Bathwater

Chapter 6: Chaos Ensues

(A/n: Since I can't update more often, I decided to make it up to you guys by typing up a really long chapter. And I'm not kidding when I say it's l-o-n-g. I took my story home (it had been on my grandma's computer) and worked on it a little every night after school and basketball and this was the result! Hope y'all like it! Don't forget to review, please!)

Quistis had cooled with the kissing as Seifer had requested, realizing that if she pushed the envelope with him too far (even though she knew somewhere, deep down, he wanted the envelope pushed) he wouldn't help her save the kidnapped. And she knew that she couldn't do it alone.

Seifer was amazed that Quistis had listened to him. Was she serious about letting him be the leader? He worked up the courage to ask her after several minutes of silent deliberating. "Uhm…Instructor?" He asked weakly. Why was he so worried about what her answer would be?

Then it struck him. Of course. It was because he wanted to prove to her that Squall wasn't the only great one around. Seifer, too, could save the day - if he really wanted to, of course. Not that he wanted to but he figured that if he went along with it, his name would be cleared and people would treat him a little differently. He wouldn't have to prove that he's tough day in and day out.

"Yes, Seifer?" She asked, not turning to look back at him. They were standing at what remained of the Balamb City dock, waiting for the next ship to come in so they could get to Esthar faster. She stood right on the edge of the ruined platform; one good push and she'd be in over her head. Literally. She had been pretty quiet since Seifer had unofficially taken charge and plotted their next move. And she had always been at least two steps ahead of him. Literally. She hadn't walked beside him since they went to talk with Cid.

She had finally found time to think, to reflect, and to reminisce. She had realized what a fool she had been, from letting Seifer be allowed to return to Balamb, for putting up with him, for trying to confront him, for trying to change him, for loving him… She knew that once the bad guy had been put in chains or sent back to its dimension or whatever, that things would fall back to the way they'd been before. Only this time there'd be an…awkwardness… It'd be like it had been with Squall. She'd try everything to win his heart, thinking that she was making some kind of progress, only to discover that he never once loved her. Would Seifer be another Squall?

"Were you serious when you said I could be leader?" He asked, stepping up beside her. Finally they'd be standing next to each other. It was beginning to get unnerving, constantly talking to the back of her blonde head. But instead of looking to him when she answered, she turned her head to the right and downwards, her eyes cast away from him, the back of her head once again in his view. What was her deal? First she can't keep her lips off of him, the next she can't even stand to look at him?

"Yes, Seifer." She sounded exasperated, exhausted even. Understandable. They had been through a lot in a short period of time. From the attack and destruction of Garden to running to Esthar for help and guidance, there was little time to take the breather that they both needed. Now, waiting for the ship to arrive at the crumbling dock, they were getting the breather - and their minds were still running on opposite tracks.

It's wrong…This is all wrong…I don't really love him…Who am I fooling? I couldn't keep a man to save my life. Look at Squall, for Hyne's sake. Spent my entire life trying to get him to love me, only to sit and watch him fall for a girl he barely knew. My relationship with Squall ended before it even started…Seifer will probably just be another Squall. We're too different. We have different ideals, different dreams, different goals…Maybe I should give it up…Stop loving him. Or whatever it is I feel for him… Quistis bit her lip and shut her eyes tightly, willing herself to wake up from this dream. Or nightmare.

Maybe I've been wrong about her all the time. The more I spend time with her, the more I realize she's not just some bossy goody-goody. She did friggin' kiss me…And she's not too bad at that either… Seifer mentally smacked himself upside his head for thinking that. Dumb-ass…That's your instructor! Not to mention you grew up with her! She's like a sister to you! That's why you fight with her so much! He snuck a glance at her. But it couldn't hurt to try out a different type of girl, could it? Worse comes to worse, she'll go back to hating me but I'm used to that by now…

Seifer took a deep breath, straightened up and turned to her, willing himself to tell her that he was willing to take a chance. With her.

