Warrior Soul
Part I: Chosen one
By Tanthalas Fierolobo
"Finally, we have recovered what was ours. Let
us rejoice in this day, from the youngest child to the oldest man, for we are
now, and forever, free."
- Rinoa Heartilly, speech to Timber.
CHAPTER ONE: A new day. Memories. Of friends
and foes.
1. Forgiven?
Quistis sat on her bed, ready to begin another
day. Balamb Garden was now flying over the sea, in its way for Trabia. The
reconstruction of the devastated garden was almost finished, and soon it was
going to be re-inaugurated, so the commander and all SeeDs were invited to the
ceremony. After washing her hands and face, and tying her brilliant gold hair as
usual, she dressed up, went out of her room and headed for the cafeteria. She
glanced at the sky; there were no clouds in it, today was going to be a hot
day. She had a fast, silent breakfast and then went to the third floor of
garden. It was very early in the morning, so there were no students around. She
reached the commander's office, and entered without knocking at the door, using
a key instead; there was no need of that, because the Commander was someone she
knew very well. She looked at the desk, a painful expression in her face. She
couldn't help it, even with all the time that had passed; every morning, when
she looked at the commander's desk, she remembered him: his face, the scar
between his icy blue eyes; his voice, his precious baritone voice; his
thoughtful expression; his body, with his fibrous muscles; his dark clothes,
the necklace around his neck, the gunblade hanging by his side…
Almost twelve years had passed from
that cold autumn day, and she still couldn't forget Squall. With a sad sigh, as
every morning, she sat on the commander's chair and began to work.
-
Thinking about Squall again, Commander? - Quistis glanced around, first
surprised, then a little annoyed, but with a half smile in her lips.
-
So what if I was? - She asked to her friend. - I think I told you, you
shouldn't do that… you always give me a death fright! - She was talking to a
young woman (she was around her thirties) that had just appeared inside the
office. She had long, black, straight hair, tied with two leather ribbons, one
behind her neck and other at the middle of her back. Her pale, porcelain skin
was perfect, without a wrinkle, and was soft as velvet. She was wearing a grey
top, her stomach uncovered, and dark blue trousers. Her amber eyes went back to
their normal dark brown as she approached Quistis.
- I don't like walking. - She said,
with a gesture of her hand. - I can't believe you still miss him after what he
did to us all.
- I've told you, Rinoa, I do not
think like you.
- And that's why I gave you his ring,
remember? I couldn't even look at it, but you accepted it gladly… - her eyes
shone with a yellow light. - You have it in one of your pockets right now. And
you have his gunblade and necklace in your room, don't you?
-
Have I said you I hate your powers? - Said Quistis, grinning.
-
Yeah, a million times. And so do I, but you get used to it…- she sighed. -
Seriously, Quistis, you should forget him…- she said bluntly. - This is only hurting you. Or at least hate
him…- "Like me" she added in her thoughts. Twelve years ago, she was shattered
after Squall's disappearance, but she didn't try to find him, because he wanted
to leave, he wanted to abandon them. After overcoming it, she discovered she
profoundly scorned him for giving up, for running away from his duty, from his
home, from his friends, and from his love. She really had loved him, and would
have spent happily the rest of her life with him, but now she hated him as she
had once hated Ultimecia. This had made her much more serious than before: she
was not the carefree girl of her teens any more. Also, she was very sincere
with everyone, about anything… brutally sincere indeed. She had thought many
times about this, and came to a conclusion: she acted in that way because she
believed that, if she had said to Squall how much she really loved him, how
much she needed him by her side, and how much she wanted to be with him, he
would have stayed; but she didn't say him what she felt. She wouldn't make the
same mistake again. "You promised you would be there, always there for me." She
had bitterly thought many, many times. "Where are you now, my coward knight?
Away. You abandoned me, you abandoned us all."
-
Oh, shut up! - Quistis said playfully, trying to look annoyed. She and Rinoa
had become very close friends in twelve years; Rinoa was, in fact,
(unofficially, of course) the second authority in garden, and was loved and
admired by students and SeeDs equally. She lived in garden, and helped in all
sort of missions. Quistis really needed her extreme (and often annoying)
sincerity and objectivity. Rinoa had proven many times she was not a menace to
the world; she was a blessing for it indeed: "The White Sorceress", many called
her. - It's none of your business what I think.
