One Day Among Others

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: so annoying… anything copyrighted doesn't belong to me. now repeat that 100x.

Author's note: what did ya think of the first chapter? Rinoa-bashing, but not too viciously. Watch her round out later on and develop into a down-to-earth girl who's sweet but doesn't overdo the sugar.

                  "So Quisty, what do you think of our mission? It's gonna be easy, right?" Rinoa asks in her happy voice. We'll probably go home tomorrow. Quistis sighs. "Are you sleepy? Oh no! I forgot to ask Cid- where are we going to stay for the night? We can't sleep on another floor, what if there are ghos-"

                 "Calm yourself," Quistis grunts. She asks too many questions! "Xu has already made arrangements. We will stay in a hotel, separate suites across the hallway from each other. You will be fine?" She asks. Knowing her, she'll come knocking at my door and ask to sleep in my room because she's scared.

                 Nodding, Rinoa walks on. "Ok. That's good. Ooh, here we are. Ick, that building looks so eerie."

                 A two-story gray building stands by itself, surrounded by small groves of maple trees. The windows look sunk-in and the doors seem as if their hinges are stuck. All is silent.

                 "Get out your Shooting Star, we may encounter monsters." Quistis commands and opens the door. Thank Hyne she got over her fear of battling.

                 Rinoa takes out her weapon. "Ya know Quisty, what if that mad scientist guy jumps us? I mean we're just girls and everything."

                 Quistis mentally smacks herself for accepting a mission with only Rinoa as accompaniment. "Rinny, we are trained elite SeeD and teenagers. We both have our weapons out and there is no chance a deranged man can try to attack us." She says, doing her best to sound calm.

                 They walk inside. The hallways still show signs of recent activity with footprints and dropped reports. Three minutes later, they hear some shuffling.

                 "The scientist!" Rinoa screams when Quistis swings open the door that separates the two from the noise inside.

                 The scientist is a sorry sight. His mouse-brown hair is tangled and messy, and gray whiskers dot his chin. Tired, he is lying huddled in a corner, his lab coat blackened and torn. "…unbelievable…" He trails off.

                 "Eww!" Rinoa begins screaming at the sight of bare eye-sockets and is clutching at her head. "Quisty, look!"

                 Quistis ignores her and bends down towards the man. "Please excuse my um.. colleague… what is your name sir?" Blinded and a pitiable sight.

The face lifts up and a small smile spreads. "Thank you miss. I haven't received such kindness since the monster blinded me. You are a gentle soul. May Hyne bless you. I am Maxwell, Duane Maxwell and my friend Lorenzo was killed."

                 "Mr. Maxwell, can you explain what happened?" Quistis asks.

                 Rinoa, meanwhile, is staring in shock. Wow, she can keep her cool!

                 Maxwell nods. "Lorenzo and I were going through the Kashkabald Desert when he chanced upon a lone Cactuar. Mind you, they're not that dangerous unless provoked. This one was a gray color, and most disturbing indeed was the eyes. With precaution, we cast Sleep on it and Floated it back to our lab building. We placed it in a cage and studied it, because of its major differences from its fellow green ones. After one day, disaster struck and the Cactuar used its thorns and blinded me. Amazingly, it felt like two clawed hands but Lorenzo met death. Since then, I have laid in wait for my death, only to be tortured with the agonizing indifference to my condition by shallow reporters."

                 Quistis stands up. "That is quite unusual… a gray Cactuar, you say?"

                 "It was more of a silvery color, and its aura seemed evil." Maxwell answers hoarsely. "If Lorenzo were still alive, he could tell you more because he was exclaiming the Cactuar was doing something completely shocking. I swear though, it seems as if the Cactuar was hissing…"

                 "A talking Cactuar?" Rinoa bursts out. I don't get it.

                 Quistis nods slowly. "Did you hear anything it said?"

                 "Time compression- it was muttering something about time compression." Maxwell utters.

                 Both Quistis and Rinoa's eyes widen. Ultimecia. They both think at the same time.

                 "Continue, if you may. Did it mention anything else?" Quistis asks again, amazed by this information.            

                 Maxwell clutches at his chest. "..agh.. something about '…I will strike… unexpected is my delight…'" He coughs, then his head falls.

                 Rinoa's breath catches in her throat and she holds her weapon more tightly. "Is he-" I feel sorry for Maxwell. He died so horribly.

                 "Dead." Quistis quiets then looks at her watch. "A bit early, but we should debrief Xu right away."

                 "Ok. Um Quisty?"

                 "What is it?" Another stupid question, no doubt.

                 "I… I'm sorry for acting so ditzy before… it's just that I was so happy about getting a mission that I was… like… annoying." Rinoa says, embarrassed. Wonder how Quistis's gonna take it?

                 Quistis, for the first time, flashes a genuine smile at the waiting black-haired girl. "I suggest we get back to the hotel and then debrief Xu. Don't you feel worried Ultimecia's returning?" I do but is Rinny going to show some bravado?

                 Rinoa nods. "Really scared. I thought we killed her and all… but to hear she's going to strike again… I think she possessed the Cactuar."

                 "Then we must make it our duty to hunt it down and put it out of its misery tomorrow." Quistis decides.

                 "Say… do you know what ever happened to Seifer?"

                 Quistis shakes her head. "I never thought about it," she confesses.

                 "Neither did I until now. I wonder where he is, if he's still alive." Rinoa kicks at a dust ball while she speaks.

                 "Maybe we should go look for him too. He might know some important things."

                 Rinoa agrees. "Yeah, that's true. The only problem is, where can he be?"

                 Quistis taps her chin for a second. "He could be in Esthar, there's a lot of people to mingle in with."

                 "We could try clubbing." Rinoa says weakly, expecting a sarcastic remark.

                 "Good idea Rinoa. The only problem is, we'll have to wear our typical outfits, not a good thing if you're trying to seem normal." Quistis sighs.       

                 "I brought casual clothes. If you have a shirt, I have a skirt you could borrow."

                 "Deal. You know what? I think we'll solve this just fine."

                 "Yep."

Author's Note: I write with only one expectation- reviews. I don't care if it's only one, as long as it's a review.