Quistis sighed, shaking her head slightly, willing herself to tell him that she was an idiot for taking such a chance. With him.

They were facing each other, mouths open, words already forming on their lips when the ship came to a gliding stop beside the dock in front of them. They looked at each other a moment before glancing away.

"Later, can we talk?" He mumbled, the toe of his boot scuffing at the ground. He looked like he was five. To Quistis it briefly brought back memories of the orphanage. Seifer would mumble and scuff his toe along the ground everytime Matron would get onto him. He would say he was sorry and seem sincere but within the next hour, he'd be getting in trouble again.

Quistis shrugged. "Sure." She said simply. She leapt the gap between the boat and the dock and disappeared into the boat. Seifer took another deep breath, somewhat glad that the ship appeared and he didn't have to tell her what was on his mind. But to him it seemed that she was prepared to tell him something too.What could it be? Oh well, I'll just ask her later. He shrugged and then too leapt over the gap. After the door to the cabin closed behind him, the ship sped off, slicing through the crested waves.

xxx

The two were greeted by Xu, whom they greeted fondly. They had gotten to know her well after the Garden had taken flight. Xu socked Seifer lightly on the shoulder, asking him if he was going to fight the bad guy because he, Seifer, was now a SeeD. Quistis laughed.

"Yeah, right." Seifer said, slumping down in the seat, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Not in this lifetime or the next!" Quistis said through her giggles and the hand covering her mouth. Xu started laughing too. This made Seifer mad. What the hell is Quistis doing? One minute she's making out with me because I'm a hero and I saved her life, the next she's back to the old days of talking trash about me. Angered, Seifer barked back.

"At least I could keep a job, dearest Instructor." He said, sneeringly. But instead of striking a nerve, they just laughed harder. Quistis and Xu spent the rest of the boat ride giggling and whispering behind their hands and making little comments that meant nothing to him, asking him stupid questions. Seifer finally snapped and went up on deck, enjoying the salty ocean breeze. Too bad he couldn't enjoy Quistis's company up here as well.

xxx

After Xu and Quistis had stopped giggling long enough to bid each other adieu, Seifer and Quistis jumped into a car provided by the White SeeD to travel the last miles to Esthar. Seifer tried to make small talk with the Instructor but eventually gave up after she kept snapping at him that she was trying to drive. I tell her to quit with the kissing and she has to stop liking me at all? Well, then she can just go to - Seifer was broken from his thoughts as they screeched to a halt in front of the Estharian palace.

The country of Esthar was the only place that did not see changes after the defeat of Ultimecia. Estharian lives were the same as they were before. Even under the command of President Laguna, the technologically advanced country stayed secluded and cut off from the rest of the world.

You'd think it would be an easy task getting into the Palace without having to be ID'ed. Everyone knew the two by name, face, past, and just about everything. News of the heroes (and in this case, hero and villain) spread fast over the world of Gaia and they were treated with respect. Well, except for Seifer.

It took a while for Quistis to assure the guards that he was indeed with her and that no, she wasn't being held hostage, no, she wasn't lying to them just so Seifer wouldn't kill her, no, there was no danger, she just had to talk to the President to discuss the future plans of Balamb's SeeD. They finally let her past, not without searching Seifer roughly for weapons, jostling him around, and giving him death glares. Looks like the Trepies aren't just located at Garden. Seifer thought, resisting the urge to slam the guards' faces into the ground with a scissor kick.

They had also assumed that their positions as hero/villain would easily get them a meeting with the President but the secretary persisted that they wait in the lobby. She said that the President was in a very important meeting that demanded his full attention and that he couldn't be called out of the meeting. The people he were meeting with were VIPs, very-important-people, the snobby secretary explained, speaking slowly as if they were five-year-olds. Seifer had begun to clench his fists when Quistis realized it was time to stop fighting with her and just head over to the guest rooms.

