Under Zenith
Chapter 2: Reconciliation
Uther Trebin was not a patient man. He was intelligent, cunning, and skilled far beyond his years, but not patient. And it wasn't like he needed to have patience anyway, for his senior ranking and legendary temper usually had most of the younger cadets scared shitless and the older ones knew better than to disappoint him. Either way, the point was that things around him usually got done in record time. And being one whose status let his cut into queues and whose needs took precedence above all others, it was understadable why the head the headmaster of Trabia Garden contemptuously studied the wall as yet another SeeD cadet entered Cid's office. The only thing which kept him sitting there was the impending Unification Celebration, but even the thought of that left a bitter taste in his mouth. Don't think about it, he told himself, trying not to let his annoyance cloud his judgement. This was a good thing, a necessary thing, establishing stronger diplomatic ties.
But the sooner, the better, his father had always said. Quite obviously, impatience was a trait that ran in the family genes. He clenched his fists, forcing a smile for the timid receptionist who had been apologizing on Cid's behalf for the past half-hour. She was a pretty thing, he noted at the back of his mind. In an effort to take divert his thoughts elsewhere, he scrutinized her a little more, as he would a potential SeeD Candidate. She was a little plump, but possessed a pair of large green eyes that many men would easily mistake for beautiful. But, he realized sourly as she continued her apologetic tirade, she lacked backbone, and ultimately that was what made her as pathetic as a scavenger feasting on the remains of the dead. She would make a useless SeeD. He began to wonder whether Cid kept her around for less than professional reasons.
Time ticked by, and after another ten minutes had past and two more cadets had entered through the Headmaster's doors, Uther decided he'd had enough. Against the protests of the receptionist he grabbed his briefcase and headed for the elevator.
And in the grand tradition of a bad day, the elevator took forever to come.
By the time the elevator doors opened, Uther was seething. He pushed his way in, not waiting for the other people in it to depart first.
"I always thought that three was a crowd." Came an amused voice from the back of the elevator. Uther turned around as the elevator started emptying out, surprised and yet not surprised to see the man standing against the circular banister.
"I didn't know that Cid had taken the liberty of inviting the both of us." Uther said coolly, shaking the other man's hand. "And I thought you'd been detained by matters in Deling?"
"I asked Cid to send one of his officers to take care of that so I could attend this meeting." The man paused. "He's kept you waiting, hasn't he?"
"I'm beginning to think that if he valued peace as much as claims I wouldn't be having this conversation with you right now." Uther said, measuring up the other man. "It's been a while Martine."
"Indeed," Martine responded. He retrieved a pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket and offered Uther one. Uther refused, having a strong distaste for the foul things. Just then, the elevator doors closed, and Martine punched one of the buttons on the panel.
"Before we see Cid lets have a talk."
"We have nothing to talk about Martine."
"Are you still sore about those missiles, or is this about the thousand regiments battle? Galbadia Garden is going to finance the second Trabian reconstruction project single-handedly, or have you conveniently forgotten that fact?"
"It was the unanimous decision of the committee, so if you're looking for favors-"
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Uther gave Martine a critical glare, wondering what the man was up to. "Trabia Garden wants peace. We need peace," Uther said slowly, hating how he was admitting to his own weakness. "The Gardens need to co-exist."
"And I don't dispute that. If there's one thing we all agree upon, it's that we don't want war."
"Then what do you want?" Uther demanded, frustration creeping up on him. "We're already at peace; and be direct for a change."
"Give me twenty minutes."
The elevator doors opened. Uther stood his ground, contemplating Martine's request.
Twenty minutes. He supposed his patience could hold out that long.
*
"I'm not allowing it."
"Squall, this is not your decision to make."
"I'm not allowing it," the commander repeated. He was absolutely livid, and he made no effort to temper the anger in his voice. "We condemned that man to a living grave, and he's suddenly being given his life back? What the fuck were you thinking?!"
"This wasn't just my call Squall. We all… the unified Garden Committee decreed it so. And I didn't tell you because…" Cid hesitated. "I knew how you would react. You're a good Commander, but I won't think twice about relieving you of your position, temporarily that is, if you can't accept Seifer being at our Garden. We've worked far too long and too hard to-"
"Let a traitor back into our midst's." Squall snapped bitterly, slamming his fist down on Cid's mahogany desk. It shook violently, and Cid jerked back in surprise. "Tell me Cid, was Seifer's release really a condition of the memorandum or-" He pointed his finger towards the two men seated at the back of Cid's office, "-a more recent development." Cid's eyes flicked back and forth nervously, and that was all Squall needed to know.
"You lied to me," Squall said incredulously. "You just lied to my face. Why?"
"No, he didn't." The man, who Squall recognized as the headmaster of Trabia Garden, stood up. "This was a part of the original agreement, Commander Leonhart. And as Cid said, given your history with Mr. Almasy it was agreed that-"
"Stay out of this Headmaster Uther," Squall growled, turning back to Cid. "And you, how could you…"
He let the words trail off, not trusting himself to speak.
"It was partly a selfish move Squall, I admit that." Cid began, after a tense silence. "I realize what Seifer is to you, and that what he did to all of us is by all counts unforgivable... but in my eyes he has and always will be my son. We believed that he deserved a chance at redemption then, and we still believe it now."
"So why didn't this pity save him two years ago?" Squall asked icily. "Tell me all the lies that you want Cid, but I refuse to believe that his release is due to your fucking family values."
"Do not take that tone of voice with me Squall." Cid said gravely, at last rising to stand so he could face the young commanded eye to eye. "By contract we agreed to accept all students taking part in the forthcoming SeeD examinations-"
"He's not taking part in them."
