Some… thing

By: Q-chan

Note: This story is completely fictional!! None of it ever happened in the game, so…::looks around:: don't go saying it did!!



"Ms. Trepe?" There came a soft knock at the door of her dormitory. Quistis looked up, her silver rimmed glasses slipping down on her slender nose.

"Yes?" She searched the doorway, a shadow appearing. It was Xu.

"Ms. Trepe," Xu stated again as she stepped in, "the parents are here."

Quistis sighed, nodding to her friend as she arose from the small bed. Parents Day at the Balamb Garden… I never thought I'd see this day again… So many things have happened since our troubles with the Galbadians and the sorceresses. Headmaster Cid is once again in control, Matron is back to normal; I even got my instructing job back! Quistis let out another, elated, sigh as she stepped in front of a full-length mirror. She smoothed out the lapel of her SeeD instructor's uniform, fingering it's all too familiar gold trim. Quickly she clipped the silver badge to her little red tie, staring at its Balamb seal in the mirror.

Quistis turned her head at the sound of Xu clearing her throat. "Quisty? You ready?"

Quistis took one last glance in the mirror straightening out her golden blonde bangs, "I am now." She gave a cheery smile to the girl at the door, and got a small giggle in return.

Good ol' Xu…Best friend I ever had. Quistis mused to herself, giggling slightly.

"What's so funny?" Xu glanced over her shoulder, "It's the way I walk, isn't it!"

Quistis began to roll with laughter, "Dear god, woman. Of course not!" She carefully dragged a finger underneath her glasses, her eyes beginning to tear over from her laughter.

Xu made a slight face, giggling herself. "Well I could walk like Cid!" Xu began to strut around arrogantly, thrusting her chest out in mimicry of the headmaster, causing Quistis to break into another fit of laughter.

"Oh! Oh!" Xu clapped her hands together and turned to Quistis with a giggle; "I got it! Who am I!" Xu slumped her shoulders a little and took a few slow, leisurely steps and then turned to Quistis, her face as emotionless as possible, "… Whatever…"

"SQUALL!" Quistis pointed as she brought a hand to her mouth, laughing again. "My turn! My turn!" She swaggered up to Xu, leaning an arm on her shoulder, "Hey, Xu… So like, whatcha doin' later?"

Xu squealed, "Irvine! Irvine!" The two giggled and hugged each other to keep standing. Someone behind them cleared their throat. Tensing up, the two girls turned around, both biting on their bottom lips, Quistis a little more prominent than Xu.

"Mr. Loire!" Quistis exclaimed and both gave him the Balamb salute (a fist to their chest).

Laguna nodded, as if acknowledging the fact that he was the "Mr. Loire" they spoke of. "And were you two having fun?" His (sexy) green eyes gave away his merriment as he tried to keep his lips pursed together in mock seriousness, which is rather hard for a lighthearted fellow.

Quistis cleared her throat. "Now why on Earth would we, a pair of Balamb's finest instructors," They both stood proud, Xu with her hands folded in front of her skirt and Quistis with her chin held high and serious, "enjoy making a mockery of our former students?"

Laguna leaned in close to Quistis, a smile creasing his aged face, the wrinkles at his eyes multiplying, as he whispered into her ear, "Because it looks like fun." With that he leaned back and lifted his glass of wine to the two walking passed them, the sound of his shoes against the tile fading as he got further and further away.

The two girls looked at each other and giggled, Quistis blushing ever so slightly at the cheeks. Quistis then held her arm out to her friend, "Shall we?"

"Lets!" Xu intertwined her arm in Quistis' and the pair skipped (yes, they skipped) toward the Grand Ballroom, and the giant party that awaited them there.

"So Squall said 'Don't let the enemy get those hotdogs!'" Laguna slapped his thigh as he bent over, rolling with laughter. He fell silent, glancing up at General Caraway who remained virtually motionless, with no hint of a smile. Laguna cleared his throat quickly, standing up straight, "Well I thought it was funny…" He turned away from the General, muttering a few things about him as he went.

