Blue Magic: Chapter 2- Friends of Old
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Read 'Only the Lonely' before reading this, then the Prelude. Other then that- enjoy!
Selphie Tilmitt was concerned. Not concern, however, that the Silver Roses she ordered were actually a purplish colour and clashed with the Black Roses, that were a dark maroon. No, Selphie was concerned was something a little bit more serious today. Something that had kept her up last night thinking long and hard... Only to come up with no answer to the problem and forced her from her bed early.
Skipping down the hall in her SeeD uniform to the cafeteria, Selphie looked about for a certain someone to help her with solving the mystery of her concern... The concern of why Quistis Trepe was acting more distant and colder to everyone of the Orphanage Gang for the last several weeks.
Spotting Zell Dincht, the optimistic girl waved her hand around and shouted, "BOOOYYYYYKAAAAA!"
"Hey, Selphie!" The wild blonde shouted back, jogging over to his childhood friend, and flashed even a brighter smile then the one he was wearing a few moments ago.
"Zell, what are you doing up this early?" Selphie inquired, eyeing him with interest since he was up so early. Before he could answer, however, the energetic girl rushed on, "have you seen Quistis today? I need to talk with her! It's super-duper important!"
Shaking his head, the 19-year-old hopped from foot to foot, and asked, "why?"
"`Cause something is bothering me about how she has been acting lately... as if she doesn't want to be around us anymore!" Selphie looked around and stepped closer to her friend. "I think she's hiding something! Ever since we defeated Ultimecia, she became colder and distant. It's not the same bossy Quisty we all know and love!"
Nodding in agreement, Zell replied, "everyone has changed since Ultimecia, though... Irvine settled down more, Squall opens up to Riona, Riona's more grown up... hell, even you aren't as childish as you use to be. I will, however, admit she has been acting weirder then normal."
Not the least offended by his words of no longer acting 'childish' or his adultish manner, the spirited girl grabbed Zell's arm and narrowed her hazel eyes. Pulling his ear closer, she hissed, "Yeah, well, lately I heard from the Treppies she's been hanging around with... SEIFER!"
"No shit?" Zell snarled, his blue eyes darkening.
"Yes!" Selphie let Zell go and jumped back a bit. "I think he's, like, brain washing her against us! Like he's still super-dupper pissy about us kicking his ass, still! He's going to turn her against us and she's going to suck out our brains and eat them!"
Zell laughed at that. Grinning slightly reckless and checking his watch, the martial artist announced, "I have to be going now... I gotta talk with Squall about some message we received from Esther the other day. Seems sorta important. We'll talk about the Quistis problem later, okay?"
"Okay then, Zell. Inform me what the message says, okay? I gotta keep tabs on Sir Laguna for his web shrine!" Watching Zell jog off to the Bridge of Garden, Selphie turned to see the most unbelievable scene- Quistis discussing something with Fuujin... And the silver hair looked deeply interested in what Quistis said, too!
With some skill and SeeD training, Selphie began to follow the two women. Luckily for her, however, they were too enthralled in their conversation to noticed the girl who sometimes stumbled about and wasn't too successful in being discreet.
"See, I believed that the Sorceress originated from the Centra. Before they died out, they wanted to preserve their power to protect the Planet, so they passed on their power to Human-Centra hybrids. So all Sorceresses, Edea and Riona included, at one point of their lineage, are related to Centra somehow!" Quistis concluded, to sum their conversation from the Secret Area to the Cafeteria.
"INTERESTING," Fuujin commented, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her student ID. Flashing it to the worker, placed it back into her pocket, grabbed a bowl of cereal and walk on, her friend following behind her. Her black boots made no sound as she halted, turned to Quistis, "TELL EDEA?"
Shaking her head no, Quistis plucked a carton of milk from a stake of them and placed them on her tray. Edea... She had to see Edea today. Edea had to have more answers for her; to clarify what Fuujin said. Magic... Elementals... The Sea and Dragons... The voice from her dreams... She was different...
"Hey Fuujin, Quistis! Over here, ya know!" A burly dark toned man shouted from the corner of the Cafeteria.
"RAGE!" Fuujin snarled, angry at the attention that Raijin caught, causing people to stare at them curiously as they made their way to where the two boys where sitting. Slamming her tray down, Fuujin marched up to Raijin, kicked him in the shins, and smacked him up side the head.
"Ouch, hey!" Raijun whined, rubbing his sore knee as his childhood friend walked back to where she was going to sit.
The usual annoyance of people seemed to vanish as the blonde neared the table and with contained grace and elegance, Quistis sat down next to Seifer. Her serious face transformed into gorgeous smile and dancing blue eyes of a woman deeply in love, returning a smile her Knight gave to her.
"Hey, Quisty, how are you?" Seifer inquired, a golden eyebrow hiking up in an arch.
"Lovely, Seif, and you?" She replied smoothly, as if was her turn to dance. Picking up her milk, she opened it and poured it into her cereal.