-
Maybe, but it's true what I say.
- Whatever… - Replied Quistis
smiling. Rinoa frowned.
- Well, at least don't think of him
when I'm around, okay? It makes me mad, hearing such pervert thoughts inside my
head…- She giggled.
-
I never think of him in that way! - Quistis tried to hide her smile. She knew
Rinoa was joking (quite unusual thing in her), and was glad to see her friend
was in a good mood.
-
Yes, yes, of course, that's what you say…- with a chuckle, they both started to
work.
2. Forgotten?
- Irvine! Were you paying any attention
to anything I've said?
- Err… what? - Irvine was in his
dream world of sex when suddenly a voice broke his "concentration".
Unwillingly, he came back to real world.
- You weren't thinking about naughty
things again, were you? - Irvine thought something quickly.
- How can you say that? You know I'm
always thinking about you…- "Well, that's true…" he said to himself.
- That's the same thing, you
pervert…- She playfully (but not softly) punched him in his arm. Then she
seemed to think it better and kissed his cheek. "One thing for another, I
suppose." He thought.
- Hey, I can think naughty things
about my girlfriend if I want to! - With this, he passionately kissed her lips.
- Wait, wait! Put the brakes on,
Irvine! This is not the place... - she (reluctantly) moved away from him, and
continued eating her salad.
- We can go to "the place" then, if
you want to…- She released her fork.
- Irvine!
- What? - She answered kicking his
leg.
- Behave!
- C'mon, Selphie, I was just
kidding! - She gave him a glance that said,
"I know dear, but say it again and I'll rip your eyeballs off from your
head."
-
There's time for everything, dear… - she said giggling - but now, eat and
listen! - Selphie and Irvine were having a light lunch at the cafeteria; they
had arrived to garden three days ago from their last mission and now they were
taking a deserved rest. They had a serious and formal relationship now; they
were in deep love with each other, and did everything together. They hadn't
married because that would ruin their SeeD careers, but they were as thick as
thieves. Quistis always gave them the toughest missions of espionage and
infiltration; they were famous for what they had done together, their mutual
understanding was perfect, and the Commander trusted them at a hundred per
cent. Selphie and Irvine didn't change much in twelve years: Selphie was *a
little* more mature and serious (she was not mad any more Zell's
words), and Irvine was *a little* more mature and a completely monogamous
person (he was not mad about chicks any more Zell's words). Selphie was
as beautiful as always, she only had a couple of very soft lines around her
eyes and mouth when she smiled: "They make her prettier," Used to think Irvine
affectively. Now her once curled hair (crazy hair Zell's words) fell in
a copper cascade over her shoulders, hiding her ears and covering her neck. She
was wearing a forest green top, with a long cotton skirt, a little paler, that
flapped around her ankles when she walked. Irvine was as good-looking as always,
only a couple of very soft lines around his eyes and mouth when he smiled:
"They make him cuter," Used to think Selphie affectively. He had now his hair
untied, falling in a copper cascade over his back. He was wearing a black
T-shirt and brownie-green trousers. They were, in summary, a happy couple. - In
two days we are reaching Trabia Garden, just in time for the inauguration
party! You know, I've organized e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g, from the illumination to
the fireworks, the food, and… - she went on talking about the event, proud of
what she had done. She stopped when she noticed Irvine was staring at her eyes
with a smile dancing in his lips. - What? What's the matter? - She said. She blinked with surprise as he
raised his hand and tenderly caressed her hair and face with it.
-
You are incredible. - He whispered.
- Irvine… - She bowed her head
forward, he embraced her, and their lips joined in a long kiss. They didn't
notice a blond man that approached them from behind.
- Ahem! Do I… interrupt anything? - The couple jumped in surprise, and
moved away from each other as the man sat in front of them.
-
No, nothing at all… - Said Selphie giggling. Irvine frowned.