"Hey! Squall!" Laguna gave a small wave as his son turned around, approaching him. A warm smile creeped onto both their faces. They didn't get to see each other as often as they'd like, but Laguna tried to keep in touch as often as he could, be it by letter or phone call.

"Father! You made it!" Squall extended a hand, which was firmly clasped by the older gentleman with a hearty shake.

"Of course! Esthar practically runs itself!" The two shared a laugh, both knowing it wasn't true, as Rinoa walked up. "Ah, so you're the one who caught the affections of my son!" Squall looked away, blushing as Laguna gently kissed Rinoa's hand.

Rinoa blushed herself, placing her other hand on her soft cheek. "Well… uh…"

Laguna could sense her nervousness around him and tried to lighten the conversation by pointing a thumb over his shoulder at General Caraway, "That your dad?"

"Sadly…" Rinoa held her eyes to the ground, her shoulders slumping. She never really liked her dad, and hated to admit her being related to him.

"Well tell 'im ta lighten up! He's such a stick in the mud! Makes us other dads look bad!" Laguna feigned a frown and stuck his chest out, shaking it a little.

Rinoa burst into a fit of giggles, nodding. "Okay Mr. Loire! I will!" She giggled and skipped off, the end of her blue dress/cape flowing behind her. A SeeD in training.

Squall looked to his father, frowning as if angered, getting a confused glance in return. "What?" Laguna looked around quickly, and then looked back at his son. Squall spat his tongue out, invoking a surprised gasp from Laguna. Laguna then poked at it, causing Squall to step back, retracting his tongue.

"You stickin' that thing out at me, boy?" Laguna placed a hand on the hip of his tan pants, the wineglass still in his other hand, half full.

"And if I am?" Squall asked in his arrogant way, leaning his weight on one leg and crossing his arms over his chest, causing the sleeves of his SeeD uniform to wrinkle.

"Well… then… um…" Laguna looked around and shrugged, the fabric of his sea green shirt raising and falling with his shoulders. Squall chuckled, shaking his head. He'd caught his father of guard, and he knew it. My Dad, the moron… Gotta love 'im!

"Zellie!" Ma Dincht ran toward her baby boy as he ran off.

"Ma! Don't call me Zellie! You know I don't like it!" Zell ran away from the rather large woman that called herself his "mother", the pant legs of his SeeD uniform swishing together as he did so.

"But Zellie! Yer mah baybie boie!!" Ma kept running, as did Zell.

Zell stopped, "Ma, please…" his bright blue eyes went wide as Ma Dincht came closer. "Ma! …MA!" He gave a small grunt as Ma engulfed him in a tight hug. "Ma please!" he struggled to break free, the giggles of several other, female, Balamb students drifting to his ears, turning his fair skin a crimson red.

Ma finally let go. "Zell James! What did I tell you about wearing that stuff!?" She pulled out a handkerchief, licked it, and began wiping at the black "tattoo" on the side of Zell's face. Make-up.

He quickly stepped away, half of the swirl missing already. "Ma! I like that there!" He pulled his hand into his sleeve and brought it to his face, wiping the saliva, not to mention the rest of the "tattoo", off.

"Zell! Don't you know any manners!? Stop that!" She grabbed his arm and straightened his sleeve out, smacking his hand with a snap.

Zell brought his hand to his chest, rubbing it protectively, only to have it snatched away and shoved in his face, his mother screaming, "Will you look at this!? You gone a ruined your nice uniform! That's not gonna come out!"

"Ma, stop… you're embarrassing me…" Zell mumbled through clenched teeth as he looked around, drawing his arm back to his side. He could feel the stares of several students on him. He let out a disgruntled noise as Ma Dincht pulled him to her bosom.

"Awe… mah powr baybie…" She squeezed him tight, rocking back and forth gently. Zell mumbled something that went unheard in his mother's clothing.

Seifer sat in a chair as he watched his friends and their parents from a distance. Fujin stood next to a taller woman, her mother most likely. Their features were similar, both had gray hair, her mother's draped about her shoulders, where as Fujin wore hers short, like a boy, both had eye patches, Fujin's on her right eye, her mother's on her left. They were wearing outfits of similar blue, but her mother was wearing a long skirt, instead of pants. They were both staring blankly at Raijin and his father, who were doing a strange dance, consisting of shaking their hips.

