"What Would I Be Without You"
-Kawaii Hana-
DISCLAIMER:
I don't own anything from FF8. Too bad... I would have made a direct sequel from it, though... (Ehehehehe...)
NOTE TO READERS:
- Italic – - represents thoughts
(Italic) – don't mind them
Bold – "emphasized" words
SPECIAL NOTE:
Oh yeah… Another chapter in 10 days… (?) Well, it's all thanks to the A(H1N1) virus!!! Huh? No, I'm not sick!!! It's just a lot of people has been going sick in the area where our schools are. So, the universities postponed our classes till June 17… as a precautionary measure… Which is a good thing! I thought this chapter is gonna take a long time to finish up again…XD
My Seiftis spirit is definitely hitting high these past few days. Ehehehe… Don't know why…. But maybe it's thanks to you guys, too… XD
OK… Enjoy…
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Chapter 10: Welcome to Winhill… sort of….
"OK… We tell them what REALLY happened… and then…?" Seifer asked her AGAIN…
A sigh of exasperation was her reply. Seifer winced at that, knowing that asking the question (again) does not really make things better.
"Seifer… How many times do I have to tell you… We explain… or rather… TELL THE TRUTH to Stella on what happened with that… that-that… ugh!"
"The Me-over-You…on-the-bed thing?... Uh-oh…" The young man covered his mouth as soon as he accidentally uttered something that makes things even worse. The woman by now has let out YET another sigh of exasperation… but this time… she looked like she was just about the very end of her um… patience…
Okaaay… Here's the recap: While Seifer and Quistis were just about getting settled in their room, one thing led to another and… the Innkeeper Stella has caught the couple in a very, very, very awkward position which led to um… some misunderstanding…. (And ruined one totally perfect moment for the two, that is… XD)
For Quistis… sure… It must have been really embarrassing that she just doesn't want to even hear about it. I mean… a MAN… landed ON TOP of you ON THE BED… And you were caught… (Yeah, enough said… XD) Well, they are perfectly aware that they are MILES away from Balamb Garden. She shouldn't really worry about it BUT… There is always a BUT in everything to this woman… (XD)… as Seifer has known her to be...
And another thing… the MAN is Seifer Almasy… Well, she did say there is going to be a lot of situations similar to that BUT… somebody just had to barge in and assume the wrong thing…
The misunderstanding could either be GOOD since… they are supposed to be a married couple as Quistis said afterwards… OR it could be BAD because a lot of people would assume that they are that kind of a married couple… especially they supposedly kind of just got married… at 18 years old… (I mean…you know… Still in honeymoon mode? XD)
So… Here they are... Both of them having finished fixing their things, taking a shower and changing clothes… The only thing left to do is…
Going downstairs to get dinner… (XD)
It was already 6:30 pm. Earlier that day, Stella mentioned something about the Inn's dinner schedule at that time. And our favorite couple is just right next to their door, contemplating on, uh… their next move.
Or rather Seifer was driving the Quistis insane…
"Seifer… puh-lease… this is the 18th time we had to go over this… What part of TELLING THE TRUTH do you NOT understand!?"
"Uh… no…. I understand… I understand perfectly, thank you…" Seifer said, in a small voice and a forced smile… The blonde woman inhaled and exhaled… "Good! Well then, let's go down and eat…"
-Whew… So this is what "Beware of the Woman's Wrath" meant- The young man pondered to himself as he opened the door for her. – But damn it Hyne… She's just gotten more beautiful!-
That was no joke or a lie. Balamb Garden or at least… the students might never get the chance to see her like this… So different from the "Instructor Aura" everyone identifies Quistis with… Even though, she was no longer one anymore…
This Quistis that Seifer was walking with in the hallway was… different… To begin with, her fashion sense is one to take his breath away… It just changes in a good way…
Earlier that day in while they were in Deling City, Quistis's outift was something that… uh… emitted unnecessary awakened hormones from men and even a bad meeting with Zen… This probably prompted the beautiful instructor to change her look to a more… simpler look…
Clad in a half-ponytail which let her hair look more flowing than the last time and her frontal bangs still in place, Quistis was wearing a light pink top with blue jeans to match and a couple of flat shoes for her feet.
Now you see here… The memories are a little fuzzy but… Seifer has known this woman for about 4 years since they came to Garden and yet he has never seen Quistis wearing these kinds of clothes. Not once… although, this was probably because she was mostly seen in her SeeD uniform or that peach outfit with red sleeves with her hair on a clip at all times…
Did Selphie and Rinoa force Quistis on a shopping spree before the mission? That would be likely to happen, considering both of these girls' stubborn nature. The question is… Why would they make Quistis wear such good clothes… at a mission? (The answer's soooo obvious… XD) Even if it was undercover, there was really no need to shop for new clothes… Well, it's probably a woman's thing as most men would think…
As both of them walked through the hallways, Seifer pondered to himself for a while. It was not really him to bury himself in his thoughts as much as Squall had but surprises and things just appear from one thing to another… The SeeD cadet really couldn't resist himself from…"evaluating" himself, so to speak…
Now, Seifer has done lots of mistakes… That, he admits wholeheartedly… Well, he can't admit it here in Winhill but at least to himself. In the prospect of fulfilling a nonsense dream, he lost his possession of mind, almost his two best friends and most importantly, himself… to a Sorceress who was in the form of a woman he admired and respected…
During that time when he ridiculously lost balance and landed on Quistis on the bed, Seifer had never felt a range of different emotions in that one moment… The feeling of guilt, having been clumsy in just trying to get his bag. The feeling of peace and familiarity… the little flashbacks might come more often and a close-up view of Quistis' face is just… The feeling of embarrassment…when Stella just unexpectedly came in the room to hand over their keys…
The feeling of uneasiness… For a few minutes when Stella left and he stood up, the two have been ignoring each other for that time… and only began to talk to each other when they saw the need to after seeing that they have to go downstairs for dinner…
And then there was that…
One word about "that" and things would not turn out good. I mean Quistis Trepe is a woman of elegance and perfection. This little incident is not to be heard off at all…
Especially since it involves him… Seifer Almasy… the world's most Hyne-forsaken man…
Of course, why would Quistis be proud to have had this little incident with him, of all people!? OK, maybe now… things are under control since they are in a place where they are not known. But, if this bit of news ever reached to Balamb Garden… Well, he might as well consider leaving the Garden altogether…
Because it involves him… Seifer Almasy…
Even though, that minor incident sparked in him a very important memory… Quistis will never hear or speak of this… just because… of him…
Wait… what is this last feeling then? It feels heavy… It feels it would go on forever…
A feeling of sadness? Is this what it is?