Quistis had headed down the hall of the Guest Wing, heading to the room that she had stayed in when Laguna had discussed the plans to defeat Ultimecia a few months earlier. She hadn't intended on letting Seifer in the room with her but when she slipped in the door and tried to shut it behind her, she was met with a growl.

"I'm friggin' standing here!" He snapped, in a bad mood after having Quistis, Xu, two guards, and a friggin' secretary all treat him like crap and not being able to do anything about it.

She spun on him like a cornered cat. "What the hell are you doing in my room anyways? Can't I have some privacy?" She snapped back, trying once again to slam the door shut but he put his boot out and the door was rendered immobile.

Seifer's green eyes were ablaze at this point. He was so sick of being around this woman yet he wanted to be around her. He was so friggin' confused that he felt like he was being ripped in half. And to top it all off, Quistis was having so many mood swings, he was sure that T.O.M. had visited her. That is, the time-of-month had came. "You said we could talk later! This is later!" He said, motioning towards the clock on the wall.

She rolled her eyes and tried to shut the door again but was still met by that big, muddy, black obstruction he called a boot. "Later, Seifer! I don't feel like talking right now!" She reached her hand up to push him backwards but he caught her by the wrist and used it to pull her out of the way. He entered the room and shut the door behind him.

"I don't care if you don't feel like it!" He yelled. "Do you understand me? I'm sick of you leading me around, leading me on…" He stopped himself. Yep, he said it. And by this time, he believed it. She couldn't really love him. She was probably just doing it to make it easier to travel with him. Or control him. Yeah, that's it. She's a control freak.

Quistis walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, her blue eyes staring blankly at her hands in her lap. She remained quiet. Which was a first whenever Seifer said something that would strike a nerve. Had he struck a nerve…?

He took a couple steps in her direction. He was a foot away but he made himself stop. He wouldn't feel comfortable talking to her about what he had to talk to her about if he was sitting on a friggin' bed with her. "Quistis." She didn't look up. "Tell me. Give me the answer to the question that I've been wanting to ask since you tried to cure me at the dock in Balamb the other night…"

At this, she looked up expectantly, wondering what question he could have. "What the hell is going on with you? With me? With us?" He said, his voice weak. He had intended on being strong, demanding an answer from her, not letting her leave or do anything until she gave him an answer. But now that it was actually happening, his courage faltered.

She sighed, chuckling softly, almost sadly. "Seifer, Seifer, Seifer…" She looked back down at her hands. "I really wish…I really wish I knew."

Seifer stared at her, for some reason what she said wasn't connecting. "Wha?" He asked, tilting his head lightly to the side.

Quistis looked up at him. "I don't know what's going on between us." She shrugged. "Don't you think I'd like an answer to that question as well? I've been asking myself that same question ever since I kissed you."

Despite himself, he sat down beside her, more determined for answers than making sure he wasn't uncomfortable. "What do you mean you don't know?! You have to know! You're friggin' Quistis Trepe, for Hyne's sake! You're the one who got the two of us into this mess and now you say you don't even know why?"

She smiled. "Nope. Not a clue." She looked back down at her hands. Why did she keep doing that? Everytime she looked down, her blonde hair fell over the side of her face and hid her from view. Was she trying to hide her true feelings from him? "I guess I thought at first that I could change you…I was sick of trying to put up with you…You should know that. Remember the night I confronted you in the cafeteria? I had every intention of killing you."

He shook his head, even though he knew she wouldn't see the gesture. "Nah, you wouldn't have. You've always played by the rules and murder isn't in the rulebook."

She jumped suddenly, startling him. Her hands left her lap to latch onto his forearm. "That's it! That's what I thought! I thought I could change you by being nice to you and after you saved me… Well, I thought, 'Hey, I normally play by the rules but with Seifer…There are no rules!' And after that…Well, you know…" Seifer noticed that she still held onto his arm pretty tightly, like she was afraid that he'd just disappear if she let go.