Raijin and his father shared similar looks, both had buzz cut flat tops, buff, shirtless (save for a vest of some sort) upper bodies, dark skin, and very similar taste in clothes. Raijin wore a set of bulky wooden beads around his neck, where as his father chose not to. His father's face held more age and wisdom, and his dark hair had a few wisps of gray.

Fujin and her mother looked to each other and nodded in a silent agreement. The two quickly brought their legs around and kicked the two men, Fujin kicking Raijin in the back of his knee, her mother doing the same to Raijin's father. Seifer couldn't help but laugh. I guess it's hereditary!

He tensed up as a hand gently squeezing his upper arm. Casting a quick glance to his left he relaxed a bit. "Matron. You surprised me…"

"I didn't mean to. I'm sorry." Edea gave him a warm, understanding smile.

Seifer nodded and turned his attention back to his friends. Raijin and his father were limping off as Fujin and her mother were silently laughing.

"Something wrong, Seifer?" Edea placed a gentle, manicured hand on his shoulder.

"Well…" Seifer sighed, not really wanting to finish.

"Oh I see…" Matron chuckled slightly.

"Y-you do..?" Seifer gulped and looked at Matron.

"Well… it's obvious isn't it? It's Parent's Day and…"

Seifer jumped in before she could finish. "And I don't have any parents…" He hung his head with a slump of his shoulders.

"That may be true… But look at the others…" Seifer looked up as Edea motioned to Quistis who was joking around with Xu on the other side of the Ballroom.

He sighed, placing his hands in between his knees and hanging his head. Matron rubbed the sleeve of his gray trench coat. He'd not yet become a SeeD, neither had Fujin or Raijin, but they were close. It was he who held them back.

"You know Seifer… You can always call me… 'Mom'…" Her warm gray eyes held complete sincerity as she brushed a piece of golden hair away from Seifer's forehead, careful not to touch his scar.

He looked up at her with a smile, his blue eyes sparkling. "Alright… M- Mom."

"Come on Cid! Please?" Selphie skipped after the Headmaster as he walked away.

"I don't see why." Cid adjusted his red sweater-vest, and took up a glass of wine from the tray of a young waitress as she walked passed. He sipped it carefully, eyeing Selphie over the rim of the glass. She had her hands clasped behind her back, twisting side to side.

"Pwease…?" Selphie bit her bottom lip as she watched Cid.

"Pw- er… Please what?" Irvine walked up and rested an elbow on Selphie's shoulder. He donned a Balamb SeeD uniform. He'd gotten his SeeD credits transferred, and had gone up three whole levels in courage and SeeD rank. He still wore his Stetson occasionally, and every so often he'd pull out "Old Betsy" (his rifle) for a round of shooting.

"I'm trying to get Cid to let me call him 'Daddy'!" Selphie giggled as she looked up at her urban cowboy friend.

Irvine chuckled. "Yeah! That sounds like a great idea. Whaddaya say… 'Dad'?" He was slowly loosing his slight western accent, but it showed up in a few words every so often.

Cid nearly choked on his wine as he swallowed. "Not you too! This is too much." He looked around, "Edea?! Edea help!"

Irvine and Selphie began to roll with laughter as Cid called for his wife. Irvine took a few steps forward and lightly punched Cid's shoulder. "We're only playin'… Dad." Irvine chuckled one more and went off, calling out to a few female students on the dance floor, "Hey ladies!"

Selphie shook her head, giggling. "That Irvine… he'll never change… H-hey!" Selphie looked around and frowned. Cid had wandered off. Well that's gratitude for ya…

"Hey! Quistis!" She turned around as Laguna called her name.

"Mr. Loire, what can I do for you?" She smiled as the older gentleman stepped up to her.

"Welp," Laguna sat down in the chair next to Quistis and hiccuped. "You cen call me Laguna."

