Chapter 20
Squall was sat in the canteen after lessons had finished, just as Quistis had asked. He had a hotdog in front of him, but he didn't feel much like eating. The red ketchup spilling onto the plate reminded him too much of the young boy's brains spilling out onto the tarmac. Nauseous, he pushed the plate away.
"Hey Squall." Quistis said. Squall was stirred from his hideous flashback.
"Hey."
"You ok? You look real pale."
"Am I? Sorry." Quistis sat down next to him.
"Whatever it is, tell me." Squall lay his head down on the table in his arms. "Squall? Don't do this. Open up. Don't shut yourself away again. Tell me." He turned away. A single teardrop rolled down his cheek. "Is it Rinoa? Its Rinoa isn't it? Squall you need to get over her, make a fresh…"
"It's not Rinoa." He looked up, and wiped his eye dry. Quistis pretended not to notice. "She wants nothing to do with me. I can accept that now." If it wasn't Rinoa, then what was it? Thought Quistis.
"What is it?"
"Nothing." Squall got up to walk away, and Quistis pulled him back down forcing him to sit.
"Oh no you don't. You're not running away this time." She spoke with a sterness in her voice. "Now, you are telling me what is the matter, or I'm not letting you go."
"Ok, ok." She reluctantly let go of his arm.
"Tell me…" Squall paused and took a long deep breath.
"I could have saved him Quisty. I just stood back and let them kill him."
"Who? The boy in Deling?" he nodded. With a choked up voice he said,
"They shot him in the street. He was defenceless. Defenceless!" he slammed his fist down onto the table emphasising his point.
"Squall…"
"What is the third rule in the SeeD oath."
"What?"
"Tell me, the third rule in the oath!" Quistis filed through in her mind. It had been a long time since she had had to say it herself, although she always stressed the importance of remembering it to her students.
"Um, outside of missions, only use your knowledge and skill in defence of yourself, the weak or…" she paused. "the defenceless."
"It says it right there in the oath! I failed in my duties as a SeeD!"
"Squall, you didn't fail." She put a hand on his shoulder.
"I did! Because of my incapability's as a fighter, I doomed that boy to his death."
"You didn't pull the trigger. It wasn't your fault."
"I am responsible. I did nothing. It was…is my fault."
"Squall, you can not think like that." She said looking him in the eyes.
"What other way is there to think?" he laid his head back on the table. "I'm tired of all the fighting. I'm fed up with all of this senseless killing. Why can't we live in peace."
"In a perfect would we would. But this world ain't perfect. That is why we are here. SeeDs of today, to bring the peace of tomorrow. Together," she held on to his hand "we make the perfect world."
"In a perfect world that boy wouldn't be dead." He pulled away from her, and she let him go. He walked to the door of the canteen and was about to leave, when he heard a voice over the intercom.
[I]"Ding Ding! This is headmaster Cid speaking. We have a situation, could Squall, Quistis, Selphie, Zell and Irvine all come up to the bridge please. Urgently. I repeat we have a situation. Squall, Quistis, Selphie, Zell and Irvine, all to the bridge now! Code red!" Ding![/I]
Squall looked over to Quistis who was looking back at him. They only ever issued code reds under extreme circumstances. They had never issued one before. Quistis felt her stomach knot. Her face had turned as pale as Squall's. She nodded at him and they ran up to the bridge.
***************************
Yannie was right. It was a long train journey. After their argument at the beginning of the journey, neither spoke, except for Gered who asked her if she wanted a drink, as he was making himself one. The answer to that polite question was a rather gruff 'No'.
The train arrived in timber at 8:30pm. Yannie had dozed off on the bottom bunk. Gered prodded her with a newspaper.
"Get up, were here."
"Huh?" she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Where?"
"Timber you fool. Get up, unless you want to go to Deling." She got up and stretched. She followed Gered off the train. She stood at the station and watched the train leave.
"Oh shit! My bag!" she began to run after the train. "Stop! Stop! You've got my bag!" The train sped up and left the station. Gered leaned up against a pillar and laughed quietly to himself. "What are you looking at?" she growled as she walked back to him. He held his arms in the air as a mocking surrender. He was still smiling. "Oh yes you can smile, but that bag has the map in it."
"This bag?" he said as he held up her rucksack, which he picked up from the train when they left.
"Why you…" she grabbed the bag off him and threw it over her shoulder. "You let me run after that train, you evil, conniving… "
"Hey, learn to take a joke man." She laughed as he picked up his own bag, and walked to the exit of the station.
"Jokes are meant to be funny!" she said emphasising the word funny, stamping her foot on the ground.
"Well I was laughing." He said.
"Hey, where are you going?" she ran after him. "You're supposed to be looking after me!"
***********************
"What's the situation sir?" asked a distressed Quistis.
"Look here." Cid motioned toward a round circular radar screen. As the green line made its circular path around the screen, Quistis noticed what he was referring to.
"What is it?" asked Zell, who couldn't see the screen. Nida answered.
"A fleet of Galbadian ships. They are heading right this way."
