Chapt 5
"She's dead," Dr Kadowaki gave the glum news, "And no amount of full-lives can bring her back."
"Do you know what she died from?" Squall requested.
"No, it is one of my strangest cases indeed, no marks anywhere, and she hasn't been petrified neither."
Well, I wonder what that reminds me of?
"Thank you Doctor."
He walked back into the waiting room, where the others were patiently waiting.
"How is she?" Rinoa asked.
"Once again, another mysterious death. It seems that it can only be a sorceress responsible now, and the fact that when a scream was heard at the time of the murder, and the victim was found with an expression of absolute serenity on her face, also proved to be very strange. One thing is certain though, Rinoa is now completely out of the picture, because she was with me when the murder happened," he said, adding the last phrase with intended fury.
Rinoa spoke up.
"I know what's been happening. I know I'm the only person that's capable of all the killings at the moment. I know Doctor Odine has been suspecting me, and I'm been trying to prove I'm innocent ever since."
Quistis stepped forward, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Rinoa, you surely didn't believe that any of us ever suspected you. You must know, the thought of you even killing an ant is unlikely, much less hurt so many innocent people."
"Really?" Rinoa whispered joyfully. "Thanks."
"Ok guys, so, what gonna happen now? Let's go kick some sorceress butt!!" yelled Zell, steering everyone away from the subject of Rinoa.
"Well, all we've got at the moment is a whole bunch of mysterious deaths...and a teddy bear. But that doesn't seem to be of much use, I mean, a child could have just dropped it or something. But if they've already come to Balamb, something's bound to happen soon," interpreted Squall.
"Just keep your eyes and ears open."
* * *
Quistis hurried through the hall towards the training centre, equiping and junctioning her Gfs and magic. She's been scouting the whole garden for Keave, hoping to apologise for prying into his life. Having looked everywhere else, she has come to the training centre as a last resort.
She scanned the area, and spotted him involved in an intense battle with a low level T-Rexaur. Deciding not to aid him in any way, she sat down and studied his fighting skills. She noticed that, unlike Zell, he made more use of his legs than his upper body. She watched as he delivered a simple mawashigeri (roundhouse kick) to the belly of the monster, but it was performed with such speed and agility that the creature went down.
He sat down on a log and took a long swig of water, resting. Quistis stepped quietly out of her hiding place and took a seat next to him, keeping near, but not close. He acknowledged her presence by tilting his head a tiny fraction, but then immediately returned it to his former position.
Quistis frowned as she racked her brain to choose the perfect phrase to apologize with.
"Keave, I sincerely apologize for what I said to you today."
Nah, too formal.
"Hey Keave! Sorry 'bout today! So, how's life?"
Ugh...gag me with a bath towel while you're at it.
How about something more simple...
"Keave? I'm sorry for what happened today."
Yeah, that's about right.
"Keave? I'm-," he stopped her by holding his hand up in a gesture of quiet.
Quistis looked at him, confused, as he began to speak.
"I have never told anyone in the world my past before, except for the Headmaster. But if you really want to know, I don't really care, and it might be of some good to me too if I told someone."
Quistis forced herself from her shock-still position to nod, urging him on.
"When I was 17 I was a normal teenager...normal Garden student anyway, preparing for my very first SeeD exam. But then she stepped into my life, bright, clever, pretty Felicia, just transferred from Trabia. I was one of the first people she met and we immediately became best friends. Soon, however, I realized I was...attracted to her, although she never showed anything of the same feelings, always treating me like a big brother, someone she can confide in. I've never been able to tell her how I felt," he paused.
He took in a deep breath, and continued.
"One day, she came up and told me that she has finally found her other half. Naturally, I was heartbroken, but tried to be happy for her. She was so cheerful then, joy radiating from her every day. But...after a while, that...bastard she was with, got sick of playing with her...and dumped her. The only one she could turn to was me and that day she told me every single one of her most intimate secrets. The next day she was dead, threw herself over a cliff...her body was recovered, but it was beyond repair. That year, I failed my SeeD exam, and every single one after that, until now.
Quistis sat frozen in place, astounded by such a surprising and heart-aching story, and the fact that he has suddenly told her so much.
"Was he...Irvine?" she dared to ask.
Cold brown eyes turned towards her, and she was shocked by the emotions and fury displayed in those infinite brown pools. He nodded.
Quistis, although she already knew the answer deep down, could not help giving a small gasp.
"Oh...Hyne, I'm...sorry," she stammered.
"Don't be," he answered with a small glare. Clenching his fists he left her on the log and entered training grounds again, and before long, the traumatic sounds of battle could be heard once more.
* * *
A group of ten and eleven year old children stood at the entrance of Balamb Garden, waiting for the commander and headmaster to arrive.
Squall and Cid walked up to the group of new students, to introduce them to Garden and their home. Squall scanned the small crowd, noticing their nervousness and fidgety fingers. One member attracted Squall's attention greatly though. It was a young girl, at about the age of 10, blond, and with shocking electric-blue eyes. She wasn't fidgeting, nor did she show any signs of nervousness. Instead, she had her head down, a slight distance away from the group, but from her radiated a sense of strength and tolerance that none of the others possess. So strongly did Squall see himself reflected in this child, he couldn't help but stare.
"And this is Commander Squall Leonhart. He will be your leader for the time that you all stay as junior classmen, although your instructor will be Instructor Quistis Trepe," Cid explained. The mention of Quistis jerked Squall from his gaze and he turned.
"Quistis?"
"I saw her as more responsible than I thought her to be, after all that have happened, and so have promoted her back to her former position. However, to keep some weight off her shoulder and to have her available for important missions, I advised her to train the junior classmen instead of SeeD cadets," Cid said to Squall, before turning back to the children. "Students, please follow your commander now to your dormitories, and then to a small tour of the Garden."
Squall nodded, and began to herd the children in the direction of the dormitories. As the blond girl passed him he tugged on her arm and turned her towards him.
"What's your name?"
The girl fixed an oddly familiar steely eye on him.
"Grace. Grace Taylewood."
* * *
AN: Well well, that's the next chapter for you all, please tell me if this is going in the wrong direction, or something, so I'll be able to change it.