Chapter 7
Yannie was sat on her bed in her dorm. Idly, she was gazing out of the window over the scenic Balamb countryside. He mind was full of thoughts. She would go see Squall later, she decided. She needed time to get her head straight, and figure out what she would tell him. She liked Squall. He always put on an act, but she knew that deep down, a part of him longed to not be alone. She didn't know it yet, but she was starting to really like him. More than a friend. Her train of thought was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" She shouted.
"It's Rinoa." Yannie immediately became suspicious. She wasn't stupid. She picked up on the hostility Rinoa had shown towards her. She debated whether or not she should let her in. What harm could she do her? She was more worried how she could hurt Rinoa. Fine, she may not like the girl, but she wouldn't want to kill her. She opened the door.
"Hey there." Rinoa smiled.
"Hey Rinoa."
"Can I come in?"
"Uh," Yannie stuttered for a moment. "I suppose. Come in."
"Thanks." She cam in and Yannie shut the door.
"Please, do sit down." Rinoa smile and sat down on the bed. Neither said anything for a while, then, Yannie said "So, did you want something?"
"Oh, nothing just checking in on our guest. How are you?"
"Um, fine, I guess." She hid her armoured left arm behind her back. "How are you?"
"Fine, fine." Neither said anything for a while. Rinoa got up from the bed and walked to the window. She looked out of the venetian blinds. "Ya' know, I love this place." She said.
"It is nice." Yannie agreed.
"Hey look over there!" Rinoa pointed out the window.
"What is it?"
"Come have a look." Cautiously, she walked up to the window. She couldn't see anything.
"I cant see anyth..." she was cut short by Rinoa who turned and punched her in the face, hard enough to knock her on the floor. "Ah!" she cried out. Rinoa grabbed her mouth to stop her from screaming.
"Is everything alright in there?" Gered asked outside the door.
"We're fine, just knocked over a book." She held on and dragged her to the bed. Yannie was petrified. Where was Squall or Gered when you needed them? She tried kicking, but Rinoa was much stronger than her. Rinoa ripped of a piece of bed sheet and tied it on her like a gag. She tore of some more pieces and used these to tie her hands to the bed. Yannie was defenceless.
"Little Miss Magic is about to get a taste of her own medicine."
**************************
"Have you seen Rinoa anywhere?" Squall asked one of the junior classmen.
"Last time I saw her, she was walking towards the dorms."
"Oh no!" he said. "Rinoa, don't do anything stupid!" He ran as fast as he could toward the dorms. Gered was stood guarding Yannie's door.
"Have you seen Rinoa?" he asked out of breath.
"Sure Sir. She just went in about five minutes ago. Said they were not to be disturbed." Squall tried the door handle. The door was locked.
"Stand back!" he shouted at Gered. Gered obliged, and Squall made himself into a human bettering ram. The door didn't move the first time, the second time, it swung wide open with a clatter.
*******************************
Rinoa summoned all the strength she could muster. She had everything planned out. She would cast thundaga on Yannie. Then remove the evidence. It would all look like an accident. Yannie had accidentally killed herself.
She was about to cast the spell when the door swung open. She saw Squall there. Dammit she thought to herself. He always ruins everything I do.
"Rinoa! No!" He was shocked and appalled. He knew she had been acting strange recently, but this was beyond strange. "What the...?" He saw Yannie tied to the bed, gagged and Rinoa about to cast a spell. Thundaga, he could sense it.
"What is this?" Cid came running in. "What's all the commotion?" he stopped at the door, stunned into silence. Then he said, almost a whisper, "Dear Lord." He grabbed Rinoa by the arm and forcefully pushed her outside. He then went to Yannie's bedside. "Are you ok?" he asked as he removed her bonds?" she nodded. Tears in her eyes. "Gered, take care of Yannie."
"Sir!" Cid exited the room and Squall followed.
******************************
Rinoa stood, back against wall. Squall paced the floor. Cid sat in an armchair. Head in hands deciding on the next course of action. Never in his many years had he dealt with a situation such as this. He decided not to get the disciplinary committee involved. Eventually, he snapped, stood up and broke the silence.
"Just what the hell do you think you were doing?!" Cid shouted. Rinoa did not answer. "Are you hearing me?" Rinoa burst into tears and ran to the door, but Squall blocked her way before she could escape. "We will not accept this kind of behaviour in garden you hear?" unfazed by her emotional outburst. "I should send you straight to D-District right now!"
"Sir..." said Squall.
"But...taking into account your past," he sighed, and fell back in his chair. "I'm just going to discharge you from Garden."