"For us?" asked Selphie. She couldn't take it if the dammed Galbadians blew another Garden she loved so much to pieces.
"We can't tell yet, but all indications say that the fleet will most probably be heading for Balamb town itself."
"Ma!" Zell shouted, pushing his way to the front staring down at the radar. "What do we do?" Cid answered.
"I've assembled our finest SeeDs and they are making their way to Balamb as we speak."
"I've got to go too." Shouted Zell. Squall grabbed him as he made his way to the elevator.
"No, stay here. You can't get personally involved."
"Dammit, they made this personal when they decided to attack my home."
"What do they want with Balamb anyway?" asked Irvine.
"That we just don't know." Answered Xu, who was stood by Nida, looking at the radar, now fully recovered from the flu.
"What's the plan?" asked Squall.
"Selphie, you Irvine and Quistis lead the defence at Balamb. I think using a twelve-sixteen triple triangle formation would be best."
"Couldn't put it better myself sir." Said Quistis.
"Go now, your team is waiting at the front gate. Hurry!" The three saluted and exited towards the elevator.
"What about us?" said Zell.
"You and Squall run things here." Said Cid.
"No way, I wanna go kick some Galbadian butt!" shouted Zell.
"Sir," said Squall "Surely it will only take one of us to stay behind. I think Zell should go with the others." To tell the truth, Squall just didn't want Zell hanging around him. He gets very defensive of his family, and would have been unbearable if he couldn't fight for them. Cid rubbed his head.
"Go on then. We need as many men out there as we can."
"Thanks Sir!" Zell shouted. He gave a hurried salute and joined the others.
"What shall I do?" asked Squall.
"Lead the operation from here. It's in your hands now."
********************
General Caraway knocked the door to the captain's room.
"Excuse me…" he said in a timid voice.
"Enter!" a voice boomed from within. He did as he was commanded. In front of the desk was a high-backed swivel chair. The person within was concealed. "Have you news?"
"Yes. The operation is going to plan. Half the SeeDs are now at Balamb. The Garden is full of rookies and Cadets."
"Ripe for attack." The figure flicked back a lock of long grey hair. "Perfekt."
"Your orders?"
"Proceed as planned. Once we reach Balamb, we turn and head to Garden. You may leave now." Caraway stood motionless for a while. "Is there anything else General?"
"Umm, I was wondering, about, my daughter…?"
"What, Rinoa? She is dead."
"But…"
"Is something wrong General?"
"No…I guess not."
"Please leave now." The general did as he was told, and left.
Squall was sat in the canteen after lessons had finished, just as Quistis had asked. He had a hotdog in front of him, but he didn't feel much like eating. The red ketchup spilling onto the plate reminded him too much of the young boy's brains spilling out onto the tarmac. Nauseous, he pushed the plate away.
"Hey Squall." Quistis said. Squall was stirred from his hideous flashback.
"Hey."
"You ok? You look real pale."
"Am I? Sorry." Quistis sat down next to him.
"Whatever it is, tell me." Squall lay his head down on the table in his arms. "Squall? Don't do this. Open up. Don't shut yourself away again. Tell me." He turned away. A single teardrop rolled down his cheek. "Is it Rinoa? Its Rinoa isn't it? Squall you need to get over her, make a fresh…"
"It's not Rinoa." He looked up, and wiped his eye dry. Quistis pretended not to notice. "She wants nothing to do with me. I can accept that now." If it wasn't Rinoa, then what was it? Thought Quistis.
"What is it?"
"Nothing." Squall got up to walk away, and Quistis pulled him back down forcing him to sit.
"Oh no you don't. You're not running away this time." She spoke with a sterness in her voice. "Now, you are telling me what is the matter, or I'm not letting you go."
"Ok, ok." She reluctantly let go of his arm.
"Tell me…" Squall paused and took a long deep breath.
"I could have saved him Quisty. I just stood back and let them kill him."
"Who? The boy in Deling?" he nodded. With a choked up voice he said,
"They shot him in the street. He was defenceless. Defenceless!" he slammed his fist down onto the table emphasising his point.
"Squall…"
"What is the third rule in the SeeD oath."
"What?"
"Tell me, the third rule in the oath!" Quistis filed through in her mind. It had been a long time since she had had to say it herself, although she always stressed the importance of remembering it to her students.
"Um, outside of missions, only use your knowledge and skill in defence of yourself, the weak or…" she paused. "the defenceless."
"It says it right there in the oath! I failed in my duties as a SeeD!"
"Squall, you didn't fail." She put a hand on his shoulder.
"I did! Because of my incapability's as a fighter, I doomed that boy to his death."
"You didn't pull the trigger. It wasn't your fault."
"I am responsible. I did nothing. It was…is my fault."
"Squall, you can not think like that." She said looking him in the eyes.
"What other way is there to think?" he laid his head back on the table. "I'm tired of all the fighting. I'm fed up with all of this senseless killing. Why can't we live in peace."