-
As timely as ever, Zell. - The aforesaid smiled as he crossed his legs. His
golden hair was very short, only a centimetre or two long ("in a more mature
way", he seriously used to say). He was wearing a dark red T-shirt and long
blue jeans: he might have changed his hairstyle, his clothing, even his
behaviour; but not his colours… or his eating habits. He was mad about hotdogs:
hotdogs in the morning, hotdogs in the evening, hotdogs in the summer, hotdogs
in the winter… "I would be a greasy fat-ass if I wouldn't make so much
exercise", were Zell's words. He was one of the best combat SeeDs in garden:
his movements were liquid when fighting; his blows, dodges, and jumps
incredibly fast and accurate; his speed, extraordinary. When his friends
praised him, he used to say, " I think I only would be beaten by you-know-who":
Saying his name was taboo for him;
Squall was like an ancient god that he worshipped. When he wasn't on a mission,
he was sort of a combat instructor in the academy, so he was (finally, after
years and years of trying) a respected member of the garden community. He was
not "Chicken Wuss" any more (Seifer's words).
-
Hey, if you want to do that sort of things, don't do them in an open place! -
He laughed. Irvine glanced around.
-
Where's your buddy?
-
Seifer you mean? He's out on a mission… some information exchange in Esthar, I
think. He'll join us in Trabia for the ceremony. - Yes, Seifer was Zell's friend. People can change a
lot in twelve years: he was now "following the path of rectitude", as Quistis
had said. He had been re-admitted in garden eleven and a half years ago. At
first, Zell, Selphie, Irvine, or any other SeeD and Seifer couldn't be in the
same room without arguing, they couldn't abide each other. He had to work very,
very hard for being a SeeD, and for keeping his temper under control: he had
been many times at the edge of losing his composure and starting a fight. He
became a SeeD and, with time, garden students and SeeDs alike acknowledged him
as one of them, forgiving, even forgetting what he did in the past. But there
was someone who would never forgive him. If there was someone Rinoa hated more
than Squall, that someone was Seifer. She always stayed away from him:
everybody thought that it was because she felt uncomfortable, but the real
reason (a reason only Quistis knew) was for preventing herself from killing him.
She could have forgiven, even forgotten (with much effort) what he did, but she
hated him in such an extreme way because she could read his mind: every time
Seifer looked upon her his thoughts were something like "I should have killed
you when I had the opportunity." Hatred
was mutual. - By the way, how's the inauguration party going?
-
Fine. - Selphie answered. - All is ready. Oh, It will be so much fun! I can't
believe my home garden is finally reconstructed… I only wish Sq… - she glanced
at Zell, and rectified just in time. - You-know-who could be with us for the
party. I'm sure he would enjoy it…
-
Yeah, of course, if you say it… - mocked Irvine. - Probably he'd lean over a
wall and ignore us all until the end of the party!
-
Maybe he has changed…
-
Squall? Ifrit's hair would freeze before! He was a loner, is a loner and will
be a loner until the end of days!
-
You don't know that! - She replied. - We haven't seen him in twelve years; he
could have changed in all that time, just like Seifer did.
-
Oh, and why haven't he come back then?
-
Because… because… - Selphie went quiet for a while. - Oh, why did he leave? -
She finally muttered. - I miss him so much…
- He chose his path, dear. - Irvine
hugged her. "How strange." He said to himself. "Why is she so sad all of
sudden?" - He chose to live his life in the way he wanted, and he didn't want
to be the leader of garden. He simply did what his heart told him to do.
-
But why? Why did he go without telling us, without a farewell? I know we've
discussed it countless times, but… we were his friends…
-
That's something only he knows, Selph. - Zell took part in the conversation.
Quistis never told them anything about Squall's necklace and gunblade: it was a
secret only Rinoa and Quistis knew. - I think he knew he couldn't say goodbye
to his friends, so he simply didn't say goodbye. Or perhaps it wasn't a
"goodbye", just a "see you later"… - Zell had the secret hope that Squall would
some day come back. - Who knows?
-
Or maybe you are just daydreaming, Zell. - Irvine said, a smile in his lips.
-
Maybe… - He sighed. - Anyway, I'm sure we all will enjoy the party.
They continued talking about the
celebration during lunch, Selphie cheered up again as usual. When finished,
they stood up.
-
I'm going to train a little… - Zell said, stretching. - I feel a bit drowsy
today; I'll go and do some exercises… bye!
-
See you later... - Selphie waved a hand while yawning. - I feel dizzy… let's go
for a walk to the Quad, okay?
-
Sure… - Irvine answered. A smile appeared in his lips. - Or we can do other
sort of… exercise, if you want…
-
Irvine!
-
Ahh… I had to try… - He put an arm around her shoulders. - Let's go for that
walk. - With that, they headed for the Quad.
End
of chapter one.
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