-Whoa! Whoa! Wait a sec here!? What the hell am I thinking about in the middle of a mission!? Ugh, Seifer Almasy! Focus! Focus!-
"Seifer, are you OK? You were shaking your head quite hard right there?" Her voice literally brought him back to reality. The young man had not realized he was walking straight ahead, leaving her behind in a few meters…
"Uh… yeah… Yeah, I'm f-fine." He said sheepishly, scratching his head. The girl giggled softly, which took him aback. She walked closer to him and sighed.
"You know… It's not really you to stutter or… stammer… The Seifer Almasy I know says things with pride… with, you know… that suave…? With that gusto…? The swaying of arms…?" The blond beauty said so, with her arms swaying all around as well.
Seifer could only give a faint smile. "Well, uh… yeah… I was kinda like a jerk back then, huh?"
The SeeD raised an eyebrow and seem to think for a second. "Yeeeaaah… your attitude was little off but… the way you talk and move is… I don't know… it was sort of cute! Ehe…"
Now, this was one to get the Seifer to drop his jaw… "Huh?"
Quistis giggled again. "You looked like the time when you landed on me on the bed. Your jaw just… fell!" She said, laughing softly all the way.
-Damn… She's cute, too… Huh… What the hell… But wait…-
"But… I thought we're not supposed to talk about that incident." Seifer said, a little bit of confused.
Quistis lightly shook her head in disbelief. "Seifer… what happened back then… Stella completely misunderstood… SO we have to explain everything to her and then forget about it… But it doesn't mean we have act like it never happened. I mean… wait till the other guys hear about this, especially Selphie and Zell… It's gonna make their insides hurt!"
-That smile… How come I never get to see this in Balamb Garden…?-
"B-but back at the room… How come we got over the explaining part around 18 times just so I understand it perfectly?" The blond young man asked again just to clarify things.
The blond woman in turn let out a soft giggle yet again. "It's because you keep asking me… so I just try to make you understand, that's all!"
Seifer gave out a dumfounded look - one that made Quistis laugh again. Pretty soon, both were laughing wholeheartedly… like the time when they were at the rent-a-car place, except maybe this time, all the awkwardness is thrown away…
"So…" Quistis began after she had calmed down. "Everything is clarified, then?"
Seifer sighed… and smiled. (XD) "Yeah… all clear…"
"OK… Let's go eat dinner, then…" She said and went on her way.
The young man sighed again as he followed her. –OK… She's not what I thought she is…-
And so… this feeling he feels right now…
Is it the feeling of… happiness?
-Wow… It feels good… Huh? Wait… Argh, not again! Seifer… focus on the mission! Focus!-
"What!? You saw them like that!? Stella, that is one juicy gossip!"
Another voice brought him back to reality. But this time… it's not really good to hear… because the owner of the voice was…
"Zen! Please… do not shout… People downstairs will hear you…" Gylan was heard next. Quistis looked at Seifer and both nodded. They hurriedly went near the stairs where the three were presumed to be. As the two were frantically and hurriedly walking to clear out the misunderstanding, they can hear the three talk… (or gossip…)
"Yes! I forgot to give them their keys to their room so I hurried back. When I opened the door, I saw Seifer was on TOP of Quistis and they were on TOP of bed! I apologized quickly and left the keys by a table in a jiffy. When I closed in the door, my face was all red!" They can practically hear Stella's voice from where they are…
-Oh boy… I hope Stella only told this to those two- Seifer thought as he walked.
"Whoa… I always thought they were pretty awkward to each other for a husband and wife. But after hearing this? Whoa, man… I bet they were just holding it all in!" Zen said excitedly.
-Pretty awkward for a husband and wife? Great… they actually noticed something's off… But… "holding it in"? Geez, how dirty can this Zen's mind get?- Seifer rolled his eyes. They're going to have a tough time explaining their way out of this…
Quistis, meanwhile, was also thinking the same. -Awkward, huh? Well, this incident helped a bit, alright… But, geez, Zen…. Why do you have to say that!?-
"This makes a little worried about them, you two. They are very young to be married… Well, I don't doubt the legitimacy of it but… They just got to understand that this is a lifetime commitment thing… not just for love…" The ever-father model that was Gylan Ronner said.
"Whooooooooooooooaaaaaaaa………… Okaaaaaaayyy… There is a lot of misunderstanding here!" Seifer said panickingly…
The three gossipers (Okay, maybe two… but Gylan seems to believe them that easily so…) were taken aback to find that the subjects of their talk are right in front of them, gasping for breath…
"Whoohoo… Oh yeah! The two lovey-doveys are here…" Zen cheered, raising a fist in the air…
And then…
"Ow! Gylan, why must you always do that out of the blue!?" Zen, complained, placing his raised hand on the affected area of his head.
"Zen, please… your brain before your mouth?" Gylan said, scolding him as usual. He then turned to our favorite couple, who by then, were breathing normally. "Okay… Seifer… Quistis…? What is it that you want to say?"
Both blondes looked at each other and Seifer nodded and stepped forward. "OK… First things first, everything you think it is… is NOT TRUE…"
"But, I saw you guys on the bed…" Stella defended.
"Yeah, you kinda saw us like that… But we weren't doing what you guys think we were doing…" Quistis piped in.