"So basically…it was just an experiment?" He asked, staring at her hand now. Her knuckles were white from her gripping his arm so tightly. "It was all just to see, what if? Could I?" She shrugged.

"I don't know…Maybe at first…But later I thought maybe…" She stopped. She didn't have to finish her sentence. They both knew what the ending of it would be.

He shifted his shoulders uncomfortably, trying to figure out how he would propose his next question. "Hmm…So what about now?…What do you…What do you think now?" He reached his free arm over to hers and gripped hers lightly before returning it to his side. She pulled her arm away quickly like he had burned her.

"I think…" Seifer leaned closer until their sides were touching. He wanted to hear just exactly what she thought. "I think that you and I -"

"Irvine! That hand of yours doesn't belong there!"

Quistis stopped dead, exchanging glances before they both turned to the door of the room. Their eyes followed the turning door knob, followed the swinging of the door as it flew open. Irvine and Selphie stumbled in. Selphie was clinging to Irvine, her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist. One of his arms was supporting her, keeping her from falling. The other was unseen. Evidently, it was underneath the fabric of her shirt.

Selphie giggled in Irvine's face, trying to figure out why he had stopped cold in the doorway. "C'mon, silly, we don't have all day. Zell will eventually coming looking for us!" By the blank expression on his face after her indirect suggestion, she knew something was wrong. She followed his gaze and squealed at what she saw.

Quistis was sitting on the bed, Seifer beside her. He was leaning towards her, like he was about to kiss her. But that's not what Selphie had a problem with. She was just embarrassed that they had seen her in a questionable situation with the womanizing cowboy. She leapt from him and scurried from the room, yelping as she did so. Irvine was shaken from his shock and tipped his hat lightly.

"Instructor Trepe. Bastard Traitor. G'day!" He said, taking off down the hall after Selphie, a bit unnerved by the shock of being caught in the act of well, a dirty act.

Quistis and Seifer exchanged glances, still confused.

xxx

Quistis fell into salute as President Laguna entered the room and Zell, Selphie and Irvine did the same. Seifer just nodded his head once before turning his gaze back towards the window. He was aggravated. How is it that Irvine could finally get with Selphie but once he, Seifer, decides to try on Quistis for size, she gives him the cold shoulder abruptly?

"What are the plans, President?" Quistis asked, falling out of salute.

Laguna laughed, his laugh much like Quistis's chuckle had been. Sad. "No need for formalities, Quistis. I'd hoped we were closer than that."

"Of course." She nodded, smiling in acknowledgement.

"I've already discussed the plans with Selphie, Zell, and Irvine. After taking account that Squall was not among the refugees or casualties from Balamb Garden, they formed a search party, worrying that he would take flight and try to find the cause of this disaster on his own. They couldn't find him but the White SeeD did come to them, not long before they visited you, I believe, to tell them of Edea, Rinoa, and Squall's fate. They then came here to borrow the Ragnarok." Laguna turned away from them and looked down at his desk, shuffled some papers before turning back to them.

"There aren't really any plans. We have no clue who - or what - kidnapped the sorceresses and Squall. We don't know how powerful they are or what to expect." Laguna said, shrugging his shoulders.

"So… We just charge in and go by ear?" Quistis said quietly. What happened to the old days when everything was strictly play by play, with rules and limits? Isn't it reckless to rush in without some kind of plan?

He nodded. "And Quistis…You are the leader."

xxx

The Estharian soldiers were stocking the Ragnarok with supplies and Quistis stood surveying the newly revamped ship. After Ultimecia's demise, Esthar had taken the Ragnarok to rebuild it and undo the damage. And from what she could see, they did a good job. It looked nothing like before. It looked new.

