The girl hit Squall before he had a chance to react. They both tumbled to the floor. She popped back up, brushing hair away from her eyes as she offered out her hand. She threw Squall a cheeky smile. For a moment Squall was annoyed. He disregarded her hand and stood up under his own power, ready to tell the girl off. But when he saw her face his heart skipped a beat.
"...Selphie?" Squall questioned, losing himself for a minute – slipping into some kind of mental autopilot mode. She responded by wrinkling her brow.
"Emmm... Yeah. That's me" Selphie responded, throwing Squall another cheeky smirk.
"Selphie, from Trabia Garden, right?"
"Bingo," Selphie replied, "But how'd you know?"
Squall awkwardly stumbled a little, his forehead aching as he came back to his senses. He looked at her puzzled expression. A few awkward seconds passed.
"Nothing... Never mind," His tone was gruff and cold.
"Weird. Sooooo, anyway. You just came from that classroom there, psychic boy?" Her question was answered with two sharp nods. "Ohhhh no!" Selphie wailed, slumping over. "I missed class! This Garden is huge. So much bigger than my old Garden!"
"So, how about a tour then, psychic boy?" Selphie said, perking up. Squall wanted to tell her to get lost. To tell her to find her own way. But that old segment of his personality, that well-rooted core of coldness and aggression that he had been stoking for over a decade subsided a little. He looked at the bubbly, energetic girl standing in front of him and somehow he felt an obligation to her. Like he knew her. Like she was special to him. And her name, he knew her damn name; he knew it before she even had a chance to tell him. He knew where she was from too. His head throbbed under the strain of trying to figure out what was going on.
"Come on then," Squall said, turning his back, he pushed all of the thoughts from his mind. "This is a one-time-only offer."
Selfie happily plodded along, endlessly chatting the whole way.
Rinoa failed to see the pothole. She hit it at full speed. The bike bucked up, throwing her head first into a patch of tall, matted grass. Lying face down in the dirt she started to cry. Salty tears spilled from her eyes and peppered the dry soil. Her hands grasped at tufts of grass and she ripped them from the ground in desperation, while wailing and crying frantically. It was all too much. Too much stress. Too much burden. Too much for one person.
Timber, The Forest Owls, Seifer... All of it. It was all too much. Rinoa slumped onto her back, panting and sweaty. She replayed the image of Seifer pulling away from her hug over-and-over again in her mind. Her heart sank in her chest. It was all a mess, everything was going wrong.
Purple clouds like puffy bruises hung in the sky. The weather changed, a cold wind rustled across the plains throwing up dust in wide plumes. Rinoa lay there, panting, sweaty, tears running down her face and watched the clouds rolling in. Just a little break. Just a small break, she said to herself. Just to lay down for a few minutes, to cry it out. She deserved it. Thirty minutes melted away.
"Damn," Rinoa said aloud, "If the guys back in Timber could see me now."
She dropped both of her hands on her chest and closed her eyes. She could imagine them all; Zone, Watts, The Forest Fox, The Forest Duck, all looking at her, laying in the tall grass with her hair a mess, covered in dirt and crying like a baby. What would they think...?
They were all at home, fighting for the cause. Always on the move. Living day-to-date. Constantly in fear. Facing death at every turn. They'd given her all the money they could pull together. All they had, just to send her to Balamb to see Cid. To get help; help they desperately needed. They'd put their last hope in her. But she couldn't do anything right. Couldn't even cycle a bike properly. Rinoa released a low whine as she smacked herself on the forehead several times with the palm of her left hand.
"Get a grip... Cry baby," She whispered, coming back to her senses. She might have been their 'Princess', but they needed her. Deep down she knew it. They looked up to her. Not just because she was the daughter of a high-ranking president. No. Her cheery optimism and unwavering determination were what drew them to her. Even if she wasn't always cheery, even if she wasn't always optimistic she still needed to be for them. But she would never let them see her tears. Never let them see her sadness. As far as they knew she was never sad. It was better that way. Her strength was her infectious optimism. And they trusted her. All their hopes were riding on her success. She couldn't fail. Rinoa stood up, dusting herself off, brimming with new-found determination.
The bike had travelled several feet and came to a stop in a small stream. It was totalled. The front wheel was buckled with spokes splayed out and the fork was slightly bent. Ma Dincht would be pretty annoyed, even if it was only her old, spare bicycle. Rinoa slung the bike over her shoulder and rested it on her back, her right hand grasping the top tube as she set off. Balamb was in her sights. The clouds burst, inundating the plains with torrents of rain. She pressed on regardless.
"The party," She murmured, "Seifer said Cid will be at the party tomorrow night... That's where I'll get Cid!"
The crowd in the courtyard swelled. Students had been gathering for the better part of an hour, pushing and shoving trying to get a position at the head of the crowd. Quistis appeared, followed by Headmaster Cid.