"I'm gorgeous as ever and becoming more so ever moment," the former enemy cracked and won a smile from his fair lady. Reaching over, grabbed an apple from Raijin's tray, and bit into it. He sucked the juices softly, thinking absently of how soft and tempting Quistis' mouth looked when she fell deep into thought.
'Should I tell Seifer about my dreams? Would he be able to help me or go more into details then Fuujin did?' The teacher kicked around several ideas telling her boyfriend or just waiting to talk to Edea, to have the Sorceress' input. Goddess, how she hated keeping things from Seifer. Sighing, she finally felt Seifer's eyes on her. Looking up to meet his intense gaze, she blushed softly.
"A gil for your thought, my Lady?" the Knight inquired, his voice purring slightly, reminding the girls of velvet.
"Just thinking of paying Matron a visit and taking several friends with me... Like Xu, Zell, and-" replied Quistis, spooning cereal into her mouth absently, and stopped as Seifer seemed to have a darkened glint in his eyes.
"Oh joyous day!" Seifer announced flamboyantly, clapping his hands together, and batted his eyes. With an overly false and sickening sweet smile plastered on his face, he added, "is our favorite HERO, SQUALL coming?! Huh? Can we pul-leeeze take puberty boy, Quisty? He can sit there and be pissy and bring everyone's spirits down within 100 miles!"
Turning several shades red, Quistis laughed and shook her head, and replied playfully, "Sure! And for fun, we can talk to walls, too!"
Grinning evilly, he spoke lowly, "well, let's forget Puberty boy and shag ourselves senseless!"
Peeling over with laughter, Quistis had tears form in her eyes form laughing so hard. Grinning from ear to ear, she replied, "nah. We wouldn't have to really be indiscreet about shagging, love... I doubt Puberty boy know how to kiss properly!"
Fuujin grinned darkly at that statement. She was glad the teacher was over Squall and could laugh about the cruel thing he said to her... even if was insults against him, it showed that Quistis was slowly letting go of that Chapter of her life. Clearing his throat, she announced, "QUIET. PEOPLE STARE."
Now Selphie was confused. Sitting near the table where Quistis was sitting with Disciplinary Committee, she frowned as she heard resentful cracks against Squall... the very one Quistis had claimed to love like a brother before their battle against Ultimecia and several months after. What could have happened to make wise teacher suddenly very cruel towards her 'little brother'?
"Hey Selphie!" A voice called out from across the Cafeteria suddenly, grabbing the vigorous girl's attention from trying to solve something that would mostly cause her head to hurt. Leaving the table somewhat discreetly, she walked over to where Zell was standing near the entrance.
"Hiya, Zell! Need something?" Selphie inquired, her emerald eyes sparkling innocently and with curiosity.
"Yeppers, I do. I need you, Quistis, Seifer, Xu, and Irvine to come to Bridge. Commander Lionheart has a mission for us," Zell said seriously, his blue eyes dark with grimness of the mission and news.
Selphie was slightly taken back at the seriousness in Zell's voice. It had a been a long time since they had a truly serious mission that required the Elite SeeD Team, meaning the Orphanage Gang and Seifer... the ones who had fought, plus one who served, the Sorceresses. Nodding, she saluted Zell and jogged off towards where Quistis and Seifer were sitting.
"Booyaka! Instructor Quistis Trepe and SeeD Seifer Almasy you're need at the Bridge by Commander Lionheart... most likely for a mission!" Selphie chirped, startling the group by her sudden appearance.
"Excuse me?" Seifer snapped, not catching what the girl babbled in hurry at them, narrowed his eyes, and wondered just how long the girl had been near them.
Selphie rolled her eyes at Seifer's tone and repeated loudly, "Instructor Quistis Trepe and SeeD Seifer Almasy you're need at the Bridge by Commander Lionheart!"
Quistis stood, brushing off the front of her skirt to free it of invisible crumbs. Picking up her tray, she piped up, "well, we'll finish our conversation later, Fuu and Rai... Come on Seifer, let's not keep the Commander waiting."
Catching some of the sarcasm in her voice, Selphie fought the urge to frown and ask Quistis what her problem was. But she knew it wouldn't be tactful, so she merely cleared her throat and grabbed the older woman's arm and dragged her out of the Cafeteria, with Seifer on her heels. She'd just HAD to come up with a plan to see what was up with Quistis' new attitude.
::rejoices:: My browser kept crashing, but I fixed it! Now I can finally post this Chapter! It's been done since Wednesday, but due to evil browser problems, I had to wait till today to post it! Gawd, about time, hai? Well, for all the evil Anti-Squall comments, I just playing... SO SILVER KITTEN PUT DOWN THE PITCHFORK! ::ahem:: ^_~ I was just playin, `cause is an okay guy.
Sorry for the spelling and sentence errors in it. I plan to have a better version of it up, but this is for the people who wait patiently for a Chapter, once more. No flamers, but reviewers are welcomed!
~Akira