Chapter 9
It was the day of the SeeD field exam. Yannie was the only person taking the exam, so the mission she was sent on was not a very large scale one.
Quistis and fellow instructor Xu were sat in the briefing room of the Garden's spaceship Ragnarok now their legal possession as a gift from the Estharian Government. Nida would be flying it in the cockpit. On the table were lay maps and pieces of paper. It was a six-person mission, Quistis and Xu staying aboard the ship. The team of six would be Squall, Irvine, Selphie, Zell, Gered, and Yannie making up the sixth member. Squall had fully returned back to his old moody self. At least he was out thought Quistis.
The group assembled in front of the desk. All were wearing the black and gold SeeD uniform, except Yannie who was in her cadet uniform. For the last time she hoped.
"Thank you for all turning up on time." Said a serious faced Xu. The team all nodded.
"Now as you know," began Quistis, "this is, as always, a very serious operation. Yet, I am sure with adequate preparation, we should have no problem in carrying out the aims."
"Yeah yeah." moaned Zell. "We've heard this same spiel about fifty times already."
"Zell, you may have done, but Yannie here hasn't." Quistis composed herself. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted." She looked directly at Zell. Selphie giggled and even Xu had to stop herself smirking. "This is a serious undertaking. As SeeDs we have the highest of standards to uphold." She looked around to ensure she had everyone's attention. "This mission is slightly different as it doubles as a SeeD exam, but that doesn't mean you can slack off in the slightest. I shall now pass over to Xu who shall lead you through the mission." She stepped back and Xu took the floor. She pressed a button on the desk and a holographic image popped up in the middle of the table.
"Our clients are wishing to remain anonymous, but this is basically a standard hostage situation. When we are ready, Nida shall fly us to a town on the Serengetti Plains, close to the Centra Crater called Menika."
"Menika?" asked Selphie. "Never heard of it."
"Just because you never heard of it, don't mean it don't exist." Said Irvine.
"It has a modest population. The reason we are going there," continued Xu "Is because we have had an anonymous plea for help to rescue a kidnapped boy. His name is Teo and he is twelve. That is all we know."
"Who is holding him?" asked Gered.
"All we know is that he is being held by 'Unknown Forces' nothing more"
"So what's the plan?"
"He is being held in the Town Hall. There are two entrances, one at the front, one at the back." She pressed another button on the panel and a holographic image of a grandiose building came up, showing clearly the two entrances. "Squall, you Gered and Yannie take the front entrance, Zell, Irve and Selphie take the back. You are to fight to kill any resistance you come across. Once inside, bring the boy out alive and get onto the Ragnarok as soon as possible. Anything happens to him, mission over. Get it?" they all nodded. "Be junctioned and prepared. If anyone needs to stock up on supplies, potions, and phoenix downs, go to the medi-bay now." She pressed another button and the image disappeared. "Any questions?" No one said anything. "Right then, we shall depart immediately. I'll go tell Nida." Quistis smirked.
"You sure you don't want me to tell him Xu." She smiled.
"No it's alright. I'll do it." As she walked out the door she mouthed 'shut up' to Quistis. Selphie Irvine and Zell gave each other knowing glances, and giggled. Squall remained in the corner legs up on a chair looking out of the window. Yannie thought it strange that everyone was in such a good mood, all except Squall of course but no one expected him to be.
It was then that she felt the floor move and as she looked out of the window, the ground was moving away at an alarming rate. Nobody else seemed bothered. Yannie felt as if she was about to throw up. She steadied herself on a table.
"Are you ok?" she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Gered.
"Is it meant to go this fast?"
"You'll get used to it." He looked out the window at the clouds darting across below. "You nervous?"
"Is it that obvious?" He lifted up one of her shaking hands. They both smiled. "I know that I'll be alright, it's just like everything has gone so fast."
"I understand."
"I mean that I went from gutter rat one week to SeeD cadet the next. I never had family or friends except for...well you know what I mean, and now, I'm surrounded by all these warm kind-hearted people. I sometimes think its all a dream, but it isn't. And this." She held up the arm with the silver armlet on it. "I have no idea what this is. But it is a godsend. You have no idea what it is like to finally be able to control the uncontrollable after all these years. And now I'm afraid."
"Why?" he asked taking both her hands into his. She thought about telling him of her experience in the Fire Cavern, but decided not to. How could she know if she could trust him? Could she trust herself? She wasn't used to friends. It was always too risky. It would be easier to let go now than later. She paused for a moment.
"We're almost there." She said and slipped away from him like sand through his fingers to join the others. Gered sighed. He leaned on the windowsill and looked out.
Xu walked back in from the cockpit.
"You were a long time telling him Xu." Said Selphie.
"Was I?" she ran her fingers through her hair. "He was just showing me the controls to this thing. I'm thinking about getting my pilots license soon."