The three stared at them like… Huh? (XD)
"OK…" Seifer began again. "Zen, you placed my bag on the side of the bed near the window, right?"
Zen could only nod. "Yeah… I did…"
"And Stella, at that time that you opened the door, there was Quistis's bag beside us, right?" Seifer asked her next.
The Innkeeper nodded. "Yes..."
"OK…" Seifer paused. "Here's what actually happened: After you guys left us in our room, we started getting settled. Quistis was getting her things in her bag which was on the foot on the bed. Meanwhile, I was looking for mine… and I saw it on the other side bed and went straight for it! So… I ended up knocking off Quistis and I landed on her, too… And… that's where you, Stella, came in to the picture… And before I could get up and explain, you suddenly just… closed the door…"
"And before you go telling the two about this, Stella… I think you forgot to mention that our clothes were still intact, right?" Quistis asked her. Seifer was taken aback. How could she go asking that kind of a question? (XD) But, oh well, it proves a point anyway…
-I think I forgot to tell the part where we found ourselves not moving an inch because… well to me… it felt familiar and peaceful buuuut… I don't think that was important… - Seifer thought at the very back of his mind…
"What? That's what happened, huh…" Zen muttered, seemingly disappointed. (XD)
Gylan sighed and seemed content with the explanation. "Well, I guess this explains everything… Let's just leave it there and forget about it, OK…?"
"Yes sir…" All four younger ones responded.
"And…" Gylan looked at two guilty-looking people, namely Zen and Stella. "I suppose, we can end this peacefully with a simple apology, perhaps?"
Both sighed… begrudgingly… "Hey, you looked like you believed what Stella said too, you know." Zen protested as his "male" pride was definitely affected… (XD)
The older man sighed and rolled his eyes at the younger man. "Fine… I'll start… Seifer and Quistis? I am sorry…"
"Yeah, no worries…" Seifer said. –Well, I'm glad the explaining part got on smoothly… -
"Um… me too…" Stella began. "Ehehe… Sorry… I sort of jumped into conclusions."
"Apology accepted…" Quistis said with a smile. And then all eyes turned to one certain young who has not apologized yet… And that young man can see those penetrating gazes…
"Yeah, yeah, yeah… fine… sorry! Just got carried away with the stories and all…" Zen said, scratching head and looking down at the floor.
"But… because you see!" He suddenly looked up and catching their attention. "From the very beginning, I always doubted the fact that you guys are married…"
Quistis and Seifer looked at each other and back to Zen again. Well, it was true… The first time they met this guy… he called Seifer, uh… "trying-hard suitor". And he wasn't really that convinced even when they had shown their wedding rings…
"I mean… you guys are my age…" Zen continued on, doing one of his drama king moments again. "Well yeah… I never get the nerve to take a girl out but… I can't seem to figure out why would you guys marry unless…"
And Zen gasped. His hand that was previously on his head went to his mouth and then it pointed to Quistis. "Could it be Quistis… You're… You're PREGNANT!?"
"WHAT!?" Came the young lady's reply.
Stella gasped as well. Gylan looked like he thinks Zen has a point. (XD)
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Wait a minute, here… Zen!" Seifer defended. "We just got ourselves away from a would-be nasty rumor and you're starting up another one again. Let me get this straight! Quistis is not pregnant! I mean… Look at her for Hyne's sake… Does she look pregnant to you!? And let me get this one straight, too… I married Quistis because I love her and I would do anything to protect her, is that clear!?"
(WHAT THE HELL!? O.O)
Now, if Seifer hadn't been too caught up with his emotions (or his act… I don't know. I'm confused, too), he would have noticed that his 'wife' was blushing quite intensely when he uttered the word… Love… (XD)
-Okaaay, Quistis! Get a hold of yourself! It's just an act! It's… just an act… I have to think of a way of how I can go along with this… But, geez, to be accused of being pregnant!? Hyne! Can I kill Zen first!?- The young lady battles her inner thoughts as she tries to calm down from either that false pregnancy accusation or that sudden love proclamation… (You choose… XD)
"What!?" Zen retorts back. "Then why did you mention that back at Deling City and I quote: "You're wrong!!! I don't care if it's... 10... Or 20 children!!! Even if I have to work till I drop dead!!! Because I don't wanna be that father that walks away!!!"
Quistis winced at that. Stella gasped again. And Gylan is getting more worried-looking than ever. (XD)
"I only said that because you reminded me of 'that' someone…" Seifer replied back and paused. "And… And I rather not talk about that right now…"
Zen gulped. I guess he just gotten way overboard, here.
Seifer sighed. – Damn that Zen! I swear if I had my Hyperion with me right now… I'd slash his mouth of his face!!! But yeah, calm down... calm down, Seifer… You'll get through this…-
He felt something warm in his right hand and he looked. Quistis took hold of his hand and gave an encouraging smile.
He heard her whisper. "Great job… I'll take it from here…"
"Gylan… Zen… Stella…" She caught their attention. "We are perfectly aware that we married too early. Nothing really serious pushed us to do it. It's just… we felt that it was time for us to be together forever… To start in a new chapter in our lives… I don't know… That's what I felt when he proposed to me." (XD)
-Huh…? I did?- Seifer thought in the back of this head. – Oh well, better go along with it…-
"Now all we're asking you is… Since we know that there is no more turning back, all we ask of you is your support so that we can get through the first stages of this marriage… I mean we grew up in an orphanage and ended up getting adopted but… somehow… it never worked out… So, we don't really know the first thing about having a family… so…"
- Huh… How did she know I ended up in an adopted family that didn't work out? Did Matron told her about that…?- Seifer thought but opted to stay quiet.
"So…we just really need someone we can rely on… Please?" That very sincere please of Quistis was the final blow. The three (most especially Zen) were definitely convinced that they are legally married AND are very much in love… (XD)
Stella, who looked to be in the verge of bursting into tears, said "Don't worry you two… When you need me, I'm just here at the Inn."