Quistis repressed a giggle as she pulled up another chair and sat next to the aging president.

"Did I ever tell you I was a journalissst?" His words were slightly slurred, and Quistis shook her head. "I didn?! Well, I wath. I wrote fer Timber Manicaths. Yeap! Wasn't that kewl? Yeah it was! I gotta travel awl over da place…"

*A few moments later*

Laguna sat up with a slight gasp, rubbing his tired eyes. "Huh… Musta fell asleep…" He set his empty wineglass down, sneering at it. "Stupid wine…" He frowned as he glanced over to Quistis' now empty chair with a disgruntled sigh. I talk about myself too much…

He hung his head and let out a startled noise at the sight of a napkin sticking out of his pocket. "Wha…?" Carefully he pulled the slip of napkin out and unfolded it, his green eyes darting across the flourished script.

1

2 Mr. Loire ~

3 You'll have to tell me about it later.

4 ~ Quistis Trepe



Laguna chuckled at it, somewhat surprised by the fact that she'd want to hear more, especially about a loser like him. He was oddly reminded of someone else he'd fallen asleep talking to, but the name slipped his mind as he folded the napkin back up and slipped it into his shirt pocket once more.

"Da-… Father. You can go home if you wish." Rinoa cautiously stepped up to the General, the soft blue material of her cape brushing against the back of her legs as she walked.

"I was thinking about it." He put his wineglass to his lips, not looking at his daughter. Rinoa's face fell, her brown, highlighted hair falling into her eyes as she cast them to the ground.

"O-oh…" She scuffed her boot along the floor, not sure what to say, watching the light reflect on the black leather.

"Rinoa…" She looked up at her father as he said her name in his emotionless way.

"Yes?" She was afraid of anything he was going to say. "I forbid you to stay here." "Come home this instant." "I ne-"

"I'm proud of you." Her heart stopped in her chest, he still wasn't looking at her.

"P-proud of me, sir?" She tilted her head off to the side a bit.

"Yes, Rinoa, proud. You're doing well. This is a fine place." He placed a hand on her shoulder and gently squeezed. "I'm sure your mother would be proud."

She nodded. "I'm sure too…" she gently smiled up at her father. He wasn't going to leave; he was going to be there for her.

Zell had gotten away from his mother, and was sulking in a corner, grumbling. "I can't believe she did that…" he pulled his hands inside his sleeves and crossed his arms over his chest, leaning further back into the chair, "And in front of all those people…"

"Zell right?" Suddenly he found himself looking at the hem of a SeeD skirt and the tan legs of a young woman. He looked up into the face of Xu.

"Y-yeah…" he stood up as she stepped back, and rubbed the palm of his right hand against his hip, casting a glance at it before he offered it out. "I- I'm Zell."

"Xu." She gently placed her hand in his and shook it lightly. Zell was elated. Never had a girl tried to talk to him, well except for that time he choked on a hotdog at the last party, but he wasn't about to get into that!

Xu took in his uniform. "A SeeD, eh?" She brushed her soft black hair away from her face as she awaited his answer.

Zell gulped. "Y-yeah… L-lev-vel th-th-thirteen…" He straightened his sleeves out, suppressing a moan at the stain on the left cuff.

Xu couldn't help but giggle. So this is the real Zell. Not as brave as he shows himself to be… I like that.

"S-something *gulp* funny?" Zell looked around nervously, checking his jacket, a hand going to his face.

Xu laughed again. "No, no. It's not you." Xu placed her hands on the front of her skirt and leaned forward a little, still laughing.

Zell bit his lip looking around, running a hand over her lemon blonde (spiked) hair. He looked to Xu, who gave him a warm, friendly smile. Zell gave one in return, his fair cheeks dusted with rose.

"Oh you think you can win with that, 'Ms. I'm-so-smart'?!" Squall gave a short laugh, slamming his "Laguna Card" down to the left of Quistis' "Quistis Card" (ironic, ne?), changing it from a sky blue to a rosy pink. Quistis scowled, losing her favorite card. It was her move, the last move. It was a six to four situation, Squall was winning. The last card in her hand was the "Doomtrain Card". She almost squealed in excitement, Squall had left himself open!