"Did he show you his gear stick?" The whole room burst into laughter, and even Yannie managed to raise a smile. Squall and Xu however didn't get the joke. Xu turned to face Quistis, who was trying her best to bite her lip and keep a straight face.
"Instructor Quistis Trepe! I told you not to tell!"
"I didn't!" she protested.
"We worked it out ages ago." Said Irvine.
"Yeah, why else would you spend so much time on the bridge of Garden?" added Zell.
"Ok, but don't tell anyone. We want to keep it secret." She said. Everyone nodded. Selphie began to sing 'Xu and Nida sitting in a tree' when Irvine trod on her foot to shut her up. The door to the cockpit opened and Nida walked out.
"I've put the ship on auto-pilot. Shouldn't be too long before we get there." Everyone did his or her best not to smile. "Xu, do you want to go back in the cockpit and practice flying again?" Selphie couldn't help herself.
"I bet that's not all you want to practice!" everyone laughed again. Nida had a worried puzzled look on his face.
"Nida," said Xu, "they know about us. Its Ok." She took his hand. Nida looked at Quistis.
"Quistis?!"
"Why do I always get the blame?" she asked.
Everyone laughed, and Squall continued his pastime of cloud watching. He hated couples. So happy and smug. Why can't he have that he wondered? Why did everything have to be bad for him? Why did anyone he ever love leave him? He knew it. He was cursed. He could get over his sister leaving him when he was younger, even though it took many years, and he could cope without his father making any effort to get to know him, but this he couldn't cope with. Never trust anyone again. Especially not this new girl. It was her fault Rinoa went away. All he had left was his job, but he was beginning to tire of that as well. He had enough bloodshed to last a lifetime. But what could he do if he wasn't in SeeD? The future scared him more than his past.
Listen to yourself he thought. All cut up over a girl. You coped on your own before, you'll cope in the future. You never needed anyone, you got this far on your own. She made you weak. You will be stronger without her. All this talk about quitting SeeD. Don't be ridiculous. And you don't need friends either. They'll only leave as well.
You're on you own but you do your best.
But he couldn't help thinking "If only Rinoa was here." She would make everything all right. She would stroke his head and tell him that it would all work out for the best. They would go to the flower field. They could hold hands and kiss in the summer sun. Hyne he missed her. He missed her more than anything. He couldn't handle it anymore. He stood up and stormed out the room. The laughter stopped.
It was the day of the SeeD field exam. Yannie was the only person taking the exam, so the mission she was sent on was not a very large scale one.
Quistis and fellow instructor Xu were sat in the briefing room of the Garden's spaceship Ragnarok now their legal possession as a gift from the Estharian Government. Nida would be flying it in the cockpit. On the table were lay maps and pieces of paper. It was a six-person mission, Quistis and Xu staying aboard the ship. The team of six would be Squall, Irvine, Selphie, Zell, Gered, and Yannie making up the sixth member. Squall had fully returned back to his old moody self. At least he was out thought Quistis.
The group assembled in front of the desk. All were wearing the black and gold SeeD uniform, except Yannie who was in her cadet uniform. For the last time she hoped.
"Thank you for all turning up on time." Said a serious faced Xu. The team all nodded.
"Now as you know," began Quistis, "this is, as always, a very serious operation. Yet, I am sure with adequate preparation, we should have no problem in carrying out the aims."
"Yeah yeah." moaned Zell. "We've heard this same spiel about fifty times already."
"Zell, you may have done, but Yannie here hasn't." Quistis composed herself. "As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted." She looked directly at Zell. Selphie giggled and even Xu had to stop herself smirking. "This is a serious undertaking. As SeeDs we have the highest of standards to uphold." She looked around to ensure she had everyone's attention. "This mission is slightly different as it doubles as a SeeD exam, but that doesn't mean you can slack off in the slightest. I shall now pass over to Xu who shall lead you through the mission." She stepped back and Xu took the floor. She pressed a button on the desk and a holographic image popped up in the middle of the table.
"Our clients are wishing to remain anonymous, but this is basically a standard hostage situation. When we are ready, Nida shall fly us to a town on the Serengetti Plains, close to the Centra Crater called Menika."
"Menika?" asked Selphie. "Never heard of it."
"Just because you never heard of it, don't mean it don't exist." Said Irvine.
"It has a modest population. The reason we are going there," continued Xu "Is because we have had an anonymous plea for help to rescue a kidnapped boy. His name is Teo and he is twelve. That is all we know."
"Who is holding him?" asked Gered.
"All we know is that he is being held by 'Unknown Forces' nothing more"
"So what's the plan?"