"- Do you expect us to violate that contract now, just because of your hatred?"
"No, I expect to live up to your promise to protect Garden at all costs. And as the headmaster, I expect you to be completely honest with me."
Sighing, Cid sat back down and began massaging his temples. "You've survived hundreds of battles," Cid said wearily. "What is one man to you?"
Squall stepped away from the desk, his face impassive. "Everything."
They stared at each other for a few seconds. Finally, Squall reached up with one hand and ripped the badge from his chest. Throwing it down to the ground, he then turned and left the office, gripping his cane like his life depended on it.
Quistis didn't know whether to follow him. She'd agreed with everything Squall had said. She knew the betrayal was mirrored in her own eyes, and she could not help but look at Cid accusingly. It pained her to doubt him. During the Ultimecia threat he had made so many decisions that had affected him, not only as headmaster of the most elite military school on the planet, but as both a father and a husband. Granted he and Seifer were not bound by blood, but they were bound by the unbreakable ties of Seifer's childhood. The calls he'd made back then were never easy, many self-sacrificing. And for those unselfish deeds Quistis trusted him implicitly. And up till now, he'd never given her reason to question his judgement, or his word.
"Do you have something to say, Quistis?" She heard him ask quietly. She looked up at Cid, then at the two men who had been sitting there the entire time. "Headmaster Uther, Headmaster Martine, no disrespect intended but-"
"Say no more Instructor Trepe," Martine said with an easy smile. They moved quietly for such big men, and soon enough, she and Cid were the only remaining ones in the room. Quistis studied Cid, trying to find the deceit in his expression that had caused Squall to walk out only moments ago.
"This wasn't the most appropriate time," She said. "To tell him I mean. The Unification Celebration is tonight."
"I'm quite aware of that Quistis, and I trust you've known me long enough to know what I was never one for procrastination. But I just couldn't tell Squall." He sighed, then took off his spectacles and placed them on his desk. "As has just been demonstrated, Squall's not all that hesitant about killing the messenger."
"No Cid." Quistis said sadly, shaking her head. "Allow me to be frank?"
"Please do."
"If you really believe that, then I don't think you understood what your argument with him was all about."
Quistis watched him contemplate her words with a frown. When he spoke again, his voice was laced with something akin to… worry?
"We are at peace. For the first time in what seems like forever, we are at peace." Cid looked Quistis squarely in the eye. "And I will not do anything to endanger that, and Seifer's release was a condition we all agree to upon the signing of the memorandum."
Quistis found herself nodding, but in truth she didn't understand the meaning behind his words. Even as he showed her to the door, his words echoed in her head, twisting and turning. It seemed highly illogical, however, that in order to ensure peace one needed to bring back a traitor.
Damn logic, she thought finally, narrowing her eyes. Frustrated, she started back on her route towards the training center, where she'd initially been heading off to before a sudden intercom message had directed her elsewhere.
*
Not surprisingly, Quistis found Squall there, beating a group of gnats to a bloody, green pulp. She stood back to admire him for a moment, finding it incredible how quickly he had excelled at the use of guns under Irvine's tutelage. Even though the gunblade used a similar mechanism to the gun, they differed immensely in their execution. And although compared to the gunblade a normal gun was a relatively simple weapon and much easier to handle, perfecting its use was an entirely different matter. Squall had been stubborn at first, refusing to give in to the limitations of his disability, but he'd caved in after he had a near miss during a fight with a low level T-Rex. Now, as she watched him fire off another round of ammo against another pair of gnats, his brown furrowed in concentration and his hair slicked back from the sweat, she'd never have guessed he'd only been using the weapon for about two months.
"Could you use some help?" She called out, pulling out her Save the Queen.
Squall finished off the gnats, then looked up at her, his chest heaving. He nodded.
Together, they spent the rest of the afternoon in the training center fighting beast after beast. Not a word passed between them, just a comfortable silence interrupted occasionally by the sound of a whip and the sound of a shot behind fired. It had been a long time since they'd fought together, she realized. Not since that final battle with Ultimecia anyway. A lot had changed since then, and she wasn't sure if it was for the worse or for the better.
"It's not just because of Seifer." He said out of the blue, his eyes focused on his target. He pulled the trigger.
"I know." She said quietly, following up his shot with a slice to the gnat's throat. "You really think Cid's hiding something?"
Squall turned to look at her, his eyes jaded.
"I don't know. I don't know whether I'm wrong in thinking that this entire thing is some sort of conspiracy theory, and if it is, I don't even know about what. Am I just letting my imagination run wild with me?"
"Perhaps." Quistis admitted. "And perhaps not. Trust your instincts Squall. It's just all so… sudden, I think it might be more the shock of the news than anything else."
"Maybe you're right," he murmured. "It's just that…"
"What?" Quistis asked concerned. She had never seen Squall look so worried before. He looked like he was going to say something, but then he clamped his mouth shut and shook his head.
"Nothing." Just when she'd thought he was going to give her an opportunity to understand him a little more, he'd just as quickly snatched it away. And as much as she didn't want it to, it hurt. Ever since her unintentional statement that fateful day on the basketball court things hadn't been the same between them. Instead of smoothing things it had driven an even deeper wedge into their already tenuous friendship. That is, if she hadn't been deluding herself into thinking that there had been a friendship to begin with.
Don't dwell on this now, she told herself angrily. Not now.
"Come, we've got to get ready." She said, hoping he wouldn't notice how awkward her voice sounded. "The Unification Celebration starts in two hours."
They left the training center side by side, the shadows of both once teacher and student trailing behind.