It was here she was standing, watching by herself, when Laguna approached her. He was out of the confining business suit and was dressed in the casual wear that she had often seen him wear when they, the gang, had fallen into those dreams during Ultimecia's attack on Gaia. He had not only dropped the suit, but the proud and respectful pose of a president. He now stood beside her, his shoulders rounded, his arms crossed lazily over his chest. His head was hanging slightly, his face worn and tired.

"Laguna?" Quistis asked, concerned.

He smiled sadly, a forced smile. "Quisty? Isn't that what the other children used to call you?" He asked, his voice shuddery. She nodded, taking a step in his direction. What was wrong with him? "Quisty, I need your help…" He turned away from her and began to walk away. She followed him to a small garden centered in the middle of the palace. It was much like the Quad. And it was probably the only place that had things in it that weren't man-made. Laguna sat on a stone bench, his shoulders still slumped forward. In his hand was a small silver charm that his fingers fumbled with.

Quistis sat beside him, her eyes fluttering back and forth between the fountain before them and his face. The fountain was of an angel who was hugging a lion fondly. But something was odd about the lion…It had wings? The image was familiar but the GFs must have erased the details of that memory. "Laguna… What is it that you need my help with?" She whispered, not wanting to disturb the soft sounds of the water trickling from the angel's eyes and the lion's throat.

"I…I have never told anyone this before, not even my own buddies." He said, his hand gripping tightly on the charm as his eyes too looked towards the fountain. "I tried to forget all about her and the life we shared before the mess with Adel. I was guilt-ridden but I was too ashamed of myself to bring myself to return to that place. By the time I did return, they were gone…"

Quistis tilted her head, confused. "Her? They?"

"Raine." A brief image of a woman flickered in Quistis's mind but once again her memory eluded her. Everything was so familiar yet so vague… "While I was traveling as part of the Galbadian army, I was severely injured and a woman in Winhill took me under her care. I was there for a long time. As time went by I found myself falling for Raine and I couldn't leave. She had an adopted daughter named Ellone…I'm sure you know Ellone." He said, glancing in her direction in enough time to see her nod. "Raine and I eventually grew really close. Ellone was then kidnapped by Adel, while Adel was searching for a successor. I left Winhill to save Elle. I saved her but I sent her home. I didn't return to Winhill. It wasn't until later, last year, did I realize that Raine had become pregnant with my child and died in childbirth sixteen years earlier. Ellone told me this when I finally found her aboard the White SeeD ship. She went to Garden with the intentions of finding him to bring him to me but Ultimecia disrupted those plans."

Quistis's head snapped from the fountain to Laguna. "You mean, your child goes to Garden?!" She gasped. He nodded sadly, his eyes locked on the fountain. "But who is he?" Laguna shook his head sadly and opened his fist. In his fist, the charm had made an imprint on his palm. It was the imprint of a lion with wings and a fiery mane. "Griever…?" She whispered. "You are…Squall's father…?" She muttered.

He nodded, sighing loudly. "I wanted so much to meet him, to tell him that I was his father, to let him know that I do care but when I finally met him last year… I couldn't. I don't know why. I guess I thought he'd hate me, or think I abandoned him, Elle and Raine…I'm a coward…"

They sat in silence. Quistis was speechless.

"Quisty, will you save my son? Bring him home to me so I can tell him the truth?" He asked, his voice shuddery again. Quistis stood and saluted him.

"Yessir." She said briefly, realizing that by agreeing, the weight of the world just got a little heavier on her shoulders.

xxx

Zell was sprawled out on one of the chairs in the cockpit when Seifer entered. Seifer stared blankly ahead and walked straight to the captain's chair and sat down. Zell was surprised that he hadn't been called a 'chicken-wuss'. Man, what's his deal? Quistis had explained to Zell that Seifer was now a good guy but that didn't mean that Seifer wouldn't act like his old villainous self, did it?

Zell climbed to his feet noisily and ambled over to the other blonde. "So, Seif', I hear your'a good guy now, huh? What made you decide to be a hero?"

Seifer tilted his head in Zell's direction momentarily before looking back at the window. He didn't say a word and his face was emotionless.

