Ahh...maybe you should go in without me.
Quistis gave Irvine an odd look. The two of them were standing outside one of the many ornate doors of the dorm wing.
Irvine absently scratched the back of his neck, tilting his head so that his hat completely obscured his face. There's a few people round here...who might not take so well to my being back, if you know what I mean.
I noticed. You had some problems during your stay here?
Hey, like I told you before, some people just don't like my attitude, okay? Irvine sounded almost angry.
All right, Quistis said quickly. Why don't you just go back and help Nida, then?
Without a word, Irvine turned and walked away. Quistis wondered if she should have said something else. He didn't seem to be dealing well with being back in his old Garden.
No, first things first. Stepping up to the door, she gave it an experimental tap. A moment later, it slid open, and a dark-haired female student was looking at her sleepily. she asked.
I'd like to speak to Keri, Quistis said, recalling the name Irvine had mentioned.
Come in.
This dorm was exactly the same as the one Quistis had been given. A male student was asleep in one of the bunks, and girl with black hair cut just above her shoulders was hunched over a workstation.
The girl who had answered the door walked over to the latter. Someone wants to see you.
She looked up from the panel, first at the other student, then at Quistis. What is it?
I'm with the party from Balamb Garden, Quistis said. I heard you could help us translate something.
Keri frowned at her. What is it?
Some data from the old Centra shelter. We think it might let us regain control of the Garden.
Hmm...so it's written in Centra, then?
That's right.
She shrugged. I suppose I could give it a shot. She shut off her monitor and got to her feet. Quistis took a step towards the door, but Keri held out her hand. Wait! I heard...that Irvine came with you.
Quistis closed her eyes for a moment. Does he have any friends here? Yes, he is.
What's going on? moaned the student on the bunk.
Go back to sleep, snapped the first student, who was now settling into another study panel. It's not time for class yet.
All right, let's go, Keri said, sounding resigned to her fate. Quistis thought about asking about Irvine, but decided against it. In any case, it was beginning to look like bringing the former Galbadian student back here had been a mistake.
If only they could do something about that now.
- - = = = = - -
Irvine was nowhere to be found when Keri and Quistis arrived at the dorm. Looking relived, Keri immediately sat down beside Nida, and the two of them set to work. Quistis had been confused when Nida had been muddling through Centra science, adding their language into the mix made the discussion unbearable. So she excused herself and wandered the halls for a time, trying to make sense of her situation. Less than a month ago, she had been told that she did not have the leadership abilities to continue as an instructor. Not more than a week later, in Deling City, Squall had put her in charge of a team tasked with nothing less than the fate of the world. Her guilty conscience had nearly doomed that mission as well. Reminding herself that the mission had been a disaster anyway did not help.
And now, she was in command of yet another mission, one she could not even begin to understand. What was to keep her from dooming everyone here as well?
Of course, this was different. Now, she was surrounded by fellow SeeDs, and Palmer — as the de facto headmaster — was technically the one with the authority. But that only made her wonder if it was a mistake to be trusting the members of this Garden.
Eventually, she found herself on the balcony overlooking the Garden's athletic track. A pair of students were playing a game of basketball on one of the courts, carrying on as if the Garden took off on its own every day. Quistis envied the ability to put all those troubles behind her, even for a moment.
I wonder if this is how Squall feels....
It was a few moments before she noticed Irvine on the other side of the balcony. His tall frame was hunched over the railing, and his hat dangled in his hand over the edge. His eyes seemed focused on some point halfway between him and the draw point down on the track. His casual, nearly arrogant attitude was gone.
Quistis asked, surprised by the change in him.
Irvine looked over at her, and to Quistis it looked like he had been crying. Just let me be, he growled.
For some reason, obeying his request never entered Quistis' mind. What's wrong? she asked, crossing the balcony toward him.
Irvine looked back out across the athletic track. Everyone hates me here. Didn't you notice?
Quistis paused for a moment. She wanted to say something reassuring, but what? Everyone did seem to hate him here.
Why do you think that is? she asked instead.
