Chapter 10
The Ragnarok touched down just outside Menika.
"You remember the drill Yann?" asked Xu. The young girl nodded her head. "Try not to be nervous. Just do your best, and I'm sure you will pass."
"Is everyone prepared?" asked Quistis. Everyone nodded. "I suppose I better get Squall then." After he had stormed out the room, he had not returned. Quistis had decided that it would be for the best if she went to look for him.
She walked through the automatic doors and went down to the loading bay. There she saw Squall fighting with an empty wooden crate. He swung his Gunblade high above his head, and came crashing down on top of the crate slicing through it like butter. Once again he raised his Lionheart and swung himself around, about to slice into it again, but stopped when he saw Quistis at the door.
"What do you want?" he grunted as he slipped the mighty weapon back into its holster on his waist.
"We are ready to leave now." She stepped toward him.
"Tell the others they can cope without me." Quistis was stunned.
"What do you mean? You're not coming?"
"Not much gets past you does it?" he turned and paced towards the opposite end of the loading bay.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because I don't think I can trust myself with her." He almost spat the word 'her'.
"This is about Rinoa isn't it?"
"Correct again! Ten points for the oh-so-perfect Instructor Trepe!"
"Come on, this is just being unreasonable! What are we to do without our commander?"
"I'm sure you won't miss me. Just like none of you miss Rinoa."
"That is unfair." She walked over to him and pulled his shoulder, forcing her to face him. "You think you're the only one missing her? We all do, but we can accept that she is gone." Squall shrugged of her hand.
"Don't talk about her as if she is dead!"
"You know what I mean. But you can' blame all of this on Yann. It's not her fault Rinoa tried to kill her."
"I should never have brought her here. All she has done is cause trouble." Quistis sighed. It seamed as if nothing would change his mind. Then she had an idea.
"Oh, I see what all this is about. Your jealous aren't you?"
"Me? Who of?"
"Yes, its all so clear now." She began pacing around him. "You've always been top dog. Now you can't handle it when it looks as though she could be better than you."
"That's rubbish!"
"Ah, but is it? You're the mighty Squall. You are the one who saved the world. No one can beat you. But she did, didn't she? She put you in the infirmary. She almost killed you." Squall thought to himself. Is this true? Was he scared of someone stealing his thunder? "That's the real reason you won't fight isn't it? Scared she might show you up?" No, it wasn't true. He disliked her because of the Rinoa incident, didn't he?
"That's a lie. I'll show you!"
"How?" Quistis asked.
"This is how!" and he turned and ran up the stairs to join the others. Quistis fell down on a crate, head in hands. She sighed again.
"I'm glad that worked." She hated using reverse psychology to get her way, but desperate times turned to desperate measure. She knew it wasn't true, Squall would always be the best, and in time, he would work out the little trick she just pulled on him. But for the time being at least, he thought he had something to prove.
*********************
"Ah Squall, so you decided to join us after all?" asked Irvine.
"So are we going or what?" he said.
"Let's just get this over and done with." Added Selphie. Quistis came up from the loading bay.
"Ok people, let's get a move on. Yannie, you shall be marked on skill, time, and ability to follow orders. You understand?"
"Yes Instructor."
"Ok then, any last questions?" Nobody raised his or her hands. "Right, you know what to do. Good luck, be safe, and don't act on impulse, especially you Zell."
"Ugh, lets go already!"
"So go!" The two groups departed the Ragnarok, Zell with Irvine and Selphie, Squall with Gered and Yannie. When outside, Squall was the first to speak.
"Remember the plan? Me, Yannie and Gered take the front entrance. The others take the back. Got it? Good lets go. Fight to kill any resistance you come up against."
Menika was deserted. The roads were dusty, and many of the windows were boarded up. Apart from some tumbleweed and a light breeze, the place was still and silent. Gered spoke.
"I don't like this place at all."
"Me neither." Added Selphie. "It gives me the creeps. Looks like no-one has lived here for years."
"Doesn't matter about that. Lets just get this Teo lad and get out of here." Said Zell.
"Town hall is this way. Get out your weapons." Squall unsheathed his Gunblade, Irvine loaded up his rifle, Selphie unravelled her Shinobou, Gered shook his legs and turned his ankles to warm up his feet with the specially designed spiked shoes, Yannie unclasped her Double Maces and Zell cracked his knuckles.
