through his papers in thought, all present at the table looking at him expectantly. He finally stopped doing so at one point, but it was only to take a sip of his coffee as he resumed browsing his handful of papers, and finally someone spoke up.
"So are we here for a reason, or is this just a public viewing of our adorable Commander?" Irvine asked smoothly, smiling and peering at Squall, who had been rather secluded as of late. 'Twas the life of a man in his power.
"Yes, actually," Squall said languidly, and raised a familiar-looking poster, large enough to be seen by all present, but small enough to not be too much of a burden. "The Annual Estharian Autumn Festival. My father—er, the President has invited a portion of Garden students and attendees to attend the festival this year, which lasts three days. I think."
"That's correct," Quistis interceded dryly, remembering the poster she had removed from the bulletin board this morning.
"So, I was wondering who all were in favor of us taking what we can of the SeeDs along with a handful of the top cadets of the Senior class to travel by means of Ragnarock to the Festival, as a vacation of sorts. Of course, those who were assigned missions cannot go, unless the petitioner of your mission accepts a delay, and some will need to stay behind to handle substitution as well as other administrative duties."
"So, will our Commander be attending?" came a worn voice of an Instructor present in the room.
"Yes, for pure diplomacy reasons," Squall replied, trying to make his excuse seem as viable as possible. "Although my father is President, I will have to warm up to department heads and the like to try and increase funding for the Garden as well as get a better feeling of what technology is being developed in the Estharian Laboratory, and see if we can get our hands on some improvements. However, this is a short time for relaxing, and all others who will be attending should not worry themselves with work or anything of the like. The Garden will be left in good hands for what little time we will be gone, and things should go on as normal for the most part. But, how do you all feel about this?"
"I will be going to Esthar for some long-delayed business as well with officials from the Lunar Base who will be at the capital to get caught up on talks over the Lunar Cry as well as further developments in astronomy research," Xu began, noticing the shocked, yet curious look on many of the SeeD's faces. "However, I have called former Headmaster Cid Kramer as well as Edea Kramer, and both have agreed to be flown in to watch over things while we are gone, as well as review protocols and mission organization. They--"
Woo, I'm tired, Zell thought, yawning quietly and leaning on his elbow, laying his head down as Xu droned on.
Energy? came another voice inside his head.
Huh? No Doomtrain… I'm fine. Just been overworked lately, you're doing fine.
You're worried. Clearwater?
I… well, yeah. Need a break.
A break is what you deserve. Soon.
And… you can rest as well.
I need no rest. Only the strength of battle.
Zell sighed for a moment, and smiled quaintly.
"Then it's decided," Squall said, interrupting the conversation between Zell and his Guardian unknowingly. Apparently, voting and suggestions had already ended. "Cid and Edea will watch over the Garden, and myself and Xu will take care of diplomacy and work in Esthar. Those SeeDs who are assigned to missions will carry them out, and will report to Esthar should they finish in a timely fashion. Those who have volunteered to take over classes for the few SeeDs who are doubling as Instructors shall do so the day we depart."
Quistis, with a solemn demeanor, began sliding down in her chair. A chance to go on a three-day vacation (pretty lengthy for her occupation), and it shall be missed for a simple mission. Perhaps she could get someone to replace her… no, she made these assignments and she would stick to them. She would show all of her colleagues why she was a renowned worker, and by Hyne, she would finish with enough time to go down to Winhill for some of their famous ice cream.
What did ice cream taste like again?
"Make sure you pack well. We will go to Esthar the morning after tomorrow, and after dropping off those who need air transportation to their mission location, we should set foot on Esthar by evening. Everyone know their tasks?"
Among the rather large assembly, no one said a word.
"Good. Meeting adjourned. Class resumes in a half hour, thank you for coming."
Ending the meeting on a rather formal and non-longwinded note, the SeeDs began filing out. Selphie, having not bothered Squall for a while, skipped over and smiled at him as cutely as she could as he rolled up the poster and began putting his papers back into the folders. Eventually, he acknowledged her presence.
"You're a bit straightforward, somethin' wrong, Squally?"
