Chapter Two
Squall stared out the window, his mood had started black and as the day was
going on, it wasn't getting any better. They still hadn't found Quistis. No one
had a clue what had happened, as Rinoa and Selphie were the last ones to see
her last night.
Xu entered the room, "Nothing yet Squall, no one's seen her anywhere."
"Dismissed," said Squall,
he wasn't in the mood for talking, and he couldn't go out looking for her as he
had other duties to attend to, so he had sent Selphie, Zell and some other
SeeD's to look for her. So far no luck.
Xu saluted Squall, and he
saluted back, but Xu could tell he wanted to be left alone.
Irvine and Rinoa came out
of the elevator as Xu neared it. Their anxious faces told Xu all she needed to
know.
"Be careful," Xu whispered
and pointed to Squall. They understood straight away, Squall looked like he was
ready to kill anyone who came near him.
Rinoa walked up to him
tentatively, "Squall don't worry, she's somewhere."
Rinoa's words off
assurance fell on deaf ears. Irvine tried to back her up, "Yeah Squall, we'll
find her. It's all just been a big misunderstanding."
Squall turned to look at
Rinoa; she looked scared for her friend. Squall hugged her, Rinoa didn't expect
it, but she hugged him back anyway.
**********
Quistis awoke in a
strange room. She was lying on a bed. There was nothing else in the room, not
even a door. Groggily Quistis got up off the bed, she nearly fainted.
It took her a few minutes
for the floor to stop swaying. When it did, she started pounding on all the
walls looking for a way in or out, she couldn't believe she was trapped here,
but where was here?
**********
After about half an hour, Quistis sank onto the bed. There was blood on her
knuckles and on the walls where she had been tapping at the wall, trying to get
out, but it was useless. She was exhausted from it.
Part of the wall in front
of her suddenly opened and Seifer and Vincent stepped in from the gap.
Quistis rushed at Seifer,
intending to rip his eyes out from their sockets.
"Now, that's not a way for
a SeeD to behave," Seifer said and pushed her against the bed. "What do you
want with me," Quistis cried.
"We want to make you an
offer," Vincent said from behind Seifer.
Seifer then took over from
him. He started to tell her a bit about why she was here.
**********
Quistis gave Seifer a
confused look. "What I mean," Seifer continued, "is that if you join us, you're
life will never be boring again."
Quistis stared hard at
Seifer, "What's the catch Seifer, what are you not telling me."
Seifer leaned in closer to
her, "I can't tell you that. What I can honestly tell you is that if you accept
my offer, you will start to enjoy your life again."
"Do you really think I'm
stupid Seifer, that I could be taken in by you? You were the one that
infiltrated Garden. Yes, you killed that, that thing, but you also nearly
killed me. Why should I trust you?"
"Because you are stupid
Quistis," Vincent replied, "and you should trust him, he is telling you the
truth, believe me."
Quistis looked between
Seifer and Vincent and was even more confused. She rubbed her head; she was
starting to get a headache.
Finally Quistis, "I don't
feel I can trust you."
Vincent walked closer to
her and knelt down in front of her.
"Quistis, we need you. You
are lucky to be chosen. I give you my word on my honour that we won't harm you.
You will be glad if you say yes."
"And what happens if I
don't like the offer you give me, what then. You kidnap me then give me an
offer I know nothing about. What would you do in my position?"
Quistis sat back, hoping
she had made her point.
Vincent thought for a
moment. "If I can show you one thing to prove we are not lying, will you trust
us?"
Quistis nodded slowly, she
was eager to know what was going on, but hesitant too.
Vincent took her hand and
led her out of the cell; Seifer was behind her.
They led her to an
elevator and got on it. Quistis thought it went down. When they got off they
walked down a short corridor. Then at the end of the corridor, they knocked on
a door.
A voice on the other side
shouted for them to come in. Vincent motioned for Quistis to go first.
Fujin, Raijin, Sia, Cid
and Laguna sat round a table. Ling wasn't there; Quistis wondered where she
was.