What the hell? What is his problem? This isn't like Seifer… So Zell tried the one thing that he knew would get to the traitor. He took a couple of steps back and started to air-box, making small noises with every punch and kick. But still no response. So impatient Zell just sat back down. Seifer sat in the same position, even after Selphie and Irvine had awkwardly entered and attempted to make small talk with him. He would glance at them but that was all. No matter what was said.

It wasn't until Quistis entered the cockpit did he even move his lips.

She nodded curtly to the three SeeD before striding up to Seifer. "Get out of that chair. I'm flying."

Seifer glanced at her. "I'll move under one condition." He said.

She jerked her head towards the window, looking away from him. "I'm really not in the mood for your games, Almasy."

He growled. "Oh, so we're back to formalities, huh? I'm not playing any games, unlike you Quisty and your little mind games." He reached for her arm but she yanked it away from his reach. "We need to talk. Sort things out."

"Just move." She said flatly. He stood, shaking his head as he did so and brushed past her, looking down at her briefly before moving to a seat near the door. He turned to look out the window once again. Quistis sat in the chair, fired up the ship and took off at startling speeds. The three SeeD hurried to buckle their seatbelts.

Zell was the only with enough courage - or stupidity - to ask about the uneasiness between Seifer and Quistis. "Yo, Instructor…"

"Hm?" She said, shortly.

"What's going on between you and the traitor?"

The Ragnarok screeched to a hover and people lurched forward in their seats. Both Seifer and Quistis turned to Zell and snapped, "NOTHING!" Of course, the rest of the ride to Edea's orphanage was characterized by an extremely uneasy silence.

xxx

Rinoa, or the possessed Rinoa, grabbed onto Edea's and Ellone's wrists painfully, her chocolate eyes void of life, even though two souls were living in one body. Edea took the treatment in stride while Ellone struggled.

"Let go!" She cried, yanking her arm, trying to pull her wrist from its grasp. But Rinoa's body seemed to have taken on immense strength.

Edea turned her violet spaded eyes towards Ellone's own green spades. "Do not fight him." She said, her tone almost as void of life as the thing's eyes. Sis stopped struggling long enough to look towards Matron, her eyes wide with confusion.

"No! We can't let it win!" Ellone whispered, as if the thing could not hear her. She knew that was not the case but fear can make people do anything, no matter how strange or hopeless.

"Only by giving in can we defeat the monster within." Edea said shortly, this time emotion was registered in her voice. She sounded hopeful, like she knew that help was heading their way that very moment. Ellone hung her head sadly, still somewhat rebellious. She still wanted to fight, she still believed that she could break free but she oppressed her own emotions and put her trust in Edea's words.

Rinoa's head tilted back, her eyes now glowing as foreign words slipped from her mouth. It was some type of prayer… More likely a curse… The sky darkened around the flower field and the thunder roared. Large cold raindrops fell from the tumultuous sky and shattered into millions of little drops of water as they struck Ellone and Edea. Rinoa seemed to be untouched by the rain, as if an aura surrounded her. Elle looked down and gasped to see that the rain actually burned the flowers that made up the flower field.

It wasn't long before the entire flower field was nothing but a barren wasteland. It was then that Ellone lost consciousness.

When she awoke, she found herself imprisoned in a cold dark place. Nothing existed in this place but herself and two others. She climbed to her feet, her feet treading on what seemed to be nothing but a black void and ran to the slumped bodies on the floor. It was Edea and Rinoa.

She shook them awake, with one question: "What is going on?"

(A/n: Whew! Long, huh? It was going to be longer but… If I had continued making it longer, it would have made it six or seven pages longer and this chapter was already eleven pages long on Microsoft Word so I figured I'd make the six or seven pages a whole other chapter…So, anyways…What do you guys think of my story? Is it going great, good, okay, bad, awful, terrible? I want to hear what you guys think! Review please!)