"No!" Rinoa and Squall both shouted at the same time.
"It is the only course of action. I'll phone Caraway and tell him to pick up his daughter."
"Ok, discharge me, but don't send me to my father!" protested Rinoa.
"Unless you want to be sent to D-District, I suggest you do what I tell you. I'm not having you left unsupervised." Rinoa fell to the floor. She loved Garden. It was the only place she had ever felt part of a community. She had real friends here. She had acted stupid she knew that. She couldn't explain why she did what she did. She wanted to stay more than anything, but only if a certain person wanted her to.
"Squall...?"
Squall said nothing. He had his back turned and was staring at the window.
"If you don't want me here, I'll go." Still no reply. "Squall...?" He turned to face her.
"Honestly. I don't know what I want." You're not the same Rinoa he thought. He always said that he would always stand by her. But it was hard to stay true to that when he had witnessed what he had today.
"Ok...I'll leave then." Cid picked up the phone and began to dial General Caraway's number. "I'll always love you Squall." She said through tearful eyes. Squall said nothing and turned away toward the door. Under his breath he whispered.
"Not as much as I'll always love you." He left the room, fearing this would be the last time they saw each other. He walked to his dorm. As soon as he was inside he locked the door, shut the curtains, lay on his bed and cried until he fell asleep.
********************
Gered was comforting Yannie in her dorm. Her nose was bleeding, and she had the beginnings of a black eye. He had his arm around her shoulders.
"I am so sorry." He said. I should never have let her in."
"Its ok." She sniffled. "You weren't to know."
"I'll take better care of you in the future."
"I'll take better care of myself." She looked up at him.
"Let's take you to Kadowaki. She'll fix you up good." Yannie liked Gered. Of all the people put on to guard her, he was her favourite. He wasn't particularly good looking, but had a way about him that made her feel comfortable about him.
"Thanks." She said, and patted him on the hand.
"One thing I don't quite understand." He said. "I bet you were real scared?" She nodded. Then she saw where he was coming from.
"I didn't...I should have but..." she looked at the armour on her left arm. What was it, and what had it done to her? Did it take her power away she wondered to herself.
"We'll think about that later." He stood up and held out his hand. "Let's take a walk to the infirmary." Yannie smiled and took his hand.
Yannie was sat on her bed in her dorm. Idly, she was gazing out of the window over the scenic Balamb countryside. He mind was full of thoughts. She would go see Squall later, she decided. She needed time to get her head straight, and figure out what she would tell him. She liked Squall. He always put on an act, but she knew that deep down, a part of him longed to not be alone. She didn't know it yet, but she was starting to really like him. More than a friend. Her train of thought was interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Who is it?" She shouted.
"It's Rinoa." Yannie immediately became suspicious. She wasn't stupid. She picked up on the hostility Rinoa had shown towards her. She debated whether or not she should let her in. What harm could she do her? She was more worried how she could hurt Rinoa. Fine, she may not like the girl, but she wouldn't want to kill her. She opened the door.
"Hey there." Rinoa smiled.
"Hey Rinoa."
"Can I come in?"
"Uh," Yannie stuttered for a moment. "I suppose. Come in."
"Thanks." She cam in and Yannie shut the door.
"Please, do sit down." Rinoa smile and sat down on the bed. Neither said anything for a while, then, Yannie said "So, did you want something?"
"Oh, nothing just checking in on our guest. How are you?"
"Um, fine, I guess." She hid her armoured left arm behind her back. "How are you?"
"Fine, fine." Neither said anything for a while. Rinoa got up from the bed and walked to the window. She looked out of the venetian blinds. "Ya' know, I love this place." She said.
"It is nice." Yannie agreed.
"Hey look over there!" Rinoa pointed out the window.
"What is it?"
"Come have a look." Cautiously, she walked up to the window. She couldn't see anything.
"I cant see anyth..." she was cut short by Rinoa who turned and punched her in the face, hard enough to knock her on the floor. "Ah!" she cried out. Rinoa grabbed her mouth to stop her from screaming.
"Is everything alright in there?" Gered asked outside the door.
"We're fine, just knocked over a book." She held on and dragged her to the bed. Yannie was petrified. Where was Squall or Gered when you needed them? She tried kicking, but Rinoa was much stronger than her. Rinoa ripped of a piece of bed sheet and tied it on her like a gag. She tore of some more pieces and used these to tie her hands to the bed. Yannie was defenceless.
"Little Miss Magic is about to get a taste of her own medicine."