She placed the card down with a snap above the "Laguna Card", snickering. "Read it and weep, Squallie-poo!" She'd flipped over both his "Laguna Card" and his "Squall Card"

Squall's eye widened and his mouth went agape. "H-how!?" He stood up looking down at the Triple Triad game board, his glove-less hands inching their way to his face. Quistis stood as well, gathering her cards. "So what was the deal? How many cards?"

"One," Squall mumbled between his hands as he dragged them over his face. Quistis picked up the only card she didn't have, the "Laguna Card". "HEY! Give that back! You can't have that one!"

Quistis chuckled, waving the card about a bit as Squall grabbed for it. "You want it back?" Squall nodded. "Then go get it!" She shoved it down the white shirt underneath the SeeD blazer she was wearing.

Squall made a slight face. "N-no thanks… you can keep it. A deal is a deal… right?" He looked to Quistis, smiling a little, his hazel-green eyes (that sometimes look gray or blue) sparkling.

Quistis leaned over the board, whispering in a low, almost (I said almost!) seductive voice, "I taught you well, Grasshopper." She stood back up giggling at the somewhat shocked face of her former student and turned on her heel, walking toward Selphie and Cid off in the distance.

Squall continued to survey the game board, now void of Quistis' cards, his own scattered about the squares. He felt as though he was gonna cry. HOW!?! How did I loose!? He collected his cards and shoved them into the back pants pocket of his SeeD uniform. See if I ever challenge you again, Quistis!! He smacked his forehead, D'oh! That's what I said last time.

Squall shook his head, chuckling to himself as he went off to enjoy the rest of the party.

Quistis detoured from her trip to Cid and Selphie. Selphie, still chasing the corpulent Headmaster around. Silently she approached a fellow SeeD asleep in a chair, his legs crossed at the ankles, a hat over his face. Immediately she knew who was hiding underneath the black Stetson, and the boots were a dead give away.

"Irvine?" She gently kicked the soul of his boots. In a flash he sat up, his hat falling into his lap and a leg rising into the air. He looked around as if in a daze, groggy and his vision blurred.

"Wha..? Did y'all get tha plate number of that bovine..?" He wiped a hand over his face and replaced the hat to his head.

Quistis shook her head, chuckling. "No cow, Irvine, only me."

"Naw! Y'all coudna dun *yawn* dat." He stood up, stretching. Quistis thought it was funny. Irvine always tried so hard to mask his accent, and here it was full force.

"Not much of a partier?" Quistis asked as she took a glass of water from a passing waiter.

"No.. ah (I) am. It's just that that wigged out president guy-"

Quistis cut in. "Laguna?"

Irvine nodded, "Yeh, that's 'im. 'E started talkin' ta me about the damndest things! About 'imself! I musta dozed off er sumthin." He scratched at the side of his nose with a finger.

Quistis shook her head. Poor Laguna… no one will stay awake to hear his life story… not even him! She couldn't help but giggle at the thought, drawing a blank stare from Irvine's gray-blue eyes.

"Ya okay, Kwistis?" He asked through a yawn, making her name sound really funny.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was an old thought that resurfaced, nothing big." Irvine nodded, starting to wake up.

Selphie flung herself on Cid's back in piggyback fashion, giggling. "Daddy!!"

"I'm too old for this…" Cid mumbled as he walked around slowly with Selphie on his back. He stepped in front of Matron and Seifer, who were still talking. "Edea, please, remove the child from my person."

Edea stood laughing, Seifer chuckled as well. "Selphie, sweetie. Leave mean old Cid alone."

"MEAN!?" Cid nearly choked on his saliva. "I am not mean."

"Yes you are. You won't let this sweet child," Edea placed a hand on Selphie's head, the both giggling, "Ride around on your back."

"And he won't let me call him 'Daddy' neither!" Selphie jumped off Cid's back and spat her tongue out at the Headmaster.

Cid made a face at Selphie's tongue. "Put that away, it's un-lady-like."