"Thanks…", replied both.
"Likewise for me…I'll be there when you need me…" Says Gylan, who by then have innately considered our favorite couple to be very mature for their age… unlike some…
All four of them looked at Zen. Well, he started the whole argument, anyway. He might as well get the "closing statement". The said person, scratched the back of his neck and let out a heavy sigh.
"OK… Maybe I got to far… with all the accusations and jokes to you guys… Sorry…" Zen said, with a real apologetic tone, this time… "Well, if you guys have a problem… you can hang on me too…"
"Sure, we'll be needing that." Seifer said, with no sarcasm intended… just that tone of silent male approval. (?)
"OK… I guess everything's resolved then…" Stella said on a cheery note, letting the others breathe a sigh of relief. Then suddenly, a realization came to the innkeeper - something really urgent.
"Oops!" She said. "I forgot to cook our dinner!"
"WHAT!?" All four of the, uh… rather hungry people looked at Stella like… How could she forget that?
This time, it was the Innkeeper's turn to scratch her head. "Sorry, Branfordes… could you wait again in your room?"
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"What!? Quisits stuffed a pillow in Seifer's mouth!?" Rinoa exclaimed as she laughed hysterically, clutching her abdomen tighter.
"Yeah… Me and Irvy had to intervene to get her to stop! Seifer was getting all blue because he couldn't breathe!" Selphie said excitedly, which had put Rinoa into a more fit of laughter and tears starting to fall.
Well, it's good to bring laughter and fun after a long and tiring 'operation' against the Galbadian Army. The Forest Owls and the SeeD Team which consisted of Selphie, Irvine and Zell were currently hiding in a secret basement from one the houses in Timber.
The operation they had earlier was a success! The goal was to steal… erm… or confiscate the supply of weapons of the G-Army from the now repaired and rebuilt Missile Base to another base which is located near Timber. What exactly did they do?
Simple! In between the military bases was a road. On that particular road, the Forest Owls had set up something movie-like. They had a pick-up truck ('borrowed' from Seifer and Quistis, that is) parked in the middle of the road and slashed one of its tires.
Around the area, they have set up amplifiers and a sound system inside placed fake bushes. The Forest Owls are set to handle over all these equipment. Meanwhile, Rinoa and the SeeDs await the arriving soldiers and the weapon supplies by their "flattened-tire" truck.
So, here's what happened:
There were 5 soldiers – one was a low-ranking commanding officer and the rest were his constituents. All of five of them have been assigned to deliver the weapons to a base near Timber. Three of them were riding on an army jeep and the other two on the cargo truck loaded with all the weaponry and other supplies. And on the road, they noticed 4 teenagers and a pick-up truck that seemed to have one tire flattened.
Naturally, as these soldiers were young, inexperienced, and a bit of naïve, they stopped by to see if they can help. In doing so, they found out that one of them; a certain black-haired girl had "twisted her ankle".
As the medical member proceeded to help the injured girl, a certain smooth-talker clad in a cowboy hat and a long brown coat convinced the soldiers to join in their picnic since it was a very hot day and all. Of course, bound by duty, the commander flatly refused saying that their cargo must be delivered on time.
But, the cowboy's persuading or… "wooing" skills are not to be underestimated. (Especially 3 out the soldiers were female… XD) and then, suddenly coming to the scene, was a loud and energetic "gel filled" blonde- haired young man. He complained that it was hot and took off his shirt revealing his 6-pack abs… (XD)
Well, needless to say, the female soldiers were definitely drooling at the sight of the cowboy womanizer-shirtless hottie combination duo and the two guys, especially their leader is not the least pleased with his female members' um… non-military behavior. The leader still insisted that they should be heading to be on their way.
Unluckily, things would not go as he says. That is because the last guy, who happened to be the medical member, noticed that the injured girl that he was attending to was sort of… cute… (XD) and oddly familiar, too… (cough… General's daughter… cough… Deling City citizen…cough…)
Finally, a certain brown haired girl came into the scene, holding up their food and drinks for the picnic. It was not really fancy food – just grilled sandwiches and soft drinks. But it was certainly enough to make the soldiers' stomachs growl in hunger, particularly that of their captain. (XD)
That apparently was the last push to make the stubborn captain forget about their duty and eat. After all, he and his team were ordered in such a hurry that they didn't get even had something to stuff their stomachs with... To top it off, it was just another delivery… again - something an aspiring military man wouldn't be happy to brag about…
So much to the delight of his members, their captain officially announced that it should be fine having a small break. Thus, Phase 1 of the plan was accomplished. (XD)
As they were eating, they began to casually to talk about things and share stories. Then, suddenly, they heard a rumbling sound… And it was growing louder… and louder…
Then, as if on cue, the gel-haired boy remembered something and looked frantic all of a sudden. Then, he fearfully told his companions that they are in a cursed place… He said they are in the place of a legendary and hungry monster... That if it catches the scent of food, it will not only prey on the food but also anything near it as it possibly has the food's scent…
Of course, everyone laughed at gel-haired boy's story, with the cowboy saying to "save that later at camp". But then, the rumbling sound soon turned to mumbling sounds… All the girls and the gel-haired boy were already getting scared and the two male soldiers alarmed.
The cowboy shoved it off, saying it was just their overactive imagination and even adding that he'll go over the bushes where the sounds seems to be coming from and check it to set the record straight. All of them seem to have no problems with that and so he proceeded.
The cowboy walked slowly and easily went behind that particular bush… And just as the others were about to sigh a breath of relief…
The cowboy began screaming that something got his leg! There were roaring sounds and crunching sounds! Pretty soon, there was blood flowing out from the bush. And then slowly he was being brought down, screaming more in agony… The girls were already screaming!!!
The gel-haired boy, as if his last act of bravery, rushed over to save his friend. The brown haired girl joined him as well… leaving the injured girl behind. But that was to be followed by more screams of pain and agony and cries for help…
And then… something flew up and it landed right in front of the soldier team…It was a bloody cowboy hat and… a dismantled hand… with a glove in it… The black-haired girl screamed in horror!!!