**************************
"Have you seen Rinoa anywhere?" Squall asked one of the junior classmen.
"Last time I saw her, she was walking towards the dorms."
"Oh no!" he said. "Rinoa, don't do anything stupid!" He ran as fast as he could toward the dorms. Gered was stood guarding Yannie's door.
"Have you seen Rinoa?" he asked out of breath.
"Sure Sir. She just went in about five minutes ago. Said they were not to be disturbed." Squall tried the door handle. The door was locked.
"Stand back!" he shouted at Gered. Gered obliged, and Squall made himself into a human bettering ram. The door didn't move the first time, the second time, it swung wide open with a clatter.
*******************************
Rinoa summoned all the strength she could muster. She had everything planned out. She would cast thundaga on Yannie. Then remove the evidence. It would all look like an accident. Yannie had accidentally killed herself.
She was about to cast the spell when the door swung open. She saw Squall there. Dammit she thought to herself. He always ruins everything I do.
"Rinoa! No!" He was shocked and appalled. He knew she had been acting strange recently, but this was beyond strange. "What the...?" He saw Yannie tied to the bed, gagged and Rinoa about to cast a spell. Thundaga, he could sense it.
"What is this?" Cid came running in. "What's all the commotion?" he stopped at the door, stunned into silence. Then he said, almost a whisper, "Dear Lord." He grabbed Rinoa by the arm and forcefully pushed her outside. He then went to Yannie's bedside. "Are you ok?" he asked as he removed her bonds?" she nodded. Tears in her eyes. "Gered, take care of Yannie."
"Sir!" Cid exited the room and Squall followed.
******************************
Rinoa stood, back against wall. Squall paced the floor. Cid sat in an armchair. Head in hands deciding on the next course of action. Never in his many years had he dealt with a situation such as this. He decided not to get the disciplinary committee involved. Eventually, he snapped, stood up and broke the silence.
"Just what the hell do you think you were doing?!" Cid shouted. Rinoa did not answer. "Are you hearing me?" Rinoa burst into tears and ran to the door, but Squall blocked her way before she could escape. "We will not accept this kind of behaviour in garden you hear?" unfazed by her emotional outburst. "I should send you straight to D-District right now!"
"Sir..." said Squall.
"But...taking into account your past," he sighed, and fell back in his chair. "I'm just going to discharge you from Garden."
"No!" Rinoa and Squall both shouted at the same time.
"It is the only course of action. I'll phone Caraway and tell him to pick up his daughter."
"Ok, discharge me, but don't send me to my father!" protested Rinoa.
"Unless you want to be sent to D-District, I suggest you do what I tell you. I'm not having you left unsupervised." Rinoa fell to the floor. She loved Garden. It was the only place she had ever felt part of a community. She had real friends here. She had acted stupid she knew that. She couldn't explain why she did what she did. She wanted to stay more than anything, but only if a certain person wanted her to.
"Squall...?"
Squall said nothing. He had his back turned and was staring at the window.
"If you don't want me here, I'll go." Still no reply. "Squall...?" He turned to face her.
"Honestly. I don't know what I want." You're not the same Rinoa he thought. He always said that he would always stand by her. But it was hard to stay true to that when he had witnessed what he had today.
"Ok...I'll leave then." Cid picked up the phone and began to dial General Caraway's number. "I'll always love you Squall." She said through tearful eyes. Squall said nothing and turned away toward the door. Under his breath he whispered.
"Not as much as I'll always love you." He left the room, fearing this would be the last time they saw each other. He walked to his dorm. As soon as he was inside he locked the door, shut the curtains, lay on his bed and cried until he fell asleep.
********************
Gered was comforting Yannie in her dorm. Her nose was bleeding, and she had the beginnings of a black eye. He had his arm around her shoulders.
"I am so sorry." He said. I should never have let her in."
"Its ok." She sniffled. "You weren't to know."
"I'll take better care of you in the future."
"I'll take better care of myself." She looked up at him.
"Let's take you to Kadowaki. She'll fix you up good." Yannie liked Gered. Of all the people put on to guard her, he was her favourite. He wasn't particularly good looking, but had a way about him that made her feel comfortable about him.
"Thanks." She said, and patted him on the hand.
"One thing I don't quite understand." He said. "I bet you were real scared?" She nodded. Then she saw where he was coming from.
"I didn't...I should have but..." she looked at the armour on her left arm. What was it, and what had it done to her? Did it take her power away she wondered to herself.
"We'll think about that later." He stood up and held out his hand. "Let's take a walk to the infirmary." Yannie smiled and took his hand.