Squall shrugged and let his dark gaze rest on Selphie as he sat back down in his chair.
"No… I'm fine. Aren't I normally straightforward, or 'anti-social' like you like to call it?"
"Anti-social, yeah! But even more than usual. When's the last time we went to Balamb for dinner?"
"When's the last time we played cards!" Irvine added, sitting on the edge of the table on the other side of Squall.
"When's the last time we did some trainin' in the Centre?!" Zell chimed in, sitting on the table Indian-style and giving the leader a stern look.
"That's no fair, it's closed down," Squall retorted, now feeling like a mouse in the corner.
"That's not the point, you're 'too busy' with your work and your responsibilities for your handsome friends!" Zell whined affectionately, jabbing Squall in the arm as he schooched back to sit fully on the table.
Quistis felt herself weakening as she stood up, looking at Squall as he lowered his head and sighed. When's the last time she did anything fun with her friends? When did she grow up so fast?
"Well… we're going to have plenty of time in Esthar to have fun. Just not now," Squall said quietly, smiling a bit and inspecting his boots pensively.
"We better! And I'm taking you shopping!" Selphie cheered, jumping up some and grinning like she just got her braces removed.
"Heh, Hyne knows you need something other than leather. About time you get some new clothes anyway," Irvine said, and rubbed Squall's knee momentarily so he lifted his head.
Squall looked over, and chortled inwardly as he looked at his best friend Irvine, then to his other friends, eyes slightly glistening but not fully visible as his growing bangs now shielded his gaze some.
"I'll try and have fun. I promise," he said, and glanced over as Quistis began leaving the room. He felt as if he should say something, but simply listened as the door clicked shut behind her, and left the small group to their discussion, with only a few other SeeDs in the room.
Quistis felt herself beginning to sob, but she placed a hand on her chest as she sank to the floor, her back against the closed door.
"Rinoa… if only you knew how much we hurt…" she said through oncoming tears, and lowered her head to her knees, not recalling the last time she ever felt so isolated and helpless.
- - -
Owls, crickets, and other nighttime creatures performed yet another symphony, enchantment for all who stayed up with the Moon, using its light as their guidance with the passage of day. It was a long, tough day, it being the day after the debacle in the Training Centre, and Aidan felt as if he was the center of attention, placed on a podium for all to gawk and stare at. Not too terrible, yet it incited a feeling of weariness and apprehension for the next day, and the day after that, and so on. Perhaps this new form of attention would fade, as soon as his classmates moved on to some other happening, some other drama, some other faded romance. But for now, he was on top, and it was a place where he didn't particularly care to be.
Gently, his fingers trailed across his bare chest as he did his homework at his desk, feeling ever the more weaker inside as his scars seemed to trail on forever. What was once a layer of peach skin, flawless as jade, was now damaged. His flaws and mistakes were now etched into his person, a constant reminder of how he needed improving, needed more learning. Just days ago, he did not particularly care for this, being just another popular kid, on the top of the social food chain, not a care in the world. But now that reality hit him, its aftersting showed him how much he needed this training; how much he needed to succeed. If not for his sake, then at least for the sake of his mother.
Suddenly remembering something, Aidan dropped his pen, rubbing his eyes and his forehead under his bangs. Once his vision was able to show him what reality was once more, he picked up the phone and began dialing a number, eyes beginning to close as he listened to the gentle ringing in patient anticipation.
"You have reached the Balamb Garden operator service. Speak the name of who you wish to connect to clearly."
"SeeD Irvine Kinneas, ID number 0440592."
"Connecting… connecting… connecting…"
Aidan rolled his eyes and moved the phone from his ear momentarily, then replaced it there once he heard the automaton cease its repetition.
"He…llo?" came a groggy voice from the other end.
"Hey, is this Irvine?" said Aidan, a bit confused as this voice hardly sounded anything like the smooth and charming Kinneas.
"Yeah. Is… this Aidan?"
"Yeah… did I call at a bad time?"