That apparently was the last straw… And all five of the soldiers frantically raced towards the army jeep and drove back … leaving the injured girl behind again as she was screaming and begging to take them with her…
But, they sped off in frenzy, carelessly leaving behind their precious cargo…
And then, a few minutes later, the screaming ceased… it soon turned to laughing and cheering!!! Irvine, Zell, Selphie and the Forest Owls emerged from the bushes cheering on… Rinoa raised Irvine's hat which actually soaked in red food coloring and corn starch (still wet) … and a dummy hand with Zell's glove in it…
That was the plan… To scare off the poor inexperienced soldiers and steal… or rather 'confiscate' their precious cargo… with the help of a cutting-edge sound technology from Esthar, some spooky movie props and, a bit of acting on the side… (XD)
Yeah, I know… not your ideal resistance operation… more like a cruel practical joke teenagers would think of…
But if the plan had failed, the Galbadians might have staged a successful invasion on Timber again.
Two months ago, after the original Deling was killed by Edea (well, it was actually Ultimecia), General Caraway had ordered all troops to permanently leave Timber. All of Timber rejoiced, finally regaining their freedom after all these years. They even considered that Edea was a hero for doing the deed. But those happy days were not to last.
As Timber was just getting ready to find a suitable leader, the vice president of Galbadia took over his brother's place and things were beginning to be as they were again. Some people of Galbadia, did not want this… especially that of General Caraway, who was determined that Timber should be left alone.
But, this new leader, Grimoire Deling was more sinister than his brother. He does not trust that easily and certainly sees his people as mere subjects or… objects to his plan – whatever they may be… As he personally never cared at all for his country's local affairs, he had put all his time and effort in reorganizing the Galbadian Military force since he had been in power.
As one of its most revered veterans, General Caraway, believing that this nonsense quest for more power must stop, stepped out in his way trying to oppose everything the new President Deling has done. That, unfortunately, landed him in jail… and ironically in the D-District Prison. His actions were something that surprised the oppressed nation of Timber… and even more so… to his daughter who by then believed that she should fight even harder for Timer's independence and for her father's unexpected sacrifice…
Well, err… the Scaring off the Soldiers Plan was what Rinoa, the SeeDs and Forest Owls came up with. Even Squall (the Commander who set the contract) was utterly surprised to find out the plan actually worked… (XD) And here, he thought that the new Deling guy greatly improved his army…
Well, for now, the Forest Owls and SeeDs cleaned everything up, got the truck (Seifer and Quistis's truck) working again and went back to Timber so that they can hide… and celebrate!
Latest intel they got from Watts, who was on undercover, is that when those poor 5 soldiers came back to their base, they had to explain themselves why the weapons supply had not arrived yet… to the ruthless President himself. And when they went back to that road to prove their story, everything was gone… (XD)
Everything was all gone – the pick-up truck, the bushes, the blood... and the supposedly left behind girl…
All that was left was their army truck, which was emptied out… and… also the soldiers' sandwiches and drinks… (XD; that was harsh, I know…)
Those poor soldiers were probably demoted to janitorial duties…
The stolen… er… confiscated weapons and supplies have been distributed evenly among the factions in Timber as it supplied an entire 3000- man army. And to show their appreciation, there was a bit of ammo for Irvine and some items to refine Zell's and Selphie's weapons.
So, here they are, that night, celebrating their success. Irvine, Zell and some of other guys were all doing some work on their hidden camera footage of their operation. And meanwhile, Selphie was talking to Rinoa about the day before… when the three SeeDs were still with 'Seifer and Quistis Branforde'. It was probably to cheer Rinoa up as they couldn't get info about her father from those five soldiers they had tricked earlier…
"Aw man…" Rinoa said as she calmed down after laughing so hard. "I wish I was there with you guys… I sure hope those two wouldn't mind we, uh…'borrowed' their truck without them knowing…"
Selphie giggled… "I sure wanna see how they're doing, too! I mean like... How did they sleep at Deling Inn last night? Did they sleep together in… one bed?" (XD)
Rinoa gasped and both of them screamed in delight… and laughed again.
"So after tomorrow, where will you guys be?"
Selphie sighed. Being a SeeD was indeed a lot of hard work. Just about an hour ago, there was another call from Squall saying the three have another mission… Too bad though, she wanted to stay more with Rinoa and talk with her more…
Then, out of the blue, Rinoa asked, "Selphie… You think my old man's okay…?
Selphie was naturally taken aback… They were all happy and laughing seconds ago and then it came to this. And how come she still her call her father…"my old man"? And why did Rinoa get depressed all of a sudden!? As Selphie is a cheerful person, she just hates this kind of depressing moments…
"Aww, come on, Rin! Cheer up! You'll soon find out more about your dad! Just give Watts some time… His information-gathering skills sure have improved a lot!" Selphie said. Rinoa gave a small smile.
Then, suddenly, they heard loud knocks from the door. It was Zell. "Hey girls! We already uploaded the footage our hidden cameras caught in my new laptop! You wanna watch!?"
Both girls looked at each other and shouted, "YES!" And so, they hurriedly went to the other room.
Selphie breathed a sigh of relief, glad that the depressed moment didn't last for long… And somehow, she also wondered…
-Geez, I wonder how Seifer and Quisty's doing?-
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Not good…
They are currently in their room again. Well, they're glad that misunderstanding from earlier that day was cleared up… and they managed to gain their trust, too…
But because all that acting of love, marriage and such made them even more awkward with each other… At least, to each other now that they're alone again…
Well, the awkwardness shouldn't last that long, though… That superb acting that Seifer and Quistis gave off was proof enough that they make a great team they never thought they would be… All it takes to break the ice between them is just one question…
"So…" It was Seifer who began. "How did you know… that my adopted family didn't work out with me…?"