They all stood up as
she entered.
"You accepted then,"
Laguna said happily.
"What is going on,"
Quistis cried, more confused now than ever.
"Laguna," Vincent said
slowly and carefully to him, "Quistis wanted proof that she could trust us
before she said yes."
"Oh," Laguna said, then
walked up to Quistis, "Seifer means what he says. Cid recommended you to us."
Laguna motioned for Cid to
stand up.
"For what," Quistis
yelled. She wasn't sure if she was awake any more, if this was a nightmare.
Cid came over to Quistis
and started speaking gently to her, "Laguna has put together a group of good
fighters, to protect people. After the problems last year, we decided that
there should be someone to fight instead of SeeD. They chose you Quistis, you
be honoured, since I know that you're now bored with SeeD."
"Why are you here then,"
she asked
"Laguna asks for the best
SeeD fighters, so I send them to him. It's a secret because if everybody were
to know about it, there would be hysteria. SeeD will be kept to the mercenary
missions. These people," Cid pointed to Seifer and his group, "Theses people
now are the ones that save the world."
"Join us," pleaded Sia, "it'll be a blast."
Quistis thought for a few
minutes. It sounded good, but it meant she would never be around her friends
again. "What about Zell, Selphie, Irvine, Rinoa… Squall."
Cid shook his head. "I
need Squall to lead the Garden, Rinoa isn't part of SeeD. Irvine, Selphie and
Zell enjoy their life at Garden. Quistis, you want more than can be given at
Garden, you're restless there…"
"Okay, I'm in," Quistis said after another few minutes thinking. It was a
tough decision, but hey, she was sick with Garden, she missed the excitement.
Everyone started yelling
with laughter and happiness, Sia ran out of her chair and hugged her.
"Come on, we were having a
meeting," Laguna said mock seriously.
"One thing first…" started
Seifer, but he never got to finish. Footsteps could be heard racing
outside, towards the door.
**********
To the shock of Quistis,
Andria walked through the door.
"Hi, sorry I was… " Andria
stuttered to a halt when she saw Quistis who stared shocked. "Uh, hi Quistis
I…"
Andria didn't finish as a
blow from the taller woman shocked her into silence; a trickle of blood ran
down her nose.
"What the hell are you
doing here," Quistis shouted.
Seifer stepped between
them, so they didn't start fighting.
"Look, I know this is
gonna sound pretty lame, but I had no choice, Squall couldn't know I was
alive."
"I'm not surprised after what happened last year. Do you know what you put them
through? What you put him through."
"Not as much as…" Vincent
shushed Sia up; her mouth always did go away with her.
"As much as what?"
Quistis looked expectantly
at Sia who blushed and looked away. Quistis then looked between Seifer, Laguna,
Cid and Andria. "Well?"
Andria pushed Seifer to the side and stopped Seifer from interrupting her as
she started speaking, "You might as well know. After Squall and I had our night
together, I sort of… had a… child."
Quistis stared unblinking
taking in the news; Squall was a father. She sat down heavily in the nearest
chair.
"Who knows," she
whispered.
"Only the people in this
room know that it's his," Cid said, "and Edea knows."
"So he doesn't know,"
Quistis said raising her voice slightly. She was referring to Squall. The
headache was coming back, worse than ever.
Cid shook his head.
Quistis stared hard at
Laguna, she stood up and walked to him, "He's turned out just like you Laguna.
Just like you he has a child he doesn't know about. How could you destroy him
like that?"
Laguna stood
uncomfortably, so Andria intervened. "Please don't be angry Quistis, it was my
choice, and Laguna wasn't involved."
"What now," Seifer asked.
Andria stood in front of
Quistis, "Please don't let your personal feelings for Squall or me stop you
from this. Please Quistis, I really am your friend and I need your help, will
you help me?"
Quistis stared back at
Andria.
To Quistis she still
looked like a child, maybe that was all she was. Maybe that was what they all
were, children. Not ready for the cruel world or it's intentions.