"Uh… oh! No no no, hold on a minute…"
The young cadet began tapping his pen on his open notebook, leaning back in his chair and twirling a short lock of hair around his finger. For a minute, he swore he heard giggling in the background, but perhaps his tired mind was playing tricks on him.
"Okay, I'm here. What's up?" Irvine asked, sounding a bit more like he usually did.
"Er… I didn't have the chance to see you today, had to catch up on some missed work from yesterday. Lania told me how you wanted to see me or somethin'?"
"Huh? Oh! Yeah, so I'm getting you excused from Zell's class—first period—tomorrow. I want ya to meet me in the Training Centre."
"Alrig—wait, we can't go there, it's closed down…"
"We'll get it. In fact, I'm working on that now."
Aidan paused for a moment to grasp the deeper meaning of that sentence, but as soon as he heard more muffled giggles in the background, he understood.
"Oh. Well… okay. See you then."
The phone abruptly hung up on the other end as Irvine began to say something, and Aidan groaned before hanging up as well. His eye spied his jet-black clock behind the warm light of the desk lamp. Almost midnight. And he still hadn't finished his work. What a day, what a day…
Abruptly, the dorm door opened and in came a dark figure, which was sighing and already beginning to drop their books and other materials on the end table next to the door. Aidan saw as he reached back and took a tie out of his hair, dark blonde hair falling to his shoulders. Quickly, Aidan looked away and back to his notebook, picking up the pen and feeling his spirits only go lower as the silence between the two was almost unbearable.
"Cameron, Hylda dropped off your coat earlier. I put it on the back of the chair."
Cameron, who was walking to his bed and unzipping his undershirt, looked over with sad, dark eyes, and then to the chair at his desk and nodded, as if confirming its existence. Aidan's attempt to break the silence ended up bringing it back around to a long moment of awkward feelings once more.
"You know Aidan," Cameron said randomly, running a brush through his hair as he spoke, "I'm not taking any sides at all. Lania is just going through an odd time."
"Not taking sides? You haven't said a word to me for the past two and a half days! You are ignoring me on purpose, and now our group of friends has divided…"
"Well, you're all being immature morons. Taking sides just because of some teen relationship is a waste of time, a waste of tears."
The words cut through Aidan like a knife as he looked down at his paper, feeling his eyes beginning to droop as he choked on what he was trying to say.
"You saved me back there, though. I was fighting for my life in class of all places, and although it was just after you broke up with Lani and it all was very awkward… you protected me. Thanks."
"Well… I guess we were always still friends, it just hurt to see you give all your attention to her while everyone else was doting on me for being a bad boyfriend and all that crap. It reminded me of how much I hated being alone."
Aidan turned in his chair and looked at his best friend straight in the eye, a familiar understanding once passed now returning. It was warm, it was comforting, and it was reassuring.
"So should we hug or what?" Aidan asked, smiling fully for the first time in days.
"Hey, this isn't Guys Gone Wild or anything. But…"
Cameron walked over to Aidan at his desk and extended his hand, Aidan taking it and both engaging in the ever-so-common friendship handshake that was theirs, theirs alone. Cameron smiled back gently, then turned and trudged over to the bathroom, the light coming on as he shut the door behind him. The sound of the hissing faucets replaced the nighttime symphony as Aidan turned back around, facing his unfinished homework, having stopped mid-sentence just to get things back to normal.
With resolve, Aidan closed his notebook and stood from his chair, stretching and feeling as his back and torso muscles stretched and relaxed, feeling that much better when he finished. Baggy sweatpants slung over well-defined and slender hips, Aidan slugged over to bed, his kind dreamland already beginning to seep into his mind. With a thud, he fell into bed, snaking his body under the soft sheets, his hair pouring over the pillow like he was some kind of god rather than a simple mortal.
Feeling as if things were finally coming back around, Aidan closed his eyes, butterfly-wing eyelashes flickering slightly as sleep came quickly. Soon after, Cameron emerged from the bathroom, steam crawling out ever so slightly around his ankles before fading away. Running a handtowel through his hair, he stepped into the room to see his friend sleeping away, a slight look of content plastered on his worn face.
"You're tough, bud… lets do this together."