Quistis confused for a second then remembered something. "Huh? Oh that…? Well, I just assumed that you and your adoptive family never worked out because… If you were happy with them, then you shouldn't have been in Balamb Garden, right?"
Seifer thought for a while. "Yeah… that… kinda happened… Good analysis…"
"Yeah, thanks…" Quistis replied. They were both sitting at the foot of their bed, basically doing nothing and was just waiting for Stella to say that dinner's ready…
"So…" Seifer began again. "That means… things also didn't work with your family too, huh?"
"Yeah… pretty much…" Quistis replied again. "Guess if it turned out that way… we never should've been adopted in the first place…"
Then, suddenly… a memory long buried came to them… a memory that they both have never been fond of…
"You promised you won't get adopted!!! You said we'll always be best friends!!!
"Seifer, wait!!! Listen, Ms. Trepe says she's really my mother!!! We'll always be best friends… I'll come and visit every day if you want…"
"NO!!! You broke your promise!!! DON'T EVER COME BACK!!! We're NOT FRIENDS anymore!!!"
"Wait, Seifer… WAIT!!!
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Hey, guys! It's Zen. Stella said that it's kinda better if you guys can wait downstairs… A lot of people are coming here to eat… Figured you should meet them…"
Both stood up, waving the unexpected flashback from their heads. Both are not even aware they had the same one so, there was no awkwardness between them.
But in the inside, it's driving them crazy… And it would sound especially weird if one of them talks about that again…
Maybe later after dinner…
Our favorite couple went downstairs with Zen. And as soon as they reached the ground floor, they were startled by a number of people waiting by the tables.
"Hey everyone!" Zen called everyone's attention. "Starting today, these guys will be living with us… I would like you to meet Seifer Branforde and his wife, Quistis… Yeah, they're my age… but I can tell you this… They're pretty much in love!"
Soft laughter and giggles followed soon after and welcomed the two warmly… Zen soon pointed at their table which was their table that afternoon.
-Strange- Quistis thought. –I thought Winhill was supposed to be a town that shuns strangers… I mean they were not particularly fond of Laguna when he was here… Oh well, it's been more than 10 years since then anyway…-
Seifer and Quistis both sat down by their table. Pretty soon, a man, possibly in his 60's came up to them. "Hello there, you two. Name is Lyle Ashterton. I've been the Mayor of this town for 25 years. And let me officially welcome you to Winhill!
"Thank you!" Both greeted back and Quistis sighed. –Good, I guess he doesn't remember me… I was with Squall and Rinoa that time, looking for the missing pieces of his vase… A weird mission to give to a SeeD… -
Zen, then suddenly took sit with them. "Whew, so how'd ya like the people…?"
"Zen, I thought you said something about Winhil natives don't trust strangers." Seifer said, as matter-of-factly.
"Oh that… Ehehehe… I was kinda shoving you guys off since we didn't get a good start back then but…" The young man began. "Here let me explain… There are actually two sides of Winhill. One side just doesn't trust newcomers… Well, it has something to do with the Esthar's army attacking the town way back years ago…"
Quistis silently nodded to that. That attack from Esthar was headed by Sorceress Adel who wanted to take Ellone but failed to and instead killed her parents. Raine adopted her after that… So Laguna must have got there in bad timing…
"And then there's the other side where they welcome strangers. Most of them are here now…" Zen continued to explain. "As you can see, the side doesn't trust people were the older ones since that Esthar incident happened years ago… Except for the mayor and… ol' Britz… He owns a shop and travelers frequently stop by his shop so… he must have gotten used to it…"
Seifer nodded, absorbing the new information, and then raised an eyebrow. "So, which side are you on?"
"Huh? What are you guys talking about! I'm on the trusting side, of course" Zen said.
Both blondes muffled their laughs covering mouths with their hands. "Yeah right, Zen…" Quistis said, feeling a little bit playful tonight.
"Aww, come on…" Zen whined. "We three just got off to a bad start. No worries… I like other people… It's kinda boring to see these people every day!!! That's why I join Gylan on his trips to Deling City! Well, kinda boring now that since that Grimoire Deling came into power… but anyway, as I was saying…"
And here goes Zen, dilly-dallying again… Seifer and Quistis are now glad they finally had this guy's trust. He sure was a very friendly person once you get to get the good side of him.
"Zenardo!? Zenardo!? Zenardo Miller!? Where are you, you good-for-nothing nephew of mine!?" A loud voice was heard all across the room – a voice that Zen doesn't want to hear…
"Damn… it's my aunt!" Zen hissed, suddenly hiding under their table which was covered with table cloth. "Hey, guys… cover for me, okay?"
Seifer and Quistis looked at each other and shrugged off their shoulders almost at the same time. Oh well, might as well give the poor guy a break. The other people seemed to be not bothered by the shouting voice heard as if they were already used to it…
-But, geez… Zenardo was actually his full name!? Ha! I'm guessing he's in deep trouble with his aunt- Seifer thought to himself, amused by what's happening…
Soon, the aunt had come at last to their table. She had curly shoulder-length blonde hair and wearing an apron over her clothes. She seemed to be about the same age as Dr. Kadowaki…
"Why, hello!" She said cheerfully which was quite different from her scolding voice from earlier. "You two must be the new young ones that my nephew's been raving about! Ugh! That boy… Just wouldn't shut up, right? Oh well, my name is Astrid, Astrid McArthur… Pleased to meet you!"
Seifer and Quistis greeted back. Well, she's certainly one of the trusting side. And wasn't she the one Zen mentioned that once lived in the haunted PUB…?
"Well, speaking of my nephew, have you seen him come here?" Asked the aunt, coming straight to the point. Her eyes were quite stern… and scary, actually…
"Uh… no… No, I'm afraid…" Seifer lied, knowing pretty well that Zen was actually who did the introductions to everyone when they came down the stairs.