"He is being held in the Town Hall. There are two entrances, one at the front, one at the back." She pressed another button on the panel and a holographic image of a grandiose building came up, showing clearly the two entrances. "Squall, you Gered and Yannie take the front entrance, Zell, Irve and Selphie take the back. You are to fight to kill any resistance you come across. Once inside, bring the boy out alive and get onto the Ragnarok as soon as possible. Anything happens to him, mission over. Get it?" they all nodded. "Be junctioned and prepared. If anyone needs to stock up on supplies, potions, and phoenix downs, go to the medi-bay now." She pressed another button and the image disappeared. "Any questions?" No one said anything. "Right then, we shall depart immediately. I'll go tell Nida." Quistis smirked.
"You sure you don't want me to tell him Xu." She smiled.
"No it's alright. I'll do it." As she walked out the door she mouthed 'shut up' to Quistis. Selphie Irvine and Zell gave each other knowing glances, and giggled. Squall remained in the corner legs up on a chair looking out of the window. Yannie thought it strange that everyone was in such a good mood, all except Squall of course but no one expected him to be.
It was then that she felt the floor move and as she looked out of the window, the ground was moving away at an alarming rate. Nobody else seemed bothered. Yannie felt as if she was about to throw up. She steadied herself on a table.
"Are you ok?" she felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Gered.
"Is it meant to go this fast?"
"You'll get used to it." He looked out the window at the clouds darting across below. "You nervous?"
"Is it that obvious?" He lifted up one of her shaking hands. They both smiled. "I know that I'll be alright, it's just like everything has gone so fast."
"I understand."
"I mean that I went from gutter rat one week to SeeD cadet the next. I never had family or friends except for...well you know what I mean, and now, I'm surrounded by all these warm kind-hearted people. I sometimes think its all a dream, but it isn't. And this." She held up the arm with the silver armlet on it. "I have no idea what this is. But it is a godsend. You have no idea what it is like to finally be able to control the uncontrollable after all these years. And now I'm afraid."
"Why?" he asked taking both her hands into his. She thought about telling him of her experience in the Fire Cavern, but decided not to. How could she know if she could trust him? Could she trust herself? She wasn't used to friends. It was always too risky. It would be easier to let go now than later. She paused for a moment.
"We're almost there." She said and slipped away from him like sand through his fingers to join the others. Gered sighed. He leaned on the windowsill and looked out.
Xu walked back in from the cockpit.
"You were a long time telling him Xu." Said Selphie.
"Was I?" she ran her fingers through her hair. "He was just showing me the controls to this thing. I'm thinking about getting my pilots license soon."
"Did he show you his gear stick?" The whole room burst into laughter, and even Yannie managed to raise a smile. Squall and Xu however didn't get the joke. Xu turned to face Quistis, who was trying her best to bite her lip and keep a straight face.
"Instructor Quistis Trepe! I told you not to tell!"
"I didn't!" she protested.
"We worked it out ages ago." Said Irvine.
"Yeah, why else would you spend so much time on the bridge of Garden?" added Zell.
"Ok, but don't tell anyone. We want to keep it secret." She said. Everyone nodded. Selphie began to sing 'Xu and Nida sitting in a tree' when Irvine trod on her foot to shut her up. The door to the cockpit opened and Nida walked out.
"I've put the ship on auto-pilot. Shouldn't be too long before we get there." Everyone did his or her best not to smile. "Xu, do you want to go back in the cockpit and practice flying again?" Selphie couldn't help herself.
"I bet that's not all you want to practice!" everyone laughed again. Nida had a worried puzzled look on his face.
"Nida," said Xu, "they know about us. Its Ok." She took his hand. Nida looked at Quistis.
"Quistis?!"
"Why do I always get the blame?" she asked.
Everyone laughed, and Squall continued his pastime of cloud watching. He hated couples. So happy and smug. Why can't he have that he wondered? Why did everything have to be bad for him? Why did anyone he ever love leave him? He knew it. He was cursed. He could get over his sister leaving him when he was younger, even though it took many years, and he could cope without his father making any effort to get to know him, but this he couldn't cope with. Never trust anyone again. Especially not this new girl. It was her fault Rinoa went away. All he had left was his job, but he was beginning to tire of that as well. He had enough bloodshed to last a lifetime. But what could he do if he wasn't in SeeD? The future scared him more than his past.
Listen to yourself he thought. All cut up over a girl. You coped on your own before, you'll cope in the future. You never needed anyone, you got this far on your own. She made you weak. You will be stronger without her. All this talk about quitting SeeD. Don't be ridiculous. And you don't need friends either. They'll only leave as well.
You're on you own but you do your best.
But he couldn't help thinking "If only Rinoa was here." She would make everything all right. She would stroke his head and tell him that it would all work out for the best. They would go to the flower field. They could hold hands and kiss in the summer sun. Hyne he missed her. He missed her more than anything. He couldn't handle it anymore. He stood up and stormed out the room. The laughter stopped.