"Good afternoon, students," Cid said, clasping his hands behind his back. Quistis pretended to flip through some papers, in reality she was looking for Squall. She spotted him near the centre of the crowd. Squall had handled himself beautifully during the exam in The Fire Cavern - his head wound hadn't slowed him down one bit. His swordplay was beautiful, his command of magic impeccable. She caught herself blushing a little and decided to pull her mind back to the task at hand.
"You know why you're all here, "Cid continued, "You're here for your chance to prove you have what it takes to become SeeDs, to become the pride of Garden."
Cid climbed down from the podium, carrying the microphone with him. He walked up and down the crowd, eyeing a few students.
"Today you will go to a real battle. You'll test your wits, your strength, your courage and, most important of all, you'll test your learning – you'll test all that you have learned here at Garden." Cid was trying to sound menacing. He was failing. He was a short man, somewhat heavy set. With large, expressive eyes and a warm, disarming smile. All-in-all not in the least physically intimidating. But the students respected him none-the-less.
"Honor and victory, death and defeat. If you are not up to the challenge, back down now – there'll be no shame and no one will judge you." Cid climbed back onto the platform. "Otherwise... go forward and represent Balamb!" The crowd erupted in applause.
Quisits took the microphone. Selphie found Squall in the crowd. She nestled in beside him with a warm smile. Squall nodded, then threw his gaze back to the podium. Quistis ran through the group assignments. The crowd thinned and thinned as she called more and more names. A few of the people who Squall would have liked to have been paired with were called and left with their squads. From the corner of his eye Squall spotted Zell shadow boxing in the corner. Please not Zell, anyone but Zell Dincht.
"Seifer, Seifer Almasy," Quistis' voice rang out, "Squall, Squall Leonhart." Damn, Squall clenched his fists, there were worse people than Zell after all. "Zell, Zell Dincht," Quistis continued. Squall gritted his teeth, spoke too soon again.
"Oh yeah, baby!" Zell's voice rang out, he sprinted to the podium, punching the air the whole way. Squall followed along behind.
"Seifer. Seifer Almasy" Quistis said again, growing annoyed. No movement from the crowd.
"Damn...Nice! I'm with you?" Zell said, holding out his hand to Squall. Squall patted the hand away but as he did his and Zell's eyes met. Squall's head throbbed, an image flashed in his mind – a city, night time, a parade. Squall was falling backwards, weightless, blood spewing into the air. From a ledge Zell leaned over, a terrified expression on his face he reached for Squall, but Squall was too far and falling too fast.
"Seifer is not present," Quistis announced, pulling Squall back to reality. "Each team requires three SeeD candidates to be considered viable. As team leader, but also as an accredited SeeD, I do not count," Quistis sighed, throwing her eyes to the ground as she lowered the microphone. "I am sorry, but I must disqualify this team..."
"Ohhhh, Ohhhh," Selphie cut in, bouncing up and down. "I'm not a SeeD... I'm not a SeeD! I also don't have a team, or any obligations from other classes today"
Headmaster Cid and Quistis eyed each other, Cid gave a reassuring nod.
"As team leader I call for a team change. I propose the removal of Seifer Almasy, and the introduction of... Emmm..." Quistis stuttered.
"Selphie. Selphie Tilmitt!"
"Emmmmm... Yes," Quistis continued, clearing her throat, "I propose the inclusion of Selphie Tilmitt to Team B11. Any objections, say I." Silence. "Team B11 is now a functional team. Best of luck, students."
They made their way via car to Balamb. The journey was short. Squall spent the entire journey slumped over, elbows resting on his knees. For his entire life up to this point he'd been sharp, decisive. In control. But something was happening, something that he couldn't explain. Something that he knew he couldn't figure out alone. He looked at Quistis, serious and strict - but he saw beyond that now, somehow. He saw someone caring, thoughtful and dedicated with a fiery heart who'd do anything to help her friends.
He looked at Zell, busily air-boxing in the corner of the cabin. Squall saw beyond the obnoxious, loud facade to a dedicated, fearless and unwavering personality who had a tremendous sense of right and wrong. Someone who would always fight for what was right.
And Selphie; boundlessly optimistic, loving, caring and gentle. She's build up the confidence and self-worth of everyone around her, even at her own expense. All she wanted was for other people to be happy.
Squall knew all of these things about these people... But how! HOW? And what did they know of him? Was he still the same cold, callous, distant guy in their minds... Or did they know more also? Were they just as confused and conflicted as he was? Then Ellone flashed in his mind. Images of that sad, lonely little boy waiting by the tall pillars of the orphanage, calling for his big sister to come back. Calling into the darkness, night after night. As the car stopped Squall sprung up, pushing the others out of the way to get out first. He punched a low wall that ran along the boundary of the pier and grunted. He had bigger issues now. Bigger things to worry about.
"Yeah, baby! That's it. Let that passion out! Teach that wall who's boss," Zell roared. Squall threw him a dirty look. Zell shrank away.
"Come on, team," Quistis said, breaking the silence. She pointed to a series of submarines penned up at the pier. "Sub number 1-77 is ours... It's time."