They were ready.
The Ragnarok touched down just outside Menika.
"You remember the drill Yann?" asked Xu. The young girl nodded her head. "Try not to be nervous. Just do your best, and I'm sure you will pass."
"Is everyone prepared?" asked Quistis. Everyone nodded. "I suppose I better get Squall then." After he had stormed out the room, he had not returned. Quistis had decided that it would be for the best if she went to look for him.
She walked through the automatic doors and went down to the loading bay. There she saw Squall fighting with an empty wooden crate. He swung his Gunblade high above his head, and came crashing down on top of the crate slicing through it like butter. Once again he raised his Lionheart and swung himself around, about to slice into it again, but stopped when he saw Quistis at the door.
"What do you want?" he grunted as he slipped the mighty weapon back into its holster on his waist.
"We are ready to leave now." She stepped toward him.
"Tell the others they can cope without me." Quistis was stunned.
"What do you mean? You're not coming?"
"Not much gets past you does it?" he turned and paced towards the opposite end of the loading bay.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because I don't think I can trust myself with her." He almost spat the word 'her'.
"This is about Rinoa isn't it?"
"Correct again! Ten points for the oh-so-perfect Instructor Trepe!"
"Come on, this is just being unreasonable! What are we to do without our commander?"
"I'm sure you won't miss me. Just like none of you miss Rinoa."
"That is unfair." She walked over to him and pulled his shoulder, forcing her to face him. "You think you're the only one missing her? We all do, but we can accept that she is gone." Squall shrugged of her hand.
"Don't talk about her as if she is dead!"
"You know what I mean. But you can' blame all of this on Yann. It's not her fault Rinoa tried to kill her."
"I should never have brought her here. All she has done is cause trouble." Quistis sighed. It seamed as if nothing would change his mind. Then she had an idea.
"Oh, I see what all this is about. Your jealous aren't you?"
"Me? Who of?"
"Yes, its all so clear now." She began pacing around him. "You've always been top dog. Now you can't handle it when it looks as though she could be better than you."
"That's rubbish!"
"Ah, but is it? You're the mighty Squall. You are the one who saved the world. No one can beat you. But she did, didn't she? She put you in the infirmary. She almost killed you." Squall thought to himself. Is this true? Was he scared of someone stealing his thunder? "That's the real reason you won't fight isn't it? Scared she might show you up?" No, it wasn't true. He disliked her because of the Rinoa incident, didn't he?
"That's a lie. I'll show you!"
"How?" Quistis asked.
"This is how!" and he turned and ran up the stairs to join the others. Quistis fell down on a crate, head in hands. She sighed again.
"I'm glad that worked." She hated using reverse psychology to get her way, but desperate times turned to desperate measure. She knew it wasn't true, Squall would always be the best, and in time, he would work out the little trick she just pulled on him. But for the time being at least, he thought he had something to prove.
*********************
"Ah Squall, so you decided to join us after all?" asked Irvine.
"So are we going or what?" he said.
"Let's just get this over and done with." Added Selphie. Quistis came up from the loading bay.
"Ok people, let's get a move on. Yannie, you shall be marked on skill, time, and ability to follow orders. You understand?"
"Yes Instructor."
"Ok then, any last questions?" Nobody raised his or her hands. "Right, you know what to do. Good luck, be safe, and don't act on impulse, especially you Zell."
"Ugh, lets go already!"
"So go!" The two groups departed the Ragnarok, Zell with Irvine and Selphie, Squall with Gered and Yannie. When outside, Squall was the first to speak.
"Remember the plan? Me, Yannie and Gered take the front entrance. The others take the back. Got it? Good lets go. Fight to kill any resistance you come up against."
Menika was deserted. The roads were dusty, and many of the windows were boarded up. Apart from some tumbleweed and a light breeze, the place was still and silent. Gered spoke.
"I don't like this place at all."
"Me neither." Added Selphie. "It gives me the creeps. Looks like no-one has lived here for years."
"Doesn't matter about that. Lets just get this Teo lad and get out of here." Said Zell.
"Town hall is this way. Get out your weapons." Squall unsheathed his Gunblade, Irvine loaded up his rifle, Selphie unravelled her Shinobou, Gered shook his legs and turned his ankles to warm up his feet with the specially designed spiked shoes, Yannie unclasped her Double Maces and Zell cracked his knuckles.
They were ready.