"Oh really…?" Astrid eyed at Seifer intensely. The young man made a small gulp. And then she looked at Quistis the same way as well…
"Uh… Yes?" Quistis asked. Astrid lowered over her head near Quistis's ear and whispered. "You're so lucky… You have one hot husband! Heard from my nephew he said that he loves you and would anything to protect you! Awww, isn't that the sweetest thing?" (XD)
Quistis blushed for the second time that night… -Why did Zen mention that…?- She glanced at Seifer whose face was actually pale. He must heard it as well.
Astrid lifted her head and sighed. "You're lucky, you know… Reminds me of how pathetic my life has been. Should've married one of those suitors when I had the chance! But… Here I am… Stuck with a "Miss" in my name and raising a good-for-nothing nephew!!!"
THUD!
Surprisingly, she kicked the table Zen was hiding under and one could hear a small yelp of pain from underneath. (XD)
Astrid smiled sweetly, as if she did nothing… "Well, I must be on my way… Helping Stella with the cooking, you see… Poor girl, why did she forget to cook dinner, today… ? Oh but, all the girls get together here every weekend night and cook… For now, you're still a guest so relax for now Quistis… Well, ta-ta!" With that, she left for the kitchen.
Both exhaled deeply. Seifer tapped his hand on the table. "The coast is clear…"
And out emerging from the table was Zen, with a pretty nasty bump on his forehead. Seifer and Quistis burst out laughing, having been keeping it in the whole time since they found out his full name…
"Wahaha… Harharhar… Sure laugh out loud, for all I care…Oww… Geez, how many times have I been hit in the head today?" Zen whined, patting the red bump lightly.
"Wow…" Said Quistis after she had calmed down. "You sure have a fun aunt…"
Zen could only smile. "Yeah… There isn't a day where you can't hear her loud voice but… I love my aunt! She's my only family… She really is a sweet person… just can't stand her lectures, you know… About her life and what should have been…"
Our favorite couple could only sigh. So far, the people they have met in Winhill were very kind and warm. It's just impossible to find a suspect now…
Just then, the front door opened and out revealed a young girl clad in dark green clothing, black denim ¾ cut jeans and sandals. Her hair reached down a few inches down to her chest part. Her bangs were hanging down her left side, almost covering her left eye. And because, it was little dark from where she was, her eyes glowed in… gold…
It startled Seifer and Quistis a bit…
"Oh Hazel! Gylan! Finally you guys both arrived…" Zen exclaimed, getting up from his chair. Pretty soon, Gylan appeared behind the girl and waved. The golden glow in girl's eyes suddenly vanished…
"Hello again…" Gylan greeted. "This is Hazel, the girl I talked to you about earlier in the truck."
The girl came forward, revealing hazel eyes - an eye color that changes depending on the light. (That's what I heard though, :P)
"Oh, Hazel!" Quistis said. "I can see where you got your name from. You have very beautiful eyes… Well, my name's Quistis Branforde… And this is my husband, Seifer…"
Without much of a smile, she eyed them closely and spoke in lazy-like manner, "Yeah…Nice to meet you…" And she went to sit in Zen's chair, not even looking at them at all.
-Wow… talk about emo… But, we've got to talk to this girl. She could have been the one who sent us the distress call and the package. – Seifer thought.
Gylan sighed in exasperation. Apparently, he must have already been used to the girl's stoic behavior. "Well, so sorry to come late… We just had a last-minute sitter to look after the little ones back at home. It was the old grandmother, though… Trudy… Said something that made Hazel um… like that…"
Seifer and Quistis made a small glance at the girl. Wasn't the girl originally from Balamb? That grandmother must have been from the un-welcoming side of Winhill…
Zen, who did not really like the heavy atmosphere around them, went up to Hazel and said, "C'mon, Hazel… Cheer up! This two new guys are gonna live here from now on! And you're in luck! These guys are fresh from Balamb!"
"Sshhhh!!!" Gylan scolded the loud man and was about to hit his head again, but prompted not to as he saw a red bump on Zen's forehead. (XD)
Hazel looked up at the two blondes instantly as soon as she heard the word. Well, that word is actually taboo word for her, though…
-Why did she suddenly got interested in us when she heard we're from Balamb…? Could she… be our mystery sender?"- Quistis thought.
But as soon she looked up, she looked down again. Both blondes were looked at each other with raised eyebrows.
"Uh, yeah, like… sorry… I said the word… again…" Zen apologized. He went and stood in between the couple and whispered. "Hazel's family died in that fire, remember? We told you that, too… She gets a little grouchy when she hears that word…"
-Oh, so it's like that… If she was that mystery sender, how did she manage to get to Balamb then if she doesn't want to hear about it…?- Seifer thought next. – Great, we're back to square 1!-
"So how's…" Surprisingly, Hazel began to speak and all eyes looked at her. "How's it going in that place?"
"It's… It's fine…" Seifer replied. The girl was still looking down at the table but her head was facing in the couple's direction.
"You guys are married?" She asked, noticing their rings. Her voice was a bit monotonous.
"Yeah, just got married though…" Seifer replied.
"Well, we're here to support them, Hazel…" Gylan spoke. "Since they're just getting started at married life, they asked us for their support. They are going to stay at that empty house near the PUB. And if Quistis says it's OK, she might even become that babysitter for the kids…"
Being trained to notice the smallest of details, both Quistis and Seifer noticed that Hazel reacted a little when Gylan mentioned... kids…
Are these kids really in danger or what…?
"Oh I see…" Hazel said without any enthusiasm at her voice.
-Okaaayyy… It's either she's emo, or shy or whatever… but I think it's not yet the right time to confront her about Gylan or about the kids…- The blonde man thought, thinking maybe just introductions are better for today…
"How come you decided to stay here?" She asked again. This time, she was already looking at them. The pupils in her eyes revealed shades of green, brown and amber mixed in her pupils. And it also revealed a very sad face…
"Well, we uh…" Quistis began to reply. "We thought about it and Winhill seems to be very nice place to live and start a new family… We have met very kind and warm people despite what the rumors say about this place…"
Then, Hazel snorted, quite loudly and rudely in fact. Surprised, the couple saw that the girl had smirk on her face and then a frown…
"What's wrong…?" Seifer began to ask… And Hazel's face turned from lazy-like to stern…
"Despite what the rumors say!? Ha! They don't even say half of what's really going on in here… Oh sure! It looks like the ultimate dream home... Far away from city life, a quiet and peaceful town… Puh-lease! The people here just hates strangers! Even though you've lived here for 10 years, they STILL treat you as if you just arrived here YESTERDAY!!!"