"In a perfect would we would. But this world ain't perfect. That is why we are here. SeeDs of today, to bring the peace of tomorrow. Together," she held on to his hand "we make the perfect world."
"In a perfect world that boy wouldn't be dead." He pulled away from her, and she let him go. He walked to the door of the canteen and was about to leave, when he heard a voice over the intercom.
[I]"Ding Ding! This is headmaster Cid speaking. We have a situation, could Squall, Quistis, Selphie, Zell and Irvine all come up to the bridge please. Urgently. I repeat we have a situation. Squall, Quistis, Selphie, Zell and Irvine, all to the bridge now! Code red!" Ding![/I]
Squall looked over to Quistis who was looking back at him. They only ever issued code reds under extreme circumstances. They had never issued one before. Quistis felt her stomach knot. Her face had turned as pale as Squall's. She nodded at him and they ran up to the bridge.
***************************
Yannie was right. It was a long train journey. After their argument at the beginning of the journey, neither spoke, except for Gered who asked her if she wanted a drink, as he was making himself one. The answer to that polite question was a rather gruff 'No'.
The train arrived in timber at 8:30pm. Yannie had dozed off on the bottom bunk. Gered prodded her with a newspaper.
"Get up, were here."
"Huh?" she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Where?"
"Timber you fool. Get up, unless you want to go to Deling." She got up and stretched. She followed Gered off the train. She stood at the station and watched the train leave.
"Oh shit! My bag!" she began to run after the train. "Stop! Stop! You've got my bag!" The train sped up and left the station. Gered leaned up against a pillar and laughed quietly to himself. "What are you looking at?" she growled as she walked back to him. He held his arms in the air as a mocking surrender. He was still smiling. "Oh yes you can smile, but that bag has the map in it."
"This bag?" he said as he held up her rucksack, which he picked up from the train when they left.
"Why you…" she grabbed the bag off him and threw it over her shoulder. "You let me run after that train, you evil, conniving… "
"Hey, learn to take a joke man." She laughed as he picked up his own bag, and walked to the exit of the station.
"Jokes are meant to be funny!" she said emphasising the word funny, stamping her foot on the ground.
"Well I was laughing." He said.
"Hey, where are you going?" she ran after him. "You're supposed to be looking after me!"
***********************
"What's the situation sir?" asked a distressed Quistis.
"Look here." Cid motioned toward a round circular radar screen. As the green line made its circular path around the screen, Quistis noticed what he was referring to.
"What is it?" asked Zell, who couldn't see the screen. Nida answered.
"A fleet of Galbadian ships. They are heading right this way."
"For us?" asked Selphie. She couldn't take it if the dammed Galbadians blew another Garden she loved so much to pieces.
"We can't tell yet, but all indications say that the fleet will most probably be heading for Balamb town itself."
"Ma!" Zell shouted, pushing his way to the front staring down at the radar. "What do we do?" Cid answered.
"I've assembled our finest SeeDs and they are making their way to Balamb as we speak."
"I've got to go too." Shouted Zell. Squall grabbed him as he made his way to the elevator.
"No, stay here. You can't get personally involved."
"Dammit, they made this personal when they decided to attack my home."
"What do they want with Balamb anyway?" asked Irvine.
"That we just don't know." Answered Xu, who was stood by Nida, looking at the radar, now fully recovered from the flu.
"What's the plan?" asked Squall.
"Selphie, you Irvine and Quistis lead the defence at Balamb. I think using a twelve-sixteen triple triangle formation would be best."
"Couldn't put it better myself sir." Said Quistis.
"Go now, your team is waiting at the front gate. Hurry!" The three saluted and exited towards the elevator.
"What about us?" said Zell.
"You and Squall run things here." Said Cid.
"No way, I wanna go kick some Galbadian butt!" shouted Zell.
"Sir," said Squall "Surely it will only take one of us to stay behind. I think Zell should go with the others." To tell the truth, Squall just didn't want Zell hanging around him. He gets very defensive of his family, and would have been unbearable if he couldn't fight for them. Cid rubbed his head.
"Go on then. We need as many men out there as we can."
"Thanks Sir!" Zell shouted. He gave a hurried salute and joined the others.
"What shall I do?" asked Squall.
"Lead the operation from here. It's in your hands now."
********************
General Caraway knocked the door to the captain's room.
"Excuse me…" he said in a timid voice.
"Enter!" a voice boomed from within. He did as he was commanded. In front of the desk was a high-backed swivel chair. The person within was concealed. "Have you news?"
"Yes. The operation is going to plan. Half the SeeDs are now at Balamb. The Garden is full of rookies and Cadets."
"Ripe for attack." The figure flicked back a lock of long grey hair. "Perfekt."
"Your orders?"
"Proceed as planned. Once we reach Balamb, we turn and head to Garden. You may leave now." Caraway stood motionless for a while. "Is there anything else General?"
"Umm, I was wondering, about, my daughter…?"
"What, Rinoa? She is dead."
"But…"
"Is something wrong General?"
"No…I guess not."
"Please leave now." The general did as he was told, and left.