Hey, I told you, some people don't like my attitude, all right? he said testily. It's not my fault!
You said that nobody here likes you, she pointed out. Not just some of them. There must be something else.
Was that supposed to comfort him, Quistis? What the hell are you saying?
Irvine was silent for a beat. Then, straightening, he turned and flung his hat against the wall. It fell to the ground half a meter short. Y'know, when I got adopted, I thought I was the luckiest guy in the whole world. After all, I get a family, right? We had a nice little ranch down by Winhill, and I grew up with two parents and my own chocobo. Perfect, right?
Quistis knew enough not to interrupt.
Yeah, well, turns out chocobo ranching was on its way out. Old man knew he'd have to close it down, but didn't want to give up on the place. So then he gets the idea to send the kid off to Garden, right? Wonder how much that saved He plopped back down on the rail. Wouldn't matter, now that radio's back up. I'd love to see the old man's face when he heard about that one.
Anyway, the students here pretty soon figured it'd be fun to pick on this new ranch kid. You remember Tavin? Got some great memories from my first weeks here. The two students on the basketball court seemed to be finishing their game. When Irvine spoke again, his voice seemed to have lost his edge. It didn't take long for me to figure out that I wasn't going to make it. I didn't have the discipline for the instructors, and the students...well, I was never going to fit in there, either.
When you guys showed up, I was basically waiting to flunk out. I had this attitude all worked out, too; I act all cool, like nothing bothers me, and I don't have a care in the world. Big hit with the women. He pushed himself away from the railing and retrieved his hat from the floor. You shouldn't have brought me back here, he added, before hauling his form over the rail and dropping the short distance onto the athletic track.
Quistis watched him walk away, them collapsed onto the rail herself. I can't do this....
- - = = = = - -
You know my pay's been docked for the next six months? Wedge was saying. That and I'm demoted to a Private...I've been waiting almost a year to propose to her; how am I going to do that now?
Shut up, Wedge! Biggs bellowed. Don't talk to these twerps!
She'd laugh me out of the city, Wedge moaned. It'll be another year before I can even afford the ring.
Gee, that's too bad, Selphie said sympathetically. Heey, maybe we could talk to her. Y'know, explain your situation. I bet she'll understand!
You SeeD twerps can't hold us forever! Biggs growled. When we get out, you're gonna regret the day you ever met us!
Take that! said the older of the two kids, hitting Biggs with an old, rolled-up newspaper. Yer' stwandin' in th' way of Timber's future! Take that!
Squall's forehead was throbbing fiercely. For two hours, he had been in the upstairs room of the house Rinoa referred to as the Forest Fox's base. Biggs and Wedge were tied back-to-back on a pair of chairs right by the window. Squall wondered if it was wise to put their prisoners right next to the window, but he doubted that it was more likely to doom the movement than any other aspect of the Timber Resistance groups.
Biggs wanted to quit the army, Wedge was explaining, but his resignation got rejected. He's been like that forever, though....
Squall heard muffled voices from below, and a few seconds later, Zell came pounding up the stairs. Hey, Squall! You'd better get down here!
Normally, Squall would have wondered why, but at the moment he was too thankful for an excuse to leave to care. He hauled himself off the bed and hurried down the stairs.
By the entrance, Rinoa was speaking to a young man in a Galbadian soldier's uniform. He didn't seem to be armed, and Rinoa's expression seemed more excited than frightened.
Seeing him at the foot of the stairs, she ran over to him, smiling brightly. Guess what! That man is a messenger from a Galbadian general! He wants us to come to Deling City and negotiate for Timber's freedom! Isn't this great!
Selphie offered from behind.
Squall jumped; he had not realized she had followed him down. He wants us to go to Deling City? he asked. It might be a trap.
Oh, you just have to see the dark side of everything, don't you! Rinoa joked.
Someone has to.
Besides, I have three SeeDs with me! What could go wrong? Before Squall could answer, she turned back to the Galbadian messenger. Tell the General we'll be there tomorrow morning.