"Now why won't you let her call you 'Daddy', it's not like we have children of our own. They are our children!" Seifer nodded in agreement with Matron's words.

Cid grumbled a few things and tuned away. "Fine… she can call me 'Daddy', but only for tonight!"

Selphie giggled and hugged Cid from behind. "DADDY!!" Seifer and Edea laughed as the two walked away.

"Poor Cid." Matron sighed as she sat back down.

" 'Poor Cid' !? More like poor Selphie!" Seifer shook his head.

" 'Poor Selphie'? How so?" Edea tilted her head to look at Seifer.

"Cause she wants someone like Cid to be her father!" Seifer laughed as Edea swatted at him playfully.

"Zellie!" Zell cringed as he heard his mother's high pitched shrill off in the distance.

" 'Zellie'?" Xu couldn't help but giggle. "Is that what she calls you?"

"Sadly…" Zell hung his head in embarrassment.

"It's cute!" Xu giggled as Zell lifted his head, he was blushing.

"I-it is?" Zell looked back at the ground, digging his toe into the tile of the ballroom floor. He grunted as his mother came up from behind him, lifting him off the ground with a huge hug. Xu began to roll with laugher.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm Zell's mother," she set her son down and held a hand out to Xu.

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Dincht." Xu took the older woman's hand and shook it gently, shocked with she found her arm almost being ripped off by the woman's hearty handshake.

"No please! Call me 'Ma', everyone else does," she took her hand back and placed it on her hip, her other arm wrapped tight around her son's neck.

"Alright, Mrs. Di- er… Ma. I'm Xu, an instructor here at the Garden." Xu bowed politely to Mrs. Dincht.

Zell had gotten free from his mother's hold and was slowly trying to sneak away. "Zell James! Where do you think you're going?"

Zell cringed at his middle name. "Just… going to get a drink." Zell motioned over to a buffet table a few feet away.

His mother could tell that wasn't where he was really going, but she decided to keep him in that direction. "Well then bring your lovely friend something!" she looked to Xu, who was blushing slightly, "What would ya like dear?"

"A water would be nice…" Xu gave Zell an apologetic look as he shuffled off to the table to get her water.

"Headmaster!" Cid turned as someone screamed his name. "Headmaster, Quistis and Nida are at the front gate."

Cid lifted an eyebrow. "At the front gate? Doing what?" Probably each other…

"Yes sir," the student came closer, leaning down and out of breath, "We seem to have company that they refuse to let in…"

"Company?" Cid handed the student his half-empty wineglass with an abrupt force. He hustled his way across the dance floor and out into the Main Hall.

"Come on!! We were given a personal invitation!" A young man, obviously older than Quistis, with spiky, blonde hair shouted on the other side of the main gate.

Quistis stomped her foot down hard, suppressing the urge to wince in pain. "I told you! If I don't see an invitation, you're NOT getting in here!"

"C'mon Cloud… we should go…" a rather built brunette placed a gloved hand on the young man's, now known as "Cloud", shoulder, trying to pull him away from the gate.

Cloud shrugged her hand off. "No! We were invited here Tifa! It's rude to turn an INVITED guest away!"

"Let me see your INVITATION and I'll let you in!!" Nida was almost blue in the face from all the screaming.

"WE DON'T HAVE ONE!! WE WERE INVITED ON THE PHONE!!" A tall, burly, black man stepped forward, causing Quistis and Nida to shrink away.

Quistis stepped forward again. "You're STILL not getting in here!" She was greeted with a puff of cigar smoke.

"Alright sister… What do we have to do to get you to let us in here?" The man took another puff of his cigar.

"Sh-" Quistis was interrupted.

"We told you already, we ain't got no stinckin' invite. It was over the phone." Quistis went to say something again, but was further interrupted by the short man, "I'm pretty sure Barret here is hungry… wouldn't mind eatin' a dame like you!"

"Cid… Shut yo' mouth!" Barret swung a massive arm with a gun attached to it at the smaller man.

"I'm jus' sayin'," Cid turned and shrugged at the bigger man, who only rolled his eyes back.