Her voice certainly had gone quite high. The other people who were chatting soon quieted down.
"Now, now, Hazel…" Gylan said, trying to calm down his adoptive daughter. "Sorry about that everyone… Please don't mind us…"
And a few seconds later, it got a little bit noisier again.
Zen, who had gotten two free seats for himself and Gylan, placed them at their table. This way, they could have a more private conversation. As they have seated, Hazel continued to look down and become quiet again.
Both blondes were dumbfounded by the young girl's sudden change of behavior. Zen could only scratch his head. The atmosphere has gotten even heavier this time. And Gylan could only sigh of exasperation, even though he was known for his temper, he has still enough patience left for Hazel…
"Now, Hazel…" Gylan began again… "We have gone through this already… but… always remember… That Zen and I will always be there for you… Whatever happens…"
"I know that!" Hazel spoke again, the tone of her voice was definitely higher. "You don't have to say that a billion times! What I'm trying to say is that these two should better leave Winhill or they'll regret it!"
"Ssshh, Hazel… Watch your tone, please…" Gylan reminded her patiently.
"We, uh… appreciate your concern, Hazel…" Seifer spoke. "But we… already have decided that this where we'll stat our new life and raise a family…"
"And don't worry about us!" Quistis added. "We'll work hard to make sure that we'll win everyone's trust in Winhill…"
-And find out who the hell is asking for help… And see where the syndicate gang is hiding…- Both blondes thought at the back of their heads… simultaneously … in fact…
"Yeah!" Zen piped in, too. "It's not just them, you know… They asked us for their support, especially Gylan… He's the older one, I suppose…"
Hazel raised an eyebrow and snorted rudely again. "What do you guys know about marriage and family!? Zen, you've never even asked a girl out let alone marrying one!"
Zen winced… Well, the truth always hurts… (XD)
"And Gylan… You never even married! How can these two expect some help from you!?"
Okaay… That was way too far… Gylan can only stay silent at what she said.
"Although… you make a great father…" Hazel mumbled and suddenly walked out…
"Huh?"
"W-wha? Hazel, where are you going?" Gylan, who was a bit a dumbfounded, looked up to see the girl go out the front door.
"Outside for fresh air…" She answered stoically and went on her way. The door closed with a loud slam…
"Hey…" Seifer began. "Did you hear what she last said?"
Both Zen and Quistis nodded, with relieved smiles, in fact. Glad that the conversation actually ended somehow on a good way… Gylan, on the other hand, was scratching his head and somewhat flattered and confused… (XD)
"Well come on, Gylan… Go to her again and show how you make a 'great father'…" Said Zen, with slight sarcasm intended.
Gylan stood up from his seat and smirked. "Don't be like that. You're just mad Hazel didn't say anything good to you…"
Both blondes laughed as Gylan left. Zen could only frown and shrug in defeat. "Well, glad she wasn't that mad, though."
"Has she always been like this…?" Quistis had to ask. Zen once mentioned that even Gylan had a bad temper. She had never even seen Gylan even raise his tone of voice to Hazel, not even once…
Zen shook his head. "Hazel is usually a cheerful girl… Even though, she's not really a talkative person. It's just… lately, things between her and Gylan are getting a little edgy…"
"Lately? What happened?" Seifer asked, thinking that somehow what they came to Winhill for was somehow related with this…
Zen shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know… I think, well you know, Hazel… never talks about her problems… Gylan also doesn't go to that topic, either. It's kinda annoying but… even so he still gives her that insane amount of patience…"
"Yeah… we could see that…" Quistis said and looked at Seifer as he looked at her. Both could tell that they are thinking the same thing…
"Well, let me go to the kitchen and see if the food is done… I'm kinda starving right now!!!" Zen said as he stood up and left.
Meanwhile, the two blondes are on the verge of their thrill and excitement. (Well maybe for Seifer only) This time though, they've got every possibility to suspect Gylan Ronner and Hazel to know more of this… funny business…
Could things have edgy between Gylan and Hazel because the girl found out something that she wasn't entirely too happy about? Could it be the syndicates thing? If so, was she really the mysterious caller and package sender that brought them here in Winhill?
It would be a long way off to know more… But, at least, they're in for a good start…
It was just their first day in Winhill…
And a LOT has happened since then…
This was one hell of a welcome to Winhill… sort of…
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0000 (KAWAII HANA 08) 0000 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Woot! Oh yeah finished another chapter… which is actually longer than the last one… Whew, I'm surprised myself!
So how'd ya like this chappie? I kinda had this weird habit doing the triple-dot thing (…) again… (see?) And I also noticed I have made yet another weird typing habit… doing the smiley thing (XD)… Hope you guys don't mind at all… It's just to show I enjoyed typing this chapter… I just can't resist typing in a smiley when I think something is funny or I'm just plain happy… (XD)
Anyway, how'd ya like the Forest Owls' Operation? Is it corny…? Well, just so you know… As I was typing the monster part, it was already 12 am and yeah… being with such an overactive imagination I have, I keep looking at my window coz… I was kinda scared stiff… (XD) Hey, it was really late and it was awfully quiet, too…
And how do find Hazel's character? A bit of emo? Or just plain complicated… Do you guys think Gylan and Zen are the bad guys yet..? (XD)
OK… I guess that's it for now… Glad that our classes were postponed for a week or so… It was plenty of time to finish this chapter… Ehihihi….
Oh well, as usual, thanks for reading and…
SAYONARA!
^_^